Laryngeal measurements and diagnostic tools for diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios of laryngeal height, lung function, and diagnostic questionnaires for screening and diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: We undertook a cross-sectional study of 233 people aged between 40 and 75 years. Measured variables were age, sex, weight, height, body mass index, tobacco use, maximum laryngeal height, and spirometry, and we administered a COPD questionnaire and the Lung Function Questionnaire. RESULTS: For laryngeal height, we found a positive likelihood ratio of 5.21, and for the Lung Function Questionnaire, we found a negative likelihood ratio of 0.10. Combining a maximum laryngeal height of ≤4 cm with Lung Function Questionnaire findings of ≤18 yielded a positive likelihood ratio of 29.06, and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.26. CONCLUSIONS: The intrinsic validity of the lung function questionnaire makes it useful for screening. Combining Lung Function Questionnaire results and laryngeal height can help confirm or dismiss COPD.

Ambulatory surgery for chronic venous insufficiency using radiofrequency thermoablation: quality and satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: Chronic venous disease is a frequent and prevalent pathology. Its surgical treatment has been shown to be cost-effective. Thermal endoablation performed as major outpatient surgery (MAS) is the technique of choice. OBJECTIVE: To know the satisfaction of patients after MAS and the quality of care provided. METHOD: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study, carried out between January 2019 and March 2020. A survey was carried out on patients who underwent endovascular radiofrequency thermoablation in two hospitals in Spain, consisting of two questionnaires: one ad hoc and one another of satisfaction (SERCAL). Quality indices for MAS were measured. RESULTS: We analyzed 156 episodes. 145 interventions were carried out. We found 4 (2.8%) unscheduled admissions. 3 patients (2.1%) attended the emergency department. There was a 99.3% success rate. 100% of the patients had pre-surgical recommendations and informed consent. We obtained 48 surveys (response rate: 33.1%). All the patients gave a rating greater ≥ 8 in quality of care (x = 9.83) and would recommend this procedure to their relatives (x = 9.71). CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular radiofrequency thermoablation performed in MAS has a high success rate and a very low rate of admission and visit to the emergency room. Patient satisfaction is high.

ANTECEDENTES: La enfermedad venosa crónica es una patología frecuente y prevalente. Su tratamiento quirúrgico ha mostrado ser coste-efectivo. La endoablación térmica realizada como cirugía mayor ambulatoria (CMA) es la técnica de elección. OBJETIVO: Conocer la satisfacción de los pacientes tras CMA y la calidad de la atención brindada. MÉTODO: Estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal, realizado entre enero de 2019 y marzo de 2020. Se realizó una encuesta a los pacientes intervenidos mediante termoablación endovascular por radiofrecuencia en dos hospitales de España, con dos cuestionarios: uno ad hoc y otro de satisfacción (SERCAL). Se midieron índices de calidad para CMA. RESULTADOS: Analizamos 156 episodios. Se realizaron 145 intervenciones. Encontramos 4 (2.8%) ingresos no programados. Tres pacientes (2.1%) acudieron a urgencias. Hubo una tasa de éxito del 99.3%. El 100% de los pacientes contaban con recomendaciones prequirúrgicas y consentimiento informado. Obtuvimos 48 encuestas (índice de respuesta: 33.1%). Todos los pacientes otorgaron una calificación ≥ 8 en calidad de atención (x = 9.83) y recomendarían este procedimiento a sus familiares (x = 9.71). CONCLUSIONES: La termoablación endovascular por radiofrecuencia realizada en CMA tiene una alta tasa de éxito y unas tasas de ingreso y visita a urgencias muy bajas. La satisfacción de los pacientes es elevada.

[Artificial intelligence, radiomics and pathomics to predict response and survival of patients treated with radiations]. / Intelligence artificielle en radiothérapie : radiomique, pathomique, et prédiction de la survie et de la réponse aux traitements.

Artificial intelligence approaches in medicine are more and more used and are extremely promising due to the growing number of data produced and the variety of data they allow to exploit. Thus, the computational analysis of medical images in particular, radiological (radiomics), or anatomopathological (pathomics), has shown many very interesting results for the prediction of the prognosis and the response of cancer patients. Radiotherapy is a discipline that particularly benefits from these new approaches based on computer science and imaging. This review will present the main principles of an artificial intelligence approach and in particular machine learning, the principles of a radiomic and pathomic approach and the potential of their use for the prediction of the prognosis of patients treated with radiotherapy.

Incidencia de infertilidad por varicocele / Infertility incidence by varicocele

De todos aquellos pacientes del HOspital Francisco E. Moscoso Puello que padecieron varicocele entre julio y diciembre de 1989, un total 8 pacientes, se les hizo un estudio prospectivo, transversal y analitico, colectandole muestras de semen pre-posquirurgico, con un periodo de abstinencia sexual de 3 a 7 dias. Fue de vital importancia el post-espermatograma realizado a los 74 dias. El proposito de la investigacion fue relacionar el varicocele y la infertilidad. El varicocele se presento mayormente entre las edades 26-30 años y 36-40 años, con igual frecuencia. Con respecto al tamaño, el de mayor porcentaje fue el de segundo grado. Se concluyo que la incidencia de infertilidad por varicocele en relacion con la aparicion de las patologias concomitantes (epididimitis, tumor, atrofia testiculas) fue de un 12.5 por ciento , reduciendose al 0 por ciento despues de la varicocelectomia. Por tatnto, dicha enfermedad no es un inconveniente para la procreacion