Postoperative Intra-abdominal Infection Research Articles

Feasibility of Narrow-Spectrum Antimicrobial Agents for Post-Operative Intra-Abdominal Infections After Gastrectomy.

Introduction: Recently, antimicrobial resistance has received considerable attention. Broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents are recommended as the initial therapy for post-operative intra-abdominal infections. However, at our institution, we have adopted a tactic of initially treating post-operative intra-abdominal complications with relatively narrow-spectrum antimicrobial agents, such as second-generation cephalosporins. In the present study, we aimed to retrospectively analyze the use of antimicrobial agents and the resulting treatment outcomes in patients with intra-abdominal complications after gastrectomy at our facility. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of patients treated with antibiotic agents for intra-abdominal infectious complications after gastrectomy between 2011 and 2021. We determined the proportion of "initial treatment failures" associated with the initial administration of antibiotic agents for post-operative intra-abdominal complications. Results: Post-operative intra-abdominal infections were observed in 29 patients. Broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents were not administered. We successfully treated 19 patients. Initial treatment failure was observed in 10 patients, of whom five experienced failure due to bacterial resistance to the initial antimicrobial agent. All 10 patients who experienced initial treatment failure were discharged after drainage procedures or other treatments. There were no deaths due to post-operative complications. Cefmetazole was used as the initial antimicrobial agent in 27 of the 29 patients. Conclusions: Considering that all patients with post-gastrectomy intra-abdominal infections were successfully treated using relatively narrow-spectrum antimicrobial agents, and initial treatment failure due to antimicrobial-resistant pathogens was 17.2%, the use of narrow-range antimicrobial agents for intra-abdominal infections after gastrectomy can be deemed appropriate.

Feasibility of Narrow-Spectrum Antimicrobial Agents for Post-Operative Intra-Abdominal Infections After Gastrectomy.

Introduction: Recently, antimicrobial resistance has received considerable attention. Broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents are recommended as the initial therapy for post-operative intra-abdominal infections. However, at our institution, we have adopted a tactic of initially treating post-operative intra-abdominal complications with relatively narrow-spectrum antimicrobial agents, such as second-generation cephalosporins. In the present study, we aimed to retrospectively analyze the use of antimicrobial agents and the resulting treatment outcomes in patients with intra-abdominal complications after gastrectomy at our facility. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of patients treated with antibiotic agents for intra-abdominal infectious complications after gastrectomy between 2011 and 2021. We determined the proportion of "initial treatment failures" associated with the initial administration of antibiotic agents for post-operative intra-abdominal complications. Results: Post-operative intra-abdominal infections were observed in 29 patients. Broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents were not administered. We successfully treated 19 patients. Initial treatment failure was observed in 10 patients, of whom five experienced failure due to bacterial resistance to the initial antimicrobial agent. All 10 patients who experienced initial treatment failure were discharged after drainage procedures or other treatments. There were no deaths due to post-operative complications. Cefmetazole was used as the initial antimicrobial agent in 27 of the 29 patients. Conclusions: Considering that all patients with post-gastrectomy intra-abdominal infections were successfully treated using relatively narrow-spectrum antimicrobial agents, and initial treatment failure due to antimicrobial-resistant pathogens was 17.2%, the use of narrow-range antimicrobial agents for intra-abdominal infections after gastrectomy can be deemed appropriate.

A predictive model for intraabdominal infection after radical gastrectomy in elderly patients.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths, with a relatively high incidence among the elderly population. Surgical resection is the mainstay treatment for GC and is currently the only cure. However, the incidence of postoperative intraabdominal infections remains high and seriously affects the prognosis. This study aimed to explore the risk factors for intraabdominal infections after radical gastrectomy in elderly patients and to establish and validate a risk prediction model. We collected the clinical data of 322 GC patients, who underwent radical gastrectomy at the General Surgery Department of China Medical University Dandong Central Hospital from January 2016 to January 2023. The patients were divided into an infected group (n = 27) and a noninfected group (n = 295) according to whether intraabdominal infections occurred postoperatively. A nomogram risk prediction model for the occurrence of postoperative intraabdominal infections was developed. All patients were randomized into a training set (n = 225) and a validation set (n = 97) in a 7:3 ratio, and the model was internally validated. Of the 322 patients, 27 (8.3%) experienced postoperative intraabdominal infections. Single-factor analysis revealed associations of intraabdominal infection with body mass index, glucose, hemoglobin, albumin, and other factors. The multifactorial analysis confirmed that body mass index, glucose, hemoglobin, albumin, surgical duration, and bleeding volume were independent risk factors for intraabdominal infections. The nomogram constructed based on these factors demonstrated excellent performance in both the training and validation sets. A nomogram model was developed and validated to predict the risk of intraabdominal infection after radical gastrectomy. The model has a good predictive performance, which could help clinicians prevent the occurrence of intraabdominal infections after radical gastrectomy in elderly patients.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict postsurgical intra-abdominal infection in blunt abdominal trauma patients: A multicenter retrospective study

BackgroundIntra-abdominal infection is a common complication of blunt abdominal trauma. Early detection and intervention can reduce the incidence of intra-abdominal infection and improve patients’ prognoses. This study aims to construct a clinical model predicting postsurgical intra-abdominal infection after blunt abdominal trauma. MethodsThis study is a retrospective analysis of 553 patients with blunt abdominal trauma from the Department of General Surgery of 7 medical centers (2011–2021). A 7:3 ratio was used to assign patients to the derivation and validation cohorts. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on whether intra-abdominal infection occurred after blunt abdominal trauma. Multivariate logistic regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression were used to select variables to establish a nomogram. The nomogram was evaluated, and the validity of the model was further evaluated by the validation cohort. ResultsA total of 113 were diagnosed with intra-abdominal infection (20.4%). Age, prehospital time, C-reactive protein, injury severity score, operation duration, intestinal injury, neutrophils, and antibiotic use were independent risk factors for intra-abdominal infection in blunt abdominal trauma patients (P < .05). The area under the receiver operating curve (area under the curve) of derivation cohort and validation cohort was 0.852 (95% confidence interval, 0.784–0.912) and 0.814 (95% confidence interval, 0.751–0.902). The P value for the Hosmer-Lemeshow test was .135 and .891 in the 2 cohorts. The calibration curve demonstrated that the nomogram had a high consistency between prediction and practical observation. The decision curve analysis also showed that the nomogram had a better potential for clinical application. To facilitate clinical application, we have developed an online at https://nomogramcgz.shinyapps.io/IAIrisk/. ConclusionThe nomogram is helpful in predicting the risk of postoperative intra-abdominal infection in patients with blunt abdominal trauma and provides guidance for clinical decision-making and treatment.

Value of preoperative biliary drainage in pancreatic head cancer patients with severe obstructive jaundice: A multicenter retrospective study.

Pancreatic head cancer accompanied by obstructive jaundice is a common clinical situation. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) on clinical outcomes in patients with severe obstructive jaundice. Patients with a bilirubin level of ≥250 μmol/L at diagnosis who underwent PBD were included. The primary endpoints and secondary endpoints were the postoperative severe complications rates. Secondary endpoints were the degree of improvement in general condition, predictors of severe postoperative complications, and the impact of PBD on patients with bilirubin levels >300 μmol/L. In total, 289 patients were included, and 188 patients (65.1%) underwent PBD. The patients who met the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification II-III stages decreased from 119 to 100 ( P = 0.047) after PBD. The overall severe complications were significantly more frequent in the direct surgery (DS) group than in the PBD group (34.7% vs. 22.9%, P = 0.031), especially the postoperative hemorrhage (6/43 [14.0%] vs. 9/35 [25.7%], P = 0.038) and intra-abdominal infection (6/43 [14.0%] vs. 10/35 [28.6%], P = 0.018). The ASA classifications II-III (odds ratio [OR]=2.89, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.38-4.31), P = 0.01) and DS (OR = 3.65, 95% CI: 1.45-7.08; P = 0.003) were independently associated with severe postoperative complications. The occurrence rate of severe postoperative complications in patients with a bilirubin level >300 μmol/L who underwent PBD was significantly lower than in patients who underwent DS (25.6% vs. 40.6%, P = 0.028), but the benefit of PBD was not observed in patients who had a bilirubin level between 250 and 300 μmol/L. PBD is useful in reducing severe postoperative complications, especially in patients with bilirubin levels >300 μmol/L.

Application of metagenomic sequencing of drainage fluid in rapid and accurate diagnosis of postoperative intra-abdominal infection: a diagnostic study.

Postoperative intra-abdominal infection (PIAI) is one of the most serious complications of abdominal surgery, increasing the risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality and prolonging hospital stay. Rapid diagnosis of PIAI is of great clinical value. Unfortunately, the current diagnostic methods of PIAI are not fast and accurate enough. We performed an exploratory study to establish a rapid and accurate diagnostic method of PIAI. We explored the turnaround time and accuracy of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in diagnosing PIAI. Patients who underwent elective abdominal surgery and routine abdominal drainage with suspected PIAI were enrolled in the study. The fresh midstream abdominal drainage fluid was collected for mNGS and culturing. We found that the median sample-to-answer turnaround time of mNGS was dramatically decreased than that of culture-based methods (less than 24h vs. 59.5 to 111h). The detection coverage of mNGS was much broader than culture-based methods. We found 26 species from 15 genera could only be detected by mNGS. The accuracy of mNGS was not inferior to culture-based methods in the 8 most common pathogens detected from abdominal drainage fluid (sensitivity ranged from 75% to 100%, specificity ranged from 83.3% to 100%, and kappa values were higher than 0.5). Moreover, the composition of the microbial spectrum established by mNGS varied between upper and lower gastrointestinal surgery, enhancing the understanding of PIAI pathogenesis. This study preliminarily revealed the clinical value of mNGS in the rapid diagnosis of PIAI and provided a rationale for further research.

A 42-Year-Old Man With Postoperative Fever After Associating Liver Partition and Portal Vein Ligation for Staged Hepatectomy

&lt;p&gt;肝癌為國人不可忽視的重要健康議題，其治療方式包括手術治療及非手術治療。接受肝臟切除手術常見的併發症有肝衰竭、出血、急性腎損傷、膽汁滲漏及肋膜積液等，若介入治療時機適當，能減少嚴重併發症而降低生命危險，故術後的照護為重要的目標。本個案是一位42歲男性，為B型肝炎帶原，因診斷為巨大肝臟腫瘤接受兩階段肝切除手術，於第二階段術後第13天出現高燒、引流液呈黃褐色液，相關臆測診斷有腹內感染及肋膜積水等，一一排除後，經由腹部超音波及胸部X光檢查，確立有膽汁滲漏及肋膜積液等複雜性併發症，透過給予胸腔穿刺、腹部引流管置放及抗生素治療一週後病情穩定且併發症獲得控制，照護期間為2020年7月11日至2020年8月10日，期望藉此經驗能做為日後照護此類個案之參考。&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hepatocellular carcinoma is undoubtedly a significant health issue. The medical treatments of the dis&amp;shy;ease include operative and non-operative management. The most common complications after hepatic resection are liver failure, hemorrhage, acute kidney injuries, bile leakage, and pleural effusion. How&amp;shy;ever, the possibility of severe complications could be decreased if proper postoperative care is provid&amp;shy;ed. This can, meanwhile, reduce the threats to lives. Thus, careful postoperative care plays a vital role. The case in this study is a forty-two-year-old male hepatitis B carrier. He was diagnosed with giant hepatocellular carcinoma after clinical physical examinations and imaging tests and then received a two-stage hepatectomy. He had a postoperative fever on the thirteenth day after liver resection with brownish-yellow fluid from drainage. Therefore, postoperative intra-abdominal infection with pleural effusion were suspected. After receiving an abdominal ultrasound and chest X-ray, it was confirmed that he had complications of bile leakage and pleural effusion. His condition was well-controlled after a week under the treatment of thoracentesis, abdominal drainage as well as antibiotics. The period of postoperative care was provided from July 11 to August 10, 2020. This case could be a reference for taking care of patients with similar issues.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

Validity of C-Reactive Protein as a Surrogate Marker for Infectious Complications After Surgery for Colorectal Cancer

Abstract Background: This study aimed to establish a threshold of C-reactive protein (CRP) level for early detection of post-operative infectious complications after surgery for colorectal cancer. Patients and Methods: In this single-center, retrospective analysis, we studied the data of 178 patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer between January 2018 and February 2022. Elective surgery with curative intent was performed, and serum CRP levels were measured on five consecutive days after surgery. Receiver operating characteristic curves were utilized to assess the cutoff point of the CRP level with maximum predictive value, Results: A total of 59 cases of early post-operative complications, including pneumonia, wound infection, intra-abdominal infection, and anastomotic leakage were evaluated. During the monitoring period, patients with complications had higher CRP level than those without complications. The cutoff points on the five post-operative days were estimated to be 6.50, 10.83, 11.44, 6.67, and 5.71 mg/dL, respectively, and they were correlated to the occurrence of infectious complications. Higher CRP levels were associated with greater blood loss during surgery (p = 0.003) and increased length of hospital stay (p < 0.001) than did lower CRP levels. Conclusions: C-reactive protein monitoring in the early post-operative period is a cost-effective test that can be easily performed to predict the occurrence of infectious complications. It may be helpful in improving surgical outcomes, shortening the length of hospital stay and appropriate antibiotic administration.

Pancreatic thickness as a predictor of postoperative pancreatic fistula after laparoscopic or robotic gastrectomy.

Despite technical advances in minimally invasive gastrectomy for gastric cancer, an increased incidence of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) has been reported. POPF can cause infectious and bleeding complications, which could lead to surgery-related death; therefore, reduction of the post-gastrectomy POPF risk is crucial. This study aimed to investigate the importance of pancreatic anatomy as a predictor of POPF in patients undergoing laparoscopic or robotic gastrectomy. Data were collected from 331 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic or robotic gastrectomy for gastric cancer. The thickness of the pancreas anterior to the most ventral level of the splenic artery (TPS) was measured. The correlation between TPS and POPF incidence was investigated using univariate and multivariate analyses. The cutoff value of TPS was 11.8mm, which predicted a high drain amylase concentration on postoperative day 1, and patients were categorized into thin (Tn group) and thick TPS groups (Tk group). There was no significant difference in the background characteristics between the two groups, except for sex (P = 0.009) and body mass index (P < 0.001). The incidences of POPF grade B or higher (2% vs. 16%, P < 0.001), all postoperative complications of grade II or higher (12% vs. 28%, P = 0.004), and postoperative intra-abdominal infections of grade II or higher (4% vs. 17%, P = 0.001) were significantly higher in the Tk group. Multivariable analysis identified that high TPS was the only independent risk factor for grade B or higher POPF and grade II or higher postoperative intra-abdominal infectious complications. The TPS is a specific predictive factor for POPF and postoperative intra-abdominal infectious complications in patients undergoing laparoscopic or robotic gastrectomy. Careful pancreatic manipulation during suprapancreatic lymphadenectomy is necessary for patients with increased TPS (> 11.8mm) to avoid postoperative complications.

Comparison of surgical outcomes among open, laparoscopic, and robotic pancreatoduodenectomy: a single-center retrospective study

BackgroundThere is no general consensus on the feasibility and safety of robotic pancreatoduodenectomy (RPD) and whether it increases surgical risks. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety, feasibility, and rationality of RPD by comparing perioperative data among open pancreatoduodenectomy (OPD), laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy (LPD), and RPD performed in our center in recent years.MethodsClinical data of patients had undergone RPD (n = 32), LPD (n = 21), and OPD (n = 86) in The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University between January 2016 and June 2020 were retrospectively collected and analyzed.ResultsRPD required more time for operation (537.2 min vs. 441.5 min, p < 0.001) than OPD did, but less time to remove abdominal drainage tube (12.5 d vs. 17.3 d, p = 0.001). The differences between the RPD group and LPD group were interesting, as the two groups had similar operation time (537.2 min vs. 592.9 min, p = 1.000) and blood loss (482.8 ml vs. 559.5 ml, p > 0.05), but the RPD group had a higher activity of daily living score on postoperative day 3 (35.8 vs. 25.7, p = 0.0017) and a lower rate of conversion to OPD (6.5% vs. 38.1%, p = 0.011). Regarding complications, such as the postoperative pancreatic fistula, abdominal hemorrhage, intra-abdominal infection, bile leakage, reoperation, and perioperative mortality, there were no significant differences among the three groups.ConclusionsNot only is RPD feasible and reliable, it also offers significant advantages in that it improves postoperative recovery of skills needed for everyday life, has a low conversion rate to open surgery, and does not increase surgical risks.

Impact of postoperative intra-abdominal infectious complications on survival outcomes in patients with gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic surgery.

Postoperative intra-abdominal infection is known to adversely affect survival outcomes in patients with gastric cancer; however, previous reports have investigated this complication only in open surgery. This adverse effect is expected to be weakened by less invasive surgery, such as a laparoscopic approach, by way of maintaining immune function. This study included 1223 patients with gastric cancer who underwent open (n = 439) or laparoscopic (n = 784) curative surgery between 2010 and 2015. For each approach, patients were divided into two groups based on presence or absence of postoperative intra-abdominal infection of Clavien-Dindo grade II or higher (C-group and NC-group, respectively). Survival outcomes were compared in propensity-matched cohorts to evaluate the impact of the complication. The incidences of Clavien-Dindo ≥ grade II postoperative intra-abdominal infectious complications were 9.7% (43/439) in open surgery and 9.8% (70/714) in laparoscopic surgery. After propensity score matching, 86 patients in open surgery and 138 in laparoscopic surgery were extracted for analysis. The 5-year overall survival rate in the open C-group (n = 43) was worse than that in the open NC-group (n = 43) but with no significant difference (70.9% vs. 82.8%, log-rank P = 0.18). The 5-year overall survival rates were equivalent between the laparoscopic C-group (n = 69) and the laparoscopic NC-group (n = 69) (90.5% vs. 90.4%, log-rank P = 0.99). In general, postoperative intra-abdominal infection adversely affects survival outcomes; however, its impact may be weakened by less invasive surgery. Further evaluation using larger datasets is necessary before reaching definitive conclusions.

Short-term outcomes of intracorporeal versus extracorporeal anastomosis in laparoscopic surgery for right-sided colon cancer: A propensity score-matched study.

Recently, intracorporeal anastomosis (IA) has been attracting attention. We aimed to compare the short-term outcomes of IA and extracorporeal anastomosis (EA) in laparoscopic surgery for right-sided colon cancer, after propensity score matching. We retrospectively reviewed 404 consecutive patients with right-sided primary colon cancer between January 2019 and July 2021, 359 of whom underwent laparoscopic surgery. We classified them into IA (n=72) and EA (n=287) groups. Propensity score matching analysis was performed, and the matched groups were compared. The IA group had a longer operation time and shorter time to first flatus, passage of stool, and oral intake. There were no differences in blood loss, postoperative complications, and postoperative hospital stay between the groups. The IA group had a higher inflammatory response in the laboratory data on postoperative day 1 compared to the EA group; however, there were no differences in the incidence of abdominal or surgical site infection (SSI). The IA group had a longer distal resection margin, and there were no peritoneal recurrences in either group. In the IA group, patients had earlier bowel recovery and a longer distal resection margin; however, other postoperative clinical outcomes were comparable. Although there was a higher postoperative inflammatory response in IA, there was no significant difference in postoperative complications, including SSI and intra-abdominal infection. Although long-term outcomes are not yet available, IA could be a useful procedure.

Hepatectomy after bile duct injury: a systematic review.

Bile duct injury (BDI) after cholecystectomy can lead to recurrent cholangitis, even after biliary reconstruction. This necessitates hepatectomy in a minority of patients. A systematic review was conducted, summarizing the pattern of biliary injury sustained in this group and their outcomes after hepatectomy. A literature search included the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed and Cochrane libraries. Retrospective cohort studies describing outcomes for hepatectomy after BDI, and the nature of the antecedent BDI, published between 1999 and 2019, were selected. Eight articles described a cohort of 2110 patients with BDI. Of these, 84 underwent hepatectomy. Complex vasculo-biliary injuries had been sustained in most cases. The mean time to hepatectomy was between 26 and 224 months after BDI. A right hepatectomy was performed in 67-89% of cases. Post hepatectomy, intra-abdominal infection (range 0-50%) and bile leaks (range 0-45%) occurred variably. Mortality occurred in three series. Nineteen percent of patients (16 of 84) developed recurrent symptoms at follow up. Hepatectomy after bile duct injury is an uncommon procedure and represents a salvage strategy when vasculo-biliary injury happens. Liver resection leads to resolution of symptoms in the majority of the cases however postoperative bile leaks and intra-abdominal infection are common.

A novel nomogram based on nutritional and immune status predicting postoperative intra-abdominal infection in colorectal cancer.

This study aimed to investigate independent risk factors for intra-abdominal infection and to construct a nomogram to identify colorectal patients at a high risk of intra-abdominal infection. Clinical data of patients undergoing radical resection of colorectal cancer from January 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups according to postoperative intra-abdominal infection. Clinicopathological indicators, intraoperative conditions, and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups, logistic regression was used to look for independent risk factors for intra-abdominal infection, and a nomogram was constructed based on independent risk factors. 402 colorectal cancer patients were enrolled in this study, and 46 patients (11.4%) developed intra- abdominal infections after surgery. The independent risk factors for intra-abdominal infection were preoperative albumin, lymphocyte-white cell ratio (LWR) <0.17, low subcutaneous fat mass, and low skeletal muscle mass. The nomogram model for intra-abdominal infection was able to reliably quantify the risk of intraabdominal infection with strong optimism-adjusted discrimination (concordance index=0.931). Furthermore, decision curve analysis showed that the nomogram was clinically useful and had a better discriminative ability to recognize patients at high risk than the risk factors alone. In conclusion, we found that preoperative albumin, LWR <0.17, low subcutaneous fat mass, and low skeletal muscle mass were significantly correlated with intra-abdominal infection. Our nomogram was a simple and practical instrument to quantify the individual risk of intra-abdominal infection.

Laparoscopic biopsy and staging for locally advanced pancreatic cancer: experiences of 76 consecutive patients in a single institution.

Pathological diagnosis plays a critical role in the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). However, the commonly used biopsy methods still have a number of shortcomings, such as a relatively low diagnostic accuracy and a high incidence of complications. A retrospective review was conducted to compare 76 patients with laparoscopic biopsy and staging and 11 patients with CT-guided pancreatic biopsy for LAPC between January 2017 and October 2020. Logistic regression with univariate and multivariate analyses was performed to identify preoperative predictors of occult metastasis. The diagnostic accuracy of laparoscopic biopsy and staging for pancreatic cancer was 100%. Sixty-two patients were confirmed to have LAPC, 59 patients by pancreatic biopsy and three patients by regional lymph node biopsy. Fourteen patients were diagnosed with distant occult metastasis, three patients by liver biopsy and 11 patients by peritoneum biopsy. Nine patients with severe obstructive manifestations underwent a simultaneous bypass procedure. No postoperative hemorrhage, pancreatic fistula, intra-abdominal infection, or trocar site metastasis was observed. Laparoscopic biopsy and staging had a higher diagnostic accuracy (100% vs. 81.8%, p=0.0147) and a shorter duration to chemotherapy (3 days vs. 9 days, p=0.035) than CT-guided biopsy. Elevated CA125 levels (≥35 U/ml) were a significant preoperative predictor of occult metastasis (OR 6.482, 95% CI 1.624-25.874, p=0.008). Laparoscopic biopsy and staging are safe and effective methods to obtain rapid pathology and precise staging for LAPC patients, especially for patients with elevated CA125 levels.

Epidemiology, clinical relevance and prognosis of staphylococci in hospital-acquired postoperative intra-abdominal infections: an observational study in intensive care unit

The pathogenic role of staphylococci in hospital-acquired postoperative intra-abdominal infections (HAIs) has never been evaluated. In a tertiary care university hospital, we assessed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to the intensive care unit for HAIs according to the presence of staphylococci (S-HAI) or their absence (nS-HAI) in peritoneal cultures. Patients with S-HAIs were compared to nS-HAIs patients. Overall, 380 patients were analyzed, including 87 (23%) S-HAI patients [29 Staphylococcus aureus (Sa-HAIs) and 58 coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS-HAIs)]. The clinical characteristics did not differ between the S-HAI and nS-HAI patients. Adequacy of empirical anti-infective therapy was achieved less frequently in the staphylococci group (54 vs 72%, respectively, p < 0.01). The 90-day (primary endpoint) and one-year mortality rates did not differ between these groups. The S-HAI patients had decreased rates of postoperative complication (p < 0.05). The adjusted analysis of the clinical outcomes reported a decreased frequency of surgical complications in the staphylococci group (OR 0.43, 95% CI [0.20–0.93], p = 0.03). While the trends toward decreased morbidity criteria were observed in S-HAI patients, the clinical outcomes were not different between the CoNS-HAI and Sa-HAI patients. In summary, our data are not substantial enough to conclude that staphylococci exhibit no pathogenicity in HAIs.

Incidence and predictors of splanchnic vein thrombosis and mortality following hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery

BackgroundIntraabdominal surgery is a known risk factor for splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT). SVT incidence, management, and prognosis after hepatopancreatobiliary surgery are unknown. ObjectivesTo determine the incidence and prognosis of SVT following hepatopancreatobiliary surgery and describe current practices in anticoagulation for postoperative SVT. Patients/MethodsMulticenter retrospective cohort study of adults undergoing hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. Multivariable analyses for predictors of SVT, major bleeding, and 90‐day mortality were performed. ResultsOf 1815 patients included, 89 (4.9%) had cirrhosis and 1532 (84.4%) had active cancer. The most frequent surgeries were pancreaticoduodenectomy (40.6%), open (30.7%), and laparoscopic (11.0%) liver resection. Sixty (3.3%) patients experienced SVT within 90 days of surgery. Among patients with SVT, 23.3% were symptomatic and 75.0% were treated with therapeutic anticoagulation. Planned duration of anticoagulation averaged 3 to 6 months. By multivariable analysis, SVT predictors were: operative time (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] per hour increase 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20‐1.46), cirrhosis (aOR 3.22, 95% CI 1.28‐8.10), and postoperative intraabdominal infection (aOR 2.99, 95% CI 1.72‐5.19). Postoperative major bleeding occurred in 22.1% of patients and 4.0% died within 90 days. Predictors of postoperative mortality were age (aOR per 10‐year increase 1.79, 95% CI 1.38‐2.30), operative time (aOR 1.31 (1.17‐1.45), cirrhosis (aOR 4.42, 95% CI 1.96‐9.96), postoperative intraabdominal infection (aOR 2.66, 95% CI 1.55‐4.57), postoperative major bleeding (aOR 4.12, 95% CI 2.36‐7.30), and postoperative SVT (aOR 3.15, 95% CI 1.42‐6.97). ConclusionSVT occurred in 1 in 30 patients after hepatopancreatobiliary surgery and was associated with a 3‐fold independent increase in 90‐day mortality.

Laparoscopic versus open surgery in the treatment of hepatic hemangioma: A meta-analysis.

Background:The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate and compare the effectiveness and safety of laparoscopic versus open resection (LR vs OR) in the treatment of hepatic hemangioma.Methods:We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Medline, EMBASE, and the Chinese Biomedicine Database from January 2000 to April 2020 for studies comparing the outcomes of laparoscopic versus open surgery in hepatic hemangioma treatment.Results:Based on the preset criteria, 12 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and 12 observational clinical studies (OCSs) were selected for analysis. Our results showed that laparoscopic surgery was more effective than open surgery in terms of reducing operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative exhaust time, postoperative complications, postoperative bile leak, postoperative intra-abdominal infection, postoperative alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) values, postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) scores, and hospitalize length. No significant differences were found between the 2 groups in hepatectomy time, hospitalized cost, intra-abdominal hemorrhage, and the postoperative recurrence of hemangioma.Conclusion:While similar therapeutic effect was achieved by the compared herein surgical methods, the findings of our analysis revealed that laparoscopic surgery is superior over open surgery in terms of less trauma, faster recovery, less postoperative pain, shorter hospitalize length, and reduced postoperative complications. Therefore, laparoscopic resection of hepatic hemangioma is a safe, effective, and feasible surgical method that is worth considering in clinical applications.

Changes in Serum Lactate Level Predict Postoperative Intra-Abdominal Infection After Pancreatic Resection.

Postoperative intra-abdominal infection is one of the most serious complications after pancreatic resection. In this article, we investigated the relationship between serum lactate level and postoperative infection, to suggest a new predictor of potential infection risk after pancreatectomy. A retrospective analysis of 156 patients who underwent pancreatic surgery and admitted in the intensive care unit for recovery after surgery between August 2017 and August 2019 was performed. The basic characteristics, preoperative information, pathological diagnoses, surgical methods, and intraoperative situations of patients in the postoperative intra-abdominal infection group (n = 52) and non-infection group (n = 104) showed no significant differences. With the same postoperative treatments and results of fluid balance, blood pressure maintenance, and laboratory tests, postoperative serum lactate level increased much higher in the infection group than non-infection group (P < 0.001), while the base excess level declined much lower (P = 0.002). Patients in the infection group needed more time to elute lactate (P < 0.001), and stayed longer in the intensive care unit after surgery (P = 0.007). The overall postoperative complications were certainly more in the infection group (P < 0.001), resulting in a longer hospitalization time (P < 0.001). When patients recovered smoothly from anesthesia with a stable hemodynamics situation and normal results of laboratory tests, abnormally high serum lactate level could be a predictor of postoperative intra-abdominal infection after pancreatic resection.

A randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of tigecycline versus meropenem in the treatment of postoperative complicated intra-abdominal infections

The efficacy and safety of tigecycline in the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs) is potentially controversial. Here we conducted the non-inferiority study to assess the efficacy and safety of tigecycline versus meropenem in the treatment of postoperative cIAIs. Data of abdominal tumor surgery patients with postoperative cIAIs admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) between October 2017 and December 2019 were collected. A prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted in which 56 eligible patients with cIAIs randomly received intravenous tigecycline or meropenem for 3 to 14 days. Patients and clinicians were not blinded to the group allocation. The total of 56 patients were enrolled, which were divided into 2 groups, one group included 30 patients receiving meropenem and another group included 26 receiving tigecycline therapy. The 2 groups were similar at demographic and baseline clinical characteristics. Microorganisms were isolated from 46 of 56 patients (82.14%), with a total of 107 pathogens were cultured in two groups. The two groups had similar distribution of infecting microorganisms. The primary end point was the clinical response at the end-oftherapy (EOT) visit and upon discharge visit and comprehensive efficacy. The clinical success rates were 83.33%, 76.67% for meropenem versus 76.92%, 88.46% for tigecycline at the EOT visit and upon discharge visit (P>0.05), respectively. Comprehensive efficacy did not significantly differ between two groups either. There were no significant differences in 30-day and 60-day all-cause mortality between two groups (P>0.05). The univariable analysis identified that serum albumin at admission ICU, colorectal cancer on oncology type, postoperative abdominal bleeding were the risk factors for 60-day all-cause mortality. The multivariable analysis showed that postoperative abdominal bleeding were independent predictors of 60-day all-cause mortality. Gastrointestinal disorders and antibacterials-induced Fungal Infection were the most frequently reported adverse events (AEs). The incidence of AEs was similar between meropenem and tigecycline groups (P>0.05). Taken together, the study demonstrated that tigecycline is as effective and safe as meropenem for postoperative cIAIs in abdominal tumors patients. Tigecycline is non-inferior to meropenem.