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Biomedical subjects

S C Chung

Publications and source records attributed to S C Chung.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Randomised controlled trial of short term treatment to eradicate Helicobacter pylori in patients with duodenal ulcer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether one week's drug treatment is sufficient to eradicate Helicobacter pylori in patients with duodenal ulcer. DESIGN: Single blind, randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Specialised ulcer clinic in a teaching hospital. PATIENTS: 155 patients with H pylori and a duodenal ulcer verified endoscopically which had either bled within the previous 24 hours or was causing dyspepsia. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were allocated randomly to receive either omeprazole for four weeks plus bismuth 120 mg, tetracycline 500 mg, and metronidazole 400 mg (all four times a day) for the first week (n = 78), or omeprazole alone for four weeks (n = 77). Further endoscopy was performed four weeks after cessation of all drugs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Presence or absence of H pylori (by urease testing, microscopy, and culture of antral biopsy specimens), duodenal ulcer, and side effects. RESULTS: Eradication of H pylori occurred in 70 (95%) patients taking the four drugs (95% confidence interval 86% to 97%) compared with three (4%) patients taking omeprazole alone (1% to 11%). Duodenal ulcers were found in four (5%) patients taking the four drugs (2% to 12%) and in 16 (22%) patients taking omeprazole alone (14% to 32%). Mild dizziness was the only reported side effect (six patients in each group) and did not affect compliance. CONCLUSIONS: A one week regimen of bismuth, tetracycline, and metronidazole is safe and effective in eradicating H pylori and reduces the number of duodenal ulcers four weeks after completing treatment.

Bismuth

Alcohol injection: a treatment for ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma.

Nine patients with bleeding from a ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma had absolute alcohol injection. Laparotomy and alcohol injection stopped the bleeding in seven patients. Injection under laparoscopic visualization was attempted in two patients and in one patient haemostatis was achieved initially. He rebled, however, 4 h later and laparotomy failed to control the bleeding. He died 2 days later because of coagulopathy and renal failure. In the second patient, bleeding was not controlled laparoscopically and immediate laparotomy and alcohol injection stopped the bleeding. The eight patients who survived left hospital between 8 and 21 days after surgery (median 10 days). In our experience, laparotomy and alcohol injection achieved good results in bleeding hepatocellular carcinoma.

Adult

Evaluation of pressure pain threshold in head and neck muscles by electronic algometer: intrarater and interrater reliability.

Using a new electronic algometer, the mean values and standard deviations of pressure pain threshold and the intrarater and interrater reliability were evaluated on 13 muscles of the human head and neck region. The subjects were 40 healthy individuals, 21 females and 19 males. A comparison with data obtained from contralateral muscles failed to demonstrate significant differences. Statistically significant correlation coefficients were obtained from the values of intra-examiners and inter-examiners in all muscles except the medial pterygoid and middle sternocleidomastoid muscle in male subjects (p < 0.05). This study showed that the electronic algometer could be recommended for evaluation of the pressure pain threshold of human head and neck muscles in clinical and experimental studies.

Adult

Anaesthesia for a patient undergoing transthoracic endoscopic vagotomy.

We describe the anaesthetic management of a patient who underwent transthoracic endoscopic vagotomy. One-lung ventilation was necessary to provide adequate surgical access. Potential intraoperative problems involved arterial oxygen saturation during one-lung ventilation, unequal intrathoracic pressures causing mediastinal displacement and inadvertent myocardial injury by surgical instruments and diathermy. The management of these problems and the benefits of endoscopic surgery to the patient are discussed.

Anesthesia, General

Lugol's iodine dye-enhanced endoscopy in patients with cancer of the oesophagus and head and neck.

Lugol's iodine dye indicates the presence of unsuspected early oesophageal cancers during endoscopy at which such cancers fail to show the characteristic black colour change. We evaluated Lugol's iodine dye-enhanced endoscopy in 17 patients with oesophageal cancer. In a further 37 patients with head and neck cancer we examined the use of Lugol's iodine since these patients have a 29% risk of synchronous oesophageal cancer. The oesophagus was sprayed with Lugol's iodine (1.5%) during endoscopy. Any areas not turning black were biopsied. In 13 patients with oesophageal cancer discrete areas beyond the macroscopically obvious primary tumour showed no change in colour. Biopsy revealed cancer in all cases. Six synchronous cancers were found in the head and neck group, one of which was identified only by the use of Lugol's iodine. Lugol's iodine augmented the information gained about the oesophageal mucosa during endoscopy. It revealed unsuspected cancer which altered the management of patients with primary oesophageal cancer as well as those with head and neck cancer. We recommend the routine use of Lugol's iodine-enhanced endoscopy for surveillance of all 'at risk' oesophageal cases.

Adult

Phytobezoar: an uncommon cause of small bowel obstruction.

Phytobezoars are an unusual cause of small bowel obstruction. We report 13 patients presenting with 16 episodes of small bowel obstruction from phytobezoars. Eleven patients had previously undergone surgery for peptic ulceration (eight truncal vagotomy and pyloroplasty). A history of ingestion of persimmon fruit was common and the majority of cases presented in the autumn when this fruit is in season. One phytobezoar causing obstruction at the third part of the duodenum was removed by endoscopic fragmentation, while an episode of jejunal obstruction was precipitated by endoscopic fragmentation of a gastric bezoar. Twelve patients underwent surgery for obstruction on 15 occasions, with milking of the phytobezoar to the caecum performed in ten, enterotomy and removal in four and resection in one patient. Associated gastric phytobezoars were found in two cases and multiple small bowel bezoars in two other cases. These were removed to prevent recurrent obstruction. Phytobezoar should be considered preoperatively as a cause of obstruction in patients with previous ulcer surgery. Wherever possible milking of a phytobezoar to the caecum should be performed. Careful assessment for other phytobezoars should be made. Prevention of phytobezoars is dependent upon dietary counselling of patients by surgeons after gastric resection or vagotomy and drainage for peptic ulcer.

Adult

Late swallowing and aspiration problems after esophagectomy for cancer: malignant infiltration of the recurrent laryngeal nerves and its management.

One hundred eleven patients who underwent esophagectomy for squamous carcinoma of the esophagus were followed up during a 42-month period. Forty-three patients who had normal swallowing in the postoperative period had recurrent dysphagia on follow-up. The causes were benign anastomotic stricture (n = 15), malignant anastomotic recurrence (n = 2), recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (n = 22), and no known cause (n = 4). Twenty-six patients were assessed by laryngoscopy and 15 were deemed suitable for Teflon injection of the vocal cord. All but one patient had improved swallowing and phonation after the procedure. Mean survival time after Teflon injection was 5 1/2 months. A significant proportion of swallowing problems after esophagectomy are not caused by mechanical obstruction. Teflon injection of a unilateral paralyzed vocal cord provides good palliation in these patients.

Aged

Devine exclusion for unresectable carcinoma of the stomach.

Between July 1986 and July 1988, Devine exclusion was performed in 20 patients with unresectable carcinoma of the gastric antrum. All 20 patients presented with repeated vomiting. On endoscopy, 16 patients had complete gastric outlet obstruction while the remainder manifested significant gastric outlet stenosis. There was no hospital mortality. All except two patients could take an oral diet after surgery until their demise. Devine exclusion is safe and effective in relieving gastric outlet obstruction and is not associated with prolonged delay in return of gastric emptying.

Aged

Mechanical lithotripsy of large common bile duct stones using a basket.

Experience with the Olympus basket mechanical lithotriptor (BML-1Q) in crushing large common bile duct stones before their endoscopic removal is reported. From January 1988 to January 1990, 68 patients with common duct stones too large to be extracted by Dormia baskets or balloon catheters after sphincterotomy were treated with the BML system. The largest stones in each patient ranged from 1.0 to 4.9 cm in diameter. Fifty-seven patients required one session of lithotripsy, ten patients two sessions and one patient three sessions; 26 patients required further endoscopic extraction of stone fragments after successful lithotripsy. The stones were successfully crushed by the BML system and the ducts cleared in 55 patients (81 per cent). In 13 patients mechanical lithotripsy failed because the stones could not be engaged in the lithotriptor basket. In one patient the stone was crushed with the Soehendra lithotriptor, six patients were successfully managed by electrohydraulic lithotripsy through a 'mother and baby' endoscope, indwelling stents were inserted in four patients and two patients underwent surgery.

Adult

Prospective randomised comparison of current coagulation and injection sclerotherapy for the outpatient treatment of haemorrhoids.

The feasibility and early results of a new technique of outpatient proctoscopic coagulation of haemorrhoids by means of an electronic probe (Ultroid, Microvasive Inc., USA) were evaluated in comparison to conventional injection sclerotherapy. Age, symptom and sex-matched groups were analysed before and 6 weeks after outpatient treatment, using scoring systems (n = 51). A mean of 6.2 +/- 0.4 ml of phenol in oil were injected over 2.4 +/- 0.2 min compared to a mean current of 15.8 +/- 0.2 mA over a period of 11.9 +/- 0.8 min (p less than 0.001, treatment time). Sclerotherapy was found significantly less tedious than coagulation. More patients complained of discomfort during coagulation, but the difference in tolerance scores between the 2 groups was not significant. Three patients in the coagulation group but none in the injection group refused to be treated by the same method again due to discomfort. Significant benefits were achieved by both modes of treatment after 6 weeks. The early cure rates for bleeding were 84% for sclerotherapy and 64% for coagulation (p = 0.2) and for prolapse 56% and 44% respectively (p = 0.72). Injection sclerotherapy is preferable to Ultroid coagulation for the outpatient treatment of haemorrhoids because it is a quicker, less tedious and more comfortable procedure with equally effective early results.

Adult

Injection or heat probe for bleeding ulcer.

A prospective randomized trial was performed to compare the efficacy of endoscopic epinephrine injection and heat probe treatment in actively bleeding peptic ulcers. Emergency endoscopy in 1758 patients over an 18-month period identified 132 patients with active ulcer bleeding. They were randomized to receive either endoscopic epinephrine injection or heat probe treatment. After endoscopy, the patients were transferred to the surgical gastroenterology ward and were managed by surgeons unaware of the treatment option. Bleeding was initially controlled in 96% by epinephrine injection and in 83% by heat probe (P less than 0.05). There was no significant difference in outcome as measured by transfusion requirement (4.5 units vs. 3.8 units), emergency surgery (20% vs. 22%), hospital stay (8 days vs. 7 days), and mortality (2 vs. 4) between the injection group and the heat probe group. Two patients in the heat probe group experienced perforation. We conclude that both endoscopic epinephrine injection and heat probe treatment are effective in stopping bleeding from actively bleeding ulcers. Epinephrine injection is technically easier to perform and has a higher initial success rate.

Adolescent