Testicular torsion and climate changes in macroregions of São Paulo, Brazil / Torção testicular e diferenças climáticas nas macrorregiões do estado de São Paulo, Brasil

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the association between climate changes in the macroregions in the state of São Paulo and testicular torsion treated cases. Methods: The cases were selected in the Brazilian Public Health Data System Database from January 2008 to November 2016. All surgical procedure records were identified by the Hospital Admission Authorization document. Two codes were selected to process the search: testicular torsion (surgical cure code) and acute scrotum (exploratory scrototomy code). The macroregions were grouped in five areas linked to climate characteristics by International Köppen Climate Classification. Results: A total of 2,351 cases of testicular torsion were registered in the period. For the areas B, C and E (testicular torsion n=2,130) there were statistical differences found in association of testicular torsion cases and decreased temperature (p=0.019, p=0.001 and p=0.006, respectively), however, in analyses for the areas A and D statistical differences were not observed (p=0.066 and p=0.494). Conclusion: Decrease in temperature was associated with testicular torsion in three macroregions of São Paulo. The findings support the theory of cold weather like a trigger in occurrence of testicular torsion in a tropical climate region.

RESUMO Objetivo: Analisar a associação entre mudanças climáticas nas macrorregiões do estado de São Paulo e os casos tratados com torção testicular registrados. Métodos: Os casos foram selecionados no Banco de Dados do Sistema de Dados de Saúde Pública do Brasil de janeiro de 2008 a novembro de 2016. Todos os registros de procedimentos cirúrgicos foram identificados pelo documento de Autorização de Internação Hospitalar. Dois códigos foram selecionados para processar a busca: torção testicular (código de cura cirúrgica) e escroto agudo (código de escrototomia exploratória). As macrorregiões foram agrupadas em cinco áreas ligadas às características climáticas pela Classificação Internacional de Clima Köppen. Resultados: Foram registrados 2.351 casos de torção testicular no período. Para as áreas B, C e E (torção testicular n=2.130), foram encontradas diferenças estatísticas na associação dos casos de torção testicular e diminuição da temperatura (p=0,019, p=0,001 e p=0,006, respectivamente), mas nas análises das áreas A e D não foram observadas diferenças estatísticas (p=0,066 e p=0,494). Conclusão: A diminuição da temperatura foi associada à torção testicular em três macrorregiões de São Paulo. Os resultados apoiam a teoria do clima frio como um gatilho para ocorrência de torção testicular em uma região de clima tropical.

Influence of intermittent fasting on myocardial infarction-induced cardiac remodeling.

BACKGROUND: Information on the role of intermittent fasting (IF) on pathologic cardiac remodeling is scarce. We compared the effects of IF before and after myocardial infarction (MI) on rat cardiac remodeling and survival. METHODS: Wistar rats were intermittently fasted (food available every other day) or fed ad libitum for 12 weeks and then divided into three groups: AL - fed ad libitum; AL/IF - fed AL before MI and IF after MI; and IF - fed IF before and after MI. Echocardiogram was performed before MI and 2 and 12 weeks after surgery. Isolated hearts were evaluated in Langendorff preparations. RESULTS: Before surgery, body weight (BW) was lower in IF than AL. Final BW was lower in AL/IF and IF than AL. Perioperative mortality did not change between AL (31.3%) and IF (27.3%). Total mortality was lower in IF than AL. Before surgery, echocardiographic parameters did not differ between groups. Two weeks after surgery, MI size did not differ between groups. Twelve weeks after MI, left ventricular (LV) diastolic posterior wall thickness was lower in AL/IF and IF than AL. The percentage of variation of echocardiographic parameters between twelve and two weeks showed that MI size decreased in all groups and the reduction was higher in IF than AL/IF. In Langendorff preparations, LV volume at zero end-diastolic pressure (V0; AL: 0.41 ± 0.05; AL/IF: 0.34 ± 0.06; IF: 0.28 ± 0.05 mL) and at 25 mmHg end-diastolic pressure (V25; AL: 0.61 ± 0.05; AL/IF: 0.54 ± 0.07; IF: 0.44 ± 0.06 mL) was lower in AL/IF and IF than AL and V25 was lower in IF than AL/IF. V0/BW ratio was lower in IF than AL and LV weight/V0 ratio was higher in IF than AL. Myocyte diameter was lower in AL/IF and IF than AL (AL: 17.3 ± 1.70; AL/IF: 15.1 ± 2.21; IF: 13.4 ± 1.49 µm). Myocardial hydroxyproline concentration and gene expression of ANP, Serca 2a, and α- and ß-myosin heavy chain did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION: Intermittent fasting initiated before or after MI reduces myocyte hypertrophy and LV dilation. Myocardial fibrosis and fetal gene expression are not modulated by feeding regimens. Benefit is more evident when intermittent fasting is initiated before rather than after MI.

Mechanisms of depolymerization and activation of a polysialic acid and its tetramer by hydrogen peroxide.

Naturally occurring polysialic acid (PSA), appropriately functionalized, has been widely used in different biological products. The present paper describes an original approach which enables to both activate and depolymerize the PSA, by reacting with hydrogen peroxide. In order to understand the mechanisms, we investigate the course of H2O2 reactions with the native PSA and with a simpler model, the tetrasialic acid (4SA). Three recurrent reactions were observed. First, we detected a very fast and irreversible decarbonylation at the reducing end of the polysaccharide. Then, the hydroxyl radicals (generated via the Fenton reaction) were responsible for the depolymerization of glycosidic linkages by substitution reactions. Finally, the oxidation of hydroxyl groups led to the formation of carbonyl groups and the carbohydrate's activation.

Oxidation of sialic acid using hydrogen peroxide as a new method to tune the reducing activity.

Functionalized sialic acids are useful intermediates to prepare a wide range of biological products. As they often occur at a non-reducing terminal of oligosaccharides, the most used technique to activate them is by periodate-mediated oxidation of their glycerol side chain. Here, we describe an alternative, non toxic, and environmentally-friendly method to activate the sialic acid residues by hydrogen peroxide oxidation. Four oxidative systems involving H2O2, EDTA, iron chloride, and UV light were studied and the products obtained were analyzed by LC-MS and NMR, before and after a derivatization reaction. At first, we observed, for each system, an irreversible decarbonylation reaction at the reducing end. Then, the decarbonylated sialic acid (DSA) was oxidized and fragmented into a mix of carbonyls and carboxyl acids, more or less fast according to the experimental conditions. Analysis of the reaction indicated an apparent radical mechanism and heterolytic alpha-hydroxy-hydroperoxide cleavages. The modest reducing activity was mainly explained as a consequence of over-oxidation reactions.

Clinical features and therapeutic outcomes of patients with acromegaly: single-center experience.

The aim of this study was to review the outcome of acromegaly treatment, as well as co-morbidity and mortality in a series of patients with acromegaly attending a single center in the last 10 yr. In that period, 53 patients were treated for acromegaly. Transsphenoidal operation was applied as the first-line therapy in 94.3% of patients and it led to disease remission in 59.2% of them. The remission criteria included a nadir GH<1 µg/l after glucose load, and normal age-related IGF-I levels. The remission rate after transsphenoidal surgery was significantly higher in the group of patients with microadenoma (76.9%), than in the group of patients with macroadenoma (52.8%). Patients with invasive tumors had remission rate of 16.7% after transsphenoidal surgery. There were no perioperative deaths. As the second-line treatment somatostatin analogues, radiotherapy, and dopaminergic agonists were used. Hypertension and diabetes were the most frequent co-morbidities in the group of patients. After successful treatment, 30% of patients with diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance had significant improvement of glycemic control. Transsphenoidal surgery is the appropriate firstline therapy in patients with somatotropinoma. Medical and radio-therapy should be reserved as the second-line therapy after surgery failure.

The Language of Caring: Quantitating Medical Practice Patterns using Symbolic Dynamics.

Real-world medical decisions rarely involve binary sole condition present or absent-patterns of patient pathophysiology. Similarly, provider interventions are rarely unitary in nature: the clinician often undertakes multiple interventions simultaneously. Conventional approaches towards complex physiologic derangements and their associated management focus on the frequencies of joint appearances, treating the individual derangements of physiology or elements of intervention as conceptually isolated. This framework is ill suited to capture either the integrated patterns of derangement displayed by a particular patient or the integrated patterns of provider intervention. Here we illustrate the application of a different approach-that of symbolic dynamics-in which the integrated pattern of each patients derangement, and the associated provider response, are captured by defining words based on the elements of the pattern of failure. We will use as an example provider practices in the context of mechanical ventilation- a common, potentially harmful, and complex life support technology. We also delineate other domains in which symbolic dynamics approaches might aid in quantitating practice patterns, assessing quality of care, and identifying best practices.

Acute kidney injury and lung dysfunction: a paradigm for remote organ effects of kidney disease?

An increasing body of evidence suggests that the deleterious effects of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) on remote organ function could, at least in part, be due to loss of the normal balance of immune, inflammatory, and soluble mediator metabolism that attends injury of the tubular epithelium. Such dysregulation, acting at least in part on endothelium, leads to compromise of remote organ function. Kidney-lung interaction in the setting of AKI therefore constitutes not only a pressing clinical problem, but also an illuminating framework in which to consider possible mechanisms by which renal diseases exert such deleterious effects on patient outcomes, even when dialysis is provided.

A case series of macrolide treatment failures in community acquired pneumonia.

This was a retrospective, multi-center study of patients admitted to hospital with community-acquired pneumonia, caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, after failing to respond to >2 days of outpatient macrolide therapy. 122 cases, treated between 2000-2004, were enrolled from 31 North American sites between January 2004 - March 2005. Non-susceptible isolates (predominately low-level resistance: erythromycin MICs of 1-16 mcg/ml) were recovered from 87 patients (71%). Bacteremia was present in 63 patients (52%). The in-hospital mortality rate was 5.7 %; all 7 patients who died were bacteremic, 6 had a non-susceptible isolate. We report here the largest series of macrolide failures published to date. The patients were notable for their high rates of macrolide resistance, bacteremia, and mortality. High-level macrolide resistance remains rare among US patients failing outpatient macrolides. The majority of cases and virtually all of the mortality occurred in patients with low-level resistant strains.

The keyhole concept in aneurysm surgery--a comparative study: keyhole versus standard craniotomy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to compare the results of minimally invasive keyhole craniotomy and standard larger craniotomies in the surgical treatment of patients with intracranial aneurysms. METHODS: In the past eight years 628 patients were operated by two experienced neurosurgical teams. The first group of 482 patients with 565 aneurysms were operated through a small keyhole craniotomy, using the eyebrow keyhole approach in particular. The remaining 146 patients with 167 aneurysms were operated using a standard craniotomy that included pterional/frontotemporal, frontoparietal parasagittal, and retrosigmoid suboccipital craniotomies. All operations were performed in the standard microsurgical technique using intraoperative evoked potential monitoring and endoscopic assistance in selected cases. RESULTS: Most supratentorial aneurysms and basilar tip aneurysms were successfully operated through an eyebrow keyhole craniotomy. Distal MCA aneurysms as well as aneurysms on the MCA with a long M1 segment were operated through a temporal keyhole, and aneurysms of the distal PCA (P2-P3) segment subtemporally. The frontoparietal parasagittal keyhole approach was used only for pericallosal artery aneurysms. Infratentorial aneurysms of the VA/PICA complex were operated via a retrosigmoid approach. On comparing the surgery results in patients with a keyhole craniotomy and those with standard craniotomy, similar outcomes were found for both groups, with excellent or very good outcomes (GOS 5 and 4) in 398 (82.57%) patients from the keyhole craniotomy group, and in 116 (79.45%) patients from the standard craniotomy group. The mortality rate in the keyhole group was 0.83% (4 patients) and 2.05% (3 patients) in the standard craniotomy group. CONCLUSION: Parallel treatment results in using two options--keyhole craniotomy and standard larger craniotomy--were analysed in the past eight years. Two experienced neurosurgical teams in performing both surgical approaches have reached almost similar morbidity and mortality rates, and overall surgical results. The type of craniotomy is selected according to the experience of the surgical team, and familiarity with certain approach. The authors have good experience with the minimally invasive approach for different intracranial pathology and recommend it especially in neurovascular surgery.

[Importance of the CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone) test in the differential diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome]. / Vrijednost CRH-testa u diferencijalnoj dijagnozi Cushingova sindroma.

In the group of 13 patients with Cushing's syndrome (CS) CRH test was performed by sampling the blood from peripheral vein and in eight patients also after inferior petrosal sinus catheterization (IPSC) to resolve the disease etiology. In the group of patients with Cushing's disease (CD, n = 11), which was proven by surgery and adenoma immunohistochemistry, 10/11 had in CRH test the significant increase of cortisol and ACTH in the peripheral blood. Among two patients with ectopic ACTH syndrome one had the significant increase of both hormones in CRH test. After IPSC the ratio of ACTH in the petrosal sinus and in the peripheral vein was significant in 4/8 patients before, and in 6/8 after CRH administration. The intersinus gradient was significant in 3/8 patients before, and in 4/8 after CRH test. According to our results we can conclude that the determination of ACTH in the blood from peripheral veins after CRH administration is a very sensitive method for differential diagnosis of CS, while the results after IPSC were less sensitive in our conditions than those described in the literature.

Is more than one quinolone needed in clinical practice?

OBJECTIVE: To review clinical information on fluoroquinolone antimicrobials to distinguish between these agents and help define their place in clinical practice. DATA SOURCES: Primary and review articles on fluoroquinolones available commercially in the US as of August 2000 were identified through MEDLINE (from 1993-August 2000) and secondary sources. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All pertinent, published, clinical trials for levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, and gatifloxacin were included. Minimal data were included for quinolones with restricted or limited uses, including trovafloxacin, sparfloxacin, enoxacin, and lomefloxacin. Due to the quantity of data on ciprofloxacin, only more recent or pivotal trials or articles summarizing data on specific infections were included. Relevant information was included if it was believed to assist in differentiating between the fluoroquinolones for infections for which these agents would most commonly be considered. DATA SYNTHESIS: Fluoroquinolones are a potent class of intravenous and oral broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents used for treating a wide range of community-acquired and nosocomial infections. More than 10 quinolones have been approved for use; although some of these have been withdrawn from the market, numerous others are under investigation. It has become increasingly important to be able to differentiate between these agents. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in safety, antimicrobial spectrum of activity, and resistance development support the selective use of various fluoroquinolones in differing clinical situations.

Minimally invasive treatment of cavernous angioma of the optic chiasm: case report.

Cavernous angioma of the optic chiasm or optic nerve is extremely rare. We report the case of a 58-year-old woman with cavernous angioma of the optic chiasm. The lesion was totally removed through the eyebrow keyhole approach, which allowed appropriate intraoperative exploration of the optic chiasm and related structures. The present case confirms that a cavernous angioma located in the optic chiasm can be totally resected without further impairment of visual function.

Cost-effectiveness of gatifloxacin vs ceftriaxone with a macrolide for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the cost-effectiveness of sequential IV to oral gatifloxacin therapy vs IV ceftriaxone with or without IV erythromycin to oral clarithromycin therapy to treat community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients requiring hospitalization. PATIENTS: Two hundred eighty-three patients enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial were eligible for inclusion in the cost-effectiveness analysis. METHODS: Data collected included patient demographics, clinical and microbiological outcomes, length of stay (LOS), and antibiotic-related LOS (LOSAR). Costs evaluated include drug acquisition (level 1); plus costs of preparation, dispensing, and administration, treating adverse events, and clinical failures (level 2); plus hospital per diem costs (level 3). Robustness of economic findings was tested using sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Two hundred three patients were clinically and economically evaluable (98 receiving gatifloxacin and 105 receiving ceftriaxone). IV erythromycin was administered to 35 patients in the ceftriaxone-treated group. Oral conversion was achieved in 98% of patients in each group. Clinical cure and microbiological eradication rates did not differ statistically (98% and 97% with gatifloxacin vs 92% and 92% with ceftriaxone, respectively). Overall, neither geometric mean LOS nor LOSAR differed significantly (4.2 days and 4.1 days with gatifloxacin vs 4.9 days and 4.9 days with ceftriaxone, respectively). Treatment failures in the ceftriaxone group contributed to a mean incremental increase in LOSAR of 1.09 days and increased mean cost per patient. The geometric mean costs per patient (level 3) were $5,109 for gatifloxacin and $6,164 for ceftriaxone (p = 0.011). The cost-effectiveness ratios (mean cost per expected success) were $5,236:1 and $7,047:1 for gatifloxacin and ceftriaxone, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Gatifloxacin monotherapy for CAP patients requiring hospitalization is clinically effective and provides an economic advantage compared to the regimen of ceftriaxone with or without erythromycin IV with a switch to oral clarithromycin.

What have we learned from pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic theories?

Pharmacokinetic characteristics and pharmacodynamic properties dictate antimicrobial response and, along with natural immune responses, clinical outcomes. As new agents are developed with long half-lives, we will lose the ability to differentiate between concentration-dependent and time-dependent properties. The area under the inhibitory concentration curve (AUIC) defines drug regimens as a ratio of drug exposure to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and allows them to be compared with each other. With AUIC and agents with long half-lives, these comparisons are possible regardless of chemical classification or concentration or time-dependent activity. Historical examples of reduced drug exposure from decreased doses (i.e., cefaclor, clarithromycin, and ciprofloxacin), and thus low AUIC values, directly correlate with drug resistance. In the face of rising MICs (as is occurring worldwide with Streptococcus pneumoniae), close attention to appropriate dosing and concentration above the MIC may delay and potentially even prevent antibiotic resistance. Creating selective pressure on reliable antibiotics by inappropriately reducing their doses will undoubtedly challenge these agents and may destroy entire drug classes with similar mechanisms of action or resistance.

Endoscopic third ventriculostomy with ultrasonic contact microprobe.

The authors describe their first clinical experiences in endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) with the original ultrasonic contact microprobe (UCM) designed at the Department of Neurosurgery in Zagreb. The analysis includes the clinical course of disease in eight patients submitted to surgery from May to September 1999 (3 men and 5 women, from 14 to 61 years of age). Surgery was performed in patients with neurological symptoms of elevated intracranial pressure and neuroradiological evidence of non-communicating hydrocephalus caused by mesencephalic aqueduct stenosis. The perforation in the base of the third brain ventricle made by the ultrasonic contact microprobe was widened by a balloon catheter. The authors have come to conclusion that the ETV when performed by contact ultrasonic microprobe is a small risk procedure in case of non-communicating hydrocephalus. For its small diameter (1.6 mm) and simple handling the newly designed contact ultrasonic microprobe is very suitable for use in neuroendoscopy as it enables fenestration of the third brain ventricle with minimal thermal and ultrastructural damage to the adjacent neurovascular structures. Further research will be focused on defining indications for the use of the device in other neuroendoscopic procedures as well.

Economic justification of antimicrobial management programs: implications of antimicrobial resistance.

The relationship between the problem of antimicrobial resistance and efforts to control antimicrobial costs is explored. Antimicrobial drug management typically centers around controlling costs and controlling antimicrobial resistance. Selection of therapeutic alternatives without adherence to a well-developed program or without a rationale based on data from the medical literature may promote antimicrobial resistance. Attempts to select alternatives can produce cost shifting rather than cost containment. The annual cost associated with antimicrobial resistance in the United States is estimated to be as high as $47 billion. In one study, patients with bacteremia caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus had an average length of stay 2.7 days longer than patients with susceptible strains and a mean cost of care that was $3500 higher. Infection control is one of the most important duties of health care practitioners. Given today's prevailing reimbursement structure, hospitals with high rates of nosocomial and resistant infections are likely to lose money. A basic problem with the current approach to controlling resistance is that the two most common strategies, highly restrictive formularies and drug cycling, work in opposition. Antimicrobial management programs should be directed at ensuring the most appropriate use of antimicrobials rather than focusing on limiting choices.

Evolution of clinical symptoms in a young woman with a recurrent gonadotroph adenoma causing ovarian hyperstimulation.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the clinical course in a young female with gonadotroph adenoma causing ovarian stimulation. PATIENT AND METHODS: Our patient was a 23-year-old woman with a history of oligomenorrhea who had previously undergone bilateral ovarian wedge resection owing to the clinical appearance of polycystic ovaries. Two years later, she sought treatment for headache, galactorrhea, history of spotting and lower abdominal distension. FSH, LH, beta-LH, inhibin A and B, estradiol, prolactin (PRL), and beta-chorionic gonadotrophin (beta-CG) were measured, and the responses of FSH, LH and beta-LH to thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) were documented. Immunohistochemical analysis of the tumor tissue was performed after surgery. Five years after the trans-sphenoidal surgery, the patient again became oligomenorrheic. A large recurrent adenoma was diagnosed on CT one year later. Transvaginal ultrasound showed ovaries of normal size with multiple small cystic formations simulating a polycystic pattern, While the patient was awaiting surgery, a pituitary apoplexy occurred. Emergency decompressive surgery was performed and the patient fully recovered. RESULTS: Enlarged ovaries were found on ultrasound examination simulating a hyperstimulation-like pattern. At that time, elevated levels of FSH (13.4IU/l) and marginally elevated levels of beta-LH (1.43ng/ml) were found, whereas the level of LH (0.5IU/l) was subnormal. Plasma estradiol was markedly supranormal (6150pmol/l). Levels of inhibin A and B were elevated (326pg/ml and 588pg/ml respectively). The prolactin level (70ng/ml) was increased, whereas beta-chorionic gonadotrophin (beta-CG) was normal. Significantly increased FSH, LH, and beta-LH responses to TRH stimulation were documented. Pituitary macroadenoma was found on MRI scan and removed by trans-sphenoidal surgery. Immunohistochemical examination showed high positivity for beta-CG and LH, and slight positivity for FSH. Five years after the surgery, estradiol was elevated (1160pmol/l), whereas basal levels of LH (4.65IU/l) and FSH (3.98IU/l) were not suppressed. After the second operation, immunostaining of the adenoma tissue confirmed the previous findings. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of gonadotrophins in our case did not prove to be a method for identifying a large recurrent gonadotroph pituitary adenoma. The sonographic ovarian imaging varied from a polycystic- to an ovarian hyperstimulation-like pattern during the evolution of the tumour.

Ultrasonic contact microprobe: experimental results.

At the Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, the original ultrasonic contact microprobe (UCM) was designed. The efficacy of the instrument was tested on 120 brains of Wistar strain rats. The authors have been investigating the possibility of transferring high-energy ultrasound through the titanium wire probe of the device and the efficacy of UCM in controlled punctiform destruction of brain tissue. Light and electron microscope assessed the lesions made in the brains of experimental rats. Histological findings in the preparations showed the zone of thermal injuries from 100 to 200 microm and the zone of ultrastructural changes from 200 to 300 microm, indicating the sparing effect of the microprobe with regard to the adjacent neurovascular structures. The small dimensions of the ultrasonic contact microprobe (1.6 mm) enable its introduction through the operating canal of a ventriculoscope. Further research is expected to show the efficacy of the ultrasonic contact microprobe in endoscopic neurosurgery.