Association of cardiac resynchronization therapy with the incidence of appropriate implantable cardiac defibrillator therapies in ischaemic and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy.

Aims: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) reduces the incidence of sudden cardiac death and the use of appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapies (AICDTs); however, this antiarrhythmic effect is only observed in certain groups of patients. To gain insight into the effects of CRT on ventricular arrhythmia (VA) burden, we compared the incidence of AICDT use in four groups of patients: patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy vs. non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDC) and patients implanted with an ICD vs.

Biosimilars in Dermatology: Current Situation (Part II).

The first biosimilar version of a biologic agent used to treat psoriasis (infliximab) entered the Spanish market on February 16 of this year, and more biosimilars can be expected to follow in the coming months and years. Logically, this new situation will have economic repercussions and alter prescribing patterns among dermatologists. In this second part of the review, we will look at several somewhat contentious issues, such as the extrapolation of indications, interchangeability, and automatic substitution.

Biosimilars in Dermatology: Current Situation (Part I).

The first biosimilar version of a biologic agent used to treat psoriasis (infliximab) entered the Spanish market on February 16 of this year, and more biosimilars can be expected to follow in the coming months and years. Logically, this new situation will have economic repercussions and alter prescribing patterns among dermatologists. In this article, we review regulatory issues related to the approval of biosimilars, with a particular focus on the situation in the European Union.

Bugs, hosts and ICU environment: countering pan-resistance in nosocomial microbiota and treating bacterial infections in the critical care setting.

ICUs are areas where resistance problems are the largest, and these constitute a major problem for the intensivist's clinical practice. Main resistance phenotypes among nosocomial microbiota are (i) vancomycin-resistance/heteroresistance and tolerance in grampositives (MRSA, enterococci) and (ii) efflux pumps/enzymatic resistance mechanisms (ESBLs, AmpC, metallo-betalactamases) in gramnegatives. These phenotypes are found at different rates in pathogens causing respiratory (nosocomial pneumonia/ventilator-associated pneumonia), bloodstream (primary bacteremia/catheter-associated bacteremia), urinary, intraabdominal and surgical wound infections and endocarditis in the ICU.

The high prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in psychiatric inpatients.

Introduction: The relation of the neuroendocrine system with the psychiatric disorders has been described by different authors throughout history.

Objectives: To evaluate the presence of thyroid disfunction in psychiatric inpatients.

Methods: Observacional, descriptive, retrospective study of all the psychiatric inpatients in the UHP of Vigo during the year 2006, in which the presence of thyroid dysfunction is evaluated immediately when they are admitted.

[Pyelonephritis and pregnancy. Our experience in a general hospital].

Objective: The incidence of pyelonephritis during pregnancy reaches 2%. We recommend obtaining a urinalysis during the first trimester in order to detect asymptomatic bacteriuria and treat those cases with positive urine culture.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all cases diagnosed as acute pyelonephritis in pregnant women admitted to our hospital during 2004 and analyzed demographic data, diagnostic methods, treatments, outcome, new episodes and the impact on the date of birth and the newborn.