Antibacterial effect of sevoflurane and isoflurane.

OBJECTIVE: Multidrug resistant bacteria are increasing worldwide and therapeutic options are limited. Some anaesthetics have shown antibacterial activity before. In this study, we have investigated the antibacterial effect of the halogenated anaesthetic agents sevoflurane and isoflurane against a range of resistant pathogens. METHODS: Two experiments were conducted. In the first, bacterial suspensions of both ATCC and resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were exposed to liquid sevoflurane and isoflurane during 15, 30 and 60 minutes. In the second experiment clinical resistant strains of E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, P. aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, S. aureus, and Enterococcus faecium were studied. Previously inoculated agar plates were irrigated with the halogenated anaesthetic agents and these were left to evaporate before the plates were incubated. In both experiments colony forming units were counted in resultant plates. RESULTS: In the first experiment, isoflurane showed faster and higher antimicrobial effect than sevoflurane against all the strains studied. Gram-negative organisms were more susceptible. In the second experiment, E. faecium was found to be resistant to both halogenated agents; only isoflurane showed statistically significant activity against the rest of the strains studied. CONCLUSIONS: Both halogenated agents, but particularly isoflurane, showed in vitro antibacterial activity against pathogens resistant to conventional antibiotics. Further investigation is required to determine whether or not they also exhibit this property in vivo. This might then allow these agents to be considered as rescue treatment against multidrug resistant pathogens, including a topical use in infected wounds.

Right knee pain, swelling and fever in a young immunocompetent male / Gonalgia, tumefacción derecha y fiebre en paciente joven inmunocompetente

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[Ultrasound-guided biopsy of the pancreas: a multicenter study]. / Punción pancreática ecodirigida: estudio multicéntrico.

OBJECTIVE: Members of "Asociación de Ecografía Digestiva" decided to carry out a multicenter retrospective study on fine-needle aspiration biopsy for pancreatic space-occupying lesions under ultrasonographic guidance and via the percutaneous route in order to assess this technique s performance versus endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsy. SUBJECTS: 10 hospitals for a total of 222 patients with suspiciously malignant, 8-120-mm pancreatic lesions were included in the study. RESULTS: The analysis of results shows a sensitivity of 89%, a specificity of 98%, a positive predictive value of 99%, and a negative predictive value of 74%, for an overall diagnostic accuracy of 91%. No major complications occurred. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous fine-needle aspiration for pancreatic lesions is highly cost-effective and has few and mild complications.

Punción pancreática ecodirigida: estudio multicéntrico / Ultrasound-guided biopsy of the páncreas: a multicenter study

Objetivo: en el seno de la Asociación de Ecografía Digestivase decidió realizar un estudio retrospectivo multicéntrico sobre lapunción-aspiración con aguja fina (PAAF) de lesiones ocupantesde espacio pancreáticas, mediante control ecográfico y por víapercutánea, con el objetivo de valorar el rendimiento de dicha técnicay poder compararla con la punción mediante ultrasonografíaendoscópica.Participantes: en el estudio han participado 10 hospitalescon 222 pacientes con lesiones pancreáticas entre 8 y 120 mm,sospechosas de malignidad.Resultados: el análisis de los resultados muestra una sensibilidaddel 89%, especificidad 98%, valor predictivo positivo 99% ynegativo 74%, con precisión diagnóstica global 91%. No encontramosninguna complicación significativa.Conclusión: la PAAF de lesiones pancreáticas por vía percutáneaes de alta rentabilidad diagnóstica y con pocas y leves complicaciones

Objective: members of “Asociación de Ecografía Digestiva”decided to carry out a multicenter retrospective study on fine-needleaspiration biopsy for pancreatic space-occupying lesions underultrasonographic guidance and via the percutaneous route in orderto assess this technique’s performance versus endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsy.Subjects: 10 hospitals for a total of 222 patients with suspiciouslymalignant, 8-120-mm pancreatic lesions were included inthe study.Results: the analysis of results shows a sensitivity of 89%, aspecificity of 98%, a positive predictive value of 99%, and a negativepredictive value of 74%, for an overall diagnostic accuracy of91%. No major complications occurred.Conclusion: percutaneous fine-needle aspiration for pancreaticlesions is highly cost-effective and has few and mild complications

[Digestive hemorrhage caused by gastric varices: usefulness of the techniques of endoscopic sclerosis]. / Hemorragia digestiva por varices gástricas: utilidad de las técnicas de esclerosis endoscópica.

Upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage secondary to gastric varices still has a high death rate. Fourteen patients were admitted to our unit with bleeding gastric varices from November 1989 to August 1991. Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy obtained control of the bleeding in 92.3%; however, recurrences occurred in 33% of these cases in the first 24-48 hours, with a death rate of 50% during the second stage of the upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Total mortality rate was 21.4%. Of the fourteen patients, nine exhibited junctional varices, while five hand fundic varices. In ten of the fourteen patients, gastric varices developed during esophageal sclerotherapy. While hospitalized, it was observed that patients with gastric varices in the fundus had more recurrences and mortality, than those located next to the cardio-esophageal junction. Sclerosis of the varices only obtained temporary control of the bleeding with greater frequency of recurrences and mortality.