Over a 17-year period, 15 patients with acute puerperal inversion of the uterus were managed at the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, an incidence of 1 in 4,836 deliveries. Injudicious traction on the umbilical cord before the uterus was well contracted, was probably the most important causative factor. Haemorrhage was more severe when removal of the placenta was done prior to correction of the inversion. Either the hydrostatic method or manual replacement were used but more often a combination of both techniques was found necessary. With careful management of the third stage of labour, this complication can be avoided.
Variceal bleeding is the most important complication of portal hypertension. Mortality due to the first variceal bleeding is very high (50%) and of those surviving a variceal bleeding episode, up to 80% may rebleed. Proper management of the acute variceal bleeding episode, the prevention of rebleeding and primary prophylaxis for variceal haemorrhage are therefore mandatory in order to improve the morbidity and mortality of cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding. Injection sclerotherapy would be the treatment of choice for acute variceal bleeding. Drug treatment in the form of either a combined vasopressinnitroglycerin regimen or somatostatin may be used as an alternative. Patients not responding to these treatments should be referred for surgery. For the prevention of variceal rebleeding, non-selective betablockers should be tried first, reserving long-terminjection sclerotherapy for patients with contraindications or intolerance to beta-blockers or in whom beta-blocker therapy has failed. Surgical rescue in the form of either shunt surgery or lever transplantation should be considered if either treatment fails. A new technique, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent-shunt (TIPSS) may replace shunt surgery in the future. Beta-blockers is the treatment of choice for primary prophylaxis of variceal haemorrhage and has a role in preventing acute and chronic bleeding from congestive gastropathy. However, the above sequential approach from the least invasive to the more invasive therapeutic options may not be appropriate for all cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding.
This case report illustrates how a life-threatening renal bleeding which has failed to be controlled by open surgery can be elegantly managed by a minimally invasive technique of interventional radiology. It also allows maximal conservation of renal tissue so that the patient can avoid chronic dialysis or renal transplantation.
Bleeding gastroesophageal varices is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. Forty-four cases of bleeding gastroesophageal varices were treated at the Department of Surgery, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur over four and a half years. Thirty-two of them had liver cirrhosis. Hepatitis B infection was noted in 13 and alcoholic abuse was present in 14 patients. Five patients had associated hepatoma. Thirty-four percent had gastric fundal varices and a third of these bled from them. A total of 179 endoscopic injection sclerotherapy sessions were performed averaging 4 per person. Rebleeding rate was 4% and mortality was high (50%) in these cases. It was concluded that injection sclerotherapy is a safe and effective means of controlling bleeding oesophageal varices. Operative surgery was employed in those who rebled after injection and would be considered in those in Child's A.
This report deals with a young man who developed features of haemophogocytosis during the course of typhoid fever. The pertinent clinical and laboratory features of typhoid-associated haemophagocytosis are discussed. The need for blood component replacement therapy in addition to specific anti-microbials to treat haemophagocytosis complicating typhoid fever is stressed.
A term female neonate with monolateral adrenal haemorrhage associated with haemorrhagic disease of newborn is described. Diagnosis and follow-up of adrenal haemorrhage was done clinically and sonographically which revealed reduction in the size of adrenal haematoma over a month with no evidence of adrenal insufficiency. She was discharged well and followed up.
The management of haemorrhagic episodes in patients with factor VIII inhibitor is difficult and the outcome rather unpredictable. The use of an investigational drug, that is, activated recombinant factor VII (rFVIIa) in a young non-haemophiliac patient with spontaneous occurrence of factor VIII inhibitor who presented with life-threatening retroperitoneal haemorrhage is reported. There was prompt achievement of haemostasis with rFVIIa after the patient had failed conventional therapy with factor IX and Autoplex. Two further episodes of retroperitoneal bleeding again responded promptly to rFVIIa therapy.
This is a rare case of antepartum haemorrhage arising from the nonpregnant uterus in a woman with uterine didelphys. The bleeding and subsequent passage of a decidual cast did not have any adverse effect on the ongoing pregnancy.
Near-miss cases in life-threatening obstetric patients occurring over a one year period are analysed retrospectively with regards to morbidity measured in terms of hospital stay, utilisation of high dependency ward and intensive care beds and adequacy of clinical management. One-hundred and twenty two cases occurred among 9932 deliveries. Massive obstetric haemorrhage (54.2%) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (36.9%) were the two main diagnostic groups. Seventy one (58.2%) cases were referred from peripheral centres for obstetric management and 77 (63.1%) were not booked at this hospital for antenatal care. A majority were not ill-looking (92 cases) at the time of admission but turned for the worse in the course of labour. Interventional measures taken in clinical management were considered appropriate in all cases. Delay in instituting treatment was present in 6 cases. Remediable measures were recognised in 15 (12.3%). This study, apart from supplementing mortality audits, demonstrates that high risk obstetric patients can be triaged at the time of admission to labour wards by trained midwives and junior doctors in busy obstetric units without compromising standards of care.
Study site: Obstetric and Gynaecologic Unit in Ipoh Hospital.
Despite advancements in endoscopy and pharmacology in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease the overall mortality has remained constant at 10% for the past four decades. The aim of this study was to determine the age, gender, racial distribution, incidence and causes of endoscopically diagnosed cases of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding to summarise treatments undertaken and to report their outcome. A prospective study of UGI bleeding in 128 patients was performed in two surgical wards of Kuala Lumpur Hospital, involving both elective and emergency admissions. The study group comprised of 113 (88.2%) males and 15 (11.7%) females. The mean age was 51.9 years (range 14 to 85 years) and 37.5% (48 of 128 patients) were older than 60 years. The Indian race was over-represented in all disease categories. Smoking (50.1%), alcohol consumption (37.5%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (17.2%), traditional remedies (5.5%), anti-coagulants (2.3%) and steroids (0.8%) were among the risk factors reported. Common presenting symptoms and signs included malaena (68.8%), haematemesis (59.4%) and fresh per rectal bleeding (33.6%). The commonest causes of UGI bleeding were duodenal ulcer (32%), gastric ulcer (29.7%), erosions (duodenal and gastric) (21.9%), oesophageal varices (10.9%) and malignancy (3.9%). UGI bleeding was treated non-surgically in 90.6% of cases. Blood transfusions were required in 62.6% (67/107) of peptic ulcer disease patients. Surgical intervention for bleeding peptic ulcer occurred in around 10% of cases and involved under-running of the bleeding vessel in most high risk duodenal and gastric ulcer patients. The overall mortality from bleeding peptic ulcer disease was 4.7%. Six patients died from torrential UGI haemorrhage soon after presentation, without the establishment of a cause. Active resuscitative protocols, early endoscopy, more aggressive interventional therapy, early surgery by more senior surgeons, increasing intensive care unit beds and more active participation of multidisciplinary teams in co-ordinating management are among remedial measures advocated. Broader educational preventive strategies should target the causes of UGI bleeding.
Hemorrhagic lumbar synovial cysts are not commonly reported in English literature. Post-resection recurrence of synovial cyst is unusual and therefore recurrence symptoms required repeat MRI or CT scan. We reported a case of hemorrhagic lumbar synovial cyst presented with neurological deficit that recovered initially after surgery but subsequently developed recurrent of symptoms at a higher level due to fibrous tissue.
A case of spontaneous rupture of uterine artery in the second trimester of pregnancy is described. Haemorrhage from rupture of uterine artery during pregnancy was discovered at laparotomy. This was an unusual but serious complication of pregnancy. This condition is extremely rare and one must consider it in cases of incomprehensible abdominal pain with or without haemodynamic collapse. A review of the literature revealed only four similar cases so far. This pregnancy continued till 37 weeks pregnancy and had a spontaneous vaginal delivery. Immediate institution of effective resuscitative measures and early surgical intervention were essential to both foetal and maternal survival.
Massive postpartum haemorrhage after Cesarean section for placenta previa is a common occurrence. The bleeding is usually from the placental bed at the lower uterine segment. Uterine tamponade has a role in the management of such patients especially when fertility is desired. We describe here a case of massive postpartum haemorrhage, which was managed, with the use of a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube. This allowed us to avoid a hysterectomy for a young primiparous patient.
We retrospectively analyzed all patients presenting with upper gastrointestinal bleeding to Seremban Hospital over a one-year period. A quarter of the oesophagogastro-duodenoscopies (OGD) performed were performed as emergency for upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding. Gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers were the two most common findings. Our results suggest that there is a male preponderance of 2:1, the Chinese were more likely to be affected and the elderly (> 60 years) were at highest risk.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphological and biological properties of a locally produced "Bovine Bone Sponge" for use in dentistry. Bovine bone sponge was prepared from local calf bone. Endotoxin level and surface properties were investigated. The pore size and water uptake ability were measured and results were compared with the commercial haemostatic agent. The material was tested for its haemostatic property and its inhibition of alveolar bone resorption in a sheep model following dental extraction. Results revealed a significant difference in haemostatic effect, and a shorter bleeding time and a lower rate of alveolar bone resorption in bovine bone sponge compare to a commercial haemostatic agent.
This is a retrospective study to evaluate our early experience of using selective microcoil embolization in patients who had gastrointestinal (GI) haemorrhage. From December 2002 to December 2003, six patients with GI haemorrhage (upper GI, n = 1; lower GI, n = 5) underwent superselective microcoil embolization. Microcatheters were used to carry out embolizations in branches of the superior mesenteric artery. Microcoils were used in five patients and a combination of microcoils and embolospheres was used in one patient. Technical success (bleeding target devascularization) was achieved in all patients who showed active bleeding at the time of angiography. Two patients had recurrent bleeding within 24 h of embolization, of which one (16.7%) died. The other patient did not require active intervention as bleeding was minimal and resolved with conservative management. Satisfactory clinical success (no rebleeding after 30 days) was achieved in five patients. No clinical signs and symptoms of bowel ischaemia occurred in these patients. Follow-up colonoscopy carried out in two patients did not show any signs of ischaemia in the affected bowel segments. Superselective microcoil embolization is an effective and safe method of controlling and arresting bleeding in GI haemorrhage.
Intramural duodenal haematoma is a rare injury of the duodenum. Most reported cases are secondary to blunt trauma to the abdomen. Such injury following endoscopic intervention is even rarer, and there are no definite guidelines for its management. We report a case where endoscopic haemostasis of a bleeding duodenal ulcer resulted in a massive dissecting intramural duodenal haematoma with gastric outlet obstruction and obstructive jaundice.
Acute puerperal uterine inversion is a life-threatening and unpredictable obstetric emergency. If overlooked, it could lead to a maternal death. Although the precise cause is unknown, it is postulated to be caused by the mismanagement of the third stage of labor with premature traction of the umbilical cord and fundal pressure before placental separation. At the Ipoh General Hospital in Malaysia there were 31 394 deliveries and four acute uterine inversions occurring from 1 January 2002 to 30 June 2005. The four patients were between 25 and 36 years of age and their parities were between two and three. When manual repositioning of the uterus failed, successful correction was accomplished by the O'Sullivan's hydrostatic method. One case had to undergo subtotal hysterectomy after repositioning because of massive hemorrhage secondary to placenta accreta. Early diagnosis, immediate treatment of shock, and replacement are essential.