[Epidemiology of venous thromboembolie disease in Spain]. / Epidemiología hospitalaria de la enfermedad tromboembólica venosa en España.

The results of epidemiological studies of venous thromboembolic disease (VTD) vary widely, depending both on the geographical area and study type. In Spain, there are no data on the incidence and distribution of VTD. To determine the incidence and distribution of this disease, we analyzed the hospital discharges codified by the Spanish national health system. The results of the analysis showed that VTD represented 0.82% (0.69%-0.92%) of all hospital discharges in Spain between 1999 and 2005. The rate of diagnoses for all hospital discharges in 2005 was 103/100,000 inhabitants, with an estimated number of total diagnoses in Spain (hospitalized or not) of 154/100,000. Fifty-three percent were pulmonary embolisms (PE), which showed a tendency to increase, and 47% were deep venous thrombosis (DVT), which showed a tendency to decrease. The mean age was 65 years in men (51% of cases) and 68 years in women, with the incidence increasing exponentially with age. The mean age in patients with PE was 70 years vs 64 years in DVT. Mortality associated with PE was 11.6% vs 2.3% with DVT. DVT occurred during admission in 4% (3-4.7) of persons hospitalized for any cause, 74% of patients being admitted for medical problems. These data reveal that DVT is a serious health problem in Spain, with high morbidity and mortality. The incidence of this disease seems to be increasing and is particularly associated with medical problems, despite improved diagnosis and the accumulated evidence on thromboprophylaxis. Therefore, greater efforts should be made both to improve identification of at-risk patients and the application of prevention protocols.

[Current diagnosis of pulmonary embolism in Spain: ventilation-perfusion lung scan versus helical CT. Findings from the National Health Service and RIETE Registry]. / Gammagrafía pulmonar y tomografía computarizada helicoidal en el diagnóstico de embolia pulmonar en España. Datos del Sistema Nacional de Salud y el Registro RIETE.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To analyze the trends in the utilization of ventilation/perfusion pulmonary scintigraphy (V/QSc), spiral CT (sCT) and pulmonary angiography for diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) in Spain, taking in account the information from the National System of Health (NSH) and RIETE Registry. To examine the diagnostic conformities of V/QSc and sCT in RIETE, with special reference to V/QSc of intermediate/indeterminate probability (V/QScIP). MATERIAL AND METHOD: We examined annual trends of diagnostic imaging for PE in 5,678 Spanish patients included in RIETE (period 2001-2005) and in those of the NHS Databases (1999-2003 period). In RIETE the agreement between diagnostics was compared in cases with both V/QSc and sCT and angiography and V/QSc or sCT. RESULTS: We observed an increasing trend in sTC use, which overcame to V/QSc in 2002 (RIETE) and 2003 (NHS). In 732 cases with both techniques there was a diagnostic conformity of 53%. In 116 cases with V/QScIP a concomitant sTC was + for PE in 87%. If clinical signs of PE were present, then sTC was + in 95% of cases. In 29 cases with sCT and angiography agreement was 83% and in 31 cases with angiography and V/QSc was 77%. CONCLUSIONS: Nowadays in Spain the sTC is the most utilized method to diagnose EP. However, V/QSc studies are also broadly used. In studies V/QScIP it is advisable to look for deep venous thrombosis and, if present, the results of RIETE allow to assure EP coexistence in 87-95% of cases.

Assessment of long-term cognitive impairment after off-pump coronary-artery bypass grafting and related risk factors.

OBJECTIVES: To assess cognitive impairment after off-pump coronary-artery bypass grafting, with a particular emphasis on long-term follow-up and related risk factors. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Virgen de la Victoria University Hospital, Málaga, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 36 patients undergoing off-pump coronary-artery bypass grafting. MEASUREMENTS: Changes in the neuropsychological test battery administered from before to after surgery (1, 6, and 12 months). Postoperative cognitive impairment was defined by a significant decrease. RESULTS: A significantly multidomain (attention-executive functions, P < .01; immediate and delayed memory, P < .001; and verbal fluency, P < .05) postoperative cognitive impairment was shown, being maximum at 6 months (more than 50% of patients) and still presented at 12 months (more than 30% of patients), but partially recovered. Related risk factors as smoking (P < .01), diabetes mellitus (P < .01), peripheral arteriopathy (P < .01), obesity (P < .05), lower hematocrit (P < .01), and hemoglobin (P < .05) levels and diastolic blood pressure (P < .05) were identified as predictors of cognitive impairment. Better New York Heart Association class (P < .01) and less severity of angina (P < .01) were associated with partial postoperative recovering. CONCLUSION: A multidomain long-term postoperative cognitive impairment and a partial neurocognitive recovering were detected after off-pump coronary-artery bypass grafting and were associated with several nonspecific surgery factors. These findings may be useful when counseling patients before surgery and suggest the importance of long-term neurocognitive evaluation.

[Cognitive impairment in patients with coronary disease: relationship with clinical variables]. / Deterioro cognitivo en pacientes con enfermedad coronaria: relación con variables clínicas.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Coronary disease has been associated with cognitive disorders. We studied the presence of dysexecutive mild cognitive impairment in patients scheduled for coronary surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The executive function of 35 patients was evaluated (Trail Making Test). They were classified into 2 groups: normal performance or cognitive impairment, and we assessed the relationship with others variables (Mann-Whitney, chi-square and multiple regression analysis). RESULTS: The dysexecutive cognitive impairment group (n=7; 20%) showed greater degree of angina (odds ratio [OR] 1.4, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.1-2.6; P=.04), 3-vessels coronary artery disease (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.08-3.6; P=.04) and body mass index (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.16-3.65; P=.03) and lower diastolic blood pressure (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.2-2.98; P=.02), hemoglobin (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.18-4.05; P=.02) and hematocrit (OR 2.45, 95% CI 1.67-3.99; P<.001); these variables proved to be significant in the test performance considered as a dependent variable (R(2)=0.62). CONCLUSIONS: We found a significant prevalence of dysexecutive mild cognitive impairment, which was associated with cardiovascular risk factors. We recommend assessment and monitoring of cognitive performance for probable neurological complications after cardiac surgery.

[Clinical profile and treatment of elderly patients hospitalized for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Spanish Internal Medicine services. ECCO study]. / Características clínicas y tratamiento de los pacientes ancianos hospitalizados por descompensación de enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica en los servicios de Medicina Interna españoles. Estudio ECCO.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hospitalizations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) occur mostly in elderly patients. We describe the characteristics and treatment of elderly patients hospitalized for COPD in Internal Medicine Services, compared with the younger age group. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Observational, prospective, multicenter study. We compared the differences between patients older than 80 years and the rest regarding comorbidity, severity of COPD, previous admissions, length of stay and treatment prescribed. Comorbidity was assessed by the Charlson index and a questionnaire was designed for this purpose. RESULTS: We included 398 subjects, 353 men (89%) with a mean age of 73.7 years (SD 8.8), of whom about 107 (26.9%) were older than 80 years. These patients had less severe COPD according to the GOLD classification (P<.02). Although the overall morbidity was similar in both groups, elderly patients had greater presence of arrhythmias (P<.01), left ventricular hypertrophy (P<.01) and received more diuretics (P<.05). Dyspnoea, length of stay and mortality were similar between both populations. Home oxygen therapy prior to and use of inhaled corticosteroids and oxygen therapy was lower in older patients, even when they were clinically indicated. CONCLUSIONS: A quarter of patients hospitalized for COPD in Internal Medicine Services are over 80 years. Although they present less obstruction, they have a similar degree of dyspnea, increased cardiac morbidity and their treatment is less consistent with the recommendations of the guidelines.