Peritonealized urachal remnant and obstructive congenital peritoneal band. A case report

INTRODUCTION

Intestinal obstruction as a result of congenital peritoneal bands is rare in surgical practice. It typically compromises the small bowel, and it also has been reported to involve the appendix or a Meckel's diverticulum. However, peritonealized urachal remnant as part of a congenital band is highly infrequent.

CASE REPORT

5-year-old boy presenting with intestinal obstruction related to a peritoneal band from the mesentery to the appendix and a peritonealized urachal remnant, associated with an incidental finding of a Meckel's diverticulum. Diagnosis was achieved laparoscopically. The peritoneal band, the urachal remnant, and the Meckel's diverticulum were resected.

DISCUSSION

Kerkeni's congenital band classification consists of 4 independent groups. This case combines both a band stemming from an embryological remnant and an idiopathic band.

[Massive rotator cuff injury: arthroscopic treatment with upper capsular reconstruction]

Massive rotator cuff injuries (LMMRs) are those breaks of more than 5 cm either the anteroposterior plane, or lateromedial plane. Some authors consider them to be complete ruptures of at least two rotator cuff tendons. The clinical case of a 63-year-old man with this type of injury that was resolved by the superior capsule reconstruction technique is presented, technical details and some of the literature review to carry out the procedure are shown.

Transmitted drug-resistance in human immunodeficiency virus-infected adult population in El Salvador, Central America

El Salvador harbours one of the largest Central American human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemics, but few studies have analysed it in depth. Here, we describe the presence of transmitted drug resistance (TDR) and HIV variants in the HIV-infected adult population in El Salvador. Dried blood spots from 119 HIV-infected antiretroviral-naive adults attended in El Salvador were collected in 2011. The TDR was assessed according to the list recommended by the WHO. HIV-1 variants were described using phylogeny. Pol sequences could be amplified in 88 patients (50.6% men), with a mean age of 35 years. Almost all (96.7%) were infected with HIV through sexual practice and 58.7% were recently diagnosed. The mean CD4(+) count was 474 cells/mm(3) and 43.1% and 15.5% of patients showed moderate (<500 CD4 cells) or severe (<200) immune suppression, respectively. HIV-1 viral load was >100 000 copies/mL in 24.7% of patients and <2000 copies/mL in 9.1%. Five samples (5.7%) harboured any TDR mutation: 2.3% for nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), and 1.4% for protease inhibitor (PI). All showed only one TDR single-class resistance mutation: M184I (two cases) for NRTI, K101E and K103N for NNRTI and L23I for PI. All viruses excepting one (URF_BG) belonged to subtype B. No phylogenetic TDR networks were found. In conclusion, we report a TDR prevalence of 5.7% in El Salvador, lower than in other Central American studies. Periodical studies are essential to monitor and prevent TDR emergence in low-income and middle-income regions. Also, more efforts are needed to promote early diagnosis and prevention of infection in El Salvador.

Reconstructive management of advanced breast cancer

To evaluate morbidity, quality of life, and oncological outcomes of patients with advanced breast cancer, recurrence, or sequelae secondary to radiotherapy, the authors present their experience with 21 patients at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in Mexico City, who underwent resection of the lesion and reconstruction using thoracoepigastric fasciocutaneous, rectus abdominis, or latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flaps. Complications included partial flap necrosis and bronchopleural fistulae in 2 of 7 patients with whole-thickness chest wall resection. The remaining patients progressed nicely, with a short recovery period. The patients and the surgical team evaluated results in terms of aesthetics and function using questionnaires. The results were from fair to good according to Sneeuw's scale. Pedicled musculocutaneous and fasciocutaneous flaps are an excellent reconstructive option in patients with advanced, recurrent breast cancer and in those with radionecrotic complications, which sometimes require resection of the whole-thickness chest wall.

Passifloricins, polyketides alpha-pyrones from Passiflora foetida resin

Three polyketides alpha-pyrones, named passifloricins, were isolated from Passiflora foetida resin; their structures and relative configurations were assigned through 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses. These types of compounds were not detected in other passion flowers.

Preventing neonatal group B streptococcal disease: cost-effectiveness in a health maintenance organization and the impact of delayed hospital discharge for newborns who received intrapartum antibiotics

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the cost and health benefits of implementing a risk factor-based prevention strategy for early-onset neonatal group B streptococcal (GBS) disease, using baseline assumptions and costs from a health maintenance organization. With the risk factor-based strategy, intrapartum antibiotics (IPAs) would be provided to women with fever, prolonged rupture of membranes, or preterm labor. A second objective was to determine the impact of an increased length of stay for well term infants with mothers who received IPAs.

METHODS

We used decision analysis to compare the costs and benefits of the prevention strategy with usual obstetric practice for a cohort of 100 000 women and their newborn infants. We derived baseline values from a previous study based on chart review and automated cost data from a health maintenance organization in Northern California. In sensitivity analyses, we varied baseline assumptions, including additional costs for observing well term infants who received IPAs.

RESULTS

If adherence to guidelines were 100%, 17% of mothers would receive IPAs at a cost of $490,000; $1.6 million would be saved by preventing 66 GBS cases (64% reduction). The net savings would be $1.1 million and 61 life-years. The net cost is sensitive to the cost of caring for well infants who received IPAs. If each term infant of a mother who received IPAs had 1 more day of observation than other term infants, there would be a net cost of $8.1 million; the cost per GBS case prevented would be $120,000 and the cost per life-year saved would be $130,000.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation in a health maintenance organization of a risk factor-based strategy to prevent neonatal GBS disease can prevent substantial disease and be cost saving. However, if the length of hospital stay were extended among well term infants whose mothers received IPAs, the strategy would be relatively costly compared with other medical interventions.