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OBJECTIVES: CorTempT is a wireless intestinal temperature monitoring system in the form of an ingestible pill and an external receiver. The aim of the study was to evaluate the system's accuracy and practicality during cardiac surgery. METHODS: A repeat measures design using simultaneous temperature readings from the pulmonary artery (T pa), a nasopharyngeal thermometer (T np), skin thermometers (T sk) and the CorTempT system (T in), was conducted in 15 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery under hypothermic conditions. RESULTS: Only 67 % of patients' data was analysed and the statistical analysis of a total of 264 sets of readings showed a clinically significant temperature difference of T incompared to the other thermometers with limits of agreement between T inand T pa, T npand T sk(? 0.35 to ? 1.53 ?C), (? 0.72 to ? 1.63 ?C) (? 0.40 to ? 1.84 ?C), respectively. The T inbias was significantly different from that of T pa( P = 0.0023), T np( P = 0.018) and T sk( P = 0.0005) during rewarming. The T inrate of temperature change was also found to be significantly slower during the rewarming period. CONCLUSIONS: The significant temperature differences detected during rewarming urge caution regarding CorTempT's use as an accurate estimator of brain temperature in cardiac surgery. Further studies are required to assess its potentially useful role as a body core and intestinal temperature monitoring system and as a useful adjunct in investigating bowel ischaemia aetiology in cardiac surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The goal of the present study was to critically review and identify the strength of available evidence in the literature on the use of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) in complicated appendicitis (CA)., Methods: The Cochrane Library and Controlled Trials Registry, MEDLINE (Ovid), PubMed, Web of knowledge, and SCOPUS databases were electronically searched, using the keywords "appendectomy," "laparoscopy," "appendicitis." "complicated appendicitis." "gangrenous appendicitis," "perforated appendicitis," with English language as a limit. Backward chaining was also employed. The NHS Public Health Resource Unit Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Tools were used for critical appraisal., Results: Twelve retrospective case-control studies were included in the review. Overall methodological quality was moderate to poor, with heterogeneity, absence of randomization and blinding, and presence of important methodological flaws. Meta-analysis showed that LA in CA has reduced surgical site infection (SSI) rates compared to open appendectomy (OA), odds ratio (OR) 0.23, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.14-0.37 (level 3a evidence), and no difference with regard to intra-abdominal abscess (IAA) complication rates OR: 1.02, 95% CI 0.56-1.86 (level 3a evidence)., Conclusions: When compared to OA, laparoscopic appendectomy is advantageous in CA with regard to SSIs, with no significant additional risk of IAA (level 3a evidence).