Utility and Safety of Tolvaptan in Cirrhotic Patients with Hyponatremia: a Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract: Introduction and aim. Hyponatremia is common in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and is associated with increased mortality. Tolvaptan, a vasopressor V2 receptor antagonist, can increase free wáter excretion, but its efficacy and safety in cirrhotic patients remain unclear. Material and methods. We studied the usage and safety of tolvaptan in cirrhotic patients in a real-life, non-randomized, multicenter prospective cohort study. Forty-nine cirrhotic patients with hyponatremia were treated with tolvaptan 15 mg daily, and 48 patients not treated with tolvaptan in the same period served as controls. Improvement in serum sodium level was defined as an increase in serum sodium from < 125 to ≥ 125 mmol/L or from 125-134 to ≥ 135 mmol/L on day 7. Results. Twenty-three (47%) patients in the tolvaptan group and 17 (35%) in the control group had normal serum sodium on day 7 (p = 0.25). Serum sodium improved in 30 (61%) patients in the tolvaptan group and 17 (35%) patients in the control group (p = 0.011). Adverse events occurred in 46-47% of patients in both groups, and tolvaptan was not associated with worsened liver function. No patient with normal serum sodium on day 7 died within 30 days of treatment, whereas 16% of those with persistent hyponatremia died (p = 0.0019). Conclusion. In conclusion, short-term tolvaptan treatment is safe and can improve serum sodium level in cirrhotic patients with hyponatremia. Normalization of serum sodium level is associated with better survival.

Is the ability to perform transurethral resection of the prostate influenced by the surgeon's previous experience?

PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of the urologist's experience on the surgical results and complications of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-seven patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate without the use of a video camera were randomly allocated into three groups according to the urologist's experience: a urologist having done 25 transurethral resections of the prostate (Group I - 24 patients); a urologist having done 50 transurethral resections of the prostate (Group II - 24 patients); a senior urologist with vast transurethral resection of the prostate experience (Group III - 19 patients). The following were recorded: the weight of resected tissue, the duration of the resection procedure, the volume of irrigation used, the amount of irrigation absorbed and the hemoglobin and sodium levels in the serum during the procedure. RESULTS: There were no differences between the groups in the amount of irrigation fluid used per operation, the amount of irrigation fluid absorbed or hematocrit and hemoglobin variation during the procedure. The weight of resected tissue per minute was approximately four times higher in group III than in groups I and II. The mean absorbed irrigation fluid was similar between the groups, with no statistical difference between them (p=0.24). Four patients (6 percent) presented with TUR syndrome, without a significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSION: The senior urologist was capable of resecting four times more tissue per time unit than the more inexperienced surgeons. Therefore, a surgeon's experience may be important to reduce the risk of secondary TURP due to recurring adenomas or adenomas that were incompletely resected. However, the incidence of complications was the same between the three groups.

Hiponatremia como factor de riesgo de muerte en pacientes internados por neumonia adquirida en la comunidad / Hyponatremia as a risk factor of death in patients with community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization

Investigamos si la hiponatremia es un factor de riesgo de muerte en pacientes internados por neumoníaadquirida en la comunidad (NAC) y estimamos el peso relativo de otros factores de riesgo de muerte por NAC, en un estudio de cohorte, prospectivo, multicéntrico, en 5 Servicios de Clínica Médica del Area Metropolitana de Buenos Aires. Evaluamos adultos con NAC ingresados entre 21 de marzo de 2000 y 21 de diciembre del mismo año. Los factores de riesgo que mostraron asociación con evolución por análisis univariado, fueron sometidos a análisis de regresión logística, con un nivel de significación de α de 0.05. En 9 meses seinternaron 238 pacientes con NAC: 150 (63%) varones y 88 (36%) mujeres, con edades medias 52.99 (±20.35)y 55.06 (±20.94) años, respectivamente. Fallecieron 25/238 (10.5%). En análisis multivariado, se asociaron significativamente con evolución: enfermedad vascular encefálica (EVE) (B: 2.614, p<0.001, RRE: 13.6, IC 95%: 3.7-49.6); hiponatremia al ingreso o durante la internación (B: 1.994, p<0.001, RRE: 7.3, IC 95%: 2.5-20.8); urea plasmática elevada (B: 0.016, p= 0.003, RRE: 1.016, IC 95%: 1.005-1.02). Desarrollamos una fórmula deprobabilidad de fallecer por NAC: P (óbito)= 1/1+ exp. – (-4.03 + 2.61x1 + 1.99x2 + 0.016x3), donde: x1= EVE(sí =1/no =0); x2= hiponatremia (sí =1/no =0); x3 = urea plasmática (mg/dl). La predictibilidad fue 91.1%. Elriesgo de fallecer por NAC fue significativamente mayor entre quienes presentaron EVE, hiponatremia y ureaplasmática elevada

We investigated whether hyponatremia is a risk factor of death in patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and estimated the relative risk of death by CAP of otherrisk factors. The design was prospective multicentre cohort study. In 5 centers in Buenos Aires, Argentina, westudied adults hospitalized with CAP between March 21, 2000 and December 21, 2000. Using stepwise logisticregression, we analyzed risk factors that showed a univariate association with mortality; α significance level was0.05. During a 9-month period, 238 patients were admitted with CAP: 150 (63%) male and 88 (36%) female,mean age 52.99 (±20.35) and 55.06 (±20.94), respectively. Mortality was 10.5% (25/238). By multivariate analysis, the following variables were statistically associated with evolution: cerebrovascular disease (CD) (B: 2.614,p<0.001, RRE: 13.6, IC 95%: 3.7-49.6); hyponatremia at admission or during hospitalization (B: 1.994, p<0.001, RRE: 7.3, IC 95%: 2.5-20.8); and elevated blood urea (B: 0.016, p= 0.003, RRE: 1.016, IC 95%: 1.005-1.02). We developed a formula to predict mortality by CAP: P (death) = 1/1+ exp – (-4.03 + 2.61x1 + 1.99x2 + 0.016x3), where: x1= CD (yes=1/no =0); x2= hyponatremia (yes=1/no =0); x3 = blood urea (mg/dl). The predictability was 91.1%. The mortality risk by CAP was statistically higher in patients with CD, hyponatremia and elevated blood urea

Hiponatremia / Hyponatremia

Se define a la hiponatremia como la concentración de sodio plasmático menor de 130 mmol/L. Se puede presentar en las siguientes situaciones: trastornos en la eliminación renal de agua (pérdidas en aparato digestivo, pérdidas renales por hipoaldosteronismo, enfermedades renales perdedoras de sal, pérdidas por piel, estados edematosos, depleción de potasio), insuficiencia renal y por uso de diuréticos, hipotiroidismo o en la pseudohiponatremia. Existen 3 posibles estados del organismo con respecto al contenido de sodio: a) disminución del contenido total de sodio, b) normalidad en el contenido total de sodio y c) aumento en el contenido total de sodio. Estos 3 estados pueden acompañarse de otras 3 situaciones cada uno: disminución, normalidad y aumento en el contenido total del agua. La hiponatremia puede ser aguda o crónica. El tratamiento de los síndromes que producen hiponatremia se basa en 3 principios que pueden aplicarse por separado o juntos: la administración de soluciones de NaCl para elevar la concentración del sodio sérico, aplicable en los pacientes con depleción del sodio total; restricción de la ingesta de agua en los pacientes normovolémicos o edematosos; y tratamiento de la causa subyacente