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Biomedical subjects

E Kullman

Publications and source records attributed to E Kullman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Development of symptoms and complications in individuals with asymptomatic gallstones.

BACKGROUND: Gallbladder stones are common in the developed world. Complications of gallstones contribute substantially to healthcare costs and may be life threatening. The identification of individuals likely to develop complications would be of benefit in clinical practice as elective cholecystectomy could then be performed. METHODS: Seven hundred and thirty-nine subjects aged 35-85 years from the general population were screened for gallbladder problems by ultrasonography and questionnaire assessment of putative risk factors and digestive symptoms. Gallstones, cholesterolosis or sludge in the gallbladder were diagnosed in 123 (16.3 per cent) of 739 subjects, 120 of whom were followed for a median of 87 (range 3-146) months to May 2003 or until treatment was required. RESULTS: Fourteen patients were admitted to hospital and treated for gallstone-related complications or symptoms. The cumulative risk of being treated during the first 5 years after detection of asymptomatic gallstones was 7.6 per cent and there was no indication of this risk levelling off. There were no significant differences between treated and untreated subjects with regard to digestive symptoms or any of the risk factors monitored at the initial screening, although treated subjects were significantly younger than those who were not treated. CONCLUSION: Nearly one in ten individuals with asymptomatic gallbladder stones in the general population may be expected to develop symptoms or complications that require treatment within 5 years. Age may be inversely related to the incidence of complications.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Gastric bile monitoring: an in vivo and in vitro study of Bilitec reliability.

BACKGROUND: It has been claimed that the combination of bile and hydrochloride acid (HCl) has a noxious effect on intestinal mucosa. The aim was to study the reliability of the Bilitec 2001 method inmonitoring the presence of bile in repeated tests and at different pH and water dilutions. METHODS: 24-h esophageal pH and gastric Bilitec monitoring were performed twice with an interval of 6 weeks in 23 patients with symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux (GER). In vitro tests of pH and Bilitec recordings were peformed with different mixtures of bile, HCl and water. RESULTS: Gastric bile was present in 37% of the recording time, 28% during day time and 47% during nights. No significant difference was found between the two test occasions. The maximum bile concentration in the stomach was significantly lower in patients with severe pathological GER than in those with normal GER. When concentrated bile was diluted with the same volume of HCl, the pH level fell below 4. The maximum absorption limit with Bilitec in concentrated bile was gradually reduced with decreasing pH. The Bilitec technique recorded the presence of bile even at a pH of 1.4, but not if the bile was diluted with water at a ratio of 1:100 or more. CONCLUSIONS: Bilitec gastric recordings show the same clinical result when repeated under standardized conditions. The Bilitec technique is not reliable for monitoring the amount and concentration of bile in the stomach. Bile reflux cannot be monitored with the pH recording technique.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Laparoscopic vs open appendectomy in overweight patients.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) has been associated with a faster recovery and less postoperative pain than the open technique. However, few data are available on the clinical outcome of LA in overweight patients. METHODS: A group of 106 patients with a body mass index (BMI) > 26.4, representing the upper quintile of 500 prospectively randomized patients, were included in the study. They were randomized to undergo either laparoscopic or open appendectomy (OA). Operating and anesthesia times, postoperative pain, complications, hospital stay, functional index (1 week postoperatively), sick leave, and time to full recovery were documented. RESULTS: In OA, the operating time for overweight patients was significantly longer than that for patients in the normal weight range (40 vs 35 min, p < 0.05). In LA, there was no difference in operating time between the normal and overweight patients. Overweight patients who underwent LA had longer operating and anesthesia times than their OA counterparts (55 vs 40 min, p < 0.001; and 125 vs 100 min, p < 0.001, respectively). Postoperative pain was significantly greater in overweight patients who underwent OA than in those treated with the laparoscopic technique. Postoperative pain was also significantly greater in overweight patients subjected to OA than in patients of normal weight after 4 weeks; the clinical significance may, however, be of less importance since the values are low (0.26 vs 0.09, p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two operating techniques in terms of complications. Hospital stay was longer for overweight patients than for normal-weight patients undergoing OA (3.0 vs 2.0, p < 0.01). The functional index did not differ between any group of patients. Sick leave was longer for overweight patients who underwent OA than for normal-weight patients treated with the same technique (17 vs 13 days, p < 0.01). In the laparoscopic group, however, there were no differences between the overweight and normal-weight patients. Time to full recovery was greater in overweight patients subjected to OA than in the overweight patients in the LA group (22 vs 15 days, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, overweight patients who were submitted to LA had less postoperative pain and a faster postoperative recovery than overweight patients who had OA. LA also abolished some of the negative effects that overweight had on operating time, hospital stay, and sick leave with the open technique. However, anesthesia and operating times were significantly longer in LA for both overweight patients and those with a normal BMI.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Conversion from laparoscopic to open appendicectomy: a possible drawback of the laparoscopic technique?

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the reasons for, and outcome of, conversion from laparoscopic to open appendicectomy and to identify factors that may predict the need for conversion. DESIGN: Subgroup analysis from a randomised multicentre study. SETTING: One university hospital and four county hospitals, Sweden. SUBJECTS: A total of 500 patients were randomised to laparoscopic (n = 244) or open (n = 256) appendicectomy. Thirty operations (12%) were converted to open appendicectomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reasons for conversion, outcome, and preoperative predictive variables. RESULTS: Difficult anatomy or the presence of an abscess were the main reasons for conversion (25/30). The incidence of perforated appendicitis was higher among patients who required conversion compared with both the open and laparoscopic group. Operating time, anaesthetic time, and duration of hospital stay were longer after conversion. Time to full recovery and length of sick leave were also longer, except for patients with perforated appendicitis. There was no difference in the complication rate. No predictive factors were identified. CONCLUSION: The main reasons for conversion were difficult anatomy and the presence of an abscess. After conversion patients recovered more slowly than those operated on laparoscopically or by primary open operation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Changing pattern of histological type, location, stage and outcome of surgical treatment of gastric carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: There are indications that some features of gastric carcinoma are changing, with a possible impact on prognosis. The aim of this study was to examine any changes in type, location, stage, resection rate, postoperative mortality rate or prognosis for patients with gastric carcinoma in a well defined population. METHODS: During 1974-1991, 1161 new cases of gastric adenocarcinoma were diagnosed in Ostergötland County, Sweden. Tumour location, Laurén histological type, tumour node metastasis (TNM) stage, radicality of tumour resection and postoperative complications were recorded after histological re-evaluation of tissue specimens and examination of all patient records. Dates of death were obtained from the Swedish Central Bureau of Statistics. Time trends were studied by comparing the intervals 1974-1982 (period 1) and 1983-1991 (period 2). RESULTS: The proportion of diffuse type of adenocarcinoma increased (from 27 to 35 per cent), while that of mixed type decreased (from 16 to 9 per cent) and that of intestinal type was unchanged. The proportion of tumours located in the proximal two-thirds of the stomach increased (from 32 to 42 per cent) and the proportion of patients with tumours in TNM stage IV decreased (from 32 to 25 per cent). Overall tumour resection rates were unchanged, although the proportion of radical total gastrectomies increased (from 36 to 50 per cent). Excluding tumours of the cardia or gastric remnant after previous ulcer surgery, the 5-year relative survival rate after radical resection increased from 25 to 36 per cent and the postoperative mortality rate decreased for both radical (from 11 to 4 per cent) and palliative (from 18 to 6 per cent) resection. CONCLUSION: The patterns of tumour histology, location and stage of gastric carcinoma have changed in the authors' region. These changes were paralleled by a significant improvement in survival and postoperative mortality rates.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1999

Prospective randomized multicentre study of laparoscopic versus open appendicectomy.

BACKGROUND: A prospective randomized multicentre study was performed to compare the outcome of laparoscopic and open appendicectomy in patients with suspected acute appendicitis. METHODS: A total of 523 patients was randomized, but because of 23 withdrawals the outcome in 500 patients is reported, 244 in the laparoscopic group and 256 in the open group. RESULTS: Patients having laparoscopic appendicectomy recovered more quickly than those having open surgery (13 versus 21 days, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in duration of sick leave after operation (laparoscopic group 11 days versus open group 14 days). Postoperative pain (at 24 h, 7 days and 14 days) was less after laparoscopic operations and a functional index 1 week after operation was more favourable in these patients (P < 0.001). Operating time was significantly longer in the laparoscopic group (60 versus 35 min, P < 0.01). Hospital stay and complications did not differ between the groups. Thirty laparoscopic procedures (12 per cent) were converted to open appendicectomy. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic appendicectomy is as safe as open appendicectomy and has the advantage of allowing a quicker recovery.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1999

Cost-minimisation analysis of laparoscopic and open appendicectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the direct and indirect costs of laparoscopic and open appendicectomy. DESIGN: Randomised study. SETTING: University hospital, Sweden. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Total costs for a defined period of time for each option. RESULTS: 102 patients were randomised and 99 were included in the final analysis. All patients had completely recovered within two months of operation. Disposable extra material used for the laparoscopic operation and longer operating time raised its median cost by SEK 912 and 1785, respectively. The mean duration of hospital stay, period off work (indirect costs), and time to complete recovery did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic appendicectomy has higher direct costs than open operation and is not as cost-effective when the longterm outcome is the same in both groups.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1998

Prevalence of gallstone disease in a Swedish population sample. Relations to occupation, childbirth, health status, life style, medications, and blood lipids.

BACKGROUND: There are only a few Swedish studies on the prevalence of gallstone disease in selected age groups, and none including possible risk factors. METHODS: Of a population sample of 1200 individuals (age, 35-85 years), 857 participated in the study. The study subjects were asked to answer a questionnaire about potential risk factors (occupation, childbirth, life style, and so forth), symptoms, and quality of life. Cholecystectomy had previously been done in 115 subjects, leaving 742 for ultrasound examination of the gallbladder. RESULTS: The prevalence of gallstone disease increased with age, and at 75 years or more, 53% of the women and 32% of the men either had gallstones or had previously undergone cholecystectomy (32% and 13%, respectively). When comparing subjects with and without gallstones, there were no differences with regard to any variable, including blood lipid levels. The odds ratio of previous cholecystectomy was increased in subjects with an occupation requiring no specific education and reduced in subjects using wine or spirits every week. The odds ratio of abdominal pain was increased after previous cholecystectomy. Women in this group also experienced a lower quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The age and sex distribution of gallstone disease was in the order of the magnitude seen in other Scandinavian countries. None of the studied variables differed between subjects with and without gallstones. Subjects previously operated on with cholecystectomy did worse with regard to symptoms and quality of life.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Effect of chronic endogenous hypergastrinaemia on pancreatic growth and carcinogenesis in the hamster.

BACKGROUND: To examine the effect of gastrin on spontaneous and induced pancreatic carcinogenesis in the hamster. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two sets of experiments were carried out, one involving long term hypergastrinaemia and one involving cancer induction during hypergastrinaemia. The effect of hypergastrinaemia accomplished by gastric fundectomy was studied for eight months. Neither fundectomised hamsters nor sham operated controls developed premalignant or malignant pancreatic lesions. In the fundectomy group, the mean pancreatic weight, total protein content, and DNA content was increased by 28%, 25%, and 25% respectively. No such increases were found in fundectomised animals receiving a cholecystokinin-B receptor antagonist during the last 24 days of the experiment. In the cancer induction study, the effect of fundectomy on N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl) amine induced pancreatic carcinogenesis was studied for three months. There were no significant differences in the incidence or [3H]-thymidine labelling index of focal pancreatic lesions between fundectomised and sham operated control animals. CONCLUSIONS: Fundectomy with chronic hypergastrinaemia induces pancreatic hypertrophy, but does not enhance N-nitrosobis (2-oxopropyl)amine induced pancreatic carcinogenesis in the hamster. The increases in growth were inhibited by a cholecystokinin-B receptor antagonist, indicating that the trophic effect of fundectomy is mediated by gastrin.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Value of routine intraoperative cholangiography in detecting aberrant bile ducts and bile duct injuries during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

A prospective study was performed to determine the frequency and type of bile duct abnormalities, and to determine whether routine use of intraoperative cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy might aid in the prevention of bile duct injuries. Overall, anatomical aberrations of the bile ducts were found in 98 (19 per cent) of 513 cholangiograms. The most common anomalies were at the hepatic confluence and constituted different types of right hepatic subsegmental ducts draining separately into the biliary tree (n = 43, 8.4 per cent), either close to the cystic duct or directly into the cystic duct. Three bile duct injuries (0.5 per cent) occurred during the study period. These results show that routine intraoperative cholangiography is feasible and provides valuable information about the anatomy of the biliary tract, thereby improving the safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. If an injury to the biliary tract occurs early during operation, the cholangiogram allows the surgeon to detect the injury, to make a prompt repair and thereby reduce the morbidity associated with a delayed diagnosis. Routine use of intraoperative cholangiography is strongly recommended.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1996

Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy of gallbladder stones: an alternative for the selected few.

OBJECTIVE: To define selection criteria for optimal outcome of ESWL with oral litholysis (ursodeoxycholic acid) for gallbladder stones. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University hospital, Sweden. SUBJECTS: 145 patients with symptomatic gallbladder stones occupying a maximum of half the fasting gallbladder volume and gallbladder opacification at oral cholecystography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Three-year stone clearance rates in relation to initial stone burden, occurrence of calcified stones, and degree of gallbladder opacification at cholecystography. RESULTS: At all times clearance rates according to life table analysis were significantly higher for patients whose stone volume was < or = 4.2 ml (corresponding to one stone with a diameter of < or = 2.0 cm) (83% at 3 years) than for patients whose stone volume was > 4.2 ml (67% at 3 years), and patients with one stone had significantly higher clearance rates (88% at 3 years) than patients with multiple stones (58% at 3 years). Of all patients treated for gallbladder stones during one year, 25/194 (13%) had a stone volume of < or = 4.2 ml and 16/194 (8%) a solitary stone with volume < or = 4.2 ml. Neither the degree of gallbladder opacification nor the occurrence of calcified stones influenced clearance rates. CONCLUSION: ESWL may be an alternative to surgery in the few patients whose stone volume is roughly 4 ml or less and preferably have only one stone. Gallbladder function and patency of the cystic duct are poorly evaluated by oral cholecystography.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Management of bile duct stones in the era of laparoscopic cholecystectomy: appraisal of routine operative cholangiography and endoscopic treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of preoperative or postoperative endoscopic treatment of bile duct stones and routine use of operative cholangiography (OC) for detection of unsuspected common bile duct (CBD) stones in conjunction with laparoscopic cholecystectomy. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University hospital, Sweden. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnostic and therapeutic yield of stones at endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) before or after laparoscopic cholecystectomy and routine operative cholangiography. RESULTS: Of 630 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 84 had preoperative ERC. Of these 84, 47 (56%) had bile duct stones. Endoscopic sphincterotomy was done for all 47, of whom 3 (6%) had retained stones at OC. OC was done for 590 (94%) of the 630 patients, and 45 (7.6%) were found to have choledocholithiasis. At postoperative ERC, however, 10 of these patients were free of stones and there were two cases of false negative OC, which resulted in sensitivity and specificity of OC of 95% and 98%, respectively. Thus, 35 patients (6%) had bile duct stones discovered at OC, of whom 33 had "unsuspected" stones. Of these 35 patients, 29 were cleared endoscopically after cholecystectomy. The remaining 6 patients were cleared of stones either by open choledocholithotomy (n = 2) or by laparoscopic transcystic manipulation (n = 4). There was no mortality after diagnostic or therapeutic ERC, and morbidity was confined to two cases each of pancreatitis and cholangitis, which resulted in a complication rate of 3% (4/118). No complications resulted from IOC. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative ERC should be done for patients with symptoms or findings indicating ductal calculi. In most patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy, OC is feasible and its routine use is strongly advocated. Bile duct stones diagnosed at OC can safely and successfully be treated endoscopically after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Until laparoscopic bile duct exploration becomes routine and generally applicable, endoscopic management of bile duct stones both before and after cholecystectomy will be an important therapeutic option.

Cholangiography↗
PubMed1994

Endogenous hypercholecystokininemia, but not aspirin, reduces the gallstone incidence in the hamster model.

BACKGROUND: Studies in humans and rodents indicate that gallstone development may be prevented by inhibiting gallbladder mucus hypersecretion with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or by preventing stasis of gallbladder bile with administration of cholecystokinin. METHODS: The effect of oral aspirin and pancreaticobiliary diversion with endogenous hypercholecystokininemia on crystal and gallstone formation was studied in Syrian golden hamsters fed a lithogenic diet for 8 weeks. RESULTS: None of the control animals fed a normal diet developed gallstones or crystals in gallbladder bile. Gallstones developed in 67% of the animals fed a lithogenic diet only. The gallstone prevalence did not differ significantly in animals on a lithogenic diet and a daily aspirin dose of 6 mg/kg (gallstone prevalence, 60%) or 100 mg/kg (gallstone prevalence, 70%), whereas it was significantly lower in animals with endogenous hypercholecystokininemia on a lithogenic diet (gallstone prevalence, 29%). The prevalence of crystals in gallbladder bile did not differ significantly between any of the experimental groups. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that in hamsters on a lithogenic diet, aspirin does not prevent gallstone formation, whereas endogenous hypercholecystokininemia reduces the prevalence of stones without affecting the occurrence of crystals in gallbladder bile.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Trends in incidence, clinical findings and outcome of acute and elective cholecystectomy, 1970-1986.

OBJECTIVE: To assess time trends in the incidence, clinical findings, and outcome of conventional acute and elective cholecystectomy. DESIGN: Single-institution time series analysis. SETTING: University hospital, Sweden. SUBJECTS: A consecutive series of 2926 patients operated on for acute or chronic gallbladder disease in a defined Swedish population. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in the incidence and outcome of acute and elective cholecystectomy. RESULTS: From period I (1970-1978) to period II (1979-1986), the mean rate of acute operations increased from 10 to 30/100,000 inhabitants/year and that of elective operations decreased from 190 to 120/100,000 inhabitants/year. There was therefore a negative correlation between the rate of elective and acute operations (r = -0.58, p < 0.02). This was strongest when the rate of elective operations in any one year was correlated with the rate of acute operations two years later (r = -0.71, p < 0.01). In both groups the proportion of patients over 70 years old increased significantly. The female:male ratio decreased significantly for acute but not elective operations (mean 2.6 in period I and 1.0 in period II). The length of history and the number of previous admissions to hospital with gallstone disease decreased significantly for both groups, as did prevalence of common bile duct stones detected at cholecystectomy. Morbidity did not seem to change, though a general improvement may have been concealed, because patients were older in period II and postoperative mortality was lower than in period I. Complications were least common among patients with a short or no previous history of symptoms attributable to gallstones. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of elective cholecystectomy seems to have some influence on the future rate of acute cholecystectomy. When symptoms of gallstone disease develop, treatment should not be delayed unnecessarily.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

Peroperative nitrous oxide does not influence recovery after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

We have evaluated the effects of nitrous oxide on recovery following laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a prospective, randomised, double-blind study with 42 otherwise healthy patients. All patients received meperidine 1 mg/kg and atropine 6 micrograms/kg im for premedication, and anaesthesia was induced with fentanyl 2 micrograms/kg and thiopental 4-6 mg/kg. Succinylcholine was used for the intubation and muscle relaxation was achieved using vecuronium. Isoflurane with 70% nitrous oxide in oxygen and fentanyl was used for maintenance of anaesthesia in group I (n = 19), and isoflurane in air/oxygen and fentanyl in group II (n = 23). The postoperative ward staff and the surgeon evaluating the postoperative recovery were blinded to the anaesthetic technique. No differences were found in duration of operation and anaesthesia, need for postoperative analgesia or postoperative nausea treated medically. Recovery, judged by the Steward Coma Score, comprehension and collaboration, degree of sedation and orientation in time and space, was similar in the two groups. Postoperative hospital stay was 1 (1-4) day in the nitrous oxide group (median (10-90th percentiles) versus 2 (1-4) days in the air group. The time until patients were recovered, as judged by return to work and normal daily activities, was the same in the two groups: 8 (4-11) days in the nitrous oxide group and 8 (4-11) days in the air group. We conclude that nitrous oxide has no influence on recovery after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Adult↗