Negative Laparotomy Rate Research Articles

Pattern of abdominal injuries, organ involved and rate of negative laprotomy in tertiary care hospital

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the pattern of abdominal injuries the value of the surgery in assisting diagnosis, laparotomy and mortality rate. Methods: Out of 1923 total trauma patients 886 individuals were included in the study from a tertiary care hospital. Demographic , trauma-related traits, laparotomies with their indications, etiology and the organs affected were all collected. With SPSS 23 were used to evaluate data Results: The mean age patients were 27.05 years mostly male. Mortality and negative laparotomy rate were 5.9 and 15.4 percent respectively. Blunt injures were more than penetrating .Spleen was the frequent organ damage. Conclusion: Blunt trauma with spleen mostly involved organ. Mortality and negative laparotmy rate are comparable to other studies

Diagnostic accuracy of low dose CT-Scan abdomen in patients with clinical features of acute appendicitis.

Acute appendicitis is one of the commonest causes of acute abdominal pain presenting to emergency department (ED) and Computerized Tomography scan (CT) is considered gold standard for its diagnosis. Internationally Low Dose Computerized Tomography scan (LDCT) in emergency department is recommended as a beneficial tool to diagnose acute appendicitis with less exposure to radiation and reduction in the rate of negative laparotomy. Local trials are needed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of LDCT as the first line imaging test for acute appendicitis. Our objective was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of LDCT as the first line imaging test for acute appendicitis. An observational study was conducted over a sample of 147 patients presented with suspected acute appendicitis to the emergency department of Ziauddin University Hospital, Karachi from November 2018 till May 2019. Non-probability consecutive technique used. Aged ≥ 16 years presented in emergency department with the history (symptoms) and physical examination (Signs) suspecting acute appendicitis were included. Patients with contraindications to CT scan e.g. pregnant women. Patients with signs of Acute Peritonitis requiring immediate surgery. CT scan refused by the patient or patient's attendant were excluded. Histopathology was the gold standard in diagnosing acute appendicitis. The data was analyzed using open epi sample size calculator. One hundred forty six patients had positive findings on LDCT for acute appendicitis (99.3%) whereas only one patient had negative findings (0.7%). The sensitivity and specificity of LDCT for the detection of acute appendicitis were estimated as 96.45% and 16.67% by taking histopathology as gold standard. Negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) were estimated as 16.67% and 96.45% respectively. The overall accuracy of LDCT was 93.88%. Our study showed that for diagnosing acute appendicitis, LDCT is harmless, fast and economical imaging modality and has diagnostic accuracy with decrease in radiation dose.

Pattern and Outcome of Abdominal Injury Management in Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Abdominal injury is one of the major causes of trauma admissions. Evidence based information about causes of trauma related deaths is relevant for health policy making about prevention and control. The aim of the study was to identify the mechanism of trauma, commonly injured organs, patterns and outcome of abdominal trauma in Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College. Method: ALongitudinal study design was conducted from April 2022 to May 2023 G.C Results: During the study, 42 patients were observed, with males comprising 83.3%. Most patients fell within the 20-29 age groups. Penetrating trauma was the most common mechanism (54.8%), with stabs (38.1%), RTAs (31.0%), and gunshots (14.3%) leading the causes. Negative laparotomy rate was 4.8%. Laparotomy was performed in 88.1% of cases, with the small bowel (33.3%) being the most commonly injured organ. Postoperative complication rate was 21.6%, mainly surgical site infections (10.8%). Complication rate was higher in penetrating injuries (62.5%) compared to blunt trauma (37.5%). Mortality rate for abdominal injury was 4.78%. Conclusion: Abdominal trauma predominantly impacts younger males. Stab wounds and road traffic accidents (RTAs) are the primary causes, emphasizing the importance of public awareness for preventing RTAs and similar injuries.

Penetrating abdominal stab and gunshot injuries: 10-year experience of a secondary public hospital located in a suburban area with solo surgeons.

Trauma care systems are life-saving significant implementations of a country's healthcare systems. Trauma care requires well-established trauma settings and organizations with experienced trauma teams including experienced emergency medicine, surgery and anesthesiology staff. This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of penetrating abdominal injuries treated by solo surgeons in a suburban area. Medical records of the patients who were admitted to the emergency department with penetrating abdominal injuries between January 2012 and December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were evaluated based on their injury sites and treatment approaches. In total, 110 patients with anterior abdominal penetrating injuries were enrolled in the study; 83 (75.4%) were stabbed and 27 (24.6%) had gunshot wounds. According to the injury site, there were 90 (81.8%) anterior; 11 (11%) right thoracoabdominal and 9 (7.2%) left thoracoabdominal injuries. Fifty-one (61.4%) stab wounds were treated with immediate laparotomy and 21 (41.1%) of these operations resulted in negative or nontherapeutic laparotomy. Also, 32 (38.6%) stab wounds were managed nonoperatively; three (9.3%) failed conservative management and received delayed laparotomy. All gunshot wounds were treated with immediate laparotomy and 14.8% resulted in either negative or nontherapeutic laparotomy. On-call surgeons were found to be more prone to perform immediate laparotomy on weekends when they were on call for 48 or 72 hours. Being a solo surgeon may increase negative laparotomy rates of penetrating abdominal injuries. This high percentage (41.1%) of negative laparotomy rates can be reduced by establishing well-organized trauma teams.

The Roles of USG and NCCT in the Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis: A Study in a Tertiary Care Center in North Eastern India.

Acute appendicitis is a common cause of hospital admission and emergency laparotomy among children and young adults. Although the diagnosis is clinical, the use of radiological imaging has emerged over the past decades. Its principal use is as a problem-solving tool in equivocal cases. Owing to the increased use of imaging in the last few years, the negative appendicectomy rate has dropped significantly. In this prospective observational study, we compared the diagnostic accuracy of Ultrasonography and Non-Contrast Computed Tomography. One hundred and eighteen patients with clinically suspected appendicitis followed a designed protocol. Patients underwent appendicectomy after a first performed positive ultrasonography or after a positive Non-Contrast Computed Tomography when Ultrasonography was equivocal or nonspecific. When any other diagnosis was apparent in either imaging modality which could explain the symptomatology in the patient, they were considered negative for acute appendicitis and treated accordingly. The respective sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for Ultrasonography, Non-Contrast Computed Tomography, and the whole diagnostic pathway for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis were 70.73%,80.83%, and 78.54; 100%,100%,100%, and 83.6%; and 100%,83.33% and 94.92%. Using Ultrasonography as the first-line diagnostic tool and Non-Contrast Computed Tomography as a complementary second-line diagnostic tool, appendicitis can be diagnosed with high accuracy and the negative laparotomy rate can be brought down significantly without any increase in the risk of complications. Computed Tomography is superior to Ultrasonography for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Pandemi Sırasında Çocuklarda Negatif Laparotomi Oranlarının Değerlendirilmesi

Background/Aims: Emergency service referrals frequently depend on non-urgent problems which are easy to solve without emergency services. Emergency services should be used effectively to raise service quality, patient and personnel satisfaction. Approximately %30 of emergency service referrals are pediatric patients. Covid-19 pandemia affecting the whole world, caused a decrease in non-covid patient emergency service referral numbers, consequently medically non-emergent patient numbers decreased too. Although the number of patients with a prediagnosis of acute appendicitis did not decrease during the pandemic, negative laparotomy rates decreased due to the effective use of emergency services.
 
 Material and Method: In this study we compared patients with prediagnosis of acute appendicitis and undergone appendectomy in our pediatric emergency service between 1 March-1 September 2019 and 1 March-1 September 2020. Patient records were evaluated retrospectively. Histopathological diagnoses were accepted as the gold standard.
 Result: Decreasing referrals of medically non-emergent patients to emergency services during pandemic led to improvement in service quality, so negative laparotomy rates declined. Looking at the literature, negative laparatomy rates of pediatric patients with the pre-diagnosis of acute appendicitis are 8-30%. In the 6-month period in 2019 negative laparotomy rate of our clinic found as 11.2%. When we examine the 6-month data of 2020 during pandemic we noticed that this rate declined to 2.8%. There was also a statistically significant difference between 2019 and 2020 in terms of the length of stay in the hospital.
 Conclusions: Because of the decrease in referral numbers of medically non-emergent patients to emergency services during pandemic, much more qualified and scientific service was provided. Community education considering emergency service referral indications could reduce workload density and enhance service quality of emergency services.

Negative laparotomy rates and outcomes following blunt traumatic injury in the United States

IntroductionExploratory laparotomy remains the mainstay of treatment following blunt abdominal trauma. However, the decision to operate can be difficult in hemodynamically stable patients with unreliable physical exams or equivocal imaging findings. The risk of a negative laparotomy and the subsequent complications must be weighed against the potential morbidity and mortality of a missed abdominal injury. Our study aims to evaluate trends and the effect of negative laparotomies on morbidity and mortality in adults with blunt traumatic injuries in the United States. MethodsWe reviewed the National Trauma Data Bank (2007–2019) for adults with blunt traumatic injuries who underwent an exploratory laparotomy. Positive or negative laparotomy of abdominal injury was compared. We performed bivariate analysis and a modified Poisson regression to estimate the effect of negative laparotomy on mortality. A sub-analysis of patients who underwent computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis was performed. Results92,800 patients met the inclusion criteria of the primary analysis. Negative laparotomy rates were 12.0% in this population, down-trending throughout the study. Negative laparotomy patients had a significantly higher crude mortality (31.1% vs. 20.5%, p < 0.001), despite lower injury severity scores (20 (10–29) vs. 25 (16–35), p < 0.001) than positive laparotomy patients. Patients that underwent negative laparotomy had a 33% higher risk for mortality (RR1.33, 95% CI 1.28–1.37, P < 0.001) than positive laparotomy patients after adjusting for pertinent covariates. Patients that underwent CT abdomen/pelvis imaging (n = 45,654) had a lower rate of negative laparotomy (11.1%) and decreased difference in crude mortality (22.6% vs. 14.1%, p < 0.001) compared to positive laparotomy patients. However, the relative risk for mortality remained high at 37% (RR 1.37, 95% CI 1.29 – 1.46, p < 0.001) for this sub-cohort. ConclusionNegative laparotomy rates in adults with blunt traumatic injuries are trending down in the United States but remains substantial and may show improvement with increased use of diagnostic imaging. Negative laparotomy has a relative risk for mortality of 33% despite lower injury severity. Thus, surgical exploration in this population should be thoughtfully undertaken with appropriate evaluation via physical exam and diagnostic imaging to prevent unnecessary morbidity and mortality.

Pattern of Presentation and Outcome of Adult Patients with Abdominal Trauma - A 7-Year Retrospective Study in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital.

Abdominal trauma is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries. There is a paucity of trauma data in this region and this study aimed to show the pattern of presentation and outcome of patients with abdominal trauma at a North-Central Nigerian Teaching Hospital. This was a retrospective, observational study of patients with abdominal trauma who presented at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital from January 2013 to December 2019. Patients with clinical and/or radiological evidence of abdominal trauma were identified, and data extracted and analyzed. A total of 87 patients were included in the study. There were 73 males and 14 females (5.2:1) with a mean age of 34.2 years. Blunt abdominal injury occurred in 53 (61%) patients with 10 patients (11%) having concomitant extra-abdominal injuries. A total of 105 abdominal organ injuries occurred in 87 patients with the small bowel being the most frequently injured organ in penetrating trauma, while in blunt abdominal injury, the spleen was most commonly injured. A total of 70 patients (80.5%) had emergency abdominal surgery with a morbidity rate of 38.6% and negative laparotomy rate of 2.9%. There were 15 deaths in the period accounting for 17% of patients with sepsis as the most common cause of death (66%). Shock at presentation, late presentation >12 h, need for perioperative intensive care unit admission, and repeat surgery were associated with a higher risk of mortality (P < 0.05). Abdominal trauma in this setting is associated with a significant amount of morbidity and mortality. Typical patients present late and with poor physiologic parameters often resulting in an undesirable outcome. There should be steps targeted at preventive policies focused on reducing the incidence of road traffic crashes, terrorism, and violent crimes as well as improving health care infrastructure to cater to this specific group of patients.

Overview of stab injuries in Far North Queensland: A new insight into the demographics, injury patterns and management

BackgroundCairns Hospital is the northernmost tertiary referral hospital in Far North Queensland (FNQ) and manages trauma from a large catchment area. A large burden of stab injuries occurs in at-risk patient groups, such as Indigenous and mental health patients, in this region. This research aims to present an overview of the demographics, injury patterns, management and outcomes for stabbings injuries in FNQ. MethodsA five-year retrospective single-centre study of all patients treated for neck, torso or junctional stab wounds in Far North Queensland was performed searching for all patients with a coded diagnosis of stabbing or knife injury from 1 March 2016 to 31 March 2021. Results214 knife injuries were identified and 50.5% of those injured identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Stabbing injury locations were most commonly the abdomen/flank/pelvis (n = 81) and the chest/thorax (n = 77). Two-thirds of injuries that breached abdominal fascia had concurrent intra-abdominal injury. Hollow viscus injury commonly involved the small bowel (n = 8), colon (n = 5) and stomach (n = 2), whilst the liver was the most frequently injured solid organ (n = 6). There were 19 vascular injuries, excluding the extremities. 89.2% received diagnostic imaging in the emergency department. FAST scan had 76% sensitivity and 100% specificity for intra-abdominal injury at operation. Overall, 35% of patients required an operation. There were only two in-hospital deaths. ConclusionStab injuries annually in FNQ are comparable to other centres in Australia. Overall injury severity was low, with excellent survival rates and outcomes for patients who reached hospital. Operative intervention rates for abdominal stab wounds were low in FNQ compared to available data and imaging again appears protective against negative laparotomy rate.

Application of alvarado scoring system in diagnosis of acute appendicitis

Acute appendicitis is a common cause of abdominal pain and can be difficult to diagnose, especially during the early stages. There is still appreciable morbidity and occasionally mortality which may be related to the failure of making an early diagnosis (1) As a result of their concern these surgeons create for themselves 'a surgical security zone which allows them to accept a 15-30% negative laparotomy rate with impunity (2), Although various aids exist to facilitate more accurate diagnosis and reduce the rate of negative appendectomy, many are complex. Whereas simple scoring systems have been available for some time, they have not been widely tested. The aim of this study was conducted to assess one of these scoring systems which were described by Alvarado in 19851(1), by comparing it to the histopathology results of operated patients. This retrospective study of consecutive patients admitted to the surgical ward at Benghazi Aljala hospital with suspicion of having acute appendicitis during the period of January 2008 to January 2010. The Alvarado scoring system was computed from admission notes and records correlated with histopathology, all cases with insufficient data or no histopathology result were excluded from the study Out of 153 patients, 90 underwent appendectomy with the intention to treat appendicitis and diagnosis was confirmed in 80 patients. The reliability of the system was assessed by calculating the negative appendectomy rate and positive predictive value which was 85%, and the normal appendectomy frequency was 12%. Alvarado scoring system is an easy, cheap, and useful tool in the preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis and can work effectively in routine practice.

The presentation and the outcome of penetrating abdominal bullet injuries – Iraqi hospital based study

Background: In Iraq penetrating injuries to the abdomen caused by firearm are more common than stab wounds with remarkable mortality and morbidity. Early recognition of the injuries and immediate treatment are mandatory in saving the lives of many of those patients. Objective: To review the presentation and evaluate the early post-operative morbidity and mortality of abdominal bullet injuries in Baghdad teaching hospital. Patients and Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 132 patients admitted to second surgical unit in Baghdad teaching hospital after sustaining bullet injury to the abdomen during the time period of one year from October 2013 to September 2014. Results: The most vulnerable age group involved, between 21-30 years comprised 71.2% of total. Male to female ratio was 43:1(male comprised 97.73%). It was observed that the majority of the injured patients were military personnel (83%), associated with high velocity missiles (81%). It was seen that 96.6% of patients had positive findings during laparotomy; small intestine was involved in the majority of the patients 42.6% followed by large intestine in 35.65%, then liver in 20.86%. Majority of the patients had involvement of two organs (42%), followed by one organ in (28%). The major postoperative complications were wound infection (28.6%), followed by chest infection in (24.4%). The major cause of death was septicaemia in 80%. Conclusion: Explorative laparotomy continues to be the most accurate method used to diagnose the presence of penetrating intra-abdominal injuries with a negative laparotomy rate of 3.4%. The mortality rate tended to be related to the number of intra-abdominal organs injuries; high rates of surgical site and chest infections were found and septicaemia was the chief cause of death after 48 hours. Hospital stays in our study were prolonged in comparison to other developed countries.

The presentation and the outcome of penetrating abdominal bullet injuries – Iraqi hospital based study

Background: In Iraq penetrating injuries to the abdomen caused by firearm are more common than stab wounds with remarkable mortality and morbidity. Early recognition of the injuries and immediate treatment are mandatory in saving the lives of many of those patients.&#x0D; Objective: To review the presentation and evaluate the early post-operative morbidity and mortality of abdominal bullet injuries in Baghdad teaching hospital.&#x0D; Patients and Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 132 patients admitted to second surgical unit in Baghdad teaching hospital after sustaining bullet injury to the abdomen during the time period of one year from October 2013 to September 2014.&#x0D; Results: The most vulnerable age group involved, between 21-30 years comprised 71.2% of total. Male to female ratio was 43:1(male comprised 97.73%). It was observed that the majority of the injured patients were military personnel (83%), associated with high velocity missiles (81%). It was seen that 96.6% of patients had positive findings during laparotomy; small intestine was involved in the majority of the patients 42.6% followed by large intestine in 35.65%, then liver in 20.86%. Majority of the patients had involvement of two organs (42%), followed by one organ in (28%). The major postoperative complications were wound infection (28.6%), followed by chest infection in (24.4%). The major cause of death was septicaemia in 80%. &#x0D; Conclusion: Explorative laparotomy continues to be the most accurate method used to diagnose the presence of penetrating intra-abdominal injuries with a negative laparotomy rate of 3.4%. The mortality rate tended to be related to the number of intra-abdominal organs injuries; high rates of surgical site and chest infections were found and septicaemia was the chief cause of death after 48 hours. Hospital stays in our study were prolonged in comparison to other developed countries.

Percutaneous Cholecystocholangiography-A Tool to Conclusively Exclude Biliary Atresia.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and diagnostic accuracy of percutaneous cholecystocholangiography (PCC) in cases of conjugated hyperbilirubinemia in which biliary atresia (BA) could not be diagnosed or ruled out based on clinical, radiological, and histopathological findings. This was a retrospective, chart review of all cholestatic infants who underwent PCC within the last 5 y. PCC was performed via the transhepatic route using 23-g needle. The patency of both the proximal and distal biliary trees was assessed. PCC was technically feasible in 12/13 (92.3%) of infants without any procedure-related complications. PCC demonstrated proximal and distal biliary patencyin 7/12 (58.3%) infants, thereby avoiding unnecessary laparotomy in them. PCC failed to demonstrate biliary patency in 5 infants; of which, 4 were confirmed as cases of BA on laparotomy. PCC can correctly differentiate BA from non-BA cases of conjugated hyperbilirubinemia preoperatively, reducing the negative laparotomy rates.

A characterization of trauma laparotomies in a scandinavian setting: an observational study

BackgroundDespite treatment advances, trauma laparotomy continuous to be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Most of the literature originates from high volume centers, whereas patient characteristics and outcomes in a Scandinavian setting is not well described. The objective of this study is to characterize treatments and outcomes of patients undergoing trauma laparotomy in a Scandinavian setting and compare this to international reports.MethodsA retrospective study was performed in the Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet (CUHR). All patients undergoing a trauma laparotomy within the first 24 h of admission between January 1st 2019 and December 31st 2020 were included. Collected data included demographics, trauma mechanism, injuries, procedures performed and outcomes.ResultsA total of 1713 trauma patients were admitted to CUHR of which 98 patients underwent trauma laparotomy. Penetrating trauma accounted for 16.6% of the trauma population and 66.3% of trauma laparotomies. Median time to surgery after arrival at the trauma center (TC) was 12 min for surgeries performed in the Emergency Department (ED) and 103 min for surgeries performed in the operating room (OR). A total of 14.3% of the procedures were performed in the ED. A damage control strategy (DCS) approach was chosen in 18.4% of cases. Our rate of negative laparotomies was 17.3%. We found a mortality rate of 8.2%. The total median length of stay was 6.1 days.ConclusionThe overall rates, findings, and outcomes of trauma laparotomies in this Danish cohort is comparable to reports from similar Western European trauma systems.

Case controlled study on diagnostic predictive value of inflammatory markers of complete blood count in pregnant women with acute appendicitis

The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the diagnostic ability of platelet-related parameters and white cell-based parameters in pregnant women with appendicitis. This is a retrospective case-controlled study. Women aged between 18 and 50-years-old who had undergone appendectomy between January 2010 and January 2021 were enrolled in the study. Age, pathological diagnosis and relevant laboratory parameters were recorded for each patient. Gestational characteristics were recorded for pregnant patients. There were 58 pregnant and 1171 non-pregnant women enrolled. Pregnant women with acute appendicitis were significantly younger (p < .0001, d= −0.532), had significantly lower PLT (p = .002, d= −0.428) and ALC (p = .033, d= −.304) levels but had significantly higher MPV (p = .004, d = .415) levels than non-pregnant counterparts. In pregnant women, only MPV was the independent predictor of acute appendicitis (OR: 1,952). MPV cut-off value of 9,6 fL provided 63,5% sensitivity, 67,7% specificity, 94,2% PPV and 17,3% NPV whereas 10 fL provided 55,8% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% PPV and 21,4% NPV for acute appendicitis in pregnant women. Therefore, MPV might be useful for diagnosing acute appendicitis in pregnant women. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? In pregnant women, counts and percentages of white blood cells and neutrophils are known to be independent predictors of acute appendicitis. Meanwhile, physiologic leukocytosis of gestation is a challenge for interpretation of these parameters. Platelets and related markers are, as well, predictive for inflammatory processes in the human body. What do the results of this study add? The role of platelet-related markers in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in pregnant women has not been studied previously. The results of the present study indicate that in pregnant women, changes in mean platelet volume might be an independent predictor of acute appendicitis. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Further similar large-scale case-controlled or cohort studies are required to validate the present results. In pregnant women with abdominal pain, the use of mean platelet volume as a biomarker could reduce negative laparotomy rates. A mean platelet volume is a useful tool for diagnosing acute appendicitis in pregnant women and provides helpful guidance for clinicians dealing with these patients in the emergency room.

Diagnostic Laparoscopy for Abdominal Trauma in Infants and Children: How We Do It.

Although once thought to be a point of contention, the use of minimally invasive surgery for the hemodynamically stable pediatric trauma patients has grown dramatically since its conception in the 1970s and becoming a widely acceptable option for select patient populations. An accumulation of literature over the decades has continued to support laparoscopy for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in the pediatric trauma patients as laparoscopy is likely to decrease morbidity, hospital cost, and negative laparotomy rates. In this review, we describe what we believe to be the critical aspects of diagnostic laparoscopy in the setting of pediatric trauma.

English

BACKGROUND Intestinal obstruction can be defined as the partial or complete blockage of either the small intestine or large intestine or both, causing failure of intestinal contents to pass beyond the point of obstruction. Subacute intestinal obstruction implies incomplete obstruction. It is characterized by continuous passage of flatus and /or feces beyond 6 -12 hours of the onset of symptoms. We wanted to study the conservative management of subacute intestinal obstruction and its outcome. METHODS Data was collected from patients presenting to outpatient Department of General Surgery, SVRRGGH, Tirupati and emergency with the features of subacute intestinal obstruction during the period of March 2019 to April 2020 were included in the study. RESULTS The incidence is high in patients of age group 41-50 years with Male: Female ratio is 2.1:1. The most common presenting symptom is pain abdomen (92 %), followed by vomiting (84 %). In our study, exaggerated bowel sounds (60 %) are the most common physical finding. The most common cause of obstruction is Postoperative adhesions (36 %), followed by obstructed hernias (22 %). Out of 50 cases, 72 % of cases were managed successfully by conservative management. In the patients who were managed conservatively, most of them are due to postoperative adhesions. In the patients who underwent emergency surgical intervention, 50 % of cases operated on the 2nd day of admission. Most commonly done Surgery include Adhesiolysis (28.6 %), Herniorrhaphy (28.6 %) and Resection and anastomosis (21.5 %). CONCLUSIONS Our study showed that conservative management is successful in about 72 % of patients with subacute intestinal obstruction. Not all the patients attending the emergency ward with features of intestinal obstruction need emergency surgical intervention. Conservative management can be tried in selective cases in patients with SAIO, thereby reducing the rate of negative laparotomies and morbidity and mortality. KEYWORDS Sub-Acute, Intestinal, Obstruction Conservative, Outcome

Evaluation of diagnostic laparoscopy for penetrating abdominal injuries: About 131 anterior abdominal stab wound.

The management of hemodynamically stable patients with anterior abdominal stab wounds (AASW) is debated. Mini-invasive techniques using laparoscopy and non-operative management (NOM) have reduced the rate of nontherapeutic laparotomies after AASW leading to unnecessary morbidity. The aim of this study was to determine with a systematic diagnostic laparoscopy of peritoneal penetration (PP), patients who do not require abdominal exploration in the management of stable patient with an AASW. All patients with AASW were retrospectively recorded from 2006 to 2018. Criteria of inclusion were AASW patients who underwent a systematic diagnostic laparoscopy. Criteria of exclusion were patients with an evisceration, impaling, clinical peritonitis, and hemodynamic instability. If no PP was detected, laparoscopy was terminated. If defects of peritoneum were found, a laparotomy was performed looking for diagnosis and treatment of intra-abdominal injuries. On 131 AASW patients, 35 underwent immediate emergency laparotomy, 96 underwent diagnostic laparoscopy, 47 were positive (PP) and had an intra-abdominal exploration by laparotomy, 32 (68.1%) had intra-abdominal injuries which required treatment. All patients with an intra-abdominal injury had a positive diagnostic laparoscopy. For the 49 patients with a negative laparoscopy, the mean hospital stay was 1.6days with ambulatory care for some patients. No patient presented a delayed injury. Non-therapeutic laparotomy rate was 15.6%. For patients who did not have an intra-abdominal injury the morbidity rate was low (3%). Our study shows that diagnostic laparoscopy was safe, with a low duration of hospitalization, a possible ambulatory care and had an excellent ability to screen the patients who did not need a abdominal exploration. This management can avoid many unnecessary laparotomies with an acceptable rate of negative laparotomy, without any delayed diagnosis of intra-abdominal injuries and with a low morbidity rate.

Radiographic pneumoperitoneum following abdominal stab wound is not an absolute indication for mandatory laparotomy – A South African experience

IntroductionPneumoperitoneum on chest radiograph (CXR) following abdominal stab wounds (SW) is generally considered as surrogate evidence of viscus perforation and an absolute indication for laparotomy. The exact yield of this radiographic finding is unknown. Materials and methodsA retrospective study was conducted on all patients who presented with abdominal SW with no peritoneal signs but had pneumoperitoneum alone who underwent mandatory laparotomy from December 2012 to October 2020 at a major trauma centre in South Africa. ResultsDuring the 8-year study period, 55 patients were included (91% male, mean age: 24 years). Laparotomy was positive in 67% (37/55). Of the 37 positive laparotomies, 28 (76%) were considered therapeutic and the remaining 9 (24%) were nontherapeutic. The negative laparotomy rate was 33%. A total of 52 organ injuries were identified at laparotomy in the 37 positive laparotomies. Twenty-five per cent (14/55) of patients experienced complications. The complication rate of the subgroup of 18 patients who had a negative laparotomy was 33% (6/18). Two per cent (1/55) of all 55 patients required intensive care admission. The mean length of hospital stay was 6 days. There were no mortalities in this cohort. ConclusionsPneumoperitoneum alone in patients with no peritoneal signs on initial assessment following abdominal SW cannot be considered an absolute indication for operative exploration. Up to one third of patients have no intra-abdominal injuries. This specific subgroup of patients can potentially be managed by a selective non-operative management approach.

COMPARİSON OF ALVARADO AND RIPASA SCORES İN PATİENTS WİTH ACUTE APPENDİCİTİS

Objective: Acute appendicitis management delays results in perforation and increases the morbidity and mortality. Studies have reported a 20% perforation rate, and 2-30% negative laparotomy whose diagnoses are made by symptoms and physical examination. By using anamnesis, clinical signs-symptoms and inflammatory parameters to reduce the diagnosis time, complications, and morbidity-mortality of AA, various scoring methods have been developed. The first scoring system defined for this purpose is Alvarado scoring system. The RIPASA scoring system was developed for patients in Asia. In this study, we aimed to determine which scoring is more suitable for our population by comparing Alvarado and RIPASA scoring methods in patients who underwent an appendectomy. Method: The Alvarado and RIPASA scores of each patient were calculated by the scoring system parameters after the 182 patient files were analyzed retrospectively. At cut-off value of 7.5 for RIPASA score and 7 for Alvarado score, patients were divided into high and low-risk groups. The positive predictive value, negative predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated and the two scoring systems' effectivity were compared with Chi-square and area under curve analysis. Results: According to the histological examination 42(23%) patients were not considered as acute appendicitis. RIPASA scoring systems high-risk group classification was better by predicting the acute appendicitis patients (p = 0.001, p <0.05). The area under the curve for RIPASA score calculated as 0.738 and this is statistically significant (p = 0.001; p <0.05). The result was better then the Alvarado AUC score (0,633). Alvarado scoring systems' negative predictive value was higher than the RIPASA score, respectively (58,14%, 32.56%). Conclusions: It is beneficial to use the RIPASA scoring system for patients in our region to reduce the rate of negative laparotomy and unnecessary surgical procedures in patients admitted to emergency services with the suspicion of acute appendicitis.