Percutaneous Gastrostomies: Associated Complications in PUSH vs. PULL Techniques over 12 Years in a Referral Centre.

Objectives: To compare complications associated with percutaneous gastrostomies performed using PUSH and PULL techniques, whether endoscopic (PEG) or radiological (PRG), in a tertiary-level hospital. Methods: This was a prospective observational study. Adult patients who underwent percutaneous PULL or PUSH gastrostomy using PEG or PRG techniques at the Virgen del Rocio University Hospital and subsequently followed up in the Nutrition Unit between 2009-2020 were included. X2 tests or Fisher's test were used for the comparison of proportions when necessary. Univariate analysis was conducted to study risk factors for PRG-associated complications. Results: n = 423 (PULL = 181; PUSH = 242). The PULL technique was associated with a higher percentage of total complications (37.6% vs. 23.8%; p = 0.005), exudate (18.2% vs. 11.2%; p = 0.039), and irritation (3.3% vs. 0%; p = 0.006). In the total sample, there were 5 (1.1%) cases of peritonitis, 3 (0.7%) gastrocolic fistulas, and 1 (0.2%) death due to complications associated with gastrostomy. Gender, age, and different indications were not risk factors for a higher number of complications. The most common indications were neurological diseases (35.9%), head and neck cancer (29%), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (17.2%). Conclusions: The PULL technique was associated with more total complications than the PUSH technique, but both were shown to be safe techniques, as the majority of complications were minor.

Importancia de la sangre, hemoderivados y las donaciones voluntarias de sangre / Importance of voluntary blood donations. Blood and blood products

RESUMEN La terapia transfusional demanda de sólidos conocimientos para lograr planear y ejecutar un plan de trabajo integral para el logro del bienestar de la persona que lo requiera. El personal que desarrolla su profesión en aspectos relacionados con las transfusiones sanguíneas debe estar en una actualización continua de conocimientos, orientados a desarrollar nuevas técnicas así como medidas de seguridad. El objetivo de este trabajo fue abordar acerca de la importancia del uso de la sangre como recurso terapéutico, y el valor hermanado de la donación voluntaria y generoso de sangre lo que vincula al individuo a una nueva conducta y actitud hacia el mundo exterior natural, socia. La sangre constituye la materia prima esencial para los bancos de sangre, de ella se obtiene el plasma, glóbulos rojos, glóbulos blancos, plaquetas, hemoderivados y otros productos biológicos para terapias en la medicina transfusional. La donación voluntaria es una acción desprendida por el solo hecho de ayudar a otros a los que no se conoce, no sólo es la más generosa y la más ética, es el pilar de los servicios modernos de donación y transfusión sanguínea (AU).

SUMMARY Transfusion therapy demands solid knowledge to plan and perform a comprehensive work plan to achieve the wellbeing of persons needing it. The staff whose profession is related with blood transfusions should be continuously updating their knowledge, trying to develop new techniques and secure practices. The aim of this article was approaching the importance of using blood as therapeutic resource and the associated value of generous and voluntary donation, linking individuals to a new behavior and attitude to the natural and social outside world. Blood is the essential raw material for blood banks, obtaining from it plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, blood products and other biological products for therapies in transfusion medicine. Voluntary donation is a disinterested action just for the fact of helping unknown persons. It is not only the most generous and the most ethical action, but it is also the support of the modern blood donation and transfusion services (AU).

Impacto en el consumo de amikacina y ceftriaxone en una unidad de emergencias de adultos, luego de la implementación de una guía para el tratamiento de la infección urinaria alta / Impact on the consumption of ceftriaxone and amikacin in an adult emergency unit, after the implementation of a guide for the treatment of pyelonephritis

Introducción: los programas de optimización del uso de antimicrobianos son fundamentales para mejorar los resultados clínicos de los pacientes. Objetivos: determinar el impacto en el consumo de amikacina y ceftriaxona, además de cambios de sensibilidad de las principales bacterias en la unidad de emergencias del hospital Carlos van Buren de Valparaíso, Chile, luego de la implementación de una guía para el tratamiento de la ITU alta. Materiales y método: estudio cuasi-experimental antes/después. Se implementó una guía de tratamiento para la ITU alta, la cual fue enviada vía WhatsApp a los médicos de la unidad. Luego se midieron las dosis diarias definidas (DDD) de amikacina y ceftriaxona y se compararon con las DDD de los mismos meses del año anterior. Además se extrajo la sensibilidad de E.coli, K. pneumonia y P.mirabilis aisladas de urocultivos. Resultados: posterior a la intervención hubo un aumento de las DDD de amikacina y una disminución de las de ceftriaxona. K.pneumoniae mantuvo su sensibilidad a amikacina y la aumentó para cefotaxima, ertapenem y meropenem. Conclusiones: la implementación de una guía de tratamiento de la ITU alta aumentó el consumo de amikacina y disminuyó el de ceftriaxona. K.pneumoniae aumentó su sensibilidad a cefotaxima, ertapenem y meropenem.

Introduction: different antimicrobial stewardship programs are fundamental to improve clinical results in patients. Objectives: to determine the impact on amikacin and ceftriaxone consumption, in addition to knowing changes in sensitivity of the main agents in the emergency unit of the Carlos van Buren Hospital in Valparaíso, Chile, after the implementation of a treatment guide for pyelonephritis. Materials and methods: quasi-experimental before/after study. A treatment guide was implemented for pyelonephritis. The guide was sent by WhatsApp to all clinicians in the emergency unit. Following the intervention, amikacin and ceftriaxone defined daily dose (DDD) were measured and compared with the DDD for the same months of the previous year. In addition, the sensitivity of E.coli, K. pneumonia and P.mirabilis isolated from urine cultures was extracted. Results: after the intervention there was a sustained increase of the DDD of amikacin and a decrease in the DDD of ceftriaxone in the months studied period. K. pneumoniae maintained its sensitivity to amikacin and increased it to cefotaxime, ertapenem, and meropenem. Conclusions: The guide's implementation for treatment of high UTI in the emergency unit of the Carlos van Buren hospital increased the consumption of amikacin and decreased that of ceftriaxone. K. pneumoniae increased its sensitivity to cefotaxime, ertapenem and meropenem.

Structure-based design of cyclooxygenase-2 selectivity into ketoprofen.

We have recently described how to achieve COX-2 selectivity from the non-selective inhibitor indomethacin (1) using a combination of a pharmacophore and computer 3-D models based on the known X-ray crystal structures of cyclooxygenases. In the present study we have focused on the design of COX-2 selective analogues of the NSAID ketoprofen (2). The design is similarly based on the combined use of the previous pharmacophore together with traditional medicinal chemistry techniques motivated by the comparative modeling of the 3-D structures of 2 docked into the COX active sites. The analysis includes use of the program GRID to detect isoenzyme differences near the active site region and is aimed at suggesting modifications of the basic benzophenone frame of the lead compound 2. The resulting series of compounds bearing this central framework is exemplified by the potent and selective COX-2 inhibitor 17 (LM-1669).