[Clinical research based nephrology (bases for the constitution of an Evidence Based Nephrology Group in the Spanish Society of Nephrology)].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to F García-López.
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The clinical use and tolerability of voriconazole in daily practice for the treatment of fungal infection in critically ill patients was assessed in an open-label, non-comparative, observational study. All patients admitted to medical-surgical Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of 21 hospitals in Spain between February 2003 and January 2004, who were treated with voriconazole because of known or suspected fungal infection, were included. A total of 130 patients received voriconazole (6.2 cases per ICU). Fungal infections were classified as proven in 50 patients (38.5%) and probable in 38 (29.2%). The etiology was established in 103 patients, with Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus as the most common pathogens. In 98 (75.4%) patients, voriconazole was initially administered intravenously. Fifty-three patients (40.8%) were treated with other antifungal agents prior to the use of voriconazole. In 21 patients (16.2%), voriconazole was administered in combination with other antifungal drugs. Clinical responses were cure and improvement in 65 (50%) patients, failure in 26 (20%), and undetermined in 39 (30%). The crude ICU mortality was 49.2%. According to multivariate analysis, ICU mortality was significantly associated with pneumonia (OR = 3.30, 95% CI 1.07-10.18) and infection caused by Aspergillus spp. (OR = 3.70, 95% Cl 1.12-12.28), whereas eradication of the causative microorganisms was inversely associated (OR = 0.13, 95% CI 0.05-0.34). Adverse events were recorded in 65 patients, probably or possibly related to the study drug in 21. In conclusion, in critically ill patients admitted to the ICU, the use of voriconazole was affective in 50% of cases. The drug was well tolerated and discontinuation of voriconazole treatment due to adverse events was not necessary.
Temporal variation in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) warrants monitoring in certain situations. This study sought to describe a public-health-based GBS surveillance service in Spain and conduct pilot surveillance in the period 1998-1999. Neurologists from 11 hospitals countrywide, serving a population of 3.9 million, reported all patients, ages 20 years or over, admitted to hospital with suspected GBS. Cases that did not belong to the designated hospital catchment area or failed to fulfill diagnostic criteria after follow- up were excluded. Reported monthly incidence was compared against predicted incidence obtained from retrospective data (1985-1997) using a reported method based on 97.5% percentile values. Alarm thresholds for 2000 onwards were obtained by applying the same method to the updated 1985-1999 series. During the 2-year period, 98 GBS cases were reported, yielding an overall age-adjusted incidence of 1.26 per 100 000 population, with a breakdown by sex of 1.83 for males and 0.76 for females. Monthly incidence remained below or was similar to the corresponding threshold limit value. Seasonality with highest incidence in winter was more pronounced in the elderly. Preceding events, mainly respiratory infections, were identified in 71% of patients. Pilot two-year GBS surveillance in Spain resulted neither in alarm nor in preventive measures. Adult GBS incidence in Spain might be monitored by a surveillance system set up at short notice when a possible threat is perceived. A monthly incidence of over 3 per 100 000 person-years in the population aged 20 years or older would exceed threshold values.
Retrospective demographic information and hospital record data were collected for 337 patients resident in Spain who had validated Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) diagnoses and clinical onset during the period 1985-1997 and had been admitted to 11 centres, covering a population of 3.9 million. The European age-adjusted GBS incidence per 100,000 for 1985-1997 among the population aged 20 and over was 0.85, with a breakdown of 1.14 in men and 0.58 in women. Incidence increased with age and time, with occasional rises that mimicked outbreaks and occurred at irregular 2- to 4-year intervals, mainly in winter. Spatial variation was modest. Respiratory and gastrointestinal infections respectively constituted 49.3 and 19.3% of recorded preceding events. The 97.5% intercentile limit, obtained from the 1985-1997 monthly incidences using predictions from a Poisson model, was proposed as the threshold value for pilot epidemiological surveillance of GBS in 1998-1999.
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UNLABELLED: The aim of this work has been to evaluate whether a diagnostic protocol based on the joint use of mammography and 99mTc-methoxyisobutyl isonitrile (MIBI) scintimammography is capable of reducing the number of biopsies required in patients with suspected breast cancer. METHODS: We performed prone scintimammography in 90 patients with suspected breast cancer, involving 97 lesions. In all patients, the diagnosis was established by way of biopsy. On mammography, we evaluated the degree of suspicion of malignancy and the size of the lesion (smaller or larger than 1 cm in diameter). RESULTS: The results of only 41 of the biopsies indicated malignancy. On mammography, 20 lesions (of which 1 was breast cancer) were considered to be of low suspicion of malignancy, 31 (of which 4 were breast cancer) as indeterminate and 46 (of which 36 were breast cancer) as high. Fourteen lesions (2 low probability, 2 indeterminate and 10 high) were smaller than 1 cm, whereas 83 (18 low probability, 29 indeterminate and 36 high) were larger. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of scintimammography were 85%, 79%, 74% and 88%, respectively. Scintimammography was positive in all cases of breast cancer that initially had a low or indeterminate suspicion of malignancy according to mammography, as well as in 30 cases of breast cancer that initially were highly suspicious. Six false-negative scintimammography studies were obtained in lesions with a high suspicion of malignancy. CONCLUSION: We propose a diagnostic protocol with a biopsy performed on lesions that have a high suspicion of malignancy as well as those with low or indeterminate suspicion that are smaller than 1 cm or with positive scintimammography results. This would have reduced the total number of biopsies performed by 34%. More importantly, there would have been a 65% reduction in number of biopsies performed in the low and indeterminate mammographic suspicion groups. All 41 cases of breast cancer would have been detected.
The purpose of this work was to compare the results obtained with a scitigraphy using 99mTc-HMPAO labeled leukocyte and a computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of vascular graft infection (VGI). We carried out 22 studies with both scintigraphy and CT in 20 patients with vascular grafts with VGI suspicion. One patient had two grafts, thus a total of 23 grafts were analyzed. In addition, 6 control studies were performed. The persistent increase in leukocyte uptake in the graft area was considered as evidence of VGI and the scintigraphy with HMPAO-99mTc labeled leukocytes. For the CT, the presence of perigraft fluid and/or gas collection in the graft bed was also considered to be evidence of VGI. The total number of VGI was 12. The VGI diagnosis was confirmed by culture in all cases. The sensitivity and specificity of the scintigraphy in the diagnosis of VGI was 100%, while the CT has a sensitivity of 58% and specificity of 91%. Five grafts presented pseudoaneurysm in distal aorto-bifemoral graft anastomosis. All theses cases were detected with CT and only one patient with pseudoaneurysms showed scintigraphic evidence of VGI. In addition, both techniques detected two soft tissue infections associated with cutaneous fistulae, one case of abdominal abscess and another of acute diverticulitis. The scintigraphy was also pathologic in one infection of the surgical wound while that the CT was negative. In conclusion, although both techniques are useful to evaluate patients with suspicion of VGI, the scintigraphy with 99m-Tc-HMPAO labeled leukocytes has been shown to be more sensitive than the CT in the assessment of patients with VGI suspicion.
Contribution of one study case of corpus cavernosum ossification including a literature review and analysis of signs and symptoms as well as the potential therapeutic options in that condition. The conversion of the albuginea's connective tissue into bone is the pathological end of La Peyronie's disease.
The aim of this work has been to determine whether the joint use of mammography and scintimammography is capable of reducing the number of biopsies required in patients with suspected breast cancer. We have performed scintimammography in 90 patients, 97 lesions, with breast cancer suspicion. In the mammography was evaluated the degree of malignancy suspicion and the size of the lesion. Only 41 of the biopsies revealed the presence of cancer. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of scintimammography were 85%, 79%, 74% and 88%. According to the mammography findings 20 lesions (1 breast cancer) were included as low, 31 lesions (4 breast cancer) as indeterminate and 46 lesions (36 breast cancer) as high malignancy suspicion. 14 lesions (2 low, 2 indeterminate and 10 high suspicion) were smaller than 1 cm. The scintimammography was positive in all breast cancer of low and indeterminate suspicion of malignancy and in 30 of high probability. On the basis of this results we propose that a biopsy must be carried out to those lesions with a high suspicion of malignancy, and to lesions with low or indeterminate suspicion that are smaller than 1 cm or that present a positive scintimammography. Following this protocol, only 64 of the 97 biopsies would have been necessary, with a reduction of the 34% in the total number of biopsies and, more important, a 65% of reduction in the number of biopsies carried out in the groups of low and indeterminate suspicion of malignancy. At the same time we would indicate biopsy in all cases of breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the outcome of lung transplantation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Spain. METHODS: In all COPD patients transplanted at four Spanish hospitals over a period of seven years, we studied actuarial survival rates retrospectively using the Kaplan Meier test in relation to demographic characteristics, type of transplant, underlying disease, lung function evolution in terms of forced vital capacity (FVC), maximum expiratory flow in 1 second (FEV1) and gasometric evolution (PaO2 and PaCO2). RESULTS: Seventy-four transplants were performed in COPD patients over a five-year period. Mean age was 47 +/- 7 years (26-61) and 77% of the patients were men. A diagnosis of emphysema was made in 58%, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency emphysema in 14% and chronic bronchitis in 28%. The likelihood of survival was 75% for the first year, 63% for two years and 41% for the third year. Lung function and blood gases improved significantly by the third month after transplantation: FVC was 1677 +/- 637 ml before transplantation and 2631 +/- 670 ml afterwards; FEV1 was 585 +/- 189 ml before transplantation and 2118 +/- 673 ml afterwards (p < 0.001). Double lung transplants achieved significantly greater improvement in function variables than did single-lung transplants (FVC 2843 +/- 681 ml and FEV1 2543 +/- 620 ml by the third month in DLT patients versus FVC 2402 +/- 587 ml and FEV1 1659 +/- 350 ml for SLT), with no significant differences in blood gases after the two types of transplant. Half the sing-lung transplant patients developed hyperinflation of the native lung and reached maximum lung function values, which tended to be lower than those for patients who did not experience this complication (FEV1 1638 +/- 349 ml versus 1930 +/- 307 ml, p = 0.051). CONCLUSIONS: First-year mortality in patients with COPD undergoing lung transplantation in Spain is similar to that described in the International Transplant Registry. We found no differences between double- and single-lung transplant patients. Functional change is good for both types of transplantation, although this aspect of outcome is significantly better when two lungs are transplanted.
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