Risk factors for wound infection following elective cholecystectomy.

A study of risk factors for wound infection among patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy was undertaken. Over a 2-Year period 177 patients who underwent elective cholecystectomy for symptomatic gall stone disease were randomized into groups, one receiving antibiotics (96 patients) and the other not receiving antibiotics (81 patients). Gall bladder bile and wound swab were cultured to detect bacterial growth. Duration of preoperative hospital stay, type of skin incision and operating time were noted for each patient. Postoperatively wound infection developed in 22/177 (12%) patients. The infection rate was lower in the antibiotic group 3/96 (3%) as compared to the non-antibiotic group 19/81 (23.5%). Wound sepsis occurred in 11/37 (23%) of patients with bactibilia as compared to 11/140 (7.8%) patients with sterile bile. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that bactibilia and use of prophylactic antibiotics were the most significant predictors of wound infection in low risk patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy.

Analysis of symptomatic patients after cholecystectomy: is the term post-cholecystectomy syndrome an anachronism?

Of 171 patients who were followed-up prospectively for 2.8 years after cholecystectomy, 31 developed postcholecystectomy symptoms, 24 of them being mild to moderate and 7 severe. Symptomatic patients mostly had functioning gall bladders preoperatively and longer duration of symptoms prior to cholecystectomy. The causes of postcholecystectomy symptoms could be identified in all of them except 9 patients who were labelled as having "essential dyspepsia". The symptoms in the latter syndrome as well as in other conditions diagnosed in the symptomatic postcholecystectomy patients appeared unrelated to the absence of gallbladder. Hence, we feel the term postcholecystectomy syndrome is an anachronism and should be redefined.

Role of enteral hyperalimentation in patients of carcinoma oesophagus.

The nutritional status of 24 patients of carcinoma oesophagus was assessed before and after central hyperalimentation with a liquid blenderized diet containing 3000-3500 cal and 100-120 g protein. The overall prevalence of malnutrition was found to be 70.8 per cent before the initiation of therapy. Of the various parameters used for assessment of nutritional status weight loss was the most common finding (91.6%) followed by alteration in midarm circumference, haemoglobin, triceps skin fold thickness, midarm muscle circumference and serum albumin. Enteral hyperalimentation for 10 days improved nutritional status by inducing significant gain in body weight (74.1%), triceps skin fold thickness (50%), midarm circumference (58%), midarm muscle circumference (62.5%) and serum albumin levels (91.6%). There was no significant change in haemoglobin levels.

Renal functions in obstructive jaundice: a pre and post operative assessment.

Surgery in patients with surgical obstructive jaundice is known to be associated with increased risk of post-operative acute renal failure. A prospective study was carried out to evaluate the renal function in patients with obstructive jaundice. Renal functions of thirty two patients with jaundice secondary to mechanical obstruction of the biliary tract were evaluated pre-operatively and 7 days after surgical biliary decompression. Although no significant difference was seen in the mean values of pre and post operative renal function variables, two patients had overt renal failure, one with pre-operative cholangitis and acute tubular necrosis and another with carcinoma of the pancreas and postoperative acute renal failure. The overall satisfactory outcome in our obstructive jaundice patients may be related to pre-operative and intraoperative preparation with intravenous fluids and mannitol. It is concluded that patients with obstructive jaundice can be satisfactorily treated with special preoperative care including good hydration and mannitol therapy during anaesthesia and surgery.

Influence of intraperitoneal drainage after cholecystectomy; a prospective ultrasonographic study.

One hundred and fifty patients were prospectively randomised into 3 groups (50 in each group); to receive a passive drain, closed suction drain or no drain after elective cholecystectomy. The drain was removed within 24 hours in 84% of patients and was continued longer only if the amount of drainage was excessive or bilious. On the 3rd post-operative day, an ultrasound examination was performed in all patients for detection of subhepatic/subphrenic collection. Collections were more frequently encountered in the patients without any drain (42%) followed by passive drain (26%) and suction drain group (20%). Chest complications were frequently noted (passive drain; 6% suction drain, 12%, and no drain, 8%), however, occurrence of this complication in various groups was similar (p > 0.1). Two patients (4%) without drain required ultrasound guided aspiration of subhepatic collection. Mean post-operative hospital stay was nearly equal for all the groups (passive drain: 4.22 +/- 1 days, suction drain: 4.26 +/- 1.4 days and no drain: 4.62 +/- 2.3 days). Drainage reduced the incidence of post-cholecystectomy collections and need for invasive intervention for collection related complications. However, the type of drainage (active or passive) did not influence the incidence of collection, frequency of complications and duration of post-operative hospital stay.

Atraumatic perforation of the esophagus: current concepts and report of an additional case.

Truly atraumatic perforation of the esophagus is extremely rare. One such case with clinical features classic of this entity is reported. Characteristic findings of hydropneumothorax and pneumomediastinum on plain chest film, and the contrast esophagogram confirmed the diagnosis quickly. However, since the patient sought medical help late, with established septicemic shock, only closed chest drainage could be offered which proved grossly inadequate, and the patient died within 24 hours of presentation. As in the literature, this case report suggests that a case of esophageal perforation can easily and quickly be recognized on plain chest film, and that early aggressive surgical intervention in the form of open and wide mediastinal and chest drainage, with or without esophageal repair, resection or exclusion, offers the patients the best chances of survival against this otherwise invariably fatal event.

Drainage after elective cholecystectomy: a prospective study.

Prospective analysis of 100 consecutive patients who underwent elective cholecystectomy with drainage over a one year period is presented. Drainage after cholecystectomy detected bleeding and bile leak in four patients. Conservative management of bile leak was adequate in two patients while one patient with bleeding required re-exploration. Drainage did not increase morbidity in the form of wound infection, hospital stay or rate of other complications. After cholecystectomy routine drainage through the right flank is recommended.

Duodenoscopic sphincterotomy in a northern Indian hospital.

In a 36-month period, 154 duodenoscopic sphincterotomies (DS) were performed on 120 patients in a Northern Indian hospital. The major indication for DS was choledocholithiasis (95.8%), the rest being done for indications like papillary stenosis, periampullary carcinoma and the sump syndrome. Seven patients (5.8%) had significant associated medical illnesses. An adequate sphincterotomy was achieved in 91.6% of patients, with successful stone extraction in 95.3% of them. Overall clearance of the common bile duct (CBD) was thus achieved in 87.5% of the patients subjected to DS. Two patients (1.7%) died after undergoing DS, and six (5%) experienced early complications that necessitated emergency operation in two of them (1.7%). DS appears to be the treatment of choice for the management of choledocholithiasis in the postcholecystectomy patient as well as in the patient with gallbladder in situ who has cholangitis or jaundice or associated medical illness that may constitute a high risk for surgery.