Cocaine Body Packing: A New Record.

We present a case of a 39-year-old man who was brought in by ambulance to the ED after ingesting 103 packets of cocaine prior to return to the United Kingdom (UK) from Holland. He presented with a persistent sinus tachycardia and mild abdominal pain but no evidence of peritonitis on examination. Contrast-enhanced CT showed widespread distribution of packets from the stomach to the sigmoid colon.

Curative colorectal resections in patients aged 80 years and older: clinical characteristics, morbidity, mortality and risk factors.

Background: The management of colorectal cancer in the elderly presents unique challenges. The objective of this study was to determine outcomes following curative colorectal resection in patients aged 80 years and older.

Patients And Methods: Study design is retrospective.

The interleukin-10-1082 'A' allele and abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are caused by inflammatory processes in the wall of the aorta resulting in degradation of structural proteins. This inflammatory process is mediated, in part, by cytokines, and interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a predominantly anti-inflammatory cytokine. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region of the IL-10 gene that affects transcription has been associated with AAA in a small study.

The pro-inflammatory and chemotactic cytokine microenvironment of the abdominal aortic aneurysm wall: a protein array study.

Objective: Cytokines are inflammatory mediators implicated in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) pathogenesis. The cytokine expression profile of the AAA is poorly defined and has focused on the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, at the expense of chemokines and growth factors. This study aims to investigate the cytokine expression profile of the established AAA wall.

Case of duodenal haematoma treated with ultrasound guided drainage.

Duodenal haematoma usually occurs secondary to blunt abdominal trauma(1), although more recently it has been recognized as a complication of endoscopic duodenal biopsy(2). The two established management strategies are to treat conservatively until resolution of the haematoma occurs or to surgically evacuate the haematoma. We present a case of duodenal haematoma that was successfully treated by ultrasound guided drainage when no improvement occurred with conservative treatment.

A technique for wound closure that minimizes sepsis after stoma closure.

Background: The aim of the present study was to assess the incidence of wound sepsis following closure of ileostomies and colostomies in our institution.

Methods: Circumferential subcuticular wound approximation was used in 51 patients in our institution. Evidence of wound sepsis (assessed by the presence of cellulitis, induration and or purulent discharge) was documented both in the postoperative period and in outpatient follow-up.