Evaluation on prognostic efficacy of lymph nodes ratio (LNR) and log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) in complicated colon cancer: The first study in emergency surgery

Background: Lymph node involvement is one of the most important prognostic factors in colon cancer. Twelve is considered the minimum number of lymph nodes necessary to retain reliable tumour staging, but several factors can potentially influence the lymph node harvesting. Emergent surgery for complicated colon cancer (perforation, occlusion, bleeding) could represent an obstacle to reach the benchmark of 12 nodes with an accurate lymphadenectomy. So, an efficient classification system of lymphatic involvement is crucial to define the prognosis, the indication to adjuvant therapy and the follow-up. This is the first study with the aim to evaluate the efficacy of lymph nodes ratio (LNR) and log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) in the prognostic assessment of patients who undergo to urgent surgery for complicated colonic cancer. Methods: This is a retrospective study carried out on patients who underwent urgent colonic resection for complicated cancer (occlusion, perforation, bleeding, sepsis). We collected clinical, pathological and follow-up data of 320 patients. Two hundred two patients met the inclusion criteria and were distributed into three groups according to parameter N of TNM, LNR and LODDS. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier curves, investigating both overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Results: The median number of harvested lymph nodes was 17. In 78.71% (n = 159) of cases, at least 12 lymph nodes were examined. Regarding OS, significant differences from survival curves emerged for ASA score, surgical indication, tumour grading, T parameter, tumour stage, N parameter, LNR and LODDS. In multivariate analysis, only LODDS was found to be an independent prognostic factor. Concerning DFS, we found significant differences between survival curves of sex, surgical indication, T parameter, tumour stage, N parameter, LNR and LODDS, but none of these confirmed its prognostic power in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: We found that N, LNR and LODDS are all related to 5-year OS and DFS with statistical significance, but only LODDS was found to be an independent prognostic factor for OS in multivariate analysis

Ill-lighting syndrome: prevalence in shift-work personnel in the anaesthesiology and intensive care department of three Italian hospitals

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Light is one of the most important factors in our interaction with the environment; it is indispensable to visual function and neuroendocrine regulation, and is essential to our emotional perception and evaluation of the environment. Previous studies have focussed on the effects of prolonged anomalous exposure to artificial light and, in the field of work-related illness. Studies have been carried out on shift-work personnel, who are obliged to experience alterations in the physiological alternation of day and night, with anomalous exposure to light stimuli in hours normally reserved for sleep. In order to identify any signs and symptoms of the so-called ill-lighting syndrome, we carried out a study on a sample of anaesthesiologists and nurses employed in the operating theatres and Intensive Care Departments of three Italian hospitals. We measured the subjective emotional discomfort (stress) experienced by these subjects, and its correlation with environmental discomfort factors, in particular the level of lighting, in their workplace.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used a questionnaire developed by the Scandinavian teams who investigated Sick-Building Syndrome, that was self-administered on one day in the environments where the degree of illumination was measured according to UNIEN12464-1 regulations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Upon comparison of the types of exposure with the horizontal luminance values (lux) measured (< 700 lux, between 1000–1500 lux, > 1500 lux) and the degree of stress reported, (Intensive Care: mean stress = 55.8%, high stress = 34.6%; Operating Theatres: mean stress = 51.5%, high stress = 33.8%), it can be observed that the percentage of high stress was reduced as the exposure to luminance was increased, although this finding was not statistically significant.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We cannot share other authors' enthusiasm regarding the effects on workers well-being correlated to the use of fluorescent lighting. The stress level of our workers was found to be more heavily influenced by their familial and working conditions, irrespective of the ambient light stimulus.</p

Management of the pelvic floor disfunctions: combined versus single surgical procedure in a multidisciplinary approach: a retrospective study

The objective of this study was to compare the outcome of combined surgical treatment of multicompartmental pelvic floor defects versus single procedures within a multidisciplinary path in order to try to clarify what is the most effective surgical approach

Preoperative endoscopic tattooing to mark the tumour site does not improve lymph node retrieval in colorectal cancer: A retrospective cohort study

Background: A direct correlation between number of lymph nodes retrieved and evaluated after a colectomy for colorectal cancer and survival of the patient has been reported, and consensus guidelines recommend to assess at least 12 lymph nodes for adequate staging. Many factors (i.e., patients’ and tumour characteristics, surgeon, and pathologist) may influence the evaluation of the presence of neoplastic disease in lymph nodes as well as the total number of lymph nodes examined. Preoperative endoscopic tattooing to mark the site of the tumour has recently been suggested to facilitate the retrieval of lymph nodes in colorectal specimens. The aim of this study was to investigate its association with adequate lymphadenectomy (≥12 nodes) after colorectal resection for cancer. Results: All patients undergoing elective colorectal resection for cancer between 2009 and 2011 at the S. Anna University Hospital in Ferrara, Italy (N = 250) were retrospectively divided into two cohorts according to whether ink tattooing to mark the tumour site was performed during preoperative colonoscopy. The two cohorts were comparable regarding age, gender, body mass index, tumour location and size, TNM staging, and DNA microsatellite instability-high status. No difference between the tattoo (N = 107) and control (N = 143) groups could be detected in the rate of adequate lymphadenectomies performed (78% vs. 79%, p = 0.40). All factors known to influence lymph nodes retrieval from colorectal specimen were specifically evaluated. Rectal and colonic cancers were analysed together and separately. Full adjusted logistic regression analysis in patients who underwent colonic resection showed that right hemicolectomy (OR 4.72; CI95% 1.09-20.36) was the only factor associated to adequate lymphadenectomy. No association between ink tattooing performed preoperatively to mark the site of the tumour and adequate lymphadenectomy after colorectal resection was found with logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: This study shows that preoperative ink tattooing utilized to mark the site of the tumour does not improve adequate lymphadenectomy and lymph nodes yield from colorectal cancer specimens. Further studies are therefore needed to determine if preoperative colonoscopic tattooing to mark the tumour site can refine staging

Impatto economico correlato alla gestione di pazienti nefropatici con diagnosi di sepsi in ambiente ospedaliero

Introduzione: La sepsi è diventata negli ultimi decenni una vera emergenza medica, associata ad una mortalità elevata; necessita spesso di ricovero in ambito ospedaliero intensivistico, determinando elevati costi di gestione dei pazienti. A causa di una serie di fattori clinici (utilizzo di cateteri, terapie immunosoppressive, comorbilità, etc.) un numero sempre maggiore di pazienti nefropatici contraggono una sepsi e vengono trattati all’interno di degenze nefrologiche e ciò compromette la capacità del meccanismo di rimborso da tariffario nazionale dei Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) di remunerare gli inevitabili costi aggiuntivi. Lo scopo principale di questo studio è quello di valutare i costi della sepsi nel caso di una singola Unità Operativa di Nefrologia e, secondariamente, rilevare il tasso di mortalità dei pazienti settici in ambito nefrologico. Metodi: È stato condotto uno studio retrospettivo con riferimento alla coorte dei pazienti ricoverati in una degenza nefrologica nel 2017. I pazienti sono stati divisi in due gruppi: quelli che hanno contratto la sepsi e quelli che invece non l’hanno contratta, questi ultimi considerati come gruppo controllo. Sono stati raccolti dati anagrafici, ematochimici, clinici e terapeutici del campione mediante la scheda aziendale “Sepsi”. I pazienti settici sono stati rilevati utilizzando le Schede di Dimissione Ospedaliera (SDO). Il costo relativo ad un ricovero per sepsi è stato ottenuto dalla somma di: (1) il costo medio di una giornata di degenza moltiplicato per il numero complessivo di giornate di degenza consumate; (2) il costo specifico del trattamento antibiotico eseguito in corso di degenza, rilevato direttamente dalla documentazione clinica. Risultati: Su 408 pazienti arruolati, 61 sono risultati con sepsi. Il costo medio complessivo pro-capite del ricovero di un paziente con sepsi in Nefrologia ammontava a 23.087,57 €; esso era costituito dal costo medio totale del ricovero per questa tipologia di paziente (19.364,98 €) e dal costo medio totale ponderato pro-capite della antibiotico terapia (3.722,60 €). Il tasso di mortalità è risultato pari al 41,7%, con una mortalità addizionale del 312%. Conclusioni: Un paziente nefropatico con sepsi aveva un costo totale di 23.087,57 €, pari quasi al triplo di un analogo paziente senza sepsi (9.290,79 €) ricoverato in Nefrologia. Le cause principali di questo discostamento erano dovute alla degenza media più lunga di 8,7 giorni e ai costi medi giornalieri pro-capite elevati della terapia antibiotica (221,24 €). Sono necessari ulteriori studi multicentrici nazionali per un’analisi più ampia dei costi aggiuntivi e per favorire l’adeguamento del corrispettivo tariffario di rimborso DRG della sepsi, attualmente applicabile principalmente in ambito intensivistico