Einar Arnbjörnsson

Role of obstruction in the pathogenesis of acute appendicitis

The role of obstruction in the pathogenesis of acute appendicitis was studied by measuring the pressure in the appendix perioperatively in 24 patients operated on with an appendectomy because of suspected acute appendicitis. The technique used involved inserting a fine needle through the apex into the appendix lumen and measuring the hydrostatic pressure required to inject saline solution. In three patients with a gangrenous appendix found at operation, and in two patients with a phlegmonous appendix, there were signs of obstruction of the appendix lumen as revealed by increased pressure within it. In 14 patients with a phlegmonous appendix found at operation, no signs of obstruction were found. These experimental data suggest that obstruction is not an important causative agent of acute appendicitis, but might develop as a result of the inflammatory process.

Newborn infants' cry after heel-prick: analysis with sound spectrogram

The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that a newborn infants cry can be used in conjunction with an instrument to measure pain. Crying due to pain was analysed after a heel‐prick stimulus. In a prospective, descriptive study, 50 healthy newborn infants were subjected to a heel‐prick for phenylketonuria screening. Their cries of pain were recorded and analysed. Duration of the crying sound was analysed and, using a sound spectrogram, the fundamental frequency and the cry melody of the first five cry sounds were analysed. The analysis showed that the crying sound after the painful stimulus of the heel‐prick had a significantly higher fundamental frequency and lasted longer at the first than at the fifth cry. The first cry had a more varied crying melody than the fifth. There were large differences between individual cries from a single infant, as well as in the duration of each cry, total crying time, and fundamental frequencies between infants. While the first cry was more like a cry of pain, the fifth cry more resembled crying for reasons other than pain. The results suggest that newborn infants react to pain in a recognizable way. However, other stimuli may cause a similar reaction. Crying can therefore be used to measure pain in newborn infants only when the cause of crying is known.

Complications of laparoscopy-aided gastrostomies in pediatric practice

PURPOSE The aim of this report is to establish the frequency and type of complications of laparoscopy-aided gastrostomy in pediatric practice and to identify patients at risk for postoperative complications. METHOD This is a follow-up study of 98 children with nutritional problems including inability to swallow, inadequate calorie intake in neurologically impaired children, patients with cystic fibrosis, malignancies, neurometabolic diseases, and cardiac malformations. Laparoscopy-aided gastrostomy was attempted in all patients. These patients have undergone follow-up at our outpatient clinic. Postoperative complications and problems with the gastrostomy device were registered. The postoperative complications were divided into minor problems and major or life-threatening complications. RESULTS There was no perioperative mortality. No life-threatening complication developed, whereas minor problems were common, necessitating medical attention postoperatively. Patients with congenital heart disease, chronic respiratory failure, and metabolic diseases experienced the highest frequency of postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS The surgical placement of an enteral access device in children should be considered a major surgical procedure, demanding medical attention for 1 to 2 months postoperatively. The rate and severity of complications with the method described are tolerable considering the severity of the underlying diseases.

Neuropeptides in the human appendix

At present our knowledge of enteric peptide-containing neurons in man is limited. In this study we have used human appendices removed at surgery to examine the peptidergic innervation by immunocytochemistry, immunochemistry, and pharmacological in vitro experiments. Immunocytochemistry revealed a variety of peptide-containing nerve fiber populations in the human appendix. VIP/PHI-, VIP/PHI/NPY-, SP/NKA-, galanin-, and enkephalin-containing nerve fibers were numerous; CGRP- and GRP- containing nerve fibers were moderate in number, while only scattered NPY-, enkephalin/BAM-, and somatostatin-containing nerve fibers could be found. No CCK-, dynorphin A-, or dynorphin B- immunoreactive nerve fibers could be detected. The coexistence of VIP/PHI, SP/NKA, and enkaphalin/BAM can be anticipated from the known sequence of their respective precursors. However, the coexistence of VIP/PHI and NPY was unexpected but corroborates previous observations in other species. Interestingly, SP and CGRP did not seem to coexist in nerve fibers of the human appendix. Immunochemistry (RIA and HPLC) confirmed the presence of VIP, NPY, SP, galanin, CGRP, GRP, enkephalin, and somatostatin. Motor activity studies suggest that acetylcholine plays a major role in the electrically evoked contractions, since atropine suppressed these contractions. Galanin (10−8-10−6 M) and GRP (10−9-10−7 M) caused concentration-dependent contractions that were unaffected by tetrodotoxin and thus probably reflect a direct action on smooth muscle receptors. GRP (10−9 M) enhanced the electrically induced cholinergic contraction (to 193±24%), while met-enkephalin (10−6 M) reduced it (to 54±6%). Both peptides failed to affect the contractile response to exogenous acetylcholine and probably act to modulate the release of acetylcholine. NPY, VIP, CGRP, SP, and somatostatin failed to induce contraction or to affect the electrically evoked contractions.

Literature Review Comparing Laparoscopic and Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomies in a Pediatric Population

Objective. This study compares laparoscopic and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in a paediatric population to test the hypothesis that there is a difference in the frequency of serious gastrointestinal complications between the two methods. Methods. All reports published between 1995 and 2009 on laparoscopic gastrostomy and PEG in children was included. Prospective and retrospective trials, comparing the two methods or dealing with one of them only were included. Endpoints were accidentally performed gastrointestinal fistula causing an emergency re-operation. The frequency of inadvertent gastroenteric fistulas using the two different techniques was calculated. Results. 822 publications were found when using the search terms: gastrostomy, gastrointestinal complications, and all child: 0–18 years. From these, 54 studies were extracted for this investigation. These studies reported a total of 4331 children undergoing gastrostomy operation, 1027 by using the laparoscopic technique and 3304 using the PEG technique. The number of serious gastrointestinal fistulas to colon or small bowel was 0% and .27%, respectively, P < .05. Conclusions. The results suggest that by performing laparoscopic gastrostomy in children it is possible to avoid the serious intestinal fistula complications caused by a blind puncture through the abdominal cavity when performing the PEG.

Mitochondrial respiration in human viable platelets-Methodology and influence of gender, age and storage.

Studying whole cell preparations with intact mitochondria and respiratory complexes has a clear benefit compared to isolated or disrupted mitochondria due to the dynamic interplay between mitochondria and other cellular compartments. Platelet mitochondria have a potential to serve as a source of human viable mitochondria when studying mitochondrial physiology and pathogenic mechanisms, as well as for the diagnostics of mitochondrial diseases. The objective of the present study was to perform a detailed evaluation of platelet mitochondrial respiration using high-resolution respirometry. Further, we aimed to explore the limits of sample size and the impact of storage as well as to establish a wide range of reference data from different pediatric and adult cohorts. Our results indicate that platelet mitochondria are well suited for ex-vivo analysis with the need for minute sample amounts and excellent reproducibility and stability.

Paediatric robotic surgery in clinical practice: a cost analysis.

BACKGROUND Since 2006 we have used robotic assistance when performing minimally invasive laparoscopic fundoplications in children. We compared the costs of robotic surgery with the costs for open and laparoscopic surgery to test our hypothesis that the increased costs of the new technology are acceptable. METHOD Costs were calculated using the regional hospital prices for our first 14 fundoplications in children, performed with the aid of the da Vinci Surgical System from Intuitive Surgical. We compared these costs with those of our ten latest fundoplications performed using open and laparoscopic surgery, respectively. There were no differences in the demographic data, work-up or indications for surgery between the three groups of children. RESULTS The mean cost of robotic surgical fundoplications (EUR 9 584) was 7% higher than the mean cost of laparoscopic surgery (EUR 8 982) and 9% lower than the mean costs for open surgical procedures (EUR 10 521). These differences can be explained by the increased cost of robotic instruments (EUR 2 081 per operation). The duration of the operation and the duration of in-hospital stay are comparable to those of laparoscopic surgical interventions. The time required for the operative intervention was considerably longer than for the open surgical procedure; the duration of the in-hospital stay was only half of that of the open surgical procedure. The patients seemed to benefit from the use of robotic instruments with less morphine (as a marker of less postoperative pain) and a shorter hospital stay. CONCLUSION The introduction of robotic assistance into surgical practice involves increased in-hospital costs, mainly because of the cost of the new instruments. This increase in cost can be offset by the shorter hospital stay compared to open surgery. After laparoscopic surgery the hospital stay is about the same as after operations performed with robotic assistance. Cheaper instruments and shorter operating time will make robotic surgery cost efficient in the future. The benefit for the patients is less trauma due to the use of minimally invasive surgery and a shorter hospital stay. Thus, the higher initial costs may be considered worthwhile.

Thyroid Cancer Incidence in Relation to Volcanic Activity

Environmental or genetic factors are sought to explain the high incidence of thyroid cancer in Iceland. At present, it is impossible to cite any environmental factor, particularly one related to the volcanic activity in the country, which could explain the high incidence of thyroid cancer in Iceland. However, the thyroid gland in Icelanders is very small due to the high intake of iodine from seafood. It is, therefore, easier for physicians to find thyroid tumors. Furthermore, genetic factors are very likely to be of great importance in the small, isolated island of Iceland.

Quality of Life in Adults Operated On for Hirschsprung Disease in Childhood.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to explore the long-term quality of life (QoL) in adults after surgery for Hirschsprung disease in childhood. Patients and Methods: Altogether 51 patients were operated for HD at our center during the period 1969 to 1989. In 2007, the validated instruments for assessing QoL, the SF-36 health survey and the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI), were sent to the 47 patients still alive at the time of the study. A retrospective review of the patient records was also done. Results: Forty-two patients returned both questionnaires (89% response rate) at the median age of 28.5 (range 18–45) years. The median clinical follow-up time was 5.7 years (range 5 months–23 years). At the last clinical control, 4 (9%) patients had a terminal enterostomy, 12 (29%) had soiling, 5 (12%) had constipation, and 2 (5%) experienced recurrent enterocolitis. In contrast to males, the subscores for females were lower for general health and mental health than for an age- and sex-matched general population (P < 0.05). Patients having aganglionosis to the right colon had lower GIQLI scores than those with aganglionosis to the left colon (P < 0.05). In multivariate linear regression analysis, female sex was the only factor associated with lower GIQLI score (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The long-term QoL of adults operated for Hirschsprung disease in their youth is satisfactory. Female scores were lower for general and mental health, compared with the matched control group. The study indicates that the longer the aganglionic segment, the greater its impact on QoL in later life.

Prophylactic treatment with proton pump inhibitors in children operated on for oesophageal atresia.

INTRODUCTION Oesophageal stricture is a frequent complication following repair of oesophageal atresia (EA). The aim of this study was to conduct a pre- and postintervention study and analyze the incidence of stricture formation and need for balloon dilatation after introducing prophylactic proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment. CHILDREN AND DESIGN: All children operated for EA during 2001 to 2009 (n = 39) were treated with prophylactic PPIs (PPI group) for at least 3 months postoperatively. The frequency of stricture formation in the anastomosis and need for balloon dilatation was registered. A previously published group of children (n = 63) operated for EA during 1983 to 1995 not treated with prophylactic PPI was used as control group. Duration of follow-up time in the PPI group was equal to the one in the control group, and set to 1 year after the last oesophageal dilatation procedure. RESULTS The PPI and control group were comparable regarding patient characteristics, gestational age and birth weight, prevalence of chromosomal aberration, and VACTERL (vertebral, and, cardiac, tracheal, esophageal, renal, limb) malformations. Also, survival rate and prevalence of surgery were similar in both groups. Mortality was mainly determined by associated malformations. The dilatation frequency needed in each child did not differ between the two groups. The prevalence of stricture formation was 42% in the control group compared with 56% in the PPI group, p = 0.25. Number of dilatations needed varied between 1 and 21, with a median value of 3 and 4, respectively, for the PPI and the control group. The children in the PPI group were significantly younger at the time of dilatation. This difference reflects a change in policy and increased experience. CONCLUSION The incidence of anastomotic stricture following repair for esophageal atresia remains high also after introduction of PPI. The results cannot support that prophylactic treatment with PPI prevent anastomotic stricture formation.