Background:Nosocomial infections (NIs) in the postoperative period not only increase morbidity and mortality, but also impose a significant economic burden on the health care infrastructure. This retrospective study was undertaken to (a) evaluate the incidence, characteristics, risk factors and outcomes of NIs and (b) identify common microorganisms responsible for infection and their antibiotic resistance profile in our Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit (CSICU).Patients and Methods:After ethics committee approval, the CSICU records of all patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery between January 2013 and December 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. The incidence of NI, distribution of NI sites, types of microorganisms and their antibiotic resistance, length of CSICU stay, and patient-outcome were determined.Results:Three hundred and nineteen of 6864 patients (4.6%) developed NI after cardiac surgery. Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) accounted for most of the infections (44.2%) followed by surgical-site infection (SSI, 11.6%), bloodstream infection (BSI, 7.5%), urinary tract infection (UTI, 6.9%) and infections from combined sources (29.8%). Acinetobacter, Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus were the most frequent pathogens isolated in patients with LRTI, BSI, UTI, and SSI, respectively. The Gram-negative bacteria isolated from different sources were found to be highly resistant to commonly used antibiotics.Conclusion:The incidence of NI and sepsis-related mortality, in our CSICU, was 4.6% and 1.9%, respectively. Lower respiratory tract was the most common site of infection and Gram-negative bacilli, the most common pathogens after cardiac surgery. Antibiotic resistance was maximum with Acinetobacter spp.

This study showed a low incidence of arrhythmias, JET being the commonest, seen more in TOF repair and these could be treated efficiently. Higher Aristotle score, longer surgical time, hypotension, tachycardia, high inotropic score, and high serum lactate levels were associated with the occurrence of arrhythmias postoperatively.

Penetrating abdominal trauma forms an important component of surgical emergencies, most of the victims being young aged in the prime of their life. Over the past century, the diagnosis and management of this common problem has seen drastic changes, finally reaching the destination of . We present our experience in the management of this group of patients in the rural setup. This is a prospective observational study done at our hospital between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2015 including patients who presented with penetrating abdominal injury. The clinical presentation, imaging features, diagnosis, management, and complications of all these patients are analyzed. The mean age was 33.5 years with majority being males. Homicidal stab injuries accounted for most of the injuries (62.5 %). Forty-eight patients underwent laparotomy, and among which, the procedure was therapeutic in 36 patients. Peritoneal penetration was the best predictor of a therapeutic laparotomy with a high sensitivity and positive predictive value (100 and 80 %, respectively). The small intestine was the most commonly injured organ. The mean postoperative stay was 8.25 days, and there was no mortality. Though the management of these patients should aim at minimizing the rate of negative laparotomies, this should not be done at the expense of delayed diagnosis and treatment. Diagnostic laparoscopy may avoid unnecessary laparotomies; however, it requires adequate skills in laparoendoscopy. Management is best tailor made for each individual based on the nature of injury, findings at presentation, and the organ injured.

Surgery can be safely undertaken beyond infancy in carefully selected patients of aortopulmonary window with acceptable early and mid-term outcomes.

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