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J Dorca

Publications and source records attributed to J Dorca.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

[The risk of breast cancer in Catalonia].

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the risk of developing breast cancer among Catalan women and to estimate the number of new cases of this tumor that appear annually in Catalonia (north-east of Spain). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The incidence rates of breast cancer were used in the period 1985-1989 proceeding from the population-based cancer registries of Tarragona and Girona. The age-specific rates (ASR) in Catalonia were estimated by an ASR average of Girona and Tarragona, that were adjusted by the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of these health regions in relation to Catalonia. The cumulative rate and the risk of developing breast cancer were calculated, considering the probability of death by other causes. The temporal trend of breast cancer incidence was analysed by the Poisson's regression model. RESULTS: The cumulative risk (0-74 years) for breast cancer among Catalan women was 5.17% (1 out of 19 women). The highest risk of developing breast cancer is in the group of age between 60 and 79 years old. Tarragona and Girona had both a moderate increase that was not statistically significant. About 2,550 new cases of breast cancer have been estimated in 1994 and 2,600 in 1996. CONCLUSION: The risk of developing breast cancer in Catalonia after adjusting for the probability of dying by other causes, is lower than in other countries of Northern Europe and the United States.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Community-acquired pneumonia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a Spanish multicenter study.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is an infectious illness that frequently motivates hospital admission when comorbid conditions are present. However, the epidemiology of CAP in relation to the underlying disease of the patients is not well known. We performed a prospective multicenter study with the aim of assessing the clinical characteristics, etiology, and outcome of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with CAP. Between October 1992 and December 1994 we studied 124 COPD patients (mean FEV1 40 +/- 11% of predicted, mean FVC/FEV1 49 +/- 10) admitted because of CAP to one of the participating centers. An attempt to obtain an etiologic diagnosis was performed by means of blood cultures (n = 123), sputum cultures (n = 97), pleural fluid cultures (n = 17), protected specimen brush samples (n = 41), percutaneous transthoracic needle aspiration (n = 41), and serology (n = 106). Etiologic diagnosis was achieved in 80 (64%) of cases, however, diagnosis based upon valid techniques was only possible in 73 (59%) cases. The main causal microorganisms were the following: Streptococcus pneumoniae in 32 (43%), Chlamydia pneumoniae in 9 (12%), Hemophilus influenzae in 7 (9%), Legionella pneumophila in 7 (9%), Streptococcus viridans in 3 (4%), Coxiella burnetii in 3 (4%), Mycoplasma pneumoniae in 2 (3%), Nocordia asteroides 2, Aspergillus ssp. 1, and others 10. In three of these cases the etiology was polymicrobial. Bacteremia was present in 19 (15%) cases; S. pneumoniae was the most frequent isolate (13 cases). Antibiotic treatment was modified in 22 cases due to etiologic findings, and in 9 due to therapeutic failure. Ten patients died (8%), and 22 needed mechanical ventilation, the mortality rate in the latter population being 23%. Total or partial resistance of S. pneumoniae to penicillin was observed in 10 of 32 (31%) isolations, and to erythromycin in 2 (6%). The results of this study are important for the standardization of empiric antibiotic strategies in COPD patients with pneumonia.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Protected bronchoalveolar lavage in the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of protected bronchoalveolar lavage (PBAL) in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and to determine the effect of antibiotic therapy on its microbiological and cytological results. We prospectively studied 102 episodes of suspected VAP in 93 patients. Subsequent follow-up confirmed VAP in 35 of the 102 (34%) cases. In 55 of the 102 (55%) VAP was ruled out, and the diagnosis remained undetermined in 12 of the 102 (12%) episodes. In the VAP group, 30 of the 35 (86%) PBAL (> or = 10(4) colony-forming units (cfu)-mL-1) cultures were positive. In the non-VAP group, 5 of the 55 (9%) PBAL cultures were positive. A Giemsa stain of PBAL samples was performed in 32 of the 35 cases of VAP. Intracellular organisms (ICO) were found in 24 of the 32 (75%) cases. Seven of the other eight cases without evidence of ICO were already on antibiotics. In the non-VAP group, ICO were present in only 1 out of 55 (2%) cases. The mean ICO was significantly higher in the group who had not received antibiotics when compared with those patients previously treated for less than 48 h (p < or = 0.01) and those treated for more than 48 h (p = 0.009). The sensitivity of protected bronchoalveolar lavage quantitative cultures was 87% and the specificity 91%. The sensitivity of cytological analysis for intracellular organisms was 75% and the specificity 98%. According to our results, if the patient is already on antibiotics, the direct examination of protected bronchoalveolar lavage fluid is less reliable, although still helpful.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1995

Phase II trial of carboplatin in combination with etoposide in locally advanced large cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the lung.

A total of 18 patients with locally advanced (Stage III) adenocarcinoma and large cell undifferentiated carcinoma of the lung, previously untreated, were enrolled in a Phase II trial. Treatment consisted of carboplatin 325 mg/m2, day 1 and etoposide 100 mg/m2 on days 2 and 3. All patients were evaluable for response. Of these, one patient had a partial response (5.5%; confidence interval 0-24%). Toxicity comprised mainly leukopenia and anaemia. Other toxicities were mild. This Phase II study evidenced a poor response rate for these regimes on adenocarcinoma and large cell undifferentiated carcinoma of the lung.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1995

Neurological assessment of high grade astrocytomas following high dose radiotherapy as sole treatment.

Between January 1985 and June 1991, 19 patients, in whom the site and extension of the tumour prevented surgical excision, were treated with high dose radiotherapy as sole treatment for high grade astrocytomas. Quality of life, according to functional capacity, was measured prospectively before treatment and 4 weeks later. High dose radiation improved the functional capacity in only four of the patients (21%). The mean duration of improvement was 12 weeks and median survival 22 weeks (range 4-80). We conclude that high dose radiotherapy is not very useful and is probably not justified in this group of patients.

Astrocytoma↗
PubMed1995

Efficacy, safety, and therapeutic relevance of transthoracic aspiration with ultrathin needle in nonventilated nosocomial pneumonia.

In order to determine the potential indications of transthoracic needle aspiration (TNA) using the ultrathin 25G needle for the diagnosis of nonopportunistic lung infections, we prospectively analyzed the diagnostic efficacy, safety, and therapeutic implications of its results in 97 patients with nonventilated nosocomial pneumonias (NVNP). The sensitivity of TNA was 60.9%. Specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) were 100%. Negative predictive value (NPV) was 34.1%. The complications in the studied cases were nil in 89 cases (91.8%), transient hemoptoic expectoration (< 10 ml) in five (5.2%), and self-limited partial pneumothorax in three (3.1%). No complications needing treatment were observed. On the basis of a positive TNA result, the initial antibiotic treatment was modified in 29 of 97 (29.9%) cases. In twelve of these, the empirical antibiotic regimen was demonstrated to be ineffective. We conclude that, using the 25G needle, TNA has a good diagnostic efficacy and is a safe procedure for the etiologic investigation of NVNP. A positive TNA result has significant therapeutic relevance, even in cases where broad-spectrum antibiotics are empirically prescribed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Acute bronchial infection in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Bacterial bronchial infection is a frequent cause of COPD exacerbation but not its only aetiology. Increased purulent expectorant appears to be its best indicator rather than fever, non-productive cough or dyspnoea. The clinician must try to recognize this condition rather than systematically prescribe empirical antibiotics. Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Moraxella catarrhalis are the major pathogens. Although atypical bacteria are not frequent, Chlamydia pneumoniae could play significant role. During the last years, new antibiotics, much more expensive than other regimens, are widely prescribed, often without a rational approach. In patients not already on antibiotics, sputum Gram stain is useful for deciding which patient should be treated and what would be the best anti-biotic. When it is not available, the chosen antibiotic must be at least active against three major pathogens according to the local susceptibility patterns. In patients not responding to the initial treatment, the consideration of its potential spectrum holes is then more useful than sputum examination.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

Risk factors for the development of Haemophilus influenzae pneumonia in hospitalized adults.

Potential risk factors for developing Haemophilus influenzae nosocomial pneumonia have not been sufficiently studied. We wanted to investigate the incidence and risk factors for the development of Haemophilus influenzae pneumonia in the hospital by means of a multivariate analysis. A total of 468 cases of nosocomial pneumonia were observed during the study period, 317 (68%) of which were aetiologically diagnosed by means of highly reliable methods, and H. influenzae was isolated in 57 of them. Fifty of the 57 episodes of H. influenzae pneumonia occurred in mechanically-ventilated patients. Underlying diseases were: medical in 12 cases, surgical in 15 cases, and traumatological in 22. Variables associated with Haemophilus influenzae nosocomial pneumonia in intubated patients after the univariate analysis were: "period between admission and pneumonia 2-7 days" and "no previous antibiotics". A multivariate analysis demonstrated that the variables "no previous antibiotics" and "coma on admission" were risk factors for H. influenzae pneumonia. In nonintubated patients, no risk factors were found for H. influenzae pneumonia compared with other nosocomial pneumonia. We conclude that H. influenzae was involved in 57 out of 317 (18%) of nosocomial pneumonia registered in our institution, and the majority of patients (50 out of 57) were mechanically-ventilated. In this particular subgroup, coma of the patient on admission to hospital and absence of antibiotic treatment prior to developing pneumonia constitute two definite risk factors for developing H. influenzae nosocomial pneumonia.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Risk factors for nosocomial Legionella pneumophila pneumonia.

Over a 5-yr period, from January 1985 to January 1990, we prospectively studied 300 episodes of nosocomial pneumonia in a 1,000-bed teaching hospital. All cases had an accurate bacteriologic diagnosis obtained by means of highly reliable techniques. Legionella pneumophila caused a total of 36 episodes; 22 were endemic and 14 occurred during an epidemic outbreak. No patient with Legionella pneumonia had been intubated before infection. To identify risk factors for nosocomial L. pneumophila pneumonia, we compared the 22 endemic cases of nosocomial pneumonia due to L. pneumophila with the 264 cases due to other bacteria. After adjusting for other variables by means of logistic regression analysis, cytotoxic chemotherapy (OR = 5.2; 95% CI, 1.5 to 17.9) and use of corticosteroids (OR = 4.6; 95% CI, 1.5 to 14.1) were positively associated with L. pneumophila pneumonia, whereas previous antibiotic therapy (OR = 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1 to 0.8) and lowered consciousness (OR = 0.2; 95% CI, 0.07 to 0.8) were negatively associated. The major risk factors for Legionella pneumonia delineated in this study should be considered in the clinical approach to and empiric therapy of patients with suspected nosocomial pneumonia.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1992

Branhamella catarrhalis respiratory infections.

Branhamella catarrhalis is an aerobic Gram-negative diplococcus. It has been traditionally regarded as an oropharyngeal commensal and until recently was only identified as a pathogen in cases of bronchopulmonary infections. The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of the respiratory infections caused by B. catarrhalis and to know the antibiotic susceptibility of this microorganism. We retrospectively studied 32 lower respiratory tract infections, caused by B. catarrhalis (20 cases of bronchial infection and 12 cases of pneumonia), diagnosed between 1988-1989 in our hospital. All patients had an underlying disease; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic heart disease being the most frequent. The aetiological diagnostic procedures were: sputum culture in 28 cases (15 in pure culture and 13 mixed), protected specimen brush (PSB) in three cases and transthoracic needle aspiration (TNA) in one case. Twenty B. catarrhalis isolates were penicillin and ampicillin-resistant, 11 in the pneumonia group and 9 in the bronchial infection group. All isolates were sensitive to amoxycillin-clavulanic acid and second generation cephalosporin. In our group four patients died. We conclude that B. catarrhalis is a not infrequent cause of respiratory infection, particularly in COPD patients, and that the high incidence of antibiotic resistance to penicillin and ampicillin should be taken into account before considering an empirical antibiotic treatment.

Aged↗