Journal of medicine and life
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Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Although surgery is the only potential curative treatment, the overall survival results remain poor due to the high risks of recurrence, so scientists developed new aggressive adjuvant therapies. ⋯ IORT is a technique designed to provide a large radiation dose to a target tissue considered of being "at risk" to develop recurrence. In this review we resume recent publications which debate the use, efficacy and the overall survival after IORT.
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Trauma is the leading cause of death for patients aged less than 40 years. Trauma patients with cardiac arrest have low survival rates, the resuscitation being often considered futile and consumptive of medical and human resources. ⋯ Given the low survival figures, all the efforts that could be achieved by an emergency team in the face of severe trauma had to be oriented towards the maintaining of the vital functions or, when needed, towards restoring life in order to enrich the operation theatre for the definitive care.
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Taking into account the incidence and the severity of electrocutions, we consider it extremely necessary to find effective, appropriate and particularized therapeutic solutions aimed at improving the survival, decreasing the mortality, ensuring a superior functional and aesthetic effect and facilitating the social reintegration. Given the severity of the general condition of the electrically injured patient and the fact that any worsening of the lesions has a systemic echo, the selection of the timing for re-excision is very important. The postponement of the surgical timing can break the precarious metabolic equilibrium and can hasten the installation of the multisystem organ failure (MSOF). ⋯ As a conclusion, the CK level did not prove itself a prognostic for the surgical timing or the actual surgical attitude and could be influenced by a whole series of factors, dependent or not on the electrocution lesion. A radical attitude is to be preferred in cases with established ischemia; the prognostic being the more reserved the larger the damage and the longer the period of time from the event. The established treatment is of renal support and treatment of acute renal injury (AKI) subsequently installed. An increased level of leukocytes is always present as in any severe trauma, even if there are no immediate signs of infection of the electrocution lesions. Taking into account that the electrocution lesion as well as the one caused by burning destroys the natural defense barrier represented by the skin, the infection risk is major and that is why the therapeutic protocol stipulates the immediate establishment of a treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics or with an association of antibiotics. The increase of the leukocytes level under antibiotics treatment involves either the contamination with a germ that is not sensitive to the respective antibiotic or the persistence of necrosis areas which secondarily infect, and where antibiotic penetration is very low. Therefore, the excision of the compromised tissues is an absolute necessity. In terms of prognostic, the increase of the leukocytes number signified an insufficient excision and indicated the resuming and deepening of the excisions. Taking into account that the patient has been admitted through the ICU service, the risk of contracting severe infections with selected germs is real. Another risk is that of infection with Clostridium difficile following the prolonged utilization of broad-spectrum antibiotics, especially in patients with associated diseases and reduced immunity per primam. The existence of completely separate circuits should solve the problem of contamination with bacteria of selected species; unfortunately, in our cases, we have faced this problem and the utilization of last choice antibiotics (Imipenem, Vancomycin, Targocid, etc.) as well as the association of immunoglobulins was necessary. All the patients admitted in the study received anti-thromboxane drugs in order to limit the ischemic process at tissue level. Despite the efforts we have made, the lack of blood and its derivatives or simply the negligence in patient monitoring, allowed the decrease, even transient of the Hb level, sometimes only for a few hours, but enough to allow the deepening of the ischemic lesions. Excisions were carried out in all the patients in emergency or even amputations of the extremities, with the wish to limit the extension of the ischemic lesions and the resorption of cell degradation products. The amputations performed in emergency did not always represent a saving solution; however, they remained the most effective measures when they were carried out immediately after the accident and obviously in viable tissue. The increase of CK is not an indicative factor itself in making re-excisions but orients the therapeutic approach, the utilization of the dialysis when the values do not decrease by treatment for renal support and the forcing of diuresis is required. The normalization of CK indicates the time when we can start the covering of the defects resulted as a consequence of the excisions. The level of the leukocytes represents both a prognostic factor and an indicative factor for the re-excision of the ischemic areas. An increased level under antibiotic therapy signifies either an incomplete excision or the contamination with flora resisting to the antibiotic that has been used. In the light of findings in the caring of the patients with electrocutions, I propose several caring/assessment protocols for the severe electrically injured patient.
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Koebner phenomenon represents the development of several inflammatory skin lesions (psoriasis, lichen planus, vitiligo, etc.) in uninvolved skin following various traumatic insults. The case of a 27-year-old male patient with scalp psoriasis who was referred to our clinic for generalized psoriatic lesions developed two weeks after tattooing his skin at the age of 18 was presented; the case illustrated the possibility of Koebner phenomenon induced by skin tattooing in patients with psoriasis.
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Intoxication with ethylene glycol occurs as a result of intentional ingestion in suicide attempts or accidentally. Clinical ethylene glycol poisoning is not specific and occurs in many poisoning cases therefore the diagnosis is difficult. Early diagnostic and establishment of therapy are very important for a favorable evolution. The mortality rate of ethylene glycol intoxication ranges between 1 and 22% depending on the amount of alcohol ingestion and the time period between alcohol ingestion and initiation of therapy. ⋯ The early diagnostic and exclusion of the other diseases and other poisoning led to a specific treatment of the intoxication. The time from the ingestion of ethylene glycol and the early establishment of therapy is very important for a favorable evolution and can prevent substantial mortality.