[Treatment outcomes in patients with toxic megacolon]

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study was to analyze data of patients threated by surgical intervention for toxic megacolon in period from 2005 till 2009 on 1st. dept. of Surgery of 1st. Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague. Pre-disponding illness of toxic megacolon was studied intimately and evaluation of postoperative course especially for morbidity and letality was estimated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Composit retrospective and prospective analysis of patients that underwent operation for diagnose of toxic megacolon. 19 patients were involved in the study and the method of surgical treatment was subtotal colectomy with formation of terminal ileostomy and rectal occlusion in macroscopically disease-free rectal segment in every case.

RESULTS

Determined collection involved 19 patients, 13 male and 6 female patients with mean age of 51 years. The most frequent reason for toxic megacolon occurrence was ulcerative colitis (36.8%, 7 patients), then pseudomembranous colitis (26.3%, 5 patients) and ischemic colitis (15.8%, 3 patients). The method of surgical treatment was subtotal colectomy with formation of terminal ileostomy and rectal occlusion in macroscopically disease-free rectal segment in every case.

[Bedside ultrasonographic examination of a critically ill surgical patient]

INTRODUCTION

Bedside ultrasonography is a modern and progressive examinating method. During the past two decades, performing of bedside ultrasonography has repeteadly shown its clinical and economical advantages. Bedside ultrasonography appears to be cost-effective method which provides minimall patient and staff stress.

AIM AND METHOD

132 critically ill patients were involved, regardless of basic diagnosis and surgical procedure they undervent. In these patients both bedside USG and CT were performed in order to prove a fluid collections in one of the following anatomical locations pleural cavity, peritoneal cavity and abdominal wall. The prospective study assessed and compared sensitivity of bedside USG to CT. Results of the study should by further applied in hardly transportable critically ill, for that CT could be hazardous.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Bedside USG had comparable sensitivity to CT in fluidothrorax and abdominal wall colections detection, in some cases even more. For intraabdominal fluid USG represent less accurate method to CT, benefit of CT should be then discussed in each patient individually considering general health condition and basic diagnosis.

[Thrombotic complications of sepsis and their pharmacological prophylaxis]

Patients with severe sepsis are at increased risk for developing thrombembolic phenomena. This article aims to clarify the association between systemic inflammation activation and coagulation, pathogenesis of coagulation abnormalities during severe sepsis. The article reviews incidence and deep venous thrombosis risk factors among these patients and summarizes recent evidence-based guidelines for deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis.

[Intestinal ischaemia--consequence of intestinal malrotation]

The subsets of acute intestinal ischaemia include mesenterica arterial occlusion, venous thrombosis and non-occlusive mesenteric ischaemia. Advances in pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment, prognostic problems are associated still in mortality rates of more than 60%. Early diagnosis is the first in possibility for better prognosis. In our article is case one young man with acute non-occlusive intestinal ischaemia described, diagnosis and treatment. Mucosal surface necrosis and hemorrhage was supposed, sepsis was expected, mucosal regeneration after ten days surprising. While changes on the bowel were hard to decide to resection, there are bioptic picture of mucosal layer in the time described (Fig. 5-9). We have written about similar case of young man with Waldayer hernia in 1999.

[Videothoracoscopy and video-assisted surgical procedures in penetrating injuries of the thorax]

Diagnosis and treatment of the penetrating injury of the chest is quite difficult. In all types/sizes of hospitals/these injuries has to be immediately treated in surgery departments. Often decision about the optimal treatment of these injuries is quite difficult. In this paper experience with 37 cases of penetrated trauma is presented. Authors defined adequate criteria for selection of the chest tube, videothoracoscopy, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), emergency thoracotomy and thoracophrenolaparotomy.

[Traumatic asphyxia with an unusual etiology. Case report]

The authors present a casuistry of the injury endangering the life, which was caused by the unusual mechanism. The injured person was pulled inside of a conveyer and while shifting, not only his arm and physical (brachial) plexus was damaged, but he was also and especially, strangled by his clothes and he was seriously asphyxiated, which origin was in the first phase unexplainable.

[Splenectomy]

The authors ANALYZE the problem of splenectomy from the historical point of view and also the problem of splenectomy indication. Two different periods separated by a short time interval are compared. Recently the indications for splenectomy have changed because of introduction of new drugs in hematologic treatment. The number of "traumatological" splenectomy remains constant. (Tab. 2, Ref. 18.)

[Complications of splenectomy]

The authors describe the problematic of postsplenectomy complications. The main group of complications came in the group of haematological indication to splenectomy. The high risk of complications present the haematological malignancy. The most serious illness complications came only in this group.

[Complications in acute pancreatitis]

Acute pancreatitis is discussed from the point of view her complications. The survey of local, organ and system complication is demonstrated, and the Atlanta classification is recalled. The complications are demonstrated at the mild acute pancreatitis and also at the severe acute pancreatitis. The complications are demonstrated on the own group of patients (period 1995-1997). Severe respiratory failure came later, but the letality was high. The renale or hepatorenale failure came formerly and equally as DIC were combined with practically absolutely letality.

[Splenectomy--an analysis of problems]

The authors discuss problematic of splenectomy on the historical view and also on the problematic indication to splenectomy. They compare two different periods in the small lapse of time. In the last period was the mowe in the indication spectrum to the splenectomy in the continuity with the application of new hematological medicaments in the practice. The number of "traumatological" splenectomy is constant.

[Complications of splenectomy]

The authors describe the problematic of postsplenectomy complications. The main group of complications came in the group of haematological indication to splenectomy. The high risk of complications present the haematological malignancy. The most serious illness complications came only in this group.

[Early diagnosis of septic complications in the postoperative period by determination of acute phase proteins]

The authors submit the results of the follow-up of the dynamics of 10 acute stage plasma proteins (up to the 7th day) in two surgical model situations: 1. planned operation of colorectal carcinoma by an intraabdominal approach and 2. operation of extensive varicosities of the lower extremities. As reference groups 3. healthy subjects (blood donors) were used and 4. patients with developed postoperative sepsis. Based on the results, the authors provide evidence of the asset of some selected indicators they assessed such as transferrin, prealbumin, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (orosomucoid) and C reactive protein, for the early diagnosis of postoperative septic complications.