The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical characteristics and epidemiology of stab wound in a single center for 5 years.

Eighty-seven patients visited the emergency room with stab wounds between March 2008 and October 2013. Patient demographics, location of the wound, injured internal organ, and clinical parameters were reviewed.

Among eighty seven patients, 59 were male, and the mean age was 45.6 years old (range, 18∼85 years old). The most common age group was fifth and sixth decades. The most common cause of stab injury was self-infliction (32 cases), followed by violence (31 cases) and accident (23 cases). Self-infliction injuries were associated with underlying psychological problems in 20 patients. The most common injured sites were abdomen (48 cases), followed by thorax (20 cases) and neck (12 cases). Emergent exploration was required in 37 patients. Four patients (4.6%) were dead due to hypovolemic shock after injury of the thorax (lung) or neck (transection of carotid artery and transection of trachea). The length of hospital stay was 3 days (0∼6.5 days) and the injury severity score (ISS) was 4 points (1∼9 points). ISS was associated with the length of hospital stay (p<0.001) and emergency exploration (p=0.001).

Self-inflicted injury was the most common cause of stab injury and it was related to psychologic problems. The most common injured site was abdomen.

Research comparing the effectiveness of different doses of antibiotics prior to surgery for preventing infection is sparse. This study examines whether a single dose of preoperative antibiotics suffices to treat uncomplicated appendicitis via laparoscopic appendectomy.

This study retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 149 patients who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy from July 2013 to December 2014 in a single institution. The participants were divided into two groups; group A (n=99) was given a single dose of prophylactic antibiotics before surgery, and group B (n=50) was given both preoperative and postoperative antibiotics. Clinical factors and surgical outcomes were compared between two groups.

The mean length of hospital stay for group A (2.5 days) was shorter than for group B (3.2 days) (p<0.001). Average operation time was 58.7 minutes for group A, longer than for group B (52.2 minutes, p=0.027). There was no difference in pathologic results and postoperative complications, such as surgical site infection (SSI) between the two groups. In groups A and B, 4.0% of patients had superficial SSIs. One patient (2.0%) in group B had deep/organ SSI.

A single dose of prophylactic antibiotics administration to patients undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy is acceptable as a treatment in uncomplicated appendicitis.