Dietary intake in the dependent elderly: evaluation of the risk of nutritional deficit.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is a frequent problem in elderly dependent patients and their prognosis is adversely affected. Assessment of food consumption and adequacy of energy and nutrient intake of dependent elderly is needed to plan any selected actions for this population. METHODS: The study comprised a multicentre cross-sectional study of 190 users (≥65 years) of a home care programme provided by primary care centers in Tarragona (Spain), at nutritional risk (Mini Nutritional Assessment: 17-23.5 points). Food consumption was assessed using a semiquantitative validated food frequency questionnaire. Energy intake was compared with the Spanish dietary reference intake (DRI) and nutritional intakes with the DRI of the American Institute of Medicine. RESULTS: Mean (SD) age was 85.0 (7.2) years (67.5% female). The food items consumed were varied but lower than the recommended portions for cereals, fruits, vegetables and legumes. Energy intake was 7454.2 (1553.9 kJ day(-1)) [1781.6 (371.4) kcal day(-1)] (97.7% of recommended dietary allowance; RDA) and protein intake was 1.0 (0.4) g kg(-1) of weight (121.4% of RDA). Proteins provided 13.3%, carbohydrates provided 39.9% and fats provided 45.8% of energy intake. The intakes of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin E and folates were less than two-thirds of the RDA and their probability of inadequate intake was >85%. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary intakes of elderly dependent patients at nutritional risk were well balanced. In general, energy and protein intakes meet the recommendations. The diet was high in energy density, low in complex carbohydrates, high in simple carbohydrates and excessive in fats. The dependent elderly had inadequate intake of micronutrients often related to fragility, such as calcium, vitamin D, vitamin E and folates.

[Contribution of (99m)Tc-mebrofenin scintigraphy to the diagnosis of ectopic liver. A case report]. / Contribución de la gammagrafía hepatobiliar con (99m)Tc-mebrofenina al diagnóstico del hígado ectópico. A propósito de un caso.

We present the case of a woman with a parasplenic mass who underwent abdominal ultrasounds, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The liver scintigraphy with (99m)Tc-Mebrofenin confirmed the diagnosis of ectopic liver.

Contribución de la gammagrafía hepatobiliar con 99mTc-mebrofenina al diagnóstico del hígado ectópico. A propósito de un caso / Contribution of 99mTc-mebrofenin scintigraphy to the diagnosis of ectopic liver. A case report

Se presenta el caso de una mujer con masa paraesplénica diagnosticada por ecografía abdominal, tomografía axial computarizada y resonancia magnética. La gammagrafía hepatobiliar con 99mTc-mebrofenina confirmó el diagnóstico de hígado ectópico(AU)

We present the case of a woman with a parasplenic mass who underwent abdominal ultrasounds, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The liver scintigraphy with 99mTc-Mebrofenin confirmed the diagnosis of ectopic liver(AU)

Prognosis of "clandestine" myocardial ischemia, silent myocardial ischemia, and angina pectoris in medically treated patients.

The aim of this study was to assess the prognosis of medically treated patients with "clandestine" myocardial ischemia (perfusion defect without angina and no ST depression > 1 mm during exercise test) compared to those with silent myocardial ischemia (ST-segment depression > 1 mm, without angina) and those with angina pectoris. One hundred twelve patients without previous myocardial infarction were included. All patients underwent a symptom-limited exercise test on a bicycle ergometer, myocardial perfusion technetium-99m-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and coronary angiography. They were classified into 3 groups (angina group, 34 patients; silent group, 20 patients; and the clandestine group, 58 patients). The mean follow-up was 3.6 years (range 6 months to 5.5 years). Patients with clandestine ischemia had a lower scintigraphic and angiographic score than patients with silent ischemia (25+/-8 vs 31+/-9 and 24+/-8 vs 29+/-7, p = 0.008, respectively), but the prognosis was similar. Only angina and severe reversible SPECT defects were predictive for cardiac events: death + myocardial infarction + revascularization. We conclude that in medically treated patients without previous myocardial infarction, angina and severe reversible SPECT defects are predictive for cardiac events only when the need for revascularization is included as a cardiac event.

Diagnostic accuracy of technetium-99m-MIBI myocardial SPECT in women and men.

UNLABELLED: Noninvasive diagnosis of coronary artery disease in women has some limitations due to a higher percentage of false-positive results. In addition, a lower prevalence of disease can be observed in this population. In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of 99mTc-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (MIBI) SPECT in women and men, in a group of patients with proven coronary artery disease by coronary angiography (select minority) and in all patients where a noninvasive test (silent majority) was performed. METHODS: Seven hundred and two consecutive patients without previous myocardial infarction were studied with 99mTc-MIBI myocardial SPECT. One hundred sixty-three patients had coronary angiography (select minority) and 539 did not (silent majority). All patients underwent exercise stress testing, and simultaneous dipyridamole was administered in 32% of patients who did not achieve maximum predicted heart rates. Diagnostic accuracy of the test was calculated for the select minority. Then, sensitivity and specificity of the silent majority were recalculated according to the Diamond criteria. RESULTS: Prevalence of coronary artery disease (32% versus 80%, p = 0.0001) and peak O2 consumption achieved in exercise tests (watts, exercise duration) were lower in women. The probability of positive results of 99mTc-MIBI SPECT also was lower in women (34% versus 65%). The sensitivity of 99mTc-MIBI SPECT in women of the select minority was lower (85% versus 93%, p = 0.01), whereas there was no significant difference for specificity (91% versus 89%). After correcting the results for the silent majority, there were no significant differences in sensitivity (87% versus 88%) and specificity (91% versus 96%) between women and men. These results were not different for patients who achieved maximum predicted heart rates during stress testing (without dipyridamole administration). CONCLUSION: The sensitivity of 99mTc-MIBI myocardial SPECT in women was lower than in men when only the select minority was considered. When the silent majority was considered (correction of selection bias) sensitivity and specificity results did not differ significantly between the sexes.

[Stress myocardial gammatomography in the diagnosis of multivessel coronary disease]. / La tomogammagrafía miocárdica de esfuerzo en el diagnóstico de la enfermedad coronaria multivaso.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of 99m-Technetium-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (MIBI) SPET for identification of individual coronary artery disease and in the prediction of multivessel involvement. METHODS: Stress/rest myocardial SPET and coronary arteriography were evaluated in 231 consecutive patients (age 58 +/- 10 years, 26% women) without prior myocardial infarction. 149 patients had coronary narrowing > 50%: 104 with multivessel disease and 45 with one vessel disease. Tomographic stress defect score was obtained by semiquantitative analysis (maximal score 65). Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to identify discriminant parameters between one vessel and multivessel patients. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity for the identification of individual artery disease was 74% and 85% for left anterior descending artery, 79% and 85% for right coronary and 45% and 96% for circumflex artery. In the prediction of multivessel involvement the sensitivity was 65%, specificity 87%, positive predictive value 81% and negative predictive value 76%. In the bivariate analysis, four parameters differed significantly between one vessel and multivessel disease patients: ST downslope > 1 mm (p = 0.01), ST downslope/heart rate corrected (p = 0.005), reversible defects in two or more regions (p = 0.009) and SPET score (p = 0.002). In the multivariate analysis the probability of multivessel disease was 90% when ST depression > 1 mm and SPET score > 20 were associated and the probability was lowered to 16% when these criteria were not present. CONCLUSION: Myocardial SPET with MIBI offers an accurate localization of individual coronary artery disease, mainly in left anterior descending artery and right coronary artery lesions. Combined evaluation of ST depression and extension of myocardial stress defects improved prediction of multivessel involvement.