Risk factors and crucial prognostic indicators of mortality in liver transplant recipients with bloodstream infections: A comprehensives study of 1049 consecutive liver transplants over an 11-year period.

BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation (LT) is a pivotal treatment for end-stage liver disease. However, bloodstream infections (BSI) in the post-operative period present a significant threat to patient survival. This study aims to identify risk factors for post-LT BSI and crucial prognostic indicators for mortality among affected patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of adults diagnosed with end-stage liver disease who underwent their initial LT between 2010 and 2021. Those who developed BSI post-LT during the same hospital admission were classified into the BSI group. RESULTS: In this cohort of 1049 patients, 89 (8.4%) developed BSI post-LT, while 960 (91.5%) did not contract any infection. Among the BSI cases, 17 (19.1%) patients died. The average time to BSI onset was 48 days, with 46% occurring within the first month post-LT. Of the 123 isolated microorganisms, 97 (78.8%) were gram-negative bacteria. BSI patients had significantly longer stays in the intensive care unit and hospital compared to non-infected patients. The 90-day and in-hospital mortality rates for recipients with BSI were significantly higher than those without infections. Multivariate analysis indicated heightened BSI risk in patients with blood loss >3000 mL during LT (odds ratio [OR] 2.128), re-operation within 30 days (OR 2.341), post-LT bile leakage (OR 3.536), and graft rejection (OR 2.194). Additionally, chronic kidney disease (OR 6.288), each 1000 mL increase in intraoperative blood loss (OR 1.147) significantly raised mortality risk in BSI patients, whereas each 0.1 mg/dL increase in albumin levels correlated with a lower risk of death from BSI (OR 0.810). CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the need for careful monitoring and management in the post-LT period, especially for patients at higher risk of BSI. It also suggests that serum albumin levels could serve as a valuable prognostic indicator for outcomes in LT recipients experiencing BSI.

The impact of preoperative nutritional status on postoperative outcomes: an insight from Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index in elderly pancreaticoduodenectomy patients.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is not uncommon among the elderly undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) and is related to increased complications. Previous studies have shown that the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) predicts outcomes in various populations. Nevertheless, the research exploring the correlation between GNRI and postoperative outcomes in PD is scarce. This study aimed to investigate the preoperative malnutrition, as measured by GNRI, on outcomes in elderly patients undergoing PD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective analysis enrolled 144 elderly patients underwent PD for periampullary tumors from November 2016 to December 2021. Patients were stratified based on the GNRI value: high/moderate nutrition risk (GNRI ≤ 92, N = 54), low nutrition risk (92 < GNRI ≤ 98, N = 35), and no nutrition risk (GNRI > 98, N = 55). Perioperative outcomes and postoperative surgical complications were compared between these groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed on major postoperative complications and prolonged postoperative length of stay (PLOS). RESULTS: Patients in the high/moderate risk group were significantly older, with lower BMI (P = 0.012), higher mortality rate (11.1%, P = 0.024), longer PLOS (P < 0.001), and higher incidence of over grade IIIB complications (37.0%, P = 0.001), Univariate and multivariate analyses showed the high/moderate risk GNRI group (OR 3.61, P = 0.032), increased age (OR 1.11, P = 0.014) and operative time over 8 h (OR 3.04, P = 0.027) were significantly associated with increased major postoperative complications. The high/moderate risk GNRI group was also a significant predictor for prolonged PLOS (OR 3.91, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative GNRI has the potential to be a predictive tool for identifying high-risk elderly patients and monitoring nutritional status preoperatively to improve postoperative surgical outcomes following PD.

Risk factors for pre-transplantation bacteremia in adults with end-stage liver disease: Effects on outcomes of liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Limited data are available regarding pre-liver transplantation (LT) bacteremia in adults with end-stage liver disease. In this study, we investigated the risk factors independently associated with pre-LT bacteremia and their effects on clinical outcomes of LT. METHODS: This retrospective study performed between 2010 and 2021 included 1287 LT recipients. The study population was categorized into patients with pre-LT bacteremia and those without pre-LT infection. Pre-LT bacteremia was defined as bacteremia detected within 90 days before LT. RESULTS: Among 1287 LT recipients, 92 (7.1%) developed pre-LT bacteremia. The mean interval between bacteremia and LT was 28.3 ± 19.5 days. Of these 92 patients, seven (7.6%) patients died after LT. Of the 99 microorganisms isolated in this study, gram-negative bacteria were the most common microbes (72.7%). Bacteremia was mainly attributed to spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. The most common pathogen isolated was Escherichia coli (25.2%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (18.2%), and Staphylococcus aureus (15.1%). Multivariate analysis showed that massive ascites (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.67, 95% confidence Interval [CI] 1.048-2.687) and a prolonged international normalized ratio for prothrombin time (adjusted OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.074-1.257) were independent risk factors for pre-LT bacteremia in patients with end-stage liver disease. Intensive care unit and in-hospital stay were significantly longer, and in-hospital mortality was significantly higher among LT recipients with pre-LT bacteremia than among those without pre-LT infection. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights predictors of pre-LT bacteremia in patients with end-stage liver disease. Pre-LT bacteremia increases the post-transplantation mortality risk.

Combined Serum ALBUMIN with Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Predicts the Prognosis of Biliary Tract Cancer after Curative Resection.

BACKGROUND: The mainstay treatment of biliary tract cancer is complete tumor resection. Prior to surgery, risk stratification may help to predict and plan treatment approaches. In this study, we investigated the possibility of combining serum albumin concentrations and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR) to create a score as ANS to predict the prognoses of biliary tract cancer before surgery. METHODS: This study retrospectively collected serum albumin concentration, neutrophil, and lymphocyte data measured in biliary tract cancer patients slated to receive complete tumor resections within two weeks before surgery. From January 2013 to December 2019, 268 biliary tract cancer patients who had received tumor resections at our hospital were categorized into 3 ANS groups: ANS = 0 (high albumin and low NLR), ANS = 1 (low albumin or high NLR), and ANS = 2 (low albumin and high NLR). RESULTS: Five-year survival rates were 70.1%, 47.6%, and 30.8% in the ANS = 0, 1, and 2 groups, respectively. The median overall survival time for the ANS = 0 group could not be determined by the end of the study, while those for ANS = 1 and ANS = 2 groups were 54.90 months and 16.62 months, respectively. The results of our multivariate analysis revealed that ANS could be used as an independent predictor of overall and recurrent-free survival. A high ANS was also correlated with other poor prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: The ANS devised for this study can be used to predict postoperative survival in patients with BTC and to guide treatment strategies.

Near-infrared cholangiography can increase the chance of success in laparoscopic approaches to common bile duct stones, even with previous abdominal surgery.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of common bile duct (CBD) stones with minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is more technical demanding than laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), especially in patients with history of previous abdominal surgery, cholangitis or cholecystitis. Near-infrared (NIR) cholangiography via systemic or biliary tree administration of indocyanine green (ICG), which enhances the visualization of the biliary tree anatomy, may increase the reassurance of CBD localization. The aim of this study was to identify the benefit of near-infrared cholangiography for laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE). METHODS: Three groups of CBD stone patients were included in this retrospective study depending on the surgical methods: 1) open choledocholithotomy (OCC), 2) laparoscopic choledocholithotomy (LCC), and 3) near-infrared cholangiography-assisted laparoscopic choledocholithotomy (NIR-CC). For the NIR-CC group, either 3 ml (concentration: 2.5 mg/mL) of ICG were intravenously administered or 10 ml (concentration: 0.125 mg/mL) of ICG were injected directly into the biliary tree. The enhancement rate of the cystic duct (CD), CBD, the upper and lower margin of the CBD were compared using white light image. RESULTS: A total of 187 patients with a mean age of 68.3 years were included (OCC, n = 56; LCC, n = 110; NIR-CC, n = 21). The rate of previous abdominal surgery was significantly lower in the LCC group. The conversion rate was similar between the LCC and the NIR CC groups (p = 0.746). The postoperative hospital stay was significantly longer in the OCC group. No differences in morbidity and mortality were found between the three groups. In the NIR-CC group, the localization of CBD was as high as 85% compared to 24% with white light imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Near-infrared cholangiography helps increase the chance of success in minimally invasive approaches to CBD stones even in patients with previous abdominal surgeries, without increasing the rate of conversion.

Robotic versus open pancreaticoduodenectomy with vascular resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: surgical and oncological outcomes from pilot experience.

PURPOSE: Venous resection and reconstruction (VR) is a feasible surgical technique to achieve optimal outcomes in selected patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who undergo open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD). However, data regarding patient outcomes in patients who undergo VR in robotic-assisted pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) are scarce. METHODS: All patients with a diagnosis of PDAC who underwent upfront open or robotic pancreatoduodenectomy with VR in a high-volume institution for pancreatic surgery between 2011 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Perioperative and long-term outcomes were compared between the RPD and OPD cohorts. RESULTS: A total of 84 patients were included in the final analysis, 14 patients underwent RPD with VR and 70 who had OPD with VR. Reconstructed venous patency, postoperative 30-day morbidity, and 90-day mortality were comparable; however, lymph node resection rates were lower in the RPC cohort (p = 0.029). No difference was identified in 3-year survival rates between the two groups (34.0% versus 25.7% respectively, p = 0.667). CONCLUSION: RPD with VR is a feasible approach for patients with PDAC and venous invasion. Further studies are needed to assess long-term outcomes compared to the open approach.

Overexpression of AKR1B10 Predicts Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer Patients Undergoing Surgical Resection.

Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) is associated with several cancers, but the prognostic role in gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear. We enrolled 359 GC patients who underwent a gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection. AKR1B10 expression was scored using an immunoreactive scoring system based on immunohistochemistry. Adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 or oxaliplatin plus capecitabine was administered to pathological stage II or III disease patients. There were 117 (32.6%) and 242 (67.4%) patients with AKR1B10 overexpression and low expression, respectively. Patients overexpressing AKR1B10 had worse 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates than those with low expression of AKR1B10. Pathological T3-T4 stage, pathological stage III, lymph node ratio ≥25%, and AKR1B10 overexpression were independent prognostic factors for worse DFS and OS in univariate and multivariate analyses. For 162 stage II or III patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy after surgical resection and 59 patients with signet ring cell carcinoma histology, AKR1B10 overexpression was also associated with inferior DFS and OS. AKR1B10 was not associated with clinical survival in stage I GC patients. In conclusion, AKR1B10 overexpression may be an independent prognostic factor for worse survival in GC patients who underwent gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection.

Association of a Low Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index with Higher Adverse Outcome in the Elderly Patients with Fall Injuries: Analysis of a Propensity Score-Matched Population.

PURPOSE: We evaluate the association of Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and the adverse outcome in elderly patients (≥65 years old) with fall injuries. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Total 1071 elderly patients with fall injuries were enrolled. Patients were divided into four groups: high risk, moderate risk, low risk and no risk (GNRI: <82, 82 to <92, 92 to ≤98 and >98) for patient demography, comorbidities, and adverse outcomes analysis. RESULTS: After 1:1 propensity score-matched analysis, 97 patients in high-risk group, 144 patients in moderate-risk group, and 114 patients in low-risk group were compared to no risk group. High-risk group patients had a 5.7-fold higher risk of mortality (p = 0.003) and prolong hospital stay (18.0 vs 12.3 days; p = 0.016) when compared to no-risk group patients. Significantly prolong hospital stay were also found in low-risk and moderate-risk group when compared to no risk group. CONCLUSION: A lower GNRI is associated with prolonged hospital stay in the elderly patients with fall injuries. High nutritional risk (GNRI < 82) is associated with an increased in-hospital mortality rate.

Comparative study of the safety and efficacy of SMOFlipid vs non SMOFlipid as TPN for liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation (LT) is one of the widely recognised and leading treatments for end-stage liver disease. Nutrition impacts its success. Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is usually prescribed for patients recommended prolonged fasting after LT. The supplement of SMOFlipid (soybean oil, MCT oil, olive oil, and fish oil) is easily metabolised to produce energy, and it possesses anti-inflammatory effects; however, SMOFlipid emulsion use raises concerns regarding coagulopathy after LT. This study investigated the postoperative correlation between SMOFlipid and coagulation in LT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 54 recipients of living donor LT between January 2012 and June 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with pretransplant platelet count <40,000/µL and >40,000/µL were assigned to the non-SMOFlipid (n = 23) group and the SMOFlipid (n = 31) group, respectively. RESULTS: The coagulation and nutrition profile of patients improved significantly after TPN support. No significant difference was observed in the coagulation profile between SMOFlipid and non-SMOFlipid groups. Although the SMOFlipid group exhibited a higher platelet count than the non-SMOFlipid group on day 7 (P < 0.001), no significant differences were observed in the platelet count on 14 and 30 days after TPN support between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: TPN using SMOFlipid after LT is a good strategy for improving nutritional status without increasing the risks of bleeding and coagulation in patients intolerant of early enteral nutrition. Moreover, SMOFlipid use may not cause coagulopathy up to 14 days after LT. Overall, SMOFlipid provides nutritional benefits without increasing the risk of bleeding.

Short-term outcomes after minimally invasive versus open pancreaticoduodenectomy in elderly patients: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: To date, the evidence on the safety and benefits of minimally invasive pancreatoduodenectomy (MIPD) in elderly patients is still controversy. This study aim to compare the risk and benefit between MIPD and open pancreatoduodenectomy (OPD) in elderly patients. METHODS: From 2016 to 2020, we retrospective enrolled 26 patients underwent MIPD and other 119 patients underwent OPD. We firstly compared the baseline characteristics, 90-day mortality and short-term surgical outcomes of MIPD and OPD. Propensity score matching was applied for old age patient (≥ 65-year-old vs. < 65-year-old) for detail safety and feasibility analysis. RESULTS: Patients received MIPD is significantly older, had poor performance status, less lymph node harvest, longer operation time, less postoperative hospital stay (POHS) and earlier drain removal. After 1:2 propensity score matching analysis, elderly patients in MIPD group had significantly poor performance status (P = 0.042) compared to OPD group. Patients receiving MIPD had significantly shorter POHS (18 vs. 25 days, P = 0.028), earlier drain removal (16 vs. 21 days, P = 0.012) and smaller delay gastric empty rate (5.9 vs. 32.4% P = 0.036). There was no 90-day mortality (0% vs. 11.8%, P = 0.186) and pulmonary complications (0% vs. 17.6%, P = 0.075) in MIPD group, and the major complication rate is comparable to OPD group (17.6% vs. 29.4%, P = 0.290). CONCLUSION: For elderly patients, MIPD is a feasible and safe option even in patients with inferior preoperative performance status. MIPD might also provide potential advantage for elderly patients in minimizing pulmonary complication and overall mortality over OPD.

Applying preoperative dipyridamole thallium-201 scintigraphy for preventing cardiac mortality and complications for patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism undergoing parathyroidectomy.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the value of preoperative dipyridamole thallium-201 scintigraphy for reducing cardiovascular complication in secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPTH) patients. METHODS: Thallium scintigraphy was arranged for all dialysis patients who underwent parathyroidectomy from Jan 2011 to July 2015. Management of defects on thallium scintigraphy included cardiac catheterization and ultrasonography. Analysis includes 30-day mortality, morbidity and the predicting factors for thallium scintigraphy defect. RESULTS: Of 249 patients with SHPTH, 19 (7.6%) had defects on thallium scintigraphy, 15 (88%) of whom had coronary artery disease on angiography. History of acute coronary syndrome (ACS, p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (DM, p = 0.03), male sex (p = 0.03), and higher body mass index (BMI, p = 0.001) were significant predictors of positive thallium scintigraphy results. History of ACS was the most significant predictor after adjustment in the multivariate logistic analysis (odds ratio, 22.56; 95% confidence interval, 7.02-72.53). All the patients survived the 30-day postoperative period, with minimal cardiovascular morbidity. CONCLUSION: Preoperative dipyridamole thallium-201 scintigraphy is useful for SHPTH patients to minimized surgical mortality and morbidity.