Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Background: Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. // Methods: We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung's disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. // Findings: We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung's disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middle-income countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in low-income countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. // Interpretation: Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Avaliação do tratamento de fissura anal crônica com isossorbida tópica a 1% Evaluation of the treatment of chronic anal fissure with topical isosorbide 1%

INTRODUÇÃO: Fissuras anais crônicas são úlceras benignas, dolorosas, profundas. Ocorrem devido a trauma das fezes, hipertonia esfincteriana e pobre vascularização. Cirurgia é mais efetiva, porém com efeitos adversos (incontinência anal). Terapia conservadora consegue decréscimo transitório da pressão de repouso, cicatrizando muitas lesões, sem dano muscular. MÉTODOS: Objetivando avaliar tratamento de fissuras crônicas com isossorbida (ISO) a 1% tópica, foi realizado um ensaio clínico, duplo-cego em pacientes do Serviço de Coloproctologia da Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS) - Aracaju, Sergipe, durante um ano. Foram estudados 24 pacientes: 14 no Grupo 1 - creme com ISO, e 10 no Grupo 2 - placebo. Avaliaram-se comportamento da pressão de repouso, melhora da dor e grau de cicatrização das feridas com e sem ISO. RESULTADOS: Resultados mostraram que a fissura acometeu mais mulheres, a constipação foi observada em 58,3%. Quanto à dor, obteve-se menor intensidade no Grupo 2, mas sem significância. A cicatrização ao fim de 60 dias foi igual nos dois grupos (50%). Quanto às médias de pressão de repouso com 30 e 60 dias, houve queda no padrão em ambos os grupos, porém sem significância. Observou-se que pacientes curados foram os de maior redução de pressão de repouso. CONCLUSÃO: Concluiu-se que a ISO não modificou o padrão de resposta manométrica; todavia, houve melhora clínica importante nos dois grupos, cuja taxa de cicatrização foi equivalente.<br>INTRODUCTION: Chronic anal fissures are deep, benign and painful ulcers. The involved factors are local trauma, sphinter hypertonia and poor blood flow. Surgery is gold standard treatment, but it causes fecal incontinence. Medical non-surgical therapy gets transitory resting pressure reduction and cure of lesions, without muscular damage. METHODS: In order to evaluate the treatment of chronic anal fissures using topical isossorbide (ISO) 1%, a randomizated and double-blind study twas carried out in Coloproctology Section of Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS), Sergipe, Brazil, during one year. Twenty-four patients were evaluated: 14 in Group 1 - ISO cream, and 10 in Group 2 - placebo. Resting pressure profile, improvement of painful symptoms and degree of scaring of the fissure were evaluated. RESULTS: Ulcer was more prevalent in women, constipation was present in 58.3%. The evacuatory pain was less common in Group 2, but without statistical significance. After 60 days, the healing was equal in the both groups (50%). There was a small reduction of resting pressure means at the end of 30 and 60 days, without statistical significance. Healing patients presented more resting pressure reducing. CONCLUSION: ISO cream did not influence the manometric response standard; otherwise it offered clinical improvement in both groups, whose scarring index was similar