Long-Term Results after Anastomotic Leakage following Rectal Cancer Surgery: A Comparison of Treatment with Endo-Sponge and Transanal Irrigation.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate long-term results in patients from regular health care treated with endoscopic transanal closure system, that is, endoscopic vacuum-assisted closure system (EVAC) compared to transanal irrigation. METHODS: In this retrospective, medical chart-based, observational study, we included patients with anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection for rectal cancer from 3 Stockholm hospitals 2006-2016 and compared time to first stoma closure in a Kaplan-Meier model and the proportion of patients who were stoma-free at end of follow-up. RESULTS: Anastomotic leakage was found in 81 patients who were followed up in median 5.9 years (min-max: 0.53-13). EVAC was used on 14 (17%) patients and transanal irrigation on 34 (42%) patients. The remaining 33 (41%) patients either got a permanent colostomy or were treated only with antibiotics and percutaneous drainage. Treatment with EVAC or transanal irrigation led to similar rates of stoma closure, both when comparing all patients, and when comparing patients with similar defects. At the end of follow-up, 43% of patients treated with EVAC and 50% of patients treated with repeated irrigation were stoma-free (p = 0.75). CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence of better outcomes in patients treated with EVAC. The study was, however, limited by small sample size.

Effects of different fluid regimes and desmopressin on uncontrolled hemorrhage during hypothermia in the rat.

Resuscitation with large volumes of crystalloids during traumatic hemorrhagic shock might increase the mortality by inducing rebleeding. However, few studies have addressed this problem during hypothermic conditions. Sixty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to a standardized femoral artery injury and resuscitated with low (LRe), medium (MRe), or high (HRe) intensity using lactated Ringer's solution after being cooled to 30°C. An additional MRe group was also given desmopressin since this drug might reverse hypothermic-induced impairment of the primary hemostasis. The rats were rewarmed after 90 minutes and observed for 3 hours. The incidence, on-set time, duration, and volume of bleedings and hemodynamic changes were recorded. Rebleedings occurred in 60% of all animals and were more voluminous in the HRe group than in the LRe group (p=0.01). The total rebleeding volume per animal increased with the rate of fluid administration (r=0.50, p=0.01) and the duration of each rebleeding episode was longer in the HRe group than in the LRe group (p<0.001). However, the mortality tended to be higher in the LRe group (LRe=6/15, MRe=1/15, HRe=2/15, p=0.07). Desmopressin did not change the bled volume or the mortality. Overall, the mortality increased if rebleeding occurred (10/35 rebleeders died vs. 1/25 nonrebleeders, p=0.015). Liberal fluid administration increased the rebleeding volume while a trend toward higher mortality was seen with the restrictive fluid program. Desmopressin had no effect on the studied parameters.

Hypothermia increases rebleeding during uncontrolled hemorrhage in the rat.

Trauma registers show that hypothermia (HT) is an independent risk factor for death during hemorrhagic shock, although experimental animal studies indicate that HT may be beneficial during these conditions. However, the animal models were not designed to detect the expected increase in bleeding caused by HT. In a new model for uncontrolled bleeding, 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to a standardized femoral artery injury and randomized to either normothermia or HT. Ketamine/midazolam was used to minimize hemodynamic changes due to the anesthesia. The hypothermic rats were cooled to 30°C and rewarmed again at 90 min. The study period was 3 h. The incidence, onset time, duration, and volume of bleedings as well as hemodynamic and metabolic changes were recorded. There was no difference between groups with respect to the initial bleeding. Rebleedings occurred among 60% of the animals in both groups. Hypothermic rebleeders had more, larger, and longer rebleedings, resulting in a total rebleeding volume amounting to 41% of their estimated blood volume. The corresponding figure for the normothermic rebleeders was 3% (P < 0.001). Total rebleeding volume was significantly larger in the hypothermic group, even at body temperatures greater than 35°C. We conclude that the risk of rebleeding from a femoral injury is greater in the presence of cooling and HT. The larger rebleeding volumes seen even at body temperatures greater than 35°C indicate that factors other than temperature-induced coagulopathy also contributed to the increased hemorrhage.

Tranexamic acid does not prevent rebleeding in an uncontrolled hemorrhage porcine model.

BACKGROUND: Fluid resuscitation after uncontrolled hemorrhage might promote rebleeding and irreversible shock. Tranexamic acid is a procoagulant drug that limits blood loss after surgery of the hip, knee, and heart. We hypothesized that pretreatment with tranexamic acid reduces the rebleeding in uncontrolled hemorrhage and thereby allows safe administration of crystalloid fluid resuscitation. METHODS: A 120-minute intravenous infusion of 100 mL/kg of Ringer's solution was given to 24 pigs (mean weight, 20 kg) 10 minutes after lacerating the infrarenal aorta. The animals were randomized to receive an intravenous injection of 15 mg/kg of tranexamic acid or placebo just before starting the resuscitation. Rebleeding events were monitored by two ultrasonic probes positioned proximal and distal to the laceration. RESULTS: Tranexamic acid had no effect on the number of rebleeding events, bled volume, or mortality. The initial bleeding stopped within 4 minutes after the injury. The five animals that died suffered from 4.4 rebleeding events on average, which tripled the total blood loss, whereas the survivors had only 1.3 such events during fluid resuscitation (p < 0.02). At autopsy, death was associated with a larger total hemorrhage; the blood recovered from the abdomen weighed 1.4 kg (median) in nonsurvivors and 0.6 kg in survivors (p < 0.001), with the difference being attributable to rebleeding. CONCLUSION: Rebleeding events increased the amount of blood lost and the mortality in uncontrolled aortic hemorrhage. Tranexamic acid offered no benefit.

Induced hypothermia and rewarming after hemorrhagic shock.

BACKGROUND: Recent patient and animal studies have shown protective effects of hypothermia (HT) in traumatic brain injury and hemorrhagic shock. We have demonstrated a reduced stress level and a lack of additive hemodynamic effects of HT. The present work was undertaken to evaluate whether these effects persist during and after rewarming. METHODS: Pigs were quickly exsanguinated of 40% of their individually calculated blood volume and randomized to HT (32.5 degrees C) or normothermia (controls). After 30 min of HT, rewarming to baseline temperature was initiated. All animals were followed for 7 h. Thrombolelastography was used to evaluate blood coagulation. RESULTS: HT did not aggravate the hemodynamic signs of hemorrhagic shock. HT decreased the oxygen uptake, however, which reduced the oxygen extraction ratio to the prehemorrhage level (P < 0.05). Serum levels of potassium were transiently stabilized by cooling. Coagulation was slower, but blood clot strength was normal. HT also delayed fibrinolysis (P < 0.05). Rewarming reversed all physiological changes induced by HT including those involving the coagulation system. CONCLUSIONS: HT produced few hemodynamic effects in the presence of hemorrhagic shock, but created a surplus of oxygen in the core circulation. Blood clotting was delayed by HT.