Background —In patients with major trauma and burns, total enteral nutrition (TEN) significantly decreases the acute phase response and incidence of septic complications when compared with total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Poor outcome in acute pancreatitis is associated with a high incidence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis. Aims —To determine whether TEN can attenuate the acute phase response and improve clinical disease severity in patients with acute pancreatitis. Methods —Glasgow score, Apache II, computed tomography (CT) scan score, C reactive protein (CRP), serum IgM antiendotoxin antibodies (EndoCAb), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were determined on admission in 34 patients with acute pancreatitis. Patients were stratified according to disease severity and randomised to receive either TPN or TEN for seven days and then re-evaluated. Results —SIRS, sepsis, organ failure, and ITU stay, were globally improved in the enterally fed patients. The acute phase response and disease severity scores were significantly improved following enteral nutrition (CRP: 156 (117–222) to 84 (50–141), p<0.005; APACHE II scores 8 (6–10) to 6 (4–8), p<0.0001) without change in the CT scan scores. In parenterally fed patients these parameters did not change but there was an increase in EndoCAb antibody levels and a fall in TAC. Enterally fed patients showed no change in the level of EndoCAb antibodies and an increase in TAC. Conclusion —TEN moderates the acute phase response, and improves disease severity and clinical outcome despite unchanged pancreatic injury on CT scan. Reduced systemic exposure to endotoxin and reduced oxidant stress also occurred in the TEN group. Enteral feeding modulates the inflammatory and sepsis response in acute pancreatitis and is clinically beneficial.

Objectives. To determine relationship of intraabdominal pressure to central obesity and the comorbidity of obesity. Design. Non‐randomized, prospective. Setting. University hospital, operating room. Subjects. Eighty‐four anaesthetized consecutive patients prior to gastric bypass for morbid obesity and five non‐obese patients before colectomy for ulcerative colitis. Main outcome measures. Weight, body mass index (BMI), co‐morbid history, sagittal abdominal diameter, waist:hip (W∶H) ratio and urinary bladder pressure, as an estimate of intra‐abdominal pressure. Results. Urinary bladder pressure was greater in the obese than the non‐obese (18±0.7 vs. 7±1.6 cm H₂O, P < 0.001), correlated with sagittal abdominal diameter (r = +0.67, P < 0.001) and was greater (P < 0.05) in patients with, than those without, morbidity probably (hypoventilation, gastroesophageal reflux, venous stasis, stress incontinence, incisional hernia) or possibly (hypertension, diabetes) due to increased abdominal pressure. W∶H ratio correlated with urinary bladder pressure in men (r = +0.6, P < 0.05) but not women (r = −0.3). Conclusions. Increased sagittal abdominal diameter was associated with increased intraabdominal pressure which contributed to obesity‐related comorbidity. W∶H ratio was not a reliable indicator of intraabdominal pressure for women who often have both peripheral and central obesity. Further studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between intraabdominal pressure and Type II diabetes and hypertension.

Background: The aim of the study was to develop a dedicated colorectal Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity (CR-POSSUM) equation for predicting operative mortality, and to compare its performance with the Portsmouth (P)-POSSUM model. Methods: Data were collected prospectively from 6883 patients undergoing colorectal surgery in 15 UK hospitals between 1993 and 2001. After excluding missing data and 93 patients who did not satisfy the inclusion criteria, 4632 patients (68·2 per cent) underwent elective surgery and 2107 had an emergency operation (31·0 per cent); 2437 operations (35·9 per cent) for malignant and 4267 (62·8 per cent) for non-malignant diseases were scored. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to develop an age-adjusted POSSUM model and a dedicated CR-POSSUM model. A 60 : 40 per cent split-sample validation technique was adopted for model development and testing. Observed and expected mortality rates were compared. Results: The operative mortality rate for the series was 5·7 per cent (387 of 6790 patients) (elective operations 2·8 per cent; emergency surgery 12·0 per cent). The CR-POSSUM, age-adjusted POSSUM and P-POSSUM models had similar areas under the receiver–operator characteristic curves. Model calibration was similar for CR-POSSUM and age-adjusted POSSUM models, and superior to that for the P-POSSUM model. The CR-POSSUM model offered the best overall accuracy, with an observed: expected ratio of 1·000, 0·998 and 0·911 respectively (test population). Conclusion: The CR-POSSUM model provided an accurate predictor of operative mortality. External validation is required in hospitals different from those in which the model was developed.

The goal of this consensus initiated by the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) was to establish European consensus guidelines for the surgical treatment of ulcerative colitis. The strategy to reach the consensus involved several steps and follows the standard operating procedures for consensus guidelines of ECCO. An open call for chairs and participants for this consensus was made (see acknowledgements and www.ecco-ibd). Participants were selected by the Guidelines' Committee of ECCO (GuiCom) on the basis of their publication record and a personal statement