Thirty-day surgical outcome among patients who had undergone emergency laparotomy in a tertiary care teaching hospital: An audit of 151 cases

Introduction: Despite being one of the most commonly performed emergency surgical procedures, there is a scarcity of data on the outcomes and postoperative mortality rates of emergency laparotomy. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study was conducted among 151 patients those who underwent emergency laparotomy in the department of general surgery over a period of 8 months. Data were collected from the medical records available in the Medical Records Library. Results: The mean age of the study population was 45 years, with 82.8% being males. The overall mortality rate was 23.84% at 30 days. Conclusion: Emergency laparotomy carries a risk of high mortality and is associated with several modifiable factors. The data presented here reinforce the need for new models of care with increased multidisciplinary input into patient care in the postoperative period

Are the Risk Factors of Breast Cancer among Women in Kerala different from around the globe, Need for a detailed analysis : Prospective review from a tertiary care centre Kerala

Introduction: The incidence of breast cancer is increasing worldwide. This study aimed to assess the risk factors of breast cancer in patients reporting at our tertiary care institute with an endeavour to reduce the incidence, mortality and morbidity due to the disease, having the knowledge that risk factors may vary according to different parts of the country.Methods: A case control study was conducted in the Department of General Surgery, Government Medical College, Thrissur among 165 histologically proven female breast cancer patients (cases) and 165 females with no evidence of carcinoma breast (age matched controls). Screening was done by both clinical examination and imaging wherever necessary from April 1st  2013 to March 31st  2014. A private interview was set up for all cases and controls using a structured proforma for collecting data regarding risk factors. Both t- test and chi square test were used for analysis.Results: Mean age of the study population was 52 years (SD-12). Age at menarche, Menopausal status, Age at menopause, Parity, Duration of breast feeding, Breast Self-examination awareness and Physical activity showed statistically significant difference between cases and controls. Whereas, the presence of Family History of any other cancer showed no significant association with breast cancer, unlike previous studies.Conclusion: Our study shown roles for some modifiable risk factors of breast cancer that can be focused by public health intervention in local setup. The women who have one or more of the following risk factors should take the special attention to risk of breast cancer