Characteristics and Therapeutic Needs of Older Patients with Oropharyngeal Dysphagia Admitted to a General Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is a prevalent geriatric syndrome causing severe nutritional and respiratory complications. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe the characteristics and therapeutic needs of older patients with OD admitted to a general hospital. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS AND MEASUREMENTS: Prospective cohort study with patients (≥70 years) with OD consecutively admitted to a general hospital. OD was clinically assessed with the Volume-Viscosity Swallowing Test and nutritional status with the Mini Nutritional Assessment-short form. Oral health (OH) and periodontal diseases were evaluated by dentists. Functionality, frailty, sarcopenia, comorbidities, dehydration, quality of life (QoL) and mortality were also assessed. RESULTS: We included 235 patients (87.3±5.5 years) with OD hospitalized for acute diseases (9.6±7.6 days). On admission, they had low functionality (Barthel: 51.3±25.1), frailty (Fried: 3.9±0.9; Edmonton: 10.3±2.7, 87.2-91.1% frail) and high comorbidities (Charlson: 3.7±2.0). Moreover, 85.1% presented signs of impaired safety and 84.7% efficacy of swallow. Up to 48% required fluid adaptation with a xanthan gum-based thickener (89.4% at 250 mPa·s; 10.6% at 800 mPa·s) and 93.2% a texture-modified diet (TMD) (74.4%, fork-mashable; 25.6%, pureed). A total of 98.7% had nutritional risk, 32.3% sarcopenia and 75.3% dehydration. OH was moderate (Oral Hygiene Index-simplified: 2.0±1.3) and 67.4% had periodontitis. QoL self-perception was 62.2% and 5.5% of patients died during hospitalization. CONCLUSION: Hospitalized older OD patients have impaired safety of swallow, frailty, malnutrition, dehydration, low functional capacity and poor OH and high risk of respiratory infections. They need a multimodal intervention including fluid thickening, TMD, thickened oral nutritional supplementation and OH care to improve health status and reduce OD-associated complications.

Effect of obesity on fragility fractures, BMD and vitamin D levels in postmenopausal women. Influence of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIMS: To see the effects of obesity on risk fracture, bone density (BMD), and vitamin D levels in a group of postmenopausal women, and consider how comorbid type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) modifies them. METHODS: 679 postmenopausal women were grouped into obese and non-obese. Obese women were grouped into those with T2DM and those without. 25(OH)-vitamin D, PTH and BMD were measured, and prevalent fragility fractures were gathered. RESULTS: Obese women had higher prevalence of T2DM, than non-obese women. Levels of 25(OH)-vitamin D were lower and those of PTH higher in obese women, BMD values were higher in obese women. Diabetic-obese women had a higher prevalence of non-vertebral fractures than non-diabetic-obese. Multivariate logistic regression model showed association of fragility fractures with age, total hip BMD, BMI and T2DM. Obese women have higher BMD and lower 25(OH)-vitamin D values (and higher PTH) than non-obese, without diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: T2DM confers an increased risk of non-vertebral fractures in postmenopausal obese women.

Feasibility, tolerability, and safety of hysterosalpingo-foam sonography (hyfosy). multicenter, prospective Spanish study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility,tolerability, and safety of the ultrasound assessment of tubal patency using foam as contrast. METHODS: This was a prospective multicenter study of 915 infertile nulliparous women scheduled for sonohysterosalpingography with foam instillation (HYFOSY) for tubal patency testing as a part of the fertility workup. Clinical and sonographic data were recorded into a web-shared database. Tubal patency, cervical catheterization, pain during the procedure and post-procedural complications were collected. Patients reported discomfort or pain experienced during the procedure with a visual analogue scale (VAS) score. RESULTS: Nine hundred fifteen women were included in the final analysis. Median age was 34 (range, 21-45) years and median body mass index was 23 (range, 16-41) kg/m2. Of 839 women, only 8(0.95 %) cases were abandoned due to impossibility of introducing the intracervical catheter. Most of the cervical os were easily cannulated with either paediatric nasogastric probes or special catheter for intrauterine insemination / sonohysterosalpingography 688/914(75.3 %). With a median instillation of 4 mL (range 1-16) of foam, both tubes were identified in 649/875 (70.9 %) patients, while unilateral patency was observed in 190/875 (20.8 %). Only 36/875 (3.9 %) of the women had bilateral tubal obstruction. The median VAS score for perception of pain during HyFoSy examination was 2 (range 0-10), and only 17 (1.9 %) of women reported severe pain (VAS ≥ 7). Pain was unrelated to tubal patency or tubal blockage. Unexpectedly, difficult cervical catheterizations that needed tenaculum, were more likely associated with mild pain during procedure [nasogastric probe group 176/289 (70.9 %) vs. insemination catheter group 166/399 (41.6 %) vs. tenaculum group 190/218(87.2 %) p < 0.001]. Finally, among 915 patients, we only noticed 3 (0.32 %) complications of the technique: two vasovagal episodes and a mild urinary infection. CONCLUSION: HYFOSY is a feasible, well-tolerated and safe technique for the evaluation of tubal patency in infertile women.

Tibial tray cementation is not necessary for knee revision with titanium metaphyseal sleeves: a mid-term prospective study in AORI 2B defects.

PURPOSE: Metaphyseal fixation with porous titanium sleeves in revision knee surgery provides mechanical support to the implant, promotes biological fixation, and has shown satisfactory short- and mid-term results. Cement is commonly used to fix the tibial tray to the epiphyseal area. The objective of this study is to determine whether cement should be used to achieve fixation of the tibial tray with the hypothesis that metaphyseal sleeves would provide enough axial and rotational stability making cementation unnecessary. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective study of 60 patients undergoing knee replacement surgery with metaphyseal sleeves in type 2B defects in femur and tibia. Patients were divided into two groups according to the use of cement on the tibial component. Analysis included the American Knee Society Score (KSS) knee and functional scales, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) index, the Short Form 12 (SF-12) health survey, and radiographic assessment with a maximum follow-up of 5 years. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in any of the parameters assessed. CONCLUSION: Metaphyseal sleeves showed a 100% survivorship at five years of followup. There were no differences in clinical and radiographic outcomes at five years of follow-up depending on whether or not cement was used for tibial platform fixation. Cementation of the tibial tray would therefore not be required to achieve satisfactory mid-term results. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II: prospective cohort study. Therapeutic.

Acute stroke care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ictus Madrid Program recommendations. / Atención al ictus agudo durante la pandemia por COVID-19. Recomendaciones Plan Ictus Madrid.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in complete saturation of healthcare capacities, making it necessary to reorganise healthcare systems. In this context, we must guarantee the provision of acute stroke care and optimise code stroke protocols to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and rationalise the use of hospital resources. The Madrid Stroke multidisciplinary group presents a series of recommendations to achieve these goals. METHODS: We conducted a non-systematic literature search using the keywords "stroke" and "COVID-19" or "coronavirus" or "SARS-CoV-2." Our literature review also included other relevant studies known to the authors. Based on this literature review, a series of consensus recommendations were established by the Madrid Stroke multidisciplinary group and its neurology committee. RESULTS: These recommendations address 5 main objectives: 1) coordination of action protocols to ensure access to hospital care for stroke patients; 2) recognition of potentially COVID-19-positive stroke patients; 3) organisation of patient management to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare professionals; 4) avoidance of unnecessary neuroimaging studies and other procedures that may increase the risk of infection; and 5) safe, early discharge and follow-up to ensure bed availability. This management protocol has been called CORONA (Coordinate, Recognise, Organise, Neuroimaging, At home). CONCLUSIONS: The recommendations presented here may assist in the organisation of acute stroke care and the optimisation of healthcare resources, while ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals.

How to integrate stereotactic body radiation therapy and hypofractionation in the management of stage III lung cancer in the age of immunotherapy.

The constant advances in the field of lung cancer immunotherapy have recently reached the treatment of locally advanced disease with the approval of durvalumab after concurrent chemoradiation. However, radiation therapy continues to be key for controlling the disease at this stage. Over the years, different strategies have been employed to try to optimize outcomes using radiotherapy, with cardiac and pulmonary toxicity as the main limitation on its success. The interest in the use of hypofractionation and stereotactic body radiation therapy for stage III non-small cell lung cancer has increased as knowledge regarding these kinds of treatments has been enhanced. Hypofractionation is a relatively frequent treatment, although the level of evidence that supports it is limited. For its part, stereotactic body radiation therapy has been particularly studied as a boost after chemoradiation, with encouraging results. In both cases, study of how to integrate these tools with chemotherapy and particularly with immunotherapy is essential, as they may have an immunomodulatory role.

Comparison of the open versus the arthroscopic approach in the treatment of femoroacetabular shock. / Comparación del abordaje abierto frente al artroscópico en el tratamiento del choque femoroacetabular.

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical and imaging results and complications between patients treated for femoroacetabular impingement who underwent either open surgery or an arthroscopic approach. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients who underwent femoroacetabular impingement surgical treatment between June 2009 and January 2018. Patients treated with open surgery were compared with those treated with arthroscopy. Patients were radiographically and clinically assessed by alpha angle, degree of arthritis, Harris Hip Score, hospital stay and complications, as well as progression to total hip arthroplasty. RESULTS: 57 patients with FAI were included; 27 (45.6%) underwent open surgery and 31 (54.4%) underwent arthroscopy. Statistically significant differences were observed in hospital stay, where the patients who underwent arthroscopic surgery showed better outcomes. There were no other statistically significant differences, the results were similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopy and open surgery treatments for femoroacetabular impingement provided comparable clinical and radiographic results. However, the latter surgery provides better results in surgery time, hospital stay and postoperative recovery.

Malmström vacuum or Kielland forceps: which causes more damage to pelvic floor?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether differences exist in the rate of levator ani muscle (LAM) avulsion between women who had undergone either Malmström vacuum delivery (MVD) or Kielland forceps delivery (KFD), allowing for potential confounding factors. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study of nulliparous women undergoing instrumental delivery using Malmström vacuum extractor or Kielland forceps, at two hospital centers in Spain. Fetal head position (anterior, posterior or transverse) and fetal head station (low or mid) were assessed by ultrasound and digital examination, respectively. Avulsion was defined on tomographic ultrasound imaging as an abnormal insertion of the LAM in the three central slices from the plane of minimal hiatal dimensions. RESULTS: In total, 414 patients were included in the study (212 MVD and 202 KFD). We observed a higher rate of LAM avulsion in the KFD group (KFD 49.5% vs MVD 32.5%; P = 0.001). When the results were evaluated according to fetal head position and station, we observed no differences in LAM avulsion. The crude odds ratio (OR) for the difference in avulsion between women in the KFD and MVD groups was 2.03 (95% CI, 1.36-3.03). However, when adjusted for duration of second stage of labor, fetal head circumference and fetal head station, the OR was no longer statistically significant (OR, 2.14 (95% CI, 0.95-4.85); P = 0.068). CONCLUSION: When potential confounding factors are taken into account, the rate of LAM avulsion does not differ between women according to whether they have undergone KFD or MVD. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Healthcare resources and needs in anticoagulant therapy for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. SAMOA Study. / Recursos y necesidades asistenciales en el tratamiento anticoagulante de los pacientes con fibrilación auricular no valvular. Estudio SAMOA.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: To determine, in the various medical specialties, the healthcare process for anticoagulated patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, to determine the available and necessary resources and to identify potential areas of improvement in the care of these patients. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional survey of primary care and specialised physicians involved in the care of anticoagulated patients. The questionnaires referred to the healthcare process, the indication and prescription of anticoagulant therapy and the barriers and deficiencies present for these patients. RESULTS: A total of 893 physicians participated in the study, 437 of whom worked in primary care and 456 of whom were specialists (mostly cardiologists). Forty-two percent of the family doctors indicated that they assessed and prescribed anticoagulant therapy, and 66% performed the regular follow-up of these patients. In both healthcare settings, the physicians noted the lack of standardised protocols. There was also a lack of quality control in the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The role of primary care in managing anticoagulated patients has grown compared with previous reports. The responses of the participating physicians suggest marked gaps in the standardisation of the healthcare process and several areas for improvement in these patients' follow-up. The promotion of training in direct-acting anticoagulant drugs remains pivotal.

OnabotulinumtoxinA in urinary incontinence: Prospective Study of a Case Series. / Onabotulinumtoxin A en la incontinencia urinaria: estudio prospectivo de serie de casos.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and efficacy of a single intravesical injection of onabotulinumtoxinA (OnaBTA) for treating urge urinary incontinence (UUI) in women. METHOD: We performed a prospective case-series study of consecutive patients with refractory UUI treated with an intravesical injection of OnaBTA. The patients were administered 100 units of OnaBTA injected into the bladder wall following 4 weeks of flushing with anticholinergic agents or beta 3 agonists. The urodynamic and clinical endpoints were evaluated before and 6 months after the injection of OnaBTA. The primary study endpoint was the number of episodes of urinary leakage. RESULTS: A total of 204 of the 210 selected patients conducted a valid visit 6 months after the therapeutic application. At 6 months of treatment with OnaBTA, 110 (53.9%) patients remained continent and were considered a success. However, 57 (27.9%) patients experienced one episode of urinary leakage per day, and 37 (18.2%) had 2 or more. In terms of the urodynamic parameters, we observed the following changes: increase in maximum bladder capacity (P<.0001) and reduced maximum pressure of the detrusor (P<.0001). In terms of the safety profile, 8 (3.9%) patients had self-limiting haematuria during the procedure, which resolved spontaneously, and 9 (4.4%) patients had acute urinary retention that required intermittent catheterisation. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the use of OnabotulinumtoxinA in patients with urge urinary incontinence that does not respond to medical treatment.

[Vesico-uterine fistula, a rare complication of cesarean section]. / Fístula vésicouterina, una rara complicación del parto por cesárea.

We present the case of a vesicouterine fistula secondary to a caesarean section indicated due to the disproportion the pelvis and the head of the baby. This kind of fistula is due fundamentally to obstetric causes, especially to caesarean sections in developed countries and to prolonged labour in developing countries. The commonest clinical presentation is urinary incontinence in the form of continuous or intermittent urinary leaks. Surgical treatment is generally the therapy of choice, although, in the case of small fistulas, conservative treatment is feasible. The best form of prevention is correct indication of caesarean section and careful surgical technique.

Concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the results obtained following treatment, from a group of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (Stage IB or higher) treated with concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy in relation to a group of patients treated exclusively with radiotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: All patients treated with concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy at the Gynaecologic Oncology Unit of the University Hospital Materno Infantil of the Canaries between 1999 and 2000, both inclusive, were included. The first group to be considered was formed by patients who received combined treatment. The second group of patients received radiotherapy exclusively, having been treated in previous years (1997-1998 period). The results were compared in relation to survival in the two following years from treatment (2000-2001) in the group of combined treatment and years 1999-2000 in the group that received only radiotherapy. To compare the survival of both groups the chi-square test and Odds Ratio were utilised. RESULTS: The groups compared are homogeneous when looking at the stage of the disease when diagnosed, the histological type of tumour and its degree of cellular differentiation, the CAT results and tumoral markers. Survival of more than two years was observed in the group treated with concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy in relation to the group treated exclusively with radiotherapy; chi-square 9.92, p < 0.01, OR: 0.1 (0.01-0.6).

[A clinical study of Kaposi's sarcoma associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome]. / Estudio clínico del sarcoma de Kaposi asociado al síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida.

We have retrospectively studied 35 cases of Kaposi's sarcoma in 460 patients with AIDS (incidence of 7.6%) during a period of 10 years. All of them were males, with a mean age of 38 years. 88% of the cases belonged to the homosexual risk group. The tumor was the diagnostic criteria of AIDS in 25 patients. At the moment of the diagnosis, 4 patients were at stage I, 23 at stage II, 1 at stage III and 7 at stage IV, according to the Mitsuyasu's classification; 7 patients had systemic symptoms. The tumor was localized at the skin (34 cases), mucosa (16), digestive tract (7), lung (6) and ganglion (4). The immunological study revealed lymphopenia in 74% of patients, reduction of T4 lymphocytes ( < 0.5 x 10(9)/L) in 93% and inverted T4/T8 ratio in 96%. Sixteen patients received antitumoral treatment (8 with chemotherapy, 7 with interferon and 5 with radiotherapy). The response was stabilization of lesions in 8 cases, partial remission in 2 and progression in 3; in other 3 cases, such response was not assessed. The mortality was 48% and the average survival, 13 months. Opportunistic infections were the cause of death in most patients. Our results confirm the clinical and evolutive characteristics of the Kaposi's sarcoma associated to AIDS; disseminated cutaneous affectation with frequent visceral affectation, poor response to treatment and low survival associated to the presence of opportunistic infections. The lower incidence of tumor observed in our study is related to the different distribution of the risk groups for HIV in our country.