Recommendations on the use of azole antifungals in hematology-oncology patients.

The administration of antifungals for therapeutic and, especially, prophylactic purposes is virtually a constant in patients requiring hematology-oncology treatment. Any attempt to prevent or treat Aspergillus or Mucor infections requires the administration of some drugs in the azole group, which include voriconazole, posaconazole and isavuconazole, noted for their activity against these pathogens. One very relevant aspect is the potential risk of interaction when associated with one of the antineoplastic drugs used to treat hematologic tumors, with serious complications. In this regard, acalabrutinib, bortezomib, bosutinib, carfilzomib, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine A, dasatinib, duvelisib, gilteritinib, glasdegib, ibrutinib, imatinib, nilotinib, ponatinib, prednisone, ruxolitinib, tacrolimus, all-transretinoic acid, arsenic trioxide, venetoclax, or any of the vinca alkaloids, are very clear examples of risk, in some cases because their clearance is reduced and in others because of increased risk of QTc prolongation, which is particularly evident when the drug of choice is voriconazole or posaconazole.

Antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacilli in Spain: an experts' view.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacilli poses a serious problem for public health. In hospitals, in addition to high mortality rates, the emergence and spread of resistance to practically all antibiotics restricts therapeutic options against serious and frequent infections. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work is to present the views of a group of experts on the following aspects regarding resistance to antimicrobial agents in Gram-negative bacilli: 1) the current epidemiology in Spain, 2) how it is related to local clinical practice and 3) new therapies in this area, based on currently available evidence. METHODS: After reviewing the most noteworthy evidence, the most relevant data on these three aspects were presented at a national meeting to 99 experts in infectious diseases, clinical microbiology, internal medicine, intensive care medicine, anaesthesiology and hospital pharmacy. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Subsequent local debates among these experts led to conclusions in this matter, including the opinion that the approval of new antibiotics makes it necessary to train the specialists involved in order to optimise how they use them and improve health outcomes; microbiology laboratories in hospitals must be available throughout a continuous timetable; all antibiotics must be available when needed and it is necessary to learn to use them correctly; and the Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASP) play a key role in quickly allocating the new antibiotics within the guidelines and ensure appropriate use of them.

[Neurocognitive screening in a population with acquired immunodeficiency virus]. / Cribado neurocognitivo en población con virus de inmunodeficiencia adquirida.

INTRODUCTION: Neurocognitive impairment associated to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a current problem despite the effectiveness of antiretroviral treatment. The screening tests which best suit to Spanish population are Brief Neuro-cognitive Scale (BNCS) and Neu Screening. We are unaware of our HIV population' neurocognitive impairment magnitude. AIMS: To verify if association between HIV and neurocognitive impairment does exist and to know its prevalence. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: An observational, descriptive and transversal study comparing 24 HIV-outpatients and 21 non-HIV-healthy control matched by age, gender and educational level. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Neu Screening and BNCS were used as neurocognitive impairment screening. Positive screening was considered with one or more abnormal test. RESULTS: 33.3% of VIH+ and 33.3% of healthy controls had positive screening without significant difference between both populations. Positive screening was significantly associated with anxiety-punctuation and depression-punctuation. A lineal correlation between CD4-nadir-levels and Digit Symbol and between CD4-nadir-levels and verbal fluency results were found. There was no significant relationship between HIV serology and screening result. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-patients clinically controlled had no significantly different neurocognitive profile compared to control population. CD4-nadir levels may be a predictor variable in terms of neurocognitive impairment development. BNCS and Neu Screening are reasonable alternatives for neurocognitive impairment screening. A concomitant psychiatric and neuro-psychological assessment is necessary. Further studies with bigger samples are necessary in order to confirm the alternative hypothesis.

TITLE: Cribado neurocognitivo en población con virus de inmunodeficiencia adquirida.Introducción. El trastorno neurocognitivo asociado al virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) es un problema emergente a pesar del tratamiento antirretroviral. Los test de cribado que mejor se adaptan a la población española son la Brief Neurocognitive Scale (BNCS) y el Neu Screening. Desconocemos la magnitud del trastorno neurocognitivo en la población con VIH. Objetivos. Comprobar si existe asociación entre la infección por el VIH y el trastorno neurocognitivo, y conocer su prevalencia. Sujetos y métodos. Estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal que compara a 24 pacientes con VIH y a 21 controles sanos, pareados por sexo, edad y nivel de estudios. Se utilizó la Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, el Neu Screening y la BNCS para el cribado neuropsicológico. Se consideró positivo un cribado con una alteración en uno o más test. Resultados. Un 33,3% de los pacientes con VIH y un 33,3% de los controles sanos tuvieron un cribado positivo, sin diferencias significativas entre ambos grupos. El cribado positivo presentó una relación significativa con ansiedad y depresión. Existe una correlación lineal positiva entre niveles nadir de CD4 y resultados del Digit Symbol, y entre nadir de CD4 y fluencia verbal. No hubo relación significativa entre VIH positivo y cribado positivo. Conclusiones. Los pacientes con VIH con buen control clínico presentan un perfil neurocognitivo sin diferencias significativas frente a la población control. Los niveles de CD4 son posiblemente una variable predictora para el desarrollo de trastorno neurocognitivo. La BNCS y el Neu Screening son buenas alternativas, pero resulta necesario un abordaje neuropsiquiátrico concomitante. Se precisan estudios con muestras mayores para confirmar la hipótesis alternativa.

Safety analysis of high dose (>6 mg/kg/day) daptomycin in patients with concomitant statin therapy.

There is a paucity of data regarding efficacy and safety of concomitant therapy of daptomycin and statins, so we reviewed patients that concomitantly received daptomycin and statins to identify any potential increase in toxicity in our cohort. This retrospective study included all patients that received >6 mg/kg/day of daptomycin along with statins and had efficacy and safety data. Patients on high dose (>6 mg/kg/day) daptomycin therapy that did not received statins served as controls. One hundred four patients were included. Median daptomycin dose was 7.8 mg/kg/day (range 6.5-10.8 mg/kg/day), for a mean duration of therapy of 17 days (range 10-51 days). Thirty-six patients received daptomycin and statins and 68 received only daptomycin. Muscular toxicity defined as CPK levels>1000 UI/L (2.5 times upper normal limit, range of determination 200-400 UI/L) was equally distributed between both groups (3/36, 8% vs 7/68, 10%; p=0.746). Despite biochemical toxicity, we did not find clinical toxicity and daptomycin treatment was completed in all cases. We did not find predictors of increased CPK during daptomycin therapy. Based on our data, concomitant administration of daptomycin and statins is safe and is not associated with an increased risk of rhabdomyolysis.

Leiomiosarcoma multicéntrico en paciente VIH / Multicentric leiomyosarcoma in patient with AIDS

No disponible

Afectación pulmonar en la esclerosis tuberosa / Pulmonary involvement in tuberous sclerosis

No disponible

[Cardiovascular and hormonal factors associated with the lack of nocturnal fall in blood pressure among individuals aged over 55]. / Factores cardiovasculares y hormonales asociados a la falta de descenso nocturno de la presión arterial en sujetos mayores de 55 años.

BACKGROUND: Usually, there is a physiological fall in nocturnal blood pressure among all individuals, both hypertensive and normotensive individuals. The lack of nocturnal blood pressure (BP) fall may be associated with the risk of developing cardiovascular complications in hypertensive patients. Cardiovascular and hormonal factors associated with the lack of nocturnal blood pressure fall was studied in individuals aged over 55, those most exposed to this kind of complications. METHODS: A total of 108 individuals aged over 55 and with a wide range of BP (59 normotensive and 49 light-moderate hypertensive with no previous treatment) were studied. Two groups were established: dipper and non-dipper, with a fall over 10% in nocturnal SBP and DBP or not, respectively. Patients included in the study underwent serum hormonal measurements (renin, aldosterone, endoteline-1, atrial natriuretic peptide, free epinephrine and norepinephrine), continuous blood pressure monitoring for 24 hours (CBPM) and echocardiography with measurement of left ventricular mass (LVM), cardiac output, and peripheral vascular resistances (PVR) (determined in function of mean blood pressure and cardiac output). RESULTS: Fifty-one individuals were dipper and 57 were non-dipper. Significantly higher cholesterol (p < 0.05) and free norepinephrine (p < 0.001) levels among dipper compared with non-dipper individuals were observed. Non-dipper individuals had PVR significantly higher than dipper individuals (p < 0.05). Values of diurnal BP, other hormonal measurements, and CBPM did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Non-dipper individuals aged over 55 have lower circulating free norepinephrine values and higher peripheral vascular resistances than dipper individuals, irrespective of diurnal blood pressure values. The left ventricular mass does not differ significantly between the two groups.

Factores cardiovasculares y hormonales asociados a la falta de descenso nocturno de la presión arterial en sujetos mayores de 55 años / Cardiovascular and hormonal factors associated with the lack of nocturnal fall in blood pressure among individuals aged over 55

Fundamento. Normalmente la presión arterial (PA) desciende durante la noche de forma fisiológica en todos los sujetos, tanto hipertensos como normotensos. La ausencia de descenso nocturno (condición no dipper) puede asociarse con el riesgo de desarrollar complicaciones cardiovasculares en pacientes hipertensos. Estudiamos en sujetos mayores de 55 años, los más expuestos a estas complicaciones, los factores cardiovasculares y hormonales asociados a la falta de descenso de la presión arterial nocturna. Métodos. Se seleccionaron 108 sujetos mayores de 55 años y con amplio rango de PA (59 normotensos y 49 hipertensos ligeros-moderados sin tratamiento previo). Se establecieron dos grupos: dipper y no dipper, según hubiera descenso superior al 10 por ciento de PA sistólica y PA diastólica nocturna o no. A los pacientes incluidos en el estudio se les realizó determinaciones hormonales en sangre (renina, aldosterona, endotelina-1, péptido natriurético atrial, adrenalina y noradrenalina libres), monitorización continua de la presión arterial durante 24 horas (MAPA) y ecografía cardíaca con determinación del índice de la masa ventricular izquierda (IMVI), gasto cardíaco y resistencias vasculares periféricas (RVP) (determinadas en función de la presión arterial media y el gasto cardíaco). Resultados. En la muestra a estudio 51 sujetos fueron dipper y 57 no dipper. Se apreciaron unos niveles de colesterol (p < 0,05) y de noradrenalina libre (p < 0,001) significativamente superiores en sujetos dipper en comparación con los no dipper. Los no dipper tuvieron unas RVP significativamente más elevadas que los dipper (p < 0,05). Los valores de PA diurna, resto de valores hormonales y el IMVI no variaron significativamente entre los dos grupos. Conclusiones. Los sujetos mayores de 55 años no dipper presentan menores valores de noradrenalina libre circulante y mayores resistencias vasculares periféricas que los dipper, independientemente de los valores diurnos de presión arterial. La masa ventricular izquierda no varía significativamente entre los dos grupos. (AU)