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Biomedical subjects

R D Kingston

Publications and source records attributed to R D Kingston.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Risk factors in patients presenting as an emergency with colorectal cancer.

Of 905 patients with colorectal cancer admitted to a single district general hospital, 272 (30 per cent) were admitted as emergencies. Emergency patients had more advanced tumours (Dukes stage B and C 96 per cent versus 88 per cent of those admitted electively, P < 0.006), a shorter history (median 3 versus 11 weeks, P < 0.0001), were less likely to be fully ambulatory (44 versus 80 per cent, P < 0.0001) and more likely to have abdominal pain (74 versus 51 per cent, P < 0.001) and vomiting (40 versus 10 per cent, P < 0.0001). More emergency patients were given stomas (56 versus 35 per cent, P < 0.0001) and died in hospital (19 versus 8 per cent, P < 0.0001). Of those who survived to be discharged, patients admitted as an emergency spent longer in hospital (median stay 16 versus 13 days, P < 0.0001) and had a poorer overall 5-year survival rate (29 versus 39 per cent, P = 0.0001). Emergency patients were significantly older (median 74 versus 72 years, P = 0.04) and much more likely to be widowed (41 versus 27 per cent, P = 0.0002) than those admitted for elective surgery. If the personal and resource disaster of emergency colorectal cancer admission is to be reduced, screening strategies targeted by demographic characteristics require investigation.

Adult

Stomach cancer--is it a lost cause?

A retrospective study of 7 years of endoscopy at Trafford General Hospital from 1986-1993 identified 143 patients diagnosed as having gastric cancer, of whom 13 cases were identified as early gastric cancer. Epigastric pain was the main symptom (66%) of those presenting with resectable disease. Weight loss (70%) was the most common symptom of patients presenting with advanced disease. Forty-seven patients had no surgery and 25 had palliative non-resective surgery. These two groups account for 50% of cases. With such a small detection rate of early gastric cancer and consequent curative surgery rate one must debate whether treatment of stomach cancer in the Trust hospital of the future is a lost cause.

Adult

Axillary sampling and radiotherapy does not compromise the patient with early breast cancer: Trafford database experience.

Local recurrence has been studied in a selected group of 379 patients, 39% of whom underwent simple mastectomy and 61% lumpectomy. The axilla was sampled in 52%, cleared in 8% and untreated in 40%. Axillary recurrence occurred in 16% of patients with a median follow-up of 54 months. Ninety-one per cent of these patients with lymph node recurrence had no surgery or sampling to the axilla, and a third received radiotherapy. Local recurrence was satisfactorily controlled by various modalities of treatment in all but 29 patients. Death related to distant metastasis in all but six of these 29 patients. Analysis suggests that patients with locally uncontrolled disease had aggressive tumours at diagnosis which were larger than average, most often grade 3 histologically and more frequently required mastectomy. Our results support previous studies indicating that survival would not be influenced by more radical surgery but that sampling followed by radiotherapy would have prevented the majority of our lymph node recurrences.

Adult

The outcome of surgery for colorectal cancer in the elderly: a 12-year review from the Trafford Database.

In this database study of 882 patients with colorectal cancer, elderly patients are of poor physical status on admission and are more likely to be either completely inoperable or require urgent surgery. The operative mortality rate is higher and hospital stay is likely to be longer. However, if the elderly patient is fit for surgery, survives for more than 30 days and a curative resection performed, the 5-year survival and post-operative complication rates are as good as those patients in the younger age groups.

Age Factors

Significant risk factors in elective colorectal surgery.

A prospective study of 618 patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery performed in a district general hospital over a 10-year period is reported. Multivariate analysis has been used in an attempt to identify risk factors. The risk of wound infection was increased if septicaemia, respiratory sepsis or faecal contamination was present, if the surgeon was a consultant and if increased risk of serious complications if the patient was male and of poor physical status. Operative mortality was significantly associated with poor physical status, respiratory sepsis and intra-abdominal abscess. Only three risk factors could be identified preoperatively: patient gender, physical status and seniority of surgeon. However, procedures low in the pelvis are more difficult and in this study group are also associated with a higher risk of wound infection. The majority of these procedures are performed by consultants. In addition, this study group has proportionally more female patients of poor physical status who are selectively being operated on by the consultant, seemingly indicating the 'consultant' as a risk factor.

Adolescent

Razoxane for Crohn's colitis and non-specific proctitis.

Oral razoxane 125 mg daily brought active Crohn's disease into remission when used alone and mainly on an out-patient basis in all nine patients studied. Remissions took several months to achieve, but no relapses have occurred on treatment and no surgery has been necessary in any of the patients. In the two patients with active non-specific proctitis, oral razoxane 125 mg daily rapidly controlled the condition. Apart from mild bone marrow toxicity in one patient, no other acute toxicity has occurred and no long-term side-effects have been observed.

Administration, Oral

Colorectal surgeons in district general hospitals produce similar survival outcomes to their teaching hospital colleagues: review of 5-year survivals in Manchester.

A study of 578 patients treated for colorectal cancer in the North-west region comparing survival after surgery in teaching and non-teaching hospitals was performed. All patients had a minimum of 5 years follow-up. A greater proportion of elderly and emergency patients were treated in the non-teaching hospitals. The number of operative mortalities and 5-year survival figures for all causes of death and for colorectal deaths alone were similar in teaching and non-teaching hospital patients.

Aged

Blood transfusion: an overused resource in colorectal cancer surgery.

The use of blood transfusion was examined in 476 patients who underwent curative surgery for large bowel cancer. Of these patients, 128 were not transfused while 348 received a total of 1174 units of blood. A patient was considered over-transfused if the predischarge haemoglobin was more than 12 g/dl. Using this criteria and accepting that single unit transfusions should be avoided, transfusion could have been avoided in 30% of the patients and a total of 377 units were given unnecessarily. Major under-transfusion did not occur; no patient being discharged with a haemoglobin of less than 9 g/dl. This study shows that blood transfusion is overused and the reasons for its use rarely recorded. In view of the morbidity related to transfusion, it is suggested that surgeons and anaesthetists reappraise their transfusion policy and the first step in this must be to record the reason for transfusion.

Aged

Curative resection: the major determinant of survival in patients with large bowel cancer.

Data collected prospectively from 578 patients with colorectal cancer managed by 12 Manchester surgeons were analysed to evaluate the effects on survival of prognostic, clinical and pathological factors. Available preoperative and perioperative factors were included in a stepwise regression analysis and curative resection was found to be most strongly associated with patient survival. Other variables ranked according to their relative importance were performance status, weight loss and sex. The finding of the study supports the need to establish an early diagnosis if long-term survival results are to improve.

Activities of Daily Living

Single dose cefotaxime plus metronidazole versus three dose cefuroxime plus metronidazole as prophylaxis against wound infection in colorectal surgery: multicentre prospective randomised study.

OBJECTIVE: To establish whether a single preoperative dose of cefotaxime plus metronidazole was as effective as a standard three dose regimen of cefuroxime plus metronidazole in preventing wound infection after colorectal surgery. DESIGN: Prospective randomised allocation to one of two prophylactic antibiotic regimens in a parallel group trial. Group sequential analyses of each 250 patients were performed. SETTING: 14 District general and teaching hospitals. PATIENTS: 1018 Adults having colorectal operations were randomised, of whom 943 were evaluated. Demographic features, conditions requiring surgery, and operative procedures were similar in the two groups. Most patients had surgery for carcinoma of the colon or rectum. INTERVENTIONS: Group 1 received cefotaxime 1 g intravenously plus metronidazole 500 mg intravenously preoperatively. Group 2 received cefuroxime 1.5 g intravenously plus metronidazole 500 mg intravenously preoperatively, followed by cefuroxime 750 mg intravenously plus metronidazole 500 mg intravenously eight hours and 16 hours postoperatively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Development of surgical wound infection (as evidenced by the presence of pus), death, or discharge from hospital. RESULTS: Wound condition was scored on a five point scale on alternate days until discharge or for up to 20 days postoperatively. Wound infection rates were: group 1, 32/453 (7.1%; 95% confidence interval 4.7% to 9.4%); group 2, 33/454 (7.3%; 95% confidence interval 4.9% to 9.6%). Death rates (group 1: 26/470 (5.5%); group 2: 31/471 (6.6%], the incidence of postoperative complications, the median duration of hospital stay (12 days), and antibiotic tolerance were all similar in the two groups. Pooled data from groups 1 and 2 showed that wound infections were more frequent when minor faecal contamination had occurred at operation and when the duration of operation exceeded 90 minutes (greater than 90 min 11.2% of cases; less than 90 min 4.8%) and were associated with an extended hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: A single preoperative dose of cefotaxime plus metronidazole is an efficacious as a three dose regimen of cefuroxime plus metronidazole in preventing wound infection after colorectal surgery and has practical advantages in eliminating the need for postoperative antibiotics.

Adolescent

A comparison of two doses of nizatidine versus placebo in the treatment of reflux oesophagitis.

Three-hundred and twenty-five patients with endoscopically verified oesophagitis entered a double-blind, randomized multicentre study that compared 300 mg nizatidine b.d., 300 mg nocte and placebo. The 6- and 12-week treatment responses were studied. Healing was defined as complete epithelialization of all oesophageal lesions. The healing rates were 40% in the 300 mg nizatidine b.d. group, 30% in the 300 mg nocte group and 26% in the placebo group at 6 weeks. The corresponding figures after 12 weeks of treatment were 50%, 44% and 34%, respectively. The healing rates were significantly different (P less than 0.05) between the high-dose nizatidine group and placebo only, both at 6 and 12 weeks. Despite a trend at both 6 and 12 weeks in favour of 300 mg nizatidine nocte compared to placebo, this was not significantly different. The most important factor for the outcome, apart from the treatment group, was the pre-entry severity of oesophagitis. The differences observed between treatment groups in healing rates, symptomatic relief, and antacid consumption appear to result mainly from the patients with moderate and severe oesophagitis upon entry. Nizatidine (300 mg) b.d. appeared to be safe and effective in the treatment of reflux oesophagitis.

Adult

Early diagnosis in colorectal cancer still no benefit?

Delay to diagnosis from first symptom has been assessed in 332 patients with colorectal cancer treated by the three general surgeons in Trafford Health Authority. Delay was divided into three parts; that due to (a) the patient, (b) the general practitioner and (c) the hospital. There was no significant difference in delay between Dukes stage B and C patients but there was a significant difference in survival at two years between these two stages. Delay for patients with risk factors as family histories or diverticular disease was not significantly different to patients without these factors. When compared to other series delay has been shortened, particularly general practitioner and hospital delay. Fewer patients presented as emergencies and a greater proportion of patients had disease at an earlier stage. However, these favourable aspects are not reflected in an improved survival at 2 years.

Colorectal Neoplasms

Effectiveness of two therapeutic antibiotic regimens in the treatment of serious post-operative infections.

A small prospective trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a single antibiotic regimen, Augmentin, compared with a combination regimen of cefuroxime and metronidazole in the treatment of serious post-operative sepsis. Both regimens used were effective against Bacteroides and other anaerobes, with a similar satisfactory cure rate and no serious side effects. Intravenous Augmentin was easy to use and the change to oral therapy was significantly quicker than in the cefuroxime-metronidazole treatment arm. No significant resistance or serious adverse reaction was noted. The majority of patients had more than one site of infection, making selective antibiotic treatment difficult.

Adolescent

Early diagnosis in colorectal cancer. Still no benefit?

Time to diagnosis from first symptoms has been assessed in 332 patients with colorectal cancer treated by the three general surgeons in Trafford Health Authority. When compared with other series, delay to diagnosis has been shortened, particular general practitioner and hospital delay. Fewer patients presented as emergencies and a greater proportion of patients had early-stage disease. There was no significant difference in delay times between Dukes' stage B and C patients but there was a significant difference in survival at 2 years between these two stages. Delay times for patients with risk factors, family histories or diverticular disease were not significantly different from times in patients without these factors.

Adult

Comparison of two prophylactic single-dose intravenous antibiotic regimes in the treatment of patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery in a district general hospital.

Two hundred and twenty-nine patients were entered into a study to compare the effectiveness and safety of two single-shot antibiotic regimes in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery in two district general hospitals. A single shot of intravenous (IV) latamoxef disodium was as effective as an IV combination of cefuroxime and metronidazole in control of wound infection following elective large bowel surgery when given as a bolus at the time of anaesthetic induction. The incidence of major wound infection was 6% and was evenly distributed in the two treatment groups. Half the major wound infections were associated with faecal fistulae. A single shot of IV antibiotic at the time of anaesthetic induction was safe, simple and an effective prophylaxis against major wound infection. There was a low incidence (1.3%) of serious postoperative bleeding and no serious adverse reactions were noted. The overall mortality was 9%. Death was significantly related to elderly patients, a poor performance status, operative contamination and wound infections.

Aged