The Safety and Cost Analysis of Outpatient Laparoendoscopy in the Treatment of Cholecystocholedocholithiasis: A Retrospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: The advantages of single-stage treatment of cholecystocholedocholithiasis are well established, but the conditions for carrying out treatment on an outpatient basis require a review of concepts and practices of medical corporations. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the practice of treating cholecystocholedocholithiasis by laparoendoscopy on an outpatient basis with cost analysis. METHOD: A retrospective study was conducted on patients with cholecystocholedocholithiasis treated by combined laparoscopic cholecystectomy and endoscopic choledocholithotomy from January 2015 to January 2019. After collecting data from physical and digital medical records, the patients were divided into two groups-AR (n = 42)-ambulatory regimen and HR (n = 28)-hospitalization regimen-which were compared in terms of demographic, clinical and treatment variables and their results, as well as in terms of costs. RESULTS: The mean age of the AR group was lower than that of the HR group and the physical status of the AR patients was better when assessed according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) (p = 0.01). There was no difference between groups regarding the risk of choledocholithiasis (p = 0.99). For the AR group, the length of stay was shorter: 11.29 h × 65.21 h (p = 0.02), as was the incidence of postoperative complications assessed by applying the Clavien-Dindo classification: 3 (7.1%) × 11 (39.2%) (p < 0.01). The total mean costs were higher for the HR group (USD 2489.93) than the AR group (USD 1650.98) (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Outpatient treatment of cholecystocholedocholithiasis by laparoendoscopy is safe and viable for most cases, has a lower cost and can support the reorientation of training and practice of hepatobiliary surgeons.

Pure Cut or Endocut for Biliary Sphincterotomy? A Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Adverse events (AE) after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are not uncommon and post-ERCP acute pancreatitis (PEP) is the most important one. Thermal injury from biliary sphincterotomy may play an important role and trigger PEP or bleeding. Therefore, this study evaluated the outcomes of 2 electric current modes used during biliary sphincterotomy. METHODS: From October 2019 to August 2021, consecutive patients with native papilla undergoing ERCP with biliary sphincterotomy were randomized to either the pure cut or endocut after cannulation. The primary outcome was PEP incidence. Secondary outcomes included intraprocedural and delayed bleeding, infection, and perforation. RESULTS: A total of 550 patients were randomized (272 pure cut and 278 endocut). The overall PEP rate was 4.0% and significantly higher in the endocut group (5.8% vs 2.2%, P = 0.034). Univariate analysis revealed >5 attempts ( P = 0.004) and endocut mode ( P = 0.034) as risk factors for PEP. Multivariate analysis revealed >5 attempts ( P = 0.005) and a trend for endocut mode as risk factors for PEP ( P = 0.052). Intraprocedural bleeding occurred more often with pure cut ( P = 0.018), but all cases were controlled endoscopically during the ERCP. Delayed bleeding was more frequent with endocut ( P = 0.047). There was no difference in perforation ( P = 1.0) or infection ( P = 0.4999) between the groups. DISCUSSION: Endocut mode may increase thermal injury leading to higher rates of PEP and delayed bleeding, whereas pure cut is associated with increased intraprocedural bleeding without clinical repercussion. The electric current mode is not related to perforation or infection. Further RCT assessing the impact of electric current on AE with overlapping preventive measures such as rectal nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and hyperhydration are needed. The study was submitted to the Brazilian Clinical Trials Platform ( http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br ) under the registry number RBR-5d27tn.

Urban arbovirosis in the state of São Paulo, Brazil: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Dengue represents one of the most important arboviruses in public health, and its etiological agent is transmitted by the bite of dipterans of the genus Aedes. Every year this disease affects a large part of the population of the state of São Paulo in Brazil, particularly due to the availability of favorable environmental conditions for the growth and development of the vector mosquito. This study aimed to verify the distribution of urban arboviruses in the municipalities of the state of São Paulo and the successful experiences of municipal governments to reduce cases, to highlight strategies that have successfully culminated, and which can serve as a basis for prevention strategies. METHODS: Information taken from government databases of the Ministry of Health and demographic data were used, where the incidence rate of 14 selected municipalities in the region of Vale do Paraíba between 2015 and 2019 was determined, and an attempt was made to evidence the strategies used to reduce cases. RESULTS: High incidence rates were observed in 2015 and 2019 concerning the other years of the historical series, due to environmental factors and the variation in the circulating strain. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The observed data allowed us to infer that the prevention strategies recommended by the evaluated municipalities had a positive effect in the years 2016 to 2018, but unforeseen a priori factors culminated in epidemics, revealing the importance of implementing epidemiological studies using advanced mapping tools, as a way of to minimize the risk of future epidemics.

Willis method modification with a view to improving routine coproparasitological diagnosis

Intestinal parasites still cause high morbidity and mortality, due to poor hygiene and sanitary conditions, and therefore indiscriminate treatment has been routine practice advocated by the Public Health staff. Although there is a consensus regarding the need to diagnose such diseases, this is not performed with the necessary care, due to great demand and the lack of a wide ranged and highly sensitive technique. In this sense, most clinical laboratories use routine methods for fecal examination such as the Lutz sedimentation or modified Ritchie methods, which are complete and easy to execute, but do not have adequate sensitivity to detect low density eggs and protozoan cysts, especially when there is a predominance of low parasite burdens. In contrast, there are methods that are based on the flotation of low density developmental forms, namely, the Willis method (NaCl flotation d=1.120), which is rapid, easy to perform and allows high density egg flotation but with low sensitivity for protozoan cysts; and the Faust method, which is based on centrifugal flotation of developmental forms in a 33% ZnSO4 (d=1.200) solution, but with the disadvantage of being lengthy and requiring a centrifuge. In this study, we verified the applicability of introducing an alteration in the Willis method, which consisted in the substitution of NaCl by ZnSO4 in order to combine the advantages of this method with the Faust method. 208 samples were assessed by the Willis and Ritchie methods and by the proposed method (modified Willis). The latter proved superior to the other two (ρ <0,0001 ­ X2) regarding the detection of protozoan cysts, but similar to the Ritchie method in regard to other diagnosed parasites, therefore demonstrating the high potential for the introduction of this modified method in the routine of fecal diagnosis

Correlação entre a curva de aprendizado e a dor referida pela paciente durante o procedimento histeroscópico ambulatorial sem anestesia / Correlation between the learning curve and the pain reported by the patient during outpatient hysteroscopy procedure without anesthesia

Introdução: a histeroscopia é considerada padrão-ouro na avaliação do útero e das doenças associadas a ele. Seu uso como técnica diagnóstica é uma prática ambulatorial, normalmente bem tolerado pelas pacientes, permitindo a retomada das atividades logo após o seu término. O ensino da técnica histeroscópica tende a ser demorado, apresentando lenta curva de aprendizado. Por isso, definir o impacto da curva de aprendizado da histeroscopia na intensidade da dor pode ajudar a melhorar a organização dos serviços de histeroscopia, maximizando o aprendizado e reduzindo o desconforto das pacientes. Objetivos: analisar, com a construção de uma curva de aprendizado a possível relação entre o número de procedimentos histeroscópicos realizados pelo médico e a intensidade da dor relatada pelo paciente no exame. Métodos: coorte prospectiva feita com 403 pacientes submetidas à histeroscopia no Hospital Universitário São José (HUSJ). Resultados: 72,45% dos pacientes classificaram a dor como leve e 5,95% como forte. Além disso, a curva de aprendizado construída apresentou tendência negativa. Discussão: a tendência negativa da curva mostra que quanto mais exames o aluno realiza, menos dor a paciente sente no progredir do aprendizado. Entretanto, nos quatro meses finais, foi identificada certa estabilização da curva, indicando que o processo de aprendizado foi mais intenso no início do curso. Conclusão: apesar das limitações encontradas na realização da pesquisa, é visível que estudos nessa área devem ser mantidos, visando à melhoria da técnica, à correção de falhas e ao bem-estar do paciente.

Introduction: Hysteroscopy is considered the gold standard in the evaluation of the uterus and its diseases. Its use as a diagnostic technique is an outpatient procedure, usually well tolerated by patients, allowing resumption of activities right after its completion. The teaching of the hysteroscopic technique tends to be time consuming, with a slow learning curve. Therefore, defining the impact of the histeroscopy's learning curve on the intensity of the pain felt by the patients can help improving the organization of hysteroscopy services, maximizing learning and reducing patient discomfort. Objectives: To analyze, with the construction of a learning curve, the possible relationship between the number of hysteroscopic procedures performed by the doctor and the intensity of pain reported by the patient during the exam. Methods: A prospective cohort study with 403 patients who underwent hysteroscopy in the Hospital Universitário São José (HUSJ). Results: 72.45% of the patients rated the pain as mild and 5.95% , as strong. Furthermore,the learning curve constructed presented a negative tendency. Discussion: The downward trend of the curve shows that the more procedures the trainee performs the less pain the patient feels along the learning process. However, in the final four months, a stabilization of the curve was identified, indicating that the process of learning was more intense at the beginning of the course. Conclusion: Despite the limitations encountered in conducting the survey, it is obvious that studies in this area should be maintained in order to improve technique, correct faults and upgrade patient welfare.