Post-Hospital Syndrome and Hyponatremia

Introduction: Post-hospital syndrome (PHS) is defined as a period of vulnerability during the first 30 days after a patient is discharged from hospital, in which multiple factors come into play. Hyponatremia is the most frequent hydroelectrolytic disorder in hospitalized patients and may be related to the appearance of PHS. Objective: The objective is to estimate the prevalence of PHS that is assessed as the rate of readmissions in the first 30 days after discharge, in patients with hyponatremia. Material and Methods: It is a descriptive observational study of patients with hyponatremia who were discharged from 1 September 2010 to 2 February 2020 at the Internal Medicine Service of the Hospital University of San Juan (Alicante, Spain). Results: Of the 25 included patients, 5 (20%) were readmitted within a month of discharge, after a mean of 11.4 days (standard deviation [SD] 5.1). The overall mortality of the study was 20% (n = 5), with one case of death in the first 30 days post-hospitalization (4%). In 12 patients (48%) the origin of the hyponatremia was undetermined. The most frequently recorded etiology for the condition was pharmacological (n = 7, 28%), and there was pronounced variability in its clinical and laboratory study. The most widely used corrective measure was drug withdrawal, in 16 patients (64%). Water intake restriction was the most common treatment after discharge (5 patients, 20%), followed by urea (2 patients, 8%), while tolvaptan was not used. Conclusion: Hyponatremia may be the cause of PHS, which could increase the rate of early readmission. Hyponatremia is an underdiagnosed and undertreated entity, so it is necessary to apply an appropriate system to optimize its management and, in future studies, to assess its impact on PHS.

Mediastinal node staging by positron emission tomographycomputed tomography and selective endoscopic ultrasound with fine needle aspiration for patients with upper gastrointestinal cancer:Results from a regional centre

AIM To investigate the impact of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration(EUS-FNA) and positron emission tomography-computed tomography(PET-CT) in the nodal staging of upper gastrointestinal(GI) cancer in a tertiary referral centre.METHODS We performed a retrospective review of prospectively recorded data held on all patients with a diagnosis of upper GI cancer made between January 2009 and December 2015. Only those patients who had both a PET-CT and EUS with FNA sampling of a mediastinal node distant from the primary tumour were included. Using a positive EUS-FNA result as the gold standard for lymph node involvement, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values(PPV and NPV) and accuracy of PET-CT in the staging of mediastinal lymph nodes were calculated. The impact on therapeutic strategy of adding EUS-FNA to PET-CT was assessed.RESULTS One hundred and twenty one patients were included. Sixty nine patients had a diagnosis of oesophageal adenocarcinoma(Thirty one of whom were junctional), forty eight had oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma and four had gastric adenocarcinoma. The FNA results were inadequate in eleven cases and the PET-CT findings were indeterminate in two cases, therefore thirteen patients(10.7%) were excluded from further analysis. There was concordance between PET-CT and EUS-FNA findings in seventy one of the remaining one hundred and eight patients(65.7%). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV values of PET-CT were 92.5%, 50%, 52.1% and 91.9% respectively. There was discordance between PET-CT and EUS-FNA findings in thirty seven out of one hundred and eight patients(34.3%). MDT discussion led to a radical treatment pathway in twenty seven of these cases, after the final tumour stage was altered as a direct consequence of the EUS-FNA findings. Of these patients, fourteen(51.9%) experienced clinical remission of a median of nine months(range three to forty two months). CONCLUSION EUS-FNA leads to altered staging of upper GI cancer, resulting in more patients receiving radical treatment that would have been the case using PET-CT staging alone.

Aortic valve stenosis provides complementary information to bleeding risk scores in non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients initiating anticoagulation

Background The identification of modifiable bleeding risk factors may be of relevance.The aim is to evaluate if aortic stenosis(AS)provides additional information to bleeding risk scores for predicting major bleeding(MB)in non-valvular atrial fibrillation(AF).Methods We designed a retrospective multi-center study including 2880 consecutive non-valvular AF patients initiating oral anticoagulation between January 2013 and December 2016.AS was defined as moderate or severe according to European echocardiography guidelines criteria.HASBLED,ATRIA and ORBIT scores were used to evaluate the bleeding risk.MB was defined according to the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasia criteria and registered at 18 months of follow-up.Results 168(5.8%)patients had AS.Patients with AS had higher risk for MB compared to those without AS(HR=2.13,95%CI:1.40-3.23,P<0.001).Patients without AS and low-intermediate bleeding risk(0 points)showed the lowest MB rate,whereas the MB rate observed among patients with AS and high bleeding risk(2 points)was the highest one.Discrimination and reclassification analyses showed that AS provided additional information to bleeding risk scores for predicting MB at 18 months of follow-up.Conclusions In this population,AS was associated with an increased risk for MB at midterm follow-up.The three scoring systems showed a moderate discriminatory ability for MB.Moreover,the addition of AS was associated with a significant improvement in their predictive accuracy.We suggest that the presence of this valvulopathy should be taken into account for bleeding risk assessment.

Colorectal Cancer Surgery in Extreme Elderly Population

Background: Colorectal cancer surgery in extreme elderly population (380 years) is a growing problem and a subject in question. Experiences and results in this scenario are limited. Methods: Medical records of patients?380 years old hospitalized in General Surgery Department in Vega Baja Hospital between January 1st 2008 and December 31st 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) were selected. Data regarding comorbidities, treatment performed, complications and survival were collected. Results: 95 patients (74 colon, 21 rectum) were identified: median age 83.0 years (80 - 93), 64.2% males. 93.7% of patients were operated on: median hospital and post-operative stay of 11 and 9 days, respectively;curative intention surgery 82.1%. 4.2% of patients were treated with interventionist procedures, and 2.1% of patients in a conservative way. 17.9% and 4.2% of patients came up with early and late complications, respectively. Early and late mortality occurred in 9.5% and 3.2% of patients, respectively. By March 2014, with a median follow up of 43.8 months, median overall survival for colorectal cancer patients was 2.7 years (95%IC, 2.0 - 3.2). Univariaye Cox Regresion analysis revealed the presence of cardiomyopathy (p = 0.024), the presence of chornic kidney disease (p = 0.025), the presence of comorbidities (vs absence) (0.026), the number of comorbidities (0.034), type of admission (p = 0.001), treatment with surgery (p = 0.001) and the incidence of early (p = 0.004) or late complications (p = 0.023) associated to overall survival with statically significance. Multivariate Cox Regression analysis showed number of comorbidities (HR = 1.104;95%CI: 0.851 - 1.431;p = 0.456), treatment with surgery (HR = 4.928;95%CI: 1.815 - 13.385;p = 0.002), programmed admission into hospital (HR = 2.316;95%CI: 1.298 - 4.133;p = 0.004), and the incidence of late complications (HR = 4.629;95%CI: 1.279 - 16.750;p = 0.020) independently associated with overall survival. Interaction test between number of comorbidities and early complication was performed (HR = 1.453;95%CI: 0.971 - 2.175;p = 0.070). Conclusions: In our experience surgery for CRC patients may increase overall survival even in an extreme elderly population (380 years). Nevertheless when considering surgery for CRC in this subgroup of patients,?factor such?as type of admission into hospital and comorbidities should be taken into account in order to optimize treatment results in the effort to individualize CRC management in this growing population.

Sudden Death in Sports: Case Report and Review of an Ongoing Problem

Background: Both competitive and recreational sports are considered a positive practice that is good for human health and quality of life, so it is difficult to understand how young, energetic and apparently healthy people can die while playing their usual sports. When these events occur in elite athletes during monitored events, they normally receive considerable media attention. Objective: To describe the case of sudden death in a young professional athlete who was successfully aided and resuscitated outside our hospital, and to review the literature about sudden death in sports. Materials and Method: We searched for Sudden Death (according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9 and ICD-10)) in our hospital but found no other relevant cases. We performed a literature search on the state of the art in sudden death (Google Scholar, PubMed, LILACS, Scielo and the Revista Espa&#241;ola de Cardiología). Results: Although we observed that the prevalence of sudden death is not very high, it still represents a potentially avoidable event. An adequate medical examination prior to regular sporting practice can decrease the incidence of sudden death in athletes under the age of 35. Data available in the literature support medical check-ups that include history-taking, physical examination and electrocardiogram. The findings of this evaluation may also prompt further assessment (electrocardiograph, ergometry). Conclusions: We could not identify standard, obligatory guidelines for screening possible heart diseases causing cardiorespiratory failure and sudden death. As a measure for primary prevention, we propose a protocol for reducing the risk of sudden death in athletes.

Caregiver Burden in the Management of Frail Elderly Patients with Diabetes in Internal Medicine

Aim: Advanced age and fragility often lead to dependence, making caregiver assistance necessary for performing the activities of daily living. Patients with diabetes are characterized by an elevated presence of comorbidities and subsequent frailty—a relevant consideration when making decisions regarding treatment goals. Health professionals may overlook the caregiver experience when assessing the circumstances surrounding frail elderly patients with diabetes, but this factor can have a large impact on relevant caregiver and patient outcomes. Methods: An observational, retrospective study was carried out to assess the impact of improved management in diabetes on caregiver burden. We assessed patients’ performance of activities of daily living using the Barthel scale. Our primary outcome was caregiver burden, as assessed using the Zarit scale. Results: At baseline, 81.4% of the caregivers reported severe overburden (>55 points on the Zarit scale). At three months, the proportion of caregivers reporting this level of burden had dropped to 76.7% and remained stable at six months (77.1%). In contrast, 8.5% of the caregivers reported moderate overburden (47 to 55 points) at baseline, compared to 13.3% at three months and 12.5% at six. The proportion of caregivers reporting no overburden (Conclusions: Caregiver burden remained persistently high, decreasing only slightly after six months.

Community‑based screening of Chagas disease among Latin American migrants in a non‑endemic country: an observational study

Background:Chagas disease is a parasitic disease endemic to Latin America,but it has become a disease of global concern due to migration fows.Asymptomatic carriers may host the parasite for years,without knowing they are infected.The aim of this study is to assess prevalence of Chagas disease and evaluate the participants’level of knowl‑edge between Latin American migrants attending a community-based screening campaign.Methods:Three community-based campaigns were performed in Alicante(Spain)in 2016,2017 and 2018,including educational chats and blood tests for Trypanosoma cruzi serology.Participants completed a questionnaire assessing knowledge about the mechanisms of transmission,disease presentation,diagnosis,and treatment.People seroposi‑tive for T.cruzi underwent diagnostic confrmation by two diferent tests.Results were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression and expressed as adjusted odds ratios(aORs),adjusting for age,sex,and time in Spain.Results:A total of 596 participants were included in the study;17%were aged under 18 years.Prevalence in adults was 11%[54/496;95%confdence interval(CI):8.3–14.5%]versus 0%among children.All but one case were in Bolivians.Diagnosis was independently associated with having been born in Bolivia(aOR:102,95%CI:13–781)and a primary school-level education(aOR:2.40,95%CI:1.14–5.06).Of 54 people diagnosed with Chagas disease(most of whom were asymptomatic),42(77.7%)returned to the clinic at least once,and 24(44.4%)received treatment.Multivariable analysis showed that coming from Argentina(aOR:13,95%CI:1.61–1188)or Bolivia(aOR:1.90,95%CI:1.19–3.39)and having received information about Chagas disease in Spain(aOR:4.63,95%CI:2.54–8.97)were associ‑ated with a good level of knowledge on the disease.Having primary level studies(aOR:0.59,95%CI:0.34–0.98)and coming from Ecuador(aOR:4.63,95%CI:2.52–847)were independently associated with a lower level of knowledge.Conclusions:Community-based interventions are a good strategy for diagnosing neglected diseases such as Chagas disease in non-endemic countries and for identifying and treating infected,asymptomatic individuals.