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L Villalon

Publications and source records attributed to L Villalon.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Simple nutrition screening tools for healthcare facilities: development and validity assessment.

The purpose of nutrition screening is to identify individuals at high nutritional risk. Given that dietitians cannot always carry out screening in health-care facilities, tools should be simple and based on data obtained from the nursing admission questionnaire. This study was conducted to develop timely and valid tools for screening protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). A dietetic technician administered an initial screening tool to 160 subjects recruited from two settings. This tool comprised nine PEM risk factors. The sample included 54 adults in acute care, 57 elderly adults in acute care, and 49 elderly adults in long-term care. Dietitians performed comprehensive nutritional assessments to determine the validity of this screening tool. Stepwise regression analysis revealed significant risk factors among those included in the initial screening. These risk factors were considered during development of the first simple screening tool, which encompassed body mass index (BMI) and percentage of weight loss, and classified subjects as having low or high PEM risk levels. A second tool using BMI and albumin level was tested in cases where an albumin measurement was available upon admission. These simple tools had validity indices of 75.9% or higher, except in adults in acute care; sensitivity was low in this group. The tools proved helpful in establishing dietitians' priorities for involvement and in initiating early nutritional care.

Aged↗

Validity and reliability of simple nutrition screening tools adapted to the elderly population in healthcare facilities.

This study was conducted to assess the validity and the reliability of simple tools to screen the protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) risk among the elderly population in healthcare facilities. An initial screening tool, made up of nine PEM risk factors, was previously developed to be validated. This tool was quite complex and showed low validity results. A stepwise regression analysis determined significant risk factors (P < or = 0.05) among those included in the initial tool. These were the foundation to develop two simplified screening tools. One included Body Mass Index (BMI) and % weight loss over time. The second included BMI and albumin. Both tools classified subjects in low or high PEM risk levels. In the present study, the simple tools were assessed in a sample of 142 elderly subjects divided into two categories: acute care elderly (ACE, n=72) and long-term care elderly (LTCE, n=70). The simple tools were administered by a dietetic technician and a nurse with the purpose of assessing inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities. The criterion validity of the simple tools were assessed in comparison to in-depth nutritional assessments carried out by a dietitian. The validity results were ranked between 60.5% and 91.7%. The reliability scores showed levels of agreement of 70.8% to 93.1% and kappa coefficients ranking between 0.59(+/-0.07) and 0.79(+/-0.05). Simple tools are now available for efficiently screening the PEM risk among the elderly population on a healthcare facility-wide basis.

Aged↗

Native valve endocarditis due to Candida parapsilosis: a late complication after bone marrow transplantation-related fungemia.

A case of Candida parapsilosis endocarditis observed 16 months after BMT is reported. The patient, a 35-year-old female with CML, suffered from Candida parapsilosis fungemia on day +22 after BMT. In spite of treatment with amphotericin B, fluconazole and catheter withdrawal, the same yeast was isolated > 1 year later from a vegetation on an old rheumatic mitral valve. Although the patient remained in complete cytogenetical and hematological remission, in vitro tests showed reduced phagocytic and chemotactic capacity of neutrophils and monocytes. This case stresses the need of prolonged therapy for patients with candidemia after BMT.

Adult↗

Low protein diets potentiate lithocholic acid-induced cholestasis in rats.

Earlier studies showed that low protein diets (LPD) reduce bile flow and bile acid secretion. We therefore examined the effect of LPD on lithocholic acid (LCA)-induced intrahepatic cholestasis. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed LPD (8% casein) soon after weaning for 4 or 12 wk, and then were injected intravenously with a single dose of LCA (4 mumol/100 g body wt). Bile was collected for 30-min periods, and bile flow as well as biliary lipid secretory rates were measured. Bile acid metabolism was also studied and the results were compared with those obtained in rats fed an adequate protein diet (26% casein). The LPD produced significantly lower bile flow and bile acid secretion, which were attributed to a reduced bile acid pool and a reduction in synthesis. They also enhanced the LCA-induced decline in bile flow, and rate of biliary output of total bile acids, phospholipids and cholesterol. The LPD were also associated with impaired LCA secretion in bile and increased retention in plasma and liver. Studies of LCA metabolism in rats fed a LPD indicated lower hepatic LCA hydroxylation, a greater percent contribution of glyco conjugates and lower levels of tauro conjugates. The present findings suggest that the reduced bile acid pool size, diminished LCA excretion and biotransformation to less toxic bile acids may explain the greater cholestasis in LPD-fed rats.

Animals↗

[Liver transplantation in metastases of carcinoid tumor].

A 30-year-old woman underwent a liver transplantation for metastasis of a carcinoid tumor of the midgut previously resected. Operative manipulation of the liver resulted in arterial hypotension, tachycardia, high pulmonary arterial pressure, oedema of the face and peripheral cyanosis, although the patient was given somatostatin (Modustatine, Clin-Midy) (300 micrograms a hour) prior to the procedure. The improvement of the symptoms was obtained by the increase of somatostatin infusion rate to 750 micrograms a hour associated with dopamine (6 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) and fluid replacement. The diagnosis of carcinoid syndrome is discussed. This unusual observation stresses the difficulty in preventing and/or treating a carcinoid shock. If somatostatin seems to be the treatment of choice of such a syndrome, its role in that case was limited.

Adult↗

Effect of a low protein diet on bile flow and composition in rats.

The effect of feeding a low protein (LP) diet on bile flow and biliary lipid and protein secretion was studied with young female rats. Animals fed a 8% protein diet (LP) for 4, 8 and 12 wk had a significantly lower bile flow and a lower biliary bile acid and protein secretion rate compared with rats fed a 26% protein (normal) diet (NP). The bile acid-independent fraction of bile flow was significantly increased. The slope of the regression line to zero bile acid was markedly smaller in the LP than in the NP group, indicating lower bile acid-dependent bile flow. Biliary phospholipid and cholesterol secretion rates were significantly higher in the LP than in the NP group, demonstrating an uncoupling between bile acid and lipid secretion at the low rates of bile acid secretion. The percentage increase for these parameters was of similar magnitude (30%). Absolute concentrations of bile acid, phospholipid and cholesterol were significantly higher in LP-fed rats than in NP rats, while relative concentration of bile acid was lower and those of cholesterol and phospholipid were higher. Analysis of biliary bile acids showed that the percent contribution of chenodeoxycholic acid and of deoxycholic acid increased significantly in the LP-fed rats, while that of cholic acid decreased. These data indicate that the lower bile flow in the rats fed LP can be attributed to lower bile salt-dependent flow associated with significantly lower choleretic potency of bile acids secreted.

Animals↗