Vitamin B12: For more than just the treatment of megaloblastic anemia?

Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, belongs to the group of water-soluble vitamins and is ingested through food of animal origin such as eggs, milk, red meat and poultry, fish, and shellfish. Its clinical indication is the treatment of hypovitaminosis B12 administered orally or intramuscularly in the form of hydroxocobalamin. Hypovitaminosis B12 is mainly caused by deficient dietary intake (individuals with malnutrition, vegetarians or vegans, older adults, pregnant people, individuals with alcohol use disorder); when intestinal absorption is reduced (atrophic gastritis, malabsorption syndrome, gastrointestinal surgery); and for causes associated with the intake of drugs (antacids, metformin).

Evaluation of a heart failure knowledge questionnaire and its use in guiding the educational intervention.

Introduction And Objective: Patient education by nurses is a cornerstone of any heart failure (HF) program, but the models are widely heterogeneous and few specific instruments exist. Our objective is to evaluate our own questionnaire and its utility as a guide for educational intervention.

Methods: This work is a prospective cohort study of patients followed-up on in a specialized unit after diagnosis of HF.

Placebo: a brief updated review.

Our aims were to provide updated information on placebo/nocebo effect and the potential use of placebo in clinical practice. This article can only provide a rough overview on the placebo and nocebo effect and is intended to serve as a starting point for the reader to go deeper into the corresponding literature. The placebo effect has been observed in multiple medical conditions, after oral administration, with manual therapies as well as with surgery and invasive procedures.

The impact of PIPs on mortality and readmissions in older adults: a retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: Our aim was to determine the impact of potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIP), according to "Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions" criteria version 2 (STOPP-2), on mortality and hospital admissions.

Methods: Monocentric retrospective cohort study. Patients over 65 years of age and who were consecutively discharged from internal medicine at a Spanish university hospital in 2016 were included.

Comparative study of adverse drug reactions among direct-acting oral anticoagulants and vitamin K antagonists using the EudraVigilance database.

Our aim was to compare adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with direct-acting oral anticoagulants and vitamin K antagonists from the European EudraVigilance (EV) database. The EV database is the system for the analysis of information on suspected ADRs that are authorised, or being evaluated in clinical trials, in the European Economic Area. Registered ADRs (from the groups "Gastrointestinal disorders", "General disorders and administration site conditions", "Injury, poisoning and procedural complications", "Nervous system (NS) disorders" and "Vascular disorders") for apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran and vitamin K antagonists (VKA) were collected by age group (< 65 years; 65-85 years and > 85 years) and by sex.

[Drug-related mortality among inpatients admitted in Internal Medicine].

Background: To analyze the mortality associated with prescriptions, the drugs most frequently involved and the associated risk factors in patients admitted to Internal Medicine.

Methods: A retrospective, observational study. The clinical records of adult patients who died consecutively in the department of Internal Medicine in a Spanish tertiary hospital over twenty-two months were reviewed.

Potentially inappropriate prescribing according to STOPP-2 criteria among patients discharged from Internal Medicine: prevalence, involved drugs and economic cost.

Aim: This study aims to determine the prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) among patients discharged from Internal Medicine, the drugs and factors associated and economic cost of PIP.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional, single-center study included participants aged ≥65 years consecutively discharged from the Internal Medicine Unit in a tertiary hospital of Southern Spain. PIP was defined by the Screening Tool for Older Persons Prescriptions (STOPP-2) criteria version 2 (2015 update).

Effect of ethnicity on clinical presentation and risk of antiphospholipid syndrome in Roma and Caucasian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

Aim: To determine if there are ethnic differences in the prevalence of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), clinical presentation and autoantibody profile between Roma and Caucasian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted including data from Roma and Caucasian SLE patients consecutively attending six hospitals in Spain. Socio-demographic characteristics, prevalence of APS, clinical and analytical features of SLE and APS were compared between ethnic groups.

Drug-related mortality among inpatients: a retrospective observational study.

Purpose: Hospital mortality related to adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is a relevant clinical problem with major health and economic consequences. We conducted a study to assess hospital mortality related to ADRs, the drugs most frequently involved, and the possible risk factors associated with fatal ADRs.

Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted, reviewing the clinical records of 1388 consecutive adult patients (18-101 years) who died during a 22-month period in a tertiary hospital in Southern Europe (Granada, Spain).

Fever of unknown origin and leukemoid reaction as initial presentation of adult-onset Still's disease.

Adult Still's Disease has been reported as cause of Fever of Unknown Origin. Leukocytosis has been described as a common haematological abnormality in Adult Still's Disease. In some rare cases, leukemoid reaction has been reported associated to Still's Disease.

[Potentially inappropriate prescribing in hospitalized patients with comparative study between prescription by internist and geriatricians].

Objectives: To analyze potentially inappropriate prescribing in hospitalized patients and compare the prescription by internists and geriatricians.

Methods: Cross-sectional study in hospitalized patients older than 65 years. We recorded prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescriptions according to the criteria of "Screening Tool of Older Person's Prescriptions".

Implementation of clinical practice guidelines for acute ischaemic stroke in specialist care centres.

Introduction: Cerebrovascular disease is associated with high morbidity and mortality. In 2008, the Spanish Ministry of Health published its Clinical Practice Guidelines for stroke prevention, but implementation of that document has not yet been assessed. Our study aims to investigate compliance with the Guidelines by analysing control over vascular risk factors, antithrombotic treatment and lipid lowering treatment in patients who had suffered an acute ischaemic stroke and who were under the care of neurologists or internists.