Performance of Coronary Artery Calcium Testing in Patients With Severe Psoriasis: Risk Assessment and Reclassification Potential in a Low Cardiovascular Risk Population.

BACKGROUND: Patients with severe psoriasis have an increased cardiovascular (CV) risk and prevalence of subclinical coronary artery disease (CAD). Coronary artery calcium (CAC) testing can detect subclinical CAD and improve cardiovascular risk assessment beyond clinical scores. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the presence and magnitude of subclinical CAD determined by CAC score among the different ESC/EAS CV risk categories, as well as the potential for risk reclassification, in patients with severe psoriasis from a low CV risk population. METHODS: Unicentric cross-sectional study in 111 patients with severe chronic plaque psoriasis from a low CV risk population in the Mediterranean region. Patients were classified into four CV risk categories according to the ESC/EAS guideline recommendations and HeartScore/SCORE calibrated charts. Patients underwent coronary computed tomography to determine their CAC scores. Patients in the moderate-risk category with a CAC score of ≥100 were considered to be reclassified as recommended by the 2019 ESC/EAS guidelines. Reclassification was also considered for patients in the low-risk category with a CAC score>0. RESULTS: Presence of subclinical CAD was detected in 46 (41.4%) patients. These accounted for 86.2% of patients in high/very-high-risk categories and 25.6% of patients in non-high-risk categories. Fourteen (17.1%) of the patients in non-high-risk categories were reclassifiable due to their CAC score. This percentage was higher (25%) when considering the moderate-risk category alone and lower (13.8%) in the low-risk category. Age was the only variable associated with presence of subclinical CAD and reclassification. CONCLUSIONS: Over 40% of patients with severe psoriasis from a low-risk region and up to 25% of those in non-high-risk categories have subclinical CAD. CAC appears to be useful for reclassification purposes in CV risk assessment of patients with severe psoriasis. Further research is required to elucidate how CAC could be implemented in everyday practice at outpatient dermatology clinics dedicated to severe psoriasis.

Litotricia extracorpórea versus ureterolitectomía endoscópica para el manejo de litiasis de uréter distal. Costos asociados. Experiencia del Hospital Militar de Santiago / Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy versus endoscopic ureterolithectomy for management of distal ureteral stones. Associated costs. Experience the Military Hospital of Santiago

INTRODUCCIÓN: La ureterolitiasis distal (UD) es una patología prevalente. Su tratamiento quirúrgico es con litotricia extracorpórea(LEC) o ureteroscopía (URS), ambas con tasa libre de cálculo (TLC) sobre 90% y mínimas complicaciones. El objetivode este trabajo es comparar la TLC luego de la primera intervención y su costo asociado. Además, comparar el costo totaltratándolos con LEC o URS. PACIENTES Y MÉTODOS: Estudio descriptivo comparativo, que muestra el costo económicode LEC vs URS para tratamiento de UD entre 2009 y 2013. Se incluyeron 107 pacientes; 47 URS y 60 LEC. Se analizaronnúmero de días hospitalizados, necesidad de reintervención y costo total de atención médica. Los costos se ajustaron alvalor actual de la prestación. Se describió la TLC en ambos procedimientos. Se obtuvo el costo total de hospitalizacióny se compararon las variables de interés. RESULTADOS: l tamaño de litiasis fue 8.21mm versus 7.39mm para URS y LEC,respectivamente (p=0.24). Luego de la primera intervención, la TLC fue 97.8% para URS y 80% para LEC (p=0.007). En LEC,12 pacientes requirieron retratamiento elevando la TLC a 95%, (p=0.13). Se instaló catéter JJ en 53.1% y 18.3% para URS yLEC, respectivamente (p<0.001). El costo de honorarios médicos, insumos y derecho a pabellón, es $460.838 para URS y$1.243.075 para LEC. El número de días de hospitalización post procedimiento fue 1.6 y 1.71 días para URS y LEC, respectivamente(p=0.86). En relación con los costos totales, la LEC en promedio, es un 132% más cara respecto a la URS (p<0.001)...

INTRODUCTION: Distal ureterolithiasis (UD) is a common disorder. Its treatment is surgical either with extracorporeal lithotripsy(LEC) or ureteroscopy (URS), both with a stone free (TLC) over 90% and minimal complications. The aim of this studyis to compare the TLC after the rst intervention and its associated cost. Also, compare the total costs of treatment with LECor URS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A comparative descriptive study, which shows the economic cost of LEC vs UD URS fortreatments performed between 2009 and 2013. 107 patients were included; 47 URS and 60 LEC. Number of hospitalizationdays, reoperation and total cost of care were analyzed. Costs were adjusted to present charges for the same procedures. TLC was described in both proceedings. The total cost of hospitalization was obtained and the variables of interest werecompared. RESULTS: Stone size was 8.21mm versus 7.39mm URS and LEC, respectively (p = 0.24). After the rst intervention,TLC was 97.8% for URS and 80% for LEC (p = 0.007). In LEC, 12 patients required retreatment raising the TLC to 95% (p = 0.13).JJ catheter was installed in 53.1% URS and 18.3% LEC, respectively (p <0.001). The cost of medical supplies, operation roomand physician fees was $460.838 for URS and $1.243.075 for LEC. The number of hospitalization days post procedure was1.6 and 1.71 days for URS and LEC, respectively (p = 0.86). In relation to total costs, LEC is on average, 132% more expensivewhen compared to URS (p <0.001)...

[Evaluation of the anxiety state in patients receiving radioiodine treatment or who undergo a sentinel lymph node examination in the Nuclear Medicine Department]. / Valoración del estado de ansiedad de los pacientes que reciben un tratamiento con radioyodo o son sometidos a una exploración de ganglio centinela en el servicio de Medicina Nuclear.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the presence of anxiety in patients referred to a Nuclear Medicine Department (NMD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 148 patients were included: 67 were referred for radioiodine therapy, 48 with hyperthyroidism (HT), 19 with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), and 81 were referred for detection and biopsy of the sentinel node in breast cancer (BC). The following documents were filled out: personal data, a state-trait anxiety inventory, a scale of pre-disposing factors causing anxiety and an information questionnaire. Anxiety-predisposing factors and the influence of the information on the presence of anxiety were studied. RESULTS: HT patients: 47% had anxiety in the moment of the visit that was not related to the level of information received. The factor that worried them the most was the radioiodine administration. Being the first visit to a NMD significantly influenced (p<0.05) on the presence of anxiety. DTC patients: 42% had anxiety in the moment of the visit not related to the level of information received. The factor that worried them the most was the illness itself. No factor had a significant influence on the presence of anxiety. BC patients: 53% had anxiety in the moment of the visit that was not related to the level of information received. What worried them the most were the results. Having anxiety and/or depression significantly influenced (p<0.05) the presence of anxiety. CONCLUSION: The quantity of information given before a procedure in a NMD does not influence on the presence of anxiety. Nevertheless, it is our duty to give the best possible information.

Rapid detection of specific polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against bovine leukemia virus.

ELISA and Western blot have been used for detecting specific antibodies or antigens for routine diagnostic laboratory tests and experimental protocols, as well as for screening hybridomas secreting antibodies. Although these techniques are sensitive, some slow growing hybridomas are identified as positive only when they are grown slowly long time. We standardized the dot-ELISA, a more sensitive technique, for the detection of antibodies against BLV. The main advantages of the dot-ELISA described in this study are (a) its sensitivity, detecting hybridomas which would otherwise be considered negative and discarded from the results of indirect ELISA and/or Western blot; and (b) the possibility of economizing reagents using as little as 1 microl of the antigen and 0.5 microl of antibody and conjugate. Different BLV-antigen preparations were bound to nitrocellulose membranes (NC), including cells lysed chemically (LYS) or by sonication (SOC), semi-purified virus (PV), and supernatant from infected cultures, either without treatment (SUP) or sonicated (SOS). The antigen preparations most adequate for detecting monoclonal antibodies against BLV and polyclonal antibodies in cattle sera were undiluted cell lysates (LYS) and semi-purified BLV (PV). When testing bovine sera, the supernatant (SUP) and sonicated supernatant (SOS) antigens gave a high background due to the presence of FCS which reacted with the anti-bovine labeled antibodies. In this study, 59 BLV specific antibody secreting hybridomas were identified using the dot-ELISA, compared to only 20 detected using iELISA, and doubtful reactions due to nonspecific binding to fetal calf serum (FCS) and cellular components were measured. The results of the improved dot-ELISA described may be stored at room temperature for future reference. Results were consistently reproducible in coated nitrocellulose membranes kept at different storage temperatures (-20 degrees C, 4 degrees C, and 25-30 degrees C) 48 h, 1 week and 5 months.