Septic Course Research Articles

Anaesthesia affects outcome of sepsis in mice.

To determine whether the survival curves and rates differ between a mutant strain of mice (C3H/HeJ: endotoxin-resistant) and an endotoxin-susceptible strain (C3H/HeN) when severe sepsis (caecal ligation and puncture: CLP) is performed with different anaesthetics (ketamine or varied exposure to halothane). The CLP was performed under a randomly chosen anaesthetic method out of inhalation of halothane in oxygen (15 min, 2 hr, or 6 hr) (100, 120, and 103 mice respectively) or a single injection of ketamine im (127 mice) in paired fashion in eight-week-old male mice of each strain. The daily survival rates were compared between the two strains until the 10th day after CLP for each anaesthetic and among the four anaesthetic methods for each strain using multiple comparisons. The C3H/HeJ had delayed death relative to the C3H/HeN with every anaesthetic method except a two hours halothane (P < 0.01 at day 1 and day 2-5 in halothane 15 min and 6 hr, P < 0.05 at day 4-6 in ketamine), however, the final survival rates for each method of anaesthesia were the same in the two strains. Regardless of the genetic susceptibility to endotoxin, short exposure to halothane resulted in the most rapid death compared with the other anaesthetic methods (P < 0.05), and two hours halothane showed the best survival. Endotoxin susceptibility affected the septic course for each anaesthetic method, and the anaesthetic methods influenced the survival from sepsis in both strains.

Colorectal perforation with barium enema in the elderly: case analysis with the POSSUM scoring system.

Colorectal perforation is a serious complication of barium-enema examination, as the resultant contamination of the intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal space may result in a severe septic course. Between 1 October 1993 and 30 September 1996, four patients had colorectal injuries after barium-enema examinations at the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Their mean age was 80 years and three of them died, despite the implementation of early and aggressive treatment. To examine the differences between this high crude mortality rate and reports of zero mortality, we retrospectively analyzed the data with the well established predictive surgical scoring system, the Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Morbidity and mortality (POSSUM), to estimate the potential risk of death in these four patients.

Haemophilus parainfluenzae Liver Abscess after Successful Liver Transplantation

Haemophilus parainfluenzae was isolated from a bile specimen and from an aspirate of a liver abscess in a 58-year-old liver-transplanted woman that was indicative of an invasion of the graft by an ascending route. Drug therapy, immunosuppression, rejection therapy, and Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy may have contributed to the septic course. Interdisciplinary cooperation was instrumental in diagnosis and successful management in this case.

Poor outcome from peritonitis is caused by disease acuity and organ failure, not recurrent peritoneal infection.

The purpose of the study is to determine whether organ failure develops in patients despite control of peritoneal infection and whether the process is, in part, neutrophil (polymorphonuclear leukocyte [PMN]) mediated. Peritonitis generally responds to prompt surgical intervention and systemic antibiotics; however, some patients continue a septic course and progress to organ failure and death. One hundred five consecutive patients with peritonitis between 1988 and 1996 who required operation and a postoperative hospital stay greater than 10 days were studied. Mice were injected with a monoclonal anti-PMN antibody 24 hours before cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to deplete PMNs. Thirty-eight patients died, and all but 1 had identified organ failure. Seventy-seven patients had either pulmonary failure alone (25 patients) or as a component of multisystem organ failure (52 patients). All but one of these patients showed resolution of their intraperitoneal infection as evident by clinical course, abdominal computed tomographic scan, second-look laparotomy, or autopsy. Recurrent intra-abdominal infection developed in 15 patients, but only 1 had organ failure, and 2 died. At 18 hours after CLP, lung injury, PMN content, interleukin-1 mRNA expression, and liver injury were significantly reduced by anti-PMN treatment, whereas serum endotoxin levels actually increased. Disease acuity and organ failure, and not recurrent peritoneal infection, are the major causes of adverse outcome in patients with peritonitis. The authors' experimental data indicate that such organ injury is, in part, PMN mediated but not endotoxin mediated. Attraction of PMNs toward the site of primary infection, and thereby away from remote organs, is a logical future therapeutic approach in such patients who are critically ill with peritonitis.

SURGICAL MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF SEPSIS ASSOCIATED WITH GASTROINTESTINAL FISTULAS

The development of sepsis associated with a GI fistula can be a catastrophic complication of any surgical procedure in the vicinity of the abdominal cavity. The predominant sites of infection directly associated with GI fistulas are in the surgical wound and within the abdominal cavity. Some patients present with florid signs of sepsis, whereas others may have minimal signs of infection. CT scanning is the main diagnostic method for intra-abdominal collections. Often, it also provides a means of treatment by percutaneous placement of catheters. Patients who develop extensive cellulitis or necrotizing fasciitis, intra-abdominal collections incompletely drained by percutaneously placed catheters, multiple intra-abdominal collections not amenable to percutaneous drainage, dissociation of the ends of an anastomosis with flow of enteric contents into the peritoneal cavity, large intra-abdominal hematoma, or a septic course without identifiable source should be taken to the operating room on an urgent basis. The operative approach varies with the particular situation and extends from incision and drainage of the wound, extraperitoneal drainage of an abscess, and formal exploratory laparotomies, to the placement of tube enterostomies for decompression and drainage. The overall mortality of fistulas has decreased owing to better fluid and electrolyte replacement and the proper use of parenteral nutrition. However, patients continue to die from fistulas, and the cause of death is nearly always infection. The burden is on the surgeon to expeditiously diagnose and treat sepsis associated with GI fistulas.

The role of ERCP in laparoscopic cholecystectomy-related cystic duct stump leaks.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has resulted in an increase in the incidence of cystic duct stump leaks. To assess the role of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) a review of 14 cystic duct stump leaks following laparoscopic cholecystectomy was carried out. A retrospective chart review of fourteen patients was carried out. There were 11 females and 3 males. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was carried out without any difficulty. Three patients became very ill soon after surgery while 11 patients were minimally ill. All were still hospitalized after the cholecystectomy. Urgent ERCP on the 3 very ill patients demonstrated a cystic duct bile leak. In the 11 minimally ill patients, ultrasonography demonstrated intraabdominal fluid collections and initial treatment was percutaneous drainage. Only 2 of the 11 patients improved. The remaining nine patients developed a septic course. ERCP was carried out and demonstrated cystic duct bile leak in all 9 patients. Endoscopic papillotomy alone or endoscopic papillotomy plus stenting resolved the clinical picture. Patients who are ill post laparoscopic cholecystectomy should have urgent ERCP. Cystic duct bile leaks should be managed by endoscopic papillotomy and in select cases, stenting.

Pyogenic Vertebral Osteomyelitis and Postsurgical Disc Space Infections

The presentation and clinical course for hematogenous vertebral osteomyelitis and postoperative discitis is presented. The treatment is primarily conservative care in the form of immobilization and parenteral antibiotics. The indications for surgery are rare and should be reserved for patients resistant to treatment or with septic course, abscess formation, or neurologic deficits. In these cases, the infectious process has generally involved the adjacent vertebrae or the neural elements. Surgery usually involves an anterior approach. The principles of surgical treatment involve debridement of necrotic tissue, decompression of neural elements, and stabilization of the spine. The outcome of patients with vertebral osteomyelitis and secondary discitis in general is favorable when appropriate treatment is rendered. Extension of the infection to the spinal canal in the form of an epidural abscess is also reviewed.

Complications of typhoid fever requiring laparotomy during childhood

All the complications requiring laparotomy among 680 children who were diagnosed as having typhoid fever between 1981 and 1990, at Hacettepe University Children's Hospital, were retrospectively analyzed. Four patients developed intestinal perforation, two gastrointestinal bleeding, and two splenic abscess, with frequencies of 0.58%, 0.29%, and 0.29%, respectively. The overall frequency was 1.17%. While the risk was 1.58% among males, it was 0.42% among females with no statistically significant difference ( P > .05). The risk was higher among patients above 6 years of age ( P < .05). While perforation and hemorrhagic complications developed within 10 days of initial symptoms and splenic abscess required 10 and 30 days for development, there were no clinical signs and laboratory findings predicting the occurrence of complications in the course of typhoid fever. Two patients, one with intestinal perforation and the other with gastrointestinal hemorrhage, died within 2 days following the septic postoperative courses. On the other hand, 12 patients, among those without complications requiring laparotomy, died of unremitting septic course of the disease. The mortality rate rose from 1.78% to 25% when complications occurred. The findings in this series demonstrate that typhoid fever presents a challenge to the pediatric surgeons not only because of the complications requiring laparotomy with high mortality rates, but also the absence of criteria predicting the occurrence of complications in the course of typhoid fever.

Successful Interferon-γ Therapy in a Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD) Patient Suffering from Staphylococcus aureus Hepatic Abscess and Invasive Candida albicans Infection

A 16-year old boy with an early history of recurrent lower respiratory tract infections exhibited symtoms of prolonged septic fever and liver abscess. Cultures from liver puncture were positive for Staphylococcus aureus, and the patient initially responded to antibacterial therapy. After a period of 4 months, however, the infection relapsed, and further treatment with broad antibacterial, antifungal and tuberculostatic drugs was ineffective. Neither soluble nor particulate stimuli were found to elicit the respiratory burst response in granulocytes from the patient. Spectral analysis of granulocyte cytochrome-b confirmed the diagnosis of chronic granulomatous disease. Since the patient's physical condition deteriorated severely during the prolonged (10-week) septic course, immunosupportive interferon-γ was added to the antimicrobial therapy. With this regime, the fever subsided and the general condition of the patient improved dramatically. He could be discharged from hospital 9 weeks after the introduction of interferon-γ and was, at an elective follow-up control 1 month later, convalescing and showed no signs of active infection.

Die prognostische Bedeutung intrauteriner Hämatome des I. und II. Trimenons für den Schwangerschafts- und Geburtsverlauf

The courses of 66 pregnancies with sonographic evidence of an intrauterine haematoma within the egg-membranes during threatened abortion, between 7th and 24th week of gestation, were compared to the courses of 55 patients at the same gestational age admitted to our hospital, during the same period, with vaginal bleeding only. The aim of our study was to determine the prognostic significance of intrauterine haematomata in the I. and II. trimester for the course of pregnancy and delivery. The abortion-rate after intrauterine haematomata was significantly increased to 17.5%, a high percentage of them taking a febrile or septic course. The rate of preterm labour in haematoma patients was significantly higher (34.5 compared to 12.7%, respectively), than that in patients, who were only bleeding; this, furthermore, was reflected by a strong trend of preterm delivery (21.9 compared to 12.9% resp.). The caesarean section rate of 55.8% in the haematoma group was found to be significantly higher than in the control group (16.7%), mainly due to a significantly increased proportion (23.1%) of abnormal foetal presentations. Abnormal placental stages had to be treated significantly more often after intrauterine haematomata (32.6%) than in the control group (9.3%); however, no differences could be found between the two groups in respect of metabolic or respiratory placental dysfunction. The parameters examined in this study were not influenced by the volume of the haematoma, although the spectrum of complications seemed to be correlated to the gestational age at the time of diagnosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cholangitis, hemobilia, and cholangiocarcinoma. Management of a fistula between an obstructed right hepatic duct and the portal vein

Cholangitis is the most common cause of sepsis in patients with obstructing carcinomas of the biliary tree. Catheter and stent placement may relieve or exacerbate the septic course. Transhepatic stent placement produced a cholangioportal fistula and hemobilia in a patient with cholangiocarcinoma. The described technique of retrograde operative decompression and clot evacuation may be used in patients in whom portal dissection is hazardous or in whom preservation of an existing cholangiojejunostomy in the portal region is desired.

Conjunctival oxygen tension monitoring in experimental septic shock.

Continuous non-invasive monitoring of conjunctival oxygen tension (PcjO2) versus 'conventional' invasive hemodynamic and oxygen transport variables was evaluated in a porcine model of septic shock induced by a continuous i.v. infusion of E. coli endotoxin over 2 hours. Seventeen pigs under ketamine anesthesia and breathing air spontaneously were investigated. PcjO2, which reflects local oxygen tension at tissue level, correlated significantly at baseline and throughout the septic course with mixed venous oxygen saturation and oxygen utilization coefficient. All these correlations were significant at the 1% level. The corresponding correlations between PcjO2 and cardiac output were significant at the 5% level. A finding of great importance was that changes in PcjO2 preceded major changes in the intermittently measured physiological variables such as SvO2 and cardiac output. We conclude that PcjO2 monitoring is a valuable non-invasive method and which can provide a continuous assessment of the hemodynamic and oxygenation status in experimental septic shock.

Assessment of the early cellular membrane response to live Escherichia coli bacteremia

Alterations in skeletal muscle cellular function during septic shock have been previously demonstrated. However, whether these alterations represent a specific response to the septic state or are simply a consequence of low flow is uncertain. The present study was designed to evaluate the cellular membrane response to the early bacteremic state, prior to the onset of hemodynamic compromise. A clinically relevant model of sepsis was achieved in six mongrel dogs by intraarterial infusion of live Escherichia coli organisms and concurrent volume loading with lactated Ringer's solution. Four sham-treated dogs served as controls. Forty-eight hours after induction of sepsis, resting transmembrane potential (Em) was measured in a hindlimb adductor muscle. Contemporaneous muscle biopsy was performed for determination of transmembrane water and electrolyte distribution. The bacteremic state was associated with depolarization of Em to −79.7 ± 1.2 mV from a basal value of −89.3 ± 0.2 mV ( P < 0.01), while Em in the sham-treated group remained unchanged over the same time course. In addition, there was a significant increase in the calculated intracellular Na + and Cl − concentrations in the septic group ( P < 0.02), while intracellular K + was unchanged. These data are consistent with a selective increase in cell membrane permeability to Na + and indicate that cellular alterations in skeletal muscle occur early in the septic course, in the absence of hemodynamic compromise. This alteration in membrane permeability appears to be common to cells of disparate organ systems in response to sepsis, and may represent a protean manifestation of cellular injury.

Puerperal ovarian vein thrombophlebitis--a rare puerperal complication

Puerperal ovarian vein thrombosis (POVT) commonly results from purulent necrotic endomyometritis. The incidence is published to be 1 in 600 deliveries, however, according to own data, the incidence is at least 10 times less frequent. According to the puerperal uterine drainage, the predominant location is the right ovarian vein in 90% of all cases. The leading symptoms are lower abdominal pain localized anteriorly to the psoatic muscle and a tender, barrel shaped unilateral tumor. Discrepancy between the grave clinical picture and the insignificant findings on gyn. examination is common. Ultrasound and computed tomography frequently add in the correct diagnosis. Antibiotic therapy and anticoagulation are recommended in an uneventful course. If clinical improvement is delayed despite non-invasive treatment, surgical intervention with resection of the involved veins and all septic foci becomes mandatory. Despite non-invasive and invasive treatment, pulmonary emboli or septic complication refractory to therapy may contribute to mortality. Therefore POVT should always be included in the differential diagnosis of those patients presenting with a variable fever curve or an unexplained septic course following delivery or miscarriage.

Zipper closure of the abdominal wall in the treatment of recurrent intra-abdominal abscesses

Diffuse retroperitoneal soilage following rectal laceration with a blunt object resulted in significant morbidity despite prompt recognition, parenteral antibiotic administration, and early surgical intervention. A septic postoperative course was complicated by perforation of the third portion of the duodenum and a diffuse suppurative peritonitis with multiple intra-abdominal abscesses. Closure of the incision at reexploration was facilitated by sewing Marlex to the fascia while a centrally located nylon zipper allowed access to the peritoneal cavity for further explorations and eventual ablation of the septic process.

Antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing burn wound excision.

Eleclive excision of burn wound eschar is frequently associated with transient bacteremias that may predispose to episodes of surgically induced sepsis. The need for parenteral administration of prophylactic antibiotics, often used in nonseptic burn patients undergoing early elective burn wound excision, was therefore evaluated. Sixty patients with 4% to 90% total body surface area (TBSA) burn undergoing elective burn wound excision [full- thickness eschareetomies and deep partial-thickness tangential excisions] were stratified on the basis of percent TBSB and divided into treated and untreated groups. Blood cultures were obtained preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively for temperature elevations greater than 38.5C. A positive intraoperative blood culture associated with a subsequent postoperative septic course was not identified in any patient with a burn of less than 60% TBSA, during either the initial or subsequent surgical procedures. These data show that antibiotic prophylaxis for early elective wound excision in nonseptic burn patients with less than 60% TBSB may be an unnecessary expense.

True aneurysm formation in a 6-month-old child

A patient had a true aneurysm of the left iliac artery, first noted at 6 months of age. The aorta was normal and no septic course could be documented. Furthermore, the umbilical artery catheter tip did not lie in the vicinity of the aneurysm. To our knowledge, this is a heretofore unreported event.

Rectal trauma: A retrospective analysis and guidelines for therapy

Twenty patients seen at Boston City Hospital required general or spinal anesthesia for rectal injuries, and 17 required laparotomy. Findings on sigmoidoscopy were falsely negative in 4 of 13 patients examined. Diagnosis was delayed in two patients. Associated injuries occurred in 55 percent, with the lower genitourinary tract being the area most frequently injured. Complications occurred in eight patients (40 percent). Abscess formation and bacteremia were the most common, but iatrogenic complications occurred in four patients. Pulmonary embolism occurred in two patients and was suspected in a third patient. Routine treatment included diverting colostomy with distal irrigation and adequate drainage. Repair of the injury was performed when possible. Two of the 20 patients (10 percent) died, one after a prolonged septic course and one from recurrent pulmonary embolism. Rectal trauma continues to be a challenging injury.

NEW INTERVENTIONAL TECHNIQUES IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF INFLAMMATORY DISEASE WITHIN THE ARDOMEN

The detection of intra-abdominal abscesses remains a stimulating challenge. Although most patients with abscesses present with a typical febrile septic course, there are a selected number who have an insidious onset and manifest only subtle signs of infections. In these patients, accurate and expeditious diagnosis of abscesses is essential. If abscesses are correctly diagnosed without delay, percutaneous or surgical drainage procedures and antibiotic therapy can effect a complete cure in a high percentage of cases. In recent years, three technically sophisticated imaging modalities have been introduced and investigated for the diagnosis and management of intra-abdominal abscesses. Our purpose in this paper is to describe the characteristics of intra-abdominal abscesses, discuss the diagnostic and interventional attributes of these modalities, and discuss our views concerning the role of gray scale ultrasound, computerized tomography, and gallium 67 scintigraphy.

The Localization of Multiple Intra-Abdominal Abscesses by Gallium Scanning

A septic course suggestive of intra-abdominal abscess followed surgery in a small child with a perforated appendix. Usual diagnostic studies, fluoroscopy, and rectal and wound exploration failed to localized an abscess. The use of gallium 67 scanning accurately localized multiple abscesses which were successfully drained.