Study Type – Therapy (case series) 
Level of Evidence 4 What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is a severe necrotizing infection of the renal parenchyma. The clinical course of EPN can be severe and life‐threatening if not recognized and treated promptly. Most of the information has been from case reports, a few large series have also been reported. Using an evidence‐based approach, this review describes the pathogenesis, classification, complications, and management of EPN. Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is an acute severe necrotizing infection of the renal parenchyma and its surrounding tissues that results in the presence of gas in the renal parenchyma, collecting system, or perinephric tissue. The cause for mortality in EPN is primarily due to septic complications. Up to 95% of the cases with EPN have underlying uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. The risk of developing EPN secondary to a urinary tract obstruction is about 25–40%. There are three classifications of EPN based on radiological findings. Acute renal failure, microscopic or macroscopic haematuria, severe proteinuria are other positive findings in EPN. Escherichia coli is the most common causative pathogen with the organism isolated on urine or pus cultures in nearly 70% of the reported cases. A plain radiograph shows an abnormal gas shadow in the renal bed raising the suspicion whereas an ultrasound scan or computed tomography (CT) will confirm the presence of intra‐renal gas thus supporting the diagnosis of EPN. Gas may extend beyond the site of inflammation to the sub capsular, perinephric and pararenal spaces. In some cases, gas was found to be extending into the scrotal sac and spermatic cord. Subsequent case studies have shown patients being successfully treated with PCD when used in addition to medical management, with significant reduction in the morality rates. PCD should be performed on patients who have localized areas of gas and functioning renal tissue is present. The treatment strategies include MM alone, PCD plus MM, MM plus emergency nephrectomy, and PCD plus MM plus emergency nephrectomy. In small proportion of patients managed with MM and PCD, subsequent nephrectomy will be required and in these patients the reported mortality is 6.6% Nephrectomy in patients with EPN can be simple, radical or laparoscopic.

INTRODUCTION Open radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) has an average blood loss of over 1,000ml. This has been reported even from high volume centres of excellence. [1][2][3][4] We have looked at the clinical and financial benefits of using intraoperative cell salvage (ICS) as a method of reducing the autologous blood transfusion requirements for our RRP patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Group A comprised 25 consecutive patients who underwent RRP immediately prior to the acquisition of a cell saver machine. Group B consisted of the next 25 consecutive patients undergoing surgery using the Dideco Electa (Sorin Group, Italy) cell saver machine. Blood transfusion costs for both groups were calculated and compared. RESULTS The mean postoperative haemoglobin was similar in both groups (11.1gm/dl in Group A and 11.4gm/dl in Group B). All Group B patients received autologous blood (average 506ml, range: 103-1,023ml). In addition, 5 patients (20%) in Group B received a group total of 16 units (average 0.6 units) of homologous blood. For Group A the total cost of transfusing the 69 units of homologous blood was estimated as £9,315, based on a per blood unit cost of £135. This cost did not include consumables or nursing costs. CONCLUSIONS We found no evidence that autologous transfusions increased the risk of early biochemical relapse or of disease dissemination. ICS reduced our dependence on donated homologous blood.

Objective:We have looked into the clinical and financial benefits of using intra-operative cell salvage (ICS) as a method to reduce the amount of autologous blood transfusion (ABT) requirement for our radical cystectomy (RC) patients.Materials and Methods:Fifteen consecutive patients undergoing radical cystectomy received cell salvaged blood (ICS), while 15 did not (NCS). The cost of using the cell saver, number of homologous transfusions, survival, and recurrences were recorded and compared using paired t-test and chi-square test between the two groups. A Dideco Electa® (Sorin Group, Electa, Italy) cell saver machine was used for all the patients in the ICS group and leukocyte filters were used on the salvaged blood before the autologous transfusion.Results:The mean age was 63 years (53–72 years), 66 years (46–79 years) in ICS and NCS groups, respectively (P = 0.368). All 15 (100%) patients in the NCS group required an allogenic transfusion compared to 9/15 (60%) in the ICS group (P = 0.08). There was a significant reduction in the mean volume of allogenic blood transfused with the use of cell saver. Median follow-up was 23 and 21 months in the ICS and NCS group with 10 and 4 patients alive at last follow-up, respectively. There was a saving of 355 pounds per patient in the ICS group compared to the NCS group.Conclusion:Our initial study shows that cell savage is feasible and safe in patients undergoing radical cystectomy. It does not adversely affect the medium term outcome of patients undergoing RC and is also cost effective.

INTRODUCTION Acute scrotal pain (ASP) remains one of the more common urological emergencies in the paediatric age group. Acute testicular torsion is the only true urological emergency, where delay in presentation or management can lead to loss of the affected testicle. Since prompt presentation, diagnosis and treatment are critical for testicular salvage, multiple patient and hospital specific factors may influence orchidectomy rates. Parental awareness of the sequelae of ASP may be a significant factor in delayed presentation of children to hospital. We examine the awareness among parents of the implications of ASP in this snapshot study. METHODS A prospective study was planned, and all boys between the ages of 2 and 16 years presenting to the unit with ASP and undergoing emergency scrotal exploration were considered for inclusion in the study. The accompanying parents/guardians of all these boys were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing their awareness of ASP and its potential consequences. RESULTS Over a period of 26 months (July 2010 to September 2012), 76 boys were eligible for the study. The response rate was 81.6%. Only a third (30%) presented to hospital within six hours of onset of pain and just under a quarter (22%) of the cohort attended the emergency department directly. Parents overwhelmingly (96%) felt that there ought to be increased public awareness of the condition. The majority of parents questioned (n=41, 66%) did not fully appreciate the implications of ASP. CONCLUSIONS This is a first snapshot study demonstrating the apparent lack of awareness among parents about the implications of ASP, which could influence the rate of testicular salvage.

Overactive bladder (OAB), as defined by the International Continence Society, is characterized by a symptom complex including urinary urgency with or without urge incontinence, usually associated with frequency and nocturia. OAB syndrome has an incidence reported from six European countries ranging between 12-17%, while in the United States; a study conducted by the National Overactive Bladder Evaluation program found the incidence at 17%. In Asia, the prevalence of OAB is reported at 53.1%. In about 75%, OAB symptoms are due to idiopathic detrusor activity; neurological disease, bladder outflow obstruction (BOO) intrinsic bladder pathology and other chronic pelvic floor disorders are implicated in the others. OAB can be diagnosed easily and managed effectively with both non-pharmacological and pharmacological therapies. The first-line treatments are lifestyle interventions, bladder training, pelvic floor muscle exercises and anticholinergic drugs. Antimuscarinics are the drug class of choice for OAB symptoms; with proven efficacy, and adverse event profiles that differ somewhat.