Association between nutritional risk based on the NRS-2002 test and hospital morbidity and mortality.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the relationship between the presence of malnutrition (MN), as measured by the NRS-2002 nutritional evaluation, and the rate of morbidity and mortality. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Patients admitted to Mateu Orfila Hospital, the regional hospital for the island of Menorca, Spain. SUBJECTS: 1,075 patients who were admitted to Mateu Orfila Hospital (Menorca) who had laboratory studies and a nutritional risk (NR) evaluation available were studied. Those who had a clinical suspicion of MN or those at risk were studied. INTERVENTION: Demographic (age, gender) and clinical (current weight, normal weight, body mass index, weight loss, oral intake, presence of intestinal failure, fistula, renal failure, respiratory infection, urinary infection, hyperglycaemia, admission to the ICU, hospital stay, days of parenteral nutrition treatment and reason for admission) were collected during hospitalisation, as well as hospital mortality and mortality at 6 months following discharge. All underwent the NRS-2002 test. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 67.9 years and 58.3% were men. 62% of patients met the criteria for manutrition according to the NRS-2002 test. A statistically significant association was seen between malnutrition according to the NRS-2002 and intestinal failure, fistula, renal failure, respiratory infection, hyperglycemia, hospital mortality and mortality at 6 months. CONCLUSION: Malnutrition affects more than half of the patients who are admitted to a medium-long admission hospital and it is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The results underscore the need to establish an update plan and preventative and therapeutic nutritional follow-up. These measures reduce the rate of avoidable complications and save the costs associated with them.

[Retrospective assessment of effective and safety of cinacalcet for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism depending on basal iPTH level]. / Evaluación retrospectiva de la efectividad y seguridad de cinacalcet para el tratamiento de hiperparatiroidismo secundario dependiendo del valor basal de paratohormona intacta.

OBJECTIVE: Cinacalcet is a calcimimetic agent, recommended for treating refractory secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients undergoing dialysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cinacalcet, comparing patients with baseline iPTH > 300 pg/ml with those with iPTH < 300 pg/ml. METHOD: Observational retrospective study of patients being treated with cinacalcet 30 mg/day from January 2008 to January 2009. We studied 26 patients, 15 with iPTH > 300 pg/ml and 11 with iPTH < 300 pg/ml. The primary efficacy outcome was that there was a reduction between baseline and final iPTH (4 month). The secondary efficacy outcome were the reduction between basal and final calcium, phosphorus, Ca x P, and the percentage of patients with an iPTH decrease > 30%. The safety was evaluated based on the most frequent adverse effects and the levels of serum calcium < 8.6 mg/dl. RESULTS: Patients with initial iPTH > 300 had significant differences before and after cinacalcet treatment in iPTH (563.49+286.88 pg/ml vs 315.15+201.948 pg/ml; P=.017) and serum calcium (9.1+1.77 mg/dl vs 8.15+1.2mg/dl; P=.02). There were no significant differences in patients with initial iPTH < 300 pg/ml. A decrease greater than 30% from baseline iPTH was observed in 60% of patients with baseline iPTH > 300 pg/ml, and only in 27.3% of those with basal iPTH < 300 pg/ml (P=.098). Patients did not show gastric intolerance. CONCLUSIONS: Cinacalcet is an effective and safe drug for controlling secondary hyperparathyroidism in dialysis, mainly when it is used in patients with baseline iPTH > 300 pg/ml.

Effectiveness of perioperative glutamine in parenteral nutrition in patients at risk of moderate to severe malnutrition.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: To determine whether perioperative glutamine supplementation of parenteral nutrition (PN) has an impact on morbidity and mortality of patients with previous moderate to severe risk of malnutrition. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted comparing the following groups: Control group 1: without glutamine dipeptide supplementation of PN during the perioperative period. Control group 2: PN was supplemented with glutamine dipeptide (0.4 g/kg/day) after surgery only. Group 3 (follow-up group): PN was supplemented with glutamine dipeptide (0.4 g/kg/day) in the perioperative period. Postoperative morbidity and mortality was recorded. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients matched for baseline and surgical characteristics were recruited into the study. Univariate analysis showed a lower incidence of hyperglycemia and ICU admission in group 3, and a trend to significance (P = 0.078) in terms of a lower incidence of infection. In the multivariate analysis, only group 3 met the models of ICU admission (OR = 0.28), hyperglycemia (OR = 0.11), and renal failure (OR = 0.19). CONCLUSIONS: The results show that perioperative use of glutamine dipeptide in patients at risk of moderate to severe malnutrition before surgery is an effective option for decreasing the morbidity associated with malnutrition, as it improves blood glucose modulation and reduces infection and ICU stay.

[Glutamine use for parenteral nutrition in the critically ill patient: effects on morbimortality]. / Utilización de glutamina en nutrición parenteral en paciente crítico: efectos sobre la morbi-mortalidad.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between adding glutamine dipeptides to parenteral nutrition (PN) and morbimortality in the critically ill patient. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Case-control retrospective study. The cases were patients to whom PN supplemented with 2 g of nitrogen (glutamine) was administered during the period 2001-2004. Controls were patients with PN without glutamine, collected during the year 2000. All included patients had infection defined as the presence of an infectious site plus more than two of the following criteria: leucocytes > 12.000 x 10(6)/L, fever > 38 degrees C, heart rate > 90 bmp, or PCO2 < 31 mmHg. Besides, they had to have prealbumin plasma levels < 15 g/L or albumin levels < 25 g/L, and CRP > 100 mg/L or a fistula. Patients with renal failure, previous dialysis, hepatic encephalopathy, or mixed diet were excluded from the study. Morbimortality variables collected were: hyperglycemia, renal failure, days on PN, days in the ICU, hospitalization days, and mortality. RESULTS: Two hundred and two patients (75 cases and 127 controls) were included. In the previous univariate analysis no significant differences appeared for independent variables between both groups. In the multivariate analysis, glutamine addition was significantly associated to lower renal failure incidence (OR: 0.28; CI: 0.081.00), lower hyperglycemia (OR: 0.38; CI: 0.19-0.75), less hospitalization days (OR: 0.64; CI: 0.44-0.92), and fewer days in the ICU (OR: 0.64; CI: 0.45-0.93). For the variable "exitus", glutamine addition showed a trend towards inclusion into the model (p = 0.097). About the days on PN, the variable glutamine was not included into the model. CONCLUSIONS: In critically ill patients, adding glutamine to PN leads to quicker recovery and lower incidence of hyperglycemia and renal failure. In view of these results, adding glutamine to PN of particular patients is an effective measure to speed up their recovery and avoid certain complications.

[Automation of parenteral nutrition elaboration: adaptation to in force legislation]. / Automatización de la elaboración de nutrición parenteral: adecuación a la legislación actual.

INTRODUCTION: Quality and efficiency criteria of allowances associated to technological procedures are developing in a setting that values quality, and from there the Real Decree RD175/2001 has been issued by which the rules of correct elaboration and quality control of formulations and pharmacy preparations. Parenteral nutrition (PN) is a formulation and, as such, its elaboration and control have to agree with the in force regulations. With this aim, at the Bellvitge University Hospital we have developed a project for automation of elaboration of PN mixtures with the MicroMacro Pump 23 Baxa Compounder. OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of implementing an automated system of volumetric control in PN elaboration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The project development may be divided into two differentiated aspects. The first one consisted in the implementation and optimization of the automated system of volumetric control (ASVC). The second aspect comprehends the comparative control performed between the new system and the previous one, and which consisted of a gravimetric system with visual control. For that, real weights were gathered and were compared to predicted weights, and the time of elaboration per bag before and at two times after the implementation of the automated system was registered; the first time just after implementation of the system, and the second time within one year. RESULTS: For the comparison study between both systems used, 141 preparations in total, corresponding to individualized PN, were analyzed: 47 elaborated by means of the gravimetric system (GS), 47 with the ASVC during the implementation period (PN ASVC period 1), 47 PN elaborated with the ASVC within one year of implementation (PN ASVC period 2). The average variation between real weight and predicted weight at the three periods (pre-ASVC, NP ASVC period 1, NP ASVC period 2) was 2.41%, 1.35% and 1.25% respectively (table I). This decrease was statistically significant (p = 0.014). When analyzing the percentage of preparations out of the 3% variation range, we observed a significant reduction (p = 0.00001) by comparing the three periods (Table II). The average elaboration time with the ASVC increased approximately in 4 minutes by bag (3 min 58 sec) during the first studied period, and 3 min 10 sec during the second period, as compared with the study period with the GS. CONCLUSIONS: The new bag-filling system by means of volumetric control represents an improvement in accuracy control and a decrease in the risk for surpassing the acceptable limits. The implementation of a new technological procedure is a difficult task that implies the change of many aspects of the daily practice and that requires a "cultural" change in the PN Unit with the aim of optimizing the process. However, these issues allow for an adaptation to legal requisites in force regarding the regulations of proper elaboration and quality control of formulations as well as an improvement in the integral quality of care.

[Perioperative management of chronic medications not related with surgical procedures]. / Manejo perioperatorio de la medicación crónica no relacionada con la cirugía.

The correct management of chronic medications not related with surgical procedures in the perioperative period has a relevant place because each year millions of patients around the world undergo surgical procedures. For this reason the assistencial team should be aware of the importance of continuate or discontinuate determinate drugs during perioperative period because some of them are considered an important risk factor in the development of complications. The key is to differentiate necessary from unnecessary medication. This is a complex aspect, little studied, which difficult clinical decisions and favours the coexistence of several trends of clinical practice. The purpose of this review is to describe the factors that determinate the continuity or suspension of chronic medications which are not related with surgery in the perioperative period and to provide practice recommendations in lights of available publications.

[Profhylaxis and treatment of hereditary and acquired angioedema at HUB; use of the C1-esterase inhibitor]. / Profilaxis y tratamiento del angioedema hereditario y adquirido en el HUB; utilización del inhibidor de la C1-esterasa.

INTRODUCTION: Hereditary and acquired angioedema result from a deficiency in first complement component esterase (C1-esterase) inhibitor. It is characterized by transient subcutaneous tissue, intestinal wall, and upper airway swelling, which may lead to asphyxia and death. The pathophysiology, classification, diagnosis, and treatment of this condition are discussed, as is the follow-up of patients diagnosed with angioedema who received 1 vial of concentrated C1-INH (Berinert); the contribution of the Pharmacy Department in the dispensation and control of said drug is also assessed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: PubMed and other relevant sources were searched. Patient, dispensation, and Berinert(R) indication data were collected from controlled prescriptions; follow-up was completed by performing a medical history, collecting laboratory data, and patient interview when needed. RESULTS: Eight out of 9 cases were of hereditary angioedema, and 1 case was of acquired angioedema. Danazol was used as long-term prophylaxis in 8 patients, but side effects forced discontinuation in some of them. The C1-INH concentrate was effective in 6 acute episodes that were detected during the study, as well as in 3 surgical prophylaxis cases (overall use 6,500 U). CONCLUSION: Danazol was effective as prophylactic treatment, but had severe side effects. The C1-INH concentrate was effective both as prophylactic therapy and treatment for acute episodes. An adequate stock of this product will be available at the Pharmacy Department.