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E A Neugebauer

Publications and source records attributed to E A Neugebauer.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Laparoscopic versus open surgery for suspected appendicitis.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic surgery has been proposed to have diagnostic and therapeutic advantages over conventional surgery. OBJECTIVES: To compare the diagnostic and therapeutic effects of laparoscopic and conventional 'open' surgery in the treatment of suspected acute appendicitis. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched for original articles and abstracts published until end of 2000. As main search tools we employed the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CCTR), MEDLINE, EMBASE and SciSearch. CCTR and MEDLINE searches were repeated until 10 October 2001, all other databases were searched 10 October 2000. We also handsearched the congress proceedings of endoscopic surgical societies. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included clinical trials that assessed either: (1) Therapeutic effects of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) versus open appendectomy (OA) in adults, (2) Therapeutic effects of LA versus OA in children, (3) Diagnostic effects of diagnostic laparoscopy (LAP) followed by LA or OA if necessary versus immediate OA, (4) Therapeutic effects of diagnostic laparoscopy (LAP) followed by OA if necessary versus immediate OA. We included only randomized studies and excluded those with unconcealed allocation. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently assessed each study's eligibility and quality. One reviewer extracted the data, 10% of which were later cross-checked by a second reviewer. Abstract authors and authors of articles lacking important information on trial design or results were contacted. MAIN RESULTS: We included 45 studies, of which 39 compared LA (with or without diagnostic laparoscopy) vs. OA in adults. Wound infections were about half as likely (Peto OR 0.47; 95%-CI 0.36 to 0.62) after LA than after OA, but intraabdominal abscesses were increased nearly threefold after LA (Peto OR 2.77; 95%-CI 1.61 to 4.77). The duration of surgery was 14 minutes (95%-CI 10 to 19) longer for LA. Pain on day 1 after surgery was reduced after LA by 8 mm (95%-CI 3 to 13 mm) on a 100 mm VAS. Hospital stay was reduced by 0.7 days (95%-CI 0.4 to 1.0). Return to normal activity, work, and sport were 6 days (95%-CI 4 to 8), 3 days (1 to 5), and 7 days (3 to 12) earlier after LA than after OA. While the operation costs of LA were significantly higher than that of OA, the costs outside hospital were reduced. Strong heterogeneity was found for most outcomes, but not for wound infections and intraabdominal abscesses. In children, much less data were available, but the result do not seem to be much different when compared to adults. Pain which was measured blindly in two paediatric trials, was similar after LA and OA (-1 mm VAS; 95%-CI -8 to +7 mm). In trials on unselected patients, diagnostic laparoscopy led to large but variable reductions in the rate of negative appendectomies (RR 0.21; 95%-CI 0.13 to 0.33). In parallel, the rate of unestablished diagnoses was significantly decreased after laparoscopy (RR 0.34; 95%-CI 0.22 to 0.53). In fertile women, these effects were even more pronounced: rate of negative appendectomies: RR 0.19; 95%-CI 0.11 to 0.34; rate of patients without a final diagnosis established: RR 0.24; 95%-CI 0.15 to 0.38. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: In those clinical settings where surgical expertise and equipment are available and affordable, diagnostic laparoscopy and LA (either in combination or separately) seem to have various advantages over OA. Some of the clinical effects of LA, however, are small and of limited clinical relevance. In spite of the mediocre quality of the available research data, we would generally recommend to use laparoscopy and LA in patients with suspected appendicitis unless laparoscopy itself is contraindicated or not feasible. In gangrenous or perforated cases, however, LA may possibly carry a higher risk of intraabdominal infections.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2002

[Incisional hernia repair in Germany at the crossroads: a comparison of two hospital surveys in 1995 and 2001].

INTRODUCTION: Incisional hernia repair has become a controversial issue in surgery. METHODS: To survey the current practice patterns of incisional hernia repair, a questionnaire was mailed to 2 380 surgical departments in Germany. Responses were received from 732 hospitals. The results of the current survey were compared with that of a similar survey performed in 1995. RESULTS: Overall, the incidence of incisional hernia surgery seems to have markedly increased. An increasing number of operations is performed in specialized large centres. Depending on hernia type (primary hernia < 5 cm, primary hernia > 5 cm, recurrent hernia) mesh materials have gained popularity (15 %, 67 %, and 79 %, respectively) as compared to 1995. Prolene(R) (34 %) and Vypro(R) (25 %) are the currently preferred meshes. The number of hospitals that use non-resorbable suturing material has doubled between 1995 (22 %) and 2001 (45 %). Interrupted suture are no longer the standard technique for fascia closure (80 % in 1995, 50 % in 2001). Autodermal skin graft and laparoscopic hernia repair are of little importance. Although literature data suggest high recurrence rates, most surgeons still expect that only 5-10 % of their primary or recurrent hernia repairs will fail. CONCLUSIONS: Incisional hernia repair is undergoing radical changes. However, it is unclear whether these changes in surgical techniques and materials were caused by the individual surgeon's clinical expertise, the recent publication of important trials, or the financial circumstances.

Cicatrix↗
PubMed2001

A pig hemorrhagic shock model: oxygen debt and metabolic acidemia as indicators of severity.

"Uncontrolled bleeding," "a controlled prefixed bleeding volume," or "controlled decrements in blood pressure" are traditional models of experimental hemorrhagic shock. They are influenced by compensatory mechanisms and do not adequately reflect the severity of the cellular insult as a major target for therapeutic strategies. The aim of this study was to develop an animal model that uses oxygen debt (OD) and metabolic acidemia as indicators of hemorrhage severity. Twenty-five female pigs (mean weight: 23.8 kg) were anesthesized and randomized to 1 of 5 groups of increasing OD (<50 through >120 mL/kg). The predetermined OD was accrued by hemorrhage uniformly over 60 min and followed by retransfusion. The animals were allowed to recover under anesthesia for 200 min and were then observed for 3 days. The extent of metabolic derangements were quantified by arterial base excess (BE) and plasma lactate (LAC) measurements. OD, BE, and LAC were shown to be superior as predictors of outcome in comparison with traditional variables ("bleeding volume," "blood pressure," "cardiac output") in correlation and regression. Of the analyzed predictors of outcome, BE and LAC showed the highest correlation to levels of OD (r = -0.78, 0.8 respectively; P < 0.0001), and regression models were developed. The LD50 for OD was 95.0 mL/kg, for BE -15.3 mmol/L and for LAC 7.7 mmol/L. By using the developed regression models, it is possible to estimate accurately the actual level of OD from BE and LAC values obtained during hemorrhagic shock. OD, BE, and LAC appear to be optimal indicators of severity for a pig hemorrhagic shock model.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Complexity and non-linearity in shock research: reductionism or synthesis?

The various analytical techniques used to explain the many supposed mediators of sepsis and septic shock have outpaced the integrative approaches that simplify this complexity for the physiologist and the clinician. In this article we discuss the pros and cons of reductionism and its limitations in the field of shock research and emphasize the need for synthesis research. Taking account of the historical development of natural science, we will discuss the question of how far a reductionist approach can help to explain biological phenomena and conclude that reductionism, although essential to the scientific process, reduces the evidence absurdity if exaggerated. The part is never the whole, and it is impossible to understand the whole through limited dissections of its parts. The understanding of complex systems requires approaches other than those of explanatory reductionism. We emphasize a different approach-systems thinking. Systems scientists are not interested in the underlying components; they describe and characterize complex relations. Other disciplines that use systems thinking should be studied. However, to follow the concept of synthesis, reductionists must describe the components of the system. Reductionism and synthesis are therefore the two sides of a coin. Professional synthesis research is a serious challenge in shock research.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

The effect of additional brain injury on systemic interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-13 levels in trauma patients.

OBJECTIVE: Besides interleukin (IL)-10, accumulating evidence from in vitro studies has indicated a strong antiinflammatory capacity for IL-13. A prospective clinical study was undertaken to assess the influence of additional brain injury on systemic IL-10 and IL-13 levels as markers for the antiinflammatory state in trauma patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The course of IL-10 and IL-13 plasma levels from 32 patients with an isolated severe head trauma (SHT), 50 patients with multiple injuries and additional SHT and 39 patients with multiple injuries without SHT was detected using ELISA-technique. Blood samples from 37 healthy blood donors were analysed for control. RESULTS: IL-10 levels were significantly elevated in all 3 injury groups within 3 h after trauma. The lowest initial release was detected in patients with an isolated SHT (Injury severity score; ISS: 18.1 +/- 5.6). No difference could be demonstrated for the IL-10 levels from multiple injured patients with (ISS: 35.3 +/- 9.6) or without additional SHT (ISS: 25.5 +/- 11.7), though there were relevant differences in the ISS. In contrast, the IL-13 plasma levels were not elevated systemically after trauma. CONCLUSIONS: IL-10 but not IL-13 is a detectable antiinflammatory marker in trauma patients with or without brain injury and to a minor degree in patients with an isolated SHT.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Retrospective evaluation of the simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-28) in a surgical intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-28) with its original version, to provide reference values of daily TISS-28 assessment and to describe its association with severity of illness in surgical patients. DESIGN: Retrospective evaluation of prospectively collected audit data; four documentation periods. SETTING: Ten-bed intensive care unit (ICU) in a surgical university hospital. PATIENTS: One thousand nine hundred eighty-six consecutive admissions (1,808 patients; 10,448 observation days) who stayed on ICU for at least 6 h. Patients were in hospital for abdominal, vascular or trauma surgery. The average age was 61.5 years, the mean APACHE II score on admission 10.3 points. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS: Raw data for APACHE II score and TISS were recorded daily. TISS-28 was calculated retrospectively from the original TISS data. RESULTS: Average TISS-28 values (28.7 points; SD = 9.7) do not differ substantially from the original TISS values (28.2 points, SD = 10.9) and overall correlation is high (r = 0.935). Of the patients, 57.3 % left the ICU after 1-2 days as survivors with a mean daily TISS-28 of 20.0 points. Variability between documentation periods was higher with the original TISS. On average, patients with increasing severity of disease require an increasing amount of care. Survivors have lower TISS-28 values than non-survivors (27.6 vs 34.9). CONCLUSIONS: In a surgical ICU the simplified version of TISS with 28 items (TISS-28) sufficiently reflects the amount of intensive care provided and may provide useful additional information on severity of disease and prognosis. It should replace the original index, at least in these cases.

APACHE↗
PubMed2000

Risks and benefits of preoperative high dose methylprednisolone in surgical patients: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: A single preoperative high dose of methylprednisolone (15 to 30 mg/kg) has been advocated in surgery, because it may inhibit the surgical stress response and thereby improve postoperative outcome and convalescence. However, these potential clinical benefits must be weighed against possible adverse effects. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a risk-benefit analysis using a meta-analysis, to compare complication rates and clinical advantages associated with the use of high dose methylprednisolone in surgical patients. METHODS: Randomised controlled trials of high dose methylprednisolone in elective and trauma surgery were systematically searched for in various literature databases. Outcome data on adverse effects, postoperative pain and hospital stay were extracted and statistically pooled in fixed-effects meta-analyses. RESULTS: We located 51 studies in elective cardiac and noncardiac surgery, as well as traumatology. Pooled data failed to show any significant increase in complication rates. In patients treated with corticosteroids, nonsignificantly more gastrointestinal bleeding and wound complications were observed; the 95% confidence interval boundaries of the numbers-needed-to-harm were 59 and 38, respectively. The only significant finding was a reduction of pulmonary complications (risk difference -3.5%; 95% confidence interval -1.0 to -6.1), mainly in trauma patients. CONCLUSION: For patients undergoing surgical procedures, a perioperative single-shot administration of high dose methylprednisolone is not associated with a significant increase in the incidence of adverse effects. In patients with multiple fractures, limited evidence suggests promising benefits of glucocorticoids on pulmonary complications.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

The pros and cons of evidence-based surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been proposed as a new paradigm of practising medicine. However, an unproductive polarisation between supporters and opponents can make its unbiased assessment difficult. This review gives an overview of the arguments and discusses their surgeon-specific importance. DISCUSSION: As EBM claims a position in the centre of medicine, it borders with other highly debated topics as, for instance, rationing and equity of care, doctor-patient interaction, medical research and education. Most arguments against EBM relate to its role in reducing health expenses by rationing healthcare. We think that the principles of EBM can be applied to make the inevitable process of rationing fair and reproducible. In addition, evidence-based surgery is criticised for interfering with patient individuality and physician autonomy, although this is a misunderstanding. Furthermore, the evidence-basis of EBM, in particular the randomised controlled trial (RCT) and systematic review, has been subject of discussion. Additionally, surgical research has its own inherent difficulties and, ultimately, some clinicians have doubted the practical feasibility of applying EBM at the bedside, because searching and critically appraising the literature is too difficult and time consuming. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that most critics consider EBM to be a potentially dangerous tool, because they fear it will be used against themselves. Thus, these conflicts only prove that EBM as a methodology may have a strong impact on solving them. As EBM has already made discernible progress, surgeons should not stand aside from these activities, which are bound to strongly influence healthcare in the next century.

Humans↗
PubMed1999

A multicentre randomised placebo-controlled double-blind study on adjuvant treatment of mediastinitis with immunoglobulins (Pentaglobin) after cardiac surgery (ATMI): outline and preliminary study protocol for discussion. The ATMI Study Group.

We present the second draft of a consensus-assisted protocol on the adjuvant treatment after cardiac surgery with immunoglobulins of mediastinitis. CLINICAL PHASE: Phase III. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: Placebo-controlled investigation of the clinical efficacy of Pentaglobin (Biotest, Germany) as an added treatment in patients with mediastinitis. MEDICATION: Group A, active Pentaglobin; Group B, placebo: 5% glucose solution with 1% human albumin. DOSAGE: 5 ml/kg body weight Pentaglobulin or placebo intravenously each day for 5 days. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, placebo-controlled, double blind, randomised, multicentre. SAMPLE SIZE: n = 100; 50 patients with Pentaglobin (active), 50 patients with placebo. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Cumulative therapeutic intervention scoring system (TISS-28) during hospital stay.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1998

Laparoscopic vs conventional appendectomy--a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

AIM: To compare the effectiveness and safety of laparoscopic and conventional "open" appendectomy in the treatment of acute appendicitis. METHODS: Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials available by May 1998 that compared both techniques. Within each trial and for each outcome an effect size was calculated; the effect sizes were then pooled by a random-effects model. RESULTS: We summarised outcome data of 2877 patients included in 28 trials. Operating time was +16 min (95% confidence interval +12-20 min) longer for laparoscopic appendectomy. Overall complication rates were comparable, but wound infections were definitely reduced after laparoscopy [rate difference -4.2%, (-2.3% to -6.1%)]. Intra-abdominal abscesses, however, occurred slightly more frequently [+0.9%, (-0.4% to +2.3%)]. Hospital stay after laparoscopic appendectomy was 15 h (8-23 h) shorter, and patients returned to full fitness or work 7 days (5-9 days) earlier. Pain intensity on day 1 was slightly less. Heterogeneity was present for some outcome measures due to methodological differences among the primary studies. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic appendectomy reduces wound infections and eases postoperative recovery. Nevertheless, the various differences among the primary studies and their partly flawed methodology make it difficult to generalise from these findings.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1997

[Basic surgical research as an interdisciplinary responsibility].

Surgical research starts with a disease or a clinical problem of the surgeon's and the research has the benefit of the patient as its ultimate goal. Basic surgical research, in agreement with this task, must therefore be defined as biomedical and clinimetric research. The problem determines the approach. Basic surgical research, therefore, is interdisciplinary; it forms a bridge between basic science and the clinic. Surgical research compared with other medical disciplines, however, is not well funded by current programs of official grant giving organisations, such as DFG and BMBF. To encounter this deficiency, it is mandatory to support existing concepts of successful surgical research, such as institutes/departments of surgical research and theoretical surgery.

Financing, Government↗
PubMed1995

Steroid controversy in sepsis and septic shock: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The use of corticosteroids in patients with sepsis or septic shock has been controversial for many decades. Clinical studies have reported beneficial, as well as negative results. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the clinical evidence and to evaluate treatment effects in specific subgroups of patients. DESIGN: Meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: A comprehensive search of the literature revealed 49 publications investigating the effect of corticosteroids in patients with sepsis and septic shock. STUDY SELECTION: Only ten of the 49 publications were prospective, randomized, controlled trials with an exact description of dosage and regimen. DATA EXTRACTION: Treatment effects on mortality were calculated as rate differences in each study (negative values favor steroids), and were combined with respect to the variability in each study. DATA SYNTHESIS: Only one study showed a significantly positive effect of steroid treatment. Overall, no positive effect was observed: -0.2% (95% confidence interval: -9.2, 8.8). There were no differences observed when comparing low- vs. high-dose or type of corticosteroid used. Comparing patients with proven Gram-positive or Gram-negative infection showed a slight but not significant difference. The Gram-negative group demonstrated better outcome (-5.6% vs. 1.8%). A quality rating of each trial showed a remarkable increase in quality over time. Adverse events (gastrointestinal bleeding, secondary infections, hyperglycemia) were not more frequent in patients treated with steroids compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: No overall beneficial effect of corticosteroids in patients with septic shock was observed; however, there is some evidence for a positive effect in patients with Gram-negative septicemia.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗