Stilianos Katsaragakis

Infections in a surgical intensive care unit of a university hospital in Greece.

OBJECTIVES We aimed to evaluate the clinical and microbiological characteristics of the patients who developed an infection in our surgical intensive care unit (SICU). METHODS This was a prospective study of all patients who sustained an ICU-acquired infection from 2002 to 2004. RESULTS Among 683 consecutive SICU patients, 123 (18.0%) developed 241 infections (48.3 infections per 1000 patient-days). The mean age of patients was 66.7+/-3.8 years, the mean APACHE II score (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation) on SICU admission was 18.2+/-2.4, and the mean SOFA score (sepsis-related organ failure assessment) at the onset of infection was 8.8+/-2. Of the study patients, 51.2% were women. Infections were: bloodstream (36.1%), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP; 25.3%, 20.3/1000 ventilator-days), surgical site (18.7%), central venous catheter (10.4%, 7.1/1000 central venous catheter-days), and urinary tract infection (9.5%, 4.6/1000 urinary catheter-days). The most frequent microorganisms found were: Acinetobacter baumannii (20.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15.7%), Candida albicans (13.2%), Enterococcus faecalis (10.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.2%), Enterococcus faecium (7.9%), and Staphylococcus aureus (6.7%). High resistance to the majority of antibiotics was identified. The complication and mortality rates were 58.5% and 39.0%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified APACHE II score on admission (odds ratio (OR) 4.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.69-5.26, p=0.01), peritonitis (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.03-3.25, p=0.03), acute pancreatitis (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.05-3.75, p=0.02), previous aminoglycoside use (OR 2.84, 95% CI 1.06-5.14, p=0.03), and mechanical ventilation (OR 3.26, 95% CI: 2.43-6.15, p=0.01) as risk factors for infection development. Age (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.01-1.33, p=0.03), APACHE II score on admission (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.77-3.41, p=0.02), SOFA score at the onset of infection (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.85-4.02, p=0.02), and VAP (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.04-1.85, p=0.03) were associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS Infections are an important problem in SICUs due to high incidence, multi-drug resistance, complications, and mortality rate. In our study, APACHE II score on admission, peritonitis, acute pancreatitis, previous aminoglycoside use, and mechanical ventilation were identified as risk factors for infection development, whereas age, APACHE II score on admission, SOFA score at the onset of infection, and VAP were associated with mortality.

Postoperative Pulmonary Function After Open Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Epidural Versus Intravenous Analgesia

BACKGROUND We reviewed our experience to determine the effect of epidural versus intravenous analgesia on postoperative pulmonary function and pain control in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) undergoing open surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm. METHODS A retrospective study with prospective collection of data of 30 COPD patients undergoing open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, during a 5-year period. Group I (n = 16) was operated under combined general and epidural anesthesia and epidural analgesia; group II (n = 14), under general anesthesia and intravenous analgesia. All patients performed pulmonary function tests (PFTs) preoperatively and during postoperative days 1 and 4. Pain assessment was performed on all patients during rest and activity on postoperative days 1, 2, and 4 by using the visual analog scale. Data were recorded for PFTs, postoperative pain, length of hospital stay, length of ICU stay, and postoperative pulmonary morbidity, including atelectasis and pulmonary infections. RESULTS There was no in-hospital mortality. Hospital stay was similar between the two groups (group I: 7.1 ± 1.0, group II: 7.5 ± 1.1). Group I patients showed significantly increased postoperative PFT values compared with group II patients at all time points (postoperative day 1: FEV(1)(%): 32.3 ± 4.4 vs. 27.1 ± 1.6, p = 0.007, FVC(%): 35.4 ± 8,5 vs. 28.3 ± 2.3, p = 0.035; postoperative day 4: FEV(1)(%): 50.4 ± 6.8 vs. 41.9 ± 6.8, p = 0.017, FVC(%): 51.3 ± 8.3 vs. 43.0 ± 7.9, p = 0.046). However, postoperative clinical pulmonary morbidity was not different between groups. Group I patients showed significantly reduced postoperative pain at all time points compared with group II patients. These differences were more pronounced during postoperative days 1 and 2, both at rest (visual analog score: 1.1 ± 0.9 vs. 2.6 ± 1.6, p = 0.02 and 0.7 ± 0.8 vs. 1.9 ± 1.1, p = 0.021, respectively) and during activity (2.3 ± 0.8 vs. 4.0 ± 1.7, p = 0.013 and 1.6 ± 0.7 vs. 2.8 ± 1.2, p = 0.019, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Epidural anesthesia and postoperative epidural analgesia improve the postoperative respiratory function, compared with general anesthesia and systemic analgesia, and reduce postoperative pain as well, in COPD patients undergoing elective infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Predictors of mortality of Acinetobacter baumannii infections: A 2-year prospective study in a Greek surgical intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND Nosocomial infections are a frequent and continuously increasing problem worldwide, have a rapidly increasing multidrug resistance to antibiotics, and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE Our objectives were to evaluate Acinetobacter baumannii infection incidence in our surgical intensive care unit (SICU), the clinical features and outcome of these patients, and, particularly, to investigate predictors of A baumannii infection-related mortality. METHODS Ours was a prospective study of all patients with ICU-acquired A baumannii infection from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2007. RESULTS Among 680 patients, 60 (8.8%) sustained A baumannii infection. Mean age was 68.4 ± 6.2 years, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score on SICU admission 20.6 ± 8.1 and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score on infection day 9.5 ± 4.2 (women: 50%). Multidrug resistance, morbidity, and mortality were 45%, 65%, and 46.6% (n = 28), respectively. In multivariate analysis, age (P = .03; odds ratio [OR], 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.018-1.259), acute renal failure (P = .001; OR, 17.9; 95% CI: 6.628-75.565), and thrombocytopenia (P = .03; OR, 26.4; 95% CI: 1.234-56.926) complicating the infection and subsequent Enterococcus faecium bacteremia (P = .01; OR, 3.5; 95% CI: 1.84-6.95) were mortality predictors. CONCLUSION A baumannii infections are frequent and associated with high drug multiresistance, morbidity, and mortality. Age, renal failure, thrombocytopenia, and subsequent E faecium bacteremia were predictors of A baumannii infection-associated mortality.

Adenocarcinoma of the third and fourth portion of the duodenum: a case report and review of the literature

A 65-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain, weight loss, fatigue, and microcytic anemia. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, until the second part of duodenum, was normal. Ultrasound and computed tomography demonstrated a solid mass in the distal duodenum. A repeat endoscopy confirmed an ulcerative, intraluminar mass in the third and fourth part of the duodenum. Segmental resection of the third and fourth portion of the duodenum was performed. Histology revealed an adenocarcinoma. On the 4th postoperative day, the patient developed severe acute pancreatitis leading to multiple organ failure and died on the 30th postoperative day.

Paraganglioma of the greater omentum: Case report and review of the literature

BackgroundExtra-adrenal, intra-abdominal paraganglioma constitutes a rare neoplasm and, moreover, its location in the greater omentum is extremely infrequent.Case presentationA 46-year-old woman with an unremarkable medical history presented with an asymptomatic greater omentum mass that was discovered incidentally during ultrasonographic evaluation due to menstrual disturbances. Clinical examination revealed a mobile, non-tender, well-circumscribed mass in the right upper and lower abdominal quadrant. Blood tests were normal. Contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed a huge (15 × 15 cm), well-demarcated, solid and cystic, heterogeneously enhanced mass between the right liver lobe and right kidney. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a large mass in the greater omentum. The tumor was completely excised along with the greater omentum. Histopathology offered the diagnosis of benign greater omentum paraganglioma. After an uneventful postoperative course, the patient was discharged on the 4th postoperative day. She remains free of disease for 2 years as appears on repeated CT scans as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and scintigraphy performed with radiotracer-labeled metaiodobenzyl-guanidine (MIBG) scans.ConclusionThis is the second reported case of greater omentum paraganglioma. Clinical and imaging data of patients with extra-adrenal, intra-abdominal paragangliomas are variable while many of them may be asymptomatic even when the lesion is quite large. Thorough histopathologic evaluation is imperative for diagnosis and radical excision is the treatment of choice. Since there are no definite microscopic criteria for the distinction between benign and malignant tumors, prolonged follow-up is necessary.

Cardiac troponin I after carotid endarterectomy in different cardiac risk patients.

BACKGROUND We compared postoperative cardiac damage, defined as cardiac troponin I (cTnI) elevation, in low, medium, and high cardiac risk patients, after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). METHODS The Vascular Study Group of New England Cardiac Risk Index (VSG-CRI) criteria for stratifying patients considered for vascular surgery into low, medium, and high cardiac risk groups were used prospectively. For all patients (n = 324), cTnI value assessments were made before surgery and on postoperative days 1, 3, and 7. Postoperative cTnI values ranging from .05 to .5 ng/mL were classified as myocardial ischemia; values more than .5 ng/mL were classified as myocardial infarction. Cardiac damage was defined as either myocardial ischemia or infarction. RESULTS Mortality was .003%, stroke rate was null, and symptomatic myocardial infarction was null as well. Low-risk patients (16 of 140) and medium-risk patients (28 of 160) increased their troponin levels on days 1 and 3 postoperatively. However, none of the high-risk patients (n = 24) showed any postoperative cardiac damage. Low and medium cardiac risk patients showed higher troponin values on each separate day, in comparison with high cardiac risk patients. CONCLUSIONS CEA is followed by a high incidence of asymptomatic cTnI increase that is associated with late cardiac events. However, high cardiac risk patients as defined by the VSG-CRI criteria do not seem to suffer higher cardiac damage after CEA compared with low and medium cardiac risk patients.

Protection of Intestinal Permeability in the Perioperative Period

To the Editor: In addition to its major function of digestion and absorption, intestine acts as an important mechanical and functional barrier to antigens, toxic and enteric microorganisms. Intestinal permeability (IP), the ability of small molecules to penetrate the gut mucosa, can be influenced by several factors and conditions, surgical stress being one of them. Increased IP promotes translocation of bacteria and their products to normally sterile extraintestinal sites such as mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and the systemic circulation and has been incriminated in the induction of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, infections, sepsis, and multiple organ failure. Major abdominal surgery can increase IP. Intraoperatively, gut barrier function may be compromised by hemorrhage, hypoxia, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and even mechanical manipulation. Protection of IP in the perioperative period is, therefore, of the utmost importance. Animal and human studies have focused on the protection of IP after surgery during the recent years. Unfortunately, although several agents have been tested, very few of them have shown encouraging results. Probiotics may play a protective role in the intestinal barrier function. They can balance the aberrant enteric microflora, protect epithelial tight junctions, have a trophic effect on gut mucosa, stimulate mucosal immunity, and exert an anti-inflammatory action. Although there is a great body of experimental studies that supports the protective action of probiotics on intestinal mucosa, there is a lack of data suggesting that they can modify IP in humans. Erythropoietin also has a trophic effect on the bowel and interacts with mediators of inflammation reducing the levels of overexpressed proinflammatory cytokines and decreasing cytokine-induced apoptosis. Moreover, recent data have shown that it can promote angiogenesis, reduce oxidative stress, and accelerate wound healing. The potential effect of Saccharomyces boulardii or erythropoietin on IP in the perioperative period has not been evaluated. In a study of 8 patients undergoing elective major abdominal surgery, we observed a postoperative IP reduction in those receiving S. boulardii orally (n=4) and those administered per os erythropoietin (n=4). Our very preliminary results implied that, compared with preoperative values, postoperative IP was reduced in patients administered S. boulardii (0.03 vs. 0.06, P=0.05) as well as in those receiving erythropoietin (0.08 vs. 0.16, P=0.04). Although it is early to draw conclusions and our findings are very preliminary, these results seem promising. Preservation of the gut barrier function in the perioperative period is a very important and challenging issue. Even though several agents have been evaluated, only few have shown encouraging results in humans. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical effects of S. boulardii and erythropoietin.

Small cell carcinoma arising in Barrett's esophagus: a case report and review of the literature.

IntroductionGastrointestinal tract small cell carcinoma is an infrequent and aggressive neoplasm that represents 0.1–1% of gastrointestinal malignancies. Very few cases of small cell esophageal carcinoma arising in Barretts esophagus have been reported in the literature. An extremely rare case of primary small cell carcinoma of the distal third of the esophagus arising from dysplastic Barretts esophagus is herein presented.Case presentationA 62-year-old man with gastroesophageal reflux history presented with epigastric pain, epigastric fullness, dysphagia, anorexia, and weight loss. Esophagogastroscopy revealed an ulceroproliferative, intraluminar mass in the distal esophagus obstructing the esophageal lumen. Biopsy showed small cell esophageal carcinoma. Contrast-enhanced chest and abdominal computed tomography demonstrated a large tumor of the distal third of the esophagus without any lymphadenopathy or distant metastasis. Preoperative chemotherapy with cisplatine and etoposide for 3 months resulted in a significant reduction of the tumor. After en block esophagectomy with two field lymph node dissection, proximal gastrectomy, and cervical esophagogastric anastomosis, the patient was discharged on the 14th postoperative day. Histopathology revealed a primary small cell carcinoma of the distal third of the esophagus arising from dysplastic Barretts esophagus. The patient received another 3 month course of postoperative chemotherapy with the same agents and remained free of disease at 12 month review.ConclusionAlthough small cell esophageal carcinoma is rare and its association with dysplastic Barretts esophagus is extremely infrequent, the high carcinogenic risk of Barretts epithelium should be kept in mind. Prognosis is quite unfavorable; a better prognosis might be possible with early diagnosis and treatment strategies incorporating chemotherapy along with oncological radical surgery and/or radiotherapy as part of a multimodality approach. Since treatment protocols are not well established due to the rarity of the neoplasm, multi-institutional studies are needed to obtain sufficiently large populations for investigation and optimization of therapy of the disease.

Predictive role of stress echocardiography before carotid endarterectomy in patients with coronary artery disease.

Our aim was to examine the predictive value of preoperative stress echocardiography regarding early myocardial ischemia and late cardiac events after carotid endarterectomy (CEA).

Hybrid Treatment of an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm with Severe Calcification of the Neck and Aortic Bifurcation

BACKGROUND Severe calcification of the aorta or iliac vessels remains a major concern when planning open or endovascular treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Therefore, we present a unique case of an AAA with concomitant severe calcification of the entire infrarenal aortoiliac region and discuss on proper management. CASE REPORT A 70-year-old patient with a symptomatic AAA was scheduled for repair. The diagnostic investigation revealed a 70-mm-diameter AAA with severe calcification of the neck and the iliac and femoral arteries, raising major concerns regarding the proper repair strategy. Under careful consideration of all the risks and parameters, the patient underwent a hybrid treatment with endovascular balloon occlusion of the aortic neck and careful clamping just proximal to the bifurcation. Minimal mobilization of the aorta, careful transecting and drilling of the aortic wall, and careful suturing of a straight graft were part of the whole strategy. One-year follow-up of the patient is unremarkable. CONCLUSIONS In cases of AAA with significantly calcified aorta and aortic bifurcation, careful preoperative planning is imperative, taking into consideration the individualized characteristics of each patient. Hybrid techniques including proximal endovascular occlusion, careful mobilizations, aortic wall drilling, and tight suturing of the graft could be a reasonable strategy for such patients. However, larger case series is needed to prove the efficacy of this method.