Does preoperative hemodynamic preconditioning improve morbidity and mortality after traumatic hip fracture in geriatric patients? A retrospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Dehydration is a major problem in the older population with traumatic hip fractures (THF). A preoperative hemodynamic preconditioning (PHP) protocol may help in achieving hemodynamic stability to ensure adequate perfusion and oxygenation using only clinical parameters to assess cardiovascular performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-centre retrospective study in geriatric trauma patients was conducted in a Level 1 Trauma Centre in Switzerland. Patients over the age of 70 with THFs and with Portsmouth Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality (P-POSSUM) scores ≥ 5% who underwent surgical treatment between February 2015 and October 2017 were included. It was hypothesized that patients whose hemodynamic stability was optimised before surgery would have fewer complications and reduced mortality postoperatively. Primary outcomes were complications and mortality. Secondary outcomes were hospital length of stay (HLOS) and place of discharge. RESULTS: 100 patients were included in the PHP group and 79 patients were included in the non-PHP group. The median age was 86.5 (82-90) in the PHP group and 86 (82-90) in the non-PHP group. Patients who had been treated according to the PHP protocol showed a significant reduction in mortality at 30 days (p = 0.02). The PHP group showed an 8.1 and 3.5% reduced mortality at 90 days and at 1 year, respectively. The PHP group showed an 11.7% reduction of patients with complicated courses. No significant differences were seen in HLOS and discharge disposition. CONCLUSIONS: The PHP group showed a significant reduction in short-term mortality, a reduction in long-term mortality, and a reduction in the number of patients with complicated courses. The PHP protocol is a safe, strictly regulated, non-invasive fluid resuscitation protocol for the optimization of geriatric patients with a THF that requires minimal effort. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic.

The implementation of a Geriatric Fracture Centre for hip fractures to reduce mortality and morbidity: an observational study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an orthogeriatric treatment model on elderly patients with traumatic hip fractures (THF). The Geriatric Fracture Centre (GFC) is a multidisciplinary care pathway with attention for possible age-related diseases, discharge management and out-of-hospital treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study with a historical cohort group was conducted at a level I trauma centre in Switzerland. Patients over the age of 70 years with THFs who underwent surgical treatment at GFC in 2013 and 2016 were included. Primary outcomes were mortality and complications. Secondary outcomes were hospital length of stay (HLOS), time to surgery and place of discharge. RESULTS: A total of 322 patients were included in this study. In 2016, mortality showed a reduction of 2.9% at 30 days (p = 0.42) and 3.4% at 90 days (p = 0.42) and 0.1% at 1 year (p = 0.98). The number of patients with a complicated course showed a decrease of 2.2% in 2016 (p = 0.69). A significant increase in the diagnosis of delirium by 11.2% was seen in 2016 (p < 0.001). The median HLOS was significantly reduced by 2 days (p < 0.001). An increase of 21.1% was seen in patients who were sent to rehabilitation in 2016 (p < 0.001). Day-time surgery increased by 10.2% (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: The implementation of the GFC leads to improved processes and outcomes for geriatric patients with THFs. Increased awareness and recognition led to an increase in the diagnosis of complications that would otherwise remain untreated. Expanding these efforts might lead to more significant effects and an increase in the reduction of morbidity and mortality in the future.

Hiperparatiroidismo: tratamiento quirúrgico / Hyperparathyroidism: surgical treatment

Se presenta una serie de 17 pacientes con hiperparatiroidismo, primarios en 9 casos y secundarios a insuficiencia renal en 8 pacientes. Se destacan los aspectos fisiopatológicos involucrados. Se señalan las características clínicas en ambos grupos, los procedimientos diagnósticos efectuados y el tratamiento quirúrgico aplicado en ambos tipos de situaciones. Los resultados obtenidos son satisfactorios en 16 casos. Todos los casos de adenomas primarios mejoraron y muestran calcemias y cifras normales de PTH en controles alejados entre 1 y 7 años. El tratamiento quirúrgico del HPP es satisfactorio en la mayoría de los casos y la cirugía mínimamente invasiva parece ser la opción futura en el tratamiento de esta patología. Entre los casos de HPS un paciente hubo de ser reoperado por recidiva de la hiperplasia, con buen resultado final y otro mantiene cifras moderadamente altas de PTH plasmáticas. Los controles alejados en este grupo son satisfactorios y se han efectuado entre 5 meses y dos años. No hubo mortalidad en la serie y las complicaciones postoperatorias fueron menores.

Efficacy of three test doses to detect epidural catheter misplacement.

PURPOSE: To determine among three currently used epidural test doses which is the most reliable for the detection of accidental intrathecal misplacement of an epidural catheter, and which clinical sign is to be used as a marker. METHODS: Ninety orthopedic patients were allocated to either the continuous epidural or the continuous spinal group according to age, < or > 70 yr. They received, in a randomized, double-blind fashion, one of the three solutions: 60 mg lidocaine 2% (L2%), 7.5 mg bupivacaine 0.25% (B0.25%), or 15 mg bupivacaine 0.5% (B0.5%); all three solutions contained epinephrine. Objective variables studied every two minutes over the first ten minutes after injection included: presence of a sensory level > or = T12, presence of a motor block > or = 1, and anesthesia of segments L1, L2, S2 and S5. Subjective variables studied over the same period included paresthesias, sensation of warmth or cold, and muscle weakness. RESULTS: When using presence of motor block > or = 1 on the Bromage scale, the administration of 60 mg L2% with epinephrine identified all patients having an intrathecal catheter six minutes after injection, whereas none of the patients receiving the same solution through the epidural catheter presented a motor block. This was not the case for the other two solutions studied. CONCLUSION: Lidocaine 2% with epinephrine at a dose of 60 mg is the test dose of choice to detect the intrathecal misplacement of an epidural catheter. The presence of motor block > or = 1 is the only reliable clinical sign.

Metabolic effects of i.v. propacetamol, metamizol or external cooling in critically ill febrile sedated patients.

We have measured the metabolic response to sequential administration of propacetamol, metamizol and/or external cooling in 20 febrile patients under sedation and analgesia and during mechanical ventilation. There was no change in temperature (T degree) after propacetamol therapy, whereas after metamizol only a small decrease was noted (from 38.9 (SEM 0.2) to 38.5 (0.3) degrees C; P = 0.02). External cooling produced a significant decrease in T degree (39.1 (0.2) to 37.1 (0.2) degrees C; P < 0.0001) accompanied by a decrease in energy expenditure (EE) (2034 (73) to 1791 (88) kcal day-1; P < 0.004). Heart rate and minute ventilation decreased significantly in parallel. There were no other changes in haemodynamics or pulmonary gas exchanges. We conclude that propacetamol and metamizol did not produce a clinically significant decrease in T degree in febrile ICU patients whereas external cooling decreased both T degree and EE. The parallel decrease in body temperature and EE seemed to be related to opioid administration or sedation, or both.

Nocardiosis en un paciente con trasplante renal / Nocardiosis in a renal transplanted patient

We report a unilateral pulmonary nocardiosis in a 51 years old male that received a renal allograft. The clinical picture appeared 68 days after transplantation and the culture of a bronchoalveolar lavage showed the presence of Nocardia ateroides. Cyclosporine and azathioprine were discontinued and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole was started with a good clinical response. Afterwards, azathioprine was restarted and the patient is asymptomatic at the present moment

Afasias subcorticales / Subcortical aphasias

Se presentan 25 pacientes con lesiones subcorticales izquierdas, comprobadas con tomografía computada cerebral. En 9 de ellos se encontró una afasia transcortical, generalmente sensorial transcortical; 3 pacientes tenían afasia global, 2 afasia de Wernicke, 1 caso tenía afasia amnésica, otro de Broca y otro afasia latente. Ocho pacientes no tuvieron afasia, pero 5 de ellos tenían una agrafia lingüística. En 16 casos se encontró desartria y en 10 hipofonía. El análisis de esta experiencia y de la literatura permite concluir que las estructuras subcorticales forman parte del sistema funcional del lenguaje del habla y de la escritura

Afasias subcorticales / Subcortical aphasias

Se presentan 25 pacientes con lesiones subcorticales izquierdas, comprobadas con tomografía computada cerebral. En 9 de ellos se encontró una afasia subcortical, generalmente sensorial transcortical: 3 pacientes tenían afasia global, 2 afasia de Wernicke, 1 caso tenía afasia amnésica, otra de Broca y otro afasia latente. Ocho pacientes no tuvieron afasia, pero 5 de ellos tenían una agrafía linguística. En 16 casos se encontró disartría y en 10 hipofonía. El análisis de esta experiencia y de la literatura permite concluir que las estructuras subcorticales forman parte del sistema funcional del lenguaje del habla y de la escritura

Afasias subcorticales / Subcortical aphasias

Se presentan 25 pacientes con lesiones subcorticales izquierdas, comprobadas con tomografía computada cerebral. En 9 de ellos se encontró una afasia subcortical, generalmente sensorial transcortical: 3 pacientes tenían afasia global, 2 afasia de Wernicke, 1 caso tenía afasia amnésica, otra de Broca y otro afasia latente. Ocho pacientes no tuvieron afasia, pero 5 de ellos tenían una agrafía linguística. En 16 casos se encontró disartría y en 10 hipofonía. El análisis de esta experiencia y de la literatura permite concluir que las estructuras subcorticales forman parte del sistema funcional del lenguaje del habla y de la escritura

Síndrome nefrótico en artritis reumatoidea tratada con penicilamina / Penicillamine- induced nephrotic syndrome

Presentamos un caso de Artritis Reumatoídea seronegativa, tratada con Penicilamina durante 11 meses desarrollando un Síndrome Nefrótico a lesiones mínimas, que remite espontáneamente a los dos meses de suspendida la droga