Biomedical subjects

Joaquín Molina

Publications and source records attributed to Joaquín Molina.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Severe acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding: risk factors for morbidity and mortality.

BACKGROUND: Many factors can cause morbidity and mortality in patients with severe acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB). The objectives of this study are to analyze three aspects related to severe acute LGIB: (1) indications and prognostic factors for urgent surgery, (2) risk factors for morbidity and mortality, and (3) relapse rates. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort was collected between 1985 and 2002 in a tertiary referral center. One hundred seventy-one patients with severe acute LGIB were reviewed (LGIB is defined as frank rectal bleeding either with a hematocrit decrease >/=10 points or when a transfusion of at least three units of concentrated red blood cells is needed). The main outcome measures are: (1) indications for urgent surgery and results, (2) morbidity and mortality, and (3) relapse. RESULTS: There were 158 (92%) stable patients, and in 61% of these, the bleeding was identified via colonoscopy. Bleeding was identified using urgent colonoscopy in a higher percentage of patients compared to delayed colonoscopy (68% versus 14%; p < 0.001). Urgent surgery was indicated in 24 (14%) patients, and the approach was peri-anal in 5 (21%) patients and abdominal in the rest. Local intestinal resection was performed on the 15 patients in which bleeding was identified, whereas a subtotal colectomy was performed on the remaining 4 patients. The presence of hypotension (p = 0.001; 35 versus 10%) and etiology of LGIB (p < 0.001) are prognostic factors of urgent surgery. Morbidity was 6.4%, and mortality was 4.7%. The only morbidity or mortality risk factors detected were the presence of associated comorbidities (p = 0.008) and the need for urgent surgery (p = 0.002). The most frequent etiology was diverticulosis (25%). After a mean follow-up of 132 +/- 75 months, bleeding relapsed in 30% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: It is difficult to predict which patients are going to need urgent surgery in severe acute LGIB; only the presence of hypotension on arrival at the emergency ward would lead us to suspect a negative outcome for the hemorrhage. In severe acute LGIB, morbidity and mortality is high, and this is mainly due to the high level of associated comorbidity and the need for urgent surgery. It is necessary for strict hemodynamic monitoring of the patients at risk if we want to improve outcomes. The bleeding relapse rate is high in LGIB, although generally, it is not severe.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2005

Acute lower gastrointestinal hemorrhages in geriatric patients.

Age is a risk factor in acute lower gastrointestinal hemorrhages (LGIH). The objectives here were to analyze: (1) diagnostic and therapeutic handling, (2) related morbidity and mortality, (3) the indications for surgery, and (4) the evolution of acute LGIH in patients > or =80 years. Forty-three patients >80 years with acute LGIH were reviewed retrospectively. In 86% (n = 37) related comorbidities were found, in 9% (n = 4) there had been prior colorectal surgery, 19% (n = 8) were antiaggregated, and 7% (n = 3) were anticoagulated. One hundred thirty-two cases of acute LGIH in patients <80 years were used as a control group. Student's t test and the chi-square test were applied. On arrival at the emergency ward 11 cases (26%) had hemodynamic instability and 8 of these were stabilized using conservative measures. In 39 cases an endoscopy was performed, allowing for an etiological diagnosis in 59% (n = 23) of cases, above all in those carried out in an urgent or semiurgent way. The arteriography permitted an etiological diagnosis in two of the four cases in which it was carried out. In seven patients (16%) urgent surgery was indicated: three were hemorrhoidectomies, three were subtotal colectomies, and one was a resection of the small intestine. The morbidity rate was 10% (n = 4) in the patients who were not treated and 14% (n = 1) in those treated, with a mortality rate of 8% (n = 3) and 14% (n = 1), respectively. The rate of relapse of bleeding after discharge from hospital was 42% (n = 18), with nine of these needing to be readmitted into hospital. In comparison with the control group, they present a different bleeding etiology (diverticulosis as opposed to the benign anal-rectal and small intestinal pathology in the younger population; P = 0.017), surgery is indicated with less frequency (9 versus 33%; P = 0.007), and there is a higher relapse rate (42 versus 26%; P = 0.045). Acute LGIH in geriatric patients relents in most cases with the use of conservative measures, although there is a high percentage of related morbidity and mortality, and of relapse of bleeding.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2003

Long-term results of a randomized prospective study comparing medical and surgical treatment of Barrett's esophagus.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the results of medical treatment and antireflux surgery in patients with Barrett's esophagus (BE). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The treatment of choice in BE is still controversial. Some clinical studies suggest that surgery could be more effective than medical treatment in preventing BE from progressing to dysplasia and adenocarcinoma. However, data from prospective comparative studies are necessary to answer this question. METHODS: One hundred one patients were included in a randomized prospective study, 43 with medical treatment and 58 with antireflux surgery. All patients underwent clinical, endoscopic, and histologic assessment. Functional studies were performed in all the operated patients and in a subgroup of patients receiving medical treatment. The median follow-up was 5 years (range 1-18) in the medical treatment group and 6 years (range 1-18) in the surgical treatment group. RESULTS: Satisfactory clinical results (excellent to good) were achieved in 39 of the 43 patients (91%) undergoing medical treatment and in 53 of the 58 patients (91%) following antireflux surgery. The persistence of added inflammatory lesions was significantly higher in the medical treatment group. The metaplastic segment did not disappear in any case. Postoperative functional studies showed a significant decrease in the median percentage of total time with pH below 4, although 9 of the 58 patients (15%) showed pathologic rates of acid reflux. High-grade dysplasia appeared in 2 of the 43 patients (5%) in the medical treatment group and in 2 of the 58 patients (3%) in the surgical treatment group. In the latter, both patients presented with clinical and pH-metric recurrence. There was no case of malignancy after successful antireflux surgery. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that there are no differences between the two types of treatment with respect to preventing BE from progressing to dysplasia and adenocarcinoma. However, successful antireflux surgery proved to be more efficient than medical treatment in this sense, perhaps because it completely controls acid and biliopancreatic reflux to the esophagus.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Esophageal tuberculosis].

Primary esophageal tuberculosis is virtually non-existent and there are few cases described of secondary esophageal tuberculosis. Esophageal tuberculosis should be suspected in patients with dysphagia, positive test results for tuberculin, active pulmonary disease or mediastinal adenopathies. Endoscopic or x-ray images could be indistinguishable from esophageal carcinomas, hence a diagnosis can prevent wrong treatments. Confirming the diagnosis requires isolation of tuberculosis bacillus. Treatment for a patient with esophageal tuberculosis is standard therapy. Key words: Tuberculosis, esophagus.

Esophageal Diseases↗