Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and mesenteric ischemia: can it predict the etiology of mesenteric ischemic at computed tomography?

Objectives: To assess the usefulness of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a predictive factor of acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) in patients presenting at the emergency department (ED) with acute abdominal pain.

Methods: This is a retrospective case-control study of patients older than 16 years admitted to the ED with acute abdominal pain with CT and histologic confirmation. The study group corresponded to patients with abdominal CT with radiological signs of AMI.

Iodine nutrition status in Spain Needs for the future.

Although iodine nutrition in Spain has improved in recent years, the problem is not completely resolved. It is necessary that health institutions establish measures to ensure an adequate iodine nutrition of the population, especially among the highest risk groups (children and adolescents, women of childbearing age, pregnant women and nursing mothers). A low salt intake should be advised, but it should be iodized.

Kidney transplant from controlled donors following circulatory death: Results from the GEODAS-3 multicentre study.

Introduction: Many European countries have transplant programmes with controlled donors after cardiac death (cDCD). Twenty-two centres are part of GEODAS group. We analysed clinical results from a nephrological perspective.

Diagnosis and clinical behavior in patients with Lynch-like syndrome.

Introduction And Aims: Lynch-like syndrome is diagnosed when there is an expression deficit in DNA mismatch repair proteins but a normal genetic study. The behavior and management of that pathology are currently a subject of debate. We present herein the characteristics of patients with Lynch-like syndrome, together with a surveillance proposal.

Mortality after pulmonary embolism in patients with diabetes. Findings from the RIETE registry.

Background: Among patients presenting with pulmonary embolism (PE), those with diabetes are at increased risk to die than those without diabetes. The reasons have not been identified. We used the RIETE (Registro Informatizado Enfermedad Trombo Embólica) database to compare the mortality rate and the causes of death during anticoagulation in patients with PE according to the presence or absence of diabetes.

High quality of life, treatment tolerability, safety and efficacy in HIV patients switching from triple therapy to lopinavir/ritonavir monotherapy: A randomized clinical trial.

Trial Design: The QoLKAMON study evaluated quality of life, efficacy and treatment safety in HIV patients receiving lopinavir/ritonavir in monotherapy (MT) versus continuing combined antiretroviral triple treatment with a boosted protease inhibitor (TT).

Methods: This was a 24-week, open-label, multicentre study in virologically-suppressed HIV-infected participants (N = 225) with a 2:1 randomization: 146 patients who switched to MT were compared with 79 patients who remained on a TT regimen. The primary endpoint was change in patient-reported outcomes in quality of life as measured by the MOS-HIV and EQ-5D questionnaires.

[Multicenter, triple-blind randomized placebo controlled trial of adjuvant nitrous oxide 50% in oxygen 50%: efficacy for reducing pain and increasing satisfaction in patients treated for renal colic in the emergency department].

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of a nitrous oxide and oxygen mixture (N2O/O2 50/50) for reducing pain and increasing satisfaction in patients with an initial clinical diagnosis of renal colic in the emergency department.

Material And Methods: Multicenter, triple-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. We randomized 147 patients with a clinical diagnosis of renal colic to an experimental group to receive the N2O/O2 50/50 mixture (n = 70) or a control group to receive 50% oxygen in air (n = 77).

[Managing the discharge of diabetic patients from the emergency department: a consensus paper].

Eighty to 90% of patients attended in emergency departments are discharged to home. Emergency department physicians are therefore responsible for specifying how these patients are treated afterwards. An estimated 30% to 40% of emergency patients have diabetes mellitus that was often decompensated or poorly controlled prior to the emergency.

Infrastructure and equipment for radiation oncology in the Spanish National Health System: analysis of external beam radiotherapy 2015-2020.

Purpose: Planning for radiation oncology requires reliable estimates of both demand for radiotherapy and availability of technological resources. This study compares radiotherapy resources in the 17 regions of the decentralised Spanish National Health System (SNHS).

Materials And Methods: The Sociedad Española de Oncología Radioterápica (SEOR) performed a cross-sectional survey of all Spanish radiation oncology services (ROS) in 2015.

A worldwide experience of the management of battery failures and chronic device retrieval of the Nanostim leadless pacemaker.

Background: The Nanostim leadless pacemaker (LP) met the primary endpoints in an investigational device exemption trial, and was shown to be fully retrievable percutaneously. In October 2016, St Jude Medical issued a worldwide alert of a battery malfunction that caused lost pacing output and LP communication.

Objective: To report the battery failure mechanism and incidence and the worldwide patient management, including device retrieval experiences.

Current Practice for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Biopharmaceuticals in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has largely improved in the biopharmaceutical era. These compounds, primarily tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, are effective, but some patients may show poor response, sometimes because of the presence of antidrug antibodies (ADAs). In some instances, clinicians may increase or taper the dose depending on the clinical response.

IL-1β Inhibition in Cardiovascular Complications Associated to Diabetes Mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease that affects nowadays millions of people worldwide. In adults, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) accounts for the majority of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. The course of the T2DM is characterized by insulin resistance and a progressive loss of β-cell mass.

Spike or not a spike? That is the question in a patient with single lead pacemaker.

Dual-chamber pacing is feasible via the floating atrial sensor electrodes of a single-pass VDD lead but the atrial lead threshold is higher than the accepted clinical standard. Furthermore, due to the floating nature of the system, atrial sensing and pacing thresholds may vary during the follow up. For these reasons this strategy is seldom considered a common pacing solution in routine clinical practice.

[Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. Description of a Spanish cohort of 51 cases and a literature review].

Introduction: Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) is a contiguous gene syndrome that gives rise to multiple congenital anomalies, caused by the loss of a distal portion of the short arm of chromosome 4 (4p16.3). It is characterised by its own peculiar facial phenotype, associated to growth problems, psychomotor retardation and epilepsy.

Current Practice for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Biopharmaceuticals in Spondyloarthritis.

Treatment of spondyloarthritis (SpA) has greatly improved in the biopharmaceutical era. These compounds, primarily tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, are effective, but some patients may show poor response, sometimes due to the presence of antidrug antibodies (ADAs). In some instances, clinicians may increase or taper the dose, depending on the clinical response.

Influence of route of administration/drug formulation and other factors on adherence to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (pain related) and dyslipidemia (non-pain related).

Objectives: A comprehensive review was performed to investigate the effect of route of administration on medication adherence and persistence in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to compare adherence/persistence with oral medications between RA and a non-painful disease (dyslipidemia).

Research Design And Methods: Comprehensive database searches were performed to identify studies investigating medication adherence and/or persistence in adults with RA receiving conventional synthetic or biologic agents. Similar searches were performed for studies of patients with dyslipidemia receiving statins.

Gender differences in patients with venous thromboembolism and five common sites of cancer.

Background: The outcome of cancer patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) may differ according to gender.

Methods: We used the RIETE database to compare the rate of VTE recurrences, major bleeding and mortality in patients with lung, colorectal, pancreatic, hematologic or gastric cancer during the course of anticoagulation, according to gender.

Results: As of January 2016, 11,055 patients with active cancer were enrolled: 1,727 had lung cancer, 1,592 colorectal, 840 hematologic, 517 pancreatic and 459 had gastric cancer.

Analysis of clinical factors affecting the rates of fatal pulmonary embolism and bleeding in cancer patients with venous thromboembolism.

Background: In cancer patients with symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) (deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or pulmonary embolism (PE)), clinical factors that influence the benefit-risk balance of anticoagulation need to be identified so treatment intensity and duration can be optimally adjusted for the individual patient.

Methods: Using clinical data for cancer patients with VTE obtained from the RIETE registry, we compared how rates of fatal PE and fatal bleeding during and after anticoagulation vary depending on patients' clinical characteristics.

Results: Data were analysed from the 10,962 cancer patients with VTE (5,740 with PE with or without DVT; 5,222 with DVT alone) in RIETE registry as of March 2016.

Levosimendan as a treatment for acute renal failure associated with cardiogenic shock after hip fracture.

Inotropic drugs are part of the treatment of heart failure; however, inotropic treatment has been largely debated due to the increased incidence of adverse effects and increased mortality. Recently levosimendan, an inotropic positive agent, has been proved to be effective in acute heart failure, reducing the mortality and improving cardiac and renal performance. We report the case of a 75-year-old woman with history of heart and renal failure and hip fracture.

Boceprevir plus pegylated interferon/ribavirin to re-treat hepatitis C virus genotype 1 in HIV-HCV co-infected patients: final results of the Spanish BOC HIV-HCV Study.

Introduction: Boceprevir (BOC) was one of the first oral inhibitors of hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protease to be developed. This study assessed the safety and efficacy of BOC+pegylated interferon-α2a/ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RBV) in the retreatment of HIV-HCV co-infected patients with HCV genotype 1.

Methods: This was a phase III prospective trial.

Extravascular hemolysis and complement consumption in Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria patients undergoing eculizumab treatment.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an acquired hemolytic anemia characterized by complement-mediated intravascular hemolysis that is effectively treated with eculizumab. However, treatment responses are reported heterogeneous with some patients presenting residual hemolysis and requiring RBC transfusions. Recent reports have shown that both extravascular hemolysis and incomplete C5 blockade can explain these suboptimal hematological responses.