Prevalence of acute kidney injury in intensive care units: the "COrte de prevalencia de disFunción RenAl y DEpuración en críticos" point-prevalence multicenter study.

Purpose: This study aimed to measure the point prevalence of kidney dysfunction (KD) in the intensive care setting.

Materials And Methods: A point-prevalence, single-day, prospective study was conducted. Of 919 patients present in 42 Intensive care units (ICUs) for 2 specific days (September 2009 and March 2010), 832 cases were included.

Uterine rotation: a cause of intestinal obstruction.

Intestinal obstruction is an uncommon surgical emergency during pregnancy that affects seriously the prognosis of gestation. The underlying cause can be identified in the majority of cases and usually consists of adhesions secondary to previous abdominal or pelvic surgery, followed in order of frequency by intestinal volvuli. In recent years there have been no reports in which the gravid uterus has been the cause of intestinal obstruction.

Impact of blood amylase peak over vascular graft thrombosis in pancreas transplantation.

Background: Vascular graft thrombosis (VGT) is still the achuilles heel in pancreas transplantation (PT); it is the main cause of nonimmunologic graft loss. Early diagnosis is essential to avoid transplantectomy. The aim of our study was to analyze the peak amylase during the first 3 days after PT as risk factor for VGT.

Liver transplantation without abdominal drainage.

This observational cohort compared 70 consecutive liver transplantations (OLT) with no intra-abdominal drain and 70 control subjects C with an intra-abdominal drain who were operated immediately prior to them. We sought to assess the impact of abdominal drainage on the diagnosis and prevention of early postoperative complications of hemoperitoneum, reinterventions, biliary leaks or percutaneous drainage. We assessed variables related to the recipient (age, indication, pretransplant ascites, body mass index, Model for End-stage Liver Disease score, and rejection episodes, to the donor (age, steatosis and, ischemia time) as well as intra- and postoperative factors (surgery time, blood product use, and coagulopathy).

Scimitar syndrome in an asymptomatic adult: fortuitous diagnosis by imaging technique.

Congenital cardiopathies in adults are a rare clinical entity in the cardiology consultations. Advances in imaging techniques allow the fortuitous diagnosis of mild forms of these congenital abnormalities. We describe a case of an asymptomatic 41-year-old man, with a medical history of recurrent pneumonia during childhood and an established diagnosis of scimitar syndrome by computed tomography.

Posterior approach (Kraske procedure) for surgical treatment of presacral tumors.

Presacral tumors are rare, but can comprise a great variety of histological types. Congenital tumors are the most common. Once the diagnosis is established, surgical resection is essential because of the potential for malignancy or infection.

Temporal trends of latency period and perinatal survival after very early preterm premature rupture of fetal membranes.

Purpose: This paper shows temporal trends of latency period and perinatal survival after preterm premature rupture of membranes at or before 28 weeks (very early PPROM).

Methods: We have studied retrospectively medical records of all cases of very early PPROM attended in our Obstetric Department from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2010.

Results: A total of 327 cases of very early PPROM were attended, representing 0.

Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity after traumatic brain injury: clinical and prognostic implications.

A proportion of patients surviving severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) have symptoms suggestive of excessive sympathetic discharge, here termed paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH). The goals of this study were: (1) to describe the clinical associations and radiological findings of PSH, its incidence, and features in subjects with severe TBI in the intensive care unit (ICU); (2) to investigate the potential role of increased intracranial pressure in the pathogenesis of PSH; and (3) to determine the prognostic influence of PSH during the ICU stay, on discharge from the ICU, and at 12 months post-injury. A prospective cohort study was undertaken of all ICU admissions with severe TBI older than 14 years over an 18-month period.

Discrepancies in the RIFLE classification are due to the method used to assess the level of derangement of kidney function.

Purpose: We hypothesized that RIFLE based on creatinine clearance (CrCl) is superior to that based on serum creatinine (sCr) or Cockroft-Gault (C-G) because it is an earlier marker of kidney dysfunction.

Materials And Methods: At day 3 of admission, we compared the RIFLE based on sCr, C-G, and CrCl with 28-day mortality and development of RIFLE-F during intensive care unit stay.

Results: Percentages in the RIFLE levels were similar for the 3 estimates, but the patients included in each level were different; with CrCl as the reference, κ statistic was 0.

Lifespan of human amniotic fluid-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells.

Background Aims: Human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSC) have become one of the main interests in regenerative medicine because of their ability to differentiate into different lineages. Human amniotic fluid is reported to contain MSC (hAMSC) and therefore may be a useful source of cells for clinical applications. However, our understanding of the behavior of these cells in indefinite in vitro culture conditions is very limited.

Is liver transplantation without abdominal drainage safe?

Unlabelled: This observational, analytical cohort consisted of 35 consecutive liver transplant (OLT) patients with no intra-abdominal drain and a control cohort of 35 subjects operated immediately before the former who had placement of an intra-abdominal drain. We sought to assess the impact of abdominal drainage on the diagnosis and prevention of early postoperative complications: hemoperitoneum, reinterventions, biliary leaks, or percutaneous drainage. We assessed variables related to the recipient (age, indication, pretransplant ascites, body mass index, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score and rejection), the donor (age, steatosis, ischemia time) and intra- and postoperative factors (surgery time, blood product use, and coagulopathy).

CT and MRI in fat-containing papillary renal cell carcinoma.

We present a case, pathologically proven, of a patient with multiple papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) with bilateral and synchronous affectation. CT showed fatty tissue inside one of the lesions and numerous calcified lesions. The study with MR demonstrated multiple and hypointense lesions in T2 and contrast enhancement in T1.

A registry of the aetiology and costs of neuropathic pain in pain clinics : results of the registry of aetiologies and costs (REC) in neuropathic pain disorders study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine health resource consumption and costs in patients with neuropathic pain managed in pain clinics in Spain.

Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study performed in 2004 in 18 pain clinics across Spain. Consecutive neuropathic pain patients were recruited between April and December 2004.

Severe congenital stenosis of the left coronary artery ostium and its possible pathogenesis according to current knowledge on coronary artery development.

We report a 72-year-old woman with severe congenital stenosis of the left coronary artery orifice and clinically significant atherosclerotic changes in both the right and left coronary arteries. The stenotic ostium was located at the point at which the left and posterior aortic valve leaflets joined to form the left commissure, just at the distal vertex of the left interleaflet triangle, between the left and posterior aortic sinuses. The right coronary artery was more developed in size than usual, whereas the left coronary artery consisted of a short left main coronary trunk that bifurcated into left anterior descending and left circumflex arteries.