Preliminary results of the implementation of robotic radical prostatectomy in a major ambulatory surgery regimen.

OBJECTIVE: To report our initial experience with robotic radical prostatectomy as an outpatient procedure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients who underwent RRP as MAS (Major Ambulatory Surgery) at our center between March 2021 and May 2022. We collected baseline patient characteristics, intraoperative outcomes and postoperative data (need for unplanned medical care and complications at one month after surgery). Oncologic characteristics at disease diagnosis (PSA, staging, ISUP, MRI) and postoperative pathologic outcomes were collected. RESULTS: We identified a total of 35 patients with an average age of 60,8 ± 6,88 years and a BMI of 27 ± 2,9 Kg/m2. All patients had a low anesthetic risk and 25.71% had undergone previous abdominal surgery. The surgical time was 151,66 ± 42,15 min and the average blood loss was 301,2 ± 184,38 mL. Two patients (5.7%) were admitted for one night and 7 patients (20%) consulted the emergency department in the following month, of which 3 (8.57%) were readmitted. We recorded one intraoperative complication, seven mild postoperative complications (Clavien I-II) and one severe complication (Clavien IIIb). The severe complication occurred on the eighth postoperative day and was not related to the procedure being ambulatory. CONCLUSION: The absence of serious complications in the immediate postoperative period supports RRP in MAS as a safe technique for selected patients.

Infrapubic surgical approach for penile prosthesis surgery: Indications and technique. / Cirugía de prótesis peneana: indicaciones y técnica infrapúbica.

CONTEXT: Penile prosthesis surgery is currently the most effective treatment for erectile dysfunction when medical treatment is ineffective or contraindicated. Among the surgical approaches described in the literature, the scrotal, infrapubic and subcoronal are the most common in the daily clinical practice. OBJECTIVES: The main objectives were to describe the infrapubic surgical technique evaluating its indications and complications, as well as comparing its advantages and disadvantages with the penoscrotal approach. ACQUISITION AND SYNTHESIS OF THE EVIDENCE: A literature review from 1983 until current date was carried out in Medline (PubMed and Cochrane Library databases) following PRISMA standards. Sixteen studies were included: 4 prospective, 4 retrospective, one systematic review, one randomized trial, one original article, 5 expert opinion/surgical technique descriptive paper. DISCUSSION: According to the literature reviewed, although the penoscrotal approach is the most applied, the infrapubic approach showed a shorter operative time and a tendency for an earlier recovery of sexual activity after surgery. Complications are rare, having similar rates to the penoscrotal approach; no cases of glans hypoesthesia have been reported and peri-prosthetic infection rates were less than 3%. Satisfaction rates of infrapubic penile prosthesis were higher than 80%. CONCLUSIONS: Penile prosthesis implantation requires of a profound knowledge of the different surgical approaches in order to best adapt each technique based on each individualized case. The infrapubic approach, even if it is not the most used, is as feasible and reliable as the penoscrotal approach. The infrapubic approach is effective and safe, with high level of both, patients and partners' satisfaction.

The albumin-bilirubin grade uncovers the prognostic relationship between hepatic reserve and immune dysfunction in HIV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of liver-related mortality in people living with HIV, where co-infection with hepatotropic viruses accelerates the course of chronic liver disease. AIM: To evaluate whether the albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade, a more accurate marker of liver dysfunction in HCC, might identify patients with progressive liver dysfunction in the context of HIV/hepatitis co-infection. METHODS: Using uni- and multi-variable analyses, we studied the albumin-bilirubin grade as a predictor of overall survival (OS) in a large, multi-center cohort of patients with HIV-associated HCC recruited from 44 centres in 9 countries within the Liver Cancer in HIV study group. Patients who underwent liver transplantation were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 387 patients, predominantly HCV co-infected (78%) with balanced representation of all Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages (A = 33%, B = 18%, C = 37%, D = 12%) were recruited. At HCC diagnosis, 84% had been on anti-retrovirals for a median duration of 8.8 years. The albumin-bilirubin grade identified significant differences in median survival of 97 months for grade 1 (95% CI 13-180 months), 17 months for grade 2 (95% CI 11-22 months) and 6 months for grade 3 (95% CI 4-9 months, P < .001). A more advanced albumin-bilirubin grade correlated with lower CD4 counts (464/373/288 cells/mm3 for grades 1/2/3) and higher HIV viraemia (3.337/8.701/61.845 copies/mL for grades 1/2/3, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In this large, multi-center retrospective study, the albumin-bilirubin grade highlights the interplay between liver reserve and immune dysfunction as prognostic determinants in HIV-associated HCC.

Review article: adherence to medication for chronic hepatitis C - building on the model of human immunodeficiency virus antiretroviral adherence research.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with pegylated interferon/ribavirin achieves sustained virological response in up to 56% of HCV mono-infected patients and 40% of HCV/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-co-infected patients. The relationship of patient adherence to outcome warrants study. AIM: To review comprehensively research on patient-missed doses to HCV treatment and discuss applicable research from adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy. METHODS: Publications were identified by PubMed searches using the keywords: adherence, compliance, hepatitis C virus, interferon and ribavirin. RESULTS: The term 'non-adherence' differs in how it is used in the HCV from the HIV literature. In HCV, 'non-adherence' refers primarily to dose reductions by the clinician and early treatment discontinuation. In contrast, in HIV, 'non-adherence' refers primarily to patient-missed doses. Few data have been published on the rates of missed dose adherence to pegylated interferon/ribavirin and its relationship to virological response. CONCLUSIONS: As HCV treatment becomes more complex with new classes of agents, adherence will be increasingly important to treatment success as resistance mutations may develop with suboptimal dosing of HCV enzyme inhibitors. HIV adherence research can be applied to that on HCV to establish accurate methods to assess adherence, investigate determinants of non-adherence and develop strategies to optimize adherence.

Occult hepatitis B virus infection in the setting of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection: clinically relevant or a diagnostic problem?

The clinical relevance of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, defined as detectable HBV DNA serum/liver, in the absence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), is unclear. We determined the prevalence of serum occult HBV infection in HIV/HCV co-infected patients enrolled in APRICOT, a randomized multinational trial that investigated the efficacy and safety of peginterferon alfa-2a (40 kDa) plus ribavirin for treatment of HCV. We also examined the effect of prior HBV exposure to liver histology at baseline. Only HBsAg-negative patients were eligible. At screening, serum HBV DNA was assessed by commercial assay (detection limit = 200 copies/mL). Patients were divided into four serological groups: anti-HBs+/anti-HBc+; anti-HBs-/anti-HBc+; anti-HBs+/ anti-HBc-; anti-HBs-/anti-HBc-. Baseline liver biopsy grade and stage were compared among groups. Serum HBV DNA was undetectable in all patients, (n = 866). Results of anti-HBs and anti-HBc was available for 176 patients: 60 (34.1%) anti-HBs+/anti-HBc+; 60 (34.1%) anti-HBs-/anti-HBc+; 11 (6.3%) anti-HBs+/anti-HBc-; 45 (25.6%) anti-HBs-/anti-HBc-. There were no differences among the groups in the histological grade or stage at baseline liver biopsies. Occult HBV infection in serum was not detected in this large immunocompetent cohort. Moreover, prior exposure to HBV did not appear to have any affect on baseline liver histology.

Zidovudine use but not weight-based ribavirin dosing impacts anaemia during HCV treatment in HIV-infected persons.

Anaemia during peginterferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) therapy is common in human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus (HIV/HCV)-coinfected patients despite the use of lower doses of RBV than are recommended for HIV-seronegative persons. In addition, concurrent zidovudine (ZDV) may exacerbate the anaemia caused by PEG-IFN and RBV. We retrospectively analysed the incidence of anaemia, RBV dose reduction and epoetin-alpha (EPO) use among coinfected patients treated with PEG-IFN and weight-based RBV (800-1400 mg/day) who enrolled in two clinical trials and had haemoglobin (Hb) levels assessed at baseline and after 4 and/or 12 weeks of HCV treatment. Overall, 217 patients were included; pre-treatment Hb levels (mean 14.7 g/dL) were similar in all patients, including ZDV users (29% of patients). After 4 weeks of therapy, the mean Hb decline was greater among ZDV recipients (3.13 g/dL) compared with those on other anti-retroviral treatment (ART) (2.13 g/dL) or on no ART (1.47 g/dL) (P < 0.0001). RBV dose reduction and EPO use were more common in patients taking ZDV compared with those not taking ZDV (P < 0.0001). RBV dose was not associated with Hb reduction, RBV dose reduction or EPO use. Virologic response after 12 weeks of therapy and the treatment discontinuation rate did not differ by ZDV use. The use of ZDV but not weight-based RBV dosing was associated with an increased risk of anaemia, RBV dose reduction or EPO use in coinfected patients treated with PEG-IFN/RBV. However, ZDV use was not associated with higher rates of treatment discontinuation or lower early virologic response rates. HIV and hepatitis C care providers should be cognizant of these data.

Decline in haemoglobin A1c values in diabetic patients receiving interferon-alpha and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C.

Haemoglobin A1c (A1c) levels are lower during haemolysis because of the shorter exposure of haemoglobin (Hb) to plasma glucose. Ribavirin (RBV) used in combination with interferon-alpha (IFN) for chronic hepatitis C causes reversible haemolytic anaemia. This study examined the extent to which RBV treatment influences A1c levels in diabetic patients. A retrospective analysis identified 32 diabetic patients who underwent hepatitis C treatment with IFN and RBV. Each subject had at least three measures of A1c, Hb and glucose: before, during and after therapy. A1c values decreased from a mean pretreatment level of 7.2% to an on-treatment A1c level of 5.2% [mean paired difference -2.01%; 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.59% to -2.43%; P < 0.001]. During therapy, mean Hb levels decreased from 15.1 g/dL at baseline to a nadir of 11.7 g/dL (P < 0.001) with a rise in lactose dehydrogenase levels and reticulocyte counts, and unchanged mean corpuscular volume values confirming haemolysis. At the same time, glucose levels declined by a mean of 38.4 mg/dL (95% CI 13.4-63.5 mg/dL; P = 0.002) as did body weights by a mean of 3.15 kg (P < 0.001). According to published glucose-A1c correlation tables, this decline of glucose concentration by 38.4 mg/dL correlates to a decline in A1c level of 1.08%. In conclusion, reductions of A1c levels by a mean of 2.01% during hepatitis C therapy with IFN + RBV are due to a combination of decreased glucose levels (1.08%) and RBV-induced haemolysis (0.93%). A1c levels should not be measured during hepatitis C treatment with IFN + RBV because they do not adequately reflect glycaemic control.

Black patients with chronic hepatitis C have a lower sustained viral response rate than non-Blacks with genotype 1, but the same with genotypes 2/3, and this is not explained by more frequent dose reductions of interferon and ribavirin*.

In previous hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment studies, Black patients not only had a lower sustained viral response (SVR) rate to interferon and ribavirin (RBV) than non-Black patients but also a higher frequency of HCV genotype 1 (GT-1) infection. The aim of this community-based study was to determine whether Black patients have a lower SVR rate independent of genotype. We prospectively enrolled 785 patients (24.8% Black, 71.5% White, 3.7% others) who received interferon alpha-2b 3 MU three times weekly + RBV 1000-1200 mg/day for 24 weeks (GT-2/3) or 48 weeks (GT-1). Black patients were more commonly infected with GT-1 (86.8%vs 64.8%, P < 0.001) and less frequently had an SVR compared with non-Black patients (8.4%vs 21.6%, P < 0.001). Within GT-1, Black patients had a lower SVR rate than non-Black patients (6.1%vs 14.1%, P = 0.004) but not within GT-2/3 (50.0%vs 36.5%, P = 0.47). Black patients had lower baseline haemoglobin levels (14.8 vs 15.3 g/dL, P < 0.001) and neutrophil counts (2900 vs 4100/mm(3), P < 0.001) and required more frequent dose reductions of RBV (29.8%vs 18.5%, P < 0.001) and interferon (4.7%vs 1.6%, P = 0.012). However, dose reductions were not associated with lower SVR rates while early treatment discontinuations were (2.9%vs 25.7%, P < 0.001). Independent predictors of SVR were GT-1 [odds ratio (OR) 0.33; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20-0.55; P < 0.001], Black race (OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.22-0.93; P = 0.030), and advanced fibrosis, stages 3 + 4 (OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.31-0.92; P = 0.023). In conclusion, Black patients infected with HCV GT-1 (but not GT-2/3) have a lower SVR rate than non-Black patients. This is not explained by their lower baseline haemoglobin levels and neutrophil counts that lead to higher rates of ribavirin and interferon dose reductions.

[Do patients and their families expect what we really offer them?]. / Esperan pacientes y familias aquello que realmente ofrecemos? Expectativas sobre el proceso de cuidados y rol enfermero.

Frequently we evaluate user satisfaction for the treatment procedures provided (quality perceived), but we do not study the prior expectations (quality desired). Our objective is to discover what these patient and their family expectations are about treatment procedures and nurses' role so that we can make improvements and contribute to maximizing the quality of treatment provided. The aspects which cause greatest concern so that a patient's hospital stay is comfortable are the interpersonal relationships with family members, room mate, and professionals. Furthermore, the authors evaluate the treatment with nurses as a primary aspect in quality treatment.

Epoetin alfa treatment for acute anaemia during interferon plus ribavirin combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C.

Infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains chronic in 75% of infected individuals, in whom it can cause liver inflammation and progressive fibrosis leading to cirrhosis in 20% of patients. A sustained viral response (SVR) to HCV therapy, i.e. undetectable plasma HCV RNA 6 months after the end of treatment, leads to permanent eradication of the virus in 98.3% of patients. The current treatment of choice is combination therapy with pegylated interferon alfa (PEG-IFN alfa), 2a or 2b, and ribavirin (RBV), which achieves an SVR in 54-56% of patients. In patients with HCV genotype 1, RBV doses of 1000-1200 mg/day are associated with a higher SVR than 800 mg/day (51 vs 40%). However, RBV also causes dose-dependent reversible haemolytic anaemia that, in combination with the myelosuppressive effects of PEG-IFN, results in a mean drop in haemoglobin (Hb) level of 3.7 g/dL within 4 weeks. Conventionally, this acute anaemia has been managed with RBV dose reductions. However, this may result in a decreased SVR rate. Alternatively, this anaemia can be managed with administration of epoetin alfa at 40 000 IU once weekly. In a randomized placebo-controlled trial, treatment with epoetin alfa has been shown to raise Hb levels and maintain RBV doses. Furthermore, the increase in Hb level was associated with improved quality of life. Anaemia in patients treated with interferon plus RBV combination therapy can be managed effectively and safely with once weekly epoetin alfa without sacrificing optimal dosing of RBV.

Cardiac valve replacement in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.

Major surgical procedures, especially when performed under general anesthesia, can depress immunological parameters measured in vitro. Therefore concern has been expressed that operation might have an adverse effect on the immune status of individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Four HIV-positive patients without symptoms of HIV disease underwent cardiac valve replacement in consequence of infective endocarditis. After up to 15 months postoperatively, 3 patients are alive and well without signs of progressive immunodeficiency or recurrent endocarditis. One patient died of recurrent endocarditis without evidence of HIV-related disease on autopsy. Cardiac operation does not seem to accelerate HIV-related immunodeficiency.

Tuberculous abscesses in patients with AIDS.

Five cases of large tuberculous abscesses in patients with AIDS were observed over a 2-year period at the New York Veterans Affairs Medical Center. These cases represent 11.6% of the 43 cases of tuberculosis diagnosed in patients with AIDS during that period. The abscesses were located in the liver, abdominal wall, psoas muscle, mediastinum, and peripancreatic area. All patients presented with localized pain or swelling, and four of five patients had fever. The diagnosis was made on the basis of detection of abscesses on computed tomography (CT) and the results of culture of abscess material obtained by CT-guided aspiration. CT-guided therapeutic drainage was performed in two cases. Despite administration of therapy, two of five patients died of tuberculous infection. Formation of tuberculous abscesses appears to be a common complication of tuberculosis in patients with AIDS. This diagnosis should be considered for patients with AIDS who have fever and localized pain or swelling.

Influence of the beta-adrenergic antagonists propranolol, practolol and oxprenolol on the proliferation of rat jejunal crypt cells.

Beta-adrenergic blockade by quite large doses of propranolol, practolol and oxprenolol, once or continuously applied, does not influence jejunal crypt-cell proliferation in the rat. After a single i.p. injection of 20 mg/kg propranolol or practolol and even of 100 mg/kg practolol, the mitotic index, the labelling index and the duration of the S phase do not differ between treated and untreated control animals nor between animals treated with the different drugs. Continuous application of 30 mg/kg/d propranolol, practolol or oxprenolol for 7 or 14 days does not affect the mitotic and labelling indices either, nor does it change the duration of the cycle of the jejunal crypt cells and its phases as determined by the percent labelled mitoses method. These results are in contrast to those reported previously by Tutton & Helme (1974).