Self-Assessment Tool and Clinical Audits: A Way to Manage Organ Donation and Transplantation in Hospital Settings.

The self-assessment tool (SAT) of hospital management in donation and transplantation is a systematic instrument that allows reaching a situation status on Procurement and Transplantation with emphasis on the management and cultural change of Health Personnel in each care center. The SAT allows reflection on institutionalization, achievements, and the cultural change generated by donation and transplantation in Health Personnel. It also allows the evaluation of the culture of hospital donation and the formulation of plans and goals for the future. The SAT evaluates 5 components (Logistics, Education, Communication, Donation Culture, and Results Evaluation) with 30 questions and reflects the core aspects of the hospital donation process. The answers to the SAT are numbered and based on the total score. We can classify the management and its results as insufficient, basic, intermediate, and advanced. The SAT was applied in 8 hospitals whose donation results are externally audited, and their results were compared with the result of the self-assessment. The SAT was useful in supporting and guiding the work of the intra-hospital transplant coordinator; it allows the classification of the hospital, taking into account the main aspects of donation and transplant management and, based on this, generating a package of measures for improvement.

Ultrasound Scanning in Lung Procurement. Protocol for Decision-Making With the Purpose of Increasing Transplant Eligible Lungs.

BACKGROUND: The main obstacle to obtaining lungs for transplantation is the shortage of donors. Once potential donors have been offered to transplant programs, the acceptance rate is highly variable, ranging from 5% to 20%. Minimizing donor leakage by converting potential lung donors into real donors is one of the key elements to improve results, and it is essential to have tools that facilitate decision-making in this scenario. The selection and rejection of transplantation-eligible lungs are usually made with chest x-rays; however, lung ultrasound scanning has shown better sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing pulmonary pathologies. Lung ultrasound scanning allows us to identify the reversible causes of low PaO2/fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) ratio, thus enabling the establishment of specific interventions, which, if proved successful, could turn lungs into transplant-eligible lungs. The available literature on its use in managing brain death donors and lung procurement is extremely scarce. METHODS: A simple protocol aimed at identifying and treating the main reversible causes of low PaO2/FIO2 ratio to aid in decision-making is presented in this paper. CONCLUSION: Lung ultrasound is a powerful, useful, and cheap technique available at the donor's bedside. It is conspicuously underused, despite being potentially helpful in decision-making by minimizing the discarding of donors, thus probably increasing the number of lungs sui for transplantation.

Nefropatía IgA en Uruguay: presentación clínica y evolución / IgA Nephropathy in Uruguay: clinical presentation and evolution

La nefropatía IgA es frecuente en Uruguay y su tratamiento conflictivo. Objetivo: analizar la incidencia, presentación clínica, histología, tratamiento y evolución de la nefropatía IgA en Uruguay. Material y método: se realizó un análisis retrospectivo de datos del Registro Uruguayo de Glomerulopatías (RUG) e historias clínicas con estricta confidencialidad; se registró edad, sexo, fecha de biopsia renal, presentación clínica, presión arterial (PA), proteinuria, hematuria y creatininemia (al inicio y en última evolución registrada), histología, tratamientos y evolución. Análisis estadístico uni y multivariado. Aprobado por el Comité de Ética del Hospital de Clínicas. Resultados: se estudiaron 341 pacientes con nefropatía IgA, confirmada por histología, en el período comprendido entre el 1º de enero de 1985 y el 31 de diciembre de 2009; 65% hombres, edad media 31 ± 13 años y mediana de seguimiento de 52 meses (1-271); 14% ingresaron a diálisis y 1,2% fallecieron. La presentación clínica más frecuente fue con alteraciones urinarias asintomáticas (AUA) (42%), (mayor en el período 2000-2009, chi2 p < 0,05). Al inicio, la proteinuria era 1,7 ± 1,9 g/l; creatininemia 1,6 ± 1,8 mg/dl, y 32% tenían PA ≥ 140/90 mmHg. Se observaron semilunas en 48%. Recibieron inhibidores de la enzima convertidora de angiotensina/antagonistas de los receptores de la angiotensina II (IECA/ARAII) 56% e inmunosupresores, 52%. La PA disminuyó significativamente en la evolución. En el análisis univariado, la creatininemia inicial fue ≥ 2,5 mg/dl, proteinuria, semilunas y proliferación endocapilar se asociaron a ingreso a diálisis o fallecimiento, pero en el análisis multivariado (regresión de Cox) solo fue significativo el nivel de creatininemia. Conclusiones: la presentación clínica de nefropatía IgA ha cambiado en la última década, siendo más frecuente las AUA. La creatininemia ≥ 2,5 mg/dl se asocia a peor supervivencia renal, probable “punto de no retorno”...

IgA nephropathy is a frequent condition in Uruguay and treating it is controversial.Objective: to analyse incidence, clinical presentation, histology, treatment and evolution of nephropathy in Uruguay.Method: we conducted a retrospective study of data kept at the Uruguayan Registry of Glomerulopathies and medical records under strict confidentiality. Age, sex, date of the kidney biopsy, clinical presentation, blood pressure, proteinuria, hematuria and creatininemia (initial and in the last evolution recorded), histology, treatment and evolution were registered. Single-variate and multivariate statistic analysis were applied. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Clínicas University Hospital.Results: Three hundred and forty one patients with IgA nephropathy – confirmed with histopathology analysis - were studied. Sixty five per cent were men, average age was 31 ± 13 year old and follow-up median 52 months (1-271); 14% started with dialysis and 1.2% died. The most common clinical presentation was asymptomatic urinary alterations (42%), (and this was more evident in the 2000-2009 period, chi2 p < 0.05). At the beginning, proteinuria was 1.7 ± 1.9 g/l; creatininemia 1.6 ± 1.8 mg/dl, and blood pressure was PA ≥ 140/90 mmHg in 32% of patients. Crescent formations were observed in 48%. Fifty six per cent of them received angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) / angiotensin receptor blockers and 52% of patients received immunosuppressants. Blood pressure significantly dropped in the evolution. In the single-variate analysis, initial creatininemia was ≥ 2.5 mg/dl, proteinuria, crescent formations and endocapillary proliferation were associated to starting dialysis or death, although in the multivariate analysis (Cox regression) only the level of creatininemia was significant.Conclusions: the clinical presentation of IgA nephropathy has changed in the past decade, being the asymtomatic urinary alterations the most frequent...

A nefropatia IgA é frequente no Uruguai e seu tratamento conflitivo.Objetivo: analisar a incidência, apresentação clínica, histologia, tratamento e evolução da nefropatia IgA no Uruguai.Material e método: uma análise retrospectiva dos dados do Registro Uruguaio de Glomerulopatias (RUG) e prontuários médicos com absoluta confidencialidade foi realizada; foram registrados idade, sexo, data da biopsia renal, apresentação clínica, pressão arterial (PA), proteinúria, hematúria e creatininemia (no inicio e na última evolução registrada), histologia, tratamentos e evolução. Análise estatística uni e multivariada. Aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética do Hospital das Clínicas.Resultados: foram estudados 341 pacientes com nefropatia IgA, confirmada por histologia, no período 1º de janeiro de 1985 - 31 de dezembro de 2009; 65% eram homens, idade média 31 ± 13 anos e mediana de seguimento de 52 meses (1-271); 14% ingressaram a diálise e 1,2% faleceu. A apresentação clínica mais frequente foi presença de alterações urinárias assintomáticas (AUA) (42%), (maior no período 2000-2009, chi2 p < 0,05). No inicio, a proteinuria era 1,7 ± 1,9 g/l; creatininemia 1,6 ± 1,8 mg/dl, e 32% apresentaram PA ≥ 140/90 mmHg. Foram observadas crescentes celulares em 48%. Receberam inibidores da enzima conversora da angiotensina/antagonistas dos receptores da angiotensina (IECA/ ARA) 56% e imunossupressores, 52%. A PA diminuiu significativamente na evolução. Na análise univariada, a creatininemia inicial foi ≥2,5 mg/dl, proteinúria, crescentes celulares e proliferação endocapilar estavam associados ao ingresso à diálise e ao falecimento, porém na análise multivariada (regressão de Cox) somente o nível de creatininemia foi significativo.Conclusões: a apresentação clínica da nefropatía IgA mostrou mudanças na última década, sendo mais frequente as AUA. A creatininemia ≥ 2,5 mg/dl está associada a pior supervivência renal, provável “ponto de não retorno”...

Programa de trasplante pulmonar en Uruguay: Nuestra experiencia con un centro regional de referencia / Lung transplant program in Uruguay: our experience with a regional reference center

El Uruguay es un país con 3 millones de habitantes que no cuenta con un programa de trasplante pulmonar propio. En este contexto se ha optado por generar un acuerdo para su realización en un centro de referencia regional como la Fundación Favaloro de la República Argentina. En este trabajo se muestra la experiencia de este programa durante 4 años. Hasta el momento se han trasplantado 20% de los pacientes alistados y la mortalidaden lista de espera ha sido elevada. La principal limitante ha sido la dificultad para obtener donantes pulmonares óptimos para el implante. La flexibilización en la selección, con la utilización de donantes marginales o la utilización de donantes en asistolia pueden en el futuro mejorar esta situación.

Uruguay, a country with three million- inhabitants does not have its own lung transplant program. Therefore an agreement has been reached for transplants, to be performed in the regional reference center called Favaloro Foundation in Argentine. The experience of the program for the first four years is presented in this paper. Twenty percent of the waiting list patients have been transplanted so far; the mortality of the patients on the waiting list was high. The main limitation of the program has been the difficulty to get optimal lung donors.The selection of donors who either meet marginally the transplant requirements or are in asystolic arrest will make the program more flexible and may improve current results.