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Biomedical subjects

A Capelastegui

Publications and source records attributed to A Capelastegui.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

A simple score for assessing stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is usually assessed using FEV(1) to establish the diagnosis and the severity of the disease. However, COPD is now considered a systemic disease. AIM: To evaluate the utility of the Health-Activity-Dyspnoea-Obstruction (HADO) score for classifying the severity of COPD and predicting outcomes. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal clinical study. METHODS: We studied 611 consecutive patients with stable COPD in five out-patient clinics of a teaching hospital. We measured dyspnoea degree, pulmonary function (by spirometry), self-reported level of daily physical activity and overall health condition. Outcome measures included health-related quality of life (HRQoL) parameters (as measured by the generic SF-36 Health Survey and by two specific questionnaires, the St George Respiratory Questionnaire and the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire) and mortality at 3 years follow-up. RESULTS: Based on the HADO score, COPD was classified as mild in 26.7% of patients, moderate in 53.3%, and severe in 20%. There were statistically significant correlations between these three levels of severity and HRQoL parameters and vital status. After adjustment for relevant covariates, the HADO score reliably predicted survival and vital status. DISCUSSION: The HADO score can be easily obtained in an out-patient clinic, and distinguishes groups of COPD patients by their disease severity. The HADO score is better than FEV(1%) alone for predicting mortality at 3 years.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

Validation of a predictive rule for the management of community-acquired pneumonia.

The CURB-65 score (Confusion, Urea > 7 mmol x L(-1), Respiratory rate > or = 30 x min(-1), low Blood pressure, and age > or = 65 yrs) has been proposed as a tool for augmenting clinical judgement for stratifying patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) into different management groups. The six-point CURB-65 score was retrospectively applied in a prospective, consecutive cohort of adult patients with a diagnosis of CAP seen in the emergency department of a 400-bed teaching hospital from March 1, 2000 to February 29, 2004. A total of 1,100 inpatients and 676 outpatients were included. The 30-day mortality rate in the entire cohort increased directly with increasing CURB-65 score: 0, 1.1, 7.6, 21, 41.9 and 60% for CURB-65 scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. The score was also significantly associated with the need for mechanical ventilation and rate of hospital admission in the entire cohort, and with duration of hospital stay among inpatients. The CURB-65 score (Confusion, Urea > 7 mmol x L(-1), Respiratory rate > or = 30 x min(-1), low Blood pressure, and age > or = 65 yrs), and a simpler CRB-65 score that omits the blood urea measurement, helps classify patients with community-acquired pneumonia into different groups according to the mortality risk and significantly correlates with community-acquired pneumonia management key points. The new score can also be used as a severity adjustment measure.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

[Patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia: a comparative study of outcomes by medical specialty area].

OBJECTIVE: Variability in the management of patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is attributable to many factors. The objective of this study was to determine whether such variability is influenced by the medical specialty area where the patient is treated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The treatment and outcomes for a random sample of patients with CAP admitted to 4 hospitals over 2 periods (1 year starting March 1, 1998, and 1.5 years starting March 1, 2000) were compared by medical specialty department. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze differences. RESULTS: Differences were found between departments in the coverage of atypical pathogens (P<.001). The adjusted mean length of stay in hospital varied between 6.8 and 9.1 days (P<.01), and the duration of intravenous treatment varied between 4.6 and 7.3 days (P<.05). Adjusted models showed that mortality in hospital and at 30 days was significantly higher for patients treated in internal medicine departments (odds ratios, 2.1 and 2, respectively) than for those treated in pulmonology departments. CONCLUSIONS: Interdepartmental differences were observed in how patients hospitalized with CAP were treated and in the outcomes achieved. This variation is probably influenced by the differences that were found in the use of antibiotics.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

[Association between the forced midexpiratory flow/forced vital capacity ratio and bronchial hyperresponsiveness].

OBJECTIVE: A long-standing hypothesis is that a low ratio of airway caliber to lung size is associated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). The aim of our study was to measure the association between airway caliber relative to lung size (expressed as the ratio between forced expiratory flow, midexpiratory phase, divided by forced vital capacity [FEF(25%-75%)/FVC]) and BHR measured by a methacholine challenge test, adjusting for age, height, sex, smoking history, geographic area, respiratory symptoms, and baseline forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We carried out a multicenter cross-sectional study of the general Spanish population in 2647 subjects from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS I). The ECRHS questionnaire was administered, total and specific immunoglobulin E were measured, and skin tests, spirometry, and a methacholine challenge test were performed. RESULTS: We show the relationship of the various clinical and sociodemographic variables with the 2 parameters indicative of a positive methacholine test. The lower the FEF(25%-75%)/FVC ratio was, the greater the risk of HRB, after adjustment for variables (odds ratio [OR]=0.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.04-0.018 for the concentration provoking a 20% decrease in FEV1, and OR=0.06; 95% CI, 0.03-0.12 for the dose provoking a 20% decrease in FEV1). CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant association between the FEF(25%-75%)/FVC ratio and BHR after adjustment for age, atopy, smoking, geographic area, respiratory symptoms, and initial FEV1.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

[Reference figures for pulmonary artery pressures after effective treatment of Graves' disease].

We report the case of a 48-year-old woman with a diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension and hyperthyroidism (Graves' disease) in whom pulmonary artery pressures became normal after treatment of thyroid disease. The possible pathogenic mechanisms involved in this association include the presence of hyperdynamic heart failure and/or the presence of immune alterations underlying both conditions.

Anticoagulants↗
PubMed2003

[Description of a sample of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated at hospital-supervised respiratory clinics at primary care centers].

OBJECTIVE: To study the general characteristics, health perception and limitations of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treated at respiratory clinics at primary care centers staffed by pulmonologists from our hospital service. METHOD: The study was carried out at 5 primary care centers that enrolled the patients consecutively. Questionnaires were used to collect information on sociodemographic aspects, perception of health, and limitations to activities of daily living. We also collected information on the treatments patients were receiving and comorbidities. Spirometry was also performed. RESULTS: Six hundred eleven patients with a mean age of 67.2 years were included in the study; 97.7% were male. The most common comorbidities were spinal column pathology (43%) and osteoarthritis (37%). The mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was 1.37 L and FEV1% was 49.7% of predicted. Medications taken for COPD were mainly beta-adrenergics and anticholinergics; 66% of patients used inhaled steroids. The majority of patients (52.7%) referred to their health as fair and 59.9% declared having some degree of limitation to their activities of daily living which they attributed to their respiratory disease. Statistical differences were found between the degree of limitation and the degree of dyspnea (P<.0001), perception of health (P<.0001), and FEV1 (P=.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study outlines the general characteristics of COPD patients and shows that dyspnea is closely related to the perception patients have of their degree of limitation.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

A prediction rule to identify allocation of inpatient care in community-acquired pneumonia.

The current authors developed a new prediction rule based on the five risk classes defined by the Pneumonia Severity Index to identify allocation of inpatient care in community-acquired pneumonia. The decision to hospitalise in low-risk classes (I-III) was unquestionable, if the presence of one or more of the following were evident: arterial oxygen tension <8.0 kPa (60 mmHg), shock, decompensated coexisting illnesses, pleural effusion, inability to maintain oral intake, social problem, and lack of response to previous adequate empirical antibiotic therapy. The results at 18 months after implementation of this new prediction rule are reported in a series of 616 patients. The mortality rate was 0.5% in 221 patients treated as outpatients versus 8.9% in 395 patients treated as inpatients. Specific additional criteria for hospitalisation included in the prediction rule were present in 106 of the 178 low-risk patients treated as inpatients, whereas in the remaining 72, the decision to hospitalise was apparently unjustified by the prediction rule. These 72 patients showed a better outcome (significantly shorter hospitalisation, days on intravenous antibiotics, mortality, and complicated course) than high-risk patients and low-risk patients who met the additional specific criteria for deciding hospital admission. Therefore, admission in these low-risk patients might have been avoided by strict adherence to the new prediction rule. Another relevant finding was that the Pneumonia Severity Index alone did not identify all patients who needed to be admitted to the hospital.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Safety and effectiveness of single- versus triple-dose gadodiamide injection- enhanced MR angiography of the abdomen: a phase III double-blind multicenter study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of gadodiamide-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography with single and triple doses in the assessment of abdominal arterial stenoses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred five patients were included in the randomized, double-blind, phase III multicenter trial. Results of MR angiography with 0.1 mmol/kg and 0.3 mmol/kg doses of gadodiamide were compared with those of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and according to dose. RESULTS: No serious adverse events were observed. The mean contrast index at the region proximal to the primary stenosis was significantly higher in the triple-dose group (P =.03). Mean 95% CI values for the difference in depicted degree of stenosis between DSA and postcontrast MR angiography improved from -3.4% +/- 4.7 (SD) in the single-dose group to -1.2% +/- 4.7 in the triple-dose group. Mean values for overall image quality on the visual analogue scale improved with the triple dose (P =.02). Confidence in diagnosis was high at postcontrast MR angiography in 88% and 96% of cases in the single- and triple-dose groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Gadodiamide-enhanced MR angiography performed with single and triple doses is safe and effective for assessing major abdominal arterial stenoses. Although high agreement between MR angiography and DSA was achieved with both doses, triple-dose MR angiography was superior in the evaluations of image quality, degree of arterial stenoses, and confidence in diagnosis.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1999

Masses and pseudomasses of the hand and wrist: MR findings in 134 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the investigation of palpable masses in the hand or wrist. DESIGN AND PATIENTS. We retrospectively reviewed the MRI examinations and case records of 134 patients referred because of a palpable mass in the hand or wrist. MRI was performed on a 1.0 T magnet using an extremity coil. Intravenous gadolinium-DTPA was injected when considered appropriate. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: MRI demonstrated the cause of the palpable mass in 126 cases (94.02%). Soft tissue neoplasms were found in 34 cases (25.37%). The majority were benign and included giant cell tumours of tendon sheath, lipomas and hemangiomas and had a characteristic appearance. There were three malignant tumours (myxoid liposarcoma, malignant fibroushistiocytoma and rhabdomyosarcoma). Ganglia were found in 36 cases (26.86%) and non-tumour tendon pathology in 31 cases (23.13%). Less common causes included articular diseases (5.97%) and anatomical variants (4.47%). No focal lesion was present in 8 cases (5.97%). In conclusion, MRI is an accurate diagnostic technique in patients who present with a palpable mass of the hand and wrist.

Hand↗
PubMed1999

Atypical MRI presentation of a small splenic hamartoma.

Hamartomas of the spleen usually appear isointense on T1-weighted MR images and hyperintense on T2-weighted images. We describe a histologically proven case which presented as a small (2.5 cm) focal mass isointense to splenic parenchyma on T1-weighted images and hypointense on both turbo-spin-echo T2 and short T1 inversion recovery images. Dynamic MRI revealed a delayed enhancement during the arterial phase becoming isointense and prolonged on subsequent images. This prolonged enhancement has previously been described as a characteristic pattern in these tumours. The lack of oedema and necrosis and the presence of fibrous tissue in the hamartoma at histopathology likely account for the low signal intensity on all sequences.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1998

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in the evaluation of pancreatic duct pathology.

MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) may replace direct pancreatography in the evaluation of the pancreatic duct. The aim of this pictorial review is to demonstrate the usefulness of MRCP in the evaluation of pancreatic duct pathology. The examination technique included coronal, sagittal and axial breath-hold HASTE 2D imaging using a body phase array coil. We present the diagnostic features on MRCP of a variety of benign and malignant disorders of the pancreatic duct, and conclude that MRCP is a suitable method for imaging the pancreatic duct system.

Bile Ducts↗
PubMed1997

Resolution of a brainstem abscess through antituberculous therapy.

We describe an immunocompetent patient with a solitary brainstem abscess that responded to antituberculous therapy. Although prompt surgical therapy has been advocated, the possibility of medical resolution of brainstem tuberculous abscesses should be considered.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[The gammagraphic diagnosis of acute pulmonary thromboembolism].

We aimed to determine the prevalence of acute pulmonary embolism (APE) in our population and to establish the diagnostic reliability of pulmonary scintigraphy (PS), as well as the influence of the clinical context (CC). During a 2-year prospective study, patients were diagnosed by either pulmonary angiography or normal-perfusion PS. A diagnosis of APE was made in 73 (75%) of a total of 97 patients. In the group of 58 patients diagnosed by ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) PS, 33 were classified as "highly probably" having APE; 32 of these in fact had the syndrome (sensitivity 88%, specificity 94%). Combining the "highly probable" patients with the "highly suspected" patients diagnosed by ventilation/perfusion PS, we obtained a sensitivity of 51% and specificity of 100%. Ventilation scintigrams were unobtainable in 28 older patients with greater dyspnea and tachypnea, who were unable to perform the maneuvers. Of the 21 "highly probable" patients as assessed by PS, 19 were diagnosed as having APE (sensitivity 86%, specificity 85%). Combining the "highly probable" patients with the "highly suspected" group, we obtained a sensitivity of 32% and specificity of 100%. Normal perfusion PS excludes clinically relevant APE. "Intermediate" or "slight" probability PS results, even when combined with CC, have no diagnostic validity.

Acute Disease↗