Percutaneous transhepatic drainage for malignant biliary obstruction.

Percutaneous transhepatic drainage ( PTHD ) is an adjunct in the management of malignant biliary obstruction. It can be used for two purposes: as a palliative measure alone or as part of the preoperative preparation. This study assesses the efficacy of this technique. The charts of all patients undergoing PTHD were reviewed, and the data were collated according to the intent of catheterization. In the palliative group (18 patients), bilirubin levels fell from 20 +/- 1.8 to 10 +/- 1.9 mg/dl. PTHD complications developed in 14 (78%), the 1-month mortality was 56 per cent (10/18), and all of the patients have died (mean, 2.3 months). In the preoperative group (17 patients), bilirubin levels fell from 17 +/- 1.4 to 6 +/- 0.6 mg/dl, PTHD complications developed in three (18%), and postoperative complications occurred in five (30%). All patients in the preoperative group survived operation, 11 of 16 dying a mean of 4.5 months postoperatively. The five surviving patients have lived 2 to 25 months. The authors conclude that PTHD significantly lowers the serum bilirubin in both preoperative and palliative groups. In the preoperative group, its use is associated with low morbidity and may improve the patient's preoperative condition. In the palliative group, PTHD is associated with an appreciable morbidity that tempers the enthusiasm for its routine use in this circumstance.

Efficacy of oral and systemic antibiotic prophylaxis in colorectal operations.

A cooperative Veterans Administration study of the septic complication rate during large-bowel surgery was undertaken in two groups of patients. The first group received oral neomycin and erythromycin base plus parenteral placebo; the second, the oral antibiotics plus parenteral cephalothin sodium. During a five-year period, 1,128 patients were studied. The overall septic complication rate was 7.8% in patients receiving only oral antibiotics, and 5.7% in patients receiving both oral and parenteral antibiotics. This difference was not significant. The only significant finding was a greater incidence of fever of unknown origin in patients receiving only oral antibiotics. None of those patients were treated with additional antibiotics, and all fevers cleared spontaneously. There seems to be no discernible benefit from adding parenteral antibiotic prophylaxis when performing elective colon surgery if appropriate mechanical cleansing and oral neomycin and erythromycin therapy are employed.

Hypercalcaemia due to hyperparathyroidism in a patient with chronic renal failure and renal carcinoma.

A 65-year-old woman with a history of a left heminephrectomy for renal carcinoma developed hypercalcaemia 11 years after the operation. The same kidney was found to contain a recurrent renal carcinoma. After the radical nephrectomy of the left kidney, hypercalcaemia remitted but reappeared 11 months later. The right kidney was small but functioned at a level of creatinine clearance of 10--15 ml/min. Metastatic work-up was negative, and secondary causes of hypercalcaemia were excluded. A neck exploration revealed a parathyroid adenoma. With parathyroid resection the serum calcium declined to normal, and the risk of hypercalcaemic nephropathy in the remaining kidney was precluded.

Preoperative administration of fluids.

A study by questionnaire was sent to 134 Surgical Services at Veterans Administration Hospitals to ascertain the prevalence of the practice of preoperative hydration during the period of hydropenia preceding surgery. A 92.5 per cent response was noted and the following conclusions are drawn: (1) The majority of Veterans Administration Surgical Services do not routinely provide intravenous fluids during the immediate preoperative period. (2) Affiliation with a medical school-based postgraduate training program does not alter significantly the proportion of Surgical Services providing preoperative intravenous therapy on a routine basis. (3) These observations suggest a need for Surgical Services to assess the desirability and indications of preoperative hydration. (4) However, in the case of chronic renal failure patients there is little question of the necessity for careful preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative hydration.

Motility of gastric tubes.

In gastric tubes interposed between small bowel a clear wave pattern was found, differing markedly from the bowl above and below. The gastric tube appears to be not an inert conduit since it continues to exhibit automatic rhythmic contraction. The possibility of slowing intestinal transit by the interposition of an antiperistaltic gastric tube seems to be supported by the demonstration of regular contraction.