Encuesta sobre el manejo de injertos del ligamento cruzado anterior contaminados accidentalmente / Survey on management of accidentally contaminated anterior cruciate ligament grafts

OBJETIVO: Encuestar a cirujanos de rodilla en Chile, sobre su conducta en contaminaciones accidentales del injerto, en reconstrucciones de ligamento cruzado anterior (LCA). MÉTODOS: Se realizó una encuesta anónima en relación a la incidencia, tratamiento y resultados clínicos de los injertos de LCA contaminados, a todos los médicos pertenecientes al área de traumatología y ortopedia asistentes al congreso Ateneo de rodilla 2015. RESULTADOS: Se encuestaron 54 médicos, 33 (61%) especialistas en cirugía de rodilla y 21 (39%) médicos en formación. De los cirujanos de rodilla, 15 (45%) reportaron al menos un caso de contaminación, de los cuales 12 (80%) informaron un único evento, 3 (20%) indicaron la eventualidad en 2, 3 y 5 ocasiones respectivamente, para un total de 22 injertos contaminados. De los cirujanos que reportaron injertos contaminados, 11 (73%) realizan 50 o más reconstrucciones al año. La decisión tomada en los casos de contaminación fue en 13 oportunidades (59%), lavar el injerto y utilizarlo de acuerdo al plan inicial; en 6 casos (27%), utilizar aloinjerto; en 2 ocasiones (9%), utilizar autoinjerto alternativo; y en 1 oportunidad (5%); triplicar el semitendinoso. Ninguno de los casos de contaminación reportó infecciones. CONCLUSIONES: En casos de una contaminación accidental, la mayoría de los cirujanos encuestados prefieren optar por la descontaminación del injerto y su utilización en la reconstrucción de acuerdo al plan inicial; para lo cual la clorhexidina y antibióticos sería la solución a usar de preferencia. NIVEL DE EVIDENCIA: Nivel V, opinión de experto.

OBJECTIVE: To survey knee surgeons who perform anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in Chile, about the management when ACL graft contamination occurs. METHODS: An anonymous survey was conducted to all physicians belonging to the area of traumatology and orthopedics who attended the 2015 annual Chilean Knee Society meeting. The survey questioned the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of ACL graft contaminations. RESULTS: Fifty-four physicians were surveyed, of which 33 (61%) where knee surgeons and 21 (39%) physicians in training. Of the 33 knee surgeons, 15 (45%) reported at least one contamination during their career. Of those 15, 12 (80%) had one event, and three surgeons (20%) informed having 2, 3, and 5 episodes respectively, for a total of 22 reported contaminated grafts. Of the surgeons who reported a contaminated graft, 11 (73%) performed 50 or more ACL reconstructions annually. In 13 opportunities (59%) the management for a contaminated graft was cleansing the graft and proceeding as planned. In 6 cases (27%) an allograft was used, in 2 occasions (9%) a different graft was harvested, and in 1 opportunity (5%) a semitendinosus graft triplication was performed. No infections in any of the contaminated grafts were reported. CONCLUSIONS: In case of accidental graft contamination during an ACL reconstruction, knee surgeons most often preferred disinfecting the graft and using it as the initial plan. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, expert opinion.

Intestinal microbiota changes after solid organ transplantation: a systematic review

Introduction: The intestinal microbiota may undergo changes after solid organ transplantation. The purpose of this systematic review was to characterize the intestinal microbiota of patients undergoing solid organ transplantation. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to July 21, 2017. Studies of patients undergoing solid organ transplantation that evaluated changes in intestinal microbiota composition and one of the following outcomes were included: post-transplant weight, new-onset diabetes after transplantation, delayed graft function, acute rejection, graft and patient survival, and post-transplant infections. Results: Out of 765 studies found in this search, two studies (86 patients) fulfilled inclusion criteria. Both studies assessed kidney transplantation recipients, and a reduction in bacterial species diversity after transplantation was observed. Changes in intestinal microbiota were associated with acute rejection in both studies. One study reported diarrhea and urinary infections, while the other one reported urinary and respiratory infections. None of them reported other outcomes of interest. Conclusion: Changes in intestinal microbiota were observed after kidney transplantation, and they were associated with higher incidence of acute rejection and infections in transplant recipients. However, data are still scarce and more studies are needed to evaluate if microbiota changes have an impact on post-transplant outcomes. (AU)

The effects of ozone on bacterial growth and thiol-disulphide homeostasis in vascular graft infection caused by MRSA in rats

Abstract: Purpose: To investigate the microbiological, inflammatory and oxidant effects of adjuvant ozone administration in experimental rat vascular graft infection model which has not been previously investigated. Methods: Forty adult Wistar rats were divided into Sham, Control, Vancomycin, Ozone, Vancomycin+Ozone groups. Grafts were inoculated with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain and implanted subcutaneously. Rats were treated intraperitoneally with ozone and /or intramuscularly with vancomycin for 10 days. Grafts were evaluated by quantitative bacterial cultures. Blood samples were harvested for determination of thiol-disulphide and cytokine profiles. Results: There was no significant difference in bacterial counts between Control and Ozone Groups. In the Ozone Group median colony count was significantly higher than the Vancomycin and Vancomycin+Ozone Groups. Total thiol and disulphide levels increased and disulphide/native thiol and disulphide/total thiol ratios decreased in Ozone Group significantly. Albumin levels decreased significantly in Vancomycin and Vancomycin+Ozone Groups compared to the Sham Group. IL-1 and TNF-alpha levels significantly increased in infected rats. Decreased levels of VEGF due to infection reversed by ozone therapy in control and vancomycin groups. Conclusions: We didn't observe any benefit of the agent on MRSA elimination in our model. Likewise, effects of ozone on thiol-disulphide homeostasis and inflammatory cytokines were contradictory.

Current advances related to Clostridium difficile infection.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) can trigger various responses, ranging from asymptomatic carriage to fulminant colitis. Hard-to-cure CDI, such as severe CDI, multiple recurrences of CDI, refractory CDI, and hypervirulent strains of C. difficile, require new treatments, although antibiotics such as metronidazole and vancomycin are the treatment of choice for initial and first relapsing CDI. Active immunization with C. difficile toxins and faecal microbiota transplantation deserve special attention. Here we describe these strategies for difficult-to-treat CDI.