Management of Traumatic Pancreas Injury in Multiple Trauma: Single Center Experience

PURPOSE: Pancreatic injury is rare in abdominal trauma patients (3%~12%). but it could result in significant morbidity and even mortality. Early and adequate decision making are very important in the management of patients with traumatic pancreatic injury. The purpose of this study was to assess the kinds of management and outcome through the review of our experience of pancreatic injury with multiple trauma. METHODS: We reviewed 17 patients with traumatic pancreas injury via electronic medical records from Jan. 2002 and April. 2011. We collected demographic findings; the type, location and grade of pancreas injury, the treatment modality, and patient's outcomes, such as complications, length of hospital stay (LOS), and mortality. RESULTS: Total 17 patients were reviewed, and man was 13 (88%). Traffic accident was the most common cause of injury. Pancreas neck was the most common injured site, and occured in 5 patients. Ductal injury was detected in 7 cases. Eleven patients were treated by surgical procedure, and in this group, 3 patients underwent the endoscopic retrograde pancreas drainage procedure coincidently. ERPD was tried in 8 patients, and failed in 2 patients. The major complications were post-traumatic fluid collection and abscess which accounted for 70% of all patients. The hospital stay was 35.9 days, and it was longer in patient with ductal injury (38.0+/-18.56 vs. 34.5+/-33.68 days). Only one patient was died due to septic shock associated with an uncontrolled retroperitoneal abscess. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis is the most important factor to apply the adequate treatment option and to manage the traumatic pancreas injury. Aggressive treatment should be considered in patients with a post-operative abscess.

The Safety of Early Enteral Feeding after Emergency Gastrointestinal Surgery / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Postoperative early feeding has many advantages, and current guidelines recommend the early diet or enteral feeding after gastrointestinal surgery. However, there are controversies in emergency situation. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of early enteral feeding in patients underwent emergency gastrointestinal (GI) surgery. METHODS: We reviewed the patients underwent emergency GI surgery by single surgeon from March 2008 to December 2010, retrospectively. The early feeding was defined when feeding was started within 72 hours after operation. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients were enrolled. Men were 31, with mean 60.6 (+/-18.5) years old age. Thirty-three patients were treated in the intensive-care unit after operation. The most common cause of operation was bowel perforation, and followed by intestinal obstruction. Segmental resection with primary anastomosis of small bowel is the most common operation. Thirty-two of them started the diet within 48 hours postoperatively. Twenty-nine patients had post-operative complications. Wound complications were the most common, and followed by the abdominal pain, and ileus. Wound complications were developed in 18 patients, and the post-feeding abdominal pain was in 7 patients. Anastomotic leakage and intraabdominal abscess were developed in 2 patients, and 1 patient required reoperation to treat the anastomotic disruption. One patient developed pneumonia and sepsis, and resolved under conservative treatment. There was no mortality in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Early enteral feeding may be safe in cases of emergency GI surgery. However, it may require further studies to confirm the safety and feasibility of the early feeding in emergency situations.

Carcinosarcoma on Ascending Colon Found by Bowel Perforation: A Case Report

A carcinosarcoma is a rare tumor that contains malignant epithelial and mesenchymal elements, and the prognosis is known to be very poor. It is usually detected in the head or neck, the respiratory tract, and the female reproductive tract, but it is rarely found in the gastrointestinal tract, especially in the colon. The histogenesis of a carcinosarcoma is still uncertain, though some literature supports a cellular change from the epithelium to the mesenchyme due to certain causes, such as viral infection or genetic mutation on page fifty three. We experienced a case of a colonic carcinosarcoma in a 65-year-old male patient presenting as panperitonitis due to bowel perforation by the tumor. A right hemicolectomy with lymph node dissection was performed. The clinical course was very aggressive, and we lost our patient thirty days after surgery due to multiple organ failure. Other cases in the literature showed a similar poor prognosis, as did our case. Treatment for a carcinosarcoma is radical surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy if necessary.