Latin American consensus on diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can be challenging given varying symptom presentations, and complex multifactorial pathophysiology. The gold standard for GERD diagnosis is esophageal acid exposure time (AET) measured by pH-metry. A variety of additional diagnostic tools are available. The goal of this consensus was to assess the individual merits of GERD diagnostic tools based on current evidence, and provide consensus recommendations following discussion and voting by experts. METHODS: This consensus was developed by 15 experts from nine countries, based on a systematic search of the literature, using GRADE (grading of recommendations, assessment, development and evaluation) methodology to assess the quality and strength of the evidence, and provide recommendations regarding the diagnostic utility of different GERD diagnosis tools, using AET as the reference standard. KEY RESULTS: A proton pump inhibitor (PPI) trial is appropriate for patients with heartburn and no alarm symptoms, but nor for patients with regurgitation, chest pain, or extraesophageal presentations. Severe erosive esophagitis and abnormal reflux monitoring off PPI are clearly indicative of GERD. Esophagram, esophageal biopsies, laryngoscopy, and pharyngeal pH monitoring are not recommended to diagnose GERD. Patients with PPI-refractory symptoms and normal endoscopy require reflux monitoring by pH or pH-impedance to confirm or exclude GERD, and identify treatment failure mechanisms. GERD confounders need to be considered in some patients, pH-impedance can identify supragrastric belching, impedance-manometry can diagnose rumination. CONCLUSIONS: Erosive esophagitis on endoscopy and abnormal pH or pH-impedance monitoring are the most appropriate methods to establish a diagnosis of GERD. Other tools may add useful complementary information.

Disección submucosa a cielo abierto: primer caso descrito / Dissection submucous opencast: first report

La disección submucosa por vía endoscópica es un método de tratamiento novedoso, difundido básicamente para el manejo del cáncer gástrico temprano, aunque también constituye una buena elección para lesiones benignas de regular tamaño si es que se quiere lograr una resección en "una pieza". Sin embargo para su realización se necesita no sólo gastroenterólogos entrenados y experimentados en dicha técnica sino también la utilización de instrumental apropiado que no necesariamente se encuentra disponible en nuestro país. El presente trabajo describe el caso de una paciente portadora de un pólipo hiperplásico de tercio superior de estómago que se que por sus dimensiones y características fue sometida a tratamiento quirúrgico a través de una disección submucosa a cielo abierto y es a nuestro entender el primer caso descrito en la literatura médica en que se emplea esta técnica en una cirugía a cielo abierto.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection is a new treatment, basically for the management of early gastric cancer, it is also a good option for large benign lesions if a "una pieza" resection needs to be performed. However this technique requires not only gastroenterologist with proven technical skill, but also some special devices not necessarily disposables in our country. The present paper describes the case of a patient with a large hyperplastic polyp located in the upper third of the stomach who underwent an open endoscopic submucosal dissection to resect the lesion owing to its size and characteristics. According our knowledge this is the first case in the medical literature describing the use of this technique during an open surgery.

[Open submucosal dissection: first case described]. / Disección submucosa a cielo abierto: primer caso descrito.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection is a new treatment, basically for the management of early gastric cancer, it is also a good option for large benign lesions if a "una pieza" resection needs to be performed. However this technique requires not only gastroenterologist with proven technical skill, but also some special devices not necessarily disposables in our country. The present paper describes the case of a patient with a large hyperplastic polyp located in the upper third of the stomach who underwent an open endoscopic submucosal dissection to resect the lesion owing to its size and characteristics. According our knowledge this is the first case in the medical literature describing the use of this technique during an open surgery.

Are laboratory-based antibiograms reliable to guide the selection of empirical antimicrobial treatment in patients with hospital-acquired infections?

OBJECTIVES: Antibiograms are often taken into account to define a rational selection of an empirical antimicrobial therapy for treating patients with hospital-acquired infections. In this study, we performed a paired comparison between the antibiogram constructed with laboratory-based data and that formed with data subjected to prior clinical validation. METHODS: Between 2003 and 2005, the laboratory of microbiology printed in duplicate every individual susceptibility report corresponding to hospitalized patients and the copy was sent to the department of infection control. Every individual report was assessed in real time at the bedside of the patient by a multidisciplinary team for clinical significance and appropriateness of the specimen, as well as for the type, source and origin of the infection. Cumulative resistance rates were estimated in parallel at the laboratory with the whole data, and at the infection control department with data subjected to prior clinical validation. These rates were designated as 'laboratory-based' and 'clinically based', respectively. RESULTS: A total of 2305 individual susceptibility reports were assessed. Only 1429 (62.0%) were considered as clinically significant by the multidisciplinary team. Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter freundii group, Klebsiella species and Proteus mirabilis resistant to broad-spectrum cephalosporins, as well as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, were significantly more frequent in the clinically based rates (P < or = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Laboratory-based data underestimate the frequency of several major resistant organisms in patients with hospital-acquired infection. Previous clinical validation of the individual susceptibility reports seems to be a suitable strategy to get more reliable data.

Does a reduction in antibiotic consumption always represent a favorable outcome from an intervention program on prescribing practice?

OBJECTIVES: In our hospital, a continuous intervention program aimed at optimizing the quality of antibiotic use was introduced by late 1999 and antibiotic consumption was a major outcome for assessment. However, healthcare conditions have been subject to change over the last five years, and a pronounced economic crisis in 2002 affected the availability of antibiotics. Therefore, we hypothesized that the consumption of these drugs could be a suitable indirect marker of the crisis. DESIGN: We performed segmented regression analysis between different periods. Variations in antibiotic consumption during periods corresponding to the four-phase intervention program (from 1999 to the first six months of 2001) were assumed to be 'intervention-induced', while those observed during the crisis period were considered as 'situation-enforced'. RESULTS: Whereas the intervention-induced (desirable) decrease of total antibiotic and carbapenem consumption proved to correlate with a decreased crude mortality rate during the control period prior to the crisis (R2, 0.82 and 0.91, respectively), the crisis-induced (undesirable) decrease in total antibiotic and carbapenem consumption correlated with an increased mortality during this phase (R2, 0.80 and 0.75, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our results illustrate that a reduction in antibiotic consumption does not always represent a favorable outcome from an intervention program on prescribing practice. Moreover, it may be a sensitive indirect marker of a deficient healthcare condition leading to an increase in in-hospital mortality.

Replacement of broad-spectrum cephalosporins by piperacillin-tazobactam: impact on sustained high rates of bacterial resistance.

We have previously observed a significant reduction of ceftriaxone resistance in Proteus mirabilis associated with an increase in the use of cefepime, along with a decrease in the consumption of broad-spectrum cephalosporins (CEP). However, we did not observe such a reduction with Klebsiella pneumoniae. Therefore, we sought to determine whether replacement of CEP by piperacillin-tazobactam might be useful in reducing sustained high rates of CEP resistance by this organism. We used a 6-month "before and after model"; during the second (intervention) period, most prescriptions of CEP were changed to piperacillin-tazobactam at the pharmacy. No additional barrier precautions were undertaken. During intervention, consumption of ceftazidime decreased from 17.73 to 1.14 defined daily doses (DDD) per 1,000 patient-days (P < 0.0001), whereas that of piperacillin-tazobactam increased from 0 to 30.57 DDD per 1,000 patient-days (P < 0.0001). The levels of resistance to CEP by K. pneumoniae and P. mirabilis decreased from 68.4 and 57.9% to 37.5 and 29.4%, respectively (P < 0.05). We conclude that replacement of ceftazidime by piperacillin-tazobactam might be a suitable strategy to decrease endemic CEP resistance by K. pneumoniae and P. mirabilis, even where there are high bacterial resistance rates and irrespective of any additional precautions for controlling nosocomial infection.

A hospitalwide intervention program to optimize the quality of antibiotic use: impact on prescribing practice, antibiotic consumption, cost savings, and bacterial resistance.

Several findings from Argentina provide compelling evidence of the need for more rational use of antimicrobial agents. Thus, a multidisciplinary antimicrobial treatment committee for the development of a hospital-wide intervention program was formed to optimize the quality of antibiotic use in hospitals. Four successive steps were developed during 6-month periods: baseline data collection, introduction of a prescription form, education, and prescribing control. Sustained reduction of drug consumption was shown during the study (R2=0.6885; P=.01). Total cost savings was 913,236 US dollars. To estimate the consumption of cefepime and aminopenicillin-sulbactam in relation to that of the third-generation cephalosporins, 2 indices were calculated: Icfp and Iams, respectively. Decreasing resistance to ceftriaxone by Proteus mirabilis and Enterobacter cloacae proved to be associated with increasing Icfp. Decreasing rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were related to increasing Iams. The present study indicates that a systematic program performed by a multidisciplinary team is a cost-effective strategy for optimizing antibiotic prescribing.

Central venous catheter-related infection: a prospective, observational study to assess the incidence rate at a teaching hospital in Argentina.

One hundred fifty-one central venous catheters (CVCs) were observed for development of infection. The infection rate was higher for CVCs with a duration of less than 6 days than for those with a longer duration. Our data suggest that scheduled replacement of CVCs is not necessary.

Tratamiento con inyección endoscópica de la úlcera péptica sangrante / Endoscopic injection treatment of bleeding peptic ulcer

Objetivos: Fueron dos, 1)Determinar la eficacia de la terapia de inyección endoscópica (TIE) en pacientes con sangrado por úlcera péptica con .alto riesgo de recurrencia, y 2)Reconocer los factores de riesgo clínico-endoscópicos que influyen en la recurrencia de hemorragia y la mortalidad por esta patología. Métodos: Es un estudio retrospectivo que incluye 121 pacientes admitidos a una unidad especializada en el manejo de hemorragia digestiva debido a una úlcera péptica con sangrado activo o vaso visible no sangrante, entre Marzo de 1994 y Febrero de 1996, y a los que se les realizó TIEcon adrenalina. Resultados: Se logró éxito en la hemostasia endoscópica inicial en 119 pacientes (99.1 por ciento), en un paciente la hemorragia persistió (0.9 por ciento), y en otro no se pudo realizar la TIE por inaccesibilidad. La hemostasia definitiva se alcanzó en 93 pacientes (77.5 por ciento), y hubo recurrencia en 28 (23.5 por ciento).Se remitió a cirugía a 26 pacientes (21.5 por ciento). El examen univariado demostró que la recurrencia de la hemorragia estuvo relacionada con la presencia de shock (p=0.002), hematemesis (p=0.02),edad mayor de 60 años (p=0.009), número de unidades transfundidas (p=O.OOOOO) y tamaño de la úlcera mayor de 2cm (p=0.018). La mortalidad global en nuestros pacientes fue de 10 por ciento, y la mortalidad operatoria de 34.6 por ciento. Los factores asociados significativamente con la mortalidadfueron la recurrencia de la hemorragia (p=0.000003), presencia de enfermedad concomitante (p=0.05), la presencia de úlcera gástrica (p=0.021), además de la edad (mayores de 60años), presencia de.shock y tamaño de la úlcera mayor de 2cm (P=0.05). Conclusiones: La TIE es un procedimiento útil en el tratamiento de la hemorragia por úlcera péptica con alto riesgo de recurrencia (hemorragia activa o vaso visible), habiéndose obtenido la hemostasia definitiva en el 77.5 por ciento...

Background: Objectives were two. (1) to determine the efficiency of the endoscopic injection therapy (EIT) in patients suffering from bleeding caused by peptic ulcer disease with high risk of recurrence, and (2) to recognize clinical and endoscopical risk factors that influence recurrence of hemorrhage and mortality from this pathology. Methods: This is a retrospective study that included 121 patients, who were admitted by a unit specialized in managing gastrointestinal hemorrhage owing to peptic ulcer with active bleeding or non-bleeding visible vessel, and who underwent EIT with epinephrine between March, 1994 and February, 1996. Results: Initial success was achieved in 119 patients who underwent EIT (99.1 per cent). Bleeding persisted in one patient (0.9 per cent), and in another one, EIT was not successful because of inaccessible location. Definite hemostasis was achieved in 93 patients (77.5 per cent) and there was recurrence in 28 cases (23.5 per cent). Twenty-six patients underwent surgical therapy (21.5 per cent).The univariable analysis showed that hemorrhage recurrence was related to the presence of shock (p=0.002), hematemesis (p=0.2), age over 60 (p=0.009), number of blood units transfused (p=O.OOOOO) and ulcer diameter larger than 2 cm (p=0.018). The global mortality in our patients was of 10 per cent, and surgical mortality was of 34.6 per cent. Factors significantly related to mortality were hemorrhage recurrence (p=0.000003), presence 01concomitant disease (p=0.05), and presence of gastric ulcer (p=0.021), in addition to age (over 60), presence of shock and ulcer diameter larger than 2 cm (p=0.05). Conclusion: EIT is a valuable procedure for the treatment of hemorrhage caused by peptic ulcer with high risk of recurrence (active hemorrhage or visible vessel), with a definite hemostasis of 77.5 per cent...