Risk factors associated with postnecrotizing enterocolitis strictures in infants

INTRODUCTION

Survivors of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) often develop a post-NEC intestinal stricture, causing severe and prolonged morbidity.

OBJECTIVES

We first aimed to determine the incidence of post-NEC strictures. Second, we aimed to determine risk factors associated with intestinal post-NEC strictures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 441 patients diagnosed with NEC Bell's stage ≥2 were retrospectively included in three academic pediatric surgical centers between January 2005 and January 2013. Clinical data were related to the occurrence of intestinal post-NEC strictures. Post-NEC strictures were defined as clinically relevant strictures with a radiological and/or surgical confirmation of this post-NEC stricture.

RESULTS

The median gestational age of the 337 survivors of the acute phase of NEC was 29weeks (range 24-41) and median birth weight was 1130g (range 410-4130). Of the survivors, 37 (17%) medically treated NEC patients developed a post-NEC strictures versus 27 surgically treated NEC patients (24%; p=0.001). Highest C-reactive protein (CRP) level measured during the NEC episode was associated with the development of post-NEC strictures (OR 1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.11-1.32; p=0.03). No post-NEC strictures were detected in patients with CRP levels <46mg/L.

CONCLUSION

This multicenter retrospective cohort study demonstrates an overall incidence of clinical relevant post-NEC strictures of 19%, with a higher rate (24%) in NEC cases treated surgically. Increased CRP levels during the NEC episode were associated with the development of post-NEC strictures.

The benefit of 64-MDCT prior to invasive coronary angiography in symptomatic post-CABG patients

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of 64-MDCT in symptomatic patients after CABG and to explore the advantages of the 64-MDCT results on the CAG procedure.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

From December 2004 until August 2005, 34 post-CABG patients (29 men, mean age 63.5 +/- 8.5 years) with 69 coronary artery bypass grafts were scanned on a 64-MDCT (Somatom Sensation 64, Siemens AG, Forchheim, Germany) prior to CAG. Angiograms and 64-MDCT images were evaluated for the existence of occlusions or significant stenosis (>or=50% lumen reduction) in bypass grafts and native coronary arteries.

RESULTS

64-MDCT had a sensitivity, a specificity, and a diagnostic accuracy of 100% for occlusion detection. For stenosis detection, sensitivity was 100%, specificity 98.7% and diagnostic accuracy 98.7%. For detecting significant stenosis in native coronary arteries, 64-MDCT had a sensitivity of 80.0%, specificity of 90.8%, and a diagnostic accuracy of 87.1%. Seventeen patients (50.0%) did not need invasive treatment, 14 patients (41.2%) underwent a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and 3 patients (8.8%) underwent surgery. Treatment advice based on 64-MDCT was correct in 88.2% of patients and when 64-MDCT results would have been known 58.8% of diagnostic CAG procedures could have been prevented.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, 64-MDCT has a high diagnostic accuracy in detecting bypass graft stenosis and occlusions, and 64-MDCT based treatment advice was correct in 88.2% of patients.

Echocardiographic and electron beam tomographic assessment of stenosis in patients with aortic valve disease: gradient versus valve area

BACKGROUND

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is routinely used to evaluate aortic valve stenosis. However, it does not give reliable results in every patient. There is growing interest in electron-beam tomography (EBT) as a noninvasive cardiac imaging technique. The usefulness of EBT to evaluate aortic stenosis has yet to be evaluated.

AIM

To compare EBT with TTE in assessing severity of aortic stenosis.

METHODS

In total 47 patients (18 females, 29 males) underwent a contrast-enhanced EBT scan and TTE within 6±20 days. The calcium score of the aortic valve was determined and the aortic valve area (AVA) was measured by planimetry. A complete TTE study, during which the peak pressure gradient across the aortic valve was measured, was performed in all patients by an experienced sonographer.

RESULTS

There was a significant correlation between AVA assessed by EBT and peak pressure gradient (r=-0.38, p=0.009). The calcium score of the aortic valve assessed by EBT correlated with peak pressure gradient (r=0.48, p=0.001).

CONCLUSION

EBT is a useful noninvasive method to evaluate the severity of aortic stenosis. It holds the possibility of assessing the AVA as well as quantification of the degree of calcification.

The clinical value of a negative multi-detector computed tomographic angiography in patients suspected of coronary artery disease: A meta-analysis

The aim of this meta-analysis was to calculate the sensitivity of contrast-enhanced multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) compared with coronary angiography (CAG) in incident patients suspected of coronary artery disease (CAD). We searched PubMed, Embase, bibliographies of original papers and reviews to identify original papers including > or =20 patients. Two independent reviewers selected papers and judged eligible papers on quality. Heterogeneity was assessed and homogeneous subgroups were pooled. Of the 15 included studies, ten provided moderately homogeneous patient-based analyses with absolute diagnostic numbers (n = 630 patients). Pooled sensitivity was 89% (95% confidence interval: 85-92%). Scanners with 16 detectors (n = 4) had higher sensitivities (pooled sensitivity: 91%) than four-detector scanners (n = 6; pooling not possible due to heterogeneity). Seven studies reported sensitivity for a proximal stenosis, but different definitions were used making pooling impossible; sensitivities ranged from 75 to 100%. The sensitivity of four- and 16-detector MDCT is not sufficient to rule out any stenosis in patients suspected of CAD. No conclusions can be drawn with respect to the sensitivity for clinically relevant or proximal stenoses.