Manejo del ictus agudo. Tratamientos y cuidados específicos de enfermería en la Unidad de Ictus / Management of acute stroke. Specific nursing care and treatments in the stroke unit

Objetivo: Proporcionar un conjunto de recomendaciones actualizadas y basadas en la evidenciadisponible para el manejo del ictus agudo. Nuestro objetivo es proporcionar una base para eldesarrollo de los protocolos internos de cada centro, sirviendo de referencia para los cuidadosde enfermería. Métodos: Revisión de evidencias disponibles sobre los cuidados del ictus agudo. Se han consultado las guías nacionales e internacionales más recientes. Los niveles de evidencia y grados derecomendación se han basado en la clasificación del Centro de Medicina Basada en la Evidenciade Oxford. Resultados: Se describen la atención y los cuidados del ictus agudo en la fase prehospitalaria,el funcionamiento de código ictus, la atención por el equipo de ictus a la llegada al hospital,los tratamientos de reperfusión y sus limitaciones, el ingreso en la Unidad de Ictus, los cuidadosde enfermería en la Unidad de Ictus y el alta hospitalaria. Conclusiones: Estas pautas proporcionan recomendaciones generales basadas en la evidenciaactualmente disponible para guiar a los profesionales que atienden a pacientes con ictus agudo.En algunos casos, sin embargo, existen datos limitados demostrando la necesidad de continuarinvestigando sobre el manejo del ictus agudo.(AU)

Objective: This study provides a series of updated, evidence-based recommendations for the management of acute stroke. We aim to lay a foundation for the development of individual centres’ internal protocols, serving as a reference for nursing care. Methods: We review the available evidence on acute stroke care. The most recent national and international guidelines were consulted. Levels of evidence and degrees of recommendation are based on the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine classification. Results: The study describes prehospital acute stroke care, the operation of the code stroke protocol, care provided by the stroke team upon the patient’s arrival at hospital, reperfusion treatments and their limitations, admission to the stroke unit, nursing care in the stroke unit, and discharge from hospital. Conclusions: These guidelines provide general, evidence-based recommendations to guide professionals who care for patients with acute stroke. However, limited data are available on some aspects, showing the need for continued research on acute stroke management.(AU)

Management of acute stroke. Specific nursing care and treatments in the stroke unit.

OBJECTIVE: This study provides a series of updated, evidence-based recommendations for the management of acute stroke. We aim to lay a foundation for the development of individual centres' internal protocols, serving as a reference for nursing care. METHODS: We review the available evidence on acute stroke care. The most recent national and international guidelines were consulted. Levels of evidence and degrees of recommendation are based on the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine classification. RESULTS: The study describes prehospital acute stroke care, the operation of the code stroke protocol, care provided by the stroke team upon the patient's arrival at hospital, reperfusion treatments and their limitations, admission to the stroke unit, nursing care in the stroke unit, and discharge from hospital. CONCLUSIONS: These guidelines provide general, evidence-based recommendations to guide professionals who care for patients with acute stroke. However, limited data are available on some aspects, showing the need for continued research on acute stroke management.

B-type natriuretic peptide over N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide to predict incident atrial fibrillation after cryptogenic stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are well-known surrogates of atrial fibrillation (AF) detection but studies usually present data on either BNP or NT-proBNP. The aim was to determine and directly compare the validity of the two biomarkers as a tool to predict AF and guide prolonged cardiac monitoring in cryptogenic stroke patients. METHODS: Non-lacunar acute ischaemic stroke (<72 h) patients over 55 years of age with cryptogenic stroke after standard evaluation were included in the Crypto-AF study and blood was collected. BNP and NT-proBNP levels were determined by automated immunoassays. AF was assessed by 28 days' monitoring. Highest (optimizing specificity) and lowest (optimizing sensitivity) quartiles were used as biomarker cut-offs to build predictive models adjusted by sex and age. The integrated discrimination improvement index (IDI) and DeLong test were used to compare the performance of the two biomarkers. RESULTS: From 320 patients evaluated, 218 were included in the analysis. AF was detected in 50 patients (22.9%). NT-proBNP (P < 0.001) and BNP (P < 0.001) levels were higher in subjects with AF and their levels correlated (r = 0.495, P < 0.001). BNP showed an increased area under the curve (0.720 vs. 0.669; P = 0.0218) and a better predictive capacity (IDI = 3.63%, 95% confidence interval 1.36%-5.91%) compared to NT-proBNP. BNP performed better than NT-proBNP in a specific model (IDI = 3.7%, 95% confidence interval 0.87%-6.5%), whilst both biomarkers performed similarly in the case of a sensitive model. CONCLUSIONS: Both BNP and NT-proBNP were increased in cryptogenic stroke patients with AF detection. Interestingly, BNP outperforms NT-proBNP, especially in terms of specificity.

Management of acute stroke. Specific nursing care and treatments in the stroke unit. / Manejo del ictus agudo. Tratamientos y cuidados específicos de enfermería en la Unidad de Ictus.

OBJECTIVE: This study provides a series of updated, evidence-based recommendations for the management of acute stroke. We aim to lay a foundation for the development of individual centres' internal protocols, serving as a reference for nursing care. METHODS: We review the available evidence on acute stroke care. The most recent national and international guidelines were consulted. Levels of evidence and degrees of recommendation are based on the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine classification. RESULTS: The study describes prehospital acute stroke care, the operation of the code stroke protocol, care provided by the stroke team upon the patient's arrival at hospital, reperfusion treatments and their limitations, admission to the stroke unit, nursing care in the stroke unit, and discharge from hospital. CONCLUSIONS: These guidelines provide general, evidence-based recommendations to guide professionals who care for patients with acute stroke. However, limited data are available on some aspects, showing the need for continued research on acute stroke management.

Large vessel occlusion is independently associated with atrial fibrillation detection.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Covert paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pAF) is the most frequent cause of cardiac embolism. Our goal was to discover parameters associated with early pAF detection with intensive cardiac monitoring. METHOD: Crypto-AF was a multicentre prospective study (four Comprehensive Stroke Centres) to detect pAF in non-lacunar cryptogenic stroke continuously monitored within the first 28 days. Stroke severity, infarct pattern, large vessel occlusion (LVO) at baseline, electrocardiography analysis, supraventricular extrasystolia in the Holter examination, left atrial volume index and brain natriuretic peptide level were assessed. The percentage of pAF detection and pAF episodes lasting more than 5 h were registered. RESULTS: Out of 296 patients, 264 patients completed the monitoring period with 23.1% (61/264) of pAF detection. Patients with pAF were older [odds ratio (OR) 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.08], they had more haemorrhagic infarction (OR 4.03, 95% CI 1.44-11.22), they were more likely to have LVO (OR 4.29, 95% CI 2.31-7.97) (P < 0.0001), they had a larger left atrial volume index (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.1) (P = 0.0002) and they had a higher level of brain natriuretic peptide (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.0-1.1). Age and LVO were independently associated with pAF detection (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.00-1.16, and OR 4.58, 95% CI 2.27- 21.38, respectively). Patients with LVO had higher cumulative incidence of pAF (log rank P < 0.001) and more percentage of pAF > 5 h [29.6% (21/71) vs. 8.3% (12/144); OR 4.62, 95% CI 2.11-10.08; P < 0.001]. In a mean follow-up of 26.82 months (SD 10.15) the stroke recurrence rate was 4.6% (12/260). CONCLUSIONS: Large vessel occlusion in cryptogenic stroke emerged as an independent marker of pAF.

Recurrent Glomerulonephritis in Renal Transplantation: Experience in Our Renal Transplantation Center.

BACKGROUND: Post-transplant recurrent glomerulonephritis (RGN) is the third cause of graft failure in the first year after renal transplantation (RT). The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence of RGN, clinical presentation, and clinical evolution of transplanted renal graft in patients who underwent RT at our center. METHODS: We studied patients with glomerulonephritis (GN) who underwent RT (2007 to 2013).We analyzed sex, age, time in dialysis, type of GN, type of RT, time to post-transplant RGN, kidney function at the time of diagnosis of RGN, and renal graft evolution. Renal biopsy samples were processed in the anatomic pathology laboratory. RESULTS: Three hundred sixteen patients received kidney transplantation during this time period. In 83 cases, the reason for transplantation was primary GN. Of these 83 patients, 15 (18%) had RGN confirmed by renal biopsy. Data for these 15 patients include sex: 73.3% men, 26.7% women; mean age: 42.2 (29-73) years; type of RT: 80% cadaveric donor (CD) versus 20% living donor (LD); type of GN: 18.4% immunoglobulin (Ig)A nephropathy, 35.7% membranous GN, 10.53% type I membrano-proliferative GN (MPGN I), and 16.6% focal segmental glomerular sclerosis (FSGS). The mean time to post-transplant RGN was 2 years (1 month to 16 years). Patients who received an LD transplant had a shorter time to post-transplant RGN than those who had a CD transplant. One patient with FSGS and one with MPGN I had a time to post-transplant RGN of less than 1 year. In the evolution of renal function, 33.3% of patients had graft failure. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of RGN was lower (18%) than that published in the literature. Membranous nephropathy was the most frequent cause of post-transplant RGN. Patients who underwent LD transplantation and those with IgA nephropathy had a shorter interval of time to post-transplant RGN than patients with FSGS and MPGN I.

Late Onset of Cholesterol Embolism Leading to Graft Failure After Renal Transplantation: Report of Two Cases.

Cholesterol-crystal embolization (CE) usually presents as an acute or subacute multisystemic disease. When affecting native kidneys prognosis is poor, often leading to chronic kidney disease. Presentation in renal allografts is a rare condition although probably underdiagnosed. If renal CE originates from the recipient, allograft survival is usually good, whereas if the donor is the origin, graft dysfunction and subsequent graft loss are common. Associated risk factors are common to native and transplanted kidneys. We report 2 renal graft recipients of different cadaveric donors, both male and 68 years old, diagnosed with CE in renal grafts at 19 and 72 months after transplantation, respectively. They presented previous risk factors for CE, including severe atherosclerosis. They presented insidious and asymptomatic impairment of renal function initially. Renal graft biopsy specimens showed CE in the interlobular arteries. Potential triggers for CE were suspended and high doses of steroids were started. However, progressive decline in renal function and requirement of chronic dialysis occurred within the first year after diagnosis in both cases. Herein we discuss the causal or incidental role of CE in the graft failure of these cases, highlighting the serious outcome despite the recipient origin of the CE and the initiation of treatment.

Nodular Arteriolar Hyalinosis as Histopathologic Hallmark of Calcineurin Inhibitor Nephrotoxicity: Does It Always Have the Same Meaning?

INTRODUCTION: Nodular arteriolar hyalinosis (NAH) is a typical, although not specific, histological finding of calcineurin inhibitor toxicity (CNIT). The objective of our study was to assess the reason why some patients showing strong NAH in renal graft biopsies who underwent calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) withdrawal presented very poor outcome whereas others improved graft function. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed 207 renal graft biopsies between January 2011 and May 2014 due to clinical criteria. In 13 patients CNI withdrawal was performed, and the major histopathological finding was severe NAH. The results after this action were analyzed. RESULTS: We selected 2 groups: good outcome and poor outcome. Eight patients showed good results including stabilization or improvement of graft function. Five patients presented poor results requiring chronic hemodialysis. C4d staining was negative in all biopsy specimens, and peritubular capillaritis was not observed. To identify potential prognostic markers we retrospectively reviewed biopsy samples looking for minor or nonspecific features, especially inflammation scores both global and on fibrotic areas as per Banff classification. Mean serum creatinine level at time of biopsy and mean arteriolar hyalinosis score did not show significant differences between both groups. In contrast, the poor results group presented a higher mean global inflammation score compared with the good results patients. CONCLUSIONS: NAH is not a risk factor for poor renal graft outcome by itself. Other histopathologic findings, usually considered as secondary markers, like the inflammation score, should be considered before deciding CNI withdrawal.

Posttransplantation anemia: relationship with inflammatory markers, oxidation, and prohepcidin levels.

BACKGROUND: Anemia frequently occurs after kidney transplantation, its origin is multifactorial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of anemia among kidney transplantation patients at 3 months after transplantation and its relationship to inflammatory, oxidative, and nutritional states. Furthermore, we determined serum prohepcidin, a precursor of hepcidin, the main hormone implicated in iron metabolism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a transverse retrospective study in 130 patients who underwent kidney transplantation, including 89 men and 41 women. Patients were randomized according to the presence or absence of anemia at 3 months. The patients' inflammatory, oxidative, and nutritional states were evaluated as well as renal function and serum prohepcidin at 3 months. RESULTS: Twenty-four percent of the patients developed anemia at 3 months after transplantation. These patients presented with a greater inflammatory state, a poor nutritional status, and poor renal function. Serum prohepcidin was significantly lower compared with the transplantation patients who did not show anemia. CONCLUSIONS: Serum prohepcidin was significantly higher among kidney transplantation patients who did not develop anemia. The inflammatory state may be a determinant of the response to treatment with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in anemic kidney transplant recipients.

Inhibitory quotient as a prognostic factor of response to a salvage antiretroviral therapy containing ritonavir-boosted saquinavir. The CIVSA Study.

BACKGROUND: The addition of a low dose of ritonavir to protease inhibitors (PIs) has become a widespread strategy to improve PI pharmacokinetics. As resistance is a major barrier to long-term suppression, in salvage therapy genotype and/or phenotype scoring is currently used to predict the response. We evaluated the relationship between the saquinavir (SQV) inhibitory quotient (IQ) (virtual and genotypic) and virological response. METHODS: Eligible patients were on a PI-containing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimen excluding SQV and had a viral load >5000 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL. The PI was switched to SQV/ritonavir (RTV) 1000/100 mg twice a day (bid) and the same two backbone nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) were maintained at least until week 4, when the resistance test results became available. Genotype and virtual phenotype were determined at baseline, while the SQV trough plasma concentration was determined at week 4. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients were included in the study. Mean baseline viral load and CD4 count were 137,693 copies/mL and 263 cells/microL, respectively, the mean number of previous PIs was 2.3 and the mean number of protease gene mutations (PGMs) was 4.1. Using an on-treatment analysis, at week 16 the mean increase in CD4 count was 70.9 cells/microL, viral load was <200 copies/mL in 17 out of 37 patients (45.9%), and 30 out of 45 patients (66.7%) were considered virological responders (VRs) (viral load <200 copies/mL or viral load declined > or =1 log(10) at week 16). Median virtual phenotype was 1.3 (0.6-6.9). Baseline differences were detected between VR and non-VR populations: the mean numbers of PGMs were 3.2 and 5.8 (P<0.05), the mean numbers of SQV-associated mutations were 2 and 3.8 (P<0.05), and the mean CD4 counts were 365.9 and 184.3 cells/microL (P<0.05), respectively. Mean SQV trough concentrations at week 4 were 1.1 and 1.0 microg/mL (not significant), and mean virtual IQs were 0.7 and 0.1 (P<0.01), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that baseline PGMs >5 or SQV-associated mutations>5, virtual phenotype, baseline viral load >50,000 copies/mL, and virtual IQ <0.5, but not genotypic IQ, were the variables independently associated with non-VR. CONCLUSION: In heavily pretreated patients, the use of SQV virtual IQ or alternatively virtual phenotype, as well as PGMs, is a useful tool for the prediction of virological response.

Eficacia del TAC abdominal en el diagnóstico de la acumulación de grasa víscero-abdominal en pacientes con infección por VIH tratados con inhibidores de proteasas / Effectiveness of the abdominal CT in diagnosis of the viscero-abdominal fat accumulation in HIV patients treated with protease inhibitors

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Invaginación sigmoidoanal: caso clínico / Sigmoid-anal invagination. Case report

Presentamos, dada su rareza, un nuevo caso de invaginación sigmoidoanal. Se trata de una mujer de 61 años que acudió a urgencias presentando el sigma invaginado a través del ano por un adenocarcinoma de sigma. Una vez diagnosticada mediante los hallazgos clínicos, exploración física y realización de enema opaco, fue tratada quirúrgicamente realizándose una laparotomía con desinvaginación y resección del rectosigma con colostomía ilíaca proximal y fístula mucosa distal. Se analizan los aspectos etiopatogénicos, diagnósticos y terapéuticos de la invaginación intestinal en el adulto y, en particular, de la invaginación sigmoidoanal (AU)

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[Community acquired pneumonia requiring admission to hospital. Etiology and follow-up of 366 cases]. / Neumonía adquirida en la comunidad que requiere ingreso hospitalario. Aspectos etiológicos y evolutivos entre 366 casos.

UNLABELLED: An eighteen-month prospective study designed to determine the incidence, etiology and prognosis of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults requiring admission to hospital. METHODS: We studied 366 patients admitted to hospital after being diagnosed of CAP at the Emergency Room of a General Hospital. Standard laboratory methods were used for culture from blood and sputum, and serology tests for Legionella pneumophila. Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia psittaci and Coxiella burnetti. Patients were evaluated until complete recovery, paying special attention to prognostic factors predictive of death. RESULTS: An etiological diagnosis was established in 99 patients (27.6%). Legionella pneumophila was the most common pathogen accounting for 30 cases (8.2%), followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae with 26 cases. 26 patients died (mortality rate of 7%); factors predictive of death included pre-existing disease, tachypnea and elevated blood urea nitrogen level. CONCLUSIONS: CAP represented 4.4% of admissions. Legionella pneumophila was the most frequently identified pathogen. If tachypnea and/or uremia are noted on admission, there is an increase in the risk of death.

[Immunoglobulins, beta-2 microglobulin and lymphocyte subpopulations in patients addicted to parenteral drugs (IVDA)]. / Estudio de las inmunoglobulinas, beta-2 microglobulina y subpoblaciones linfocíticas en pacientes adictos a drogas por vía parenteral (ADVP).

Disorders in serum immunoglobulins, beta-2 microglobulin and lymphocyte subpopulations in parenterally drug-addict patients (PDAP) are analyzed. The study is divided in three parts. In the first one, a group of 33 HIV-negative PDAP without intercurrent diseases is compared with a control group of healthy non-addict persons. In the second part, the differences between a group of 58 HIV-negative PDAP and a group of 95 HIV-positive PDAP are studied. In the third part, the differences between the group of HIV-negative PDAP without associated procedures and a subgroup of HIV-positive patients including 31 asymptomatic carriers in phase II, are studied. No statistically significant differences were detected between the control group and the HIV-negative PDAP group. The HIV-positive PDAP group showed lymphocytes CD3, CD4 and a CD4/CD3 ratio statistically lower than the HIV-negative group, as well as a significant increase of the immunoglobulin IgG and beta-2 microglobulin. The same results were obtained when the subgroup of HIV-positive patients in phase II was compared with the group of HIV-negative PDAP without intercurrent diseases. According to these results, we conclude that the immunological disorders detected in PDAP patients seem to be more related with the infection by the human immunodeficiency virus and with other associated infections than with the drug-addiction itself.