A re-assessment of the value of markers of corticosteroid contact allergy in the Spanish baseline series: Clobetasol propionate in the spotlight.

BACKGROUND: Budesonide and tixocortol pivalate as markers of contact allergy to corticosteroids have been questioned, as they are not able to detect a significant percentage of allergic patients. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the potential role of clobetasol propionate in enhancing corticosteroid sensitisation detection. METHODS: Between January 2022 and December 2023, patients who attended centres involved in the Spanish Registry of Research in Contact Dermatitis and Cutaneous Allergy were tested with an extended baseline series that included budesonide, tixocortol pivalate, clobetasol propionate 0.1% in ethanol and 1% in petrolatum. RESULTS: A total of 4338 patients were tested. Twenty-four patients were allergic to budesonide (0.55%, 95% CI: 0.37-0.82); nine patients were allergic to tixocortol pivalate (0.21%, 95% CI: 0.11-0.39); and 23 patients were allergic to clobetasol (0.53%, 95% CI: 0.35-0.79). Only four of those patients allergic to clobetasol were detected by budesonide and one by tixocortol pivalate. No significant differences in the number of positive tests were found between clobetasol in petrolatum or ethanol. CONCLUSIONS: In Spain budesonide remains the main corticosteroid allergy marker whereas the role of tixocortol pivalate is questionable. The addition of clobetasol propionate to the Spanish baseline series would improve the ability to detect patients allergic to corticosteroids.

[Analysis of the broadcasting and perceived utility through the implementation of a virtual training platform during the pandemic]. / Análisis de la difusión y utilidad percibida a través de la implementación de una plataforma de formación virtual durante la pandemia por COVID-19.

Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has affected training opportunities for healthcare professionals partly because face to face courses were cancelled. This study analyzes the results of participation and satisfaction of the AEC Virtual Classroom sessions during the first year. Methods: The AEC Virtual Classroom includes a combined format of weekly Webinar broadcast live that can be viewed on a delayed basis in a virtual platform. In this study, the results in its first year are evaluated considering the number of live participants, the delayed views and the global reach; as well as the results of the satisfaction survey in each of the sessions (0-10). Results: From 16/04/2020 to 15/04/2021, 50 sessions of the Virtual Classroom AEC were held. The average scope of the sessions was 509 ± 288 views with a range between 196 and 149. At the times of highest incidence of cases during the pandemic, a decrease in live participants was observed 275 ± 135 vs. 391 ± 233 (p = 0.032). The mean score on the format was 8.46 ± 0.31/10. The best-scored sessions were those of the subject related to coloproctology with a statistically significant difference in the mean score 8.79 ± 0.42 vs. 8.39 ± 0.27 (p = 0.035). 90% of users considered the sessions useful. 97.2% of respondents believe that the sessions should be maintained after the pandemic. Conclusions: The AEC Virtual Classroom has a very good results in the first year, proving to be a useful surgical teaching tool that will foreseeably survive once the pandemic is over.

Analysis of the broadcasting and perceived utility through the implementation of a virtual training platform during the pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has affected training opportunities for healthcare professionals partly because face to face courses were cancelled. This study analyzes the results of participation and satisfaction of the AEC Virtual Classroom sessions during the first year. METHODS: The AEC Virtual Classroom includes a combined format of weekly Webinar broadcast live that can be viewed on a delayed basis in a virtual platform. In this study, the results in its first year are evaluated considering the number of live participants, the delayed views and the global reach; as well as the results of the satisfaction survey in each of the sessions (0-10). RESULTS: From 16/04/2020 to 15/04/2021, 50 sessions of the Virtual Classroom AEC were held. The average scope of the sessions was 509 ± 288 views with a range between 196 and 149. At the times of highest incidence of cases during the pandemic, a decrease in live participants was observed 275 ± 135 vs. 391 ± 233 (P = 0.032). The mean score on the format was 8.46 ± 0.31/10. The best-scored sessions were those of the subject related to coloproctology with a statistically significant difference in the mean score 8.79 ± 0.42 vs. 8.39 ± 0.27 (P = 0.035). 90% of users considered the sessions useful. 97.2% of respondents believe that the sessions should be maintained after the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The AEC Virtual Classroom has had very good results in the first year, proving to be a useful surgical teaching tool that will foreseeably survive once the pandemic is over.

Early diagnosis of anastomotic leakage in colorectal surgery: prospective observational study of the utility of inflammatory markers and determination of pathological levels.

Procalcitonin (PCT) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) are acute-phase reactants that indicate the presence and severity of an infection. The aim of this study was to verify the utility of CRP and PCT as tools for early diagnosis of anastomotic leakage (AL) in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. A prospective observational study including 95 patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery with anastomosis, where patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not AL happened. Different variables were compared using a uni- and multivariate analyses to identify the risk factors for AL. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were added to establish a cut-off point for CRP and PCT. The inflammatory marker levels were analysed in other complications different from AL. AL was detected in 11 patients (14%), 7 required an emergency reoperation. The overall morbidity rate was 42.1% and the mortality was 3.2%. In the univariate study, increased CRP on days 3 and 5, male sex and intraoperative complications were significantly associated with AL. In the multivariate study, CRP on day 5 was the only factor related to AL. AUC at ROC curves showed that CRP results ≥ 15.3 mg/dL on day 3 and 9.1 mg/dL on day 5 were predictors of AL. Normal CRP and PCT values had a high negative predictive value. CRP on postoperative day 5 is a reliable marker for early detection of anastomotic leakage in colorectal surgery. Both CRP and PCT on days 3 and 5 have a high negative predictive value.Trial registration: The study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. Code: NCT04632446.

Risk-adjustment models for clean and colorectal surgery surgical site infection for the Spanish health system.

OBJECTIVE: To develop risk-adjusted models for two quality indicators addressing surgical site infection (SSI) in clean and colorectal surgery, to be used for benchmarking and quality improvement in the Spanish National Health System. STUDY DESIGN: A literature review was undertaken to identify candidate adjustment variables. The candidate variables were revised by clinical experts to confirm their clinical relevance to SSI; experts also offered additional candidate variables that were not identified in the literature review. Two risk-adjustment models were developed using multiple logistic regression thus allowing calculation of the adjusted indicator rates. DATA SOURCE: The two SSI indicators, with their corresponding risk-adjustment models, were calculated from administrative databases obtained from nine public hospitals. A dataset was obtained from a 10-year period (2006-2015), and it included data from 21 571 clean surgery patients and 6325 colorectal surgery patients. ANALYSIS METHODS: Risk-adjustment regression models were constructed using Spanish National Health System data. Models were analysed so as to prevent overfitting, then tested for calibration and discrimination and finally bootstrapped. RESULTS: Ten adjustment variables were identified for clean surgery SSI, and 23 for colorectal surgery SSI. The final adjustment models showed fair calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow: clean surgery χ2 = 6.56, P = 0.58; colorectal surgery χ2 = 6.69, P = 0.57) and discrimination (area under receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve: clean surgery 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67-0.77; colorectal surgery 0.62, 95% CI 0.60-0.65). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed risk-adjustment models can be used to explain patient-based differences among healthcare providers. They can be used to adjust the two proposed SSI indicators.

Intra-abdominal desmoid tumor and chronic inflammatory bowel disease. An uncommon scenario.

We present the case of a patient with an inflammatory bowel disease to whom a pelvic desmoid tumor is discovered during an infertility study.

Surgical Management of Patients With COVID-19 Infection. Recommendations of the Spanish Association of Surgeons. / Manejo quirúrgico de pacientes con infección por COVID-19. Recomendaciones de la Asociación Española de Cirujanos.

Due to the current pandemic of respiratory disease known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, many patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection will require elective surgery, surgery that cannot be postponed, or emergency surgical treatment. In these situations, special measures need to be adopted in order to minimize the possibility of transmission between patients, exposure of healthcare personnel and the development of postoperative complications. This document explains the main principles to consider when managing confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients during evaluation as well as when surgical treatment is required.

[Nutritional factors associated with complications in major abdominopelvic surgery]. / Factores nutricionales asociados a complicaciones en cirugía mayor abdominopélvica.

INTRODUCTION: major abdomino-pelvic surgery includes a series of procedures that carry a high percentage of postoperative complications. Our objective is to identify the factors related to post-surgical complications, classified according to Clavien-Dindo classification, with special attention to nutritional factors in patients who undergo major abdomino-pelvic surgery. MATERIAL AND METHOD: retrospective observational study between July 2012 and December 2013. A total of 255 patients undergoing major abdomino-pelvic surgery (colorectal, gastric, obesity or total cystectomy) were selected on a scheduled basis. Four types of variables were collected: sociodemographic, baseline, diagnostic and outcome variables, including perioperative complications that were classified in 5 grades according to the Clavien-Dindo scale, and for the analysis of results, two groups of patients were separated: The group with complications grade 0 and I and group 2 with complications III to V. The statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 22.0. RESULTS: patients had a mean age of 65 years. Twenty patients (7.8%) returned in the first 30 days after surgery and 8 patients (3.1%) died. 152 cases (59.6%) were classified in group 1 and 103 cases (40.4%) in group 2. When analyzing both groups, we found significant differences in the operative variables: type of surgery and laparoscopic or open approach. Regarding the physiological and nutritional parameters, we observed significant differences in the following factors: preoperative BMI, preoperative albumin, preoperative hemoglobin and day of onset of postoperative tolerance. CONCLUSION: in our study we have identified modifiable factors, such as hemoglobin and preoperative albumin, BMI and early onset of oral tolerance, related to postoperative morbidity. Preoperative nutritional status is related to postoperative complications in major abdomino-pelvic surgery.

Introducción: la cirugía mayor abdominopélvica es un proceso que conlleva un alto porcentaje de complicaciones posquirúrgicas. Nuestro objetivo es identificar los factores relacionados con las complicaciones posquirúrgicas, catalogadas según la clasificación de Clavien-Dindo, con atención especial a los factores nutricionales en los pacientes que se intervienen de cirugía mayor abdominopélvica.Material y método: estudio observacional retrospectivo, realizado entre julio de 2012 a diciembre de 2013. Se seleccionaron a 255 pacientes sometidos a cirugía mayor abdominopélvica (cirugía colorrectal, gástrica, obesidad o cistectomía total) de forma programada. Se recogieron cuatro tipos de variables: sociodemográficas, de situación basal, de diagnóstico y de resultado, incluyendo las complicaciones perioperatorias que fueron clasificadas en 5 grados según la escala de Clavien-Dindo y, para el análisis de resultados se separaron dos grupos de pacientes: el grupo con complicaciones de grados 0 y I y el grupo 2 con complicaciones III a V. El análisis estadístico se ha realizado mediante IBM SPSS versión 22.0.Resultados: los pacientes tuvieron una edad media de 65 años. Reingresaron 20 pacientes (7,8%) en los primeros 30 días tras la cirugía y 8 pacientes (3,1%) murieron. Ciento cincuenta y dos casos (59,6%) fueron clasificados en el grupo 1 y 103 casos (40,4%) en el grupo 2. Al analizar ambos grupos, encontramos diferencias significativas en las variables operatorias: tipo de cirugía y abordaje laparoscópico o abierto. Respecto a los parámetros fisiológicos y nutricionales, observamos diferencias significativas en los siguientes factores: IMC prequirúrgico, albúmina prequirúrgica, hemoglobina prequirúrgica y día de inicio de tolerancia postoperatoria.Conclusión: en nuestro estudio hemos identificado factores modificables, como la hemoglobina y albúmina preoperatoria, el IMC y el inicio temprano de tolerancia oral, relacionadas con la morbilidad posoperatoria. El estado nutricional preoperatorio tiene relación con las complicaciones posquirúrgicas en cirugía mayor abdominopélvica.

Diagnosis of Mesenteric Ectopic Pancreas by Secretin-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography.

Ectopic pancreas (EP) is defined as pancreatic tissue found outside its usual anatomical position, with no ductal or vascular communication with the native pancreas.We report the case of a 59-year-old woman with a mesenteric jejunal EP initially suspected on computed tomography and confirmed by secretin-enhanced magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography.Mesenteric EP is a very rare finding with nonspecific clinical presentation, so that, classic radiological findings have not been well described previously.

Population-based screening improves histopathological prognostic factors in colorectal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) based on clinical symptoms is usually established in its advanced stages. One strategy for reducing mortality is the early detection and removal of preneoplastic and initial neoplastic lesions, even before the first symptoms appear, by means of population-based screening campaigns. The aim of the present study is to determine whether CRC diagnosed via a screening campaign has more favourable histopathological prognostic factors than when diagnosed in the symptomatic phase. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The prospective study of all the patients undergoing programmed CRC surgery at the JM Morales Meseguer Hospital (Spain) is between 2004 and 2010. The patients were divided into two groups: one diagnosed from clinical symptoms and one through a screening campaign. The following factors were compared: tumour size; degree of tumour invasion of the wall; lymph node, perineural and lymphovascular involvement; tumour stage; and grade of differentiation. RESULTS: Compared to the symptomatic group, the screen-detected patients had smaller-sized tumours (lesions of less than 5 cm in 84 vs 69.55%, p < 0.001), a lower degree of colorectal wall invasion (T0-1 in 36 vs 9.02%, p < 0.001), less lymph node involvement (N0 in 72 vs 58.76%, p > 0.05), less vascular invasion (7.20 vs 15.22%, p = 0.79) and less perineural invasion (6.4 vs 20.70%, p < 0.001). The TNM staging in the screening group was lower than in the symptomatic group (stage 0-1 in 50.40 vs 18.58%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CRC diagnosed through a population-based screening programme presents more favourable histopathological characteristics than that diagnosed from the appearance of symptoms.

Increased survival and decreased recurrence in colorectal cancer patients diagnosed in a screening programme.

INTRODUCTION: Population-based screening programmes for colorectal cancer (CRC) allow an early diagnosis, even before the onset of symptoms, but there are few studies and none in Spain on the influence they have on patient survival. The aim of the present study is to show that patients receiving surgery for CRC following diagnosis via a screening programme have a higher survival and disease-free survival rate than those diagnosed in the symptomatic stage. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective study of all the patients undergoing programmed surgery for CRC at the JM Morales Meseguer Hospital in Murcia (Spain) between 2004 and 2010. The patients were divided into two groups: (a) those diagnosed through screening (125 cases); and (b) those diagnosed in the symptomatic stage (565 cases). Survival and disease-free survival were analysed and compared for both groups using the Mantel method. RESULTS: The screen-detected CRC patients show a higher rate of survival (86.3% versus 72.1% at 5 years, p<0.05) and a lower rate of tumour recurrence (73.4% versus 88.3% at 5 years, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Population-based screening for CRC is an effective strategic measure for reducing mortality specific to this neoplasia.

Implementation and evaluation of the medication management in nursing units of a university hospital by means of a quality improvement cycle.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to improve compliance with protocols for the correct handling and storage of medication, both in medication rooms and on resuscitation trolleys in order to reduce the level of adverse effects on inpatients. BACKGROUND: The most frequent adverse effects in healthcare are due to medication errors. METHODS: Twenty hospital units were studied in 2012. Their medication rooms and resuscitation trolleys share the same medication supply system. Twelve criteria were evaluated and in the first assessment, corrective measures were implemented and criteria were evaluated again. RESULTS: In the first evaluation, the total amount of cases of noncompliance was 153 (65.38%). Seven corrective measures were implemented on the 6 criteria which accumulate 60% of the noncompliance cases. After that, 81 noncompliance cases (34.62%) were obtained. Almost all of evaluated criteria showed an improvement. Nine of the 12 criteria evaluated showed a statistically significant improvement in the second assessment. CONCLUSIONS: A quality improvement cycle is a useful tool to identify safety problems, related to management of medication rooms and resuscitation trolleys of nursing units. It is possible to identify and implement improvement measures without any additional cost.

Surgical management of appendiceal adenocarcinoid. Case report and literature review.

Adenocarcinoid tumour of the appendix is a rare entity characterised by the presence of a double component (neuroendocrine and glandular). It originates in the neuroendocrine cells of the appendicular mucosa. A preoperative diagnosis of a primary appendiceal tumour is uncommon and more so one suggesting an adenocarcinoid pathology. Optimal treatment is debated between a simple appendectomy and a more extensive resection, which occasionally includes hysterectomy and bilateral ovariectomy. Our aim is to report this rare entity and conduct a review of the literature on the different treatment options.

Malignant degeneration of rectal endometriosis.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a relatively common disease among women with child-bearing potential, and rare before puberty or following menopause. It consists of the presence of hormone-responsive endometrium outside the endometrial cavity. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a patient with a rectal lesion, initially approached as a primary rectal malignancy, where histopathology eventually revealed an adenocarcinoma arising from endometrial tissue in the colonic wall. DISCUSSION: Endometriosis has an estimated rated of 10-20%. Sites may be split up into two larger categories - gonadal and extragonadal. The frequency of extragonadal endometriosis in the bowel is estimated to involve 3%-37% of women with pelvic endometriosis, and most lesions are found in the sigmoid colon and rectum. The malignant transformation of endometriotic lesions is estimated between 0.3% and 1% of cases. The gold standard in the diagnosis of intestinal endometriosis is exploratory laparotomy and the pathological study of specimens. Adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy, although used for some patients, have not proven effective.

[Presacral tumor as a differential diagnosis of recurrent pilonidal sinus]. / Tumor presacro como diagnóstico diferencial del sinus pilonidal recidivado.

BACKGROUND: Retrorectal or presacral space is occupied during embryological stem cell development and therefore may contain a heterogeneous group of tumors. CLINICAL CASE: We report the case of a 22-year-old male with a pilonidal cyst operated due to recurrent pilonidal sinus cyst. Final diagnosis after pelvic computed tomography is large retrorectal cystic tumor and magnetic resonance diagnosis of a presacral cystic compatible wtih germ cell tumor. The tumor was removed surgically through the abdomen and diagnosis of cystic teratoma was established. CONCLUSION: Retrorectal tumors are rare lesions whose presence must be ruled out in case of recurrent sinus.

Antecedentes: durante el desarrollo embriológico, el espacio retrorrectal o presacro está ocupado por células pluripotenciales y, por tanto, puede contener un grupo heterogéneo de tumores. Caso clínico: se comunica el caso de un paciente masculino de 22 años de edad, intervenido de sinus pilonidal recidivado. Con estudios de tomografía computada de pelvis y resonancia magnética nuclear se sospechó la existencia de un tumor quístico presacro compatible con tumor germinal; la lesión se extirpó quirúrgicamente por vía abdominal y se estableció el diagnóstico definitivo de teratoma quístico. Conclusiones: los tumores retrorrectales son lesiones poco habituales que es necesario descartar en caso de sinus recidivantes.