Related Experiment Videos
Acute abdomen in patients receiving chemotherapy
1Department of Surgical Oncology, Regional Cancer Centre, Medical College P.O., Trivandrum-695011, Kerala, India.
Indian Journal of Cancer
|February 21, 2003
Summary
Evaluating acute abdomen in chemotherapy patients is challenging. Clinical signs may be blunted, requiring cautious surgical decisions due to high risks in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Surgical Gastroenterology
Background:
- Acute abdomen presents diagnostic challenges in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
- Chemotherapy can alter or mask typical clinical signs of abdominal emergencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of acute abdomen in patients receiving chemotherapy.
- To identify factors influencing clinical decision-making for these patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of surgical oncology referrals for patients with acute abdomen during chemotherapy.
- Review of referrals by a surgical oncologist, including full work-up and necessary surgical interventions.
Main Results:
- The study included patients with a mean age of 37 years, primarily receiving chemotherapy for lymphoproliferative disorders, hematological malignancies, and ovarian cancer.
- Common diagnoses included acute appendicitis, paralytic ileus, typhilitis, and intestinal perforation.
- Six patients underwent surgery, with two postoperative deaths due to sepsis and multi-organ failure.
Conclusions:
- Diagnosing acute abdomen in cancer patients on chemotherapy is complex.
- Key clinical signs like tenderness and peritoneal signs may be unreliable due to neutropenia or corticosteroid use.
- Surgical intervention decisions must be made cautiously due to high associated mortality and morbidity.