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Background: Bowel necrosis is a commonly observed condition in elderly patients with longstanding diabetes. In such condition, intestinal resection is usually performed for the removal of the gangrenous part. Post-surgical dietary management after bowel resection poses several challenges for the health care team., Case Presentation: The case presented in this study is that of an elderly diabetic male who developed acute renal failure as a result of neglect in post-surgical feeding after intestinal resection. After the intervention by a trained dietitian, a transitional diet was planned and successfully executed, resulting in reversal of acute renal failure, dehydration, and post-surgical stress. Several complications including hepatic dysfunction and mouth ulcers were resolved through well-planned transitional diet. The patient was finally discharged in a stable health condition and was regularly followed up for any nutritional or medical issues., Conclusion: Neglects in nutritional care of patients can have severe implications including development of medical complications, resulting in increased length of hospital stay, augmenting the disease stress of the patient and family, and finally the preventable drainage of several human and monetary resources. Therefore, recognition of nutritional intervention as an important part of in-hospital health care may have social as well as economic impacts.

Background: Appendicitis presents on a spectrum ranging from inflammation to gangrene to perforation. Studies suggest that gangrenous appendicitis has lower postoperative infection rates relative to perforated cases. We hypothesized that gangrenous appendicitis could be successfully treated as simple appendicitis, reducing length of stay (LOS) and antibiotic usage without increasing postoperative infections., Methods: In February 2016, we strictly defined complex appendicitis as a hole in the appendix, extraluminal fecalith, diffuse pus or a well-formed abscess. We switched gangrenous appendicitis to a simple pathway and reviewed all patients undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy for 12 months before (Group 1) and 12 months after (Group 2) the protocol change. Data collected included demographics, appendicitis classification, LOS, presence of a postoperative infection, and 30-day readmissions., Results: Patients in Group 1 and Group 2 were similar, but more cases of simple appendicitis occurred in Group 2. Average LOS for gangrenous appendicitis patients decreased from 2.5 to 1.4 days (p < 0.001) and antibiotic doses decreased from 5.2 to 1.3 (p < 0.001). Only one gangrenous appendicitis patient required readmission, and one patient in each group developed a superficial infection; there were no postoperative abscesses., Conclusions: Gangrenous appendicitis can be safely treated as simple appendicitis without increasing postoperative infections or readmissions., Type of Study: Prognosis study., Level of Evidence: Level II., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The primary aortic thrombosis (PAT) is an uncommon noncardiac cause of distal peripheral embolization to lower extremities. Also, this condition develops in the absence of extensive atherosclerosis of aorta or abnormal dilatation like aneurysm of the aorta. In most of the cases, there was either no or minimal atherosclerosis of the aorta. The disease can involve any part of the aorta, but in most of the cases, the thoracic aorta below the origin of the left subclavian artery followed by the infrarenal portion of the abdominal aorta was the most common site of involvement. In our case, there was extensive thrombosis starting from the lower part of the thoracic aorta extending across both the renal arteries up to the aortic bifurcation without any underlying aortic pathology or hypercoagulable disease. There are no guidelines for the management of the PAT, but our experience is based on few case series, case reports, and meta-analysis where there are variable success rate using conservative medical management, endovascular procedure, or surgical thrombectomy. Vitamin K antagonist was the drug of choice in all the cases as a part of conservative medical management or used to prevent recurrence after the endovascular or surgical procedure. We present a case of PAT where the use of dabigatran leads to complete resolution and prevented the recurrence of the disease during two-year follow-up, which is the first and unique case report of the literature., (Copyright © 2019 Cardiological Society of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aim: Diabetic foot is a major comorbidity of diabetes, with 15-25% of diabetic patients developing diabetic foot ulcer during their lifetime. Other major diabetic foot complications include cellulitis, abscess, wet gangrene, dry gangrene, and necrotizing fasciitis. Dry gangrene involves tissue necrosis due to chronic ischemia whereby the tissue becomes numb, dry, wrinkled, and dead. Although diabetic foot complications have been extensively studied in literature, there is limited data on the management of dry gangrene., Methods: We report a case series of 12 patients with diabetes-related dry gangrene in the toes, initially planned to be managed conservatively with autoamputation., Results: One patient had an autoamputation, while eight patients underwent surgical amputations (six major amputations, two minor amputations) for better clinical outcomes. Two patients died, while no change was observed in one patient even after 12 months of follow-up., Conclusion: Managing diabetic dry toe gangrene by waiting for autoamputation may lead to worse clinical outcomes and should be practiced cautiously on a case-by-case basis. Early surgical intervention should be opted to improve patients' quality of life., (Copyright © 2019 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Gangrenous cholecystitis (GC) must be promptly treated for its high morbimortality. The object of our study is to identify clinical, laboratory or ultrasound factors that might us diagnose GC., Method: A Retrospective cohort study is devised including all patients admitted to Hospital de Laredo (Cantabria, Spain) between 2015 and 2017 with the diagnose of acute cholecystitis and having been operated. Patients were classified in two groups according to pathology: GC and non-GC. We compared their demographics characteristics, comorbidities, laboratory parameters and ultrasound findings., Results: A total of 115 patients were operated, of whom 32 had CG and 83 CNG. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and C-reactive protein (CRP) showed significantly increased levels in GC group (p = 0.042) and CRP (p < 0.0001). To CRP showed an area under the ROC curve of 0.872 (95% confidence interval: 0.797-0.946). Acalculous cholecystitis was significantly associated to GC (24.1 vs. 7%; p < 0.005). In the multivariate analysis only the CPR showed as a predictive factor. A cutting point of CRP at 15.25 mg/dl, that had high sensibility (90.6%) and high negative predictive value (95%)., Conclusion: CRP helped identify patients with CG to indicate early surgical intervention., (Copyright: © 2019 Permanyer.)

Purpose: Synthetic non-absorbable meshes are routinely used in hernia surgery for clean cases but are avoided in the case of clean-contaminated or contaminated hernia or dirty cases to minimize the risk of infection. The present study was conducted to evaluate the outcome of polypropylene mesh in the settings of bowel resection performed for strangulated hernias of the abdominal wall., Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Surgery of a teaching hospital in central India between 1st March 2015 and 31st Aug 2017. Adult patients > 18 years age, with abdominal wall hernias, presenting with strangulation, and requiring resection and anastomosis for gangrenous bowel were included in the study. Outcomes noted were wound infection, morbidity and mortality, need for the removal of the mesh, and recurrence of the hernia., Results: 30 (22 men and 8 women) patients with strangulated hernias underwent emergency surgery with resection of gangrenous bowel and anastomosis. The 30 cases included 21 inguinal, seven incisional, one femoral and one umbilical hernia. 12 of the 30 cases having gross contamination of the operative wound due to perforated gangrenous bowel were classified as 'dirty'; while the remaining 18 cases with non-perforated gangrenous herniating bowel were classified as 'contaminated'. Wound infection occurred in 8/30 patients (26.67%); but these healed with antibiotics and dressing. Mesh removal was not required in any patient during entire study period. Two recurrences (6.7%; one inguinal and one incisional hernia) were observed. There was no mortality., Conclusion: The use of polypropylene mesh for contaminated and dirty strangulated hernias is effective and safe, with acceptable morbidity and good short-term results.

We describe a case of progressive cutaneous mucormycosis, which caused gangrenous necrotizing fasciitis, in an immunocompetent neonate from Oman. Extensive wound contamination and a favorable environment for the growth of Mucorales were the predisposing factors. Early aggressive management including frequent wound debridement, targeted pharmacotherapy with liposomal amphotericin B and supportive care is pivotal for improved outcomes.

Objective: The hypothesis of this study was that the use of dual-energy spectral techniques in CT can improve accuracy in the diagnosis of acute gangrenous appendicitis., Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 209 patients with a pathologic diagnosis of appendicitis. Two board-certified abdominal radiologists reviewed 120-kV simulated images, 40-keV virtual monoenergetic images, and color-coded iodine overlay images. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), accuracy, and interobserver agreement were calculated for each set of images., Results: Forty-four patients (21.0%) had histopathologic results positive for gangrenous appendicitis. The sensitivity of 40-kV virtual monoenergetic imaging was 100% (44/44); specificity, 81.2% (134/165); PPV, 58.7% (44/75); NPV, 100% (134/134); accuracy, 85.2%; and interobserver agreement, 0.99. The corresponding values for the iodine overlay imaging datasets were 100% (44/44), 80.0% (132/165), 57.1% (44/77), 100% (132/132), 84.2%, and 0.99 and for 120-kV simulated imaging were 22.7% (10/44), 96.4% (159/165), 62.5% (10/16), 82.4% (159/193), 77.5%, and 0.93. All cases of gangrenous appendicitis had true-positive results of virtual monoenergetic and iodine overlay imaging. There were no false-negative results of virtual monoenergetic or iodine overlay imaging., Conclusion: In cases of suspected appendicitis, dual-energy CT that includes virtual monoenergetic and iodine overlay imaging is accurate for confirming and excluding the presence of gangrenous appendicitis with high sensitivity and specificity.

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

The most common cause of gallbladder perforation is calculous cholecystitis. Rarer causes include trauma, iatrogenic injuries, biliary stasis and gall bladder ischemia. We report a case of gall bladder gangrene with perforation, secondary to extensive ascariasis. A 45-year-old woman presented with acute intestinal obstruction and jaundice. She had abdominal distension and right hypochondrial tenderness. Abdominal radiography showed dilated bowel loops and ultrasonogram showed worms in the small intestine and biliary tree. On exploration, a bolus of worms 2 feet proximal to the ileocaecal junction was found causing obstruction. Worms were also present in the bile duct and gallbladder causing gangrene and perforation. She underwent cholecystectomy, bile-duct exploration and enterotomy. However, she died on the third postoperative day of overwhelming sepsis. Enteric complications of ascaris leading to bowel obstruction are well-known. Hepatobiliary complications such as cholangitis and obstructive jaundice are rare. However, such an extreme degree of infestation leading to gangrene and perforation of the gall bladder is extremely rare.

Intravenous substance abuse is often associated with physical and psychological harm, and often requires urgent medical attention. We report a case of a young male who presented with life-threatening complications of intravenous drug abuse, but refused to give details or agree to the proposed treatment, raising concerns for the team of doctors. A compos mentis patient has a right to decide what should be done to his body. Medical management or surgical interventions cannot be initiated without the patient's consent even if these are lifesaving procedures, or a procedure meant to benefit the patient. Medical practitioner can be liable for assault (criminal law), medical negligence (law of tort), damages (civil action) and even human rights issues may be raised if a patient's autonomy is not respected.

Competing Interests: None

A 42-year-old Caucasian woman presented to the emergency department with severe upper abdominal pain and vomiting. Clinically, she was septic, and abdominal examination suggested peritonitis. Following immediate resuscitation, the patient was stabilised and underwent urgent contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen and pelvis. This revealed a mesenteroaxial gastric volvulus with traction on the mesentery and a small volume of free fluid. She underwent laparotomy revealing gangrenous gastric fundus perforation complicated by persistent intraoperative hypotension. This mandated a damage-control approach for the patient's safety entailing a limited-sleeve gastrectomy and laparostomy formation. Stabilisation in the intensive care unit allowed for a safer return to the operating room. On second look 24 hours later, previously ischaemic non-viable-looking portions of the stomach had recovered their blood supply. The patient was discharged 31 days postoperatively after recovering from the operations, postoperative wound infections and pleural effusions., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Symmetrical peripheral gangrene (SPG) is rare but devastating complication which is characterized by symmetrical ischemic change of the distal extremities. In this report, we describe our management protocol for SPG, focusing on surgical approaches. Between January 2007 and February 2016, 10 thoracodorsal artery perforator (TDAP) free flaps were performed in 6 patients with SPG. Three patients were male and mean age was 56 (range, 44-69) years. All the patients were in shock. The causes of shock were sepsis in 4 cases, respiratory arrest in 1 case, and hypovolemia in 1 case. Eight transmetatarsal amputations and 2 Lisfranc amputations were performed. Flap sizes ranged from 7 × 11 cm to 25 × 15 cm. There were 3 cases of partial necrosis of the flap: two healed conservatively with dressings and one required skin graft. Three of the patients were later able to walk independently at Functional Ambulation Classification (FAC) level 6, one patient could walk independently on level surfaces at FAC level 5, and 2 could walk independently using walking aids, classified at FAC level 4. The average follow-up period was 18 (range, 6-54) months. In patients with SPG, minimal bone amputation and foot salvage with TDAP flaps were successful. Separate reconstruction of bone and soft tissue had good outcomes.

Distal hallux gangrene and neuropathic ulceration associated with digit deformity frequently result in osteomyelitis of the distal phalanx. Ideal treatment would involve limited resection to preserve function. We describe our surgical technique and retrospective results for distal Syme hallux amputation with plantar flap closure. An institutional review board-approved review was conducted on cases performed over 8 years. A total of 15 consecutive patients (16 digits) with hallux soft tissue loss who had undergone distal Syme hallux amputation were included. In each case, initial resection removed the distal hallux wound, nail bed, and distal phalanx. The proximal phalanx tip was remodeled, allowing margin biopsy and reduction of prominence. Of the 16 digits, 5 (31.3%) had hammertoe deformity and 1 (6.3%) was excessively long. Positive probe-to-bone status was identified in 8 of the 16 digits (50.0%). All 8 ulcers (100.0%) that probed to bone had histologic or culture results consistent with distal phalanx osteomyelitis. A proximal margin biopsy was taken in 12 of 16 digits (75.0%), and proximal phalanx osteomyelitis was observed in 4 of 12 proximal margin biopsies (33.3%). Two digits (12.5%) failed to heal. Three digits (18.8%) required a more proximal amputation, and the remaining 13 (81.3%) were found to be well-healed and functional at the final follow-up examination. The mean follow-up period was 27.6 (range 8 to 97) months. We have found distal Syme hallux amputation to be an effective treatment when used judiciously for distal hallux gangrene and osteomyelitis associated with neuropathic ulceration. This procedure permits bone biopsy for early diagnosis, confirmation of clean margins, removal of nonviable tissue and the abnormal toenail, and some deformity correction., (Copyright © 2017 The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: Cost estimates for diabetic foot are available for developed countries based on cost data for different years. This study aimed to provide a comparison of the cost of diabetic foot in E5 (France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom) and its characteristics across different conditions., Methods: PubMed, Central and Embase databases were searched in February 2017 for English language publications. Bibliographies of relevant papers were also searched manually. Reviews and research papers from E5 regions reporting on cost of diabetic foot were included. Reported cost was converted to equivalent 2016 $ for comparison purposes. All the costs presented are mean cost per patient per year in 2016 $., Results: Nine studies were included in the analysis. The total cost of amputation ranged from $ 15,046 in 2001 to $ 38,621 in 2005. The direct cost of amputation ranged from $ 13,842 in 2001 to $ 83,728 during 2005-2009. Indirect cost of amputation was more uniform, ranging from between $ 1,043 to $ 1,442. The direct cost of gangrene ranged from $ 3,352 in 2003 to $ 8,818 in Germany. Although, for the same year, 2003, the cost for Spain was almost double that for Germany. The total cost of an uninfected ulcer was $ 6,174 in 2002, but increased to $ 14,441 in 2005; for an infected ulcer the cost increased from $ 2,637 to $ 2,957. The different countries showed variations in the components used to calculate the cost of diabetic foot., Conclusions: The E5 incurs a heavy cost from diabetic foot and its complications. There is an unmet need for the identification of cost-cutting strategies, as diabetic foot costs more than major cardiac diseases., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

This study reports the complications occurred during the management of open fractures of the lower limbs, resulting in secondary amputations, observed in clinicians' practice in recent years as well as different risk factors and possible deficiencies in management at the origin of these complications. We conducted a retrospective study over a period of 06 years (January 2006 - January 2012). It included patients with open fracture of the lower limb initially treated in our institution and whose complications resulted in amputation. All patient undergoing emergency amputation after examination at the Emergency Department were excluded. All patient treated in another hospital before being referred to us were excluded by the study, even if secondary amputation had been performed in our institution. We collected data by analyzing the records of patients (clinical and complementary examinations, surgical reports). We evaluated our management of open fractures of the lower limb according to the guidelines and recommendations found in the literature. These complications were observed in 9 out of 306 open fractures of the lower limb treated in the same period (January 2006 - January 2012), reflecting a rate of 2.9%. The average age was 42.6(26-57) years, all patients were male. We recorded 1 case of fracture of the femur, 7 cases of fracture of 2 leg bones and 1 case of foot crushing. These were open fractures including 1 case of type 1 fracture, 3 cases of type II fracture and 5 cases of type III fracture, according to Gustilo and Anderson classification. We performed 5 amputations of the thigh and 4 amputation of the upper third of the leg. Various complications motivated these amputations, including bone infections or soft-tissue gangrenes of ischemic or infectious origin. The patients had no morbidities such as diabete and were not chronic smokers. No patient died. Open fractures deserve special attention of the surgeon on immediade complications both from a diagnostic and therapeutic point of view in order to reduce the amputation rates after primary surgery giving patients the impression that they had an incorrect procedure performed on them. Particular attention should be paid to the degree of initial contamination and to the presence of a virulent germ at the site of trauma which may motivate particular attitudes during primary management.

Background: Infectious gangrene of the foot is a serious complication of diabetes that usually leads to a certain level of lower-extremity amputation (LEA). Nevertheless, the long-term survival and factors associated with mortality in such patients have yet to be elucidated., Methods: A total of 157 patients with type 2 diabetes who received treatment for infectious foot gangrene at a major diabetic foot center in Taiwan from 2002 to 2009 were enrolled, of whom 90 had major LEAs (above the ankle) and 67 had minor LEAs (below the ankle). Clinical data during treatment were used for the analysis of survival and LEA, and survival was tracked after treatment until December 2012., Results: Of the 157 patients, 109 died, with a median survival time of 3.12 years and 5-year survival rate of 40%. Age [hazard ratio 1.04 (95% confidence interval 1.01-1.06)], and major LEA [1.80 (1.05-3.09)] were independent factors associated with mortality. Patients with minor LEAs had a better median survival than those with major LEAs (5.5 and 1.9 years, respectively, P  < 0.01). An abnormal ankle-brachial index was an independent risk factor [odds ratio 3.12 (95% CI 1.18-8.24)] for a poor outcome (major LEA) after adjusting for age, smoking status, hypertension, major adverse cardiac events, and renal function., Conclusions: Efforts to limit amputations below the ankle resulted in better survival of patients with infectious foot gangrene. An abnormal ankle-brachial index may guide physicians to make appropriate decisions with regards to the amputation level., Competing Interests: The Institutional Review Board of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital approved this study (no. 104-1401B).Not applicable.The authors declare that they have no competing interests.Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Presented herein are the results of treatment of five 63-to-72-year-old patients (four men and one woman) with critical upper limb ischaemia, which is one of rarely encountered pathologies. All patients suffered from type 2 diabetes mellitus. Two of them had end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and for 2 years were on haemodialysis. Four patients had gangrene of 1 finger and one patient had gangrene of 2 fingers. The main diagnostic methods included duplex scanning with measuring the gradient of pressure between the humeral and radial arteries, and MSCT angiography. The patients with ESRD received conservative therapy with the use of prostaglandin E1 and after limitation of necrosis sustained amputation of the fingers. Three patients were successfully managed by recanalization and balloon angioplasty of the radial artery's occluded segment. The patients underwent follow-up examinations at 1, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. During this period two patients with ESRD died. They had no relapses of critical ischaemia of the hand but developed gangrene of toes and were both subjected to successful balloon angioplasty of the crural arteries. One patient at 18 postoperative months was found to have reocclusion of the radial artery with hand pain at rest. He was subjected to successful repeat balloon angioplasty of the radial artery. CONCLUSION: Timely restoration of blood flow in this situation reduces the frequency of amputation. Percutaneous balloon angioplasty may become a method of choice in treatment of patients with critical hand ischaemia caused by occlusive lesions of arteries of the forearm.

We present one case of a 17-year-old male with ten-year history of anemia complaining of recurrent bloody stools, abdominal pain and fatigue for 3 months.The gastroscopy, colonoscopy, the-first-time double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) through the anus and capsule endoscopy were performed with negative results. 99mTc-pertechnetate scan showed a round-like high radioactive concentration at the ileocecum. Double-balloon enteroscopy through the anus was performed again by a more-experienced endoscopic physician, the diverticulum was found at a distance of 50 cm to the ileocecal valve. Then a laparotomy was performed.

Capnocytophaga canimorsus is a bacterium transmitted through the saliva of dogs. An infection can cause severe sepsis with acral necrosis and is potentially fatal. Here, we report the case of a 41-year-old man who was infected through a wound that was licked by his dog. He went into septic shock with disseminated intravascular coagulation and subsequently lost both lower legs, his nose and all the fingers on both hands., (© 2017 Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Gangrenous cholecystitis is associated with a higher conversion rate of conversion from laparoscopic to open than acute non-gangrenous cholecystitis. New strategies and techniques are needed to decrease conversion rates and improve outcomes., Methods: In this article, we provide a richly detailed, illustrated description of a modified fundus-first technique that we have developed over the last 15 years and now use routinely with rare conversions. We also compared outcomes of laparoscopic (LC) and open (OC) approaches for pathologically confirmed gangrenous cholecystitis in 146 patients during 1995-2005, the first 10 years during which these two approaches were performed contemporaneously at our institution on comparable patients., Results: Among the 142 patients that met the inclusion criteria, laparoscopic procedures were started in 112 (79%) of these patients, with successful completion in 72 resulting in an overall conversion rate of 36%. During the last 5 years, however, in cases where the described laparoscopic technique was used, no patient has required conversion. The laparoscopic LC group had shorter average ICU stay (p < 0.05) and overall length of stay (2 vs 6 days, p < 0.001). Intraoperative cholangiography was completed in 37 of 72 LC patients (52%) versus 6 of 30 OC (20%). In five of the LC patients, a filling defect was seen on the cholangiogram and laparoscopic transcystic common bile duct stones, thereby avoiding a second anesthetic and endoscopic procedure., Conclusions: In the setting of severe inflammation, a number of procedural modifications can be incorporated to allow the surgeon to approach dissection of the gangrenous gallbladder using a flexible operative plan designed to optimize safe completion of this challenging procedure, with the expected improvement in surgical outcomes.

Microsurgical procedure of free tissue transfer in critical limb ischemia patients with large ulceration has already been established. The nutrient flap concept was that transferred tissue functioned not only to cover the skin defect but also as a supplementary blood supply to the ischemic lower leg. This report showed the justification for this concept, which was rarely discussed. A 58-year-old male patient with progressive forefoot gangrene caused by arteriosclerosis obliterans was presented. The distal bypass procedure was performed as revascularization surgery, and a latissimus dorsi (LD) myocutaneous flap was transplanted to cover ulceration. The arterial pedicle of the flap was anastomosed to the vein graft in an end-to-end manner, and the venous pedicle was anastomosed to the posterior tibialis vein in an end-to-end manner. Bypass graft blood flow went straight to the LD flap only. The postoperative course was uneventful. The free flap and right foot survived successfully and the patient was ambulatory with no recurrence of ulceration wearing order-made shoes more than three years after transplantation. Vessel-selective angiography was performed two months after surgery. An angiographic catheter was inserted into the bypass graft, which ran straight through the flap nutrient artery. The results obtained showed that not only the transferred flap area, but also the remaining original foot soft tissue (including the sole and heel) was clearly visualized radiologically only through the flap nutrient vessel. This findings of the angiography appear to provide direct evidence for the nutrient flap concept., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Hypernatremic dehydration is well described in exclusively breastfed neonates, although life-threatening complications are rarely reported., Materials and Methods: The present article describes a case of severe hypernatremic dehydration in a previously healthy term neonate. Other published cases of severe complications of hypernatremic dehydration are discussed., Results: The exclusively breastfed neonate described had severe hypernatremic dehydration because of inadequate milk intake, with disseminated intravascular coagulation and right lower limb gangrene that required amputation of all five toes and surgical debridement of the metatarsals. The usual etiology of hypernatremic dehydration in this age group is insufficient breast milk intake. Here, the infant's mother was treated for bipolar disorder with lamotrigine 250 mg orally once daily, aripiprazole 15 mg orally once daily, and sertraline 100 mg orally once daily., Conclusions: Awareness of these complications should prompt close follow-up of the infant with poor weight gain. The role of maternal medication as a risk factor for hypernatremic dehydration among exclusively breastfed infants needs to be further explored.

This is a case of men with type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic foot. The patient was in danger of limb amputation. After improvement of diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia therapies a comprehensive treatment of diabetic foot including angioplasty, antibiotics and local maggot therapy was used for diabetic foot management. Therapy result was very satisfying for the patient. Despite of amputation of the 2nd digit due to advanced gangrene, the whole foot function was saved.Key words: diabetes foot - maggot therapies - type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Inflammatory markers are essential tools in the decision-making process for lower extremity infections. When coupled with objective findings, clinicians can more accurately diagnose and treat these entities. Typically, markers such as the white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein are used to initially assess these patients or monitor the progression of medical or surgical therapy. Procalcitonin is a newer inflammatory marker that is specific for an infectious process. Originally, procalcitonin was used to monitor antibiotic therapy and sepsis for patients in the intensive care setting, but it has now been expanded to other facets of medicine. The utility of procalcitonin has been described for diagnosing infection or osteomyelitis in diabetic foot ulcers. However, limited research has compared inflammatory marker levels and the level of amputation. A retrospective inpatient medical record review was performed of 156 consecutive patient occurrences during 25 months in which surgical intervention was required for a lower extremity infection and an initial procalcitonin level had been obtained. This initial procalcitonin value was then compared with the level of amputation at the final surgical intervention. A highly statistically significant difference was found when comparing those who underwent a below-the-knee or above-the-knee amputation (median procalcitonin 1.72 ng/mL) and those who did not (median procalcitonin 0.105 ng/mL; p < .001). Therefore, patients with higher initial procalcitonin values were more likely to undergo below-the-knee or above-the-knee amputation or require aggressive surgical intervention. Thus, the procalcitonin level can provide valuable initial information to the clinician., (Copyright © 2017 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Laparoscopic appendectomy is one of the most common operations. Single-site appendectomy has been gaining popularity; however, it has certain disadvantages. The purpose of this study was to review the results of an essentially scarless laparoscopic appendectomy technique., Methods: A retrospective review of all patients who underwent two-site appendectomy for appendicitis between January 2015 and February 2016 was performed. For all cases, a 4 mm trocar and a 5 mm trocar were placed through an infraumbilical incision and a 3 mm trocar was placed in the suprapubic region., Results: Fifty patients underwent appendectomy using this technique. The average age was 9.7 years (5-16 years) and average weight was 40 kg (15.7-73.3 kg). The classifications of appendicitis consisted of 32 simple, 5 suppurative, 4 gangrenous, and 8 perforated. The average operative time was 29 minutes (6-53 minutes) and average length of stay was 1.9 days (1-6 days). There were three minor complications, and all cases were completed with this technique, including in obese patients and for perforated appendicitis. All patients reported satisfaction with their postoperative cosmetic outcome., Conclusions: This technique allows for the main incision to be hidden at the umbilicus, creating an essentially scarless cosmetic result. The addition of a 3 mm suprapubic port leads to increased maneuverability of the instruments and better retraction of the appendix. It is also feasible in obese children and cases of perforated appendicitis.

Rationale: Ecthyma gangrenosum (EG) is an aggressive cutaneous disease caused by local or systemic infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. EG is characterized by cutaneous manifestations ranging from nodule and papule, to necrotic ulceration with surrounding erythema, especially with black eschar or central crust. EG presents with characteristic skin lesions which is important to establish diagnosis of sepsis caused by P aeruginosa, a serious condition that can be treated efficiently if diagnosed early., Patient Concerns: A 3-month-old female infant was presented with characteristic skin lesions of EG and developed sepsis 3 days later., Diagnoses: Ecthyma gangrenosum and sepsis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa., Interventions: Meropenem was used in combination with ceftazidime at first and excision of necrotic skin lesions was performed later., Outcomes: Cure., Lessons: Early recognition of EG plays an important role in providing appropriate empiric antibiotic treatment at early stage of sepsis, and improves the prognosis. Surgical excision may be helpful if no improvement was achieved via antibiotic treatment.

Alimentary tract duplication is a rare congenital anomaly which may involve any part of the alimentary tract extending from stomach to rectum. Clinical presentation may mimic an inflamed appendix as described in this case. A 9-year-old boy with a clinical diagnosis of perforated appendix was noted to have a normal appendix intra-operatively. On further search for an underlying pathology, a gangrenous ileal duplication was discovered. En-bloc resection with primary bowel anastomosis was done. Histopathology report revealed a gangrenous small bowel duplication. We discuss the preoperative diagnostic dilemma and management options in approaching this rare entity.

Diabetic foot ulcerations may determine minor or major amputation, with a high impact on patients' life expectation and quality of life and on economic burden. Among minor amputations, transmetatarsal amputation (TMA) appears to be the most effective in terms of limb salvage rates and in maintaining foot and ankle biomechanics. In spite of this, TMA needs particular pre- and postoperative management in order to avoid the frequent failure rates. A systematic review was undertaken of studies concerning TMA and its care in diabetic foot gangrene. Studies were identified by searching the MEDLINE, Scopus and Science Direct databases until 13 January 2016. All studies were assessed using the Downs and Black quality checklist. Of the 348 records found, 86 matched our inclusion criteria. After reading the full-text articles, we decided to exclude 35 manuscripts because of the following reasons: (1) no innovative or important content, (2) no multivariable analysis, (3) insufficient data, (4) no clear potential biases or strategies to solve them, (5) no clear endpoints and (6) inconsistent or arbitrary conclusions. The final set included 51 articles. In the current literature, there are less data about TMA, indication for the selection of patients, outcomes and complications. Generally, the judgment of an experienced physician is one of the best indicators of subsequent healing. Ankle brachial indices, toe pressures, laser Doppler skin perfusion pressures, angiography and Doppler assessment of foot vasculature may help physicians in this decision. In any case, despite the presumed lower healing rate, it is reasonable to pursue a TMA in a patient with a higher likelihood of continued ambulation. Furthermore, tailored wound closure, adjuvant local treatments and the choice of the most appropriate antibiotic therapy, when infection occurs, are pivotal elements for the success of TMA procedures. TMA is a valuable option for diabetic foot gangrene that can prevent major limb loss and minimise loss of function, thus improving the quality of life for diabetic patients., (© 2016 Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

We present the very unusual case of a 38-year-old woman with acute appendicitis and intestinal obstruction. During surgery, a 2.5 cm gallstone impacted at the base of the cecal appendix was found as the cause of a gangrenous appendicitis and obstruction; a choledochal-duodenal fistula was found during the same surgery with no gallstones remaining in the gallbladder or elsewhere. The case was managed by appendectomy with retrieval of the gallstones and no other procedure was performed for the gallbladder or the fistula, since no other gallstone was found on examination. Previously, she was found to have a round, radio-opaque image on the right iliac fossa on imaging, initially identified as an appendicolith, but after pathological examination it turned out to contain cholesterol and calcium bilirubinate. Gallstone ileus as the cause of an obstructive gangrenous appendicitis is a very unusual disease presentation that should be kept in mind when finding an unusual appendicolith presentation in or out the appendix.

The comparative analysis data were presented, concerning the results of complex treatment of 28 patients, suffering ischemic-gangrenous form of the diabetic foot syndrome, developing on background of chronic ischemia of the lower extremities stage IV. In 14 patients (main group) a routine complex of the treatment measures was added by application of an active pressure (negative pressure wound therapy - NPWT) and a capicor preparation; 14 patients (the comparison group) were treated in accordance to routine scheme. In accordance to the comparative analysis data, in patients of the main group the wound surface sarea have kept reducing in twice more rapid, than in a comparison group, the wounds healing was achieved in 94% patients, duration of the patients’ stationary stay have reduced by (5.2 ± 1.4) days.

Introduction: Testicular torsion is a urological emergency. If not recognized in time, this condition may result in ischaemic injury and loss of testis. Simultaneous bilateral neonatal testicular torsion is extremely rare and is usually misdiagnosed., Case Report: We report a case of a male newborn, who presented with bilateral scrotal swelling and redness of the scrotum. Doppler ultrasound supported the diagnosis of bilateral testicular torsion, with an absent blood flow signal on the right side and a weak signal on the left side. Testicular exploration through scrotal incision was performed and bilateral testicular torsion was found. Right testis was grossly gangrenous, and right orchiectomy was performed. Left testicle was dark but showed recovery after detorsion with some bleeding from incised tunica albugenia. Fixation of the left testicle was performed. At six month follow-up, the left testis showed signs of atrophy and hormonal assay showed very low testosterone and elevated LH and FSH, suggesting hypogonadism., Conclusions: Management of neonatal testicular torsion is a matter of controversy. Testicular torsion results into acute ischemia and urgent surgical exploration is the key point of management. Although the possibility of salvaging the involved testicles is usually very low it is hard to justify a passive approach to a bilateral torsion resulting in such a devastating condition as anorchia.

There were examined in dynamics 724 patients, in whom complicated diabetic foot syndrome (DFS) was diagnosed, and in 71 (9.8%) of them the disease was complicated by sepsis. The state severity in a DFS patients have depended upon duration of purulent-necrotic process on the foot, in septic patients such dependence was not revealed. All the DFS patients without sepsis were operated on. In total 36 died (lethality 5.5%), in presence of sepsis - 42 (lethality 59.1%). The cause of sepsis in the patients, suffering complicated DFS, was predominantly a wet gangrene of the lower extremities. Among those, who were not operated on, 13 (30.9%) septic patients died, of them 5 – who refused operative intervention performance - died in first hours after admittance to hospital due to irreversible injury of organs and systems.

The authors report a clinical case concerning successful endovascular treatment for subacute thrombosis of crural and plantar arteries in a patient with the only leg, substantiating therapeutic decision making with due regard for the duration of thrombosis and localization of the lesion of the arterial bed. Taking into consideration the statistical data on survival in case of performing major amputation in this cohort of patients, an 'aggressive' endovascular approach including three vascularizations made it possible not only to preserve the leg but also to save the patient's life.

Primates possess great manual dexterity, and their limbs are integral to many aspects of normal functioning (e.g., climbing, feeding). As such, the loss of a limb carries the risk of significant disability and potentially harmful impairment of species-typical functioning. Limb loss is known to occur in some wild primate populations due to entanglement in hunting snares, but can also occur in captive settings due to injury that necessitates therapeutic amputation. In this study, we conducted a detailed evaluation of the behavior, travel, and space use expressed by a female zoo-housed chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) before and following surgical amputation of her right forelimb. Overall, our results suggest that the injury did not substantively affect her daily activities. She showed no change to her vertical space use, spending equivalent proportions of her time on the ground and high in the enclosure. There was a decrease in the frequency of locomotion on the ground (P = 0.006) but also a significant increase in the overall distance travelled (P = 0.0015) following the removal of the limb. This case study provides evidence that individual chimpanzees are able to successfully adjust to significant anatomical changes when provided adequate environments in which to stay active, and highlights the importance of an effective post-surgical monitoring period-a comprehensive recovery evaluation that includes input from both veterinary and behavioral research staff is likely to provide the most holistic assessment of animal health and long-term wellbeing. Zoo Biol. 36:5-10, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

We report a case of a 75-year-old female with acute torsion of the gallbladder with gangrene and cholelithiasis. On admission, the patient underwent physical examination, laboratory blood analysis, abdominal ultrasound and plain abdominal x-ray. Due to the signs of acute abdomen and poor general condition of the patient, urgent surgical procedure was indicated. Intraoperatively, the gallbladder was found to be greatly enlarged, gangrenous and greatly distended with 360° clockwise torsion around its mesentery. Cholecystectomy was performed. Gallbladder torsion is a rare surgical emergency which physicians should bear in mind when encountering patients with symptoms of acute cholecystitis. The only treatment for this condition is urgent cholecystectomy with prior detorsion. The mortality rate in patients not undergoing surgery is 100%.

Background: Closure of the appendiceal stump is the most critical part of laparoscopic appendectomy. Establishing the average diameter of the inflamed appendix, and forming the appropriate size of clip, endoloop or stapler length, would make this critical phase of laparoscopic appendectomy easier., Methods: One hundred and fifty consecutive patients, with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, were included in this study and divided into three groups according to the histological verification of the status of the infection, as follows: phlegmonous, gangrenous and perforated forms of acute appendicitis. The external diameter of the appendiceal base was measured, and the widest part of the appendix with the mesoappendix and the tip, with the help of Vernier callipers, and the measurement was expressed in millimetres., Results: The average size of the appendiceal base in the phlegmonous form was 10.29 ± 3.13, in the gangrenous form 12.41 ± 3.56, and in the perforated form 12.42 ± 3.64. The maximal size of base was observed in the perforated form, 23.13 mm. The dimensions of the appendiceal base, the central part and the tip in the phlegmonous form were statistically significantly smaller than in the gangrenous and perforated forms of acute appendicitis. The size of the appendix did not differ statistically significantly in the gangrenous and perforated forms of acute appendicitis., Conclusion: In view of the price, the size of the opening, radiological advantage and biocompatibility, the Hem-o-lok clip is the most effective, although its internal diameter should be increased. The DS clip is also effective, but the size of the opening sometimes makes application difficult, and possibly increasing the length of the legs and the opening would make this clip ideal. Staplers have the best characteristics, but their price means they are an option only for forms where it is not possible to close the stump using other methods.