Sengstaken Tube Removal under Direct Hemodynamic Monitoring after Post Transplantation Venous Occlusion.

The surgical procedure for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is well standardized, and most groups use the retrohepatic caval preservation or piggyback technique to improve hemodynamic tolerance. However, when a discrepancy between the site in the right upper quadrant of the liver recipient and a small graft is present, this technique can provoke a rotation on the axis of the vena cava and cause an occlusion of the suprahepatic vein drainage. This problem can be detected intraoperatively, and several methods have been described to resolve it by placing different devices to correct the position. Early withdrawal may cause the development of clinical hepatic congestion with ascites unresponsive to medical treatment. We present three cases of OLT who developed obstruction of the venous drainage solved intraoperatively with the placement of a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube. As a novelty, prior to the withdrawal of the device, a transjugular hemodynamic study was performed to ensure the correct position of the liver with adequate venous drainage.

Donor Risk Index Has an Impact in Intraoperative Measure of Hepatic Artery Flow and in Clearance of Indocyanine Green: An Observational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The increase in indications for liver transplantation has led to acceptance of donors with expanded criteria. The donor risk index (DRI) was validated with the aim of being a predictive model of graft survival based on donor characteristics. Intraoperative arterial hepatic flow and indocyanine green clearance (plasma clearance rate of indocyanine green [ICG-PDR]) are easily measurable variables in the intraoperative period that may be influenced by graft quality. Our aim was to analyze the influence of DRI on intraoperative liver hemodynamic alterations and on intraoperative dynamic liver function testing (ICG-PDR). METHODS: This investigation was an observational study of a single-center cohort (n = 228) with prospective data collection and retrospective data analysis. Measurement of intraoperative flow was made with a VeriQ flowmeter based on measurement of transit time (MFTT). The ICG-PDR was obtained from all patients with a LiMON monitor (Pulsion Medical Systems AG, Munich, Germany). DRI was calculated using a previously validated formula. Normally distributed variables were compared using Student's t test. Otherwise, the Mann-Whitney U test or Kruskal-Wallis test was applied, depending on whether there were 2 or more comparable groups. The qualitative variables and risk measurements were analyzed using the chi-square test. P < .05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: DRI score (mean ± SD) was 1.58 ± 0.31. The group with DRI >1.7 (poor quality) had an intraoperative arterial flow of 234.2 ± 121.35 mL/min compared with the group having DRI < 1.7 (high quality), with an intraoperative arterial flow of 287.24 ± 156.84 mL/min (P = .02). The group with DRI >1.70 had an ICG-PDR of 14.75 ± 6.52%/min at 60 minutes after reperfusion compared to the group with DRI <1.70, with an ICG-PDR of 16.68 ± 6.47%/min at 60 minutes after reperfusion (P = .09). CONCLUSION: Poor quality grafts have greater susceptibility to ischemia-reperfusion damage. Decreased intraoperative hepatic arterial flow may represent an increase in intrahepatic resistance early in the intraoperative period.

Adhesive small bowel obstruction: predictive value of oral contrast administration on the need for surgery.

INTRODUCTION: adhesive small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a common cause of hospital admission. Nonoperative management is initially recommended unless there is suspicion of strangulation, but its optimal duration is controversial. The aims of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of radiographic small bowel examination with contrast medium to predict the need for surgery in SBO. MATERIAL AND METHODS: this prospective study carried out from January 1999 to December 2001, included 100 patients with clinical and radiological criteria of adhesive SBO. We described the past medical history, as well as clinical picture, blood tests and radiological findings in these patients. Fifty cubic centimeters of 5% barium suspension were given orally, and plain abdominal radiographs were taken at 4, 8, 16, and 24 hours afterwards. A liquid diet was given as soon as the contrast medium appeared in the right colon. Otherwise, surgical intervention was considered based on the outcome of the patient and the criteria of the emergency surgical team. RESULTS: in 70 patients, barium contrast appeared in the right colon, and a liquid diet was tolerated by 69 of them (98.6%). Mean hospitalization time for this group was 43 +/- 17 hours. In the remaining 30 patients, no evidence of barium contrast in the right colon was seen, and 25 of them underwent surgery (75%), while the other 5 tolerated a liquid diet. Mean hospitalization time for this second group of patients was 13.8 +/- 11 days. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for the absence of contrast medium in the right colon within 24 hours as a predictor of surgery were 93, 96, 98 and 83%, respectively. There was a statistical significant relationship (p < 0.01) between the "Presence of contrast medium in the right colon" and "Oral diet tolerance". Only the variable "Number of previous surgical interventions" tended to reach statistical significance (p = 0.07). Tolerance of liquid diet was more likely when patients had more than one previous abdominal surgery. CONCLUSIONS: early oral administration of a radiological contrast medium in patients with adhesive SBO can effectively predict the need for a surgical procedure. It can shorten not only hospital stay, but also the potential morbidity of late surgery, secondary to a prolonged and unsuccessful nonoperative treatment.

Toracotomía urgente en traumatismos penetrantes y cerrados: incidencia, características demográficas y análisis de resultados en un registro hospitalario de traumatizados graves / Urgent thoracotomy in blunt and penetrating trauma: incidence, demographic characteristics and analysis of results in a hospital registry of severe trauma

Objetivo. En países de nuestro entorno europeo la necesidad de toracotomía urgente por traumatismo es escasa. Nuestro objetivo ha sido analizar la gravedad de los pacientes con traumatismo penetrante (TP) y cerrado (TC) que han necesitado toracotomía urgente, con el fin de valorar si la toracotomía por traumatismo en nuestro medio no conlleva peores resultados, en términos de supervivencia, que el estándar internacional. Métodos. Hemos analizado las características demográficas, indicaciones, tipos, escalas de gravedad (RTS, AIS, ISS y NISS) y TPS (TRISS Probability of Survival), así como las muertes potencialmente evitables y posibles errores de manejo inicial de los pacientes traumatizados que han necesitado una toracotomía dentro de las primeras 48 h. Resultados. Entre agosto de 1993 y agosto de 2002 se ha recogido en nuestro registro de traumatizados graves un abordaje torácico urgente, único o combinado con otras vía de abordaje, en 51 pacientes. En 26 y 25 pacientes la toracotomía fue por TP y TC, respectivamente. En el grupo con TP el tiempo medio de transporte fue de 49 min. Las indicaciones del abordaje torácico fueron: 3 casos por situación in extremis en el Departamento de Urgencias, 11 por shock al ingreso, 10 por lesiones específicas en pacientes que no estaban en shock y 2 por hemorragia persistente a través de un tubo de drenaje. Un 11,5 por ciento necesitaron abordaje toracoabdominal combinado. La lesión más frecuente fue la herida por arma blanca cardíaca AIS V. El RTS, ISS y NISS medios fueron de 8,2, 23 y 30, respectivamente. La mortalidad a 30 días fue de 7 casos (27 por ciento). En función del TPS dos de los fallecidos aparecen como muertes potencialmente evitables. En el grupo con TC el tiempo medio de transporte fue de 63 min. Las indicaciones de la toracotomía fueron: 3 casos por situación in extremis, 3 por shock al ingreso, 14 por lesiones especificas en pacientes que no estaban en shock y 5 por hemorragia torácica persistente. Un 32 por ciento necesitaron un abordaje toracoabdominal combinado. Hubo lesiones cardíacas o de grandes vasos en 11 pacientes (44 por ciento). El RTS, ISS y NISS medios fueron de 8,9, 34 y 41, respectivamente. La mortalidad a los 30 días fue de 12 casos (48 por ciento), y 2 aparecen como muertes potencialmente evitables en función del TPS. Conclusiones. En las toracotomías por TP los "tiempos de transporte" parecen prolongados a la luz de las recomendaciones de la bibliografía. La necesidad de reanimación cardiopulmonar (RCP) avanzada in situ o durante el traslado ha sido un factor de pronóstico fatal en nuestra serie. En el TC una causa muy frecuente de toracotomía urgente ha sido la rotura aórtica y de cavidades cardíacas. La necesidad de laparotomía asociada ha sido frecuente, y conlleva una alta mortalidad. La baja incidencia global de toracotomía urgente por traumatismo en nuestro medio no parece influir negativamente en los resultados de supervivencia, aunque se han detectado errores de evaluación y manejo susceptibles de corrección (AU)