Body packers: a plea for conservative treatment.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of smuggling and transporting of illegal drugs by internal concealment, also known as body packing, is increasing in the Western world. The objective of this study was to determine the outcome of conservative and surgical approaches in body packers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical data on body packers admitted to our hospital from January 2004 until December 2009 were collected. The protocol for body packers required surgery when packets were present in the stomach for >48 h. Outcomes of the conservative and surgical group were assessed and analyzed. Morbidity and mortality were assessed in body packers with drug packets present in the stomach for <48 h and in those with gastric packets for >48 h. RESULTS: During the study period, more body packers were treated conservatively. Mortality was 2% in all patients and was due to intoxication. There were no significant differences of mortality, hospital admission time, and ICU admission time in the compared groups with drug packets in the stomach for less or >48 h. In 24% (4/17) of the patients with bad package material, a ruptured drug packet was found during surgery. This resulted in death in only one patient. CONCLUSION: Drug packets in the stomach for >48 h are not an indication for surgery. We recommend that surgery should only be performed in body packers with signs of intoxication or ileus and reserve conservative treatment for all other patients.

Long-term results of radiofrequency ablation for unresectable colorectal liver metastases: a potentially curative intervention.

OBJECTIVE: The long-term results and prognostic factors of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for unresectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) in a single centre with >10 years of experience were retrospectively analysed. METHODS: A total of 100 patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) (size 0.2-8.3 cm; mean 2.4 cm) underwent a total of 126 RFA sessions (237 lesions). The mean follow-up time was 29 months (range 6-93 months). Lesion characteristics (size, number and location), procedure characteristics (percutaneous or intra-operative approach) and major and minor complications were carefully noted. Local control, mean survival time and recurrence-free and overall survival were statistically analysed. RESULTS: No direct procedure-related deaths were observed. Major complications were present in eight patients. Local RFA site recurrence was 12.7% (n = 30/237); for tumour diameters of <3 cm, 3-5 cm and >5 cm, recurrence was 5.6% (n = 8/143), 19.5% (n = 15/77) and 41.2% (n = 7/17), respectively. Centrally located lesions recurred more often than peripheral ones, at 21.4% (n = 21/98) vs 6.5% (n = 9/139), respectively, p = 0.009. Including additional treatments for recurring lesions when feasible, lesion-based local control reached 93%. The mean survival time from RFA was 56 (95% confidence interval (CI) 45-67) months. Overall 1-, 3-, 5- and 8-year survival from RFA was 93%, 77%, 36% and 24%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: RFA for unresectable CRLM is a safe, effective and potentially curative treatment option; the long-term results are comparable with those of previous investigations employing surgical resection. Factors determining success are lesion size, the number of lesions and location.

Cardiac disease in pregnancy: a 4-year audit at Pretoria Academic Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Pre-existing medical disease constitutes one of the five major causes of maternal death in South Africa. Increasing numbers of women with heart disease reach adulthood as a result of advances in diagnoses and treatment of heart disease in childhood. OBJECTIVE: To assess the profile of cardiac disease and the maternal and fetal outcome of pregnant patients at Pretoria Academic Hospital (PAH). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was carried out on 189 pregnant cardiac patients who delivered at PAH between January 2002 and December 2005. RESULTS: Nearly 1% of all mothers who delivered at PAH had underlying cardiac disease. Most cardiac lesions were valvular disease secondary to childhood rheumatic heart disease. Pulmonary oedema was associated with the greatest morbidity and mortality. The severe morbidity rate was 11.6% and the case fatality rate 3.3%. The mean gestational age at delivery was 35 weeks; 18 (9.7%) babies were born before 34 weeks. CONCLUSION: Cardiac disease in pregnancy is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates for mothers and their babies. Multidisciplinary evaluation with discussion of risk factors, appropriate family planning and optimising of the cardiac state before conception is advised.