. Henriksson F, Agardh C‐D, Berne C, Bolinder J, Lönnqvist F, Stenström P. Östenson C‐G, Jönsson B (Centre for Health Economics, Stockholm; Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital MAS, Malmö; Department of Internal Medicine, Uppsala University Hospital; Centre for Metabolism and Endocrinology and SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals AB, Karolinska Institute; Diabetes Prevention Unit, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden). Direct medical costs for patients with type 2 diabetes in Sweden. J Intern Med 2000; 248: 387–396. Objectives. To estimate the total direct medical costs to society for patients with type 2 diabetes in Sweden and to investigate how different factors, for example diabetic late complications, affect costs. Design. Cross‐sectional data regarding health care utilization, clinical characteristics and quality of life, were collected at a single time‐point. Data on resource use cover the 6‐month period prior to this time point. Setting. Patient recruitment and data collection were performed in nine primary care centres in three main regions in Sweden. Subjects. Only patients with an age at diabetes diagnosis ≥ 30 years (type 2 diabetes) were included (n = 777). Results. The total annual direct medical costs for the Swedish diabetes type 2 population were estimated at about 7 billion SEK (Swedish Kronor) in 1998 prices, which is about 6% of the total health care expenditures and more than four times higher than the former Swedish estimate obtained when using diabetes as main diagnosis for calculating costs. The annual per patient cost was about 25 000 SEK. The largest share of this cost was hospital inpatient care. Costs increased with diabetes duration and were higher for patients treated with insulin compared to those treated with oral hypoglycaemic drugs or with life style modification only. Patients with both macro‐ and microvascular complications had more than three times higher costs compared with patients without such complications. Conclusions. Type 2 diabetes is a serious and expensive disease and the key to reducing costs seems to be intensive management and control in order to prevent and delay the associated late complications.

A significant number of HD patients experience bowel problems many years after definite surgery. Fecal control was significantly better in older than younger HD patients, but some continued to have considerable bowel problems also as adults. A total transanal ERPT was associated with poorer outcome. Long-term follow-up of HD patients is warranted. Prognosis Study: Level II.

Background/aimThe role of the microbiome has been widely discussed in the etiology of appendicitis. The primary aim was to evaluate the microbiome in the normal appendix and in appendicitis specifically divided into the three clinically and histopathologically defined grades of inflammation. Secondary aims were to examine whether there were any microbiome differences between proximal and distal appendices, and relate the microbiome with histopathological findings.MethodsA prospective pilot study was conducted of children undergoing appendectomy for appendicitis. The diagnosis was based on histopathological analysis. Children with incidental appendectomy were used as controls. The proximal and distal mucosa from the appendices were analyzed with 16S rRNA gene sequencing.ResultsA total of 22 children, 3 controls and 19 appendicitis patients; 11 phlegmonous, 4 gangrenous, and 4 perforated appendices, were prospectively included. The amount of Fusobacterium increased and Bacteroides decreased in phlegmonous and perforated appendicitis compared to controls, but statistical significance was not reached, and this pattern was not seen in gangrenous appendicitis. No relation could be seen between different bacteria and the grade of inflammation, and there was a wide variation of abundances at phylum, genus, and species level within every specific group of patients. Further, no significant differences could be detected when comparing the microbiome in proximal and distal mucosa, which may be because the study was underpowered. A trend with more abundance of Fusobacteria in the distal mucosa was seen in appendicitis patients with obstruction (25 and 13 %, respectively, p = 0.06).ConclusionThe pattern of microbiome differed not only between groups, but also within groups. However, no statistically significant differences could be found in the microbiome between groups or clinical conditions. No correlation between a specific bacteria and grade of inflammation was found. In the vast majority of cases of appendicitis, changes in microbiome do not seem to be the primary event. Since there seem to be differences in microbiome patterns depending on the sample site, the exact localization of biopsy sampling must be described in future studies.

Introduction. In children treated surgically for first-time perianal abscesses, discovery and excision of concomitant fistulas may also be warranted. Aim. To evaluate children of varying age after incision and drainage of first-time perianal abscesses, examining recurrences rates with and without search for a fistula. Method. A retrospective review was conducted, analyzing children (ages 0–15 years) treated for first-time perianal abscesses at a tertiary pediatric surgical center, with a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Results. A total of 104 patients subjected to 112 treatments for first-time perianal abscesses were eligible. Surgical procedures constituted 84 (75%) of treatments, searching for fistulas in 49 (58%). In 34 (69%), fistulas were confirmed and treated. In the surgically treated subset, the recurrence rate was higher if no attempt was made to exclude a fistula (46%), as opposed to confirmed absence of a fistula (27%) or concurrent fistulotomy (9%; p = 0.02). Younger patients showed a higher recurrence rate (12/26; 46%), compared with older counterparts (11/58; 19%) (p = 0.002). Conclusion. In children surgically treated for first-time perianal abscess, recurrence rates appear to be lowered by locating and treating coexisting fistulas.

Level II.

Background: Surgery for total colonic aganglionosis (TCA) is designed to preserve continence and achieve satisfactory quality of life. This study evaluated a comprehensive group of clinical and social outcomes. Methods: An international multicentre study from eight Nordic hospitals involving examination of case records and a patient-reported questionnaire survey of all patients born with TCA between 1987 and 2006 was undertaken. Results: Of a total of 116 patients, five (4⋅3 per cent) had died and 102 were traced. Over a median follow-up of 12 (range 0⋅3-33) years, bowel continuity was established in 75 (73⋅5 per cent) at a median age of 11 (0⋅5-156) months. Mucosectomy with a short muscular cuff and straight ileoanal anastomosis (SIAA) (29 patients) or with a J pouch (JIAA) (26) were the most common reconstructions (55 of 72, 76 per cent). Major early postoperative complications requiring surgical intervention were observed in four (6 per cent) of the 72 patients. In 57 children aged over 4 years, long-term functional bowel symptoms after reconstruction included difficulties in holding back defaecation in 22 (39 per cent), more than one faecal accident per week in nine (16 per cent), increased frequency of defaecation in 51 (89 per cent), and social restrictions due to bowel symptoms in 35 (61 per cent). Enterocolitis occurred in 35 (47 per cent) of 72 patients. Supplementary enteral and/or parenteral nutrition was required by 51 (55 per cent) of 93 patients at any time during follow-up. Of 56 responders aged 2-20 years, true low BMI for age was found in 20 (36 per cent) and 13 (23 per cent) were short for age. Conclusion: Reconstruction for TCA was associated with persistent bowel symptoms, and enterocolitis remained common. Multidisciplinary follow-up, including continuity of care in adulthood, might improve care standards in patients with TCA.

PurposeA meta-analysis was performed to compare the rates of the major complications associated with two gastrostomy tube placement techniques in a pediatric population: laparoscopy-assisted gastrostomy (LAG) and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).MethodsThe PubMed electronic database was queried for comparative studies of the two insertion techniques. The Newcastle–Ottawa scale (NOS) was used for the assessment of the quality and risk of bias in the included studies. The main outcome measure was the frequency of major complications defined as the need for reoperation within 30 days or death. RevMan 5.3, was used, with a p < 0.05 indicating statistical significance.ResultsEight studies including 1550 patients met the inclusion criteria. The risk for major complications was higher in PEG than in LAG 3.86 (95% confidence interval 1.90–7.81; p < 0.0002). The number needed to treat to reduce one major complication by performing LAG instead of PEG was 23. There were no randomized-controlled trials. Overall, the quality of the included studies was determined to be unsatisfactory.ConclusionsPEG placement was associated with a significantly higher risk of major complications compared to LAG placement. Therefore, LAG should be the preferred method for gastrostomy tube placement in children.

LRG, adjusted for dehydration, is a promising novel urinary biomarker for appendicitis in children. LRG in combination with PAS has a high diagnostic performance.