Epidemoilogy of severe poisonings caused by ingestion caustic substance

Acute poisoning with corrosive substances can cause severe chemical injuries of the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. They are most frequently localized in the oesophagus and stomach. If the patient survives the acute phase of poisoning, the regenerative response can result in oesophageal and/or gastric stenosis and a higher risk of oesophageal and stomach cancer. Seven-years clinical material was evaluated for this study (2000-2006) with a total number of 517 patients, hospitalized and treated at the Urgent Internal Medicine and Toxicology Clinic, University Clinical Centre, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. The evaluation of the caustic poisonings was followed on the basis of anamnesis and hetero-anamnesis, physical examination of the patient, and status of the local changes to the oral mucosae, tongue, palate, and pharynx. The patients were assessed by the following techniques of visualization: urgent oesophagoduodenoscopy in the first 24 hours after the ingestion, control oesophagoduodenoscopy (15 and 25 days after ingestion), X-ray of oesophagus, gaster and duodenum with gastrograph (25-30 days after the ingestion), as well as a routine laboratory examination (blood count, urea, creatinine, enzyme, protein and lipid status, serum transferin, etc), following also the actual body mass index (BMI). The presented results show that the dominating patients were female [n = 368 patients (71.79 %), p 0.05], with the majority having had secondary education [n = 322 (62.28 %), p = 0.001]. The most frequently misused substance was chlorine hydrogen acid [n = 245 patients (47.38%)]., At the first urgent oesophagoduodenoscopy examination the majority of patients had II A (n = 190) and II B (n = 136) grade damage (x(2) = 44.0; p 0.05) was also stated. Of 517 patients, 62 (11.99 %) were poisoned with concentrated acetic acid. In 37 patients (59.67 %) acute renal failure developed as an acute complication and four patients (6.5 %) died as a consequence of the disordered renal function and the need for active dialysis treatment. Recovery of the renal function was established in 93.5 % of the patients. A total number of 138 haemodialyses (3.7/patients) were performed. Acute corrosive poisonings represent a serious socio-economic problem, as well as a diagnostic and therapeutic problem. They appear most frequently in a population that is in a period of life when the person is most creative and efficient in terms of working capacity. The treatment is expensive and is an economic burden on the social community. Despite all the current therapeutic treatments and efforts made to decrease the mortality and late morbidity, intoxication with corrosive substances remains a difficult medical problem

The effect of a small dose of ketamine on postoperative analgesia and cytokine changes after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background and objectives: In this study we assesed the effect of a small dose of ketamine on the production of TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6 and the postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods: Fifty patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomized in two equal groups. Patients in the ketamine group after induction in anesthesia received ketamine – 025 mg/kg-1. At the same time patients from the control group received sodium chloride. Postoperatively, the pain was assessed with VAS at periods of 30 min at 1, 2, 4, 8, 18, 24 and 48 hours. TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6 were evaluated before surgery at 4, 18 and 24h after the operation. Results: Differences of mean values of TNFα and IL-1β between the two groups in the postoperative period were not significant. Mean values of IL-6 in the investigated group A were significantly lower than the mean values of IL-6 in the investigated group B after the 4th hour (p = 0.00990), after the 18th hour (p = 0.00133) and as after the 24th hour following surgery (p = 000860). the difference in pain intensityaccording to the VAS scale was also statistically significantly smaller in group A after 30 min, 1,2,8 and 12 hours after surgery. Conclusions: The addition of a small-dose of ketamine in patiens undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy resulted in attenuation of secretion of TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6 and reduction of postoperative pain. Key words: ketamine, postoperative pain, proinflammatory cytokines