Adhesive small bowel obstruction: Single band or matted adhesions? A predictive model based on computed tomography scan.

Background: Preoperative identification of the cause of adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) is crucial for decision making. Some computed tomography (CT) findings can be indicative of single adhesive bands or matted adhesions. Our aim was to build a predictive model based on CT data to discriminate ASBO due to single adhesive band or matted adhesions.

Procalcitonin-guided treatment of lower respiratory tract infections.

The FDA recently approved a procalcitonin assay for use in hospitals and EDs to help prescribers determine if an antibiotic should be prescribed and for what duration. This article reviews the use of procalcitonin testing and evidence-based medical decision-making for patients with sepsis or lower respiratory tract infections.

The role of BRAF(V600E) mutation as poor prognostic factor for the outcome of patients with intrathyroid papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Background: BRAF(V600E) mutation, which represents the most frequent genetic mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), is widely considered to have an adverse outcome on PTC outcome, however its real predictive value is not still well stated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if BRAF(V600E) mutation could be useful to identify within patients with intrathyroid ultrasound-N0 PTC those who require more aggressive treatment, by central neck node dissection (CLND) or subsequent postoperative (131)I treatment.

Methods: Among the whole series of 931 consecutive PTC patients operated on at 2nd Clinical Surgery of University of Padova and at General Surgery Department of University of Trieste during a period from January 2007 to December 2012, we selected 226 patients with an intrathyroid tumor and no metastases (preoperative staging T1-T2, N0, M0).

Safety of Veress needle insertion in laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

Background: Creating the pneumoperitoneum is the first surgical procedure in laparoscopic abdominal surgery. Morbid obesity is a risk factor for iatrogenic injuries because of the considerable thickness of the abdominal wall. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and the incidence of complications when using Veress needles (VN) in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery.