Stress-Related Mucosal Disease: Incidence of Bleeding and the Role of Omeprazole in its Prophylaxis

BACKGROUND: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is the severe complication of stress-related mucosal disease in hospitalized patients. In intensive care units (ICU), risk factors are well defined and only mechanical ventilation and coagulopathy proved to be relevant for significant bleeding. On the contrary, in non-ICU settings there is no consensus about this issue. Nevertheless, omeprazole is still widely used in prophylaxis of bleeding. The objective of our study was to evaluate the relevance of stress-related mucosal disease bleeding in patients admitted to an internal medicine ward, and the role of omeprazole in its prophylaxis. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study in which we analysed consecutive patients who were admitted to our ward over a year. We recorded demographic characteristics of the patients, potential risk factors for stress-related mucosal disease (clinical data, laboratory, and medication), administration of prophylactic omeprazole, and total cost of this prophylaxis. Patients with active gastrointestinal bleeding on the admission were excluded. We recorded every upper gastrointestinal bleeding event with clinical relevance. RESULTS: Five hundred and thirty-five patients, mean age 70 years, mean length of stay 9.6+/-7.7 days; 140 (26.2%) patients were treated with 40 mg of omeprazole intravenously, 193 (36.1%) with 20mg of omeprazole orally, and 202 (37.8%) patients had no prophylaxis. There was only one episode (0.2%) of clinically relevant bleeding. CONCLUSION: In patients admitted to an internal medicine ward, incidence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding as a complication of stress-related mucosal disease is low. We found that there is no advantage in prophylaxis with omeprazole.

Psychiatric and Psychosocial Predictors of Medical Outcome After Liver Transplantation: a Prospective, Single-Center Study

OBJECTIVE: Recognizing the potential impact of psychiatric and psychosocial factors on liver transplant patient outcomes is essential to apply special follow-up for more vulnerable patients. The aim of this article was to investigate the psychiatric and psychosocial factors predicted medical outcomes of liver transplanted patients. METHODS: We studied 150 consecutive transplant candidates, attending our outpatient transplantation clinic, including 84 who had been grafted 11 of whom died and 3 retransplanted. RESULTS: We observed that active coping was an important predictor of length of stay after liver transplantation. Neuroticism and social support were important predictors of mortality after liver transplantation. CONCLUSION: It may be useful to identify patients with low scores for active coping and for social support and high scores for neuroticism to design special modes of follow-up to improve their medical outcomes.

Avaliação da Performance Cirúrgica: Como Fazer?

Assessment of surgical performance is a must for every surgical practice nowadays and can be done by using scientific methods imported mostly from the Quality control tools that have been in use for long in industry. Surgical performance comprises several dimensions including clinical activity (mortality and morbidity as end points), academic activities, research and, more and more, efficiency. Stable long time results (efficacy), reducing error (safety) and meeting patient expectations (patient satisfaction) are among other performance components. This paper focus on the precise definitions of mortality and morbidity related to surgical activities and on the tools to evaluate patient complexity and assess pre operative risk. Some graphic representations are suggested to compare performance profiles of surgeons and to define individual performance profiles. Strong emphasis is put on pre operative risk assessment and its crucial role to interpret divergent surgical results. Where risk assessment is not possible or is unavailable, observed / expected ratios (O/E) for a given endpoint , be it mortality, length of stay or morbidity, must be established and routinely used to refer results and to identify performance outliers. Morbidity is being pointed out as a most valuable performance indicator in surgery because it is sensitive and comprises efficiency, safety and quality, at large.

Cirurgias de Derivação do Ventrículo Pulmonar

Cavopulmonary connections have been extensively used in the palliation of complex forms of congenital heart disease requiring some form of right heart bypass. We examine the mid term outcomes of pulmonary ventricle bypass operations in a single institution and performed by the same surgical team. POPULATION: Between March 1999 and April 2006, 62 patients underwent pulmonary ventricle bypass operations: bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis (Glenn procedure), total cavopulmonary connections (Fontan procedure) and one and a half ventricle correction in two cases. Age at operation averaged three years (range: 0.42-25 years) for the Glenn procedure and seven years (range: 3-14 years) for the Fontan procedure. There were 36 male patients (58%) and 26 female patients (42%). The most common indication for surgery was the single ventricle defect, present in 66% of patients. Associated lesions included: transposition of the great arteries in 16 patients (35.6%), bilateral superior vena cava in four patients (8.9%), situs ambigus in five patients (11%), situs inversus in another patient (2.2%), Ebstein disease in one patient (2.2) and coronary fistula in another patient (2.2%). Sub-aortic stenosis was present in one patient (2.2%). Palliative surgery was performed in all, but three patients (5%), before the Fontan procedure. RESULTS: Thirty two patients underwent bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis and thirty patients underwent cavopulmonary connections, total or 2nd stage. Mean cardiopulmonary bypass times were 50.6+/-21.9 minutes for the Glenn procedure and 88.5+/-26.3 minutes for the Fontan procedure. There was no intra-operative mortality, but two patients (3.2% (died in the first month after surgery; one due to failure of the Glenn circuit and sepsis and the other due to a low cardiac output syndrome and multi-organ dysfunction. Mean ventilation time was 5.2+/-1.7 hours for the Glenn operation and 6.2+/-3.2 hours for the Fontan operation. The mean length of stay in ICU was 3.4+/-2.8 days for patients undergoing the Glenn operation and 4.6+/-3.1 days for patients undergoing the Fontan operation and the mean length of hospital stay was 10.6+/-5.8 days for the Glenn operation and 19.1+/-12.6 days for the Fontan operation respectively. The mean follow up time was 4+/-2.1 years (minimum 0 years and maximum seven years), most patients being in NYHA class I. Epicardiac pacemakers were implanted in three patients due to arrhythmias. Two re-operations (6.7%) were needed, both in the same patient, after the Fontan procedure, this patient eventually died a few years after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The immediate and mid term outcomes of pulmonary ventricle bypass operations can have excellent results. From our point of view there has been an improvement, namely in the use of the extracardiac conduit technique in the 2nd stage of the Fontan operation.

Antibiotics Utilization Ratio in a Nicu

Introduction: Antibiotics are one of the most common prescribed drugs in the NICU; despite this, studies on its use are scarce. Aim: To assess antibiotics utilization ratio in a medical surgical NICU. Methods: Prospective, observational study. Daily registry of antibiotics given to newborn infants; two periods of two months, 2010; data collected every day after the second medical round. Variables: treated patients, days on antibiotics, treatment/patient days, number of courses, number of antibiotics. Antibiotics utilization ratio – ratio days on antibiotics/days at the NICU. Results: Patients enrolled - 113; admission days – 1722; length of stay - 15.2 days; 85 newborn infants were given antibiotics; days on antibiotics - 771; antibiotics utilization ratio – 44.8; 292 antibiotics were prescribed; 61.8% of patients were given more than two antibiotics and 15.3% had more than one course. The most frequents were gentamicin, cefotaxime, ampicillin, vancomycin and metronidazole. Conclusion: Antibiotics utilization ratio should be subject of audits and a quality criteria on NICUs evaluation.

A Redução do Tempo de Pré-Admissão e da Duração do Internamento em Fisiatria é Custo-Efectiva na Reabilitação do Traumatismo Crânio-Encefálico?

Objectivos: Em doentes com traumatismo crânio-encefálico (TCE), o aumento da duração do pré-internamento (internamento em cuidados agudos hospitalares de outras especialidades, antes da admissão em Medicina Física e de Reabilitação) e do internamento no Serviço de Medicina Física e de Reabilitação pode não justificar a sua inclusão ou manutenção na reabilitação em internamento, podendo esta não ser custo-efectiva comparativamente a modelos em ambulatório. O objectivo principal deste trabalho foi avaliar o impacto da duração do pré-internamento e do internamento em Medicina Física e de Reabilitação nos ganhos de funcionalidade obtidos por doentes com TCE. Material e Métodos: Doentes internados por TCE em Medicina Física e de Reabilitação (MFR) entre 1/1/1996 e 31/12/2010 (pré-amostra n = 79). Critérios de inclusão: TCE; pré-internamento <6 meses; internamento em MFR >7 dias. Critérios de exclusão: défices neurológicos e músculo-esqueléticos antes do TCE; intercorrências que condicionassem o programa de reabilitação. Amostra n = 64. O género, idade e os tempos de pré-internamento e de internamento em MFR são as variáveis independentes. Com base nos registos de entrada e alta em MFR, analisou-se a variação de vários parâmetros funcionais (variáveis dependentes). Aplicaram-se modelos estatísticos lineares generalizados: regressão logística, regressão linear múltipla e regressão ordinal logística, nas variáveis com escalas binária, intervalar ou ordinal, respectivamente. Para testar se houve melhoria após o internamento em MFR, aplicou-se o teste paramétrico t para amostras emparelhadas. Resultados: Género (feminino: 32.81%, masculino: 67.19%); média de idades (34.73±14.64 anos); duração média (pré-internamento: 68.03±36.71 dias, internamento em MFR: 46.55±:29.23 dias). O internamento em MFR conduziu a ganhos estatisticamente significativos (p < 6.54x10-2) em todas as variáveis dependentes. A duração de pré-internamento tem uma influência não linear estatisticamente significativa na duração de internamento em MFR (estimativa DPI: 1.18, estimativa DPI2: -5.92x10-3, p DPI: 9.17x10-3, p DPI2: 1.52x10-2). A redução da duração de pré-internamento está associada a uma evolução mais favorável em 20 variáveis, das quais 10 com influência estatisticamente significativa (p < 0.12). O aumento do tempo de internamento em MFR está significativamente associado a maiores ganhos nas escalas MIF e Barthel (p < 4.31x10-3). Conclusões: A duração de pré-internamento tem uma influência não linear na duração do internamento em MFR e constitui um parâmetro de prognóstico funcional em reabilitação. A sua redução é custo-efectiva na reabilitação do TCE e recomenda-se que seja um factor a considerar na selecção de doentes para a reabilitação em internamento. O programa de reabilitação em internamento gera ganhos significativos de funcionalidade, estando uma duração maior associada a ganhos mais favoráveis.

Nursing Home-Acquired Pneumonia Presenting at the Emergency Department

Nursing home-acquired pneumonia (NHAP) is one of the most common infections arising amongst nursing home residents, and its incidence is expected to increase as population ages. The NHAP recommendation for empiric broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, arising from the concept of healthcare-associated pneumonia, has been challenged by recent studies reporting low rates of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. This single center study analyzes the results of NHAP patients admitted through the Emergency Department (ED) at a tertiary center during the year 2010. There were 116 cases, male gender corresponded to 34.5 % of patients and median age was 84 years old (IQR 77-90). Comorbidities were present in 69.8 % of cases and 48.3 % of patients had used healthcare services during the previous 90 days. In-hospital mortality rate was 46.6 % and median length-of-stay was 9 days. Severity assessment at the Emergency Department provided CURB65 index score and respective mortality (%) results: zero: n = 0; one: n = 7 (0 %); two: n = 18 (38.9 %); three: n = 26 (38.5 %); four: n = 30 (53.3 %); and five; n = 22 (68.2 %); and sepsis n = 50 (34.0 %), severe sepsis n = 43 (48.8 %) and septic shock n = 22 (72.7 %). Significant risk factors for in-hospital mortality in multivariate analysis were polypnea (p = 0.001), age ≥ 75 years (p = 0.02), and severe sepsis or shock (p = 0.03) at the ED. Microbiological testing in 78.4 % of cases was positive in 15.4 % (n = 15): methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (26.7 %), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (20.0 %), S. pneumoniae (13.3 %), Escherichia coli (13.3 %), others (26.7 %); the rate of MDR bacteria was 53.3 %. This study reveals high rates of mortality and MDR bacteria among NHAP hospital admissions supporting the use of empirical broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy in these patients.

The Self-Inflicted Burns - Typology and its Prognostic Relevance in a 14-Year Review of Self-Inflicted Burns in a Tertiary Referral Centre

Self-inflicted burns (SIB) are responsible for 2-6% of admissions to Burn Units in Europe and North America, and for as many as 25% of admissions in developing nations. Recently, a promising new tool was proposed to stratify SIB patients in the following subgroups: "typical", "delirious", and "reactive". However, as far as the authors know, the clinical usefulness of this instrument has not yet been validated by others. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 56 patients admitted to our Burn Unit with the diagnosis of SIB injury in the past 14 years. The following parameters were evaluated: demographic features; psychiatric illness; substance abuse; mechanism of injury; burn depth, total body surface area (TBSA) involved, Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI); length of hospital stay, and mortality. All patients were followed up by a psychologist and a psychiatrist, and were classified according to the SIB-Typology Tool, into three classes: "typical", "delirious" and "reactive". There was a slight predominance of the "typical" type (44.6%), followed by the "delirious" type (30.4%), and, finally the "reactive" type (25.0%). Mortality was significantly higher in the "typical" subgroup. In conclusion, the SIB-Typology Tool appears to be a valuable instrument in the clinical management of SIB patients.

The Effect of Statins on Mortality in Septic Patients: a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

OBJECTIVE: Statins are among the most prescribed drugs worldwide and their recently discovered anti-inflammatory effect seems to have an important role in inhibiting proinflammatory cytokine production, chemokines expression and counteracting the harmful effects of sepsis on the coagulation system. We decided to perform a meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials ever published on statin therapy in septic patients to evaluate their effect on survival and length of hospital stay. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION: Articles were assessed by four trained investigators, with divergences resolved by consensus. BioMedCentral, PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of clinical trials were searched for pertinent studies. Inclusion criteria were random allocation to treatment and comparison of statins versus any comparator in septic patients. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Data from 650 patients in 5 randomized controlled studies were analyzed. No difference in mortality between patients receiving statins versus control (44/322 [14%] in the statins group vs 50/328 [15%] in the control arm, RR = 0.90 [95% CI 0.65 to 1.26], p = 0.6) was observed. No differences in hospital stay (p = 0.7) were found. CONCLUSIONS: Published data show that statin therapy has no effect on mortality in the overall population of adult septic patients. Scientific evidence on statins role in septic patients is still limited and larger randomized trials should be performed on this topic.

Cirurgia Obliterativa do Prolapso dos Órgãos Pélvicos - uma Opção ainda Válida?

Objective: To investigate the results of vaginal obliterate surgery in elderly women with pelvic organ prolapse. Design: observational retrospective study. Material and Methods: a total of 69 women with the diagnosis of pelvic prolapse were submitted to obliterative surgery in the urogynecology unit of a tertiary care hospital centre over the course of 8 years (2001 to 2008). The following data were collected from their clinical records: age, number of vaginal births, body mass index (BMI), hormone therapy, other existing diseases, type of prolapse and stage, anaesthetic risk score, duration of surgery, length of hospital stay, and short-term complications. Results: Of the 69 women studied, 31 were submitted to colpocleisis and the remaining 38 were managed by the LeFort technique. Mean age was 74.8 years with a standard deviation (sd) of 7.14 years. Average BMI was 26.2 (sd =3.76). Vaginal births were recorded in all patients. Only three patients were taking hormone therapy at the time of surgery. Sixty-three women were classified as having and anesthetic risk of II or III and 55 underwent local-regional anesthesia. Complications were reported in five cases, four of which in the first days after surgery. Nearly all were mild and resolved within the first 6 weeks. Conclusion: Complication rates appear to be low after obliterative surgery for pelvic organ prolapse in elderly women.

Safety and Effectiveness of the Genous™ Endothelial Progenitor Cell-Capture Stent in the First Year Following ST-Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Single Center Experience and Review of the Literature

PURPOSE: The Genous™ stent (GS) is designed to accelerate endothelization, which is potentially useful in the pro-thrombotic environment of ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI). We aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the GS in the first year following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and to compare our results with the few previously published studies. METHODS AND MATERIALS: All patients admitted to a single center due to STEMI that underwent primary PCI using exclusively GS, between May 2006 and January 2012, were enrolled. The primary study endpoints were major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), defined as the composite of cardiac death, acute myocardial infarction and target vessel revascularization, at one and 12months. RESULTS: In the cohort of 109 patients (73.4% male, 59 ±12years), 24.8% were diabetic. PCI was performed in 116 lesions with angiographic success in 99.1%, using 148 GS with median diameter of 3.00mm (2.50-4.00) and median length of 15mm (9-33). Cumulative MACEs were 2.8% at one month and 6.4% at 12months. Three stent thromboses (2.8%), all subacute, and one stent restenosis (0.9%) occurred. These accounted for the four target vessel revascularizations (3.7%). At 12months, 33.9% of patients were not on dual antiplatelet therapy. CONCLUSIONS: GS was safe and effective in the first year following primary PCI in STEMI, with an apparently safer profile comparing with the previously published data. SUMMARY: We report the safety and effectiveness of the Genous™ stent (GS) in the first year following primary percutaneous coronary intervention in ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction. A comprehensive review of the few studies that have been published on this subject was included and some suggest a less safe profile of the GS. Our results and the critical review included may add information and reinforce the safety and effectiveness of the GS in ST-elevation in acute myocardial infarction.

Acute Kidney Injury after Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: Risk Factors and Outcomes. Proposal for a Predictive Model

Objectives: To characterize the epidemiology and risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) after pediatric cardiac surgery in our center, to determine its association with poor short-term outcomes, and to develop a logistic regression model that will predict the risk of AKI for the study population. Methods: This single-center, retrospective study included consecutive pediatric patients with congenital heart disease who underwent cardiac surgery between January 2010 and December 2012. Exclusion criteria were a history of renal disease, dialysis or renal transplantation. Results: Of the 325 patients included, median age three years (1 day---18 years), AKI occurred in 40 (12.3%) on the first postoperative day. Overall mortality was 13 (4%), nine of whom were in the AKI group. AKI was significantly associated with length of intensive care unit stay, length of mechanical ventilation and in-hospital death (p<0.01). Patients’ age and postoperative serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and lactate levels were included in the logistic regression model as predictor variables. The model accurately predicted AKI in this population, with a maximum combined sensitivity of 82.1% and specificity of 75.4%. Conclusions: AKI is common and is associated with poor short-term outcomes in this setting. Younger age and higher postoperative serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and lactate levels were powerful predictors of renal injury in this population. The proposed model could be a useful tool for risk stratification of these patients.