Abdomen agudo durante la gestación y el puerperio / Acute abdomen during pregnancy and the puerperium

El abdomen agudo en la gestación y el puerperio constituye un diagnóstico complejo y un reto terapéutico. Nuestro objetivo es realizar una revisión bibliográfica de esta patología a propósito de un caso de peritonitis secundaria a absceso tubárico con apendicitis por helmintos concomitante. Principalmente, su sintomatología se resume en el dolor y la distensión abdominal, las náuseas y/o los vómitos. Estos síntomas se encuentran presentes en el embarazo normal, dificultando el diagnóstico diferencial. El abdomen agudo es relativamente infrecuente durante la gestación y el puerperio, siendo la apendicitis aguda la principal causa de origen no obstétrico. Asocia una elevada morbimortalidad materno-fetal, que aumenta a medida que la gestación avanza, requiriendo un manejo multidisciplinar para alcanzar un diagnóstico precoz y un tratamiento efectivo. Fundamentalmente, el abordaje terapéutico es quirúrgico debido, en gran medida, al diagnóstico tardío con frecuente asociación de complicaciones. Un manejo temprano será primordial para minimizar riesgos para la madre y el feto

Acute abdomen in pregnancy and the postpartum period is a complex diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. We review the literature on this topic and report a case of peritonitis secondary to tubal abscess with concomitant helminth appendicitis. The main symptoms of this entity are pain and bloating, nausea and/or vomiting. These symptoms are present in normal pregnancy, which hampers the differential diagnosis. Acute abdomen is relatively uncommon during pregnancy and the postpartum, and the main obstetric cause is acute appendicitis. Maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality are high and increase as the pregnancy progresses, requiring multidisciplinary management to achieve early diagnosis and effective treatment. The therapeutic approach is mainly surgical, largely due to late diagnosis and associated complications. Early management is essential to minimize the risks to the mother and fetus

Hemocholecyst: a rare cause of acute abdomen

No disponible

Isolated tubal torsion in pregnancy.

Adnexal torsion is an uncommon cause of acute abdomen in pregnancy and isolated fallopian tube twisting accounts for a very small number of these cases. These conditions, either in pregnancy or in non-gestational circumstances, are known to be due to both genital and non-genital causes and, in most cases, predisposing factors can be identified. We reviewed the literature and retrieved only 19 cases of isolated fallopian tube torsion in pregnancy treated surgically from 1936 to today, including one recently published case from our experience. The clinical presentation was lower quadrant abdominal pain in all cases. The right side was involved in 90% of the cases. Tenderness was usually present but peritoneal irritation with guarding or rebound was exceptional. Symptoms were nausea and vomiting, scanty vaginal bleeding and dysuria. Signs suggestive of necrosis such as leucocytosis, increased CRP and mild hyperpyrexia were uncommon. Preoperative ultrasound evaluation was performed in eight patients and in all cases an adnexal cyst was detected on the ipsilateral side of the abdominal pain. The case we recently published was carefully investigated preoperatively by Doppler flow ultrasound techniques which allowed for a precise differential diagnosis with total adnexal torsion. This aspect has never been previously considered. The surgical approach showed acute isolated fallopian tube torsion in all the cases and a predisposing factor was identified in 75% of the patients. Foetal and maternal outcome were always excellent. In cases of acute abdomen in pregnancy, with detailed Doppler flow ultrasound evidence of normal ovaries and of a pelvic cyst, an isolated tubal-paratubal cyst torsion should be considered and appropriate ovary-sparing surgical treatment foreseen.

[Determination of malondialdehyde level in peritoneal fluid in patients with acute abdomen]. / Akut batinlarda peritoneal sivida malondialdehit (MDA) düzeyi ölçümü.

BACKGROUND: Our aim is to determine the relationship between free oxygen radicals and tissue destruction in Acute abdomen patients. METHODS: In this study, direct determination of free oxygen radicals is succeeded by measuring the Malondialdehyde level (MDA), which is the last product of lipid peroxidation in the peritoneal fluid of acute abdomen patients. Forty patients are included in the study of whom thirty patients were the study group and ten were taken as the control group. MDA levels of both groups and the differences between daily MDA levels of each group are compared statistically by using one way ANOVA, student t test and student Newman Keuls test respectively. RESULTS: There was statistical significant difference between study and control group (p < 0.05). Also there was significant difference between MDA levels of infected, non-infected and control groups (p < 0.01). It was understood that high MDA levels in the study group source from infected group and there was no significant difference between non-infected and control group. CONCLUSIONS: In this study we proved the high MDA levels in the peritoneal fluid of Infected Acute Abdomen patients. This result is meaningful for the diagnose and following of these patients.

[Monitoring parameters of energy metabolism in patients with acute abdomen--possible prognostic factors?]. / Sledování nekterých parametru energetického metabolismu u nemocných s akutními nitrobrisními príhodami--mozný prognostický faktor?

UNLABELLED: The prognosis of patients treated on account of serious surgical abdominal attacks is influenced apart from the severity of the condition also by failure of the energy metabolism. Some disorders of the milieu intérieur are the result of a deficient energy situation, energy failure participates in the development of organ disorders, failure and death. The cellular energy metabolism can be expressed as the so-called "redox-state" which can be assessed directly by estimating the ratio of ketone substances in arterial blood--AKBR--Arterial Ketone Body Ratio. The objective of the study was to test whether assessment of the AKBR index is possible, what is its importance in clinical practice and to compare its validity in particular with the commonly used scorin system APACHE II and MPI. The authors evaluated 24 patients operated on account of obstruction of the large intestine and 8 patients operated on account of peritonitis of intestinal origin. While evaluation by means of the MPI score helped to assess the prognosis, evaluation by the APACHE II score did not contribute to prediction of the development of the disease. Assessment of AKBR was of prognostic value only in patients who died during treatment. CONCLUSION: For practical use it is necessary to improve and simplify biochemical examination and scoring systems and learn how to utilize them better.

Infección de la pared abdominal en el manejo de apendicitis aguda

La infección postoperatoria de la herida quirúrgica en pacientes que presentaron abdomen agudo inflamatorio es alarmante. El objetivo de este trabajo es determinar el índice de infección de la pared abdominal en nuestro Hospital y marcar pautas correctoras para disminuir la morbilidad hospitalaria por esta causa. El presente estudio prospectivo, abarca pacientes ingresados de enero a marzo de 1997 en el Servicio de Cirugía General del Hospital Carlos Andrade Marín con diagnóstico de Abdomen Agudo Inflamatorio. Se determinó tres grupos de estudio de acuerdo al tipo de cirugía: limpia contaminada, contaminada y sucia. Se incluyeron solo los pacientes con histopatológico positivo para enfermedad apendicular y se excluyó a pacientes con patologías adyuvantes y embarazadas. Nuestro trabajo concluyó que el mayor porcentaje de cirugías correspondían a limpias contaminadas 58.7 por ciento y el menor a sucias 11,7 por ciento. El índice de infección fue del 1,5 por ciento, 19,3 por ciento, 28,5 por ciento en estos tres grupos respectivamente. Nuestro estudio demostró la ineficacia de manejar la pared abdominal en forma primaria o diferida para evitar infeciones pues se encontró infección en ambos procesos con un porcentaje mayor en heridas diferidas 8,8 por ciento en cirugía contaminada y 25 por ciento en cirugía sucia y estableció que la única forma de reducir y prevenir la infección de herida es el manejo en la técnica operatoria.

Intraabdominal pressure and gastric intramucosal pH: is there an association?

This study evaluated the potential association between increased intraabdominal pressure (IAP) and abnormally low gastric intramucosal pH (pHi) (/= 20 mmHg and a pHi of

[Sensitivity and specificity of blood amylase, amylase and creatinine clearance ratio and urinary amylase/urinary creatinine ratio in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis]. / Sensibilité et spécificité de l'amylasémie, du rapport des clairances d'amylase et de créatinine et du rapport amylasurie/créatininurie pour le diagnostic des pancréatites aiguës.

The sensitivity and specificity of amylasemia, the ratios of amylase/creatinine clearance and amylasuria/creatininuria were determined in four groups of patients: a control group (n = 43), patients with acute pancreatitis detected on computed tomography (n = 30, 25 cases of alcoholic pancreatitis), patients with an acute surgical abdomen without pancreatitis (n = 25), and patients with renal failure (n = 20). Sensitivity was defined for the acute pancreatitis group and specificity for the other groups. When amylasemia was greater than 20 UI/dl and the amylasuria/creatininuria ratio greater than 100, sensitivity was 98 per cent. The specificity of these two results in patients with an acute surgical abdomen was 98 per cent. When the ratio amylase/creatinine clearance ratio was greater than 4 sensitivity was 73 per cent and specificity in patients with acute surgical abdomen was 75 per cent. These two values were lower than those of the two preceding tests (p less than 0.01). Sensitivity of the association of an amylasemia greater than 13 UI/dl (m + 2SD) with a clearance ratio greater than 4 was 73 per cent. The amylase/creatinine clearance ratio did not seem to be reliable since its change was delayed with respect to the increase of amylasemia and amylasuria. This ratio has a poor specificity as it increased when the clearance of creatinine decreased in the group with an acute surgical abdomen associated with functional or organic renal failure. In these two groups, the correlation between the amylase/creatinine clearance ratio and creatininemia was significant. This suggested that the clearance of creatinine fell more rapidly than the clearance of amylase as renal failure increased.

Amylase isoenzymes in the acute abdomen: an adjunct in those patients with elevated total amylase.

The role of routine isoamylase determinations in differentiating acute pancreatitis from other causes of an acute abdomen with hyperamylasemia and/or hyperamylasuria was evaluated. Values were analyzed from a control group of 21 patients with acute pancreatitis (group I) and from 100 consecutive patients diagnosed in our emergency department as having an acute abdomen (group II). In group I, 100% of patients had hyperamylasemia, hyperamylasuria, and a P isoamylase fraction greater than 0.75 of the total amylase value. In group II, 50% of patients had hyperamylasemia and/or hyperamylasuria. Of these patients, 44% had a P isoamylase fraction less than 0.75 of the total amylase value, a finding apparently incompatible with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis as identified by our control group. We conclude that routine isoamylase determinations in patients with an acute abdomen and hyperamylasemia and/or hyperamylasuria allows the differentiation from acute pancreatitis in 44% of cases.

Muscle and plasma amino acids following injury. Influence of intercurrent infection.

The present study was undertaken to determine intracellular amino acid patterns in patients with multiple trauma, whether or not complicated by sepsis and during convalescence. A percutaneous muscle biopsy was performed three to four days following major accidental injury in ten patients and analyzed for muscle free amino acids. Venous blood was drawn at the time of the biopsy and analyzed for plasma free amino acids. Five patients developed sepsis and a repeat biopsy was performed on days 8 to 11. In five of the patients a biopsy was performed during the late convalescent period (anabolic phase). A marked depletion of nonessential amino acids in muscle occurred in both injury and sepsis due to a decrease (50%) in glutamine, which was equally marked in both states. The essential amino acids in muscle increased in injury. During sepsis, a further increase was observed with a return toward normal in the convalescent period. In injury, the most marked rise was in the branched-chain amino acids, phenylalanine, tryosine and methionine. With sepsis, a further rise in muscle branched-chain amino acids, phenylalanine and tryosine occurred, while plasma levels remain unchanged. During convalescence, muscle glutamine, arginine, histidine and plasma branched-chain amino acids were below normal, whereas muscle phenylalanine and methionine were elevated. The muscle free amino acid pattern observed after major trauma was essentially the same as earlier described following elective operation. This suggests a common response of intracellular amino acids irrespective of the degree of injury, and may indicate that the pump settings which regulate amino acid transport follow the "all or none" rule. The high intracellular levels of branched-chain amino acids in sepsis suggest that the energy deficit of this state is due to an impairment of substrate use rather than intracellular availability. The high concentrations of the aromatic amino acids and methionine may be due to altered liver function. During the late convalescent period (anabolic phase) the low levels of certain key amino acids suggests inadequate nutrition. The difficulties in nourishing the injured or septic patient are well recognized. The period following these catabolic states may be an important period for the application of an optimal, aggressive nutritional regimen.

[Kanamycin sulfate pharmacokinetics in the lymph and blood in complicated acute inflammatory diseases of the abdominal cavity organs]. / Farmakokinetika kanamitsina sul'fata v limfe i krovi pri oslozhnennykh ostrykh vospalitel'nykh zabolevaniiakh organov briushnoi polosti.

Pharmacokinetics of kanamycin sulfate in the lymph, blood and urine of 12 patients with acute inflammatory diseases of the organs of the abdominal cavity was studied. The study showed that kanamycin sulfate administered intramuscularly was rapidly absorbed into the lymph and blood reaching the maximum levels within 2 hours of the administration. The therapeutic levels were preserved for at least 8 hours. The concentration of kanamycin in pure lymph by the method of lymphosorption was 20 per cent lower which was connected with the drug adsorption by the sorbents.

[Ampicillin pharmacokinetics in the lymph and blood in acute inflammatory diseases of the abdominal cavity organs]. / Farmakokinetika ampitsillina v limfe i krovi pri ostrykh vospalitel'nykh zabolevaniiakh organov briushnoi polosti.

Ampicillin levels in the lymph, blood and urine were studied in 15 patients with various inflammatory diseases of the organs of the abdominal cavity. It was found that ampicillin administered intramuscularly to such patients at early postoperative periods was well absorbed not only to the blood but also to the lymph, reaching in parallel its maximum levels in an hour. After that the drug concentration in the lymph persisted for 6 hours and markedly exceeded that in the blood. Adsorption of the lymph lowered the antibiotic concentration in it to 25 per cent indicating the necessity for increasing the drug therapeutic doses.