Search

La persistencia de la cloaca es una de las formas más complejas de las malformaciones anorrectales que se produce en las niñas. El tratamiento es complicado y laborioso, sobre todo cuando el canal común es largo.El objetivo de esta comunicación es subrayar la importancia de la movilización conjunta del seno urogenital tras la separación del recto. La primera maniobra evita la separación del tracto urinario del genital, acortando el tiempo de intervención en más del 60 %. Esto sólo es possible realizarlo en las cloacas con canal común menor de 3 cm. Se presentan los casos de dos niñas intervenidas en el transcurso de los últimos 2 años con esta técnica.Los resultados en cuanto al acortamiento del tiempo quirúrgico fueron significativos pudiéndose realizar en aproximadamente 4 h, la intervención se simplificó de manera importante y los resultados funcionales y estéticos fueron excelentes.Creemos que para obtener buenos resultados en el tratamiento de la cloaca, es necesario establecer un diagnóstico clínico y radiológico preciso, evaluar el orden de preferencia de las necesidades quirúrgicas y elegir la técnica adecuada. Se considera que la mejor opción para aquellos casos cuyo canal común es inferior a 3 cm es la movilización total del seno urogenital, su abocamiento al perineo y la colocación del recto en el complejo esfinteriano anorrectal. : Persistent cloaca is one of the most complex forms of anorectal malformation in girls. Surgical treatment is complicated and laborious especially when the common channel is long.The aim of this report was to emphasize the importance of the joint mobilization of the urogenital sinus after separation from the rectum. This maneuver avoids separation of the urinary tract from the enital tract and reduces operating time by more than 60 %. This is only possible when the common channel of the cloaca is less than 3 cm. We present the cases of two girls treated in the last 2 years with this technique.Operating time was significantly shortened to approximately 4 hours and the procedure was considerably simplified. The functional and cosmetic results were excellent.To obtain good results in the treatment of cloaca, a precise clinical and radiologist diagnosis must be made, surgical needs should be prioritized and the appropriate technique chosen. The best procedure for patients whose common channel is less than 3 cm is total mobilization of the urogenital sinus, subsequently sutured to the perineum, and placement the rectum within the anorectal sphincter complex.

Incidence of surgical infection is greater among elderly patients undergoing surgery than among the general population, with a serious compromise regarding morbidity and mortality in this group of patients with increased risk.To determine the microbiological features of surgical infections in patients over 65 years of age compared with those younger than 65.Over the past 2 years, 2,064 patients underwent surgery in our Department. One thousand three hundred sixty seven of those patients (66.7%) had 65 years of age or less and 688 (33.3%) were over 65. Patient characteristics regarding the type of surgery (degree of contamination) and the nature and type of the condition requiring surgery are reported. One hundred five hundred sixty two samples were submitted for microbiological study. The microbiological infectious pathogens and their characteristics were determined. The Chi-square test was used for the analysis of potential differences related to the age of the patient.The rate of samples sent for microbiological study is higher among patients over 65. In addition, these patients show both quantitative and qualitative differences in their infectious microbiological spectrum, mainly in clean-contaminated, contaminated and dirty surgical procedures. Fungal infections play a significant role in this group of patients.Facultative gram-negative bacilli, aerobic gram-positive cocci, and fungi are the main pathogens responsible of surgical infections in elderly patients, compared to all other patients, thus requiring specific antibiotic prophylactic and therapeutic regimes.

Background Fungal infection is a devastating complication with an increased incidence in the past decade. Immune-depressed patients undergoing high-risk procedures have an increased incidence of surgical infection, particularly due to fungal colonization. Methods Twenty patients undergoing pancreas transplantation, 20 kidney transplant patients undergoing biliary tract surgery, 20 patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) undergoing biliary tract surgery and 20 patients undergoing pancreatic resection for neoplasms were enrolled in a prospective study concerning perioperative surgical infection. All patients underwent surgical procedures by the same surgeon. All had preoperative blood counts, assay of CD lymphocyte populations, complete nutritional evaluation and similar antibiotic prophylaxis. Perioperative care was done to a similar standard and only patients undergoing pancreas transplantation received fungal prophylaxis (nystatin wash and swallow). In patients with clinical signs of infection, cultures were sent with special consideration to fungal infection. Results Two of the patients undergoing pancreas transplantation (one of whom died from disseminated candidiasis), three of the kidney transplant patients (two on the wound, one in the catheter), three patients with HIV (two on bile culture, one in the bloodstream) and one of the patients undergoing pancreatic resection (pancreatic fistula and bloodstream) had fungal infection. All patients had concomitant bacterial infections at the time of fungal infection (60 per cent Staphylococcus epidermidis). Patients with fungal infection had increased levels of immunosuppression with decreased CD4 recounts (pancreas transplants and patients with HIV), increased perioperative levels of blood glucose requiring insulin treatment, prolonged antibiotic therapy with broad-spectrum antibiotics (piperacillin–tazobactam), previous positive cultures from the bile of the biliary tract or the duodenum of the transplanted pancreas, and concomitant bacterial infections (especially opportunistic). Conclusion Surgical patients with positive cultures from surgical specimens, prolonged broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy and severely decreased lymphocyte immune function had an increased incidence of fungal infection with significant morbidity and mortality rates. Fungal prophylaxis is strongly recommended in these high-risk patients undergoing biliopancreatic tract surgery.

Background In previous studies the authors have selected patients and surgical procedures with a high risk of fungal infection. Whether these patients and procedures require fungal prophylaxis was studied. Methods From June to December 1999, 850 surgical patients from two university hospitals were enrolled in a prospective open randomized study. Fifty were selected according to demographics (age, sex, co-morbidity) and surgical procedures (defined by GDRs and ICD9-CM) as at high risk of fungal infection according to a previously defined algorithm (presented to the Surgical Infection Society of Europe 1999). In these 50 patients the CD lymphocyte population was recollected, and urine, blood, sputum and wound (if infected) cultures were performed. Then, 25 were treated with nystatin wash and swallow, and the others with placebo. Fungal infection and fungal colonization were defined and used as the endpoint of the study. Results Patients not selected for the study did not develop fungal infection. Of the high-risk patients, 20 presented with fungal colonization (12 urine, seven wound and five bloodstream cultures) and 12 presented with subsequent fungal infections. Of these 20 colonized patients, only those with nystatin prophylaxis did not require fungal treatment, whereas controls required treatment. CD4 lymphocyte recount (below 300) was uniformly decreased in all patients with fungal infection. Conclusion Immunodepressed patients at high risk with concomitant fungal colonization develop fungal infections 2–5 days after high-risk surgical procedures. Nystatin prophylaxis in such patients may reduce the degree and severity of fungal infection. If fungal colonization is present and the CD4 lymphocyte count is below 300, fungal treatment might be advisable.