Usefulness of serum sodium levels as a novel marker for predicting acute appendicitis severity: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Early and accurate preoperative diagnosis of complicated appendicitis mandates the identification of new markers. The aim of this study is to determine whether preoperative serum sodium levels are useful for predicting the severity of acute appendicitis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 475 patients who underwent emergency appendectomies between January 2018 and February 2023 in a general hospital in Brazil. The patients were divided into 2 groups: complicated (n = 254) and uncomplicated (n = 221). Hyponatremia was defined as serum sodium levels < 136 mEq/L. The primary outcome was to evaluate if hyponatremia is associated with complicated appendicitis. RESULTS: The patients had a median age of 22 years, and the median serum sodium level was 137 mEq/L in patients with complicated appendicitis and 139 mEq/L in uncomplicated appendicitis (P < 0.001). The analysis of the receiver operating characteristic curve used as the best cutoff value of serum sodium of 136 mEq/L with a sensitivity of 45.7%, specificity of 86.4%, positive predictive value of 79.5%, and negative predictive value of 58.1% for the diagnosis of complicated AA. Of the 254 patients with complicated appendicitis, 84 (33.1%) had serum sodium levels below 136 mEq/L, while only 12 (5.4%) patients with uncomplicated appendicitis had values ​​below this cutoff. Patients with hyponatremia were 5 times more likely to develop complicated appendicitis. (odds ratio: 5.35; 95% confidence interval: 3.39-8.45) CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative serum sodium levels are a useful tool for predicting the severity of acute appendicitis. Due to its low cost and wide availability, it has become an extremely relevant marker.

Comparative study of abdominal cavity temporary closure techniques for damage control / Estudo comparativo de técnicas de fechamento temporário da cavidade abdominal durante o controle de danos

ABSTRACT The damage control surgery, with emphasis on laparostomy, usually results in shrinkage of the aponeurosis and loss of the ability to close the abdominal wall, leading to the formation of ventral incisional hernias. Currently, various techniques offer greater chances of closing the abdominal cavity with less tension. Thus, this study aims to evaluate three temporary closure techniques of the abdominal cavity: the Vacuum-Assisted Closure Therapy - VAC, the Bogotá Bag and the Vacuum-pack. We conducted a systematic review of the literature, selecting 28 articles published in the last 20 years. The techniques of the bag Bogotá and Vacuum-pack had the advantage of easy access to the material in most centers and low cost, contrary to VAC, which, besides presenting high cost, is not available in most hospitals. On the other hand, the VAC technique was more effective in reducing stress at the edges of lesions, removing stagnant fluids and waste, in addition to acting at the cellular level by increasing proliferation and cell division rates, and showed the highest rates of primary closure of the abdominal cavity.

RESUMO A cirurgia de controle de danos, com ênfase em peritoneostomia, geralmente resulta em retração da aponeurose e perda da capacidade de fechar a parede abdominal, levando à formação de hérnias ventrais incisionais. Atualmente, várias técnicas oferecem maiores chances de fechamento da cavidade abdominal, com menor tensão. Deste modo, este estudo tem por objetivo avaliar três técnicas de fechamento temporário da cavidade abdominal: fechamento a vácuo (Vacuum-Assisted Closure Therapy - VAC), Bolsa de Bogotá e Vacuum-pack. Realizou-se uma revisão sistemática da literatura com seleção de 28 artigos publicados nos últimos 20 anos. As técnicas de Bolsa de Bogotá e Vacuum-pack tiveram como vantagem o acesso fácil ao material, na maioria dos centros, e baixo custo, ao contrário do que se observa na terapia a vácuo, VAC, que além de apresentar alto custo, não está disponível em grande parte dos hospitais. A técnica VAC, por outro lado, foi mais eficaz na redução da tensão nas bordas das lesões, ao remover fluidos estagnados e detritos, além de exercer ação a nível celular, aumentando as taxas de proliferação e divisão celular, e apresentou as maiores taxas de fechamento primário da cavidade abdominal.

Open abdomen in gastrointestinal surgery: Which technique is the best for temporary closure during damage control?

AIM: To compare the 3 main techniques of temporary closure of the abdominal cavity, vacuum assisted closure (vacuum-assisted closure therapy - VAC), Bogota bag and Barker technique, in damage control surgery. METHODS: After systematic review of the literature, 33 articles were selected to compare the efficiency of the three procedures. Criteria such as cost, infections, capacity of reconstruction of the abdominal wall, diseases associated with the technique, among others were analyzed. RESULTS: The Bogota bag and Barker techniques present as advantage the availability of material and low cost, what is not observed in the VAC procedure. The VAC technique is the most efficient, not only because it reduces the tension on the boarders of the lesion, but also removes stagnant fluids and debris and acts at cellular level increasing cell proliferation and division. Bogota bag presents the higher rates of skin laceration and evisceration, greater need for a stent for draining fluids and wash-ups, higher rates of intestinal adhesion to the abdominal wall. The Barker technique presents lack of efficiency in closing the abdominal wall and difficulty on maintaining pressure on the dressing. The VAC dressing can generate irritation and dermatitis when the drape is applied, in addition to pain, infection and bleeding, as well as toxic shock syndrome, anaerobic sepsis and thrombosis. CONCLUSION: The VAC technique, showed to be superior allowing a better control of liquid on the third space, avoiding complications such as fistula with small mortality, low infection rate, and easier capability on primary closure of the abdominal cavity.

Abordagem dos pedículos glissonianos no manejodo trauma hepático / Glissonian approach to the management of liver trauma

OBJETIVO: Investigar uma abordagem diferente no manejo do trauma hepático, que consiga preservar o máximo possível o parênquima do órgão, expondo apenas a área lesada à isquemia e posterior reperfusão. METODOLOGIA: Pesquisa de artigos publicados nas bases de dados MedLine e pubMedno período de 1980 a 2010, sobre a abordagem dos pedículos glissonianos, e usando como palavrasde busca: fígado, cirurgia, trauma, veia porta e artéria hepática...

AIM: To investigate a different approach in liver trauma, that preserves as much liver parenchyma as possible, exposing only the injured area to ischemia and reperfusion. MATHERIAL AND METHODS: Medline and pubMed search from 1980 to 2010 about the glissonian approach , including, liver, surgery, trauma, portal vein and hepatic artery as key-words...

Anterior hepatic transection for caudate lobectomy

Resection of the caudate lobe (segment I- dorsal sector, segment IX- right paracaval region, or both) is often technically difficult due to the lobe's location deep in the hepatic parenchyma and because it is adjacent to the major hepatic vessels (e.g., the left and middle hepatic veins). A literature search was conducted using Ovid MEDLINE for the terms "caudate lobectomy" and "anterior hepatic transection" (AHT) covering 1992 to 2007. AHT was used in 110 caudate lobectomies that are discussed in this review. Isolated caudate lobectomy was performed on 28 (25.4 percent) patients, with 11 case (11 percent) associated with hepatectomy, while 1 (0.9 percent) was associated with anterior segmentectomy. Complete caudate lobectomy was performed on 82 (74.5 percent) patients. Hepatocellular carcinoma was observed in 106 (96.3 percent) patients, while 1 (0.9 percent) had hemangioma and 3 (2.7 percent) had metastatic caudate tumors. AHT was used in 108 (98.1 percent) caudate resections, while AHT associated with a right-sided approach was performed in 2 (1.8 percent) cases. AHT is recommended for tumors located in the paracaval portion of the caudate lobe (segment IX). AHT is usually a safe and potentially curative surgical option.

Estudo da anatomia vascular sanguínea e biliar do segmento lateral esquerdo do fígado e sua aplicaçäo cirúrgica / Study of the blood and bile anatomy of the left lateral segment of the liver and its surgical application

O objetivo do presente estudo é investigar a anatomia vascular sanguínea e biliar do segmento lateral esquerdo ou segmentos II e III do fígado, assim como suas variaçöes, para se evitarem complicaçöes isquêmicas ou trombóticas do segmento lateral esquerdo, bem como o surgimento de fistulas biliares após o transplante hepático parcial ou reduzido. 25 cadáveres foram avaliados. A veia porta, artéria hepática, via bilífera e veias hepáticas foram submetidas a técnica de injeçäo de acrílico na forma líquida para posterior obtençäo dos moldes hepáticos. Näo foram encontradas variaçöes no ramo esquerdo da veia porta. A irritaçäo arterial de tal segmento se seu a partir da artéria hepática esquerdo ramo da artéria hepática comum em 24/25 casos; em um caso encontrou-se uma artéria hepática substituta, ramo da artéria gástrica esquerda, irrigando os segmentos II e III: em outro caso (1/24) foi encontrado um ramo acessório da artéria gástrica esquerda irrigando o segmento II. O ducto hepático esquerdo recebeu os ramos de drenagem dos segmentos II e III em todos os casos estudados; em 23/25 casos notou-se a presença de um ducto bilífero proveniente do segmento IV desembocando ducto hepático esquerdo. Quanto a veia hepática esquerda, responsável pela drenagem de tais segmentos, uniu-se a veia hepática intermédia formando um tronco comum antes de sua desembocadura na veia cava inferior em todos os casos estudados.