World journal of surgery
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World journal of surgery · Mar 1997
Incidence of acute nonperforated and perforated appendicitis: age-specific and sex-specific analysis.
This prospective study was performed to investigate epidemiological characteristics in terms of the age- and sex-specific incidence in patients with perforated and nonperforated appendicitis. The study population comprised 1486 consecutive patients who underwent appendectomy for suspected acute appendicitis between 1989 and 1993. Two patient cohorts [n = 544 (37%)] were analyzed with regard to prehospitalization duration of symptoms and in-hospital observation time. ⋯ Patients with perforation had a significantly longer duration of symptoms as well as in-hospital observation time than did patients with nonperforated appendicitis. Perforated appendicitis showed a different incidence pattern than nonperforated appendicitis and was associated with a significantly longer duration of symptoms and in-hospital observation time, probably due to patient-related factors. We suggest this observation deserves attention regarding clinical diagnosis and treatment decision-making for patients with suspected acute appendicitis.
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World journal of surgery · Mar 1997
Complications and nonclosure rates of fasciotomy for trauma and related risk factors.
The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for the development of complications and unsatisfactory skin closure following fasciotomy for trauma. Risk factors included in the study are prolonged time from injury to fasciotomy, type of fasciotomy, site of injury, and kind of underlying injury. The study was a retrospective analysis of 100 consecutive fasciotomies done for trauma over a period of 38 months (December 1991 to January 1995) in a "level I" trauma center at a university-affiliated county teaching hospital. ⋯ The rate was highest among the vascular/lower extremity group (60.5%) and lowest among the nonvascular/upper extremity group (15.4%). We concluded that fasciotomies in lower extremities, the presence of underlying vascular injuries, fasciotomies performed prophylactically, and a time between the injury and fasciotomy of more than 8 hours are associated with an increased risk for local complications. The same factors are associated with an increased need for skin grafting the wound.
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World journal of surgery · Mar 1997
Accuracy of current educational literature on the staging of gastric carcinoma.
Staging of gastric adenocarcinoma is important for comparing aspects of the disease in Asia and in the Western countries, and it may be used to direct the treatment strategy. A survey of 13 popular current surgical textbooks and review journals found a high level of inaccuracy. ⋯ Only 40% of the cited staging systems was reliable. This level of inaccuracy leads to confusion for the reader and to difficulty interpreting other relevant literature.