A multicentre survey investigating the knowledge, behaviour, and attitudes of surgical healthcare professionals to frailty assessment in emergency surgery: DEFINE(surgery).

PURPOSE: Screening for frailty in people admitted with emergency surgical pathology can initiate timely referrals to enhanced perioperative services such as intensive care and geriatric medicine. However, there has been little research exploring surgical healthcare professionals' opinions to frailty assessment, or accuracy in identification. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, behaviour, and attitudes of healthcare professionals to frailty assessment in emergency surgical admissions. METHODS: We designed a cross-sectional multicentre study developed by a multiprofessional team of surgeons, geriatricians, and supported by patients. A semi-structured survey examined attitudes and behaviours. Knowledge was assessed by comparing respondents' accuracy in scoring twenty-two surgical case vignettes using the Clinical Frailty Scale. RESULTS: Eleven hospitals across England, Wales, and Scotland participated. Two hundred and eleven clinicians responded-20.4% junior doctors, 43.6% middle grade doctors, 24.2% senior doctors, 11.4% nurses and physician associates. Respondents strongly supported perioperative frailty assessment. Most were already assessing for frailty, although frequently not using a standardised tool. There was a strong call for more frailty education. Participants scored 2175 vignettes with 55.4% accurately meeting the gold standard; accuracy improved to 87.3% when categorised into "not frail/mildly frail/severely frail" and 94% when dichotomised to "not frail/frail". CONCLUSION: Frailty assessment is well supported by healthcare professionals working in surgery. However, standardised tools are not routinely being used, and only half of respondents could accurately identify frailty. Better education around frailty assessment is needed for healthcare professionals working in surgery to improve perioperative pathway for people living with frailty.

Proceedings of the Canadian Frailty Network Workshop: Identifying Biomarkers of Frailty to Support Frailty Risk Assessment, Diagnosis and Prognosis. Toronto, January 15, 2018.

The Canadian Frailty Network (CFN), a pan-Canadian not-for-profit organization funded by the Government of Canada through the Networks of Centres of Excellence Program, is dedicated to improving the care of older Canadians living with frailty. The CFN has partnered with the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) to measure potential frailty biomarkers in biological samples (whole blood, plasma, urine) collected in over 30,000 CLSA participants. CFN hosted a workshop in Toronto on January 15 2018, bringing together experts in the field of biomarkers, aging and frailty. The overall objectives of the workshop were to start building a consensus on potential frailty biomarker domains and identify specific frailty biomarkers to be measured in the CLSA biological samples. The workshop was structured with presentations in the morning to frame the discussions for the afternoon session, which was organized as a free-flowing discussion to benefit from the expertise of the participants. Participants and speakers were from Canada, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States. Herein we provide pertinent background information, a summary of all the presentations with key figures and tables, and the distillation of the discussions. In addition, moving forward, the principles CFN will use to approach frailty biomarker research and development are outlined. Findings from the workshop are helping CFN and CLSA plan and conduct the analysis of biomarkers in the CLSA samples and which will inform a follow-up data access competition.

Osteopontin is associated with inflammation and mortality in a mouse model of polymicrobial sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Osteopontin (OPN) is a multifunctional glycoprotein with pro-inflammatory properties. In severe sepsis, levels of plasma OPN are significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors. We hypothesized that OPN results in greater inflammation and worse outcome through modulation of endogenous glucocorticoid production in sepsis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in wild type (WT) and OPN gene knockout (OPN(-/-) ) mice. In response to sepsis, the OPN(-/-) mice had lower levels of plasma cytokines and chemokines than the WT mice. The levels of corticosterone in plasma were similar between WT and OPN(-/-) sham animals but they increased 24 h after CLP induction in the WT mice, but not in the OPN(-/-) mice. The mortality rate was lower in the OPN(-/-) mice than in the WT mice. CONCLUSION: OPN is associated with greater inflammatory response and increased mortality, despite the higher corticosterone levels in plasma. Corticosterone production is not impaired in the absence of OPN.

VSL#3 probiotics provide protection against acute intestinal ischaemia/reperfusion injury.

Acute intestinal ischaemia/reperfusion injury (AII/R) is an adaptive physiologic response during critical illness, involving mesenteric vasoconstriction and hypoperfusion. Prevention of AII/R in high risk patient populations would have a significant impact on morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of VSL#3 probiotic treatment in a murine model of AII/R. Adult 129/SvEv mice were subjected to an experimental AII/R model using superior mesenteric artery occlusion. Animals were pre-treated with either three days or two weeks of VSL#3 probiotics. Local tissue injury markers were assessed by levels of myeloperoxidase and activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NFкB). Systemic and local cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL- 10, TNFα, and interferon gamma were measured by ELISA and multiplex fluorescent detection. VSL#3 probiotics reduced local tissue inflammation and injury due to AII/R. A two-week course of VSL#3 was more effective than a shorter three-day course. The reduction in local inflammation from the two-week course of VSL#3 is correlated to a significant reduction in levels of active IL-1ß, and tissue levels of myeloperoxidase. Levels of active NFкB were significantly elevated in the vehicle-fed AII/R mice, corroborating with tissue inflammation, which were attenuated by VSL#3 administrations. VSL#3 did not cause any systemic inflammation or lung injury. VSL#3 probiotics are effective in reducing local tissue injury from AII/R by down-regulating pro-inflammatory mediators and immune cell recruitment. This study highlights a potential role for VSL#3 in management of patients at high risk for AII/R.

Hypertonic resuscitation of hemorrhagic shock prevents alveolar macrophage activation by preventing systemic oxidative stress due to gut ischemia/reperfusion.

BACKGROUND: The gut is a target organ of shock/resuscitation (S/R); however, it also contributes to distant inflammation through the generation of oxidants. S/R with antioxidants such as N-acetylcysteine (NAC) prevents lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokine production and NF-kappaB activation in rat alveolar macrophages. Therefore, we hypothesized that hypertonic saline (HTS) might exerts its protective effect by preventing gut ischemia/reperfusion injury, thus decreasing oxidative stress and distant priming in alveolar macrophages. METHODS: A two-hit rat model of shock resuscitation was used. Plasma levels of 8-iso-prostaglandin, a marker of lipid peroxidation, was quantified by eicosanoid immunoassay with acetylcholinesterase kit. Gut histology with hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed 1 to 6 hours after resuscitation. Alternatively, alveolar macrophages from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) at end resuscitation were incubated in vitro with LPS (0.01 mug/mL), and NF-kappaB translocation was observed by immunofluorescent staining with anti-p65 antibody. RESULTS: HTS resuscitation prevented leukosequestration in the alveolar space, and it abrogated the progressive rise in blood 8-iso-prostaglandin production observed with Ringer's lactate (RL) resuscitation. Inhibition of oxidant stress with NAC corresponded with the ability of HTS to prevent S/R-induced edema, villus flattening, and mucosal sloughing in the mid-ileum. LPS-induced NF-kappaB translocation in alveolar macrophages after RL was 42% compared to 20% after HTS. Similar attenuation was observed with NAC resuscitation (16%). CONCLUSIONS: HTS resuscitation prevents systemic oxidative stress by reducing gut ischemia/reperfusion injury and consequently attenuates distant alveolar macrophage priming, thereby reducing LPS-induced NF-kappaB nuclear translocation in alveolar macrophages and organ injury. This represents a novel mechanism whereby HTS exerts its immunomodulatory effects.

Fetus-in-fetu presenting as cystic meconium peritonitis: diagnosis, pathology, and surgical management.

Fetus-in-fetu (FIF), a rare congenital anomaly, is a fetus incorporating the well-differentiated tissue of its twin. The authors describe a newborn who presented with massive abdominal distension and severe respiratory distress. Abdominal x-rays showed multiple calcifications. The diagnosis of meconium pseudocyst was made. At emergency laparotomy an irregular fetiform mass was found in the retroperitoneum lying within a fluid-filled amniotic sac. It contained a vertebral column, 10 limblike structures, and cranial and caudal ends, supporting the diagnosis of fetus-in-fetu. This case highlights several important points. FIF often is overlooked in the differential diagnosis of a newborn abdominal mass and, as in this case, may be confused with meconuim pseudocyst. FIF should be differentiated from a teratoma because of the latter's malignant potential. Because this diagnosis is not made until pathological analysis, all parts of the mass should be removed to prevent malignant recurrence.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland: a rare presentation in a young child.

Although mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common malignant salivary gland neoplasm in childhood and adolescence, it is rarely found in children under the age of 10. A 6-year-old girl had an asymptomatic neck mass for 5 months. Clinical examination findings showed a 1.5-cm smooth and firm but mobile nontender mass located in the upper left anterior cervical triangle, clinically separate from the parotid gland. Ultrasound examination findings showed a vascular mass, with a cystic component, possibly within the tail of the parotid gland. An excisional biopsy was performed and frozen section showed a low-grade MEC. A left superficial parotidectomy was then performed. Final histopathologic examination showed one positive resection margin. Subsequently, reexcision of the surgical site and an upper modified neck dissection was undertaken. This unusual presentation of MEC as a neck mass in one of the youngest reported patients illustrates that the anatomic region for parotid tumors is large. Possibly some of these tumors may arise from heterotopic or accessory parotid tissue.