London Protocol under water-perfused HRM in a healthy population, towards novel 3D manometric parameters in an evaluation of anorectal functional disorders.

BACKGROUND/AIM: London Protocol (LP) and Classification allied to high-resolution manometry (HRM) technological evolution has updated and enhanced the diagnostic armamentarium in anorectal disorders. This study aims to evaluate LP reproducibility under water-perfused HRM, provide normal data and new parameters based on 3D and healthy comparison studies under perfusional HRM. METHODS: Fifty healthy (25 F) underwent water-perfused 36 channel HRM based on LP at resting, squeeze, cough, push, and rectal sensory. Additional 3D manometric parameters were: pressure-volume (PV) 104mmHg2.cm (resting, short and long squeeze, cough); highest and lowest pressure asymmetry (resting, short squeeze, and cough). Complementary parameters (CP) were: resting (mean pressure, functional anal canal length); short squeeze (mean and maximum absolute squeeze pressure), endurance (fatigue rate, fatigue rate index, capacity to sustain); cough (anorectal gradient pressure); push (rectum-anal gradient pressure, anal canal relaxation percent); recto-anal inhibitory reflex (anal canal relaxation percent). RESULTS: No difference to genders: resting (LP, CP, and 3D); short squeeze (highest pressure asymmetry); endurance (CP); cough (CP, highest and lowest pressure asymmetry); push (gradient pressure); rectal sensory. Higher pressure in men: short squeeze (maximum incremental, absolute, and mean pressure, PV, lowest pressure asymmetry); long squeeze (PV); cough (anal canal and rectum maximum pressure, anal canal PV); push (anal canal and rectum maximum pressure). Anal canal relaxation was higher in women (push). CONCLUSIONS: LP reproducibility is feasible under water-perfused HRM, and comparative studies could bring similarity to dataset expansion. Novel 3D parameters need further studies with healthy and larger data to be validated and for disease comparisons. KEY POINTS: • London Protocol and Classification allied with the technological evolution of HRM (software and probes) has refined the diagnostic armamentarium in anorectal disorders. • Novel 3D and deepening the analysis of manometric parameters before the London Classification as a contributory diagnostic tool. • Comparison of healthy volunteers according to the London Protocol under a perfusional high-resolution system could establish equivalence points.

Upper Esophageal Sphincter Motility and Thoracic Pressure are Determinants of Pressurized Waves in Achalasia Subtypes According to the Chicago Classification.

BACKGROUND: Phenotypes of achalasia are based on esophageal body pressurization during swallow. The reasons that lead to pressurized waves are still unclear. This study aims to evaluate manometric parameters that may determine pressurized waves in patients with achalasia. METHODS: A total of 100 achalasia high-resolution manometry tests were reviewed. We measured before each swallow: upper esophageal sphincter (UES) basal pressure, esophageal length, lower esophageal sphincter (LES) basal pressure, LES length, gastric and thoracic pressure, transdiaphragmatic pressure gradient and the LES retention pressure (LES basal pressure-TPG); during swallow: UES pressure, UES residual pressure, UES recovery time, LES relaxation pressure, gastric and thoracic pressure, transdiaphragmatic pressure gradient and after swallow: esophageal length, LES length, wave pressure, gastric and thoracic pressure and transdiaphragmatic gradient pressure. RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed in pressurized waves before swallow: higher thoracic, UES and LES basal pressure, longer LES length and decrease in LES retention pressure; during swallow: higher thoracic, gastric and UES pressure, higher UES and LES relaxation pressure and after swallow: higher thoracic and gastric pressure. Multivariate analysis in pressurized waves showed as significant before swallow: thoracic and UES basal pressure; during swallow: thoracic, gastric and UES pressure, UES residual pressure and UES recovery time and after swallow: thoracic pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Basal esophageal pressurization and the UES are independent variables that may be associated with pressurized waves.

Spiritist Hospital Chaplaincy in Brazil: 5 Years of Documented Experience.

Spiritist Hospital Chaplaincy in Brazil has been growing significantly in recent years, with the implementation of new services through the work of Spiritist Medical Associations (SMAs) in different regions of the country. This article describes the importance of historical interconnections from the advent of spiritism in the world and its introduction in Brazil to the emergence of Spiritist Hospital Chaplaincy in our country and presents the documented experience over 5 years of spiritist chaplain care, in the period from 2012 to 2016, guided by the SMA of Piracicaba at the Unimed Hospital of Piracicaba (São Paulo). We documented 41,914 visits to 13,983 inpatients and an analysis of these records allowed us to reflect on the importance of this service and confirm its expansion and acceptance by different contemporary religious beliefs.

Experience of the Spiritist Hospital Chaplaincy Service: A Retrospective Study.

The Hospital Chaplaincy service is made of religious volunteer work done by representatives of various religions properly trained to offer spiritual support to hospitalized patients, as well as their families, contributing as a source of protection, comfort and restoring faith in the face of illness. The objective of this study is to present a retrospective analysis of records made by chaplains, guided by the Spiritist Medical Association of Piracicaba, through 7419 calls to 2191 patients admitted at Unimed Hospital of Piracicaba in 2014. The results contributed to the production of scientific documentation about this new holistic model that still lies in acceptance phase in the country.

Invasive enteritis by Strongyloides stercoralis presenting as acute abdominal distress under corticosteroid therapy

Overwhelming helminthiasis is still a problem in endemic areas, especially in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of invasive intestinal strongyloidiasis that was clinically expressed as acute abdominal distress in a 73-year-old man from Säo Paulo who had been receiving methylprednisone, 20 mg/day, for one year for osteoarthritis. A surgical specimen from the ileum revealed invasive enteritis with severe infestation by Strongyloides stercoralis. The patient died of sepsis 6 days after surgery. The possibility of invasive strongyloidiasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal distress in patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy

Neurofibromatose: relato de caso / Neurofibromatosis: case report

Os autores apresentam um caso de neurofibromatose em paciente que apresentava uma tumoração lombossacral volumosa, alertando-se para o diagnóstico, as variantes clínicas da moléstia e a preocupação quanto a degeneração malígna de tal afecção.

Leiomiossarcoma de retroperitônio: relato de caso / Retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma: case report

Os autores relatam um caso de leiomiossarcoma de retroperitônio, provavelmente originário da parede da veia cava inferior, em que foram realizados numerosos exames por imagem, com resultados contraditórios e conduta cirúrgica muito retardada. Comenta-se ainda sobre a necessidade de estabelecer-se rapidamente o diagnóstico da lesão, por meio de exames de imagem com biópsia dirigida, e a necessidade de ressecção completa da lesão, sempre que possível, ou mesmo a realização de ressecções parciais seguidas de tratamento complementar.

Biópsia pulmonar a céu aberto: quando indicar? / Open-lung biopsy: when to indicate?

Os autores objetivaram avaliar as correlações entre o momento da indicação da biópsia pulmonar a céu aberto, o estado clínico do paciente e as complicações decorridas. Foram analisados 34 pacientes de novembro de 1974 a abril de 1995. Os pacientes incluídos no estudo foram classificados, segundo o seu estado físico e risco anestésico-cirúrgico, pelo sistema da Sociedade Americana de Anestesiologia (ASA) nos víveis I, II, III, IV e V. Também foram agrupados, de acordo com o padrão respiratório, nas seguintes categorias: não-comprometidos, uso de oxigenoterapia, indicação de intubação e ventilação mecânica.

The objective of this work was to avaliate the correlations between the moment of open-lung biopsy indication, the patient clinical status and its complications. Thirty-four patients were studied in the period of november of 1974 to april of 1995. They were classified by their physical status and anaesthetic surgery risc by ASA on, I, II, II, IV and V levels and they were classed according to the respiratory standard in: no compromise, requiring oxygen therapy, met intubation and mechanical ventilation.