[Standard parenteral nutrition preparations and caloric adjustment]. / Preparados estándar de nutrición parenteral y ajuste calórico.

INTRODUCTION: In parenteral nutrition it is necessary to adjust the intake to the estimated caloric requirements. These needs may be achieved by the use of bi- or tricameral nutrition (EPN), although they present some rigidity regarding their composition. OBJECTIVE: To assess the adequacy of caloric intake using EPN, to determine the factors conditioning it and the associated complications. METHODS: Cohort, prospective, and observational study for 9 months in surgical patients. The calculated needs were compared with actual intake. The factors conditioning the excess and deficit (weight, age, stress factor, height, glycemia, and triglyceridemia) were studied by means of a multivariant method. The metabolic complications associated to the excess or deficit (hyperglycemias, hypertriglyceridemias) were studied by using the Student's t test. The theoretical calculations with the Harris-Benedict and the Mifflin equations were compared by lineal correlation regression. RESULTS: 94 patients were studied. In 87% of them, the caloric intake was within the +/- 15% range of the theoretical mean. Thirty patients had caloric excess, whereas 61 had deficit. Patients with high weight (> 68 kg), stress factor > 1.2, and hypertriglyceridemias (> 3 mmol/L) had higher risk for caloric deficit. Twenty two point eight percent had hyperglycemias that were correlated with caloric excess. Nineteen point eight percent had hypertriglyceridemias associated to caloric deficit. When comparing both formulas, the values correlated well except for those patients with low weight and advanced age. DISCUSSION: Although EPN fits the caloric requirements in most of the patients, in those with high weight, hypercatabolism, and hypertriglyceridemia there is a risk for caloric deficit.

Management of Tizanidine Withdrawal Syndrome: A Case Report.

Most drugs that act on the central nervous system (CNS) require dose titration to avoid withdrawal syndrome. Tizanidine withdrawal syndrome is caused by adrenergic discharge due to its α2-agonist mechanism and is characterized by hypertension, reflex tachycardia, hypertonicity, and anxiety. Although tizanidine withdrawal syndrome is mentioned as a potential side effect of cessation, it is not common and there have been few reports. We present the case of a 31-year-old woman with tizanidine withdrawal syndrome after discontinuing medication prescribed for a muscle contracture (tizanidine). She showed high adrenergic activity with nausea, vomiting, generalized tremor, dysthermia, hypertension, and tachycardia. Symptoms were reversed and successful reweaning was achieved by restarting tizanidine followed by slow downward titration. Withdrawal syndrome should be considered when drugs targeting the CNS are suddenly stopped. Weaning regimens should be closely monitored for acute withdrawal reactions.

Use of colistin in the treatment of multiple-drug-resistant gram-negative infections.

PURPOSE: The use of colistin for the treatment of infections caused by multiple-drug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative microorganisms was studied. METHODS: The efficacy of colistin for treating infections caused by MDR gram-negative microorganisms and the development of renal toxicity were studied in hospitalized adult patients in Spain. Patients treated between January 2001 and October 2001 were included. RESULTS: Over the study period, 71 courses of inhaled colistin, 12 courses of i.v. or intramuscular (i.m.) colistin, and 2 courses of intrathecal colistin were administered to 80 patients. All were infected by MDR organisms: 69 (86%) by Acinetobacter baumannii and 11 (14%) by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In 41 patients (51%), the episodes were caused by A. baumannii strains susceptible exclusively to colistin. The causative organisms were cleared in 92% of the patients from whom posttreatment repeat specimens were obtained. The in-hospital mortality rate was 18% (14 patients). There were no significant changes in mean serum urea or creatinine concentrations in patients receiving i.v. or i.m. therapy. CONCLUSION: Colistin was used in 80 patients infected with A. baumannii or P. aeruginosa and appeared to be efficacious and safe.

[Clinical Psychology in Primary Care: A Descriptive Study of One Year of Operation]. / Psicología Clínica en Atención Primaria: descripción de un año de asistencia.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim is to present the first year of operation of a Clinical Psychology service in a Primary Care setting. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A descriptive study was performed by analysing the requests and the care intervention of the Psychology Service, in collaboration with 36 general practitioners (33% of the staff), belonging to 6 health centres. Within the one year period, 171 outpatients from 15 years and older were referred with mild psychological disorders (> 61 in the global assessment functioning scale, APA, 2002). RESULTS: A total of 111 outpatients received psychological care. The main diagnoses were adaptation disorder, affective disorder, and anxiety. More than half (54.82%) of them achieved a full recovery. After a year follow up, a drop of 25.19% was observed in medicines use. CONCLUSIONS: The Primary Care Psychology team is a halfway unit between Primary Care practitioners and specialised units in order to deal with mild mental symptomatology which otherwise could be undertreated. It represents an important support for practitioners. Secondly, the early intervention can prevent mental problems becoming chronic, as shown by the drop in medication use. In spite of the not very high agreement between the practitioner's diagnoses and those made by the Psychology unit, it has set up an important means of communication and with direct and immediate interdisciplinary action. This should eventually lead to savings in economic resources and human suffering.

Colonization and bacteremia risk factors in parenteral nutrition catheterization.

AIMS: 1) To establish the relationship between the kind of microorganism that colonizes parenteral nutrition catheters and several risk factors related to catheterization and patient characteristics. 2) To investigate the risk factors associated to bacteremia episodes originated in these colonized catheters. METHOD: An observational, non-controlled, retrospective and cohorts study of the parenteral nutrition catheters implanted between 1988 and 1994 in our hospital. Risk factors were studied in 6 multiple-logistic regression models. RESULTS: 3632 catheters were studied. Incidences of colonization and bacteremia per 1000 days of catheterization were 17.56 and 3.93, respectively. Coagulase-negative staphyloccoci (CNS) were the most frequently isolated microorganisms. The colonization risk factors were: insertion site for all the microorganisms except fungi, catheterization time for CNS and fungi, hospitalization area, sex and age for CNS model, the existence of other infectious foci for Gram negative bacilli (GNB), S. aureus and other microorganisms, hypoalbuminemia for GNB model, and neoplasm for other microorganisms. The bacteremia risk factors were jugular insertion site, catheterization time greater than 10 days, catheter's hub colonization, and catheter colonization by gram-negative bacilli, fungi and S. aureus. CONCLUSION: Risk factors for catheter colonization vary depending on the microorganism which colonizes the catheter.

[Nutritional support and risk factors of appearance of enterocutaneous fistulas]. / Soporte nutricional y factores de riesgo de aparición de fístulas enterocutáneas.

INTRODUCTION: Among the different factors described, nutritional support has been associated to prevention and management of enterocutaneous fistulae (ECF). OBJECTIVES: To assess the influence that the parameters related to nutritional, clinical status, and surgical variables have on the occurrence of ECF. METHODS: An observational case/control retrospective study was performed on patients admitted to the General and Digestive Surgery Department. The parameters analyzed were: diagnosis, body mass index (BMI), pathologic personal history, number of surgical interventions (SI) and complications (previous infection, bleeding, and ischemia). In patients with SI, we analyzed: number and type of SI, time until onset of nutritional support, and type of nutritional support. We performed a multiple logistic uni- and multivariate regression analysis by using the SPSSv.19.0 software. RESULTS: The primary diagnoses related to the occurrence of ECF were pancreatic pathology (OR = 5.346) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (OR = 9.329). The surgical variables associated to higher prevalence of ECF emergency SI (OR = 5.79) and multiple SI (OR = 4.52). Regarding the nutritional variables, the late onset of nutrition (more than three days after SI) was associated to the occurrence of ECF (OR = 3.82). CONCLUSIONS: In surgical patients, early nutritional support , independently of the route of administration, decreases the occurrence of fistulae. Pancreatic pathology, IBD, emergency SI, and multiple SI were associated to higher prevalence of ECF. The variable hyponutrition appears as a risk factor that should be confirmed in further studies.

Intraspinal baclofen in the treatment of severe spasticity and spasms.

Ten patients with severe spasticity were evaluated according to a standardized protocol in order to be treated by intraspinal baclofen. Entry criteria in the protocol were the following: 1) Stable central nervous system lesion, 2) Severe spasticity and/or flexo-extensor spasms not controllable by oral treatment, 3) Normal CSF circulation and 4) Informed consent. All patients received a test dose of twenty-five micrograms of baclofen injected intrathecally. At intervals of at least one day, doses were increased in 10-25 microgram steps until total abolition of spontaneous spasms was achieved in complete spinal cord lesions. In patients with residual motor function, doses were titrated until the optimal dose was found that reduced spasms and enabled performance of maximum daily life activities according to the patient's neurological level. In nine patients a multidose reservoir was implanted to deliver intrathecal baclofen. Effective dosage was 60 +/- 31 micrograms in the entire group. Ashworth score was reduced from 4.6 +/- 0.7 to 1.2 +/- 0.4 (mean +/- SD) (p less than 0.0001) and spasms from 3.2 +/- 0.8 to 0.2 +/- 0.4 (p less than 0.0001). Follow-up of the nine patients in whom a reservoir was implanted has been 18 +/- 9 months. Initial dosage requirements and tolerance were significantly different in complete (Frankel's A grade) or incomplete lesions (Frankel's B, C and D grades). Complete spinal cord lesions required a greater initial dose (156 +/- 43) than incomplete lesions (44 +/- 24), these differences being statistically significant (Student's t-test, p less than 0.05). Tolerance was observed only in patients with complete motor and complete sensory lesions. In incomplete lesions, dose increase was insignificant.

Evaluation of cefonicid use in a general hospital.

Recently marketed drugs have limited experience in clinical use. Follow-up evaluation is therefore needed, particularly when these drugs are "restricted use" medicines, such as the second-generation cephalosporins. We present a follow-up of the first use of cefonicid, which was carried out after its substitution for cefuroxime in our hospital. The indication for use, dosing, therapeutic effects, and possible adverse reactions were recorded in 210 of the first 319 medical-surgical inpatients who received cefonicid. Cefonicid was administered to patients who could have been treated with free-use antibiotics on at least 128 occasions; these were cases of community-acquired pneumonia without any risk factor, urinary tract infections, acute exacerbations in patients with chronic lung disease, surgical prophylaxis, and intraabdominal infections. One fatal case of Stevens-Johnson syndrome was seen. Other recorded adverse events were two skin reactions, one tachyarrhythmia with evidence of low cardiac output, six episodes of phlebitis, and nine superinfections during treatment with cefonicid. The use of cefonicid instead of cefuroxime was associated with 20 percent cost savings; however, this study shows that optimal antibiotic prescribing may produce much greater savings.