[Tobacco smoking and sputum smear conversion in pulmonary tuberculosis]. / Tabaquismo y negativización bacteriológica del esputo en la tuberculosis pulmonar.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To analyze if cigarette smoking delays the sputum smear conversion in pulmonary tuberculosis. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Ninety eight patients were diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis. Patients were all not immunosuppressed, infected by human immunodeficiecy virus (HIV) or drug resistant. Sixty four of them were smokers with a pack-year index (standard deviation) of 33.69 (23.12). Delayed sputum smear conversion (DC) was considered when 2 positive sputum culture results were obtained in the second month of anti-tuberculous treatment and was associated with the following variables in 2 groups: a) total group (in which all the patients were included): age, sex, smoking habits, risk factors (alcohol consumption, diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression, drug addicion, malnutrition), time with symptoms, radiologic presentation and bacterial load, and b) smokers: age, sex, risk factors, time with symptoms, radiologic presentation, bacterial load and pack-year index. For the statistical analysis, chi2 test, Student t test and logistic regression model were used, considering the dependant variable DC. RESULTS: In the total group, 17 patients (17.3%) had DC, 16 of them had a history of smoking and in the univariate analysis it was associated with: alcohol consumption, time with symptoms, radiologic presentation as bilateral cavitary infiltrates and smoking habits. The logistic regression analysis showed an association with smoking habits (odds ratio = 9.8; p = 0.03) and bilateral cavitary infiltrates (odds ratio = 3.61; p = 0.02). In the group of smokers, DC was associated in the univariate analysis with the female sex. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking habits delay sputum conversion in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis not associated with HIV and non-resistant bacilli. According to these results it is necessary to assist smoking cessation in patients who are receiving antituberculous treatment.

[Chemotherapy and survival in advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma: is pneumologists' skepticism justified?]. / Quimioterapia y supervivencia en el carcinoma broncogénico no microcítico en estadios avanzados: 'está justificado el nihilismo de los neumólogos?

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have assessed whether the advantage chemotherapy has been shown to have in treating advanced non-small lung carcinoma in clinical trials is transferrable to normal health care activity. This could explain the skepticism of a large number of pneumologists towards this treatment. The objective of our study was to analyze prognostic factors related to survival and to see whether cytostatic treatment was an independent predictor. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients enrolled in the study had been diagnosed with non-small cell carcinoma in stages IV or IIIB with pleural or N2-N3 involvement and with a performance status of 2 or below according to the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG). Survival was analyzed with regard to the following variables: age, sex, comorbidity, weight loss, laboratory test results, histological type, ECOG score, TNM staging, and treatment. The Student t test, the chi(2) test, the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test, and Cox regression analysis were used in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: We enrolled 190 patients (157 men and 33 women) with a mean (SD) age of 61.75 (10.85) years (range, 33-85 years). Of these patients, 144 received cytostatic treatment and 46 palliative treatment. The median survival was 31 weeks and was related to absence of weight loss (hazard ratio [HR], 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-2.39; P=.001), cytostatic treatment (HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.25-2.76; P=.002), and ECOG score of 0 to 1 (HR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.62-5.00; P=.0001). In patients with ECOG scores of 0 to 1, weight loss and treatment were significant prognostic factors. Survival in the ECOG 2 group was 15 weeks for patients undergoing cytostatic treatment and 11 weeks for patients with symptomatic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In normal clinical practice, chemotherapy significantly prolongs survival in patients with performance status of less than 2, more time being gained if there is no associated weight loss. We conclude that the reluctance shown by many pneumologists toward using this treatment is not entirely justified.

[Home mechanical ventilation: dependency and burden of care in the home]. / Ventilación mecánica domiciliaria: dependencia y carga de cuidados en el domicilio.

BACKGROUND: While home mechanical ventilation (HMV) prolongs survival in selected groups of patients, its use is associated with progressive dependency in basic activities, and many users will require informal care in their homes. The workload assumed by the informal caregivers can have financial, physical, and psychological repercussions. Our objective was to study dependent patients on HMV, and to describe the impact of the situation on their caregivers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In November 2007, we undertook a descriptive cross-sectional study of patients in stable condition who had been receiving HMV for at least 6 months. Using the Katz index, we identified dependent patients (class C and higher). In this group we studied social and economic variables, comorbidity, and need for care. The Zarit interview was used to evaluate the caregiver burden. RESULTS: Of the 66 patients enrolled, 20 (30%) were dependent. The mean (SD) age in this group was 60 (12) years and 46% were women. These patients had been on HMV for a mean of 45 months, and 40% were using ventilatory support for over 12 hours per day. Care was provided by women in the majority of cases (77%), and 58% were sole caregivers. The mean age of these carers was 51 years, and 70% of them also worked outside the home. In 7 cases (35%), the caregiver scored over 40 on the Zarit index. CONCLUSIONS: One third of the patients required informal care in order to remain in their homes. Most of the caregivers were women, and one third were overburdened or were at risk of becoming so. Changes involving both physicians and the health authorities are needed to provide satisfactory care to this group of patients.

Ventilación mecánica domiciliaria: dependencia y carga de cuidados en el domicilio / Home Mechanical Ventilation: Dependency and Burden of Care in the Home

IntroducciónLa ventilación mecánica domiciliaria (VMD) aumenta la supervivencia en grupos seleccionados de pacientes, pero se asocia a dependencia progresiva para las actividades básicas y muchos pacientes necesitarán cuidadores informales en su domicilio. Éstos asumen una carga de trabajo que puede tener repercusiones económicas, físicas y/o psíquicas. Nuestro objetivo has sido estudiar a pacientes con VMD y dependencia, y describir el impacto sobre sus cuidadores.Pacientes y métodosEn noviembre de 2007 estudiamos de forma descriptiva y transversal a pacientes con un mínimo de 6 meses en VMD, en situación estable. Se identificó a los dependientes aplicando el índice de Katz (índice C y superiores). En este grupo se estudiaron variables socioeconómicas, de comorbilidad y de necesidad de cuidados. Para establecer la sobrecarga del cuidador se aplicó el índice de Zarit.ResultadosDe los 66 pacientes incluidos, 20 (30%) mostraban dependencia (edad media±desviación estándar: 60±12 años; 46% mujeres), llevaban una media de 45 meses en VMD y el 40% recibía ventilación durante más de 12h al día. Entre los cuidadores, el 58% era cuidador único, la mayoría eran mujeres (77%), la edad media era de 51 años y un 70% trabajaba además fuera del domicilio. El índice de Zarit en 7 casos (35%) era superior a 40.ConclusionesEn nuestra serie, una tercera parte de los pacientes precisan cuidadores informales para poder permanecer en su entorno. El cuidador es mayoritariamente del sexo femenino, y un tercio tiene sobrecarga real o corre el riesgo de presentarla. Para adecuar la asistencia a este colectivo harán falta cambios que impliquen a los médicos y a la Administración sanitaria(AU)

BackgroundWhile home mechanical ventilation (HMV) prolongs survival in selected groups of patients, its use is associated with progressive dependency in basic activities, and many users will require informal care in their homes. The workload assumed by the informal caregivers can have financial, physical, and psychological repercussions. Our objective was to study dependent patients on HMV, and to describe the impact of the situation on their caregivers.Patients and MethodsIn November 2007, we undertook a descriptive cross-sectional study of patients in stable condition who had been receiving HMV for at least 6 months. Using the Katz index, we identified dependent patients (class C and higher). In this group we studied social and economic variables, comorbidity, and need for care. The Zarit interview was used to evaluate the caregiver burden.ResultsOf the 66 patients enrolled, 20 (30%) were dependent. The mean (SD) age in this group was 60 (12) years and 46% were women. These patients had been on HMV for a mean of 45 months, and 40% were using ventilatory support for over 12 hours per day. Care was provided by women in the majority of cases (77%), and 58% were sole caregivers. The mean age of these carers was 51 years, and 70% of them also worked outside the home. In 7 cases (35%), the caregiver scored over 40 on the Zarit index.ConclusionsOne third of the patients required informal care in order to remain in their homes. Most of the caregivers were women, and one third were overburdened or were at risk of becoming so. Changes involving both physicians and the health authorities are needed to provide satisfactory care to this group of patients(AU)

Tabaquismo y negativización bacteriológica del esputo en la tuberculosis pulmonar / Tobacco smoking and sputum smear conversion in pulmonary tuberculosis

FUNDAMENTO Y OBJETIVO: Analizar si el consumo de tabaco retrasa la negativización microbiológicaen la tuberculosis pulmonar.PACIENTES Y MÉTODO: Se incluyó a 98 pacientes diagnosticados de tuberculosis pulmonar, sin inmunodepresióncausada por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) ni resistencia farmacológica.Eran fumadores 64, con un índice medio (desviación estándar) de 33,69 (23,12)paquetes/año. Se consideró conversión bacteriológica retardada (CR) a la persistencia de 2 cultivospositivos al segundo mes del inicio del tratamiento antituberculoso, y se relacionó con lassiguientes variables en 2 grupos: a) general (que englobaba a todos los pacientes): edad, sexo,tabaquismo, factores de riesgo (consumo de alcohol, diabetes mellitus, inmunodepresión, adiccióna drogas, desnutrición), tiempo de evolución de los síntomas, presentación radiológica ycarga bacilar, y b) fumadores: edad, sexo, índice paquetes/año, factores de riesgo, tiempo deevolución de los síntomas, presentación radiológica y carga bacilar. En cuanto al estudio estadístico,se realizaron los siguientes análisis: distribución de la χ2, prueba de la t de Student yregresión logística paso a paso hacia adelante, considerando como variable dependiente la CR.RESULTADOS: En el grupo general presentaron CR 17 pacientes (17,3%), de los que 16 referíanantecedentes de tabaquismo, y en el estudio univariado la CR se relacionó con el consumo dealcohol, el tiempo de evolución de los síntomas, la presentación radiológica cavitaria bilateral yel tabaquismo. En el análisis de regresión logística mantenían la relación el tabaquismo (oddsratio = 9,80; p = 0,03) y la cavitación bilateral (odds ratio = 3,61; p = 0,02). En el grupo defumadores, la CR se asoció en el análisis univariado únicamente con sexo femenino.CONCLUSIONES: El tabaquismo retrasa la CR en pacientes diagnosticados de tuberculosis pulmonarno ligada al VIH y con aislamientos sensibles. Dada la trascendencia de este hallazgo, espreciso reforzar su abandono durante el tratamiento antituberculoso

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To analyze if cigarette smoking delays the sputum smear conversionin pulmonary tuberculosis.PATIENTS AND METHOD: Ninety eight patients were diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis. Patientswere all not immunosuppressed, infected by human immunodeficiecy virus (HIV) or drugresistant. Sixty four of them were smokers with a pack-year index (standard deviation) of 33.69(23.12). Delayed sputum smear conversion (DC) was considered when 2 positive sputum cultureresults were obtained in the second month of anti-tuberculous treatment and was associatedwith the following variables in 2 groups: a) total group (in which all the patients were included):age, sex, smoking habits, risk factors (alcohol consumption, diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression,drug addicion, malnutrition), time with symptoms, radiologic presentation andbacterial load, and b) smokers: age, sex, risk factors, time with symptoms, radiologic presentation,bacterial load and pack-year index. For the statistical analysis, χ2 test, Student t test andlogistic regression model were used, considering the dependant variable DC.RESULTS: In the total group, 17 patients (17.3%) had DC, 16 of them had a history of smokingand in the univariate analysis it was associated with: alcohol consumption, time with symptoms,radiologic presentation as bilateral cavitary infiltrates and smoking habits. The logistic regressionanalysis showed an association with smoking habits (odds ratio = 9.8; p = 0.03) andbilateral cavitary infiltrates (odds ratio = 3.61; p = 0.02). In the group of smokers, DC was associatedin the univariate analysis with the female sex.CONCLUSIONS: Smoking habits delay sputum conversion in patients with pulmonary tuberculosisnot associated with HIV and non-resistant bacilli. According to these results it is necessary toassist smoking cessation in patients who are receiving antituberculous treatment

Quimioterapia y supervivencia en el carcinoma broncogénico no microcítico en estadios avanzados: ¿está justificado el nihilismo de los neumólogos? / Chemotherapy and survival in advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma: is pneumologists' skepticism justified?

Objetivo: Pocas series han valorado si el beneficio que en los ensayos clínicos muestra la quimioterapia en el carcinoma broncogénico no microcítico en estadios avanzados es trasladable a la actividad asistencial habitual, lo que podría explicar el escepticismo de gran parte de los neumólogos. En este contexto, el objetivo de nuestro trabajo es analizar factores pronósticos relacionados con la supervivencia y si el tratamiento citostático influye de manera independiente. Pacientes y métodos: Se incluyó a pacientes diagnosticados de carcinoma no microcítico en estadios IV y IIIb con afectación pleural o N2-N3 y grado de actividad, según el Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), menor o igual a 2. Se relacionaron con la supervivencia las siguientes variables: edad, sexo, comorbilidad, pérdida de peso, parámetros analíticos, tipo histológico, ECOG, TNM y tratamiento. Para el análisis estadístico se emplearon las pruebas de la t de Student, de la χ2, el método de Kaplan-Meier, el test de rangos logarítmicos y el modelo de regresión de Cox. Resultados: Se incluyó en el estudio a 190 enfermos (157 varones y 33 mujeres), con una edad media (± desviación estándar) de 61,75 ± 10,85 años (rango: 33-85), de los cuales 144 recibieron tratamiento citostático y 46 paliativo. La mediana de supervivencia fue de 31 semanas y se relacionó con: ausencia de pérdida de peso (razón de probabilidad [HR] = 1,73; intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95%, 1,26-2,39; p = 0,001), tratamiento citostático (HR = 1,85; IC del 95%, 1,25-2,76; p = 0,002) y ECOG 0-1 (HR = 2,84; IC del 95%, 1,62-5,00; p = 0,0001). En el grupo ECOG 0-1 mostraban significado pronóstico la pérdida de peso y el tratamiento. La supervivencia en ECOG 2 fue de 15 semanas en los pacientes con tratamiento citostático y de 11 semanas en aquellos con tratamiento sintomático. Conclusiones: En la práctica clínica habitual la quimioterapia prolonga la supervivencia significativamente en los pacientes con grado de actividad inferior a 2 y esta ganancia es mayor si no existe pérdida de peso asociada. Por tanto, creemos que la opinión poco favorable que muestra gran parte de los neumólogos acerca de este tratamiento no parece plenamente justificada

Objective: Few studies have assessed whether the advantage chemotherapy has been shown to have in treating advanced non-small lung carcinoma in clinical trials is transferrable to normal health care activity. This could explain the skepticism of a large number of pneumologists towards this treatment. The objective of our study was to analyze prognostic factors related to survival and to see whether cytostatic treatment was an independent predictor. Patients and methods: Patients enrolled in the study had been diagnosed with non-small cell carcinoma in stages IV or IIIB with pleural or N2-N3 involvement and with a performance status of 2 or below according to the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG). Survival was analyzed with regard to the following variables: age, sex, comorbidity, weight loss, laboratory test results, histological type, ECOG score, TNM staging, and treatment. The Student t test, the χ2 test, the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test, and Cox regression analysis were used in the statistical analysis. Results: We enrolled 190 patients (157 men and 33 women) with a mean (SD) age of 61.75 (10.85) years (range, 33-85 years). Of these patients, 144 received cytostatic treatment and 46 palliative treatment. The median survival was 31 weeks and was related to absence of weight loss (hazard ratio [HR], 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-2.39; P=.001), cytostatic treatment (HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.25-2.76; P=.002), and ECOG score of 0 to 1 (HR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.62-5.00; P=.0001). In patients with ECOG scores of 0 to 1, weight loss and treatment were significant prognostic factors. Survival in the ECOG 2 group was 15 weeks for patients undergoing cytostatic treatment and 11 weeks for patients with symptomatic treatment. Conclusions: In normal clinical practice, chemotherapy significantly prolongs survival in patients with performance status of less than 2, more time being gained if there is no associated weight loss. We conclude that the reluctance shown by many pneumologists toward using this treatment is not entirely justified