Liver abscess due to parvimonas micra.

Liver abscesses are an entity that sets out a diagnostic challenge with a severe clinical course and non-negligible mortality. Their origin is usually bacterial (>80%), parasitic, mixed or, more rarely, fungal. We present the case report of a 45-year-old man, native of Ghana, with no relevant medical-surgical history, was admitted for septic shock with multiple organ dysfuntion syndrome. Complementary imaging tests revealed a liver abscess in segments IV and VII measuring 60x45x54 mm, so antibiotic treatment with piperacillin-tazobactam was started and a pigtail drainage was placed. In blood cultures, the microorganism parvimonas micra (anaerobic gram-positive cocci) was isolated with high degree of sensitivity rates to penicillin, clindamycin and metronidazole. Treatment was de-escalated to clindamycin until completing 4 weeks of intravenous treatment. Control CT showed a decrease in the size of the abscess and pigtail drainage was removed.

Hemoperitoneum due to rupture of intra-abdominal varices.

Portal hypertension, responsible for the formation of oesophageal varices, also generates intra-abdominal varicose dilations, especially of the perisplenic and mesenteric veins, which, like the oesophageal veins, are susceptible to rupturing and bleeding, in this case within the peritoneal cavity. However, the spontaneous rupture of these intraperitoneal varices is a rare complication, and poorly described in the literature. We present the case of a 72-year-old woman with CHILD B liver cirrhosis of unknown aetiology with portal hypertension on primary prophylaxis with carvedilol.

¿Hay vida después de teduglutida? / Is there life after teduglutide?

El fallo intestinal (FI) se define como una reducción de la función intestinal por debajo del mínimo necesario para la absorción de nutrientes y que precisa suplementación intravenosa para mantener la salud y/o el crecimiento. La causa más frecuente es el síndrome de intestino corto (SIC). Aproximadamente el 50 % de los pacientes con SIC presenta FI y requiere soporte parenteral. La teduglutida es un análogo del péptido-2 similar al glucagón (GLP-2) humano aprobado para el tratamiento de pacientes con SIC. Los resultados de ensayos clínicos han probado su eficacia: se reducen el volumen y los días de administración de nutrición parenteral y fluidoterapia. Pocas publicaciones evalúan los efectos sobre la función intestinal a largo plazo en pacientes respondedores tras la suspensión de teduglutida. Se describe un paciente con SIC tipo I (yeyunostomía terminal) debido a múltiples intervenciones quirúrgicas por enfermedad de Crohn, que recibió tratamiento con liraglutida un año y teduglutida secuencial durante 21 meses. Con el primero, se objetivó una reducción en la necesidad de aporte y débito por yeyunostomía. El análogo del GLP-2 consiguió una mayor reducción del desequilibrio hídrico que permitió suspender la sueroterapia nocturna, con ganancia ponderal y mantenimiento de parámetros nutricionales, situación mantenida dos años después de su suspensión

Intestinal failure (IF) is defined as a reduction in intestinal function below the minimum necessary for the absorption of nutrients, requiring intravenous supplementation to maintain health and/or growth. The most common cause is short bowel syndrome (SBS). Approximately 50 % of patients with SBS have IF and require parenteral support. Teduglutide is a human glucagon-like peptide-2 analogue (GLP-2) approved for the treatment of patients with SBS. Clinical trial results have proven its efficacy by reducing volume and days of administration of parenteral nutrition and fluid therapy. Few publications evaluate the effects on long-term bowel function in respondent patients after teduglutide suspension. A patient with type I SBS (terminal jejunostomy) due to multiple surgeries for Crohn's disease, who was treated with liraglutide for one year and sequential teduglutide for 21 months, is described. With the former, a reduction in the need for contribution and debit by jejunostomy was observed. The GLP-2 analogue achieved a greater reduction in the hydric disbalance that allowed the suspension of the nocturnal suerotherapy, with weight gain and maintenance of nutritional parameters; situation maintained two years after its suspension

[Is there life after teduglutide?] / ¿Hay vida después de teduglutida?

INTRODUCTION: Intestinal failure (IF) is defined as a reduction in intestinal function below the minimum necessary for the absorption of nutrients, requiring intravenous supplementation to maintain health and/or growth. The most common cause is short bowel syndrome (SBS). Approximately 50% of patients with SBS have IF and require parenteral support. Teduglutide is a human glucagon-like peptide-2 analogue (GLP-2) approved for the treatment of patients with SBS. Clinical trial results have proven its efficacy by reducing volume and days of administration of parenteral nutrition and fluid therapy. Few publications evaluate the effects on long-term bowel function in respondent patients after teduglutide suspension. A patient with type I SBS (terminal jejunostomy) due to multiple surgeries for Crohn's disease, who was treated with liraglutide for one year and sequential teduglutide for 21 months, is described. With the former, a reduction in the need for contribution and debit by jejunostomy was observed. The GLP-2 analogue achieved a greater reduction in the hydric disbalance that allowed the suspension of the nocturnal suerotherapy, with weight gain and maintenance of nutritional parameters; situation maintained two years after its suspension.

INTRODUCCIÓN: El fallo intestinal se define como una reducción de la función intestinal por debajo del mínimo necesario para la absorción de nutrientes y que precisa suplementación intravenosa para mantener la salud y/o el crecimiento. La causa más frecuente es el síndrome de intestino corto. Aproximadamente el 50% de pacientes con SIC presenta FI y requiere soporte parenteral. Teduglutida es un análogo del péptido-2 similar al glucagón (GLP-2) humano aprobado para el tratamiento de pacientes con SIC. Los resultados de ensayos clínicos han probado su eficacia: se reducen el volumen y los días de administración de nutrición parenteral y fluidoterapia. Pocas publicaciones evalúan los efectos sobre la función intestinal a largo plazo en pacientes respondedores tras la suspensión de teduglutida. Se describe un paciente con SIC tipo I (yeyunostomía terminal) debido a múltiples intervenciones quirúrgicas por enfermedad de Crohn, que recibió tratamiento con liraglutida un año y teduglutida secuencial durante 21 meses. Con el primero, se objetivó una reducción en la necesidad de aporte y débito por yeyunostomía. El análogo del GLP-2 consiguió una mayor reducción del desequilibrio hídrico que permitió suspender sueroterapia nocturna, con ganancia ponderal y mantenimiento de parámetros nutricionales, situación mantenida dos años después de su suspensión.

Divertículo gigante de sigma / Giant sigmoid diverticulum

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Seudocirrosis en cáncer de mama metastásico / Pseudocirrhosis in metastatic breast cancer

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Consumo de cannabis e invaginaciones intestinales. ¿Una asociación casual? / Cannabis intake and intussusception: an accidental association?

La mayoría de las invaginaciones intestinales en adultos tienen una causa orgánica y su tratamiento es quirúrgico. En algunos casos, no se encuentra lesión asociada a la invaginación y se puede optar por un manejo conservador. En nuestra práctica clínica hemos objetivado la presencia de invaginaciones intestinales en ausencia de lesión estructural asociada al consumo crónico de cannabis con buena evolución tras manejo conservador. Se describen tres casos de invaginaciones recurrentes en consumidores de cannabis, sugiriendo una relación entre el consumo de cannabis y la incidencia de invaginaciones intestinales (AU)

Most intussusception cases in adults have an organic cause and their treatment is surgical. In some cases, there is no injury associated with intussusception and we can opt for conservative management. In our clinical practice we have shown the presence of intussusceptions in the absence of structural damage associated with chronic cannabis with a good course after conservative management. We describe three cases of recurrent intussusception in cannabis users, suggesting a relationship between cannabis use and the incidence of intussusception (AU)

Cannabis intake and intussusception: an accidental association?

Most intussusception cases in adults have an organic cause and their treatment is surgical. In some cases, there is no injury associated with intussusception and we can opt for conservative management. In our clinical practice we have shown the presence of intussusceptions in the absence of structural damage associated with chronic cannabis with a good course after conservative management. We describe three cases of recurrent intussusception in cannabis users, suggesting a relationship between cannabis use and the incidence of intussusception.

Hidronefrosis bilateral por gran fecaloma rectosigmoideo en un adulto joven / Bilateral hidronephrosis caused by giant rectosigmoid fecaloma in a young adult

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Oral prolonged release beclomethasone dipropionate and prednisone in the treatment of active ulcerative colitis: results from a double-blind, randomized, parallel group study.

OBJECTIVES: Double-blind study comparing efficacy and safety of the topically acting corticosteroid beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) to prednisone (PD) in patients with active, mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: Overall, 282 patients were randomized to receive BDP-prolonged release tablets 5 mg once daily for 4 weeks and then every other day for an additional 4 weeks or oral PD 40 mg once daily for the initial 2 weeks tapered of 10 mg every 2 weeks during the 8-week study period. Efficacy end point was the non-inferiority of BDP vs. PD in terms of Disease Activity Index (DAI) score <3 or reduction by at least 3 points for patients with a baseline DAI ≥7 at week 4. Safety end point was the proportion of patients with steroid-related adverse events (AEs) and cortisol <150 nmol/l at week 4. RESULTS: DAI response rates at week 4 were 64.6% and 66.2% with BDP and PD, respectively, demonstrating non-inferiority of BDP vs. PD (delta: -1.56; 95% confidence interval (CI) -13.00-9.88, P=0.78). Patients with steroid-related AEs and cortisol <150 nmol/l at week 4 were 38.7% in the BDP group and 46.9% in the PD group (P=0.17 between groups). No safety signals were observed in both the groups. CONCLUSIONS: BDP was non-inferior to PD in the treatment of active UC, with a good safety profile in both the groups.

Colonic obstruction caused by endometriosis solved with a colonic stent as a bridge to surgery.

Self-expanding metal stents are an established treatment for malignant colon strictures, either as palliative treatment or as a bridge to later surgery. Little data exist regarding the use of stents for benign obstructions and the rate of subsequent complications related to the procedure is high. After reviewing the existing literature, we found only one case of stent placement in an intestinal obstruction caused by endometriosis, as a bridge to surgery. The use of prostheses in benign disease has a higher rate of complications such as stent migration and gut perforation. Such complications are even more likely to happen when the stent has been placed as a bridge to surgery and it is delayed for more than 7 days. This is the case of a young woman presenting an acute intestinal obstruction related to endometrioma. Stent placement was used in this case as a bridge to surgery with successful results.

Post-marketing health technology monitoring. The analysis of an experience from a clinical perspective.

INTRODUCTION: A system for monitoring the use of aphaeresis in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC), named system for monitoring aphaeresis in ulcerative colitis (SiMAC), was designed in 2006 in the Basque Country. In the present study, the opinion of the clinicians who participated in SiMAC was evaluated, in order to identify the barriers and gather suggestions that could improve implementation of this kind of system. METHODS: A mixed questionnaire was designed, in order to gather clinicians' assessments of the SiMAC monitoring system. RESULTS: The response rate was 73.9% (17/23). The data from 40.96% (159/388) of patients with UC treated with aphaeresis was recorded. The main reasons for not including the data from all treated patients were a lack of required data or not meeting the study inclusion criteria. Positive aspects of the SiMAC were identified, as the simplicity of data collection and its systematic, multi-center approach. The negative aspects mentioned were the use of a local computer application and the lack of time for health professionals to enter data. DISCUSSION: The use of monitoring systems helps to formalize the introduction of technologies of little-known effectiveness; involve clinicians and medical societies in coming to agreement and obtaining information about the safety, effectiveness or efficiency of new technologies; and provide relevant information to healthcare administrations for making decisions about the introduction of new technologies into healthcare practice. In order for a monitoring system to work, the process must be straightforward. A minimum set of key variables that are easy to collect must be selected, and an effort made to involve a range of stakeholders, especially institutions and scientific societies, to support the work group.

The GRADE approach for assessing new technologies as applied to apheresis devices in ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND: In the last few years, a new non-pharmacological treatment, termed apheresis, has been developed to lessen the burden of ulcerative colitis (UC). Several methods can be used to establish treatment recommendations, but over the last decade an informal collaboration group of guideline developers, methodologists, and clinicians has developed a more sensible and transparent approach known as the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). GRADE has mainly been used in clinical practice guidelines and systematic reviews. The aim of the present study is to describe the use of this approach in the development of recommendations for a new health technology, and to analyse the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats found when doing so. METHODS: A systematic review of the use of apheresis for UC treatment was performed in June 2004 and updated in May 2008. Two related clinical questions were selected, the outcomes of interest defined, and the quality of the evidence assessed. Finally, the overall quality of each question was taken into account to formulate recommendations following the GRADE approach. To evaluate this experience, a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis was performed to enable a comparison with our previous experience with the SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network) method. RESULTS: Application of the GRADE approach allowed recommendations to be formulated and the method to be clarified and made more explicit and transparent. Two weak recommendations were proposed to answer to the formulated questions. Some challenges, such as the limited number of studies found for the new technology and the difficulties encountered when searching for the results for the selected outcomes, none of which are specific to GRADE, were identified. GRADE was considered to be a more time-consuming method, although it has the advantage of taking into account patient values when defining and grading the relevant outcomes, thereby avoiding any influence from literature precedents, which could be considered to be a strength of this method. CONCLUSIONS: The GRADE approach could be appropriate for making the recommendation development process for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) reports more explicit, especially with regard to new technologies.