Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus With Dacryoadenitis Complicated by Recurrent Orbital Inflammation.

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus represents a zoster infection in the first division of the trigeminal nerve and has potentially serious complications involving the ocular and orbital structures. Herpes zoster ophthalmicus occurs in approximately 10% to 20% of individuals with herpes zoster and can lead to significant morbidity, particularly in patients with multiple comorbidities. The authors present a case of herpes zoster ophthalmicus along with dacryoadenitis in a patient with uncontrolled diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis who was misdiagnosed, had delayed treatment, and experienced recurrence with orbital symptoms during follow up. Prompt recognition, initiation of therapy and careful monitoring and follow up are important for treating herpes zoster ophthalmicus and preventing recurrence and long-term sequelae.

Hypertensive emergencies: guidelines and best-practice recommendations.

Due to a variety of demographic and public health factors, the number of emergency department visits related to hypertensive emergencies has increased dramatically in recent decades, making it imperative that clinicians clearly understand the current treatment guidelines and definitions for the spectrum of hypertensive disease. This issue reviews current evidence on identifying and managing hypertensive emergencies and the differences between expert opinions on diagnosing and managing these emergencies. Clear protocols differentiating patients with hypertension from patients with hypertensive emergencies are needed to appropriately manage this patient population.

Emergency department management of surgical airway complications.

Emergency clinicians are often responsible for the acute management of complications pertaining to both the acute difficult airway and the chronic surgical airway; however, clinical knowledge and/or experience may be lacking. This review provides an overview of surgical airway complications, which can be a result of mechanical, infectious, or hematologic causes, and provides best-practice recommendations. Current consensus guidelines for the management of the difficult airway and indications for a surgical airway are discussed.

The Effect of Commonly Used Local Anesthetic on Bacterial Growth.

INTRODUCTION: Liposomal bupivacaine (LB) has emerged as a superior form of local anesthetic across numerous surgical subspecialties. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the ex-vivo antimicrobial effects of LB in comparison with traditional local anesthetics. METHODS: A standardized inoculum of bacteria commonly associated with surgical site infection was inoculated into a suspension of 1% lidocaine, 0.25% bupivacaine, Exparel (proprietary liposomally packaged 1.3% bupivacaine), and normal saline as a growth control. RESULTS: In all five bacteria tested, the medium inoculated with traditional local anesthetics reduced growth to a greater degree than LB-inoculated plates. Both conventional local anesthetics reduced the growth of all bacteria when compared with the control with the exception of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus growth in bupivacaine. LB-inoculated plates had equivalent growth to the control in all plates with the exception of Escherichia coli plates which demonstrated superior growth. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this simple ex-vivo model suggest that the liposomal packaging of bupivacaine may decrease this local anesthetic's innate antibacterial properties.

Mark M. Ravitch: A Staple in Surgical History and Innovation.

Mark M. Ravitch is a surgeon worth acknowledging. He is credited for revolutionizing pediatric surgery as a subspecialty, mastering chest wall deformities and introducing the surgical stapler to the United States, to name a few. Above all, he was a notable leader, teacher, and author. This historical vingette is a brief snapshot of his biography and various achievements.

Benign Reactive Lymphoid Hyperplasia of the Conjunctiva Treated With Cyclosporine.

PURPOSE: To describe a case of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH) of the conjunctiva responding to cyclosporine immunosuppressant monotherapy. METHODS: A 66-year-old man with a 2-year history of biopsy-proven bilateral RLH presented for dry eye evaluation with chief complaints of burning, stinging, and irritation in both eyes. After slit-lamp examination and positive findings of matrix metalloproteinase 9 in the patient's tear film, he was diagnosed with meibomian gland dysfunction and tear-insufficiency dry eye disease. The patient was subsequently treated with topical cyclosporine (ophthalmic emulsion 0.5 mg/mL two times per day) in both eyes. RESULTS: Examination at the 3-month follow-up visit revealed significant reduction of the RLH lesions bilaterally. CONCLUSIONS: This report represents the first case of benign ocular RLH responsive to topical cyclosporine therapy. We believe that cyclosporine could play a role in treating patients with benign ocular RLH and warrants further investigation to evaluate its full efficacy.

Polyp Detection Rates among Body Mass Index Categories at First Screening Colonoscopy.

In the United States, obesity is an epidemic and colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer for men and women. A link between obesity and colorectal adenomas and carcinoma has been suggested but not proven. We sought out to determine if obesity was associated with increased rates of polyp formation. All patients undergoing a first screening colonoscopy by one of the participating endoscopists at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital from January 2012 to March 2015 were considered for the study. Their demographics, body mass index (BMI), and colonoscopy findings were recorded at the time of the procedure and prospectively maintained in our database. The final pathologic diagnosis was recorded for each participant as it became available. A total of 758 subjects were included. Of these, 22 per cent had a BMI <25 kg/m2, 29 per cent had a BMI between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2, and 49 per cent had a BMI of at least 30 kg/m2. Overall, 21.9 per cent of the participants were found to have at least one adenomatous polyp. The polyp detection rates were 24.4 per cent in the group with a BMI less than 25, 20.5 per cent in the overweight group, and 21.6 per cent in the obese group. Our study included 56 super obese individuals with a BMI ≥45 kg/m2. About 17.9 per cent of subjects in the super obese group had an adenomatous polyp. There were no differences in the incidence of adenomatous polyps between BMI categories in our study.

Reducing colorectal surgical site infections: a novel, resident-driven, quality initiative.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSIs) cause significant patient morbidity and increase costs. This work prospectively examines our institutional effort to reduce SSIs through a resident-driven quality initiative. METHODS: A general surgery resident-championed, evidenced-based care bundle for patients undergoing colorectal surgery at a single academic institution was developed using attending mentorship. National Surgical Quality Improvement Program definitions for SSIs were used. Data were collected prospectively and bundle compliance was monitored using a checklist. The primary outcome compared SSIs before and after implementation. RESULTS: In the 2 years preceding standardization, 489 colorectal surgery cases were performed. SSIs occurred in 68 patients (13.9% SSI rate). Following implementation of the bundle, 212 cases were performed with 10 SSIs (4.7% SSI rate, P < .01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis found a decrease in superficial and overall SSIs (odds ratio .17, 95% confidence interval .05 to .59; odds ratio .31, 95% confidence interval .14 to .68). CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that resident-driven initiatives to improve quality of care can be a swift and effective way to enact change. We observed significantly decreased SSIs with a renewed focus on evidence-based, standardized patient care.

Hampton's hump in a patient with endocarditis and septic emboli.

We discuss a case of a 20-year-old woman presenting with chest pain found to have a Hampton's hump on chest x-ray and corresponding wedge infarct on computed tomographic scan. Contrary to our suspicion that this febrile and tachycardic patient had a pulmonary embolism, she was later determined to have a septic embolus secondary to endocarditis. We highlight the difficulties in diagnosing certain cases of endocarditis in the emergency department, as well as the difficulties in distinguishing septic emboli from pulmonary emboli,especially with plain radiographs.

A Hyalinized Trichilemmoma of the Eyelid in a Teenager.

A 16-year-old African American male, the youngest patient to date, presented with a well-circumscribed upper eyelid lesion. On excision, the dermal nodule was contiguous with the epidermis, displayed trichohyalin-like bodies in an expanded outer root sheath, and was composed chiefly of small cellular clusters separated by a prominent network of periodic acid Schiff -positive hyaline bands of basement membrane material. The tumor cells were positive for high molecular weight cytokeratins (CK) 5/6, CK14, and CK34ßE12 and were negative for CK7, carcinoembryonic antigen and epithelial membrane antigen. Negative S100, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and smooth muscle actin immunoreactions ruled out a myoepithelial lesion. The Ki-67 proliferation index was <10%. The diagnosis was a hyalinized trichilemmoma, contrasting with the more common lobular type. As an isolated lesion, trichilemmoma does not portend Cowden syndrome.

Colonic Schwannoma: A Case Study and Literature Review of a Rare Entity and Diagnostic Dilemma.

An asymptomatic 73-year-old woman was found to have a submucosal mass in the descending colon on routine colonoscopy. A CT scan revealed a 31 × 28 × 31 mm lesion in the same location. Previous biopsy proved to be nondiagnostic, and the patient underwent a laparoscopic descending colon resection. Histologic evaluation of the tumor revealed a low grade spindle cell neoplasm with strong, diffuse positivity for S-100 protein by immunohistochemistry, leading to the diagnosis of schwannoma. A review of the literature revealed intestinal schwannoma to be a rare disease entity, with only about 50 cases previously reported.

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma masquerading as embryonal subtype: the value of modern molecular diagnostic testing.

A 3-year-old child presented with a history of conjunctivitis in her OS. She had hyperglobus of the OS and a palpable mass in the left inferior orbit. An urgent MRI revealed an enhancing mass in the left orbit. The patient underwent an incisional biopsy with pathologic assessment most consistent with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. However, subsequent molecular genetic testing of the biopsy specimen was positive for the PAX3/PAX7-FKHR chimeric gene, indicating the tumor was actually an alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. The patient received a more intensive chemotherapy regimen and also was treated with proton-beam radiotherapy. After chemotherapy and proton irradiation, the patient's tumor shrank considerably, and she remained in remission at over 3 years of follow up. This patient illustrates the new tools at the disposal of the orbital specialist including molecular genetic testing and proton-beam irradiation to diagnose and treat orbital rhabdomyosarcoma.

Anastomotic leaks after colorectal anastomosis occurring more than 30 days postoperatively: a single-institution evaluation.

National hospital registries only report colorectal anastomotic leaks (ALs) within 30 days postoperatively. The aim of our study was to determine the incidence and significance of ALs that occur beyond 30 days postoperatively. We performed a retrospective review of our prospective database from June 2008 to August 2012. A total of 504 patients were included. These patients were operated on by two surgeons. Any clinical or radiographic abnormalities were considered to be an anastomotic imperfection. A total of 504 patients were reviewed with a total of 18 (3.6%) anastomotic leaks. Six leaks (31.6% of leaks) were diagnosed more than 30 days postoperatively (P < 0.001). Of the 18 leaks, interventional radiology drainage was performed for four cases and 14 patients required reoperation. All six delayed leaks required reoperation. There was one leak that occurred under 30 days, which was discovered on autopsy. The median follow-up was 12 months (range, 1 to 4 months). All the delayed leak patients presented with fistulas, whereas 58 per cent of typical leak patients presented with the triad of leukocytosis, fever, and abdominal pain. Colorectal anastomotic leaks can occur after the 30-day postoperative period. In patients with vague and atypical abdominal findings, anastomotic leak must be suspected. More systematic, prospective studies are required to help us further understand the risk factors and natural history of anastomotic failures in elective colorectal surgery.

The agitated patient.

Caring for an agitated patient can be a daunting task for the tactical emergency medical support (TEMS) or Special Operations Forces (SOF) medic. The cause, degree, and duration of agitation can vary among such individuals. These patients create a high-stress and disruptive environment, needing numerous people involved to control. One agitated patient can disrupt an entire tactical team or casualty evacuation. The patient?s history and physical examination can give important clues to the cause, thereby directing treatment and leading to a quick and safe resolution. The variety of treatments for the agitated patient are just as numerous as the causes and range from verbal deescalation to medications and physical restraint, all of which have a risk-benefit profile to consider.

American Society of Anesthesiologists class and Charlson's comorbidity index as predictors of postoperative colorectal anastomotic leak: a single-institution experience.

BACKGROUND: The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) was adopted to assess patients' physical condition before surgery. Studies suggest that ASA score and CCI might be a prognostic criterion (indicator) for patient outcome. The aim of this study is to determine if ASA classification and CCI can determine the risk of anastomotic leaks (AL) in patients who underwent colorectal surgery. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 505 consecutive colorectal resections with primary anastomoses between 2008 and 2012 was performed at a university hospital. ASA score, CCI, surgical procedure, length of stay, age, body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-five patients had an ASA score of I and II, 227 patients had an ASA score of III, and 13 patients had an ASA score of IV. A total of 19 patients had an anastomotic leak (ASA I-II: 5 patients, 1.9%; ASA III: 12 patients, 5.58%; ASA IV: 2 patients, 18.18%). A higher ASA score was significantly associated with AL on further analysis (OR: 2.99, 95% CI: 1.345-6.670, P = 0.007). When matched for age, BMI, and CCI on logistic regression analysis, increased ASA level was independently related to an increased likelihood of leak (OR(steroids) = 14.35, P < 0.01; OR(ASA_III v I-II) = 2.02, P = 0.18; OR(ASA_IVvI-II) = 8.45, P = 0.03). There were no statistically significant differences in means between the leak and no-leak patients with respect to age (60.69 versus 65.43, P = 0.17), BMI (28.03 versus 28.96, P = 0.46), and CCI (6.19 versus 7.58, P = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: ASA score, but not CCI, is independently associated with anastomotic leak. Patients with a high ASA class should be closely followed postoperatively for AL after colorectal operations.