Implementation and evaluation of early gastroscopy for patients with dyspepsia and warning signs in Primary Care. / Implantación y evaluación de una prestación de gastroscopia precoz para pacientes con dispepsia y datos de alarma en Atención Primaria.

INTRODUCTION: Dyspepsia is a common disorder in both Primary (PC) and Specialised Care (SC). Gastroscopy is recommended at the start of the study if there are warning signs, although it is not always available in PC. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: We developed a pilot project establishing an early gastroscopy programme for patients with dyspepsia and warning signs in PC, subsequently extending it to the entire healthcare area. The aim was to evaluate the requirements, impact and opinion of this service at the PC level. Demographic, symptomatic and endoscopic variables on the patients referred to SC from the pilot centre were recorded. A satisfaction survey was conducted among the PC physicians. RESULTS: The one-year pilot study and the first year of implementation of the programme were evaluated. A total of 355 patients were included (median age 56.4 years; IQR 45.5-64.3); 61.2% (56.1-66.3%) were women. The waiting time for examination was 1.5 weeks (IQR 1.5-2.5). Gastroscopy was correctly indicated in 82.7% (78.4-86.3%) of patients. The median number of requests per month was 1.1 per 10,000 adults (range 0.8-1.6). Monthly referrals to SC clinics from the pilot centre fell by 11 subjects (95% CI 5.9-16) with respect to the previous median of 58 (IQR 48-64.5). Almost all those polled (98.4%) considered the programme useful in routine practice. CONCLUSIONS: The availability of an early gastroscopy programme in PC for patients with dyspepsia and warning signs reduced the number of referrals to SC.

Should we monitor vitamin B12 and folate levels in Crohn's disease patients?

OBJECTIVE: Crohn's disease commonly involves the small intestine, which is the site of vitamin B12 and folate absorption. Our aim was to define the prevalence of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency in patients with Crohn's disease and to identify predictive factors associated with such abnormalities. METHODS: Two years prospective study of 180 consecutive Crohn's disease patients. Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency was defined as serum levels below 200 pg/ml and 3 ng/ml, respectively. We analysed prevalence of these deficiencies and possible predictive factors including small intestine resection, disease location, activity and duration of disease. Controls were ulcerative colitis patients (n = 70). RESULTS: The prevalence of B12 deficiency in Crohn's disease was 15.6% (95%CI 9.7-20%) compared with 2.8% (95%CI 0.8-9.8%) in ulcerative colitis (p = 0.007). With regard to folate deficiency, the prevalence in patients with Crohn's disease was 22.2% (95%CI 16-28%) compared with 4.3% (95%CI 1.4-12%) in ulcerative colitis (p = 0.001); 7.8% of Crohn's disease patients had macrocytic anemia. Ileal resection was found to be a risk factor for B12 deficiency (OR 2.7; 1.2-6.7; p = 0.02), and disease activity a risk factor for folate deficiency (OR 2.4; 1.2-5.1; p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of patients with Crohn's disease suffer from vitamin B12 and/or folate deficiency, suggesting that regular screening should be performed, with closer monitoring in patients with ileal resection or active disease.

[Acute pancreatitis and space-occupying hepatic lesions in a patient with bone marrow transplant due to multiple myeloma]. / Pancreatitis aguda y lesiones ocupantes de espacio hepáticas en paciente trasplantado de médula ósea por mieloma múltiple.

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) do not have a higher incidence of acute pancreatitis or pancreatitis of other etiologies than the general population. However, these patients may develop acute pancreatitis, or hyperamylasemia or isolated hyperlipasemia, due to etiologies that are highly infrequent in the absence of hematological disease. Liver involvement is found in 30-50% of patients with MM and mainly manifests as diffuse sinusoidal infiltration and less frequently in the form of nodules. We report the case of a patient who underwent bone marrow transplantation due to MM who showed clinical and laboratory findings compatible with acute pancreatitis of unknown origin, during which the presence of multiple space-occupying hepatic lesions was identified. Based on the results of biopsy, a diagnosis of extramedullary recurrence of MM was established.

Evaluation of the Quality of Semen and Sexual Function in Men with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND: Data on fertility rates and medication safety in men with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is a seminal alteration in patients with IBD and, if so, to evaluate the mechanisms that may play a role according to what has been described in the literature. Its secondary aim was to evaluate the impact on male sexual function of IBD. METHODS: Multicenter, cross-sectional, case series study comparing men with IBD and control subjects. Semen analysis was performed according to the recommendations of World Health Organization. The impact on male sexual function was evaluated with the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire. RESULTS: On multivariate analysis, patients with Crohn's disease had lower sperm concentrations compared with those with ulcerative colitis (median [interquartile range], 34.5 [19.2-48] versus 70 [34.5-127.5], P = 0.02) and lower seminal zinc levels (mean ± SD, 1475 ± 235 µmol/L versus 2221 ± 1123 µmol/L, P = 0.04). Patients with Crohn's disease on anti-tumor necrosis factor treatment had better progressive motility (mean ± SD, 56.7 ± 17.7 versus 35.1 ± 22.1, P = 0.01) and sperm morphology (14.4 ± 7.1 versus 7.6 ± 4.9, P = 0.04) than those who were not on anti-tumor necrosis factor. Regarding sexual function, no significant differences were found across patients with IBD and control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Men with Crohn's disease showed a trend toward poorer semen quality than those with ulcerative colitis. Treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs does not seem to be associated with poor sperm quality. In patients in clinical remission, male sexual function is not affected by IBD.

Factors that modify therapy adherence in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVES: Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with a high risk of deficient adherence to therapy. Our study was designed to analyze the adherence to treatment in a specialized inflammatory bowel disease clinic, and to study which factors could influence it. METHODS: 107 consecutive patients (64% Crohn's disease, 36% ulcerative colitis) filled up an anonymous survey with data on demography, disease, therapy and a self-applied adherence declaration. RESULTS: A 69% (95%CI: 60-77%) showed some type of non-adherence. A 66% (95 CI%: 57-75%) acknowledged some involuntary non-adherence: either forgetting to take their dose (63%) or being careless about having taken it (27%). A 16% (95 CI%: 9-22%) showed some voluntary non-adherence: interrupting the therapy when feeling better (13%) or when feeling worse (6%). A 25% forgot at least a dose a week in the last 12 months. Multivariate analysis identified as risk factors for a lower adherence the dosing in three or more takes a day (OR 3; 95%CI: 1.1-8.4; p=0.03) and feeling little informed about their disease (OR 4.9; 95%CI: 1.1-23.8; p=0.04). Immunomodulator therapy predicted better adherence (OR 0.29; 95%CI: 0.11-0.74; p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to therapy in inflammatory bowel disease patients is not satisfactory, and worse in patients treated with mesalazine. Optimizing the information on the disease and giving the medication in one or two daily doses could enhance therapeutic adherence.

Circulatory function and hepatorenal syndrome in cirrhosis.

The pathogenic mechanism of hepatorenal syndrome is not well established. We investigated the circulatory function in cirrhosis before and after the development of hepatorenal syndrome. Systemic and hepatic hemodynamics and the activity of endogenous vasoactive systems were measured in 66 patients who had cirrhosis with tense ascites and normal serum creatinine levels; measurements were repeated at follow-up in 27 cases in whom hepatorenal syndrome had developed. At baseline, mean arterial pressure and cardiac output were significantly higher, and hepatic venous pressure gradient, plasma renin activity, and norepinephrine concentration were significantly lower in patients who did not develop hepatorenal syndrome compared with those presenting with this complication. Peripheral vascular resistance was decreased to the same extent in the two groups. Plasma renin activity and cardiac output were the only independent predictors of hepatorenal syndrome. Hepatorenal syndrome occurred in the setting of a significant reduction in mean arterial pressure (83 +/- 9 to 75 +/- 7 mmHg; P < .001), cardiac output (6.0 +/- 1.2 to 5.4 +/- 1.5 L/min; P < .01), and wedged pulmonary pressure (9.2 +/- 2.6 to 7.5 +/- 2.6 mmHg; P < .001) and an increase in plasma renin activity (9.9 +/- 5.2 to 17.5 +/- 11.4 ng/mL . hr; P < .001), norepinephrine concentration (571 +/- 241 to 965 +/- 502 pg/mL; P < .001), and hepatic venous pressure gradient. No changes were observed in peripheral vascular resistance. In conclusion, these data indicate that hepatorenal syndrome is the result of a decrease in cardiac output in the setting of a severe arterial vasodilation.