Evolution of interconsultal activity to endocrinology and nutrition in hospitalization floor in a third level hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Endocrinology and Nutrition (EyN) is an outpatient and hospital medical specialty. This study aims to understand the evolution of the activity of interdepartmental consultation (IC) carried out by EyN in hospitalization floor of a third level hospital, comparing its evolution with other medical specialties, and comparing endocrine IC with nutritional IC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Longitudinal and retrospective study which analyzes IC notes of EyN and other medical specialties between 01-01-2013 and 31-12-2022. RESULTS: A total of 76093 IC notes (12623 patients) were performed by the EyN service (average age 65.4 years; 59% male) with an average of 4.8 notes per patient. Average annual growth was 7% in notes and 4% in patients (versus 6% and 3% of all other medical services, differences statistically significant). Of all patients hospitalized for 4 or more days, EyN went from attending 7.9% (2013) to 12.3% (2022). 66% of the IC performed by EyN was for nutritional cause and 34% for other pathologies. CONCLUSIONS: The EyN service is the one that most patients attend in hospital IC activity, with growth over the last few years greater than other medical specialties. Nutritional pathology is the main reason for IC.

Changes in glucometric parameters in people living with diabetes users of the free-style libre 2 system before and after the update possibility to real-time glucose readings in real world practice.

In Spain, from October 10th, 2023, the FreeStyle Libre 2 system offers the possibility to automatically changed from isCGM to rtCGM with a system update. Our study aimed to evaluate the glucometric before and after that date. We didn't find significant changes in TIR, however time of use increased and TBR decreased.

Evolution of the choice of places in Endocrinology and Nutrition in the Spanish exam for accessing to the resident physicians training program 2001-2022 measured with the quotation index.

INTRODUCTION: The comparison between specialties or the analysis of evolution over time of a speciality in the Spanish exam for accessing to the resident physicians training programme (RPTP) is difficult due to the changing of the number of places offered. In this paper we describe two parameters (quotation index and quotation order) that objectify the relationship between supply and demand for places in a given medical speciality in a RPTP call and analyse the evolution of the speciality of Endocrinology and Nutrition (E&N). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analysed the evolution of the supply/demand ratio for the speciality of E&N in the 2001-2022 RPTP calls using the quotation index and quotation order. An increase in the quotation order implies a worsening of the supply/demand ratio. Robust correlation analysis between year and quoatation orden is used. RESULTS: E&N shows a worsening in the RPTP choice, both in relation to all specialties offered and in relation to specialties of medical area (robust correlation coefficient year-quotation order 0.72 (p=0.0002) if all specialties are considered and 0.80 (p<0.0001) if only medical area specialties are considered). CONCLUSIONS: The specialty E&N has shown a negative evolution in the choice of RPTP, objectified through the quotation index and the quotation order, both in relation to all the specialties offered and in relation to all the specialties of the medical area, although it is still among the most sought-after medical specialties in the medical area.

Glycemic disorders in patients with pheochromocytomas and sympathetic paragangliomas.

The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of glycemic disorders (diabetes mellitus and prediabetes) in patients with pheochromocytomas and sympathetic paragangliomas (PPGLs) and identify risk factors for their development and the likelihood of their resolution after surgery. A multicentric retrospective study of patients with PPGLs submitted to surgery between 2000 and 2021 in 17 Spanish hospitals was performed. Diabetes-specific data were collected at diagnosis, in the immediate- and long-term postsurgical follow-up. A total of 229 patients with PPGLs were included (218 with pheochromocytomas and 11 with sympathetic paragangliomas). Before surgery, glycemic disorders were diagnosed in 35.4% of the patients (n = 81): 54 with diabetes and 27 with prediabetes. The variables independently associated with a higher risk of glycemic disorders were sporadic PPGL (odds ratio (OR) = 3.26 (1.14-9.36)) and hypertension (OR = 3.14 (1.09-9.01)). A significant decrease in fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c levels was observed after surgery, in the short-term and long-term follow-up (P < 0.001). After a median follow-up of 48.5 months (range 3.3-168.9), after surgery, 52% of diabetic and 68% of prediabetic patients experienced a complete resolution. Lower body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.001), lower glucose levels (P = 0.047) and shorter duration of diabetes prior to surgery (P = 0.021) were associated with a higher probability of diabetes resolution. In conclusion, glycemic disorders in patients with PPGLs are present in more than a third of them at diagnosis. Sporadic PPGLs and hypertension are risk factors for their development. More than 50% of cases experience a complete resolution of the glycemic disorder after resection of the PPGLs.

Perception of knowledge about Clinical Hospital Nutrition among resident doctors in a tertiary hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Resident physicians' proper use of nutritional support and knowledge about Clinical Nutrition is essential to ensuring that their patients receive suitable nutritional care. MATERIALS AND METHOD: An online survey was sent to resident physicians at our hospital in specialisations with hospital beds. The survey featured 20 multiple-choice questions scored from 1 to 10 (1 being "completely disagree" and 10 being "completely agree") across the following themes: nutritional assessment, diets, oral nutritional supplements, enteral nutrition and perception of the Nutrition Unit. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 69% of resident physicians in medical specialisations and 70% of those in surgical specialisations. Overall, the average survey score was 6.28, with higher scores among medical residents than surgical residents (6.86 versus 5.38; p < 0.001), especially in the sections on nutritional assessment, diets and oral nutritional supplements. The respondents had a positive perception of the Nutrition Unit (mean score 7.6). DISCUSSION: Residents in medical specialisations afford greater importance to their patients' nutrition than residents in surgical specialisations, although in both groups the average score was rather low. There is much room for improvement in the training in Clinical Nutrition of this group, and it is important to include topics in Clinical Nutrition in training programmes for all residents in hospital specialisations.

Analysis of the evolution of the publication of case reports in endocrinology journals.

INTRODUCTION: A case report is a scientific article describing one or more patients with unusual clinical presentations. In recent years, the number of case reports in publications has decreased. In this study, we analyze the publication of case reports in journals of Endocrinology during the years 2010, 2015 and 2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Pubmed web was browsed for clinical journals of Endocrinology, those published in English and/or Spanish being selected, and the relevant variables analyzed. RESULTS: Of 84 analyzed journals, 51 accepted cases for publication, 29 did not, and 4 did so only in exceptional cases. In 2010, 11,754 articles were published, of which 709 were clinical cases (6.9% of the total); in 2015, a total of 14,594 articles of which 655 were clinical cases (5.8% of the total); and in 2019 a total of 14,110 articles, of which 472 were clinical cases (4.6% of the total). In journals demanding payment for the publishing of clinical cases, case reports represented 9% of all articles, and in free journals, 3% (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: There has been a decline in publication of case reports in journals of Endocrinology in recent years, both in absolute and relative terms. Even though the cases described by these reports are, by definition, exceptional, the decline of their publication implies a significant loss of scientific information and clinical knowledge regarding certain pathologies.

Predictive model of pheochromocytoma based on the imaging features of the adrenal tumours.

The purpose of our study was to develop a predictive model to rule out pheochromocytoma among adrenal tumours, based on unenhanced computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features. We performed a retrospective multicentre study of 1131 patients presenting with adrenal lesions including 163 subjects with histological confirmation of pheochromocytoma (PHEO), and 968 patients showing no clinical suspicion of pheochromocytoma in whom plasma and/or urinary metanephrines and/or catecholamines were within reference ranges (non-PHEO). We found that tumour size was significantly larger in PHEO than non-PHEO lesions (44.3 ± 33.2 versus 20.6 ± 9.2 mm respectively; P < 0.001). Mean unenhanced CT attenuation was higher in PHEO (52.4 ± 43.1 versus 4.7 ± 17.9HU; P < 0.001). High lipid content in CT was more frequent among non-PHEO (83.6% versus 3.8% respectively; P < 0.001); and this feature alone had 83.6% sensitivity and 96.2% specificity to rule out pheochromocytoma with an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC-ROC) of 0.899. The combination of high lipid content and tumour size improved the diagnostic accuracy (AUC-ROC 0.961, sensitivity 88.1% and specificity 92.3%). The probability of having a pheochromocytoma was 0.1% for adrenal lesions smaller than 20 mm showing high lipid content in CT. Ninety percent of non-PHEO presented loss of signal in the "out of phase" MRI sequence compared to 39.0% of PHEO (P < 0.001), but the specificity of this feature for the diagnosis of non-PHEO lesions low. In conclusion, our study suggests that sparing biochemical screening for pheochromocytoma might be reasonable in patients with adrenal lesions smaller than 20 mm showing high lipid content in the CT scan, if there are no typical signs and symptoms of pheochromocytoma.

Risk factors for intraoperative complications in pheochromocytomas.

We aimed to identify presurgical and surgical risk factors for intraoperative complications in patients with pheochromocytomas. A retrospective study of patients with pheochromocytomas who underwent surgery in ten Spanish hospitals between 2011 and 2021 was performed. One hundred and sixty-two surgeries performed in 159 patients were included. The mean age was 51.6 ± 16.4 years old and 52.8% were women. Median tumour size was 40 mm (range 10-110). Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed in 148 patients and open adrenalectomy in 14 patients. Presurgical alpha- and beta-blockade was performed in 95.1% and 51.9% of the surgeries, respectively. 33.3% of the patients (n = 54) had one or more intraoperative complications. The most common complication was the hypertensive crisis in 21.0%, followed by prolonged hypotension in 20.0%, and hemodynamic instability in 10.5%. Patients pre-treated with doxazosin required intraoperative hypotensive treatment more commonly than patients pre-treated with other antihypertensive drugs (51.1% vs 26.5%, P = 0.002). Intraoperative complications were more common in patients with higher levels of urine metanephrine (OR = 1.01 for each 100 µg/24 h, P = 0.026) and normetanephrine (OR = 1.00 for each 100 µg/24 h, P = 0.025), larger tumours (OR = 1.4 for each 10 mm, P < 0.001), presurgical blood pressure > 130/80 mmHg (OR = 2.25, P = 0.027), pre-treated with doxazosin (OR = 2.20, P = 0.023) and who had not received perioperative hydrocortisone (OR = 3.95, P = 0.008). In conclusion, intraoperative complications in pheochromocytoma surgery are common and can be potentially life-threatening. Higher metanephrine and normetanephrine levels, larger tumour size, insufficient blood pressure control before surgery, pre-treatment with doxazosin, and the lack of treatment with perioperative hydrocortisone are associated with higher risk of intraoperative complications.

Surgical outcomes in the pheochromocytoma surgery. Results from the PHEO-RISK STUDY.

PURPOSE: To identify presurgical and surgical risk factors for postsurgical complications in the pheochromocytoma surgery. METHODS: A retrospective study of pheochromocytomas submitted to surgery in ten Spanish hospitals between 2011 and 2021. Postoperative complications were classified according to Clavien-Dindo scale. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-two surgeries (159 patients) were included. Preoperative antihypertensive blockade was performed in 95.1% of the patients, being doxazosin in monotherapy (43.8%) the most frequent regimen. Patients pre-treated with doxazosin required intraoperative hypotensive treatment more frequently (49.4% vs 25.0%, P = 0.003) than patients treated with phenoxybenzamine, but no differences in the rate of intraoperative and postsurgical complications were observed. However, patients treated with phenoxybenzamine had a longer hospital stay (12.2 ± 11.16 vs 6.2 ± 6.82, P < 0.001) than those treated with doxazosin. Hypertension resolution was observed in 78.7% and biochemical cure in 96.6% of the patients. Thirty-one patients (19.1%) had postsurgical complications. Prolonged hypotension was the most common, in 9.9% (n = 16), followed by hypoglycaemia in six patients and acute renal failure in four patients. 13.0% of complications had a score ≥3 in the Clavien-Dindo scale. Postsurgical complications were more common in patients with diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, higher plasma glucose levels, higher urinary free metanephrine and norepinephrine, and with pheochromocytomas larger than 5 cm. CONCLUSION: Preoperative medical treatment and postsurgical monitoring of pheochromocytoma should be especially careful in patients with diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, higher levels of plasma glucose and urine free metanephrine and norepinephrine, and with pheochromocytomas >5 cm, due to the higher risk of postsurgical complications.

Perception of knowledge about Clinical Hospital Nutrition among resident doctors in a tertiary hospital. / Percepción de conocimiento sobre Nutrición Clínica hospitalaria en los médicos residentes de un hospital terciario.

INTRODUCTION: Resident physicians' proper use of nutritional support and knowledge about Clinical Nutrition is essential to ensuring that their patients receive suitable nutritional care. MATERIALS AND METHOD: An online survey was sent to resident physicians at our hospital in specialisations with hospital beds. The survey featured 20 multiple-choice questions scored from 1 to 10 (1 being "completely disagree" and 10 being "completely agree") across the following themes: nutritional assessment, diets, oral nutritional supplements, enteral nutrition and perception of the Nutrition Unit. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 69% of resident physicians in medical specialisations and 70% of those in surgical specialisations. Overall, the average survey score was 6.28, with higher scores among medical residents than surgical residents (6.86 versus 5.38; p < 0.001), especially in the sections on nutritional assessment, diets and oral nutritional supplements. The respondents had a positive perception of the Nutrition Unit (mean score 7.6). DISCUSSION: Residents in medical specialisations afford greater importance to their patients' nutrition than residents in surgical specialisations, although in both groups the average score was rather low. There is much room for improvement in the training in Clinical Nutrition of this group, and it is important to include topics in Clinical Nutrition in training programmes for all residents in hospital specialisations.

Analysis of the evolution of the publication of case reports in endocrinology journals. / Análisis de la evolución en la publicación de casos clínicos en revistas de endocrinología.

INTRODUCTION: A case report is a scientific article describing one or more patients with unusual clinical presentations. In recent years, the number of case reports in publications has decreased. In this study, we analyze the publication of case reports in journals of Endocrinology during the years 2010, 2015 and 2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Pubmed web was browsed for clinical journals of Endocrinology, those published in English and/or Spanish being selected, and the relevant variables analyzed. RESULTS: Of 84 analyzed journals, 51 accepted cases for publication, 29 did not, and 4 did so only in exceptional cases. In 2010, 11,754 articles were published, of which 709 were clinical cases (6.9% of the total); in 2015, a total of 14,594 articles of which 655 were clinical cases (5.8% of the total); and in 2019 a total of 14,110 articles, of which 472 were clinical cases (4.6% of the total). In journals demanding payment for the publishing of clinical cases, case reports represented 9% of all articles, and in free journals, 3% (P<.05). CONCLUSION: There has been a decline in publication of case reports in journals of Endocrinology in recent years, both in absolute and relative terms. Even though the cases described by these reports are, by definition, exceptional, the decline of their publication implies a significant loss of scientific information and clinical knowledge regarding certain pathologies.