Diseases of the colon and rectum
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Comparative Study
Limitations of peritoneal lavage with antiseptics in prevention of recurrent colorectal cancer caused by tumor-cell seeding: experimental study in rats.
Exfoliated or soiled free malignant cells have serious consequences in patients undergoing gastrointestinal cancer surgery. The present study evaluates the toxicity and efficacy of cytotoxic agents in the prevention of cell seeding and tumor growth in the peritoneal cavity in an experimental model. ⋯ Povidone-iodine toxicity proved to be a major issue in vivo. However, povidone-iodine low molecular weight 1 percent was safe when used for short periods and very effective when a limited number of tumor cells was inoculated. The use of cytotoxic agents to prevent recurrent disease caused by tumor cell seeding in patients seems to make sense only when the "inoculum size" of exfoliated or soiled cancer cells is limited.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of vaginal delivery on the pelvic floor by serial measurement of pudendal nerve terminal motor latency, perineal descent, and anal pressure before and after delivery. ⋯ Pudendal nerve damage and functional impairment in the pelvic floor sphincter musculature occurs during vaginal delivery. Pudendal nerve terminal motor latency recovers after two months, whereas functional disturbance in the pelvic floor persists at least until six months.
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Comparative Study
Operative mortality rates among surgeons: comparison of POSSUM and p-POSSUM scoring systems in gastrointestinal surgery.
The original Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity and the more recent Portsmouth predictor equation for mortality scoring systems were developed to provide risk-adjusted mortality rates in general surgery. The aim of this study was to compare crude and risk-adjusted operative mortality rates among four surgeons using the above scoring systems and assess their applicability for patients scored retrospectively. ⋯ The Portsmouth predictor equation for mortality equation seems to be a more accurate predictor of mortality in gastrointestinal surgery. It would seem to provide the best choice for analyzing operative mortality rates for individual surgeons, taking into account variation in case mix and fitness of patients even when scored retrospectively. This has important implications for the future assessment of surgeons' clinical standards and the assessment of quality of surgical care.
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Topical diltiazem and bethanechol decrease anal sphincter pressure and heal anal fissures without side effects.
Topical glyceryl trinitrate heals anal fissures, but a majority of patients experience headache. Topical gels of the calcium channel blocker diltiazem and the cholinomimetic bethanechol significantly lower anal sphincter pressure in volunteers. This study investigated the use of these two new pharmacologic agents in the treatment of patients with chronic anal fissure. ⋯ Both topical diltiazem and bethanechol substantially reduce anal sphincter pressure and achieve fissure healing to a similar degree reported with topical nitrates, but without side effects.
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Intra-abdominal infection is generally considered a major risk factor for dehiscence of primary colon anastomosis. To elucidate the indications for nutritional support during intra-abdominal sepsis, we investigated the healing of anastomoses in an animal model. ⋯ Early feeding has a positive effect on anastomotic healing in the presence of intraabdominal sepsis. The mechanism by which early feeding enhances the colonic anastomotic healing is unclear, although preservation of colonic collagen seems to play a significant role.