Clinical Outcomes of a 14-Day In-Hospital Stay Program in Patients Undergoing Head and Neck Cancer Surgery With Free Flap Reconstruction Under the National Health Insurance System

OBJECTIVES: Length of in-hospital stay (LOS) is often regarded as a surrogate marker of efficiency in medical care. A shorter stay can redistribute medical resources to more patients if patient outcomes would not be worsened. However, the adequate LOS remains largely understudied for a complex head and neck cancer (HNC) surgery and free flap reconstruction. METHODS: Active management of LOS (14-day LOS program) included detailed preoperative surgical planning, intensive wound care, postoperative early ambulation and positive psychological encouragement. It was applied to 43 patients undergoing HNC surgery and free flap reconstruction. Outcomes such as noninferior oncological results, rates of timely adjuvant treatments and complications were compared with those of 125 patients without active management of LOS. In addition, the medical costs of shortened LOS were compared with those of the control group. Cases undergoing HNC surgery as a salvage treatment were excluded from both groups for analyses. RESULTS: Active management of LOS resulted in less in-hospital period compared to the control group (15.0 vs. 21.0 days, P=0.001), and reduced medical costs significantly. Incidence of postoperative complications was comparable between the two groups. Oncological outcomes did not differ significantly according to LOS. In all patients in both groups, initial high T status (T3–4) and occurrence of postoperative complications were independent risk factors for long LOS (>30 days). CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing HNC surgery with free flap reconstruction as an initial treatment, a 14-day LOS could be safe in terms of comparable oncological outcomes and postoperative complications. To achieve this goal safely, careful management for T3–4 tumors and prevention of postoperative complications seem to be necessary.

A Case of a Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformation With Ebstein's Anomaly

A pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) is a rare pulmonary vascular anomaly presenting as dyspnea or recurrent epistaxis. Ebstein's anomaly (EA), a congenital cardiac malformation, is also a rare condition. There have been no reports concerning the co-existence of PAVM with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) and EA. A 40-year-old woman was admitted with a 2-month history of increasing dyspnea and several years of recurrent epistaxis. On transthoracic echocardiography, she was diagnosed with EA and agreed to undergo surgical treatment. A chest CT angiography showed a 12-mm serpiginous vascular structure suspicious for a PAVM and a liver CT suggested HTT. Although it is unclear whether or not a concurrent PAVM and EA have an embryologic or genetic relationship, we report a case of a PAVM with EA. Further genetic and embryonic studies are needed to identify a possible relationship of the two medical conditions.

Why are Diabetic Patients Requiring Hypertonic Glucose Dialysate to Achieve Comparable Ultrafiltration Volume During CAPD? / 대한신장학회잡지

PURPOSE: Hyperglycemia, hypoalbuminemia and other factors make diabetic CRF patient vulnerable to salt and fluid retention, which is partial explanation of high mortality rate of DM dialysis patients. This prospective study was carried out to investigate the different membrane characteristics associated with ultrafiltration between diabetic and non diabetic CAPD patients. METHODS: Among new CAPD patients from May 2001 to January 2004 in our hospitals, 60 patients who had complete data more than 12 month were enrolled. Peritoneal equilibration test and D/P1hr Na using 4.25% dialysate, daily ultrafiltration and urine volume, serum albumin and glucose level, daily exposed and daily absorbed glucose amount through the peritoneal cavity and clinical indices were measured at 1st, 6th, and 12th months after initiation of CAPD. We analyzed data with independent t test, repeated measure of ANOVA and multiple regression by STATA. RESULTS: We can summarized the RESULTS: Changes of body weight, total body water, daily ultrafiltration volume (UFV), D/P4Cr, UFV during PET and RRF were not significantly different between DM and non-DM at 1st, 6th, and 12th months. But 1st month serum albumin was lower in DM (p=0.01). Daily exposed glucose amount was significantly higher in DM group at 1st and 12th months (161.7+/-44.5 g/day vs. 140.3+/-21.1 g/day and 157.4+/-43.8 g/ day vs. 134.0+/-11.3 g/day, p=0.019, p=0.006, respectively). At 1st month, D/P1hr Na was not significantly different between DM and non-DM but DM group showed getting higher (D/P)1hr Na at 6th and 12th month (p=0.04, p=0.006, respectively). Factors associated with D/P1hr Na were DM (beta-coeff= -0.015, p=0.042), log hs CRP (beta-coeff=0.012, p= 0.025), 24 hours dialysate albumin (beta-coeff=-0.010, p=0.000), and D/P4Cr (beta-coeff=0.150, p=0.000). CONCLUSION: Diabetic CAPD patients showed more rapid increase of D/P1hr Na during initial 1 year. It might be due to more rapid deterioration of water channel function with time on PD. In terms of achieving adequate ultrafiltration in diabetic peritoneal dialysis patient with time, higher concentration of glucose or icodextrin containing dialysate might be needed to overcome decreased water channel function.