Impacto del autocuidado y manejo terapéutico en la utilización de los recursos sanitarios urgentes por pacientes crónicos: estudio de cohortes / Impact of self-management of therapy on use of emergency health care services by patients with chronic diseases: a cohort study

OBJETIVOS: Determinar si el manejo ineficaz del régimen terapéutico (MIRT) en pacientes crónicos que acuden a urgencias es un predictor de mayor utilización de los recursos sanitarios y de peor calidad de vida. MÉTODO: Estudio de cohortes prospectivas. En 2007 se formaron dos cohortes prospectivas en función de su adherencia o no al tratamiento y fueron seguidas durante 12 meses para evaluar la calidad de vida, la adherencia y el uso de recursos sanitarios. RESULTADOS: De los 302 pacientes incluidos, 167 presentaban MIRT (55,29%). El perfil del paciente era un varón, con hipertensión arterial, polimedicado con baja adherencia terapéutica. El riesgo de reingreso era casi 4 veces mayor en los pacientes expuestos a los 12 meses (OR 3,72, IC al 95%: 2,19-6,32; p < 0,0001), evaluados con la herramienta DecaMIRT. Estos pacientes con baja adherencia presentaban una reducción significativa de su calidad de vida superior a 5 puntos (IC 95% 2,60-7,258; p < 0,05), si se comparaban con la cohorte no expuesta. CONCLUSIONES: El manejo efectivo del régimen terapéutico está asociado con la calidad de vida y con el uso que los pacientes crónicos hacen de los recursos sanitarios

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether ineffective management of therapeutic regimen is a predictor of frequent use of health care resources and poor quality of life in patients with chronic illnesses. METHODS: Prospective cohort study. Two cohorts were formed in 2007 on the basis of presence or absence of ineffective management. The patients were evaluated for 12 months to assess quality of life, adherence to therapy, and use of health care resources. RESULTS: Of 302 patients included, 167 (55.29%) were in the ineffective-management cohort. In addition to poor adherence to therapy, such patients tended to be men, hypertensive, and on several medications. The risk of readmission in this cohort was nearly 4-fold higher during the 12-month period (odds ratio, 3.72; 95% CI, 2.19-6.32; P<.0001) according to a 10-item scale (DecaMIRT). The patients with low adherence to therapy had quality of life scores that were significantly lower by a mean of more than 5 points (95% CI, 2.60-7.258; P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with chronic diseases, effective management of therapeutic regimen is associated with quality of life and a different pattern of use of health care resources. The DecaMIRT scale proved valid for measuring adherence to therapy and can help improve how persons with chronic diseases are attended in the emergency department

Peginterferon and ribavirin in patients with HCV cirrhosis after liver transplantation.

The objective of the study was to assess the efficacy of antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence after liver transplantation (OLT). We included 30 patients of mean age 56 years, who experienced HCV recurrence after OLT. Mean time from OLT to the beginning of therapy was 57 months (median: 43 months). All of them were on monotherapy: tacrolimus (n = 21), cyclosporine (n = 6), and mycophenolate mofetil (n = 3). Fourteen had previously been diagnosed with allograft HCV cirrhosis. Patients were treated with peginterferon alpha 2b (1.5 mug/kg/weekly SC) and ribavirin (10.6 mg/kg/d) for 48 (genotypes 1, 4) or 24 weeks (genotypes 2, 3). After a mean follow-up of 20 months, two patients had died due to biliary sepsis (while on therapy) and acute myocardial infarction (7 months after the end of therapy). End of treatment virological response was achieved in 19 patients (63.3%) and sustained virological response (SUR) in 14 (46.7%). Comparing cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients, SVR was achieved in seven patients in both groups (50% vs 43.8%; P = .732). Every patient had some adverse event; in 11 patients (36.7%) it was withdrawn (seven cirrhotic and four noncirrhotic; P < .05), and in 12 the starting dose was decreased (40%). There were neither rejection episodes nor cirrhotic complications during therapy, but infections were more common in cirrhotic patients (57% vs 25%; P < .05). In HCV cirrhotic transplanted patients the sustained virological response to combined antiviral therapy was similar to that in noncirrhotic patients, but severe adverse events including infections were much more common.

Effectiveness of pegylated interferon and ribavirin in patients with liver HCV cirrhosis.

Clearance of HCV before transplantation could avoid recurrence of hepatitis C in the liver allograft, thereby improving graft and patient survival. We report our experience with combined therapy for patients with HCV cirrhosis, including 12 patients with biopsy-proven liver cirrhosis (n = 7) or previous cirrhotic complications (n = 5). The Child-Pugh score was A in eight patients and B in four. Two patients had hepatocellular carcinoma. Genotype distribution was 1a (n = 2), 1b (n = 8) or 3 (n = 1). Patients received peginterferon alpha2b (1.5 microg/kg once weekly) and ribavirin (10.6 g/kg per day) for 48 weeks (genotype 1) or 24 weeks (genotype 3). Twenty-one months after beginning therapy all the patients remained alive; three have undergone liver transplantation. In one patient treatment was discontinued after 2 months due to cachexia. End-of-treatment virologic response was achieved in five patients (41.7%) and sustained virologic response in three patients (25%). Patients who cleared the virus had negative PCR 4 weeks after beginning therapy. All patients had adverse events. The most common clinical events were asthenia, weight loss, fever, and anorexia. Infectious complications resolved in three patients (25%). Hematologic events were common. Seven of 11 patients (63.6%) who completed therapy required dose reduction. We conclude that therapy with peginterferon and ribavirin in patients with HCV cirrhosis has a similar effectiveness to previous treatments. A virologic response 1 month after the beginning of therapy could be a main predictor of a sustained response.

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus genotypes in a Spanish liver transplant unit.

INTRODUCTION: Among the at least six major identified genotypes of HCV, genotype 1b, the one associated with a poorer prognosis, is the most prevalent in Spain. We aimed to compare the distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes in our liver transplant unit with that of the other HCV patients at our institution (n = 413) in order to assess whether genotype 1b is more prevalent among patients with more severe liver disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred eight patients of mean age 56 years included 81 (75%) OLT recipients and 27 (25%) with HCV cirrhosis. Determination of HCV genotypes was made with the Inno-LiPA HCV III. RESULTS: The overall distribution of genotypes was: 1b, 93 patients (86.1%); 1a; eight patients (7.4%); 3, four patients (3.7%); 4; two patients (1.9%), and 2; one patient (0.9%). The distribution was similar among patients with cirrhosis and OLT. Genotype 1b patients were older. Eleven (78.6%) of 14 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma had genotype 1b. In the control group the distribution was: 1b, 287 patients (69.5%); 1a, 54 patients (12.1%); 3, 41 patients (9.9%); 4, 20 patients (4.8%), and genotype 2, 11 patients (2.7%). This differences in the distribution of genotypes between our population and the control group was statistically significant (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Genotype 1b, the most prevalent genotype in our liver transplant unit, included older patients in whom hepatocellular carcinoma was common, perhaps due to their higher prevalence of cirrhosis.

Results of liver transplantation in patients with previous portosystemic shunts.

INTRODUCTION: Although liver transplantation is performed successfully in some patients with previous portosystemic shunts (PSS), these surgical procedures have been considered a relative contraindication for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). We aimed to determine whether a previous PSS worsens the prognosis of patients who undergo OLT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between March 1986 and October 2003, 520 liver transplants were performed in 467 patients in our center. Thirteen patients had undergone a PSS before OLT. The types of PSS were: portocaval (n = 8), splenorenal (n = 3), mesocaval (n = 1), and portoatrial (n = 1). We compared patients with previous PSS (cases) and the three patients with an OLT immediately before each case (controls). We analyzed the following variables: age, Child-Pugh stage, pretransplant liver disease, surgical times, transfusion requirements, infections, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, postoperative evolution, and survival. RESULTS: Age, Child-Pugh stage, and pretransplant liver disease were similar in both groups. There were no statistical differences in age, surgical times, ischemia time, anhepatic phase, transfusion requirements, ICU stay, infections, or hospital stay. The postoperative course was similar in both groups. Long-term survival was 84.62% in cases versus 78.5% in controls. CONCLUSIONS: Previous PSS should not be considered a contraindication for liver transplantation, even though this group of patients involves a special surgical challenge.

Tratamiento conservador de los traumatismos abdominales / Conservative management of abdominal traumatisms

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[Hepatic hydatid cyst with destruction of the biliary confluent. Apropos of 2 cases treated by direct reconstruction]. / Kyste hydatique hépatique qui détruisait le confluent biliaire. A propos de deux cas traités par reconstruction directe.

The authors present two cases of hepatic echinococcus cyst with destruction of the biliary confluent. The severity of this exceptional lesion requires uncommon treatment. Experience with treatment of biliary fistulas when there is a residual cystic cavity, provides arguments for and against primary suture of these fistulas. In these cases, the required treatment consists in reconstruction of the hepatic biliary ducts destroyed (right, left and common) by using the pericystic envelope itself as a plastic neoformative element. The result has demonstrated its efficacy after many years of use, as we have indicated in this article. "Echinococcus granulosus" itself is only rarely a problem in the host, but a hepatic echinococcus cyst does not only pose a spatial problem, except insofar as it often involves the biliary tree. In the cases reported here, the hepatic echinococcus cyst causes biliary problems in over 60% of the cases (1). These biliary problems were as follows: Compression of the common bile duct by the cys; More often, compression of the intrahepatic bile ducts causes the cyst to open inside the biliary duct and to fissure, leading to a biliocystic fistula.