-
ANZ Journal of Surgery Nov 2018Intestinal volvulus is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when loops of bowel twist around its supporting mesentery and associated vasculature.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Intestinal volvulus is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when loops of bowel twist around its supporting mesentery and associated vasculature. Clinicians often rely on various radiological investigations for prompt diagnosis to avoid complications such as bowel infarction. This review assesses the clinical reliability of the ultrasonographic whirlpool sign (WS) in the diagnosis of intestinal volvulus.
METHODS
In adherence with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses) statement, a systematic search of BMJ Best Practice, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases was performed (August 2017), using relevant search terms. Selected studies were ranked for quality and relevance using the CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Program) tool.
RESULTS
Sixteen articles (1640 participants) were assessed. The mean and median sample size was 102.5 (SD ± 192.23) and 28 (range 7-770), respectively. The WS was positive in 212 of 255 (83.1%) patients with intestinal volvulus. Meta-analysis of the studies that provided sufficient data resulted in a pooled sensitivity and specificity of 87.42% (95% confidence interval (CI): 81.05-92.25) and 98.63% (95% CI: 97.88-99.18), respectively, with an estimated summary effect of 5.28 (95% CI: 4.47-6.08, P < 0.001). There was negligible inter-study heterogeneity, which was suggested by an I statistic of 0% (95% CI: 0.00-76.34) and a τ parameter of 0 (95% CI: 0.00-5.35).
CONCLUSION
Though the pooled sensitivity was less than ideal (87.42%), this review and meta-analysis nevertheless supports the reliability of the ultrasonographic WS as an acceptable indicator of intestinal volvulus.
Topics: Humans; Intestinal Volvulus; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
PubMed: 29740967
DOI: 10.1111/ans.14495 -
Journal of Pediatric Surgery Oct 2015Patients with malrotation, or an intestinal rotation abnormality (IRA), can experience serious adverse events. Increasingly, asymptomatic patients are being diagnosed... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Patients with malrotation, or an intestinal rotation abnormality (IRA), can experience serious adverse events. Increasingly, asymptomatic patients are being diagnosed with malrotation incidentally. Patients with symptomatic malrotation require surgery in an urgent or semiurgent manner to address their symptoms. The treatment of asymptomatic or incidentally discovered malrotation remains controversial.
METHODS
Data were compiled from a broad search of Medline, Cochrane, Embase and Web of Science from January 1980 through January 2013 for five questions regarding asymptomatic malrotation.
RESULTS
There is minimal evidence to support screening asymptomatic patients. Consideration may be given to operate on asymptomatic patients who are younger in age, while observation may be appropriate in the older patient. If reliably diagnosed, atypical malrotation with a broad-based mesentery and malposition of the duodenum can be observed. Regarding diagnostic imaging, the standard of care for diagnosis remains the upper gastrointestinal contrast study (UGI), ultrasound may be useful for screening. A laparoscopic approach is safe for diagnosis and treatment of rotational abnormalities. Laparoscopy can aid in determining whether a patient has true malrotation with a narrow mesenteric stalk, has nonrotation and minimal risk for volvulus, or has atypical anatomy with malposition of the duodenum. It is reasonable to delay Ladd procedures until after palliation on patients with severe congenital heart disease. Observation can be considered with extensive education for family and caregivers and close clinical follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a lack of quality data to guide the management of patients with asymptomatic malrotation. Multicenter and prospective data should be collected to better assess the risk profile for this complex group of patients. A multidisciplinary approach involving surgery, cardiology, critical care and the patient's caregivers can help guide a watchful waiting management plan in individual cases.
Topics: Asymptomatic Diseases; Child; Duodenum; Evidence-Based Practice; Heart Defects, Congenital; Humans; Intestinal Volvulus; Laparoscopy; Mesentery; Radiography; Ultrasonography; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract
PubMed: 26205079
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2015.06.019 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Jan 2016Onchocerciasis, also known as "river blindness," is a parasitic disease that is caused by infection from the filarial nematode (roundworm), Onchocerca volvulus.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Onchocerciasis, also known as "river blindness," is a parasitic disease that is caused by infection from the filarial nematode (roundworm), Onchocerca volvulus. Nematodes are transmitted from person to person by blackflies of the Simulium genus, which usually breed in fast flowing streams and rivers. The disease is the second leading infectious cause of blindness in endemic areas.Ivermectin (a microfilaricide) is widely distributed to endemic populations for prevention and treatment of onchocerciasis. Doxycycline, an antibiotic, targets Wolbachia organisms that are crucial to the survival of adult onchocerca (macrofilaricide). Combined treatment with both drugs is believed to cause direct microfilarial death by ivermectin and indirect macrofilarial death by doxycycline. Long-term reduction in the numbers of microfilaria in the skin and eyes and in the numbers of adult worms in the body has the potential to reduce the transmission and occurrence of onchocercal eye disease.
OBJECTIVES
The primary aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of doxycycline plus ivermectin versus ivermectin alone for prevention and treatment of onchocerciasis. The secondary aim was to assess the effectiveness of doxycycline plus ivermectin versus ivermectin alone for prevention and treatment of onchocercal ocular lesions in communities co-endemic for onchocerciasis and Loa loa (loiasis) infection.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Trials Register) (Issue 7, 2015), Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE Daily, Ovid OLDMEDLINE (January 1946 to July 2015), EMBASE (January 1980 to July 2015), PubMed (1948 to July 2015), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature Database (LILACS) (1982 to July 2015), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com) (last searched 1 July 2014), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov) and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic search for trials. We last searched the electronic databases on 15 July 2015.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that had compared doxycycline plus ivermectin versus ivermectin alone. Participants with or without one or more characteristic signs of ocular onchocerciasis resided in communities where onchocerciasis was endemic.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently assessed trial eligibility and extracted data. We used standard methodological procedures as expected by Cochrane.
MAIN RESULTS
We identified three RCTs including a total of 466 participants with a diagnosis of onchocerciasis. All trials compared doxycycline plus ivermectin versus ivermectin alone. One study investigated improvement in visual impairment at six-month follow-up; the other two studies measured microfilarial loads in skin snips to assess sustained effects of treatment at follow-up of 21 months or longer. The studies were conducted at various centers across three countries (Cameroon, Ghana, and Liberia). We judged all studies to be at overall high risk of bias because of inadequate randomization and lack of masking (one study), missing data (two studies), and selective outcome reporting (three studies).Only one study measured visual outcomes. This study reported uncertainty about the difference in the proportion of participants with improvement in visual impairment at six-month follow-up for doxycycline plus ivermectin compared with ivermectin alone (risk ratio (RR) 1.06, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.80 to 1.39; 240 participants; very low-quality evidence). No participant in either group showed improvement in optic atrophy, chorioretinitis, or sclerosing keratitis at six-month follow-up. More participants in the doxycycline plus ivermectin group than in the ivermectin alone group showed improvement in iridocyclitis (RR 1.24, 95% CI 0.69 to 2.22) and punctate keratitis (RR 1.43, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.00) at six-month follow-up; however, we graded these results as very low quality.Two studies reported that a six-week course of doxycycline may result in Wolbachia depletion and macrofilaricidal and sterilizing activities in female Onchocerca worms; however, no analysis was possible because data were missing and incomplete (graded evidence as very low quality). Adverse events were reported in 16 of 135 (12%) participants in one of these studies and included itching, headaches, body pains, and vertigo; no difference between treatment groups was reported for any adverse event. The second study reported that one (1.3%) participant in the doxycycline plus ivermectin group had bloody diarrhea after treatment was initiated.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Available evidence on the effectiveness of doxycycline plus ivermectin compared with ivermectin alone in preventing and treating onchocerciasis is unclear. Limited evidence of very low quality from two studies indicates that a six-week course of doxycycline followed by ivermectin may result in more frequent macrofilaricidal and microfilaricidal activity and sterilization of female adult Onchocerca compared with ivermectin alone; however, effects on vision-related outcomes are uncertain. Future studies should consider the effectiveness of treatments in preventing visual acuity and visual field loss and their effects on anterior and posterior segment lesions, particularly chorioretinitis. These studies should report outcomes in a uniform and consistent manner at follow-up of three years or longer to allow detection of meaningful changes in vision-related outcomes.
Topics: Doxycycline; Drug Therapy, Combination; Filaricides; Humans; Ivermectin; Onchocerciasis; Onchocerciasis, Ocular; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Vision Disorders
PubMed: 26771164
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011146.pub2 -
Surgical Technology International May 2019Laparoscopic colectomy represents a safe, effective and well-established procedure for both benign and malignant colic disease. Transanal anastomosis (TA) with a... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
BACKGROUND
Laparoscopic colectomy represents a safe, effective and well-established procedure for both benign and malignant colic disease. Transanal anastomosis (TA) with a circular stapler is the most commonly performed anastomotic technique in laparoscopic left hemicolectomy (LLH). We report our experience with side-to-side anastomosis (STSA) and side-to-end anastomosis (STEA) in selected patients with both emergency and elective LLH.
METHODS
A systematic review of the PubMed database was performed on recent studies that compared different anastomotic techniques after LLH. We collected internal data from June 2014 to July 2018 and compared our experience with the literature. The primary outcome was the anastomotic complication rate.
RESULTS
During the observation period, 158 patients underwent left hemicolectomy (LH). One-hundred-nineteen patients had malignant disease; 36 underwent surgery for complicated diverticular disease, one had a large strangulated incisional hernia, one had a sigmoid volvulus, and one had a sigmoid localization of endometriosis. Thirty open left hemicolectomies were performed. In 128 cases, a minimally invasive approach was used. Since conversion to open was necessary in 10 of these cases, 118 were totally LLH. STSA was performed in 64 cases; seven in an emergency setting and 57 in elective procedures. The overall anastomotic leak rate was 3.1% (2/64) and no anastomotic leak was reported in the emergency group (0/7). TA was performed in 15 cases, 93% in an elective setting (14/15), and the anastomotic leak rate was 13.3% (2/15). In 20 cases, we performed elective STEA and no anastomotic leak was recorded. In 19 cases, it was impossible to perform anastomosis and we decided to create a definitive colostomy.
CONCLUSION
Consistent with the literature data, our experience shows that, in selected cases, STSA and STEA are both safe and effective, with a lower anastomotic complication rate than TA.
Topics: Anastomosis, Surgical; Anastomotic Leak; Colectomy; Colon; Colonic Diseases; Female; Humans; Laparoscopy
PubMed: 30574685
DOI: No ID Found -
European Journal of Pediatric Surgery :... Feb 2024Intestinal volvulus in the neonate is a surgical emergency caused by either midgut volvulus (MV) with intestinal malrotation or less commonly, by segmental volvulus... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
Intestinal volvulus in the neonate is a surgical emergency caused by either midgut volvulus (MV) with intestinal malrotation or less commonly, by segmental volvulus (SV) without intestinal malrotation. The aim of our study was to investigate if MV and SV can be differentiated by clinical course, intraoperative findings, and postoperative outcomes.
METHODS
Using a defined search strategy, two investigators independently identified all studies comparing MV and SV in neonates. PRISMA guidelines were followed, and a meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3.
RESULTS
Of 1,026 abstracts screened, 104 full-text articles were analyzed, and 3 comparative studies were selected (112 patients). There were no differences in gestational age (37 vs. 36 weeks), birth weight (2,989 vs. 2,712 g), and age at presentation (6.9 vs. 3.8 days). SV was more commonly associated with abnormal findings on fetal ultrasound (US; 65 vs. 11.6%; < 0.00001). Preoperatively, SV was more commonly associated with abdominal distension (32 vs. 77%; < 0.05), whereas MV with a whirlpool sign on ultrasound (57 vs. 3%; < 0.01). Bilious vomiting had similar incidence in both (88 ± 4% vs. 50 ± 5%). Intraoperatively, SV had a higher incidence of intestinal atresia (2 vs. 19%; < 0.05) and need for bowel resection (13 vs. 91%; < 0.00001). There were no differences in postoperative complications (13% MV vs. 14% SV), short bowel syndrome (15% MV vs. 0% SV; data available only from one study), and mortality (12% MV vs. 2% SV).
CONCLUSION
Our study highlights the paucity of studies on SV in neonates. Nonetheless, our meta-analysis clearly indicates that SV is an entity on its own with distinct clinical features and intraoperative findings that are different from MV. SV should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses in all term and preterm babies with bilious vomiting after MV was ruled out-especially if abnormal fetal US and abdominal distension is present.
Topics: Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Digestive System Abnormalities; Intestinal Volvulus; Short Bowel Syndrome; Vomiting
PubMed: 37567253
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1772173 -
Early Human Development Dec 2016To determine outcome of children born with isolated gastroschisis (no extra-gastrointestinal congenital abnormalities). (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
To determine outcome of children born with isolated gastroschisis (no extra-gastrointestinal congenital abnormalities).
STUDY DESIGN
International cohort study and meta-analysis.
PRIMARY OUTCOME
time to full enteral feeding (TFEF); secondary outcomes: Duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay (LOS), mortality and differences in outcome between simple and complex gastroschisis (complex; born with bowel atresia, volvulus, perforation or necrosis). To compare the cohort study results with literature three databases were searched. Studies were eligible for inclusion if cases were born in developed countries with isolated gastroschisis after 1990, number of cases >20 and TFEF was reported.
RESULTS
The cohort study included 204 liveborn cases of isolated gastroschisis. The TFEF, median duration of ventilation and LOS was, 26days (range 6-515), 2days (range 0-90) and 33days (range 11-515), respectively. Overall mortality was 10.8%. TFEF and LOS were significantly longer (P<0.0001) and mortality was fourfold higher in the complex group. Seventeen studies, amongst the current study, were included for further meta-analysis comprising a total of 1652 patients. Mean TFEF was 35.3±4.4days, length of ventilation was 5.5±2.0days, LOS was 46.4±5.2days and mortality risk was 0.06 [0.04-0.07 95%CI]. Outcome of simple and complex gastroschisis was described in five studies. TFEF, ventilation time, LOS were significant longer and mortality rate was 3.64 [1.95-6.83 95%CI] times higher in complex cases.
CONCLUSIONS
These results give a good indication of the expected TFEF, ventilation time and LOS and mortality risk in children born with isolated gastroschisis, although ranges remain wide. This study shows the importance of dividing gastroschisis into simple and complex for the prediction of outcome.
Topics: Gastroschisis; Humans; Infant; Infant Mortality; Infant, Newborn; Length of Stay; Parenteral Nutrition; Respiration, Artificial
PubMed: 27825040
DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2016.10.002 -
European Journal of Pediatric Surgery :... Feb 2019With improvements in prenatal ultrasound, more abdominal enteric duplication cysts (EDCs) are diagnosed prenatally. The optimal time for operative intervention is...
INTRODUCTION
With improvements in prenatal ultrasound, more abdominal enteric duplication cysts (EDCs) are diagnosed prenatally. The optimal time for operative intervention is unclear. We aimed to review the evidence supporting the indication and timing of surgery for prenatally diagnosed EDCs.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A systematic review was performed using a defined search strategy identifying articles with inclusion criteria of prenatal diagnosis of histologically confirmed EDCs. Outcomes included (1) indications for resection (symptoms vs. prophylactic) and (2) time from birth to operative intervention.
RESULTS
Of 1,590 articles screened, prenatal diagnosis of histologically confirmed EDCs was made in 68 articles, detailing indications and timing for resection for 86 patients. Thirty-five patients (41%) became symptomatic early and were resected promptly at a median of 2 days of age. Indications for intervention included bowel obstruction, volvulus, bleeding, recurrent pain and diagnostic dilemma (concern for cystic neuroblastoma). There were 51 patients (59%) who were resected prophylactically at a median of 90 days of age without interval symptoms. Symptomatic cysts had a larger mean cyst diameter. There was a difference in the anatomic distribution of asymptomatic or symptomatic EDCs-gastric duplications were more frequently asymptomatic while jejunal, proximal ileal and colonic duplications were more frequently symptomatic.
CONCLUSION
The optimal approach to EDCs diagnosed prenatally is not supported by strong evidence in the literature. Our systematic review indicates that almost half of the infants diagnosed prenatally become symptomatic early and are resected. In asymptomatic patients, close observation and delayed prophylactic resection in infancy can be considered.
Topics: Asymptomatic Diseases; Cysts; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Intestines; Ultrasonography, Prenatal
PubMed: 30227446
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1668576 -
The American Journal of Gastroenterology Dec 2019Although systemic sclerosis (SSc) is known to affect the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, most of the literature focuses on esophageal, small intestinal, or anorectal...
OBJECTIVES
Although systemic sclerosis (SSc) is known to affect the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, most of the literature focuses on esophageal, small intestinal, or anorectal manifestations. There have been no reviews focused on large bowel SSc complications in over 30 years. The aim of this study is to perform a systematic review of colonic manifestations and complications of SSc.
METHODS
An experienced librarian conducted a search of databases, including English and Spanish articles. The search used keywords including "systemic sclerosis," "scleroderma," and "colon." A systematic review was performed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Case reports/series were screened for validity by adapting from criteria published elsewhere.
RESULTS
Of 1,890 articles, 74 met selection criteria. Fifty-nine of the 77 articles were case reports/series. The most common article topics on colonic SSc complications were constipation/dysmotility (15), colonic volvulus (8), inflammatory bowel disease (7), microscopic colitis (6), megacolon (6), and telangiectasia (6). Colonic manifestations constituted 24% of articles on GI complications of SSc. There were a total of 85 cases (84% women, with a median age of onset of colon complication of 52 years). Limited cutaneous SSc phenotype (65.6%) was more common than diffuse (26.2%). Patients frequently had poor outcomes with high mortality related to colonic complications (27%). Recent studies explore contemporary topics such as the microbiome in SSc and prucalopride for chronic constipation in SSc.
DISCUSSION
Colonic complications comprise a large proportion of the published reports on GI symptoms afflicting patients with SSc and require raised diagnostic suspicion and deliberate action to avoid potentially serious complications including death.
Topics: Colitis, Microscopic; Colonic Diseases; Constipation; Humans; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Intestinal Volvulus; Megacolon; Scleroderma, Diffuse; Scleroderma, Limited; Scleroderma, Systemic; Telangiectasis
PubMed: 31805016
DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000000397 -
Journal of Pediatric Surgery Nov 2015The management of intestinal rotational abnormalities (IRA) in heterotaxy syndrome (HS) remains inconsistent. Because of the high incidence of malrotation in HS,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The management of intestinal rotational abnormalities (IRA) in heterotaxy syndrome (HS) remains inconsistent. Because of the high incidence of malrotation in HS, screening of asymptomatic patients is standard of care in some institutions. The Ladd procedure is the treatment for malrotation, and has been reported to have high complication rates in HS patients.
METHODS
We performed a systematic review of publications describing IRA in pediatric HS patients from January 1993 to present. The incidence of volvulus on surgical exploration was determined. Perioperative and long-term outcomes were analyzed to determine complication and mortality rates.
RESULTS
Eleven retrospective studies describing 649 HS patients were identified. Of all patients with HS, 27% (176/649) underwent Ladd procedure. Only 1.2% (8/649) of HS patients included had volvulus. Postoperative complications occurred in 25 patients (14%), including a 10% incidence of small bowel obstruction. Perioperative and overall mortality rates after Ladd procedure were 3% and 21%, respectively. Six studies described mesenteric width, reporting 43% to have narrow mesentery.
CONCLUSION
The Ladd procedure is not without significant morbidity and mortality in heterotaxy patients. Further prospective studies should investigate predictors of mesenteric width to spare the unnecessary morbidity of surgery in patients who are at low risk for volvulus.
Topics: Adolescent; Asymptomatic Diseases; Child; Child, Preschool; Digestive System Surgical Procedures; Female; Heterotaxy Syndrome; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Intestinal Obstruction; Intestinal Volvulus; Intestines; Male; Mesentery; Postoperative Complications; Retrospective Studies; Watchful Waiting
PubMed: 26358665
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2015.08.002 -
Ulusal Travma Ve Acil Cerrahi Dergisi =... May 2024Magnet ingestion in children can lead to serious complications, both acutely and chronically. This case report discusses the treatment approach for a case involving... (Review)
Review
Magnet ingestion in children can lead to serious complications, both acutely and chronically. This case report discusses the treatment approach for a case involving multiple magnet ingestions, which resulted in a jejuno-colonic fistula, segmental intestinal volvulus, hepa-tosteatosis, and renal calculus detected at a late stage. Additionally, we conducted a literature review to explore the characteristics of intestinal fistulas caused by magnet ingestion. A six-year-old girl was admitted to the Pediatric Gastroenterology Department pre-senting with intermittent abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea persisting for two years. Initial differential diagnoses included celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and tuberculosis, yet the etiology remained elusive. The Pediatric Surgery team was consulted after a jejuno-colonic fistula was suspected based on magnetic resonance imaging findings. The physical examination revealed no signs of acute abdomen but showed mild abdominal distension. Subsequent upper gastrointestinal series and contrast enema graphy confirmed a jejuno-colonic fistula and segmental volvulus. The family later reported that the child had swallowed a magnet two years prior, and medical follow-up had stopped after the spontaneous expulsion of the magnets within one to two weeks. Surgical intervention was necessary to correct the volvulus and repair the large jejuno-colonic fistula. To identify relevant studies, we conducted a detailed literature search on magnet ingestion and gastrointestinal fistulas according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. We identified 44 articles encompassing 55 cases where symptoms did not manifest in the acute phase and acute abdomen was not observed. In 29 cases, the time of magnet ingestion was unknown. Among the 26 cases with a known ingestion time, the average duration until fistula detection was 22.8 days (range: 1-90 days). Fistula repairs were performed via laparotomy in 47 cases.
Topics: Humans; Female; Intestinal Fistula; Child; Foreign Bodies; Magnets; Malabsorption Syndromes; Jejunal Diseases; Intestinal Volvulus; Colonic Diseases
PubMed: 38738679
DOI: 10.14744/tjtes.2024.50845