Papel del ultrasonido endoscópico en el manejo de las lesiones subepiteliales del tracto digestivo superior / Role of endoscopic ultrasound in the management of subepithelial lesions of the upper digestive tract

INTRODUCCIÓN. Desde la aparición del ultrasonido endoscópico, el campo de la gastroenterología y de manera principal, la endoscopia ha evolucionado, permite la realización de múltiples procedimientos, tanto diagnósticos como terapéuticos, con mínimas complicaciones con baja mortalidad. OBJETIVO. Determinar las caracte-rísticas de las lesiones subepiteliales en el tracto digestivo superior, mediante ul-trasonido endoscópico, sus opciones de diagnóstico y tratamiento. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS. Estudio retrospectivo, de revisión bibliográfica y análisis sistemático de 95 artículos científicos y selección de muestra de 40 encontradas en las bases de datos Medline y PubMed y cuyas fechas de publicación corresponden a los últimos 10 años; el criterio de búsqueda empleado consistió en términos sobre el diagnósti-co y tratamiento de lesiones subepiteliales, mediante ultrasonido endoscópico. RE-SULTADOS. Se evidenció que las lesiones mayores de 1cm, tuvieron alto riesgo de malignización, la cuarta capa fue el sitio más frecuente de localización de este tipo de lesiones. La histopatología fue el método complementario confirmatorio. CON-CLUSIÓN. El ultrasonido endoscópico fue el método de elección para caracterizar y evaluar las lesiones subepiteliales, sean estas sintomáticas o incidentales, el acceso al mismo fue limitado.

INTRODUCTION. Since the appearance of endoscopic ultrasound, the field of gas-troenterology and, in a main way, endoscopy has evolved, allowing the performance of multiple procedures, both diagnostic and therapeutic, with minimal complications with low mortality. OBJECTIVE. To determine the characteristics of subepithelial le-sions in the upper digestive tract, using endoscopic ultrasound, its diagnostic and treatment options. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Retrospective, literature review and systematic analysis of 95 scientific articles and sample selection of 40 found in the Medline and PubMed databases and whose publication dates correspond to the last 10 years; The search criteria used consisted of terms on the diagnosis and treatment of subepithelial lesions, by endoscopic ultrasound. RESULTS. It was shown that le-sions larger than 1 cm, had a high risk of malignancy, the fourth layer was the most frequent site of location of this type of lesions. Histopathology was the complemen-tary confirmatory method. CONCLUSION. Endoscopic ultrasound was the method of choice to characterize and evaluate subepithelial lesions, whether symptomatic or incidental, access to it was limited.

Estimating kidney function in the critically ill patients.

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is an accepted measure for assessment of kidney function. For the critically ill patient, creatinine clearance is the method of reference for the estimation of the GFR, although this is often not measured but estimated by equations (i.e., Cockroft-Gault or MDRD) not well suited for the critically ill patient. Functional evaluation of the kidney rests in serum creatinine (Crs) that is subjected to multiple external factors, especially relevant overhydration and loss of muscle mass. The laboratory method used introduces variations in Crs, an important fact considering that small increases in Crs have serious repercussion on the prognosis of patients. Efforts directed to stratify the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) have crystallized in the RIFLE or AKIN systems, based in sequential changes in Crs or urine flow. These systems have provided a common definition of AKI and, due to their sensitivity, have meant a considerable advantage for the clinical practice but, on the other side, have introduced an uncertainty in clinical research because of potentially overestimating AKI incidence. Another significant drawback is the unavoidable period of time needed before a patient is classified, and this is perhaps the problem to be overcome in the near future.

Medicina intensiva: bases fisiopatológicas del tratamiento

Contenido: Fisiopatología general de los estados críticos. Alteraciones agudas del metabolismo de oxígeno en el paciente crítico. Alteraciones agudas del sistema cardiovascular. Alteraciones agudas del sistema respiratorio. Alteraciones agudas del agua y los principales electrolitos. Alteraciones renales. Alteraciones agudas del metabolismo. Alteraciones agudas del sistema nervioso. Alteraciones agudas de la hemostasia. Miscelánea

Relapse risk after autologous transplantation in patients with newly diagnosed myeloma is not related with infused tumor cell load and the outcome is not improved by CD34+ cell selection: long term follow-up of an EBMT phase III randomized study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) multicentre randomized phase III study was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of CD34+ selection in newly diagnosed myeloma patients undergoing autologous transplantation. DESIGN AND METHODS: One hundred and eleven patients responsive to initial chemotherapy were randomized to receive CD34+ selected (arm A) or unselected PBPC (arm B) after conditioning with high-dose melphalan and TBI. ASO-PCR was used to assess purging efficacy and reinfused tumor load. Tumor load could be assessed in 59 patients. RESULTS: CD34+ selection gave a median tumor cell depletion of 2.2 logs (0.77-5.96). No tumor cells were detected in products infused in 17/26 (A) and 5/33 (B) patients. The five year overall survival (OS), event free survival (EFS) and relapse rate (RR) were 51%, 20% and 80% in arm A and 45%, 18% and 80% in arm B respectively with no significant difference between the two groups. Thirteen patients in arm A and 2 in arm B experienced episodes of serious early infection (p=0.02). There were 3 early transplant related deaths in A but none in B. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: Despite significant tumor cell reduction, CD34+ selection does not reduce RR and increases the risk of severe post-transplant infections. There was also no difference in RR between patients in either arm who received grafts with detectable tumor cells and those receiving grafts with no detectable tumor cells, suggesting that reinfused tumor cells may not be the main cause of relapse after autologous transplant in myeloma.

Failure of high-dose cyclophosphamide and etoposide combined with double-dose cisplatin and bone marrow support in patients with high-volume metastatic nonseminomatous germ-cell tumours: mature results of a randomised trial.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact on survival of high-dose chemotherapy with haematopoietic support in patients with high-volume, metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumours. METHODS: One hundred fifteen patients were randomised to receive either four cycles every 21 d of vinblastine (0.2 mg/kg on day 1), etoposide (100 mg/m2/d on days 1 through 5), cisplatin (40 mg/m2/d on days 1 through 5), and bleomycin (30 mg on days 1, 8, and 15) (arm A), or a slightly modified regimen followed by a high-dose chemotherapy including etoposide (350 mg/m2/d on days 1 through 5), cisplatin (40 mg/m2/d on days 1 through 5), and cyclophosphamide (1600 mg/m2/d on days 2 through 5) (arm B). RESULTS: In an intent-to-treat analysis, there were 32 (56%) and 24 (42%) complete responses in arms A and B, respectively (p=0.099). After a median follow-up of 9.7 yr, 31 and 27 patients have continuously shown no evidence of disease in arms A and B, respectively. There was no significant difference between the overall survival curves (p=0.167). According to the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group prognostic classification, the 5-yr survival rates were 88% and 82% in the intermediate group and 69% and 44% in the poor group (p=0.045) in arms A and B, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This trial failed to demonstrate an impact on response and survival of high-dose chemotherapy with haematopoietic support in first-line treatment of patients with high-volume, metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumours.

Neulasta (pegfilgrastim): a once-per-cycle option for the management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.

Neutropenia is a significant hematologic complication induced by cytotoxic chemotherapy. The clinical consequences of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia are often severe and can be potentially life-threatening. Patients who develop febrile neutropenia often need to be hospitalized, reducing their quality of life and increasing costs. Neutropenia can also compromise the ability to deliver chemotherapy at the full dose and on schedule. To help prevent the occurrence of neutropenia, patients with a high risk of developing chemotherapy-related infections may be given prophylactic colony-stimulating factors. Filgrastim is a recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor that has been widely used (in over 3 million patients) for over 12 years in the management of neutropenia. Pegfilgrastim is an approved, long-acting, next generation of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor that has similar clinical benefits to filgrastim but has novel pharmacokinetic properties. Pegfilgrastim shows at least comparable safety and efficacy to filgrastim, with the added benefit of simplified once-per-chemotherapy-cycle dosing. In addition, two randomized, controlled pivotal trials have shown that a single dose of pegfilgrastim given once per cycle led to a lower observed incidence of febrile neutropenia following myelosuppressive chemotherapy, compared with daily injections of filgrastim. Clinical trials are currently expanding the clinical experience with pegfilgrastim in a variety of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. In addition to prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in 21- and 28-day regimens, future studies are examining the suitability of pegfilgrastim in dose-dense therapy and other cancer settings.

Hemofiltración y síndrome de distress respiratorio del adulto / Hemofiltration and adult respiratory distress syndrome

Seis pacientes con severo síndrome de distress respiratorio del adulto (SDRA), en cinco de ellos por sepsis, fueron tratados con hemofiltración arterio venosa contínua (HAVC) sin aguardar resultados de la terapeútica convencional. En cinco pacientes la evolución fue favorable. A pesar del reducido número de pacientes, los resultados iniciales son alentadores e impulsan a seguir trabajando basándose en la teoría del uso de una "membrana artificial" como pulmón endocrino, clareando de la sangre periférica mediadores de peso molecular intermedio implicados en el desarrollo de edema pulmonar, secundario a elevada permeabilidad de la microvasculatura