Dressings and topical agents for the management of open wounds after surgical treatment for sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus.

Background: Sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease is a common debilitating condition that predominantly affects young adults, with a profound impact on their activities of daily living. The condition is treated surgically, and in some cases the wound in the natal cleft is left open to heal by itself. Many dressings and topical agents are available to aid healing of these wounds.

Pharmacological hypogonadism impairs molecular transducers of exercise-induced muscle growth in humans.

Background: The relative role of skeletal muscle mechano-transduction in comparison with systemic hormones, such as testosterone (T), in regulating hypertrophic responses to exercise is contentious. We investigated the mechanistic effects of chemical endogenous T depletion adjuvant to 6 weeks of resistance exercise training (RET) on muscle mass, function, myogenic regulatory factors, and muscle anabolic signalling in younger men.

Methods: Non-hypogonadal men (n = 16; 18-30 years) were randomized in a double-blinded fashion to receive placebo (P, saline n = 8) or the GnRH analogue, Goserelin [Zoladex (Z), 3.

Prophylactic antibiotics for penetrating abdominal trauma: duration of use and antibiotic choice.

Background: Penetrating abdominal trauma (PAT) is a common type of trauma leading to admission to hospital, which often progresses to septic complications. Antibiotics are commonly administered as prophylaxis prior to laparotomy for PAT. However, an earlier Cochrane Review intending to compare antibiotics with placebo identified no relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Surgical interventions for the treatment of sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Pilonidal sinus disease (PNS) is not uncommon in children. Controversy remains over the best treatment and there is limited evidence. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to establish which techniques have the best outcomes in children.

Multifocal necrotising fasciitis: a rarer presentation of a rare disease.

Necrotising fasciitis is a rare life-threatening surgical emergency in which timely diagnosis and treatment are key. We present a case in which a patient rapidly succumbed to synchronous multifocal necrotising fasciitis from a likely intra-abdominal source. The ability for the disease to present in the unusual fashion described in this case must be highlighted to all clinicians.

One- and two-year outcomes and predictors of mortality following emergency laparotomy: a consecutive series from a United Kingdom teaching hospital.

Background: Data on outcomes of patients who underwent emergency laparotomy (EML) are limited. This prospective observational study examined aspects of inpatient care and outcomes following EML with a view to identifying predictors of mortality.

Methods: Data collected from consecutive inpatients who underwent EML in a UK teaching hospital over a 3-month period included perioperative physiology, treatment, morbidity, and mortality (30-day, in-hospital, 12-month, and 24-month).

Hypo- and hypernatraemia in surgical patients: is there room for improvement?

Background: Up to 30% of surgical inpatients develop complications related to fluid and electrolyte therapy. We sought to study the occurrence of hypo- and hypernatraemia in these patients to inform current standards of care.

Methods: This prospective audit took place over 80 days in a university hospital.

Knowledge and attitudes of surgical trainees towards nutritional support: food for thought.

Background & Aims: Up to 40% of patients admitted to UK hospitals are malnourished and appropriate nutritional intervention can improve outcomes. We investigated the knowledge and attitudes of UK surgical trainees towards nutritional support and compared their responses with dieticians.

Methods: Trainee surgeons and qualified dieticians were asked to complete a multiple choice question test derived from topics relating to nutritional support, followed by a questionnaire on their attitudes towards nutrition.