Costs and resource utilization patterns in surgical site infections: a pre-COVID-19 perspective from France, Germany, Spain, and the UK

BACKGROUND

Surgical site infections (SSIs), mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, pose a significant economic burden in Europe, leading to increased hospitalization duration, mortality, and treatment costs, particularly with drug-resistant strains such as meticillin-resistant S. aureus.

AIM

To conduct a case-control study on the economic impact of S. aureus SSI in adult surgical patients across high-volume centres in France, Germany, Spain, and the UK, aiming to assess the overall and procedure-specific burden across Europe.

METHODS

The SALT study is a multinational, retrospective cohort study with a nested case-control analysis focused on S. aureus SSI in Europe. The study included participants from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK who underwent invasive surgery in 2016 and employed a micro-costing approach to evaluate health economic factors, matching S. aureus SSI cases with controls.

FINDINGS

In 2016, among 178,904 surgical patients in five European countries, 764 developed S. aureus SSI. Matching 744 cases to controls, the study revealed that S. aureus SSI cases incurred higher immediate hospitalization costs (€8,810), compared to controls (€6,032). Additionally, S. aureus SSI cases exhibited increased costs for readmissions within the first year post surgery (€7,961.6 versus €5,298.6), with significant differences observed. Factors associated with increased surgery-related costs included the cost of hospitalization immediately after surgery, first intensive care unit (ICU) admission within 12 months, and hospital readmission within 12 months, as identified through multivariable analysis.

CONCLUSION

The higher rates of hospitalization, ICU admissions, and readmissions among S. aureus SSI cases highlight the severity of these infections and their impact on healthcare costs, emphasizing the potential benefits of evidence-based infection control measures and improved patient care to mitigate the economic burden.

New Zealand patients have a higher melanoma burden in sentinel nodes and completion lymphadenectomy than patients in MSLT-II

New Zealand has the highest rate of melanoma-related mortality in the world. Access to immunotherapy and radiology is limited and surgical treatment of regional disease remains important. A recent pilot study of a single health district observed a higher nodal melanoma burden than was reported in the second Multicentre Selective Lymphadenectomy Trial (MSLT-II). In this study, a series of regional censuses were undertaken covering the 10 years immediately prior to the publication of MSLT-II. The study population was seven District Health Boards covering 62.2% of the population of New Zealand across a 10-year period preceding MSLT-II. The primary outcomes measured were the size of sentinel lymph node metastases and non-sentinel node (NSN) positivity on completion lymph node dissection (CLND) for patients with a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). In the 2323 SLNB identified, the mean sentinel lymph node metastatic deposit size was larger compared to MSLT-II (2.55 vs. 1.07/1.11 mm). A greater proportion of New Zealand patients (44.2%) had metastatic deposits larger than 1 mm compared to MSLT-II (33.2/34.5%) and the rate of non-sentinel node involvement on CLND was also higher (22.2% vs. 11.5%). These findings indicate that New Zealand is a high-risk population for nodal melanoma metastases. Due to these differences, the conclusions of MSLT-II may not be able to be applied to melanoma patients in the 7 regions studied in New Zealand.

Porokeratosis: a differential diagnosis to consider in benign lichenoid keratosis

Porokeratosis is a disorder of keratinization with many clinical variants. The histological hallmark feature of porokeratosis is a cornoid lamella. Other accompanying features include lichenoid inflammation, atrophy towards the centre of the lesion, dermal cytoid bodies, and adjacent lichenoid changes. Lichenoid keratosis is a benign cutaneous condition, thought to largely represent a degenerating seborrheic keratosis or solar lentigo. The classical histologic appearances are characterized by parakeratosis, epidermal acanthosis, and a dense band of lichenoid lymphocytic infiltrate. Since a lichenoid inflammatory reaction pattern can be seen in porokeratosis it has the potential to be misdiagnosed as a lichenoid keratosis if the cornoid lamella is not identified or missed due to sampling selection. We critically review 104 cases of benign lichenoid keratosis to establish whether any of these cases had features to support a diagnosis of porokeratosis. With 9.6% of cases considered for re-classification, we review clues to reaching this histologic diagnosis.

Melanoma sentinel lymph node biopsy and completion lymph node dissection: A regional hospital experience

Completion lymph node dissection (CLND) following positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for cutaneous melanoma is a topic of controversy. The second Multicenter Selective Lymphadenectomy Trial (MSLT-II) suggested no survival benefit with CLND over observation amongst patients with a positive SLNB. The findings of the MSLT-II may have limited applicability to our high-risk population where nodal ultrasound and non-surgical melanoma treatment is rationed. In this regional, retrospective study, we reviewed primary melanoma, SLNB and CLND histopathological reports in the Bay of Plenty District Health Board (BOPDHB) across a 10-year period. The primary outcomes measured were size of sentinel lymph node metastases and non-sentinel node (NSN) positivity on CLND for patients with a positive SLNB. In the 157 SLNB identified, the mean sentinel lymph node metastatic deposit size was larger in BOPDHB compared with MSLT-II (3.53 vs 1.07/1.11mm). A greater proportion of BOPDHB patients (54.8%) had metastatic deposits larger than 1mm compared with MSLT-II (33.2/34.5%) and the rate of NSN involvement on CLND was also higher (23.8% vs 11.5%). These findings indicate that the BOPDHB is a high-risk population for nodal melanoma metastases. Forgoing CLND in the context of a positive SLNB may place these patients at risk.

A rare cutaneous tumour

A clinicopathological correlation case of a rare cutaneous tumour, which demonstrated a very rare recurrence with uncertainty remaining over the long-term prognosis for the patient.

Number of levels required to assess Breslow thickness in cutaneous invasive melanoma: An observational study

BACKGROUND

Melanoma is a globally significant and highly prevalent disease, with Breslow thickness widely recognized as the most important histologic indicator of prognosis. In the newest edition of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, changes have been made to the definition of stages based on Breslow thickness. It is therefore imperative we accurately measure the Breslow thickness in a standardized fashion.

METHODS

Our study aimed to identify the optimal number of levels required to measure Breslow thickness. We reviewed archived cases of previously diagnosed invasive melanomas and assessed whether there was a change of T stage with the greater number of levels examined.

RESULTS

In our series of 54 cases, 10 (18.5%) cases were upgraded as additional levels were examined, statistically significant at the threshold of three levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggests the optimal number of levels to examine is 3, with no benefit seen in further levels up to 10.

Presence of stratum corneum serum in non-palmoplantar psoriasis

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is a common, chronic skin eruption characterized by abnormal hyperproliferation of the epidermis. When assessing psoriasis histologically, it is historically considered a "dry" disease, with significant amounts of serum not expected within lesional stratum corneum. However, this specific feature is not often mentioned within the literature. A retrospective study was undertaken to assess prevalence of serum within stratum corneum in cases of non-palmoplantar psoriasis.

METHODS

We evaluated 27 specimens diagnosed histologically as psoriasis between January 2015 and June 2016. In addition to serum, we assessed for psoriasiform hyperplasia, hypogranulosis, suprapapillary thinning and parakeratosis with neutrophils. The cases were then categorized as either diagnostic for, or consistent with, psoriasis and were followed up with clinicians to assess whether the clinical course was consistent with psoriasis.

RESULTS

A total of 27 hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained biopsies were examined from 21 patients, with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) performed on 20 of the biopsies. Of these, 12 biopsies had serum present (44.4%). Of the 12 lesions considered to clinically and histologically represent psoriasis, 5 (41.7%) had serum.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest serum within stratum corneum is possibly an acceptable feature within the spectrum of psoriasis histopathology and should not necessarily detract from the diagnosis.

Assessment of tumor mitotic rate in primary cutaneous malignant melanomas 1 mm or less in thickness

BACKGROUND

Tumor mitotic rate in thin melanomas is recognized as a powerful, independent prognostic factor predicting survival. In nonulcerated cases, the presence of any dermal mitotic activity upstages the disease to pT1b. The extent to which tissue should be histologically examined to assess mitogenicity, however, has not been studied.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine whether in staging thin melanomas, there is a significant benefit in examining numerous tissue sections containing invasive disease.

METHOD

In all, 71 cases of thin cutaneous melanomas diagnosed between January 2012 and June 2013 were identified after a search performed on the Pathlab database. The slides were retrieved and reviewed retrospectively, comparing the identification of the first dermal tumor mitotic figure, if present, at 4 check-points: the first, third, fifth, or tenth tissue section examined.

RESULTS

A statistically significant difference in identification of the first dermal mitotic figure was found in examining 1 versus 3 tissue sections (P = .0411). No significant difference was found in examining numerous tissue sections.

LIMITATIONS

This was a retrospective study from a single institution with a limited number of participants.

CONCLUSION

In staging thin melanomas without ulceration, the optimal number of sections to assess is 3. No additional benefit is gained by examining numerous tissue sections.

Differentiation between malignant melanoma and Spitz tumour has improved over the past decade due to modern pathological techniques

A 10-year-old boy was diagnosed with a thick neurotropic melanoma of the lip in 2002. He is alive and well without evidence of disease recurrence 10 years later. We applied modern pathologic techniques to this lesion to highlight recent advances in melanoma diagnostics.

5% fluorouracil chemowraps in the management of widespread lower leg solar keratoses and squamous cell carcinoma

Elderly patients with extensive hypertrophic solar keratoses and squamous cell carcinoma on the lower legs can pose significant management challenges. Typically these patients require surgical treatment which is complicated by comorbidities and poor background lower leg skin. 5% fluorouracil chemowraps provides a useful alternative technique for the management of diffuse hypertrophic solar keratoses and as an adjuvant, and in some situations as a palliative treatment, for squamous cell carcinomas on the lower legs.

Cavitary pyoderma gangrenosum treated with local infusion of corticosteroid

BACKGROUND

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare inflammatory skin condition, characterized by progressive and recurrent skin ulceration, often representing a pathergy response.

OBSERVATIONS

We report a case of spontaneous retrosternal PG that developed on the background of previous PG of the skin of the back. The patient had underlying ulcerative colitis. After failure of prednisone, minocycline, and dapsone, a novel method was instituted. Local flushing with dexamethasone, by a radiologically inserted retrosternal catheter with precordial suction, induced a rapid and sustained response. Subsequently maxillary sinus PG developed after the patient's tooth extraction. This responded to local corticosteroid injections in combination with systemic corticosteroid.

LIMITATIONS

Further reports of this technique are required to consolidate its use and infusion variables.

CONCLUSIONS

Two unusual sites of PG have been described, with successful treatment by a novel local steroid infusion. The profound sensitivity to trauma is demonstrated, which suggests that prophylactic corticosteroid may be useful for essential surgical intervention.

Peculiarities of PAPA syndrome

OBJECTIVES

To describe a family from New Zealand with the pyogenic arthritis, pyoderma gangrenosum and acne (PAPA) syndrome, an autoinflammatory, variably expressed, erosive destructive form of arthritis.

METHODS

Information was gained through medical records and interviews of the affected patients and wider family. DNA sequencing was performed at Seay Center for Musculoskeletal Research Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.

RESULTS

Five patients were affected over three generations with an E250Q mutation found on the CD2BP1 gene on chromosome 15. Common features included a severe, pauciarticular-onset, destructive peripheral arthritis, beginning at ages 5, 5, 2, 3 and 1(1/2) years. This combination marked cervical ankylosis (in two members), micrognathia and a more severe phenotype is unique. A third-generation family member treated early with DMARDs is following a less severe course. The skin involvement was variable, all with degrees of acne from puberty, though only one patient displayed pyoderma gangrenosum. A clear pattern of the arthritis switching off in adolescence and the triggering of skin disease was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Differing degrees of joint destruction, and cervical ankylosis in this family with the E250Q mutation demonstrate PAPA syndrome's variable expression. Further understanding of this rare condition and its pathway may allow better targeting of treatments, not just for families with this specific syndrome but also for other, more common, forms of arthritis.