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Biomedical subjects

R Hellberg

Publications and source records attributed to R Hellberg.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Fosfomycin/metronidazole compared with doxycycline/metronidazole for the prophylaxis of infection after elective colorectal surgery. A randomised double-blind multicentre trial in 517 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To find out if fosfomycin together with metronidazole was any better than doxycycline with metronidazole for the prophylaxis of infection before elective colorectal operations. DESIGN: Multicentre, double blind, random control trial. SETTING: Nine Swedish hospitals. SUBJECTS-559 patients admitted for elective colorectal operations. INTERVENTIONS: Fosfomycin 8 g and metronidazole 1 g before operation and fosfomycin 8 g eight hours afterwards, or doxycycline 400 mg and metronidazole 1 g before operation, and placebo eight hours afterwards. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of all types of infection, mortality, and side effects. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the groups for any of the outcome measures studied, the overall abdominal infection rates (wound, deep, and septicaemia) being 4.6% and 7.4%, and the remote infection rates (pneumonia, urinary tract, and central venous line) 15.1% and 12.8%, respectively. Of the predictors studied, only duration of operation was significantly related to risk of infection. CONCLUSION: The combination of fosfomycin and metronidazole was as safe and effective as that of doxycycline and metronidazole in preventing infections after elective colorectal operations.

Aged

Fecal excretion of radiolabeled (51CrCl3) proteins in patients with Crohn's disease.

Intestinal leakage of plasma proteins was studied in 69 patients with Crohn's disease. In vivo labeling of plasma proteins was performed by intravenous injection of trace amounts of 51CrCl3. Complete fecal collection was done for 5 days, carefully avoiding contamination with urine. The daily fecal radioactivity was measured in a whole-body counter and expressed as a percentage of given dose. In patients with a classic localization of the disease the mean fecal excretion of radiolabeled proteins was 2.8% (range, 0.8-5.5%). The excretion was significantly higher in patients with extensive ileojejunal involvement (8.8%; 4.3-14.0%) and in patients with a total colitis (5.5%; 2.0-8.2%) but not different from that in patients with prestomal recurrent ileal disease (3.5%; 1.6-5.3%). A close correlation was found between fecal excretion of 51Cr and extent of the small-intestinal disease as measured at laparotomy (r = 0.86, p less than 0.001). A highly significant inverse relationship was also demonstrated between fecal protein excretion and serum albumin concentration in patients without septic complications of the disease (r = -0.57, p less than 0.001). A pre-existing septic complication made the patients hypoalbuminemic despite limited intestinal loss of protein. It is concluded that estimation of intestinal protein loss is a sensitive and simple test for assessment of the extent of the small-intestinal involvement in patients with Crohn's disease. The test may be of value in patients with unclear radiologic findings and in patients with hypoalbuminemia of unknown cause.

Adolescent

Faecal excretion of intravenously injected 14C-cholic acid in patients with conventional ileostomy and in patients with continent ileostomy reservoir.

Bile salt absorption, as determined by the faecal excretion in i.v. injected 14C-cholic acid (FBS) was studied in 13 ileostomy patients before and after conversion to Kock's continent ileostomy reservoir. The result was compared with that obtained in 8 ileostomy patients in whom about 50 cm of the terminal ileum has also been removed. As compared with 16 healthy controls, FBS was moderately increased in the conventional ileostomy patients, but still within normal limits. After conversion to ileostomy reservoir all patients had pathological FBS, although less severe than in the ileostomy patients with ileal resection. Bacterial contamination probably contributes more than the structural mucosal changes to the bile malabsorption in the pouch, whereas reduced mucosal surface and short small-intestinal transit time are the main causes of malabsorption in ileostomy patients in whom an appreciable amount of the terminal ileum has been resected.

Adult

Sexual dysfunction following proctocolectomy.

122 patients, 66 men and 56 women, operated upon by proctocolectomy were interviewed by means of a detailed questionaire regarding any significant change in sexual function. In the majority of the patients (70% of the men and 87% of the women) the sexual relationships were considered to be unchanged or even enhanced. Impaired function was reported by 19 men (29%) and seven women (12%). Male sexual dysfunction consisted of impotence and abolition of ejaculation. True impotence occurred in five men, all above 40 years of age, corresponding to an incidence of 25%. Loss of ejaculation occurred even in young people (about 7%) but was more common in elderly patients (15%). Female dysfunction consisted of dyspareunia and/or inability to achieve orgasm. On the basis of the present results it appears unlikely that impotence is caused by the operative trauma per se. On the other hand loss of ejaculation is probably due to injury of the presacral nerves. Postoperative impotence might probably be improved by medical information and encouragement. Particular precautions during operation might reduce ejaculatory disorders. Careful handling and proper treatment of the perineal wound might prevent scarring and stricture of the posterior aspect of the vulva, a condition that appears to be a common cause of dyspareunia.

Adult

Blood pressure changes in the marginal artery of the colon following occlusion of the inferior mesenteric artery.

The perfusion pressure in the marginal artery of the descending colon was measured continuously at laparotomy in eight patients and the effect of sudden occlusion of the inferior mesenteric artery recorded. Three patients with ulcerative colitis, all in their early 30s, and five elderly patients with colonic or rectal carcinoma were studied. In all patients occlusion caused an initial and marked pressure drop, which remained reduced at a critically low level in two of the elderly patients. Such a reduction in perfusion pressure is probably still insufficient to interfere with the nourishment of the terminal part of the colon provided that the systemic pressure is kept at a normal level. However, since in many patients there is a sharp drop in systemic blood pressure during the recovery phase after surgery, it appears likely that the perfusion pressure in the marginal artery may in those cases be insufficient to maintain an adequate blood flow to the colon despite the inherent tendency of "auto-regulation" in this vascular bed. The results of the present study indicate that, contrary to previous belief, ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery may increase the risk of ischaemia in the terminal part of the descending colon, leading to anastomotic dehiscence after anterior resection, or sloughing after a "pull-through" operation. This complication could probably be prevented by a more generous resection of the sigmoid and descending colon, thus reducing the length of the anastomosis formed by the arc of Riolan and by careful maintenance of an adequate blood pressure during the recovery phase.

Adult