NDM-1 imported from India – first reported case in South Africa

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae have been increasingly reported throughout the world. The first South African report of a New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase was from Gauteng in August 2011. Despite maintaining a high degree of vigilance, the first such case was seen in KwaZulu-Natal almost a year later. Other cases have been unable to confirm a definite link to any other affected areas; this is the first case in South Africa showing this direct epidemiological link

NDM-1 imported from India – first reported case in South Africa

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae have been increasingly reported throughout the world. The first South African report of a New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase was from Gauteng in August 2011. Despite maintaining a high degree of vigilance, the first such case was seen in KwaZulu-Natal almost a year later. Other cases have been unable to confirm a definite link to any other affected areas; this is the first case in South Africa showing this direct epidemiological link

European registry of type A aortic dissection (ERTAAD) - rationale, design and definition criteria

Correction: Volume16 Issue1 Article Number225 DOI10.1186/s13019-021-01606-8Background: Acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is a life-threatening condition. Surgery is usually performed as a salvage procedure and is associated with significant postoperative early mortality and morbidity. Understanding the patient's conditions and treatment strategies which are associated with these adverse events is essential for an appropriate management of acute TAAD. Methods: Nineteen centers of cardiac surgery from seven European countries have collaborated to create a multicentre observational registry (ERTAAD), which will enroll consecutive patients who underwent surgery for acute TAAD from January 2005 to March 2021. Analysis of the impact of patient's comorbidities, conditions at referral, surgical strategies and perioperative treatment on the early and late adverse events will be performed. The investigators have developed a classification of the urgency of the procedure based on the severity of preoperative hemodynamic conditions and malperfusion secondary to acute TAAD. The primary clinical outcomes will be in-hospital mortality, late mortality and reoperations on the aorta. Secondary outcomes will be stroke, acute kidney injury, surgical site infection, reoperation for bleeding, blood transfusion and length of stay in the intensive care unit. Discussion: The analysis of this multicentre registry will allow conclusive results on the prognostic importance of critical preoperative conditions and the value of different treatment strategies to reduce the risk of early adverse events after surgery for acute TAAD. This registry is expected to provide insights into the long-term durability of different strategies of surgical repair for TAAD.Peer reviewe

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research

Acute Right Coronary Ostial Stenosis during Aortic Valve Replacement

We report a rare case of acute right coronary artery stenosis developing in a patient undergoing aortic valve replacement. We present a case report with a brief overview of the literature relating to coronary artery occlusion associated with cardiac valve surgery – the theories and treatments are discussed. A 85 year-old female was admitted under the care of the cardiothoracic team with signs and symptoms of heart failure. Investigations, including cardiac echocardiography and coronary angiography, indicated a critical aortic valve stenosis. Intraoperative right ventricular failure ensued post aortic valve replacement. Subsequent investigations revealed an acute occlusion of the proximal right coronary artery with resultant absence of distal flow supplying the right ventricle. An immediate right coronary artery bypass procedure was performed with resolution of the right ventricular failure. Subsequent weaning off cardiopulmonary bypass was uneventful and the patient continued to make excellent recovery in the postoperative phase. To our knowledge this is one of the few documented cases of intraoperative acute coronary artery occlusion developing during valve surgery. However, surgeons should be aware of the potential for acute occlusion so that early recognition and rapid intervention can be instituted

Not the typical winter cough

We report on a young adult with a foreign body lodged in the right main bronchus for at least 5 days, with no alleged recollection of aspiration despite the size and shape of the object, which was removed successfully by rigid bronchoscopy

Ethnic differences in the management of coronary heart disease patients : lessons to be learned in Indo-Asians

Objectives: To examine the impact of ethnicity on the outcome of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for myocardial revascularization. Subjects and Methods: We evaluated retrospectively 7,226 Caucasian (CC) and 650 Indo-Asian (IA) patients who underwent isolated first-time CABG surgery over 5 years. The relationship between ethnicity (IA vs. CC) and 30-day mortality, 6-month mortality and complications were analysed. Results: After adjustment for baseline characteristics, IA and CC patients had similar 30-day [IA/CC odds ratio (OR) 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84–1.35; p = 0.59] and 6-month mortality risk (IA/CC OR 1.10; 95% CI 0.91–1.34; p = 0.31). However, IA patients were more likely to experience complications following surgery (OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.14–1.45; p < 0.01). Conclusion: Ethnicity does not appear to be a strong risk factor for adverse outcomes following CABG surgery in the IA patients. However, future studies are needed to elucidate the specific reasons for higher complication rates in IA patients and to devise strategies to reduce complications following the operation for these patients