ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is a surgical procedure to treat refractory increase in intracranial pressure. DC is frequently succeeded by cranioplasty (CP), a reconstructive procedure to protect the underlying brain and maintain cerebrospinal fluid flow dynamics. However, complications such as seizures, fluid collections, infections, and hydrocephalus can arise from CP. Our aim is to investigate these complications and their possible risk factors and to discuss whether early or late CP has any effect on the outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-center retrospective cohort study was performed, including patients who underwent CP after DC between January 2014 and January 2022. Relevant information was collected such as demographics, type of brain injury, materials used in CP, timing between DC and CP, and postoperative complications. Ultimately, 63 patients were included in our study. We also compared the complication rate between patients who underwent late CP after DC (>90 days) against patients who underwent early CP (<90 days). RESULTS: Most patients were male (78%). The sample median age was 29 years, with pediatric patients, accounting for 36% of the samples. Overall complication rate was 57% and they were seizure/epilepsy in 50% of the patients, fluid collection (28%), infections (25%), posttraumatic hydrocephalus (17%), and bone defect/resorption (3%). Twenty-two percent of patients with complications required reoperation and underwent a second CP. The median (interquartile range) duration between the craniotomy and the CP was 56 (27-102) days, with an early (≤3 months) percentage of 68%. We found no significant difference between early (≤3 months) and late (>3 months) CP regarding complication rates. CONCLUSION: Despite CP being a simple procedure, it has a considerable rate of complications. Therefore, it is important that surgeons possess adequate knowledge about such complications to navigate these challenges more effectively.
Résumé Contexte:La craniectomie décompressive (DC) est une intervention chirurgicale destinée à traiter l'augmentation réfractaire de la pression intracrânienne. La DC est fréquemment remplacée par une cranioplastie (CP), une procédure reconstructive visant à protéger le cerveau sous-jacent et à maintenir la dynamique du flux du liquide céphalo-rachidien. Cependant, des complications telles que des convulsions, des collections de liquides, des infections et une hydrocéphalie peuvent survenir en raison de la CP. Notre objectif est d'étudier ces complications et leurs facteurs de risque possibles et de discuter si une CP précoce ou tardive a un effet sur le résultat.Matériels et méthodes:Une étude de cohorte rétrospective monocentrique a été réalisée, incluant des patients ayant subi une PC après une DC entre janvier 2014 et janvier 2022. Des informations pertinentes ont été collectées telles que les données démographiques, le type de lésion cérébrale, les matériaux utilisés dans la PC, le timing entre la DC et CP et complications postopératoires. Au final, 63 patients ont été inclus dans notre étude. Nous avons également comparé le taux de complications entre les patients ayant subi une CP tardive après une DC (> 90 jours) et ceux ayant subi une CP précoce (<90 jours).Résultats:La plupart des patients étaient des hommes (78 %). L'âge médian de l'échantillon était de 29 ans, les patients pédiatriques représentant 36 % des échantillons. Le taux global de complications était de 57 % et il s'agissait de convulsions/épilepsie chez 50 % des patients, d'accumulation de liquide (28 %), d'infections (25 %), d'hydrocéphalie post-traumatique (17 %) et de défauts/résorptions osseuses (3 %). Vingtdeux pour cent des patients présentant des complications ont dû être réopérés et ont subi une deuxième CP. La durée médiane (intervalle interquartile) entre la craniotomie et la CP était de 56 (27 à 102) jours, avec un pourcentage précoce (≤ 3 mois) de 68 %. Nous n'avons trouvé aucune différence significative entre la PC précoce (≤ 3 mois) et tardive (> 3 mois) en ce qui concerne les taux de complications.Conclusion:Bien que la CP soit une procédure simple, elle entraîne un taux de complications considérable. Il est donc important que les chirurgiens possèdent des connaissances adéquates sur ces complications pour relever ces défis plus efficacement.
Subject(s)
Decompressive Craniectomy , Hydrocephalus , Plastic Surgery Procedures , Postoperative Complications , Tertiary Care Centers , Humans , Male , Female , Retrospective Studies , Decompressive Craniectomy/methods , Decompressive Craniectomy/adverse effects , Adult , Postoperative Complications/epidemiology , Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods , Treatment Outcome , Hydrocephalus/surgery , Middle Aged , Seizures/surgery , Adolescent , Child , Developing Countries , Risk Factors , Skull/surgery , Young Adult , Brain Injuries/surgery , Craniotomy/methods , Craniotomy/adverse effects , Intracranial Hypertension/surgeryABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is the most common cause of peptic ulcer disease and it can be associated with many complications, including malignancies. In clinical practice, some clinicians may use Clavulanic Acid (CA) in combination with amoxicillin or other beta-lactams as an addition to the standard treatment regimens. This practice may be done by habitual mistake, non-evidence based hypothetical assumptions, or by prescribing it as an alternative treatment. This review aims to expose the effect of CA against H. pylori infection and to review the possible mechanisms that may contribute to that effect. METHODS: A PubMed and Google Scholar literature search was obtained on both pre-clinical and clinical studies related to CA and H. pylori infection. RESULTS: Available clinical studies showed improvement in the eradication of H. pylori by about 10- 20% when CA was added to the treatment regimens. This effect for CA could be related to several mechanisms including inhibition of H. pylori growth by binding to Penicillin-Binding Proteins (PBPs), the transformation of H. pylori from the active filamentous form into coccoidal form, induction of the release of dopamine, modulation of immunological response towards H. pylori infection and its relationship with other microbiota. Randomized-controlled studies on patients with resistance to H. pylori are needed. Moreover, in vitro studies to evaluate the mechanisms by which CA may influence H. pylori are warranted. CONCLUSION: The presented literature suggests potential avenues for the use of CA in the management of peptic ulcer disease and H. pylori infection.
