A A Moss Júnior | PubMed Health

PubMedDate not supplied

Electromyographic activity of the gastrointestinal tract following cholecystectomy.

Electromyographic activity of the stomach and small bowel, both in the fasting and fed states, was evaluated in the postoperative period of 8 patients subjected to cholecystectomy. The migrating motor complex (MMC) was recorded on the first postoperative day in 5 patients, on the second day in 2, and on the third day in 1. Vomiting occurred in 1 patient in whom the MMC was recorded only on the third postoperative day. Feeding caused substitution of the MMC by the fed pattern in the stomach and small bowel in all patients. It is concluded from this study that gastric and small bowel motility is normal on the first 2 days of the postoperative period in most patients subjected to cholecystectomy.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Acute acalculous cholecystitis.

Thirty-two patients with acute acalculous cholecystitis are presented. The age of the patients ranged from 1 to 80 years, with an average of 46.3 years. Acute acalculous cholecystitis occurred during the postoperative period in only four patients. Three patients were receiving total parenteral nutrition and 16 patients had one or more associated medical diseases. One patient had acute acalculous cholecystitis due to mechanical obstruction of the cystic duct caused by a diaphragmatic hernia. The most frequent signs and symptoms were right upper quadrant abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal mass, and jaundice. All patients were subjected to cholecystectomy. Nine (28.1%) gallbladder specimens had gangrene. Pericholecystic perforation was observed in four patients (12.5%) free perforation in one patient (3.1%), and empyema of the gallbladder in one patient (3.1%). Bacteria were cultured from 18 of 24 bile specimens. E. coli was the most common organism isolated. The overall postoperative mortality and complication rates were 15.6% and 40.6% respectively. The average hospital stay was 16.4 days.

Acute Disease↗