Importancia de la hipertensión en pacientes con primer episodio de ictus isquémico: estudio retrospectivo de 20 años / Importance of hypertension in patients after the first stroke: retrospective cohort study

Antecedentes y objetivos: La hipertensión arterial (HTA) es un factor de riesgo clave para el ictus. Evaluamos si la importancia de la HTA sobre el riesgo de ictus isquémico ha aumentado en las últimas décadas. Métodos: Estudio retrospectivo de pacientes con ictus isquémico dados de alta en 3 hospitales de Sevilla (España), durante los periodos: 1999-2001, 2014-2016 y 2019-2020. Resultados: Se incluyeron 1.379 pacientes, 42,6% mujeres, edad media 69,1 (±11) años. La HTA fue el factor de riesgo vascular más prevalente en todos los periodos, con un aumento progresivo de pacientes hipertensos (65,9 vs. 69,6 vs. 74%; p=0,029). La HTA fue especialmente frecuente en pacientes≥80 años (73 vs. 81,9 vs. 85,2%; p=0,029). Al alta se utilizaron progresivamente más fármacos antihipertensivos (en el 65 vs. 85,1 vs. 90,2% de los pacientes; p=0,0001), con un claro aumento en el número de fármacos antihipertensivos utilizados (media 0,9±0,8 vs. 1,5±1 vs. 1,8±0,8 fármacos; p=0,0001). El uso de diuréticos (13,7-39,3-65,3%; p=0,0001), IECA (35,5-43,3-53,4%; p=0,0001) y bloqueadores de los receptores de angiotensina (12,2-24-32,4%; p=0,0001) aumentó progresivamente. Por el contrario, disminuyó el uso de antagonistas del calcio (24-19,9-13,7; p=0,0001). Conclusiones: En las últimas 2 décadas existe un mayor protagonismo de la HTA entre los pacientes con primer evento cerebrovascular isquémico. Es necesario un mayor y mejor control de la HTA para disminuir la enorme carga de la enfermedad cerebrovascular. (AU)

Background and objectives: Hypertension (HT) is a key risk factor for stroke. We evaluated whether the importance of hypertension on the risk of ischemic stroke has increased in recent decades. Methods: Retrospective study of patients with ischemic stroke discharged from 3 hospitals in Seville (Spain), during the periods: 1999-2001, 2014-2016 and 2019-2020. Results: 1,379 patients were included, 42.6% women, mean age 69.1 (±11) years. HT was the most prevalent vascular risk factor in all periods, with a progressive increase in hypertensive patients (65.9% vs 69.6% vs 74%; P=.029). HT was especially frequent in patients≥80 years (73% vs 81.9% vs 85.2%; P=.029). At discharge, progressively more antihypertensive drugs were used (in 65% vs 85.1 vs 90.2% of patients; P=.0001), with a clear increase in the number of antihypertensive drugs used (mean 0.9±0.8 vs 1.5±1 vs 1.8±0.8 drugs, P=.0001). The use of diuretics (13.7%-39.3%-65.3%; p=0.0001), ACE inhibitors (35.5%-43.3%-53.4%; P=.0001) and angiotensin receptor blockers (12.2%-24%-32.4%; P=.0001) increased progressively. On the contrary, the use of calcium antagonists decreased (24%-19.9%-13.7%; P=.0001). Conclusions: In the last 2 decades there has been a greater role for HT among patients with their first ischemic cerebrovascular event. Greater and better control of HT is necessary to reduce the enormous burden of cerebrovascular disease. (AU)

[Importance of hypertension in patients after the first stroke: retrospective cohort study]. / Importancia de la hipertensión en pacientes con primer episodio de ictus isquémico: estudio retrospectivo de 20 años.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hypertension (HT) is a key risk factor for stroke. We evaluated whether the importance of hypertension on the risk of ischemic stroke has increased in recent decades. METHODS: Retrospective study of patients with ischemic stroke discharged from 3 hospitals in Seville (Spain), during the periods: 1999-2001, 2014-2016 and 2019-2020. RESULTS: 1,379 patients were included, 42.6% women, mean age 69.1 (±11) years. HT was the most prevalent vascular risk factor in all periods, with a progressive increase in hypertensive patients (65.9% vs 69.6% vs 74%; P=.029). HT was especially frequent in patients≥80 years (73% vs 81.9% vs 85.2%; P=.029). At discharge, progressively more antihypertensive drugs were used (in 65% vs 85.1 vs 90.2% of patients; P=.0001), with a clear increase in the number of antihypertensive drugs used (mean 0.9±0.8 vs 1.5±1 vs 1.8±0.8 drugs, P=.0001). The use of diuretics (13.7%-39.3%-65.3%; p=0.0001), ACE inhibitors (35.5%-43.3%-53.4%; P=.0001) and angiotensin receptor blockers (12.2%-24%-32.4%; P=.0001) increased progressively. On the contrary, the use of calcium antagonists decreased (24%-19.9%-13.7%; P=.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In the last 2 decades there has been a greater role for HT among patients with their first ischemic cerebrovascular event. Greater and better control of HT is necessary to reduce the enormous burden of cerebrovascular disease.

Characteristics of Medically Transported Critically Ill Children with Respiratory Failure in Latin America: Implications for Outcomes.

Several challenges exist for referral and transport of critically ill children in resource-limited regions such as Latin America; however, little is known about factors associated with clinical outcomes. Thus, we aimed to describe the characteristics of critically ill children in Latin America transferred to pediatric intensive care units for acute respiratory failure to identify risk factors for mortality. We analyzed data from 2,692 patients admitted to 28 centers in the Pediatric Collaborative Network of Latin America Acute Respiratory Failure Registry. Among patients referred from another facility (773, 28%), nonurban transports were independently associated with mortality (adjusted odds ratio = 9.4; 95% confidence interval: 2.4-36.3).

A computer-aided design tool for biomedical OBT sensor tuning in cell-culture assays.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The biomedical engineering must frequently develop sensor designs by including information from performance of bio-samples (cell cultures or tissues), technical specifications of transducers, and constrains from electronic circuits. A computer program for real-time cell culture monitoring system design is developed; analyzing, modelling and integrating into the program design flow the electrodes, cell culture and test circuit's influences. METHODS: The computer tool, first, generates an equivalent electric circuit model for the cell-electrode bio-systems based on the area covered by cells, which also considers the cell culture dynamics. Second, proposes an Oscillation Based Test (OBT) parameterized circuit, for Electrical Cell-Substrate Sensing (ECIS) measurements of the cell culture system bioimpedance. Third, simulates electrically the full system to define the best system parameter values for the sensor. RESULTS: Reported experimental results are based on commercial gold electrodes and the AA8 cell line. Characteristics of the cell lines, as time-division or cell size, are incorporated into the program design flow, showing that for a given assay, the optimal OBT circuit parameters can be selected with the help of the computer tool. The electrical simulations of the full system demonstrate that the can be correctly predicted the output frequency and amplitude ranges of the voltage response, obtaining accurate results when cell culture approaches to confluence phase. CONCLUSION: It is proposed a computer program for system design of biosensors applied to monitoring cell culture dynamics. The program allows obtaining confident system information by electrical stimulation. All system components (electrodes, cell culture and test circuits) are properly modelled. The employed procedure can be applied to any other 2D electrode layout or alternative circuit technique for ECIS test. Finally, deep insight information on cell size, number, and time-division can be extracted from the comparison with real cell culture assays in the future.

Effect of melatonin administration on the PER1 and BMAL1 clock genes in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Sleep disorders are a widespread condition in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), which has been linked to a deregulation of the circadian cycle and therefore of the clock genes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of melatonin (MEL) on the PER1 and BMAL1 clock genes in patients with PD. A double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial pilot study was conducted in 26 patients with stage 1-3 PD according to the Hoehn & Yahr scale, who received either 25 mg of MEL or a placebo at noon and 30 min before bedtime for three months. The relative expression of the PER1 and BMAL1 genes was measured, as well as the presence of daytime, nocturnal, and global sleepiness, and the progression of PD. The levels of the PER1 and BMAL1 genes at baseline were 0.9 (0.1-3) vs. 0.56 (0.1-2.5), respectively; while after the intervention with MEL or placebo the BMAL1 levels increased to 2.5 (0-3.70) vs. 2.2 (0.10-3.30), respectively (d = 0.387). Fifty percent (50 %) of patients had daytime sleepiness and sixty-five percent (65 %) had abnormal nighttime sleepiness, yet neither group showed changes after the intervention. Patients with PD exhibited an alteration in the levels of the clock genes: MEL increased the levels of BMAL1, but the PER1 levels remained unchanged.

Characterization of Implanted Stents through Neointimal Tissue Bioimpedance Simulations.

This work describes how is possible the definition of the light hole or lumen in implanted stents affected by restenosis processes using the BioImpedance (BI) as biomarker. The main approach is based on the fact that neointimal tissues implied in restenosis can be detected and measured thanks to their respective conductivity and dielectric properties. For this goal, it is proposed a four-electrode setup for bioimpedance measurement. The influence of the several involved tissues in restenosis: fat, muscle, fiber, endothelium and blood, have been studied at several frequencies, validating the setup and illustrating the sensitivity of each one. Finally, a real example using a standard stent, has been analyzed for stable and vulnerable plaques in restenosis test cases, demonstrating that the proposed method is useful for the stent obstruction test. Bioimpedance simulation test has been performed using the electric physics module in COMSOL Multiphysics®.

Phenotypic and genotypic evaluation of 18 Nocardia isolates from human clinical samples in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Mexico has the largest number of clinical cases of actinomycetoma in North and South America. Species originally identified by less specific methods have been recently reclassified as other known species or as new species. OBJECTIVE: To assess, by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phenotypic methods, the species distribution of 18 human clinical isolates originally identified as N. brasiliensis, some of them isolated between 1947 and 1959 in Mexico City. METHODS: Clinical isolates came from the Hospital General, "Dr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez", and Instituto Nacional de Diagnóstico y Referencia Epidemiológica (INDRE) in Mexico, D.F. The strains used in this study included 15 clinical strains isolated between 1947 and 1959 that were originally identified as N. brasiliensis and three more strains obtained in 2007 identified as Nocardia spp. The isolates were identified genotypically by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene, and their phenotypic profiles were obtained with the API Coryne(®) system. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns were tested according to the protocol of the Comité de l'antibiogramme de la Société française de microbiologie[4]. RESULTS: According to 16S rRNA gene, sequencing were identified among 18 human clinical isolates as Nocardia farcinica (n=11) and Nocardia brasiliensis (n=7). A high number of the strains were susceptible to the majority of the antibiotics tested. The phenotypic profiles of the strains were quite uniform for N. farcinica and some variability was observed for N. brasiliensis strains. CONCLUSION: N. farcinica was the most prevalent species identified. Modern methodologies should be applied in clinical laboratories to accurately identify etiological agents.

[Treatment of locally advanced renal tumors]. / Tratamiento de los tumores renales localmente avanzados.

INTRODUCTION: Locally advanced renal tumors show a high progression rate after surgery. Surgical treatment of renal tumors has some unique characteristics related to involvement of the adrenal gland, vena cava, or regional lymph nodes. OBJECTIVE: To review the current treatment of locally advanced renal tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A review is made of both the different drugs used and the different therapeutic possibilities in these tumors. RESULTS: Systemic treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors may improve the natural history of these patients. Systemic treatment may be administered before surgery or as an adjuvant to surgical treatment. Early studies showed a decrease in tumor mass when treatment is administered before surgery, but no prospective randomized studies providing adequate evidence for recommending neoadjuvant treatment are available. CONCLUSIONS: Availability of systemic treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors may open an important field in the treatment of these tumors in both the neoadjuvant setting and as adjuvants to surgery, but no sufficiently solid scientific evidence as to recommend their use is currently available. Randomized studies with sunitinib and sorafenib will probably suggest the adequate approach to be used when their final results are reported.

Tratamiento de los tumores renales localmente avanzados / Treatment of locally advanced renal tumors

Introducción: los tumores renales localmente avanzados presentan un alto porcentaje de progresión tras el tratamiento quirúrgico. El tratamiento quirúrgico de estos tumores renales presenta algunas peculiaridades en relación con la afectación de la glándula suprarrenal, de la vena cava o de la afectación de ganglios regionales. Objetivo: revisar el tratamiento actual de los carcinomas renales localmente avanzados. Material y métodos: se realiza una revisión de los distintos fármacos utilizados, así como de las distintas posibilidades terapéuticas en estos tumores. Resultados: el tratamiento sistémico con inhibidores de la angiogénesis puede mejorar la historia natural de estos pacientes. La pauta de tratamiento sistémico puede ser preoperatoria o adyuvante al tratamiento quirúrgico. Los primeros estudios realizados muestran una disminución de la masa tumoral cuando se realiza tratamiento preoperatorio, aunque no existen estudios prospectivos aleatorizados que nos den suficiente evidencia para recomendarla neoadyuvancia. Conclusiones: la aparición de los tratamientos sistémicos con inhibidores de la angiogénesis puede abrir un campo importante en el tratamiento de estos tumores, tanto en neoadyuvancia como en adyuvancia a la cirugía, pero en la actualidad no tenemos evidencias científicas suficientemente sólidas para recomendar su uso de forma indiscriminada. Probablemente serán los estudios aleatorizados con sunitinib y/o sorafenib los que marcarán la pauta a seguir cuando se completen los resultados definitivos (AU)

Introduction: Locally advanced renal tumors show a high progression rate after surgery. Surgical treatment of renal tumors has some unique characteristics related to involvement of the adrenal gland, vena cava, or regional lymph nodes. Objective: To review the current treatment of locally advanced renal tumors. Materials and methods: A review is made of both the different drugs used and the different therapeutic possibilities in these tumors. Results: Systemic treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors may improve the natural history of these patients. Systemic treatment may be administered before surgery or as an adjuvant to surgical treatment. Early studies showed a decrease in tumor mass when treatment is administered before surgery, but no prospective randomized studies providing adequate evidence for recommending neoadjuvant treatment are available. Conclusions: Availability of systemic treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors may open an important field in the treatment of these tumors in both the neoadjuvant setting and as adjuvants to surgery, but no sufficiently solid scientific evidence as to recommend their use is currently available. Randomized studies with sunitinib and sorafenib will probably suggest the adequate approach to be used when their final results are reported (AU)

[Disphagia secondary to cervical osteophytes]. / Disfagia como manifestación de exóstosis vertebral cervical.

Disphagia is a common cause of medical query in the ENT field, in which could be involved a variety of medical reason. One of those is the extrinsic compression of the digestive tract due to a tumoral process, or as the case we report, secundary to a large osteophyte at the anterior side of the cervical spine, after a surgical intervention in this area.

Disfagia como manifestación de exóstosis vertebral cervical / Disphagia secondary to cervical osteophytes

La disfagia es un motivo de consulta frecuente en el ámbito de la otorrinolaringología, en la que pueden estar implicados diferentes mecanismos de producción. Uno de estos mecanismos son las compresiones extrínseca del tracto digestivo ya sea de origen tumoral o como en el caso que presentamos como consecuencia de un osteofito o hiperóstosis de gran tamaño a nivel de columna cervical anterior tras cirugía ortopédica en la zona

Disphagia is a common cause of medical query in the ENT field, in which could be involved a variety of medical reason. One of those is the extrinsic compression of the digestive tract due to a tumoral process, or as the case we report, secundary to a large osteophyte at the anterior side of the cervical spine, after a surgical intervention in this area

Breakthrough pain characteristics and syndromes in patients with cancer pain. An international survey.

Breakthrough pain (BKP) is a transitory flare of pain that occurs on a background of relatively well controlled baseline pain. Previous surveys have found that BKP is highly prevalent among patients with cancer pain and predicts more severe pain, pain-related distress and functional impairment, and relatively poor quality of life. An international group of investigators assembled by a task force of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) evaluated the prevalence and characteristics of BKP as part of a prospective, cross-sectional survey of cancer pain. Fifty-eight clinicians in 24 countries evaluated a total of 1095 patients with cancer pain using patient-rated items from the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and observer-rated measures. The observer-rated information included demographic and tumor-related data, the occurrence of BKP, and responses on checklists of pain syndromes and pathophysiologies. The clinicians reported BKP in 64.8% of patients. Physicians from English-speaking countries were significantly more likely to report BKP than other physicians. BKP was associated with higher pain scores and functional interference on the BPI. Multivariate analysis showed an independent association of BKP with the presence of more than one pain, a vertebral pain syndrome, pain due to plexopathy, and English-speaking country. These data confirm the high prevalence of BKP, its association with more severe pain and functional impairment, and its relationship to specific cancer pain syndromes. Further studies are needed to characterize subtypes of BKP. The uneven distribution of BKP reporting across pain specialists from different countries suggests that more standardized methods for diagnosing BKP are needed.

Nocardia otitidiscaviarum (GAM-5) induces parkinsonian-like alterations in mouse.

Parkinson's disease, a major neurodegenerative disorder in humans whose etiology is unknown, may be associated with some environmental factors. Nocardia otitidiscaviarum (GAM-5) isolated from a patient with an actinomycetoma produced signs similar to Parkinson's disease following iv injection into NMRI mice. NMRI mice were infected intravenously with a non-lethal dose of 5 x 10(6) colony forming units of N. otitidiscaviarum (GAM-5). Fourteen days after bacterial infection, most of the 60 mice injected exhibited parkinsonian features characterized by vertical head tremor, akinesia/bradykinesia, flexed posture and postural instability. There was a peak of nocardial growth in the brain during the first 24 h followed by a decrease, so that by 14 days nocardiae could no longer be cultured. At 24 h after infection, Gram staining showed nocardiae in neurons in the substantia nigra and occasionally in the brain parenchyma in the frontal and parietal cortex. At 21 days post-infection, tyrosine hydroxylase immunolabeling showed a 58% reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase in the substantia nigra, and a 35% reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase in the ventral tegmental region. Dopamine levels were reduced from 110 +/- 32.5 to 58 +/- 16.5 ng/mg protein (47.2% reduction) in brain from infected mice exhibiting impaired movements, whereas serotonin levels were unchanged (191 +/- 44 protein in control and 175 +/- 39 ng/mg protein in injected mice). At later times, intraneuronal inclusion bodies were observed in the substantia nigra. Our observations emphasize the need for further studies of the potential association between Parkinson's disease or parkinsonism-like disease and exposure to various nocardial species.

Nocardia otitidiscaviarum (GAM-5) induces parkinsonian-like alterations in mouse

Parkinson's disease, a major neurodegenerative disorder in humans whose etiology is unknown, may be associated with some environmental factors. Nocardia otitidiscaviarum (GAM-5) isolated from a patient with an actinomycetoma produced signs similar to Parkinson's disease following iv injection into NMRI mice. NMRI mice were infected intravenously with a non-lethal dose of 5 x 10(6) colony forming units of N. otitidiscaviarum (GAM-5). Fourteen days after bacterial infection, most of the 60 mice injected exhibited parkinsonian features characterized by vertical head tremor, akinesia/bradykinesia, flexed posture and postural instability. There was a peak of nocardial growth in the brain during the first 24 h followed by a decrease, so that by 14 days nocardiae could no longer be cultured. At 24 h after infection, Gram staining showed nocardiae in neurons in the substantia nigra and occasionally in the brain parenchyma in the frontal and parietal cortex. At 21 days post-infection, tyrosine hydroxylase immunolabeling showed a 58 percent reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase in the substantia nigra, and a 35 percent reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase in the ventral tegmental region. Dopamine levels were reduced from 110 ± 32.5 to 58 ± 16.5 ng/mg protein (47.2 percent reduction) in brain from infected mice exhibiting impaired movements, whereas serotonin levels were unchanged (191 ± 44 protein in control and 175 ± 39 ng/mg protein in injected mice). At later times, intraneuronal inclusion bodies were observed in the substantia nigra. Our observations emphasize the need for further studies of the potential association between Parkinson's disease or parkinsonism-like disease and exposure to various nocardial species.

Clinical features of ten cases of osteopoikilosis.

A retrospective study was carried out of the ten cases of osteopoikilosis seen at this Orthopedic Unit over a 15-year period in order to determine the reasons why patients seek consultation, preliminary diagnosis, and associated lesions. Eight patients consulted for problems not related to the locomotor apparatus, and diagnosis was by chance; the other two presented joint pain. The preliminary diagnosis was osteoblastic metastasis in five patients and osteopoikilosis in the other five. None of the patients displayed skin or visceral involvement, but three presented bone alterations. Definitive diagnosis was made by measurement of biochemical markers of bone remodeling, radiography of both hands, and bone scan. Bone biopsy was performed in one case. Although rare, the radiographic symptoms of osteopoikilosis are sufficiently specific to avoid false diagnoses, which may give rise to rigorous and expensive studies for other important disorders.

Cuidados de enfermería en los pacientes con traqueotomía percutánea de Griggs / Nursing care of patients with Griggs percutaneous tracheotomy

Este trabajo tiene por objetivo explicar la técnica de la traqueotomía percutánea, teniendo en cuenta los siguientes apartados: material necesario para su realización, preparación y desarrollo de la técnica, especificando cuáles son los pasos a seguir, y facilitando su entendimiento por medio de fotografías. También se indican las posibles contraindicaciones que hay que tener en cuenta en el momento de indicar la realización de la misma. Posteriormente, se detalla el papel de la enfermera que colabora en la misma, y se indican los cuidados a realizar, distinguiendo entre antes y después de la realización, de la técnica. Se analizan las complicaciones derivadas de la técnica. Para ello, se realiza un estudio en nuestra unidad de trabajo, en el que se recogen los datos de todos aquellos pacientes a los que se les realizó una traqueotomía percutánea, evaluando posteriormente sus resultados. Por último, se destacan todas aquellas ventajas e inconvenientes que hemos considerado que se derivan de la experiencia de esta técnica (AU)

The aim of this study was to explain the technique of percutaneous tracheotomy, bearing in mind the following features: material required for carrying out the technique, preparation and development of the technique. The steps to be followed are specified and photographs are provided to aid understanding. The possible contraindications that should be borne in mind when considering the use of this technique are also discussed . Later, the role of nurses participating in this technique is described. The nursing care that should be provided is discussed, distinguishing between before and after the procedure. We analyze the complications caused by the technique. To do this, a study was performed in our unit, in which data from all patients undergoing percutaneous tracheotomy were collected and the results were subsequently analyzed. Lastly, we highlight the advantages and disadvantages that we have found in our experience with this technique (AU)

Edema pulmonar unilateral porreexpansión tras exéresis de una masamediastínica de gran tamaño / Unilateral pulmonary edema due to reexpansion after exeresis of a large mediastinal

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