Southern medical journal
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Age is often a marker for comorbid illnesses that may complicate attempts at surgical intervention. Careful selection is important in deciding to recommend surgery for geriatric patients, but selected elderly patients may even benefit from major surgery. ⋯ Case series have shown the ability of geriatric patients to recover from major surgical procedures, including cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, and oncologic surgery. In general, advanced age is not a contraindication to surgery but it reinforces the need for careful preoperative evaluation and vigorous postoperative support of the patient.
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Southern medical journal · Oct 1996
Review Case ReportsAscites associated with antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis.
We report the case of an elderly patient who had ascites due to pseudomembranous colitis and associated hypoalbuminemia. Computed tomography showed diffuse colonic wall thickening. An indium-111 scan to localize the site of infection showed abnormal localization of 111In throughout the colon. ⋯ To study the cause of ascites in patients with pseudomembranous colitis, we reviewed our institutions' experience with ascites in association with Clostridium difficile colitis, identifying 16 cases over a 1-year period (which included our case). In most of the other cases, the ascites could be attributed primarily to another mechanism, including portal hypertension, congestive heart failure, and sepsis (intra-abdominal and systemic). We also reviewed the literature regarding the association of ascites with C difficile colitis.