1/8. Persistent frontal fistula.The frontal sinus is prone to various complications--usually secondary to blockage of the fronto-nasal duct and stagnation of frontal sinus secretions. These pent-up secretions may result in pressure necrosis of the inferior or posterior sinus wall. Involvement of anterior wall is uncommon. We present a case of an anterior wall frontal sinus fistula and discuss its management.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/8. Management of a high-output postoperative enterocutaneous fistula with a vacuum sealing method and continuous enteral nutrition.A postoperative enterocutaneous fistula is one of the most complex medical problems. Its treatment may become long-lasting, wearisome, and its outcome often is disappointing. Here, we describe the use of a novel device to treat a 67-year-old patient with a postoperative, high-output enterocutaneous fistula. A semipermeable barrier was created over the fistula by vacuum packing a synthetic, hydrophobic polymer covered with a self-adherent surgical sheet. To set up the system, we constructed a vacuum chamber equipped with precision instruments that supplied subatmospheric pressures between 350 and 450 mm Hg. The intestinal content was, thus, kept inside the lumen, restoring bowel transit and physiology. The fistula output was immediately reduced from a median of 800 ml/day (range, 400-1,600 ml/day), to a median of 10 ml/day (range, 0-250 ml/day), which was readily collected by the apparatus. Oral feeding was reinitiated while both parenteral nutrition and octreotide were withdrawn. No septic complications occurred, and the perifistular skin stayed protected from irritating intestinal effluents. Both the fistula orifice and the wound defect fully healed after 50 days of treatment. We believe this method may serve as a useful tool to treat selected cases of high-output enterocutaneous fistulas without the need for octreotide or parenteral nutrition.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/8. The use of subatmospheric pressure dressing therapy to close lymphocutaneous fistulas of the groin.groin lymphorrhea is an uncommon but serious complication of vascular and cardiac surgery as well as interventional procedures that cannulate the femoral vessels. Treatment options are somewhat controversial. For lymphocutaneous fistulas, a commonly used current modality is early surgical ligation with the assistance of blue-dye staining of the lymphatic anatomy. The purpose of this case series is to give the first description of a new, less invasive, approach using subatmospheric pressure dressing therapy for the treatment of the challenging problem of lymphocutaneous fistulas of the groin.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/8. vacuum-assisted closure for cutaneous gastrointestinal fistula management.BACKGROUND: Cutaneous gastrointestinal (GI) fistulas are a challenging complication in the oncologic patient population. The fistulous effluent is difficult to manage and adversely alters quality of life. Nonsurgical management of enteric fistulas is successful in 30% of cases, requiring at least 4 to 6 weeks. Recently a new technology has been developed to expedite wound healing. The vacuum-Assisted Closure (VAC) method is a subatmospheric pressure technique that has been demonstrated in laboratory and clinical studies to significantly improve wound healing. Here we report its use in the successful medical management of a cutaneous GI fistula. CASE: A 63-year-old woman with advanced ovarian cancer developed an extensive complex cutaneous GI fistula in an open healing wound. She was treated with total parental nutrition and the VAC device, which resulted in complete closure of the fistula. CONCLUSION: We propose that the VAC device may be a useful adjunct for the medical management of cutaneous GI fistulas.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/8. Unpredicted spontaneous extrusion of a renal calculus in an adult male with spina bifida and paraplegia: report of a misdiagnosis. Measures to be taken to reduce urological errors in spinal cord injury patients.BACKGROUND: A delay in diagnosis or a misdiagnosis may occur in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) or spinal bifida as typical symptoms of a clinical condition may be absent because of their neurological impairment. CASE PRESENTATION: A 29-year old male, who was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, became unwell and developed a swelling and large red mark in his left loin eighteen months ago. pyonephrosis or perinephric abscess was suspected. X-ray of the abdomen showed left-sided staghorn calculus. Since ultrasound scan showed no features of pyonephrosis or perinephric abscess, he was prescribed a prolonged course of antibiotics for infection presumed to arise from the site of metal implant in spine. He developed a discharging sinus, following which the loin swelling and red mark subsided. About three months ago, he again developed a red mark and minimal swelling in the left loin. Ultrasound scan detected no abnormality in the renal or perinephric region. Therefore, the red mark and swelling were attributed to pressure from the backrest of his chair. Five weeks later, the swelling in the left loin burst open and a large stone was extruded spontaneously. An X-ray of the abdomen showed that he had extruded the central portion of the staghorn calculus from left kidney. With hindsight, the extruded renal calculus could be seen lying in the subcutaneous tissue of left loin lateral to the 10th rib in the X-ray of abdomen, which was taken when he presented with red mark and minimal swelling. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates how mistakes in diagnosis could occur in spinal cord injury patients, and highlights the need for corrective measures to reduce urological errors in these patients. Voluntary reporting of urological errors is recommended to facilitate learning from our mistakes. In the patients who have marked spinal curvature, ultrasonography of kidneys and perinephric region may not be entirely reliable. As clinical symptoms and signs may be non-specific in SCI patients, they require prompt, detailed and occasionally, repeated investigations. A joint team approach by health professionals belonging to various medical disciplines, which is strengthened by frequent, informal and honest discussions of a patient's clinical condition, is likely to reduce urological errors in SCI patients.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/8. Urethrovasocutaneous fistula in a case of anterior urethral stricture.The occurrence of an urethrovasocutaneous fistula is an extremely rare event. We report the first case of such a fistula in a patient with anterior urethral stricture. The patient had epididymo-orchitis preceding the occurrence of the fistula. Increased intravesical and intraurethral pressure during voiding and the patulous ejaculatory ducts were the predisposing factors in this case. The patient was managed successfully by visual internal urethrotomy, bilateral vasectomy and excision of the fistula.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/8. Bronchocutaneous fistula after chest-tube placement: A rare complication of tube thoracostomy.Bronchocutaneous fistula is a pathologic communication between the bronchus, pleural space, and subcutaneous tissue. It can occur as a complication of positive pressure ventilation and pneumonectomy. diagnosis is made by imaging studies. Treatment options are endoscopic repair, parietal pleurectomy, and pleurodesis. Our patient is a 53-year-old woman who had a difficult chest-tube placement for complicated parapneumonic effusion. Computed tomography scan revealed a fistulous tract from the bronchus to the skin at the site of the original chest tube, and chest x-ray film revealed a subcutaneous fistulous air tract in the lateral chest. It is usually an acquired condition; congenital bronchocutaneous fistula is rare. We report a case of bronchocutaneous fistula after chest-tube placement.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/8. Colocutaneous fistula management in a dehisced wound: a case study.A fistula is an abnormal opening between two or more organs or structures. Wound drainage containment is a key component of nonsurgical fistula management and may include pouches, skin barriers, transparent dressings, troughing procedures, saddle bagging, bridging, and condom and suction catheters used in combination with complex or routine pouching. Following extensive abdominal surgery, the wound of a 50-year-old woman dehisced and a colocutaneous fistula formed inside the wound. The wound containing the fistula, which was draining liquid stool, was too large for existing commercial pouching systems. When initial management efforts, including negative pressure wound therapy, failed to achieve containment goals, clinicians adapted the negative pressure wound therapy dressing to surround the fistula, which helped facilitate therapy while providing a platform for an ostomy appliance to contain the fistula drainage. The system was changed every 2 days until discharge. The wound and fistula management combination improved patient comfort and mobility, facilitated healing, and reduced patient dietary restrictions.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |