Revista clinica espanola最新文献

Introduction

Persistent congestion after heart failure (HF) discharge is associated with a higher risk of readmissions.

Material and methods

Eighty-two patients included after HF discharge. The aim of the study was to characterize semiquantitatively the degree of pulmonary congestion and its changes, describing the relationship between these findings and diuretic management.

Results

On the first visit, despite the absence of clinical congestion in the majority of patients, half of the had some degree of pulmonary congestion by ultrasound. After global assessment in this initial visit (clinical and ultrasound) the diuretic was lowered in 50 patients (60%), kept the same in 16 (20%) and it was increased in the rest. In the 45 patients without ultrasound congestion, diuretic reduction was attempted in 80%, being this strategy successful in the majority of them.

Conclusions

Lung ultrasound, using simple quantification methods, allows its real incorporation into clinical practice, helping us in the decision making process.

Objective

To determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women with COPD and the factors related to its presence.

Methods

Cross-sectional observational study during 2021, including women with COPD diagnosed by spirometry through convenience sampling. Data on age, smoking status, spirometric data, comorbidities and medications used were collected. A sexual health questionnaire was administered.

Results

The study included 101 women with a mean age of 59.7 (11.3) years. All had experienced a change in sexual activity, with 44% attributing it to COPD. Among them, 51.5% experienced dyspnea during coitus. The prevalence of sexual dysfunction was 52.5%. Women with sexual dysfunction were older and had a lower Tiffeneau index. Furthermore, they consumed alcohol more frequently and had hypertension and cerebrovascular disease, and less often, they had diabetes and heart failure. However, they scored lower on the Charlson index corrected for age. Patients with sexual dysfunction used inhaled triple therapy less frequently.

Conclusions

Sexual dysfunction is common in women with COPD. Further studies are needed to investigate its causes, mechanisms, and potential treatments.

Background and objective

Data from phase 2 clinical trials suggest that factor XI inhibitors may exhibit a more favourable efficacy/safety profile than current antithrombotic therapies. This systematic review aims to analyze the available evidence derived from these studies.

Methods

A literature search in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, EMBASE databases, and clinical trial registration platforms Clinical Trials and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled was conducted. The results were reported in accordance with the PRISMA statement.

Results

A total of 18 completed or ongoing clinical trials addressing multiple scenarios, including atrial fibrillation, stroke, myocardial infarction, and venous thromboembolism, were identified. Evidence from 8 studies with available results was analyzed. Overall, phase 2 studies with factor XI inhibitors demonstrated an acceptable efficacy and safety profile. The benefit-risk balance, in terms of reducing venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty, was more favourable. For this scenario, factor XI inhibitors showed a 50% reduction in the overall rate of thrombotic complications and a 60% reduction in bleeding compared to enoxaparin. Modest results in studies involving patients with atrial fibrillation, stroke, and myocardial infarction were observed.

Conclusions

Factor XI inhibitors offer new prospects in antithrombotic treatment and prevention. Ongoing phase 3 studies will help define the most suitable drugs and indications.

Purpose

To analyze the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchial asthma on therapeutic management and prognosis of patients with heart failure (HF).

Methods

Analysis of the information collected in a clinical registry of patients referred to a specialized HF unit from January-2010 to June-2012. Clinical profile, treatment and prognosis of patients was evaluated, according to the presence of COPD or asthma. Survival analyses were conducted by means of Kaplan-Meier and Cox's methods. Median follow-up was 1493 days.

Results

We studied 2577 patients, of which 251 (9.7%) presented COPD and 96 (3.7%) bronchial asthma. Significant differences among study groups were observed regarding to the prescription of beta-blockers (COPD = 89.6%; asthma = 87.5%; no bronchopathy = 94.1%; P = .002) and SGLT2 inhibitors (COPD = 35.1%; asthma = 50%; no bronchopathy = 38.3%; P = .036). Also, patients with bronchial disease received less frequently a defibrillator (COPD = 20.3%; asthma = 20.8%; no broncopathy = 29%; P = .004).

COPD was independently associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.64; 95% CI: 1.33-2.02), all-cause death or HF admission (HR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.22-1.76) and cardiovascular death or heart transplantation (HR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.08-1.79) as compared with patients with no bronchopathy. Bronchial asthma was not significantly associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes.

Conclusions

COPD, but not asthma, is an adverse independent prognostic factor in patients with HF.

Facing the severity of the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on human health, 32 Internal Medicine societies, colleges, and associations of 29 Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries issue a consensus document calling for the implication of doctors and all health professionals in the global fight against the causes of these changes. This commitment requires the cooperation of health-related organizations, elaboration and implementation of good environmental sustainability practices, greater awareness of professionals and population, promotion of education and research in this area, increasing climate resilience and environmental sustainability of health systems, combating inequalities and protecting the most vulnerable populations, adopting behaviors that protect the environment, and claiming Internal Medicine as a core specialty for empowerment of the health system to respond to these challenges.

The relationship between ethics and artificial intelligence in medicine is a crucial and complex topic that falls within its broader context. Ethics in medical artificial intelligence involves ensuring that technologies are safe, fair, and respect patient privacy. This includes concerns about the accuracy of diagnoses provided by artificial intelligence, fairness in patient treatment, and protection of personal health data.

Advances in artificial intelligence can significantly improve healthcare, from more accurate diagnoses to personalized treatments. However, it is essential that developments in medical artificial intelligence are carried out with strong ethical consideration, involving healthcare professionals, artificial intelligence experts, patients, and ethics specialists to guide and oversee their implementation.

Finally, transparency in artificial intelligence algorithms and ongoing training for medical professionals are fundamental.

Background

The effect of a pulmonary embolism response team (PERT) in the short-term prognosis of patients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE) lacks clarity. We therefore aimed at evaluating the effect of a PERT team on short-term mortality among patients with acute PE.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients with acute symptomatic PE enrolled in a single-center registry between 2007 and 2022. We used propensity score matching to compare treatment effects for patients with similar predicted probabilities of receiving management by the PERT team. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality within 30 days following the diagnosis of PE. The secondary outcome was 30-day PE-related mortality.

Results

Of the 2,902 eligible patients who had acute symptomatic PE, 223 (7.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.7%-8.7%) were managed by the PERT team. Two hundred and seven patients who were treated by the PERT were matched with 207 patients who were not. Matched pairs did not show a statistically significant lower all-cause (odds ratio [OR], 1.09; 95% CI, 0.63-1.89) or PE-related death (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.47-3.62) for PERT management compared with no PERT management through 30 days after diagnosis of PE.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that multidisciplinary care of patients with acute symptomatic PE by a PERT team is not associated with a significant reduction in short-term all-cause or PE-related mortality.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of malnutrition, the clinical characteristics associated with malnutrition and the impact of nutritional status on mortality, quality of life, self-care abilities, and activities of daily living in the older patients with advanced heart failure.

Methods

A prospective multicentre cohort study including 260 community-dwelling elderly patients with advanced heart failure was conducted between June 2017 and December 2019. The study was carried out in 22 primary healthcare centres, three university hospitals, one acute-care hospital, and one geriatric rehabilitation unit in the city of Barcelona (Spain). Nutritional status was assessed at baseline using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire. Patient-reported outcome measures included quality of life (EQ-5D-3L), self-care behaviour (European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale) and impact on activities of daily living (Barthel index).

Results

Using the MNA-SF, 126 (48.5%) patients were identified as being at risk of malnutrition and 33 (12.7%) patients as having confirmed malnutrition. Compared to heart failure patients with normal nutritional status, patients with confirmed malnutrition were significantly older, with a lower BMI, and with reduced haemoglobin levels. During follow-up (median 14.9 months, interquartile range: 4.9-26.9), 133 (51.2%) of the included participants died, and mortality was significantly higher among patients identified as having malnutrition (P < .001). Better Barthel index and quality of life scores were inversely related to the risk of malnutrition (Odds Ratio [OR] 0.97 [95% confidence interval: 0.96 to 0.98] and OR 0.98 [95% confidence interval: 0.96 to 0.99]), respectively. Higher scores in the European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale, which implies worse self care, were related to higher malnutrition risk (OR 1.05 [95% confidence interval: 1.02 to 1.09]). Adjusted multivariate logistic model found that malnutrition was significantly associated with poor quality of life, and adverse impacts on daily activities and self-care.

Conclusions

In community-dwelling older patients with advanced heart failure, malnutrition was associated with worse patient reported outcome measures related to poor quality of life, and adverse impacts on self-care and daily activities. Nutritional status must be systematically addressed by primary care nurses and family doctors to improve survival rates in these patients. It would be helpful the incorporation of expert professionals in nutrition in the primary health care centres.