The efficacy of a trauma call system: challenges in managing severe trauma at a rural emergency center without full-time emergency physicians.

AIMS: There have been some reports about the efficacy of trauma team activation. In November 2015, we implemented a trauma call system, wherein a general surgeon, neurosurgeon, and orthopedic surgeon are called to the emergency department when severe trauma patients are transferred to our emergency department. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of this trauma call system. METHODS: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a trauma call system for trauma cases with an Injury Severity Score ≥16. We compared the mortality of trauma cases and the time from arrival to the start of the examination and intervention before and after implementing this trauma call system. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the mortality rates before and after the implementation of the trauma call system. The median time from arrival to the start of contrast-enhanced computed tomography or transcatheter arterial embolization improved from 54 to 19 min (P = 0.015) and 171 to 84 min (P = 0.030), respectively, after the implementation of the trauma call system. CONCLUSION: Our trauma call system did not significantly improve the mortality of trauma patients with an Injury Severity Score ≥16. However, it was effective for reducing the time from the arrival to the start of contrast-enhanced computed tomography or transcatheter arterial embolization.

Perioperative supplementation with bifidobacteria improves postoperative nutritional recovery, inflammatory response, and fecal microbiota in patients undergoing colorectal surgery: a prospective, randomized clinical trial.

The use of probiotics has been widely documented to benefit human health, but their clinical value in surgical patients remains unclear. The present study investigated the effect of perioperative oral administration of probiotic bifidobacteria to patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Sixty patients undergoing colorectal resection were randomized to two groups prior to resection. One group (n=31) received a probiotic supplement, Bifidobacterium longum BB536, preoperatively for 7-14 days and postoperatively for 14 days, while the other group (n=29) received no intervention as a control. The occurrences of postoperative infectious complications were recorded. Blood and fecal samples were collected before and after surgery. No significant difference was found in the incidence of postoperative infectious complications and duration of hospital stay between the two groups. In comparison to the control group, the probiotic group tended to have higher postoperative levels of erythrocytes, hemoglobin, lymphocytes, total protein, and albumin and lower levels of high sensitive C-reactive proteins. Postoperatively, the proportions of fecal bacteria changed significantly; Actinobacteria increased in the probiotic group, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria increased in the control group, and Firmicutes decreased in both groups. Significant correlations were found between the proportions of fecal bacteria and blood parameters; Actinobacteria correlated negatively with blood inflammatory parameters, while Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria correlated positively with blood inflammatory parameters. In the subgroup of patients who received preoperative chemoradiotherapy treatment, the duration of hospital stay was significantly shortened upon probiotic intervention. These results suggest that perioperative oral administration of bifidobacteria may contribute to a balanced intestinal microbiota and attenuated postoperative inflammatory responses, which may subsequently promote a healthy recovery after colorectal resection.

[Ultrasound-guided percutaneous thrombin injection therapy for the treatment of iatrogenic brachial pseudoaneurysms].

Iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm could result in rupture or serious complications. The treatment of this condition involves the use of ultrasound-guided compression therapy;however, when this therapy is not effective, surgical intervention becomes necessary. Although ultrasound-guided compression therapy is a minimally invasive treatment, the patient might experience pain during the procedure and its effectiveness is decreased under anticoagulant therapy. Surgical repair is also invasive and is frequently accompanied by several complications. We successfully treated 3 cases of iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm on the brachial artery (size, 25~45mm) using the ultrasound-guided thrombin injection therapy after the ultrasound-guided compression therapy was unsuccessful. Ultrasound-guided thrombin injection therapy is an alternative treatment that is highly effective with the additional advantage of being a simple and quick procedure with lesser burden on the patient.

[Left atrial myxoma with a coronary artery steal syndrome due to the coronary artery to left atrial fistula; report of a case].

A 73-year-old woman with dyspnea was diagnosed with a left atrial myxoma by echocardiography. Right and left circumflex coronary angiography showed neovascularity in the tumor and the blood flow jet extending from the tumor to the left atrial cavity, which led to the steal phenomenon in the left anterior descending artery. Surgical excision of the left atrial tumor and the maze procedure were performed with a cardiopulmonary circuit. To our knowledge, this is the 1st study to report the development of the coronary artery steal syndrome due to a cardiac myxoma. Exercise testing would involve risks such as embolism and left ventricular inflow disturbance; furthermore, the presence of concomitant chest symptoms with cardiac myxoma is not rare. Therefore, preoperative coronary angiography would be used for differential diagnosis and for detecting the coronary artery disease, which is reported to be common in patient with cardiac myxomas.

[Feasibility and anti-tumor activity of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine for resected pancreatic cancer].

The feasibility and anti-tumor activity of gemcitabine (GEM) as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were evaluated retrospectively. Between September 1998 and June 2007, patients with resected invasive pancreatic cancer (stage III, IVa, IVb) were given adjuvant chemotherapy with GEM (GEM group, n=10) or did not receive chemotherapy (n=11). Started the administration of GEM 38.5 days after surgery, and the mean duration was 15.4 months. Grade 3 or 4 adverse event was not observed in the GEM group. There was a significant difference in overall survival between the GEM group and the no-chemotherapy group (p=0.037), but there was no significant difference in disease-free survival between the two groups. Adjuvant chemotherapy with GEM was feasible and showed a benefit in patients with invasive pancreatic cancer.

[Two cases of advanced low rectal cancer, preoperative chemo-radiation therapy leading to complete histological response].

We report two cases of advanced low rectal cancer, with preoperative chemo-radiation therapy leading to a complete histological response. Case 1 was a 74-year-old male who was diagnosed as advanced low rectal cancer. Preoperative chemo-radiation (a total of 45 Gy radiation+oral 5'-DFUR 800 mg/day for 3 weeks) was performed. Then, 30 days after chemo-radiation, we conducted a low anterior resection with lymph node dissection. Histological examination revealed no residual cancer cells in the resected specimen. Case 2 was a 35-year-old male who was diagnosed as advanced low rectal cancer. Preoperative chemo-radiation (a total of 45 Gy radiation+5-FU 500 mg/day+CDDP 10 mg/day for 3 weeks) was performed. 28 days after chemo-radiation, we conducted an abdominoperineal resection with lymph node dissection and a partial resection of the liver. Histological examination revealed well-differentiated adenocarcinoma in the resected liver tissue, but a rectal tumor was replaced by scar tissue with no viable cells.

[Extra-anatomical bypass for an atypical coarctation of aorta associated with hypertensive heart failure; report of a case].

A 60-year-old woman with hypertension for 40 years had presented the hypertensive heart failure due to an atypical coarctation of the aorta. The difference of blood pressure between upper and lower limbs reached 110 mmHg with taking 6 kinds of antihypertensive drugs. Her blood pressure declined without antihypertensive medication and heart failure got subsided after the extra-anatomical bypass of axillobilateral external iliac artery bypass. Extra-anatomical bypass for Takayasu's arteritis had enough effects to improve the hypertension and was supposed to have the advantages of decreasing the operative risk, and preventing the aneurysmal formation of anastomotic site rather than the thoracoabdominal aortic bypass.

Right ventricular failure due to primary right ventricle osteosarcoma.

A 68-year-old woman with symptoms of dyspnea and peripheral edema was referred to our hospital. Chest computed tomography (CT) scans revealed a huge mass occupying the pulmonary trunk and invading the right main pulmonary artery, with metastatic nodules in the left main and left lower pulmonary artery. She was given a diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism and was anticoagulated to no effect, which suggested a neoplasm. Palliative resection of the tumor was carried out even though she was in serious condition with right ventricular failure, liver congestion, renal dysfunction, and coagulopathy disorder. The histopathology, postoperative systemic CT scan, and bone scintigram provided a definitive diagnosis of a primary right ventricle osteosarcoma. Primary cardiac osteosarcoma has a poor prognosis, and this patient was at an advanced stage with pulmonary metastases. Surgical intervention should offer these patients significant palliation to relieve the clinical symptoms due to obstruction.

A case of tuberculous endocarditis with acute aortic valve insufficiency and annular subvalvular left ventricular aneurysm.

Tuberculous endocarditis is an exceptionally rare disease, and its surgical operation has been reported in only one case. This is a successful surgical report of acute aortic insufficiency caused by tuberculous endocarditis associated with annular subvalvular left ventricular aneurysm (ASLVA) beneath the aortic valve. This patient had acute left ventricular failure and cardiorespiratory arrest and suffered from multiple organ dysfunction and coagulopathy disorder. Urgent surgery was performed to replace the aortic valve with the approximation of ASLVA. Histopathological findings of the excised aortic cusps gave the diagnosis of tuberculous endocarditis, and antituberculous drug administration started on the first postoperative day. Postoperative recovery has been uneventful without relapse of tuberculosis for 7 postoperative years.

[Bilateral coronary-pulmonary artery fistulae without cardiopulmonary bypass].

A 68-year-old female with heart failure was admitted on the probable diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus. Coronary arteriography revealed the coronary-pulmonary artery fistulae which originated the bilateral coronary arteries. Excision of coronary artery fistulae was performed without cardiopulmonary bypass. The symptom of heart failure has been improved for postoperative 6 years. Coronary pulmonary artery fistula is commonly a meanders long and flowing into the pulmonary artery as one influx artery. We presume the surgical intervention without cardiopulmonary bypass would be adopted for the treatment of this type. Multidetector-row computed tomography (MD CT) is useful in verification to detect the perioperative fistulae.

[Improved quality of life in a patient with carcinomatous meningitis from invasive lobular carcinoma treated with intrathecal MTX and Ara-C in combination with systemic docetaxel].

Carcinomatous meningitis from breast cancer is rare and has a poor prognosis with a life expectancy of approximately 80 days. We performed intrathecal MTX and Ara-C in combination with systemic docetaxel treatments in the patient, a 44-year-old woman with carcinomatous meningitis from invasive lobular carcinoma previously treated with anthracycline and paclitaxel. Although the patient died 128 days after the onset, intrathecal chemotherapy in combination with systemic docetaxel reduced the number of malignant cells and induced degeneration of the cells in CSF, resulting in improved quality of life.

[Staged operation of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting using aortic connector system, and concomitant surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm and gastric cancer; report of a case].

Recently the patient of the atherosclerotic disease associated with malignant disease has been increased. A 75-year-old man was referred to our section with an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and a gastric cancer (GC). Preoperative coronary angiogram revealed the significant stenoses of the right coronary and the left anterior descending coronary artery. We selected the staged operation of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) [OPCAB] and the concomitant surgery for the AAA and the GC. Operative invasion could decrease with the surgical procedure of the OPCAB and the concomitant surgery compared to the conventional CABG or the separate operation. We used the aortic connector system during OPCAB to prevent such the serious complications of the aortic dissection or the systemic embolism due to the calcified ascending aorta.