Influence of Diabetes Mellitus and Nutritional Parameters on Clinical and Functional Aspects and Quality of Life in Patients Hospitalized Due to Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may experience exacerbations. During severe exacerbations, nutritional and endocrinological comorbidities can play an important role in the clinical and functional aspects of these patients. The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and nutritional parameters on the deterioration of symptoms and quality of life during a severe exacerbation in patients with COPD. An observational study was conducted on COPD patients admitted due to an exacerbation. The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) questionnaire was administered, and clinical and functional parameters were compared based on the presence of nutritional and endocrinological alterations. A total of 50 patients were included, of whom 30 (60%) were male. The mean age was 70.5 years (standard deviation (SD) 9.6). The median CAT score during exacerbation was 25 (interquartile range (IQR) 17.5-30), and the baseline score was 13.5 (IQR 7-19), which represented a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). Patients with iron deficiencies had a lower total CAT score (p = 0.041), specifically for items related to daily activity (p = 0.009) and energy (p = 0.007). Diabetic patients exhibited a greater decline in pulmonary function during exacerbation (p = 0.016), while patients with high thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels had a shorter hospital stay (p = 0.016). For COPD patients admitted due to an exacerbation, the metabolic assessment is useful and relevant in the clinical set-up, as endocrinological comorbidities negatively affect clinical and functional aspects of these patients.

Improving management of severe hypoparathyroidism: a case series.

INTRODUCTION: Hypoparathyroidism is considered a rare endocrine disease. Despite being a deficiency of parathyroid hormone, the standard therapy is based on oral calcium and active vitamin D supplementation. This approach provides satisfactory management in most cases but may be inadequate for patients in the most complex spectrum of the disease. Other therapies are being explored, and among them, the use of recombinant human parathyroid hormone (PTH) has proved to decrease the requirements of calcium and active vitamin D to reach adequate therapeutic goals. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to provide information on the effectiveness of the current recombinant parathyroid hormone analogs in the clinical management of difficult to control cases of hypoparathyroidism. METHOD AND MATERIALS: We report our experience using teriparatide and PTH (1-84) through five complex cases of hypoparathyroidism of diverse etiologies. We describe each case and report the effectiveness of treatment in clinical practice. RESULTS: Four patients with postsurgical hypoparathyroidism and one patient with autoimmune hypoparathyroidism, all of them with suboptimal control under the standard treatment with calcium and calcitriol supplements or calcium gluconate infusion, are presented. They were all started on teriparatide or PTH (1-84), and all of them showed a diminishment of symptoms and were able to maintain normocalcemia without parenteral calcium despite a reduction of oral treatment. CONCLUSION: This article highlights the effectiveness and safety of hormonal replacement treatment in difficult to manage hypoparathyroidism and provides evidence which justifies its off-label prescription in the case of teriparatide. We consider that this treatment should be considered in cases in which standard treatment fails to reach adequate therapeutic goals.

Estudio descriptivo de las cetoacidosis atendidas en urgencias de un hospital de la Comunidad de Madrid mediante la herramienta Savana Manager / Diabetic ketoacidosis in a emergency department of a hospital in Madrid (Spain) using the Savana Manager tool

Objetivo: El objetivo del estudio fue describir las características y evolución de los pacientes que acudieron a las urgencias de nuestro hospital y fueron diagnosticados de cetoacidosis diabética (CAD) utilizando la novedosa herramienta de Big Data Savana. Método: Estudio retrospectivo descriptivo de los pacientes atendidos en urgencias del Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor durante los años 2011 al 2016 con diagnóstico de CAD. La búsqueda se realizó con Savana Manager. Resultados: Se diagnosticaron 95 episodios de CAD en 68 pacientes. Del total de episodios de CAD, 57 fueron en diabéticos tipo 1 (de ellos 4 LADA), 25 en diabéticos tipo 2, 2 en diabéticos postpancreatectomía y 12 fueron debuts diabéticos. Del total, 61 (64,2%) requirieron ingreso hospitalario, de ellos 23 (24,2%) ingresaron en UCI. La media de HbA1c fue de 10,6 ± 2,1%. Tres pacientes requirieron reingreso tras el alta. La mortalidad fue muy baja con el fallecimiento en 1 paciente diagnosticado simultáneamente de cáncer pulmonar. Los desencadenantes de la CAD fueron: 35 casos (36,8%) falta de adherencia al tratamiento, 31 (32,6%) infecciones, 12 (12,6%) debuts, 8 (8,4%) varias causas y 9 (9,5%) no se pudo determinar la causa. Se clasificaron como CAD de gravedad leve un 28%, un 38% como de gravedad moderada y 34% como graves. La duración del ingreso no se relacionó con la severidad de la cetoacidosis. Conclusiones: La CAD es una complicación grave que afecta tanto a diabéticos tipo 1 como a tipo 2 con elevado porcentaje de ingresos hospitalarios y en UCI, aunque con baja mortalidad en nuestro medio. La duración de los ingresos no se relaciona con la severidad del cuadro.

Objective: the study was designed to describe the clinical features and evolution of the diabetic patients attended in our hospital emergency department with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) using the novel Big Data tool Savana. Method: Retrospective descriptive study of the patients attended in the emergency room of the Infanta Leonor University Hospital during the years 2011 to 2016 with diagnosis of CAD. The search was made with Savana. Results: 95 episodes of DKA were diagnosed in 68 patients. Of the total episodes of CAD 57 were in type 1 diabetics (of which 4 were LADA), 25 in type 2 diabetics, 2 in diabetics postpancreatectomy and 12 were new onset of diabetes. Of the total, 61 (64.2%) required hospital admission, of which 23 (24.2%) were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The mean HbA1c was 10.6 ± 2.1%. Three patients required readmission after discharge. Mortality was very low with death in 1 patient simultaneously diagnosed of lung cancer. The triggers of CAD were: 35 cases (36,8%) lack of adherence to treatment, 31 (32.6%) infections, 12 (12.6%) new onset, 8 (8,4%) various causes and 9 (9.5%) the cause could not be determined. They were classified as mild DKA 28%, 38% as moderate and 34% as severe. The duration of admission was not related to the severity of ketoacidosis. Conclusions: DKA is a serious complication that affects both, type 1 and type 2 diabetics patients, with a high percentage of hospital and ICU admissions, although with low mortality in our environment. The lenght of the stay in hospital is not related to the severity of the DKA.