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Bedside diagnostic laparoscopy for critically ill patients: a retrospective study of 62 patients

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Abstract

Background

Bedside diagnostic laparoscopy has an important role of diagnosing acute abdomen in critically ill patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU). Delayed diagnosis of intraabdominal pathology increases the morbidity and mortality rates for these patients, whose clinical signs often are absent due to analgesic medication and sedation.

Methods

In this retrospective study performed from January 2007 to December 2009, 62 consecutive ICU patients whose blood test results showed them to be hemodynamically unstable underwent bedside diagnostic laparoscopy. The inclusion criteria specified clinically suspected acute cholecystitis, unknown sepsis, acidosis with a high level of lactate, elevated lab tests (white blood cell count, bilirubin, lactic dehydrogenase, creatine phosphokinase, gamma glutamyl transferase [γGT]), and acute anemia with suspected intraabdominal bleeding. The major contraindications to bedside diagnostic laparoscopy were coagulopathy, endocranic hypertension, and heart failure. Patients with a clear indication for an open surgical procedure were excluded from the study.

Results

Of the 62 patients who underwent bedside diagnostic laparoscopy, 43 (69.3 %) had positive findings and 29 (46.7 %) had acute acalculous cholecystitis. The mean operation time was 38 min, and no procedure-related deaths occurred. The procedure was performed for postsurgery patients, especially after cardiac operations, and for trauma or septic patients. Respiratory and hemodynamic parameters were monitored before, during, and after the procedure.

Conclusions

As a minimally invasive procedure, bedside diagnostic laparoscopy can be performed in the ICU for hemodynamically unstable patients. It is safe procedure with high diagnostic accuracy for acute intraabdominal conditions that avoids negative laparotomies for unstable patients. The bedside diagnostic laparoscopy procedure is not performed widely, and prospective studies are needed to better evaluate outcome and advantages for critically ill patients.

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Disclosures

Cecilia Ceribelli, Ennio Alberto Adami, Simona Mattia and Bruno Benini have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General, Emergency and Trauma Surgery, Hospital San Camillo-Forlanini, Rome, Italy

    Cecilia Ceribelli, Ennio Alberto Adami, Simona Mattia & Bruno Benini

  2. Department of General Surgery and Organ Transplantation “Paride Stefanini,”, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, Viale del Policlinico, 155, Rome, Italy

    Cecilia Ceribelli & Simona Mattia

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  1. Cecilia Ceribelli
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  2. Ennio Alberto Adami
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Correspondence to Cecilia Ceribelli.

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Ceribelli, C., Adami, E.A., Mattia, S. et al. Bedside diagnostic laparoscopy for critically ill patients: a retrospective study of 62 patients. Surg Endosc 26, 3612–3615 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-012-2383-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-012-2383-4

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