A retrospective chart review of 288 adult patients (>18 years of age) who were admitted to Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, for caustic ingestion between June 1999 and July 2006 was conducted. Parameters analysed were age, gender, intent of ingestion, substance ingested and amount, time to expiration, ICU admittance, length of hospital stay, complications, and the severity of mucosal injury as assessed by EGD.
EGD with a standard upper GI endoscope was performed by experienced physicians within 24 hours of ingestion. Endoscopes used were Olympus GIF XQ-230, GIF Q-240X, and GIF Q-260, with diameters of 9.2 mm, 9.4 mm, and 9.2 mm, respectively (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan). Oral cavity xylocaine spray was used for anaesthesia except in 15 cases, which received ventilation support under general anaesthesia because of respiratory difficulty (n = 11) or unclear consciousness (n = 4). Gentle insufflations and retrovisual methods were performed carefully or avoided in the presence of severe stomach injury. Mucosal damage was graded using a modified endoscopic classification described by Zagar et al [11 (link)] (Table1 ).
Patients were treated with a proton pump inhibitor or H2 antagonist and were maintained without oral intake until their condition was considered stable. Patients received parenteral nutrition during this period. If infection was suspected, antibiotics (a 1st generation cepholasporin and gentamicin) were administered after blood cultures were obtained. If a patient's condition destablized or respiratory difficulty was encountered, they were transferred to the intensive care unit for further evaluation. After discharge, patients were followed in the outpatient clinic for at least 6 months. Any complications observed during follow-up were recorded. Upper GI complications included bleeding, perforation, and stricture formation. Bleeding was defined as melena, hematemasis, and/or coffee-ground vomitus. Perforation was diagnosed by the presence of free air on a plain chest radiograph. Stricture was defined as dysphagia, symptoms of regurgitation, or difficulty in swallowing with confirmation by endoscopy, esophagogram, and/or upper GI radiography. Systemic complications included renal insufficiency, liver damage, diffuse intravascular coagulation, and hemolysis. Liver damage was defined as an elevation in the serum level of alanine aminotransferase or asparatate aminotransferase greater than 3 times the upper normal limit. Renal insufficiency was defined as a plasma creatinine level of >1.4 mg/dL in the absence of other renal diseases. Criteria for disseminated intravascular coagulation and/or hemolysis were prolonged plasma coagulation time, decreased fibrinogen or antithrombin levels, and decreased platelet count.
Demographic data were described by mean and standard deviations for normally distributed continuous variables, median and interquartile range for non-normally distributed continuous variables, and frequencies and percentages for categorical variables. Wald's Chi-Square tests adjusted for age obtained by generalized estimation equations were used to evaluate for overall survival and complications over grade of mucosal injury. Data subset was subsequently analyzed using logistic regression. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.0 (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC, US), and P < 0.05 was considered significant.
EGD with a standard upper GI endoscope was performed by experienced physicians within 24 hours of ingestion. Endoscopes used were Olympus GIF XQ-230, GIF Q-240X, and GIF Q-260, with diameters of 9.2 mm, 9.4 mm, and 9.2 mm, respectively (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan). Oral cavity xylocaine spray was used for anaesthesia except in 15 cases, which received ventilation support under general anaesthesia because of respiratory difficulty (n = 11) or unclear consciousness (n = 4). Gentle insufflations and retrovisual methods were performed carefully or avoided in the presence of severe stomach injury. Mucosal damage was graded using a modified endoscopic classification described by Zagar et al [11 (link)] (Table
Patients were treated with a proton pump inhibitor or H2 antagonist and were maintained without oral intake until their condition was considered stable. Patients received parenteral nutrition during this period. If infection was suspected, antibiotics (a 1st generation cepholasporin and gentamicin) were administered after blood cultures were obtained. If a patient's condition destablized or respiratory difficulty was encountered, they were transferred to the intensive care unit for further evaluation. After discharge, patients were followed in the outpatient clinic for at least 6 months. Any complications observed during follow-up were recorded. Upper GI complications included bleeding, perforation, and stricture formation. Bleeding was defined as melena, hematemasis, and/or coffee-ground vomitus. Perforation was diagnosed by the presence of free air on a plain chest radiograph. Stricture was defined as dysphagia, symptoms of regurgitation, or difficulty in swallowing with confirmation by endoscopy, esophagogram, and/or upper GI radiography. Systemic complications included renal insufficiency, liver damage, diffuse intravascular coagulation, and hemolysis. Liver damage was defined as an elevation in the serum level of alanine aminotransferase or asparatate aminotransferase greater than 3 times the upper normal limit. Renal insufficiency was defined as a plasma creatinine level of >1.4 mg/dL in the absence of other renal diseases. Criteria for disseminated intravascular coagulation and/or hemolysis were prolonged plasma coagulation time, decreased fibrinogen or antithrombin levels, and decreased platelet count.
Demographic data were described by mean and standard deviations for normally distributed continuous variables, median and interquartile range for non-normally distributed continuous variables, and frequencies and percentages for categorical variables. Wald's Chi-Square tests adjusted for age obtained by generalized estimation equations were used to evaluate for overall survival and complications over grade of mucosal injury. Data subset was subsequently analyzed using logistic regression. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.0 (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC, US), and P < 0.05 was considered significant.
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