journal of science and research - Facultad de Medicina de la UANL
Transcription
journal of science and research - Facultad de Medicina de la UANL
Vol. 16 • Num. 64 • July-September 2014 Vol. 16 • Num. 64 • July-September 2014 • ISSN 1665-5796 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND RESEARCH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND “DR. JOSÉ ELEUTERIO GONZÁLEZ” UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE NUEVO LEÓN BODY COMPOSITION BY DUAL X-ray absorptiometry in Mexican schoolchildren with or without obesity INITIAL APPROACH to first-time seizures in pediatrics HEALTH EFFECTS due to exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the petroleum refining industry MEDICINA UNIVERSITARIA HOW WE STUDY and treat patients with suspected thrombophilia www.elsevier.es medicina universitaria JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND RESEARCH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND “DR. JOSÉ ELEUTERIO GONZÁLEZ” UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE NUEVO LEÓN EDITORIAL COMMITTEE General Director Editor in Chief Editor Editor Santos Guzmán López Félix Ramón Cedillo Salazar David Gómez Almaguer Francisco Javier Bosques Padilla Ariel Ernesto Arias Ramírez Ottawa, Canadá Alejandro Arroliga Temple, EEUU Norbert W. Brattig Hamburgo, Alemania María de los Ángeles Castro Corona Monterrey, México Technical Editor Carlos Alberto Acosta Olivo Ricardo Cerda Flores Monterrey, NL Technical Editor Beatriz Elizabeth De la Fuente Cortez Salvador Cruz Flores St. Louis, EEUU Technical Editor Alfredo Arias Cruz Assistant Editor José Carlos Jaime Pérez José A. González González Monterrey, México Oscar González Llano Monterrey, México Patricia de Gortari EDITORIAL BOARD Hugo Alberto Barrera Saldaña Monterrey, México Francisco Forriol Campos Alejandra García Quintanilla Elvira Garza González DF, México Madrid, España Mérida, México Monterrey, México René Raúl Drucker Colín DF, México Rubén Lisker Y. DF, México Pali Hungin Ruy Pérez Tamayo DF, México José Luis Iglesias Benavides Monterrey, México Puebla, México Patricia Ileana Joseph Bravo Cuernavaca, México Guillermo J. Ruiz Argüelles Ralph Weissleder Oliverio Welsh Lozano Boston, EEUU Monterrey, México Susana Kofman Alfaro David Kershenobich Stalnikowitz Xavier López Karpovitch DF, México DF, México Monterrey, México Guillermo I. Pérez Pérez Nueva York, EEUU Mario Henry Rodríguez Cuernavaca, México Monterrey, México Alejandro Ruiz Argüelles Puebla, México Guillermo J. Ruiz Delgado Puebla, México José Javier Sánchez Madrid, España Josep María Segur Vilalta Eloy Cárdenas Estrada Monterrey, México Gregorio A. Sicard Antonio Costilla Esquivel Monterrey, México Rolando Tijerina Menchaca Lyuba Varticovski Juan Pablo Figueroa Delgado Monterrey, México Claudia Elizalde Molina Isaías Rodríguez Balderrama Emma Bertha García Quintanilla DF, México Rochester, EEUU Nahum Méndez Sánchez English translation and style: DF, México Francisco López Jiménez Laura E. Martínez de Villarreal Biostatistics advisor: Stockton-on-Tees, Reino Unido Joseph Varon Carlos E. Baena-Cagnani Jordi Sierra Gil Barcelona, España St. Louis, EEUU Monterrey, México Maryland, EEUU Houston, EEUU Córdoba, Argentina Barcelona, España Medicina Universitaria, Volumen 16, número 64, julio-septiembre 2014, es una publicación trimestral de la Revista de Investigación y Ciencia de la Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario Dr. José E. González de la U.A.N.L. ISSN 1665-5796. Editada por: Masson Doyma México, S.A. Av. Insurgentes Sur 1388, Piso 8, Col. Actipan Del. Benito Juárez, CP 03230, México, D.F. Tels.: 5524-1069, 5524-4920, Fax: 5524-0468. Reservados todos los derechos. El contenido de la presente publicación no puede ser reproducido, ni transmitido por ningún procedimiento electrónico o mecánico, incluyendo fotocopia, grabación magnética, ni registrado por ningún sistema de recuperación de información, en ninguna forma, ni por ningún medio, sin la previa autorización por escrito del titular de los derechos de explotación de la misma. Cualquier forma de reproducción, distribución, comunicación pública o transformación de esta obra sólo puede ser realizada con la autorización de sus titulares, salvo excepción prevista por la ley. Impresa por Editorial de Impresos y Revistas S. A. de C. V. Emilio Carranza No. 100 Col. Zacahuizco C.P. 03550. Delegación Benito Juárez, México D.F. Este número se terminó de imprimir en septiembre de 2014 con un tiraje de 1,200 ejemplares. Índices en los que aparece esta revista: ARTEMISA (Artículos Editados en México sobre información en Salud). En Internet, compilada en el Índice Mexicano de Revistas Biomédicas (IMBIOMED) y LATINDEX. medicina universitaria JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND RESEARCH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND “DR. JOSÉ ELEUTERIO GONZÁLEZ” UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE NUEVO LEÓN Contents EDITORIAL Volume 16 Issue 64 July-September 2014 105On body composition C. Treviño-Garza ORIGINAL ARTICLES 107Comparison of the efficacy and safety of 4 mg of ondansetron vs. 4 mg of nalbuphine for the treatment of neuraxial morphine-induced pruritus U. Cruz-Ferretti, H. A. Llanes-Garza, N. G. López-Cabrera, A. M. EspinosaGalindo, D. Palacios-Ríos, M. A. Cano-García, Y. N. Estrada-Solís 112Body composition by dual X-ray absorptiometry in Mexican schoolchildren with or without obesity M. E. de la O-Cavazos, C. Treviño-Garza, I. Rodríguez-Balderrama, J. Z. Villarreal-Pérez, R. Elizondo-Omaña, R. Montes de Oca-Luna, S. Sánchez-González, D. Cantú-Moreno, P. Rodríguez-Calderón, J. Argente-Oliver 117Sensitization to indoor aeroallergens in children who attended the Allergy Service of the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital of Monterrey, Mexico S. González-Díaz, A. Arias-Cruz, I. V. Yáñez-Pérez, L. Rangel-Garza, H. Hernández-Sánchez, A. Macías-Weinmann, C. Gallego-Corella 121Initial approach to first-time seizures in pediatrics J. A. Infante-Cantú, M. A. Meza-Reséndiz, M. E. Chávez-Rede 125Prevalence of colonizing bacteria and their association with primary bacteremias in hemodialysis of a university hospital C. G. Quiñonez-Olivas, I. M. Rivera-Morales, C. Sánchez-Martínez, H. R. IbarraSifuentes, R. O. Flores-Pérez, J. A. Cárdenas-de la Garza scientific LETTERS 129Laryngeal amyloidosis: An uncommon cause of dysphonia V. J. Villagómez-Ortiz, M. Villegas-González, J. L. Treviño-González, R. SantosLartigue, B. González-Andrade, N. Montemayor-Peña 133Surgical treatment of a pseudoaneurysm of the femoral artery secondary to a gunshot wound. Clinical case report M. A. Gómez-Álvarez, G. E. Muñoz-Maldonado, R. Salinas-Domínguez, M. Mercado-Flores, J. A. Tamez-del Bosque medicina universitaria JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND RESEARCH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND “DR. JOSÉ ELEUTERIO GONZÁLEZ” UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE NUEVO LEÓN REVIEW ARTICLE 136Health effects due to exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the petroleum refining industry M. T. Montaño-Soto, L. Garza-Ocañas VOICES OF DOCTORS AND PATIENTS 141The new generation of residents E. M. Treviño-Salinas EXPERT’S CORNER: A PERSONAL APPROACH 143How we study and treat patients with suspected thrombophilia G. J. Ruiz-Argüelles, G. J. Ruiz-Delgado 146Managing functional dyspepsia Á. R. Flores-Rendón Medicina Universitaria 2014;16(64):105-106 medicina universitaria www.elsevier.com.mx Editorial On body composition The Greeks were the first to use the concept of “body composition” around the year 400 B.C. They believed events and diseases had a natural origin. They thought human beings consisted of the cosmos basic elements: fire, wind, earth and water. However, it was not until the 20th Century when major advances were made in the implementation of different methods of body composition analysis. The studies were evolving, going from merely experimental to studies of impact in clinical practice. In recent years, Mexico has been experiencing a nutrition transition phenomenon, where an obesity epidemic coexists with malnutrition.1 In clinical practice, the patient’s nutritional state can be evaluated using simple anthropometric assessment methods. Body mass index (BMI) is the most utilized method for an obesity diagnosis. BMI has a moderately high sensitivity to identify obesity in a child; however, it has a poor correlation with total body fat, due to the considerable changes in fat mass during childhood.2 It is important to stress that body composition changes are produced throughout childhood. Children, unlike adults, have a great variation in body composition (including fat and lean tissue), due to maturation, growth, puberty and gender, thus decreasing the accuracy in body and/or abdominal fat estimation using these methods.3 Technological advances over the years have allowed the development of multi-compartment models to measure body composition. Examples include: Air displacement plethysmography (Bod Pod®), hydrometry, isotonic solutions prepared with deuterium oxide, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), in addition to computed tomography CT scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Body composition analysis methods vary in precision, which is defined as the ability to approach the real value of a given body component. A standard method is the one that is accepted as the closest representation of a true body composition, and used as a comparison standard for other methods. The 4-compartment analysis method is considered the gold standard for body composition study. Nevertheless, it is not a practical measurement because it is expensive and time-consuming. One important characteristic of body composition techniques in children, in addition to its precision, is the fact that it is easy to perform on children of all ages. Similarly, the method should be reproducible, available and safe.4 In this issue of Medicina Universitaria there is a Mexican study comparing the composition between obese and non-obese children, illustrating our previous comment and proving that DXA is a highly precise technique, quantifying the differences in lean and fat tissue, although without proving any difference in mineral content. Very few clinics have different methods available for body composition measurement in clinical practice, and in recent years, they have used Bod Pod® and DXA in clinical trials to estimate body composition, with a relatively fast scan time, good reproducibility and, in the case of DXA, minimum exposure to radiation.5 Having an additional clinical study, using a more appropriate and precise method to determine body composition in children and teenagers, will help us have a better understanding of the key mechanisms which condition, mediate and regulate the distribution and degree of adiposity. In addition, it will give us, in clinical practice, a tool to evaluate the efficacy of interventionist strategies at a pediatric age. References 1. Lobstein T, Baur L, Uauy R, IASO International Obesity Task Force. Obesity in children and Young people: a crisis in public health. Obes Rev 2004;5(Suppl 1):4-104. 2. Ochiai H, Shirasawa T, Nishimura R, et al. Relationship of body mass index to percent body fat and waist circumference among schoolchildren in Japan the influence of gender and obesity: a population-based cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 2010;10:493-499. 3. Bauer J, Thornton J, Heymsfield S, et al. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry prediction of adipose tissue depots in children and adolescents. Pediatr Res 2012;72:420-425. * Corresponding author: Pediatrics Department, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. Francisco I. Madero and Gonzalitos Avenue, Mitras Centro, Z.P. 64460, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. E-mail address: [email protected] (C. Treviño-Garza). 1665-5796 © 2014 Revista Medicina Universitaria. Facultad de Medicina UANL. Publicado por Elsevier México. Todos los derechos reservados. 106 4. Sopher AB, Thornton JC, Wang J, et al. Measurement of percentage of body fat in 411 children and adolescents: a comparison of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry with a four-compartment model. Pediatrics 2004;113:1285-1290. 5. Wells JC, Haroun D, Williams JE, et al. Evaluation of DXA against the four-component model of body composition in obese children and adolescents aged 5-21 years. Int J Obes (Lond) 2010;34:649-655. C. Treviño-Garza C. Treviño-Garza* Early Childhood Service, Pediatrics Departament, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico Medicina Universitaria 2014;16(64):107-111 medicina universitaria www.elsevier.com.mx Original article Comparison of the efficacy and safety of 4 mg of ondansetron vs. 4 mg of nalbuphine for the treatment of neuraxial morphineinduced pruritus U. Cruz-Ferretti*, H. A. Llanes-Garza, N. G. López-Cabrera, A. M. Espinosa-Galindo, D. Palacios-Ríos, M. A. Cano-García, Y. N. Estrada-Solís Anesthesiology Service, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico Received: March 2014; Accepted: May 2014 KEYWORDS Pruritus; Ondansetron; Morphine; Nalbuphine; Neuraxial analgesia; Mexico. Abstract Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of 4 mg of ondansetron vs. 4 mg of nalbuphine for the treatment of neuraxial morphine-induced pruritus, in patients at the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital from September 2012 to August 2013. Material and methods: A controlled, prospective, randomized study of 28 patients (14 per group) receiving neuraxial morphine analgesia was conducted, which was registered and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Institution and patients agreed to participate in the study under informed consent. The results were segmented and contrasted (according to drug) by hypothesis testing; the association was determined by X2 with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Pruritus was effectively resolved in both groups and no significant difference was found in the rest of the variables. An increase in the visual analogue scale (EVA) was observed at 6 and 12 hours for the ondansetron group, which was statistically significant (p≤0.05), however both groups had an EVA of less than 3. Conclusions: When comparing the efficacy and safety of ondansetron 4 mg vs. nalbuphine 4 mg for the treatment of neuraxial morphine induced pruritus, the only significant difference found was the mean EVA at 6 and 12 hours, favoring the ondansetron group. However, both groups scored less than 3 on the EVA. Therefore, we consider that both treatments are effective and safe in the treatment of pruritus caused by neuraxial morphine. 1665-5796 © 2014 Revista Medicina Universitaria. Facultad de Medicina UANL. Publicado por Elsevier México. Todos los derechos reservados. * Corresponding author: Anesthesiology Service, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. Francisco I. Madero and Gonzalitos Avenue, Mitras Centro, Z.P. 64460, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. Telephone: (81) 1681 8404. E-mail address: [email protected] (U. CruzFerretti). 108 Introduction Neuraxial administration of opioids provides excellent postoperative analgesia, however its use is associated with a high incidence of side effects such as pruritus (itching), nausea, vomiting, urinary retention and respiratory depression.1-4 The term “pruritus” or “prurire” is an unpleasant sensation which causes the desire to scratch and varies in intensity. It is one of the most common side effects in epidural and/or intrathecal administration of opiates with an incidence of approximately 60%, compared to 2%-10% of the patients treated systematically; thus, its incidence depends on the route of administration. This symptom is common in postpartum women. The most affected areas are those innervated by the trigeminal, probably due to their higher number of opiate receptors in the spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve, causing patients to scratch their nose and the upper part of the face. There are several chemical mediators responsible for pruritus (histamine, serotonin, cytokines, growth factors, prostaglandins, etc.).1-6,7 The cause of pruritus induced by the administration of neuraxial opiates is uncertain; nevertheless there are 3 theories that may explain its origin. The 1st theory is associated with the release of peripheral histamine caused by the administration of morphine; however, this theory has not been proven because the antihistamines were ineffective in the treatment of pruritus caused by intrathecal morphine. The 2nd theory involves μ-opioid receptors responsible for pain modulation and some side effects, especially pruritus, nausea and vomiting, in the central nervous system activated by morphine. This explains the antipruritic effects of naloxone and nalbuphine, both μ-antagonists.2,3,8 A 3rd theory is that pruritus induced by the administration of neuraxial opiates could be related to the excitatory effects of opioids over nociceptive and non-nociceptive neurons in the anterior and posterior horns. It has been reported that morphine can activate serotonin receptors due to an independent mechanism of the opioid receptors. Therefore, the direct irritation of the serotonin type-3 receptors in the spinal cord, dorsal horn and bone marrow caused by the administration of morphine is possibly the mechanism of pruritus.8 In light of the above, a great variety of medications has been evaluated for the prevention and treatment of pruritus induced by opioids, including antihistamines, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT3) antagonists, opioid receptor antagonists, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, propofol and droperidol. None of them have had satisfactory results.1-3,9,10 Naloxone and nalbuphine are opioid antagonist drugs used for this purpose and proven to be effective by different authors as a therapeutic agent for the reversion of pruritus induced by the neuraxial administration of opioids. Nalbuphine is an agonist-antagonist opioid and its analgesic effect and probable antipruritic effect are mediated by its action in mu and kappa receptors.4,10,11 These medications could play a role in the treatment of pruritus, with a disadvantage, however, because its preventive administration reduces its analgesic effictiveness.3 Other medications used for the treatment of pruritus are the 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. Ondansetron, for example, which has been successfully used in the treatment of neuraxial U. Cruz-Ferretti et al morphine-induced pruritus, because of its antipruritic effect and its role in the nociception, contrary to the use of opioid receptor antagonists. The objective of our study was to compare the efficiency and safety of 4 mg of nalbuphine vs. 4 mg of ondansetron, for the treatment of neuraxial morphine-induced pruritus as post-operative analgesic in patients programed for elective surgery. Material and methods After the approval of the Ethics Committee and the Research Committee of the School of Medicine at the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital of Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL, by its Spanish acronym), we conducted a study from September 2012 to August 2013, a controlled, prospective, comparative and randomized clinical trial with 28 patients programed for surgery under neuraxial anesthesia and receiving epidural or subarachnoid morphine analgesia. Patients who agreed to participate in the trial had to sign an informed consent and meet the following criteria: ASA I and II patients, undergoing surgery with neuraxial anesthesia and presenting pruritus secondary to the administration of epidural or subarachnoid morphine, either male and female between 18 and 50 years old, a signed consent form, neurologically intact and able to assess pain using the visual analogue scale (EVA). We excluded those patients with neurological alterations of the state of consciousness, patients with a history of allergy to nalbuphine and ondansetron and local anesthetics, patients under 18 and older than 50 years of age, patients who did not accept this type of administration of analgesia and patients with a dermatological condition. All patients were administered intravenous 10 mg of metoclopramide and 50 mg of ranitidine intravenously as pre-anesthetic medications. We monitored all patients with a continuous electrocardiogram, pulse oximetry and noninvasive blood pressure every 5 minutes during the whole procedure; they received oxygen at 5 L per minute through a face mask. Subsequently, we applied a neuraxal block (epidural, subarachnoid or both), once applied we administered local anesthetic and 100 mcg of morphine (subarachnoid or epidural) using the following formula (-0.01 * age + 1.85 mg). We assessed the presence of pruritus at 30 minutes and 2, 6, 12 and 24 hours after morphine administration; the patients who presented pruritus were divided into 2 groups: group “O” (ondansetron) and group “N” (nalbuphine). We administered 4 mg of the corresponding drug to each group and we registered the presence of pruritus, nausea, vomiting, Ramsay sedation scale, blood pressure, respiratory frequency and pain using the EVA scale from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain and 10 = intense pain) and the use of rescue medication. The obtained results were gathered in a database developed using Microsoft Excel® and analyzed using IBM SPSS® Statistics v. 20.0. We obtained traditional descriptive statistics, as well as observed frequencies in accordance with the administered medication (ondansetron and nalbuphine) through median and proportion hypothesis-testing, as the case may be for each type of variable (quantitative and qualitative respectively) with a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. Statistical association was determined using X2 with a 95% CI. Comparison of the efficacy and safety of 4 mg of ondansetron vs. 4 mg of nalbuphine for the treatment of neuraxial morphine-induced pruritus 109 Table 1 Analysis of pruritus average by time. Time 30 minutes 2 hours 6 hours 12 hours 24 hours Average pruritus, O group 1.07 1.79 1.43 1.00 1.00 Average pruritus, N group 1.36 1.64 1.36 1.07 0.93 O group: ondansetron group; N group: nalbuphine. N=28 patients (14 per group). Source: Standardized instrument. 2.00 (blood pressure, Ramsay, respiratory frequency, nausea and vomiting), we did not find a statistically significant difference (p>0.05) (Tables 2, 3 and 4). 1.00 Discussion EVA O Average s. hr 24 s. hr 12 s. hr 6 hr 2 30 m in . s. 0.00 EVA N Average Figure 1 Analysis of visual analogue scale average by time. Results A total of 28 patients were studied, randomly distributed into 2 groups of 14 patients each. The median age in the O group was 26.9 and 28.7 for the N group. All of the patients were female, programmed for a C-section. We performed 21 epidural blocks, 6 subarachnoid blocks and one combined subarachnoid-epidural technique. In both groups mild pruritus (itching) occurred in 15 patients during the first 12 hours, moderate pruritus in 13 patients between the 2nd and 6th hour subsequent to the administration of morphine; this was resolved in all patients. We did not find a significant difference between groups (Table 1). The presence of pain was assessed according to the EVA, a significant difference was found (p≤0.05) at 6 and 12 hours in favor of the O group. The average score in the EVA pain scale was less than 3, hence we did not administer any rescue medications (Fig. 1). When we analyzed the variables Pruritus incidence subsequent to neuraxial morphine administration is approximately 60%, compared to 2%-10% of the patients treated systematically. Thus, its incidence depends on the route of administration. This symptom is common in postpartum women. The most affected areas are those innervated by the trigeminal, probably due to their higher number of opiate receptors in the spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve, causing patients to scratch their nose and the upper part of the face. There are several chemical mediators responsible for pruritus (histamine, serotonin, cytokines, growth factors, prostaglandins, etc.).1-3,5-7 There is evidence that opioids and the serotonergic system interact closely in the central nervous system. One example is ondansetron, a 5-HT3 antagonist with an antipruritic effect. In 1995 Fan reported that morphine can activate serotonin type-3 receptors in the spinal cord dorsal horn and bone marrow and that could possibly be the mechanism causing pruritus.1-3,9,10,12,13 Since 1999 there have been studies comparing ondansetron’s effectiveness in the treatment of epidural morphine-induced pruritus, where its effectiveness has been demonstrated.8,12-15 In our study, pruritus occurred more frequently between 2 and 4 hours in both groups. These results are consistent with those reported in medical literature.16 Pruritus caused by opioids can be extremely difficult to manage and approximately 10%15% of the patients showed no response to naloxone.17 In our study, pruritus was effectively treated in both groups and did not require the use of rescue medications. We did not observe changes in the level of pain in the O group; however, there was an increment in the EVA scale at Table 2 Comparative analysis of Ramsey by time. Time 30 minutes 2 hours 6 hours 12 hours 24 hours Ramsey average, O group 1.93 2.07 2.00 2.07 2.00 Ramsey average, N group 2.00 2.14 2.29 1.93 1.93 O group: ondansetron group; N group: nalbuphine. N=28 patients (14 per group). Source: Standardized instrument. 110 U. Cruz-Ferretti et al Table 3 Comparative analysis of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood average by time. SBP 30 minutes SBP 2 hours SBP 6 hours SBP 12 hours SBP 24 hours SBP 30 minutes DB 2 hours DB 6 hours DB 12 hours DB 24 hours O group 125.14 121.57 122.14 120.57 118.57 76.36 73.71 73.23 72.57 71.14 N group 121.50 122.50 118.57 122.21 120.79 74.14 71.29 71.71 71.29 72.86 O group: ondansetron group; N group: nalbuphine; SBP: systolic blood pressure; DB: diastolic blood. N=28 patients (14 per group). Source: Standardized instrument. Table 4 Comparative analysis of heart rate and respiratory rate average by time. HR 30 minutes HR 2 hours HR 6 hours HR 12 hours HR 24 hours RR 30 minutes RR 2 hours RR 6 hours RR 12 hours RR 24 hours O group 86 79.71 77.86 75.21 75.57 16.43 15.93 15.43 15.21 15.14 N group 75.71 74 74.57 73.21 71.64 14.79 15.00 15.36 14.93 15.07 O group: ondansetron group; N group: nalbuphine; HR: heart rate; RR: respiratory rate. N=28 patients (14 per group). Source: Standardized instrument. 6 and 12 hours in the N group, probably because of its agonist-antagonist effect of the mu, kappa and delta receptors. Nevertheless, both groups had an EVA score lower than 3. We did not find differences in sedation levels in any of the groups during the period of study. The presence of nausea and vomiting is common after the administration of opioids.18 Nausea occurs within the first 4 hours subsequent to the administration and vomiting occurs right after this. High dosages of opioids can cause arteriolar and venous dilatation, a decrease in peripheral vascular resistance and baroreceptors reflex inhibition, which can cause postural hypotension. Opioids cause dose-dependent bradycardia, probably because of sympatholytic and parasympatholytic mechanisms. There were no statistically significant hemodynamic changes during the entire trial. Even though opioids cause dose-dependent respiratory depression, there were no alterations in respiratory frequency in the patients with nalbuphine.9 This study shows that nalbuphine was well-tolerated, only displaying changes in the level of analgesia (EVA 3), which did not require rescue medication, unlike ondansetron, which did not display changes in analgesia levels and no side effects were reported. However, both medications proved to be safe and efficient for the treatment of neuraxial morphine-induced pruritus. Conclusions When comparing the efficacy and safety of 4 mg of ondansetron vs. 4 mg of nalbuphine for the treatment of neuraxial morphine-induced pruritus, the only significant difference found was the mean EVA at 6 and 12 hours, favoring the ondansetron group. However, both groups had an EVA of less than 3. Based on the obtained results we reject the null hypothesis, which states that the administration of intravenous ondansetron at 4 mg is not as effective as the administration of nalbuphine at 4 mg in the treatment of neuraxial morphine-induced pruritus. Therefore, we consider that both treatments are effective and safe in the treatment of pruritus caused by neuraxial morphine. Conflicts of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Funding No financial support was provided. References 1. Szarvas S, Harmon D, Murphy D. Neuroaxial opioid - induced pruritus: a review, Journal de Clinical Anesthesia 2003;15:234239. 2. Accesed in June 2011. www.iqb.es 3. Kjellberg F, Tramèr MR. Control farmacológico del prurito inducido por los opiáceos: revisión sistemática cuantitativa de ensayo randomizado. European J Anaesthesiology 2001;18:346357. 4. Liao CC, Chang CS, Tseng CH, et al. Efficacy of intramuscular nalbuphine versus diphenhydramine for the prevention of epidural morphine-induced pruritus after cesarean delivery, Chang Gung Medical Journal 2011;34:172-178. 5. Lidstone V, Thorns A. Pruritus in cancer patients. Cancer Treat Rev 2001;27:305-312. 6. Accesed in April 2011. www.fisterra.com Comparison of the efficacy and safety of 4 mg of ondansetron vs. 4 mg of nalbuphine for the treatment of neuraxial morphine-induced pruritus 7. Accesed in July 2014. www.buscon.rae.es. 8. Charuluxananan S, Kyokong O, Somboonviboon W, et al. Nalbuphine versus ondansetron for prevention of intrathecal morphine-induced pruritus after cesarean delivery. Thailand, Anesth Analg 2003;96:1789-1793. 9. Hurley RW, Wu CL. Acute postoperative pain in Miller’s Anaesthesia. 7th Edition. USA: Churchill Livingstone Ed.; 2010. p. 2757-2770. 10. Kyokong O, Tamdee T, Charuluxananan S. Comparisson of the efficacy of nalbuphine, tramadol, ondansetron and placebo in the treatment of postanesthetic shivering after spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery, Thailand, Asian Biomedicine 2007;1:189-194. 11. Kolm A, Ferraz AA, Módolo NS, et al. Prevention of itching after spinal sufentanil: effects of droperidol, nalbuphine, ondansetron and the association of them. Rev Bras Anestesiol 2006;56:28-33. 12. Henderson SK, Cohen H. Nalbuphine augmentation of analgesia and reversal of side effects following epidural hydromorphone. EUA, Anesthesiology 1986;65:216-218. 111 13. Cavazzuti M, Porro CA, Barbieri A, et al. Brain and spinal cord activity Turing propofol anaesthesia. England, Br J Anaesth 1991;66:490-495. 14. Somrat C, Oranuch K, Ketchada U, et al. Optimal dose of nalbuphine for treatment of intrathecal-morphine induced pruritus after caesarean section. J Obstet Gynaecol Res (Japan) 1999;25:209-213. 15. Charuluxananan S, Kyokong O, Somboonviboon W, et al. Nalbuphine versus propofol for treatment of intrathecal morphineinduced pruritus alter cesarean delivery. Anesth Analg Thailand 2001;93:162-165. 16. Milner AR, Bogad DG. Intrathecal morphine for elective cesarean section. Anaesthesia EU 1996;51:871-873. 17. Wilder-Smith BA. Subhypnotic doses of propofol relieve pruritus induced by epidural and intrathecal morphine. Anesthesiology EU 1992;76:506. 18. Bromage PR, Camporesi EM, Durant PA, et al. Nonrespiratory side effects of epidural morphine. Anesth Analg EU 1982;6:490. Medicina Universitaria 2014;16(64):112-116 medicina universitaria www.elsevier.com.mx Original article Body composition by dual X-ray absorptiometry in Mexican schoolchildren with or without obesity M. E. de la O-Cavazosa,*, C. Treviño-Garzaa, I. Rodríguez-Balderramaa, J. Z. VillarrealPérezb, R. Elizondo-Omañac, R. Montes de Oca-Lunac, S. Sánchez-Gonzáleza, D. CantúMorenoa, P. Rodríguez-Calderónd, J. Argente-Olivere a Pediatrics Department, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico Endocrinology Service, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico b c School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico d Children’s Medical Center S.A of C.V., Monterrey, N.L., Mexico Pediatrics Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain e Received: February 2014; Accepted: May 2014 KEYWORDS Body composition; Dual X-ray absorptiometry; Childhood obesity; Body mass index; Fat mass; Mexico. Abstract Objective: Apply dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to determine the amount of fat mass, lean mass, and bone mineral density in Mexican schoolchildren with and without obesity. Material and methods: We performed an observational, analytical, comparative, cross-sectional study of 80 Mexican schoolchildren who attended the Nutrition Clinic of the Pediatric Medical Center in Monterrey, Mexico during the period of January to April 2005. Body mass index (BMI) was determined to classify the participants according to the growth charts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two groups of 40 children each (with and without obesity) were formed and DXA was carried out on each individual. Cronbach’s Alpha was used to determine instrument reliability and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to test the normality of numerical variables. Means were compared using Student´s t test. Results: Statistically significant differences were found in fat mass (p≤0.001) and lean mass (p≤0.001), but not in bone mineral content (p=0.051) between both groups. Conclusions: Differences exist in fat mass and lean mass in both groups, but not in bone mineral content between both groups. A significant positive correlation was found between fat mass, determined by DXA, and BMI in schoolchildren with and without obesity. 1665-5796 © 2014 Revista Medicina Universitaria. Facultad de Medicina UANL. Publicado por Elsevier México. Todos los derechos reservados. * Corresponding author: Pediatrics Department, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. Francisco I. Madero and Gonzalitos Avenue, Mitras Centro, Z.P. 64460, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. Telephone: (+52 81) 8348 5421. E-mail address: [email protected] (M. E. de la O-Cavazos). Body composition by dual X-ray absorptiometry in Mexican schoolchildren with or without obesity Introduction The prevalence of obesity is increasing in children and adolescents in developed and developing countries and has become a health problem of great importance.1 According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey, the combined national prevalence of obesity in 2012 in school-age children, using the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, was 34.4% (19.8% and 14.6%, respectively).2 Although the body mass index (BMI) remains the most widely used method for clinical diagnosis of obesity, it is not a measure of body composition because it only provides information about global changes in the body, without specifying the components that are specifically affected in situations of malnutrition and/or obesity.3,4 There are several ways to indirectly measure adipose tissue. Among these are 2 kinds of impedance analyses: single frequency and multi-frequency, which both calculate lean body mass; however, their accuracy varies with hydration and the presence of body fluids, although they have the advantage of being non-invasive and accessible. Likewise, there are other more sophisticated methods to assess body composition: dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), computerized tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with the latter 2 being used for research purposes. Although various methods are available, some have a number of disadvantages, such as low precision and a need for the individual’s cooperation. This makes it necessary to find an easy, reliable, and economical method that can be used in professional clinical practice. DXA is a method commonly used to determine bone mineral density, but it also accurately estimates fat mass and fat-free mass.5,6 It is relatively fast and safe, providing high accuracy and requiring little patient cooperation.7 Thus DXA has some advantages over MRI, such as the relative ease of access and simplicity of measurements.8,9 This highlights the importance of this study for clinical application in children with and without obesity with respect to body composition by DXA, relating this to BMI and associating the latter with metabolic abnormalities related to excess adipose tissue.10 The purpose of this study is to use DXA to determine whether there is any difference in the content of fat mass, lean mass, and bone mineral density in Mexican schoolchildren with and without obesity. Material and methods We developed an observational, cross-sectional, analytical and comparative study. The participants were selected by convenience and incidental sampling. The study included 80 Mexican children (6-12 years), who attended the Nutrition Clinic of the Child Medical Center in Monterrey, Mexico, during the period of January to April 2005. All patients included in the study were sedentary and were divided into 2 groups: one group of 40 non-obese schoolchildren with a BMI < 85th percentile only within the normal weight range and another group of 40 obese students with a BMI ≥ 95th percentile. Female students who presented their menarche, both male and female patients with onset of puberty, patients taking corticosteroids and patients with conditions such as Prader-Willi, Brader-Biedl, Ahlstrom, and Cohen syndrome 113 were excluded. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL, by its Spanish acronym). Patients older than 8 years provided assent and parents of all patients signed an informed consent before entering their children in the study.11 Prior to the DXA study, a complete pediatric medical examination was performed and the patient’s weight was obtained with a scale with a 100 g precision (Health-O-Meter®, McCook, IL, USA). Height was measured using a stadiometer to the nearest 1 mm (SECA model 242, Hammer Steindam, Hamburg, Germany). With these results, BMI (weight/ height2) was obtained. Body composition analysis was performed by DXA (QDR, Hologic Inc., Bedford, MA, USA), which provides measurements of the following variables: fat mass in grams, lean mass in grams, and bone mineral content. Data were tabulated using Microsoft Excel®. Cronbach´s Alpha coefficient was used to obtain the reliability of the instrument and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to determine the normality in the numeric variables. Frequencies and percentages are used for descriptive statistics, as well as measures of central tendency (mean, median) and standard deviation (SD). Finally, Student´s t test was used for comparison of data. Results In this study, BMI was determined in 80 schoolchildren who were classified as obese and non-obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts and divided into 2 equal groups. Children of different ages were included and the median age for both groups was determined; in the non-obese group the median was 9 years, and in the obese group it was 8.5 years. The demographic characteristics of the groups are shown in Table 1. Regarding BMI, the girls in the non-obese group (n=16) had a mean of 17.27 Kg/m2 and the boys (n=24) 18.45 Kg/m2; in the obese group, girls (n=20) had a mean of 24.49 Kg/m2 and boys (n=20) 25.14 Kg/m2. Fat mass in grams, lean mass in grams, and bone mineral content were determined in both groups, obtaining the mean, median, SD and p value for the different parts of the body, and as a whole (Table 2). With regard to the analysis of fat mass in grams in the different parts of the body, the non-obese group showed that the greatest amount was located in the trunk ( = 2,958 ± 1,502 g), while the lowest value was found in the left arm ( = 504 ± 288 g). In the group with obesity, for fat mass in grams according to the different parts of the body, the trunk was also the area with the highest value ( = 7,297 ± 2,376 g), with the head scoring the lowest ( = 857 ± 122 g). In the non-obese group, lean mass in grams was greater in the trunk ( = 10,555 ± 2,546 g) and lowest in the left arm ( = 1,138 ± 333 g). When lean mass in grams was determined in different areas of the body, in the obese group it was observed that the trunk had the greatest amount ( = 12,809 ± 2,804 g) and the left arm the lowest ( = 1,279 ± 351 g). Analysis of bone mineral content in grams in the non-obese group showed a greater amount in the head ( = 319.4 ± 114 M. E. de la O-Cavazos et al Table 1 Distribution by age and gender of children in groups with and without obesity. Group with obesity (n=40) Group without obesity (n=40) Gender Gender Female Male Female Male Age, years Frequency (%) Frequency (%) Frequency (%) Frequency (%) 6 2 (2.5) 4 (5) 0 (0) 6 (7.5) 7 3 (3.7) 2 (2.5) 2 (2.5) 3 (3.7) 8 6 (7.5) 3 (3.7) 5 (6.2) 1 (1.2) 9 6 (7.5) 3 (3.7) 7 (8.7) 4 (5) 10 1 (1.3) 2 (2.5) 0 (0) 7 (8.7) 11 2 (2.5) 3 (3.7) 1 (1.2) 2 (2.5) 12 0 (0) 3 (3.7) 1 (1.2) 1 (1.2) Total 20 (25) 20 (25) 16 (20) 24 (30) 44.1 g) and the lowest in the left arm ( = 52.9 ± 21.5 g). In the obese group, the bone mineral content in grams was greatest in the head ( = 309.0 ± 51.7 g) with the lowest content in the left arm ( = 64.1 ± 17.0 g). Moreover, body composition as a percentage of total fat mass, lean mass and bone mineral content were determined in both groups. When comparing the means of both groups, significant differences in fat mass and lean mass were found. In the obese group a mean bone mineral content of 1,094 was found and in the non-obese group of 979, which, although it was not statistically significant (p=0.051) showed a trend toward increased bone mineral content in obese children, which is probably due to dietary and environmental factors (Table 3). A significant positive correlation was found between BMI and total fat mass in grams calculated by DXA (Table 4). Discussion Although a consensus on the clinical parameter with the most discriminative ability to detect and quantify excess body fat has not been reached, most agree that the most suitable method for estimating body fat should be based on anthropometric measures because of its accessibility, simplicity and reproducibility, harmlessness, and low cost. The BMI is an indicator of body fat, but the relationship between BMI and percentage of body fat varies among individuals. Therefore, it is important to distinguish whether the excess weight is truly due to fat or muscle since we must not forget that children who are overweight but do not have excess fat do not have an increased health risk.12-15 DXA is becoming an extremely useful tool for assessing changes in bone mass, muscle mass, and especially fat mass not only in adults but children and adolescents. Haroun et al.16 analyzed body composition in obese and non-obese Ukrainian children analyzing lean mass. Their study showed that lean mass is different in obese and nonobese children. Body water and mineral content are higher in obese children. These results are consistent with our data regarding the analysis of lean mass, where we also found statistically significant differences between the 2 groups. Again, as with fat mass, the trunk had the greatest percentage of lean body mass in both groups. Likewise, boys had the highest amount of lean mass. The trunk was the area where the greatest amount of fat was found in both groups; this amount showed statistically significant differences between children with and without obesity. These results are consistent with data published in medical literature in studies using the same method to assess body composition.17 We found that boys in both groups showed more body fat than girls, while female patients with obesity often have early, accelerated and rapidly progressive puberties compared to their non-obese peers, leading to an earlier presentation of pubertal changes in body composition, the group of female patients in our study had not yet presented pubertal changes. The distribution of fat mass is clinically important because these deposits in the thoracoabdominal region could be predictive in children with diseases such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia, among others. We found a positive and statistically significant correlation between BMI and fat mass in both groups of Mexican schoolchildren, making it possible to conclude that this index can also be applied to the Mexican population. The results of our study show that BMI is an indicator of adiposity and it correlates with fat mass determined by DXA. These results are consistent with those described in other publications. Pietrobelli et al.18 found a correlation between BMI and percentage of body fat measured by DXA in ranges of 0.85 and 0.89 for children 5 to 19 years of age. Leonard et al.19 mentioned in their research that obesity during childhood and adolescence is associated with increased bone density and body mass. It is also known that estrogen plays a role in female patients who have already submitted their menarche and likewise in pubertal male patients; aromatase converts testosterone to estrogen, and these play an important role in bone mass gain. However, this was not the case in our study as none of the patients Body composition by dual X-ray absorptiometry in Mexican schoolchildren with or without obesity 115 Table 2 Differences in body composition in children with and without obesity in Monterrey, Mexico. Group without obesity (n=40) X SD Median Group with obesity (n=40) X SD Median p Fat mass (g) by area Left arm 504 288 448 1,296 545 1,124 <0.0001 Right arm 519 320 447 1,366 604 1,184 <0.0001 Trunk 2,958 1,502 2,535 7,297 2,376 7,046 <0.0001 Left leg 1,725 866 1,681 3,367 964 3,25 <0.0001 Right leg 1,733 841 1,678 3.43 993 3,204 <0.0001 Head 695 68 679 857 122 849 <0.0001 Total 8,134 3,759 7,267 17,613 5,331 16,669 <0.0001 Left arm 1,138 333 1,109 351 1,177 0.0692 Lean mass (g) by area 1,279 Right arm 1,211 357 1,226 1,377 406 1,288 0.0559 Trunk 10,555 2,546 10,545 12,809 2,804 12,453 0.0003 Left leg 3,791 975 3,86 4,298 1,009 4,078 0.025 Right leg 3,797 972 3,894 4,356 1,043 4,163 0.0153 Head 2,681 258 2,628 3,154 357 3,152 <0.0001 Total 23,173 5,262 23,678 27,274 5,724 26,525 0.0013 Left arm 52.9 21.5 49.2 64.1 17 63.6 0.0022 Right arm 55.7 23.9 53.8 68.2 20.3 64.6 0.0138 Bone mineral content (g) by area Trunk 215.2 62.4 208 247.2 64 236.6 0.0025 Left leg 169.2 63.7 164.5 201.3 65.8 188.4 0.0296 Right leg 166.8 62.5 157.3 204.7 68.3 195.4 0.0115 Head 319.4 44.1 324.7 309 51.7 300.2 <0.0001 Total 979.3 259.7 931.3 1,094.5 261.3 1,041.4 0.0515 SD: standard deviation. had onset of puberty. In our study, the determination of bone mineral content showed no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups. These data do not agree with what is described in medical literature,20-22 although it is probably due to dietary and environmental factors as described by Jurimae23 in Estonia, who conducted a study on the factors affecting bone density and bone mineral content. These factors include age, since 90% of bone mass is reached at age 18 for women and 22 years for men, making those the best ages for evaluation; nutritional status, which should be taken into account since obese patients often have accelerated bone mineralization, with advanced bone age and size above the familiar; and physical activity, with the latter playing an important role in bone density development. Likewise, there are other rare diseases that affect bone mineral density, namely Turner syndrome, Noonan syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Kallman syndrome and others associated with hypogonadism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Cushing’s endogenous syndrome, rickets, renal tubular acidosis, deletions of 22q11, hypo and hyperthyroidism disorders, hormone deficiency and growth resistance, parathyroid disorders, kidney disorders, inactivating and activating mutations of GNAS, use of loop diuretics, bone dysplasias and rheumatic diseases. By using DXA, we were able to assess its application in children. One of its main advantages is its low radiation dose, plus the pediatric patient is at an age to cooperate comfortably during the procedure, therefore there is no need for sedation and it is very quick. It would be desirable in the future to expand the sample size and classify patients by pubertal stage to establish baseline reference values. It is important to continue studies involving DXA, so that it becomes a useful tool for assessing changes in fat mass, lean mass, and bone mineral content in childhood, to unify reference values. Conflicts of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. 116 M. E. de la O-Cavazos et al Table 3 Comparison of body composition between 2 groups of children in Monterrey, Mexico. Group without obesity X ± SD Body composition (g) Total fat mass Total lean mass Total bone mineral content Group with obesity X ± SD p 8,134 ± 3,886 (24.2%)* 17,613 ± 5,605 (37.8%)* 0.001 23,173 ± 5,441 (72.8 %)* 27,274 ± 5,970 (59.8%)* 0.001 979 ± 278 (3.0%)* 1,094 ± 287 (2.4%)* 0.051 SD: standard deviation. * Total percentage of body composition. Table 4 Correlation between BMI and total fat mass calculated by dual X-ray absorptiometry in both groups. Group TFM/BMI R p Without obesity (n=40) 0.92 <0.001 With obesity (n=40) 0.86 <0.001 TFM: total fat mass; BMI: body mass index. Funding No financial support was provided. References 1. Singhal A, Kennedy K, Lanigan J, et al. Nutrition in infancy and long-term risk of obesity: evidence from 2 randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr 2010;92:1133–1144. 2. Accesed in June 2013. http://ensanut.insp.mx/informes/ENSANUT2012ResultadosNacionales.pdf 3. Freedman DS, Wang J, Maynard LM, et al. Relation of BMI to fat and fat-free mass among children and adolescents. Int J Obes (Lond) 2005;29:1-8. 4. Arroyo M, Rocandio A, Ansotegui L, et al. Comparison of predicted body fat percentage from anthropometric methods and from impedance in university students. Brit J Nutr 2004;92:827– 832. 5. Horlick M, Wang J, Pierson R Jr., et al. Prediction models for evaluation of total-body bone mass with Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry among children and adolescents. Pediatrics 2004;114:e337. 6. Bauer J, Thornton J, Heymsfield S, et al. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry prediction of adipose tissue depots in children and adolescents. Pediatr Res 2012;72:420–425. 7. Wells J, Haroun D, Williams JE, et al. Evaluation of DXA against the four-component model of body composition in obese children and adolescents aged 5 to 21 years. Int J Obes (Lond) 2010;34:649–655. 8. Gately PJ, Radley D, Cooke CB, et al. Comparison of body composition methods in overweight and obese children. J Appl Physiol 2003;95:2039–2046. 9. Wilson JP, Mulligan K, Fan B, et al. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-based body volume measurement for 4-compartment body composition. Am J Clin Nutr 2012;95:25–31. 10. Sopher AB, Thornton JC, Wang J, et al. Measurement of percentage of body fat in 411 children and adolescents: a comparison of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry with a four-compartment model. Pediatrics 2004;113:1285-1290. 11. Ize LL. Aspectos éticos de la atención nutricia. In: Casanueva E, Kaufer HM, Pérez LA, et al (eds). Nutriología Médica. 2a Ed. México: Panamericana; 2001. p. 350-352. 12. Freedman DS, Khan LK, Serdula MK, et al. The relation of childhood BMI to adult adiposity: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Pediatrics 2005;115:22-27. 13. Calarge CA, Xie D, Fiedorowicz JG, et al. Rate of weight gain and cardiometabolic abnormalities in children and adolescents. J Pediatr 2012;161:1010-1015. 14. Sabin MA, De Hora M, Holly JM, et al. Fasting nonesterified fatty acid profiles in childhood and their relationship with adiposity, insulin sensitivity and lipid levels. Pediatrics 2007;120:e1426. 15. Lindsay RS, Hanson RL, Roumain J, et al. Body mass index as a measure of adiposity in children and adolescents: relationship to adiposity by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and to cardiovascular risk factor. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001;86:4061-4067. 16. Haroun D, Wells JC, Williams JE, et al. Composition of the fatfree mass in obese and non-obese children: matched casa-control analyses. Int J Obes (Lond) 2005;29:29-36. 17. Goran MI. Metabolic precursors and effects of obesity in children: a decade of progress, 1990-1999. Am J Clin Nutr 2001;73:158-171. 18. Pietrobelli A, Heymsfield SB. Establishing body composition in obesity. J Endocrinol Invest 2002;25:884-892. 19. Leonard MB, Schults J, Wilson BA, et al. Obesity during childhood and adolescence augments bone mass and bone dimensions. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80:514-523. 20. Horlick M, Wang J, Pierson RN, et al. Prediction models for evaluation of total-body bone mass with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry among children and adolescents. Pediatrics 2004;114:337-345. 21. Bachrach LK. Bone mineralization in childhood and adolescence. Curr Opin Pediatr 1993;5:467-473. 22. Gafni RI, Baron J. Childhood Bone Mass Acquisition and Peak Bone Mass May Not Be Important determinants of bone mass in late adulthood. Pediatrics 2007;119:S131. 23. Jurimae J. Bone mineral density in adolescent girls with different physical activities pattern: relationship with body composition and muscle performance parameters. Papers Anthropol XIV 2005;14:126-131. Medicina Universitaria 2014;16(64):117-120 medicina universitaria www.elsevier.com.mx Original article Sensitization to indoor aeroallergens in children who attended the Allergy Service of the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital of Monterrey, Mexico S. González-Díaz, A. Arias-Cruz*, I. V. Yáñez-Pérez, L. Rangel-Garza, H. HernándezSánchez, A. Macías-Weinmann, C. Gallego-Corella Regional Center of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (CRAIC), “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico Received: February 2014; Accepted: June 2014 KEYWORDS Sensitization; Aeroallergen; Indoor; Pediatric; Mexico. Abstract Background: Indoor aeroallergens are the main cause of sensitization in children and represent a risk factor for the development of allergic diseases. Objective: Identify the major indoor aeroallergens most often sensitized to pediatric patients treated at the Allergy Service at the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital of Monterrey Methods: We performed an observational and descriptive study where we reviewed reports of positive skin tests to the following common indoor aeroallergens: Dermatophagoides farinae (D. farinae), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (D. pteronyssinus), Canis familiaris (C. familiaris), Felis domesticus (F. domesticus), Blattella germanica (B. germanica) and Periplaneta americana (P. americana), found in patients under 16 years with symptoms of allergy, during the period of 2011-2012. Results: We performed 439 skin tests to aeroallergens in pediatric patients. Of these, 57.6% were male and 42.4% were female. Mean age was 6.3 years. The age groups were under 3 years: 17.8%, 3-5 years: 35%, 6-12 years: 36%, and 13-16 years: 11.2%. The main diagnoses were: allergic rhinitis (71.8%), asthma (16.6%), and atopic dermatitis (4.3%). In 57.9% of the cases, they had at least one positive skin test to any aeroallergen. The rate of sensitization to specific aeroallergens was: D. Pteronyssinus 49.0%, D. farinae 44.6%, B. germanica 13.9%, P. Americana 10.9%, F. domesticus 10.7%, and C. familiaris 5.9%. Conclusion: Indoor aeroallergen sensitization can occur early in life, although it was more frequent in the preschooler and elementary school group. Dust house mites were the most commom cause of allergic sensitization. 1665-5796 © 2014 Revista Medicina Universitaria. Facultad de Medicina UANL. Publicado por Elsevier México. Todos los derechos reservados. * Corresponding author: Regional Center of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (CRAIC), “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. Francisco I. Madero and Gonzalitos Avenue, Mitras Centro, Z.P. 64460, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. Telephone: (81) 8346 2515. Fax: (81) 8347 6798. E-mail address: [email protected] (A. Arias-Cruz). 118 Introduction The prevalence of organ-specific allergic diseases, such as allergic rhinitis, asthma and atopic dermatitis is on the rise worldwide.1 There is substantial evidence associating allergic sensitization and a hike in allergy and asthma morbidity to early exposure to environmental allergens.2 Atopic children usually begin with monosensitization (sensitization to a single allergen), however, with time they begin sensitizing to other allergens.3 Identification during the early stages of life is required in order to start a specific treatment and be able to modify the allergic disease’s natural history. Skin tests are used to assess IgE-mediated hypersensitivity, and confirm clinical sensitivity induced by allergens and other agents.4,5 The objective of this study was to identify the most frequent indoor aeroallergens which cause sensitization in children who attend the allergy outpatient clinic of “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL, by its Spanish acronym). S. González-Díaz et al Table 1 Demographic data. N (%) Skin prick tests in pediatric patients 439 (100) Gender Male Female 253 (57.6) 186 (42.4) Age groups Less than 3 years 3 to 5 years 6 to 12 years 13 to 16 years 78 (17.8) 154 (35) 158 (36) 49 (11.2) Device used for skin tests Duotip-Test® Multi-Test® 182 (41.5) 257 (58.5) Diagnosis Allergic rhinitis Asthma Atopic dermatitis A combination of the above 315 (71.8) 73 (16.6) 19 (4.3) 32 (7.3) Methods We conducted an observational and descriptive study. We reviewed the results of the skin tests for the most common indoor aeroallergens on children under 16 who went for a consult at the Allergy and Immunology Regional Center Clinic of “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital of the UANL, Mexico between 2011 and 2012. We collected demographic data: age, gender, clinical diagnosis and skin test results for 6 common indoor aeroallergens: Dermatophagoides farinae (D. farinae), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (D. pteronyssinus), Canis familiaris (C. familiaris), Felis domesticus (F. domesticus), Blattella germanica (B. germanica) and Periplaneta americana (P. americana). Skin prick tests were performed using commercial allergen extracts, Duotip-Test® (Lincoln Diagnostics, Decatur, IL) or Multi-Test® (Lincoln Diagnostics, Decatur, IL), as well as a negative control with a saline solution of 0.9% and a positive one with 10 mg/mL of histamine. We considered a positive test that which caused a ≥ 3 mm wheal compared to the negative control. The collected data was analyzed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions 17 (SPSS® Statistics v. 17.0). We evaluated nominal and ordinal variables, and determined frequencies and percentages. Results We evaluated a total of 439 skin tests to indoor aeroallergens in children under 16. The 57.6% of children were male and 42.4% female (Table 1). The most utilized device for skin tests was Multi-Test® (58.5%). On the other hand, Duotip-Test® was used in 41.5% of the cases. There were no reports of complications with either device. The clinical diagnoses included: allergic rhinitis (71.8%), asthma (16.6%), and atopic dermatitis (4.3%). The 7.3% of children had 2 or more of these allergic diseases. Two hundred and fifty-four of studied patients (57.9%) showed sensitization to at least one of the 6 tested aeroallergens. The main indoor aeroallergens causing sensitization in children included D. pteronyssinus (49%), D. farinae (44.6%) and B. germanica (13.9%) (Table 2). The rate of specific sensitization per age group was as follows: 38% in children under 3 years, 51.3% in children between 3 and 5 years, 69% in children between 6 and 12 years and 73% in children between 13 and 16 years of age (Fig. 1). The older the child, the more frequent the sensitization to indoor aeroallergens. Sensitization to dust house mites -mainly D. pteronyssinus- occurred in all age groups. Cockroach sensitization displayed a directly proportional relationship with age, with a greater prevalence to B. germanica in children over 6 years of age. Sensitization rate for C. familiaris displayed a higher proportion in children under 3 years with 27%, decreasing as children get older, reaching 3% in the 13 to 16 group. Discussion Indoor aeroallergen sensitization increases the risk of developing allergic diseases, including asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis.6 Different studies conducted in pediatric populations, as well as in adults who suffered from allergies, have shown that as time passes monosensitization leads to allergenic polysensitization, which constitutes a characteristic of the natural history of atopia.7,8 In our study, the rate of indoor allergen sensitization was 57.7%, similar to the results obtained in a study conducted by Sheehan et al. in a pediatric population in Boston, where they reported a sensitization of 51.3% for at least one indoor allergen,2 whereas in the general population sensitization to indoor allergens occurs up 30% of people.9 D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae were the most prevalent indoor aeroallergens as a cause of sensitization in the children in our study. In a study conducted by Kim et al. in a pediatric population in Korea, they found a prevalence of sensitization to D. pteronyssinus of 32.1% and 42.7%, and to Sensitization to indoor aeroallergens in children who attended the Allergy Service of the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital of Monterrey, Mexico 100 Table 2 Sensitization to indoor aeroallergens. Patients with at least one positive skin test Positive aeroallergens Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus Dermatophagoides farinae Blattella germanica Periplaneta americana Felis domesticus Canis familiaris 119 90 N (%) 80 254 (57.9) 70 60 215 (49.0) 196 (44.6) 61 (13.9) 48 (10.9) 47 (10.7) 26 (5.9) 50 40 30 20 10 0 D. farinae of 32.4% and 41.9%, in children between 6 and 7 years of age and between 12 and 13 years of age, respectively.10 On the other hand, the prevalence of sensitization to dust house mites had been reported up to 27.5% of people in the general population in the US.11 This shows that indoor allergen sensitization prevalence is greater in the studies where a pediatric population is included and in those studies where the patients are assessed by an allergy specialist. Sensitization to cockroaches was at 13.9% for B. germanica and of 10.9% for P. Americana. Calabria et al. reported a general sensitization to cockroaches of 12.5% in children with rhinitis.12 In our study, sensitization to cat was 5.9%, similar to the data found in a cohort study from birth to 4 years of age, with a sensitization of 5.1%.13 On the other hand, Espinoza et al. found sensitization to cat at 10%, in children up to 4 years old,14 which differs from our study, where sensitization to cat in children up to 5 years old was just 3.8%. Sensitization to aeroallergens can occur in the early stages of life, increasing as the person ages, in many cases going through monosensitization to polysensitization.15 It is possible to see this transition from monosensitization to polysensitization in pre-school and school-aged children. In a meta-analysis published by Goldhahn et al., they found a rise in aeroallergen sensitization from 14.2% to 21.6% in patients from 7 to 23 years of age.16 Similar data can be found in a study of children conducted in Turkey where the prevalence in children from 2 to 6 years of age was at 16.1% increasing up to 55.1% in patients 12-18 years of age.17 In pediatric population, the prevalence of sensitization to dust mites, cockroaches, dog and cat appears to be higher in older patients.2 Sensitization to dust mites, and to a lesser degree to pollens seems to have a “triggering” effect in the developing of polysensitization, due to the large number of children who are initially monosensitized to mites.18 A recent preliminary study suggests that a defect in the function of regulatory T cells can explain the tendency to develop polysensitization in this population, because children with persistent monosensitization produce a larger amount of interleukin 10 and interferon gamma than the children who develop polysensitization.19 In the pediatric population that goes to see the doctor at the Allergy Outpatient Clinic of the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital of the UANL, indoor aeroallergen < 3 years 3 to 5 years 6 to 12 years 13 to 16 years D. farinae D. pteronyssinus D. americana D. germanica D. domesticus D. familiaris Figure 1 Distribution of sensitization to aeroallergens by age group. sensitization is around 50% and D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae are the main involved allergens. In the atopic population, frequency of sensitization directly increases with the patient’s age; however it may be present from the early stages of life. Early detection is recommended using skin tests on all children under suspicion of allergy, in order to begin a timely treatment and modify the natural history of the allergic disease. Conflicts of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Funding No financial support was provided. References 1. Gupta R, Sheikh A, Strachan DP, et al. Time trends in allergic disorders in the UK. Thorax 2007;62:91–96. 2. Sheehan WJ, Rangsithienchai PA, Baxi SN, et al. Age-specific prevalence of outdoor and indoor aeroallergen sensitization in Boston. Clin Pediatr 2010;49:579-585. 3. Melioli G, Marcomini L, Agazzi A, et al. The IgE repertoire in children and adolescents resolved al component level: a crosssectional Study. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2012;23:433-440. 4. Bernstein IL, Li JT, Bernstein DI, et al. Allergy Diagnostic Testing: An Updated Practice Parameter. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2008;100:S1-148. 5. Sharma HP, Hansel NN, Matsui E, et al. Indoor environmental influences on children’s asthma. Pediatr Clin North Am 2007;54:103-120. 6. McHugh BM, MacGinnitie AJ. Indoor allergen sensitization and the risk of asthma and eczema in children in Pittsburgh. Allergy Asthma Proc 2011;32:372-376. 7. Baatenburg de Jong A, Dikkeschel LD, Brand PL. Sensitization patterns to food and inhalant allergens in childhood: a comparison of non-sensitized, monosensitized, and polisensitized children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2011;22:166-171. 120 8. Canonica GW, Bousquet J, Mullol J, et al. A survey of the burden of allergic rhinitis in Europe. Allergy. 2007;62(suppl 85):1725. 9. Calabria CW, Dice JP, Hagan LL. Prevalence of positive skin test responses to 53 allergens in patients with rhinitis symptoms. Allergy Asthma Proc 2007;28:442-448. 10. Kim J, Hahm MI, Lee SY, et al. Sensitization to aeroallergens in Korean children: a population-based study in 2010. J Korean Med Sci 2011;26:1165-1172. 11. Arbes SJ Jr, Gergen PJ, Elliott L, et al. Prevalences of positive skin test responses to 10 common allergens in the US population: results from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2005;116:377-383. 12. Calabria CW, Dice J. Aeroallergen sensitization rates in military children with rhinitis symptoms. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2007;99:161-169. 13. Arshad SH, Tariq SM, Matthews S, et al. Sensitization to common allergens and its association with allergic disorders at age 4 years: a whole population birth cohort study. Pediatrics 2001;108:E33. S. González-Díaz et al 14. Espinosa SE, Meza MR, Orozco S, et al. Sensibilización temprana a aeroalergenos en una población pediátrica mexicana. Alergia e Inmunol Pediatr 1999;8:165-169. 15. Silvestri M, Oddera S, Crimi P, et al. Frequency and specific sensitization to inhalant allergens within nuclear families of children with asthma and/or rhinitis. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 1997;79:512-516. 16. Goldhahn K, Bockelbrink A, Nocon M, et al. Sex-specific differences in allergic sensitization to house dust mites: a metaanalysis. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2009;102:487-494. 17. Şahiner UM, Civelek E, Yavuz ST, et al. Skin prick testing to aeroallergen extracts: what is the optimal panel in children and adolescents in Turkey? Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2012;157:391398. 18. Cipriandi G, Melioli G, Passalacqua G, et al. Immunotherapy in polysensitized patients: new chances for the allergist? Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2012;109:392-394. 19. Prigione I, Morandi F, Tosca MA, et al. Interferon-gamma and IL-10 may protect from allergy polysensibilization in children: preliminary evidence. Allergy 2010;65:740-742. Medicina Universitaria 2014;16(64):121-124 medicina universitaria www.elsevier.com.mx Original article Initial approach to first-time seizures in pediatrics J. A. Infante-Cantú, M. A. Meza-Reséndiz*, M. E. Chávez-Rede Pediatrics Department, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico Received: February 2014; Accepted: June 2014 KEYWORDS Unprovoked seizures; Electroencephalography; Mexico. Abstract Objective: Prove that conducting complementary studies at laboratories and imaging studies are unnecessary in first-time unprovoked seizures, since there is no change in the evolution and prognosis of the disease, as well as the study of our population, the incidence rate and the proportion of our patients that have been studied and given maintenance treatment, so it can be determined whether or not our population should follow the suggestions of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Spanish Pediatric Association. Methods: An observational study, including patients diagnosed with first-time unprovoked seizures. They were followed up on by the emergency department and information was collected from their clinical history and compared with the results of the different studies between patients that suffered just one seizure and the ones that had recurrent seizures. Results: Thirty one patients were included, 14 males and 17 females. The average age was 5.5 years old. The 100% of patients were studied, and the groups were compared. The significant study was the electroencephalogram (EEG) with a p=0.02 (significance p<0.05), incidence of 41%. Conclusions: The study and diagnosis of first-time unprovoked seizures is based on clinical manifestations. The EEG is important in the study and classification of unprovoked seizures. Our population has an incidence and recurrence rate similar to that in the bibliography, and for that reason, this study suggests that the diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Spanish Pediatric Association should be followed. * Corresponding author: Pediatrics Department, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. Francisco I. Madero and Dr. Eduardo Aguirre Pequeño Avenue, Mitras Centro, Z.P. 64460, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. Telephone: (81) 1041 1400. E-mail address: mayela87@hotmail. com (M. A. Meza-Reséndiz). 122 Introduction About 5% of the patients who arrive at the emergency room are admitted with a seizure diagnosis.1 Management of these patients is determined by the first-contact pediatrician; they decide whether or not the patient gets exams/tests, is admitted and begins treatment.1 There is no standardized algorithm for the initial assessment of a patient who had a seizure for the first time, therefore a thorough case history and physical examination are required in order to determine additional lab and neuroimaging testing. 2 Academic groups like the American and European Pediatrics Association suggest that neither additional testing or medical admittance are necessary for patients who had generalized unprovoked seizures.3 Currently we do not have studies describing our population; therefore we must follow the recommendations and guidelines given by these academic groups; for this reason we are conducting this research. Our main objective is to prove there is no need for additional lab and neuroimaging testing for patients who had generalized unprovoked seizures because it does not modify management, evolution or prognosis. Moreover, as specific objectives we will study the following: first-time generalized unprovoked seizure incidence at the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, percentage of patients who get additional procedures and/or additional studies, costs and length of hospital stays, the number of patients discharged with anti-seizure treatment and the most utilized anti-seizure in an acute event and subsequent to the event. Methods We designed an observational, descriptive, logitudinal, nonblind, prospective study. We included in our population, patients of the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. We calculated the sample size using the finite population formula, with a result of 25 patients who had a first-time unprovoked seizure incidence in order to have significant results. This study was conducted over a period of 2 years; therefore we were able to include a total of 31 patients. We followed the patients during their medical visit and during their first followup appointment within the first month. The study and treatment was determined by the on-call doctor in the Pediatric Emergency Room at the University Hospital. We as researchers did not intervene in the decision making process. We obtained the information from their clinical files, gathering the following variables: age, gender, family history, perinatal history, use and type of anti-seizure in the acute event and subsequent to it and if they had studies performed, like a complete blood count (CBC), basic metabolic panel (BMP), lumbar puncture, electroencephalogram (EEG), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MRI). The variables were compiled in a database created using Microsoft Excel®, later to be analyzed using statistical software SPSS® Statistics v. 20.0. Continuous variables will be expressed in median and standard deviation (SD) or ranges, on the other hand categorical variables will be described in percentages. J. A. Infante-Cantú et al We included patients ranging from 6 months to 16 years old, with a first-time seizure diagnosis, generalized, unprovoked, about 5 minutes long, without focalization data after the event, with a normal neurological exam. We excluded patients with provoked seizures, history of previous seizures, patients with an epilepsy diagnosis, psychomotor development alterations, a previous brain injury, intoxication, gastrointestinal problems, vomiting and diarrhea, patients with dehydration data or central nervous system infection data and patients with an abnormal neurological exploration. We divided the patients into 2 groups, patients who displayed recurrence in one group, and those who did not in the other group. We compared their lab and clinical tests’ results to verify that they were not anticipating immediate seizure evolution and/or complications. We defined immediate complications to the recurrence of seizures within the first month. We also divided the patients who received treatment from those who did not, in order to assess recurrence. Results Our sample size required a minimum of 25 patients; however, we managed to include 31 patients who met the inclusion criteria. We had 14 males and 17 females, with a median age of 5.5 years of age. Out of the 31 patients, there were 7 (22.6%) with a family history and 24 (77.4%) without, 3 (9.7%) had perinatal history and 28 (90.3%) did not. We studied 31 patients as follows: We performed a lumbar puncture in 5 of them (0 abnormalities reported), 24 BMP (0 alterations), 26 CBC (2 altered results) and 24 neuroimaging scans (CT and MRI) with one altered result which was reported as a finding without being a cause of seizure. We performed an EEG in all 31 of the patients of which 14 were reported abnormal. We compared the different test results from patients who experienced a recurrent episode to those patients who did not experience one, to verify if the results of the studies change or predict recurrences; of these the only one who showed significant results was p=0.02 the EEG (Table 1). Out of the 31 patients who went to the emergency room, we began anticonvulsant treatment in 19 patients. Twelve patients were discharged conservatively, without anti-seizure treatment. Out of the 19 patients, 14 were given phenytoin, and 5 patients were given valproic acid. We compared seizure recurrence in patients discharged with treatment to those patients discharged without it, which showed a non-significant result with p=0.69, with an Odds Ratio (OR) of 0.55 and a confidence interval (CI) of 0.12-2.49, showing that the indication of chronic treatment is not a factor in protecting the patient against seizure recurrence (Table 2). We researched inpatient costs and length, which resulted in a median of 1.5 days for the full study of seizures in patients who were admitted to the hospital. The costs are reported in Table 3. Initial approach to first-time seizures in pediatrics 123 Table 1 Comparison of laboratory results. Laboratory Table 2 Treatment and recurrence of seizures. Yes No Total Normal Abnormal Not taken 12 0 1 12 2 4 24 2 5 BC and SE Normal Abnormal Not taken 11 0 2 13 0 5 24 0 7 EEG Normal Abnormal Not taken 4 9 0 13 5 0 17 14 0 Neuroimaging Normal Abnormal Not taken 12 0 1 11 1 6 24 1 7 Lumbar puncture Normal Abnormal Not taken 1 0 12 4 0 14 5 0 26 HB Treatment Had seizure Seizure recurrence Yes p 0.21 0.45 No Total Yes 9 (47%) 10 (52%) 19 No 4 (33%) 8 (66%) 12 13 18 31 Total p OR 0.69 0.55 95% CI 0.122.49 OR: Odd Ratio; CI: confidence interval. Source: “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, 2012-2013. 0.02 Table 3 Costs. 0.14 0.06 Study Cost Number Total cost MRI 4,400 14 61,600 CT 2,759 10 27,500 1,150 31 EEG HB: hematic biometry; BC: blood chemistry; SE: serum electrolytes; EEG: electroencephalogram. Source: “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, 2012-2013. MXN Peso 48,050 MXN Peso MRI: magnetic resonance; CT: computed tomography; EEG: electroencephalogram; MXN: Mexican peso. Source: “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, 2012-2013. Discussion The results of the study were not very distant from those found in medical literature. With a similar reported incidence 4 of 4 seizure episodes for every 1,000 habitants, which are said to be overstudied. This population was studied in full with at least one lab and/or clinical test, separating the EEG. Laboratory and neuroimaging tests were performed in 77% of the patients. None of them were reported with significant results for the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease, only the EEG had a significant p lower than 0.5, p=0.02. Out of the 31 patients who had seizures, 45% showed an abnormal EEG, and from these patients with electroencephalographic alterations, 64% suffered a recurrence, compared to the rate reported in publications, which refers to a recurrence rate of 71%.4 The results regarding the recurrence of seizures treated with anti-seizure medication were similar to the data published. We prescribed treatment to 61% of the population. Of the patients who received treatment, 47% had a recurrence (29% of the entire population); this data can be compared to medical literature which mentions a probability of recurrence in a year of 19% to 26%. In this case the period of time is a variable, whereas in our study we just monitored the patients up to the first follow-up visit which is in a period of time no longer than 30 days. This population showed a recurrence rate of 41% of the patients in the follow-up visit, compared with 3 other studies which recorded the recurrence rate at 2 years: 37%,5 54% (95% CI=46%-62%)6 and 57%, respectively.7 Conclusion First-time seizure study and diagnosis is based on the clinical study. EEG plays a major role in the study and classification of unprovoked seizures. The use of medications and anti-seizure therapy after an unprovoked seizure is controversial; therefore each case should be personalized. The doctor should adequately study recurrence risk factors in order to start the patient on maintenance medication and compare the benefits with the medication’s adverse effects. Our population has similar incidence and recurrence rates to those reported in the references, thus this study suggests following the guidelines and recommendations made by the American and European Pediatrics Association concerning first-time unprovoked seizures. Conflicts of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Funding No financial support was provided. References 1. Baumer J. Evidence based guideline for postseizuremanagement in children presenting acutely to secondary care. Arch Dis Child 2004;89:278-280. 124 2. Adams S, Knowles P. Evaluation of a First Seizure. American Academy of Family Physicians 2007;75-9:1344-1347. 3. Beghi E, Leone M, Solari A. Mortality in patients with a first unprovoked seizure. Epilepsia 2005;46:40-42. 4. Khan A, Baheerathan A. Electroencephalogram after first unprovoked seizure in children: Routine, unnecessary or case specific. Journal Pediatric Neurosci 2013;8:1-4. 5. Shinnar S, Berg AT, Moshe SL, et al. The risk of seizure recurrence after a first unprovoked afebrile sei-zure in childhood: an extended follow-up. Pediatrics 1996;98:216-225. J. A. Infante-Cantú et al 6. Stroink H, Brouwer OF, Arts WA, et al. The first unprovoked, untreated seizure in childhood: a hospital based study of the accuracy of the diagnosis, rate of recurrence, and long term outcome after recurrence. Dutch study of epilepsy in childhood. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1998;64:595-600. 7. Ramos Lizana J, Cassinello García E, Carrasco Marina LL, et al. Seizure recurrence after a first unprovoked seizure in childhood: a prospective study. Epilepsia 2000;41:1005-1013. Medicina Universitaria 2014;16(64):125-128 medicina universitaria www.elsevier.com.mx Original article Prevalence of colonizing bacteria and their association with primary bacteremias in hemodialysis of a university hospital C. G. Quiñonez-Olivasa,*, I. M. Rivera-Moralesb, C. Sánchez-Martínezc, H. R. IbarraSifuentesa, R. O. Flores-Pérezc, J. A. Cárdenas-de la Garzad Internal Medicine Department, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico a Infectious Disease Service, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico b Nephrology Service, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico c d School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico Received: December 2013; Accepted: June 2014 KEYWORDS Colonization; Primary bacteremia; Hemodialysis; Gramnegative bacilli; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Mexico. Abstract Introduction: The incidence of primary bacteremia in patients on hemodialysis (HD) is reported to be from 2.5 to 5.5 cases per 1,000 catheter-day. The clinical impact is relevant and increases the cost of the HD Unit. Methods: The present study is the first of 2 phases. It was conducted from January to December of 2012, and included all patients and nurses who were in the HD Unit. The prevalence of Gramnegative bacilli (GNB) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonizing the nasal passages and the skin is described. Also, phenotypic association was sought by genus, species and sensitivities between colonizing bacterial strains and blood cultures with GNB and MRSA. Results: The study included 70 patients and 10 nurses. The prevalence of nasal colonization in patients by GNB was 9% and 6% in the pericatheter, and no nursing GNB colonization was discovered. The prevalence of MRSA nasal colonization was 19% and 6% in the pericatheter for patients and in the nurses the nasal colonization was 50% and 10% in the hands. We identified 29 cases of primary bacteremia. The primary bacteremia rate is 1.5 per 1,000 catheter-day or 0.4 episodes per patient per year. Conclusion: We demonstrated a high prevalence of MRSA colonization in patients and nurses in the HD Unit. No relationship was found between primary bacteremia by GNB and patients and nurses’ bacteria colonization by the phenotypic comparison. 1665-5796 © 2014 Revista Medicina Universitaria. Facultad de Medicina UANL. Publicado por Elsevier México. Todos los derechos reservados. * Corresponding author: Internal Medicine Department, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. Francisco I. Madero and Gonzalitos Avenue, Mitras Centro, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. Phone: (81) 8389 1111, ext. 3243, 3107. E-mail address: [email protected] (C. G. Quiñonez-Olivas). 126 Introduction The incidence of primary bacteremia in hemodialysis (HD) patients is reported to be between 2.0% and 4.5% per 1,000 catheter-day, or one to 2 episodes per patient-year. The use of HD catheters is a major mortality predictor in HD patients.1 Primary bacteremia is the most common cause of morbidity and the second most common cause of mortality in HD patients.2 Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) causes up to 80% of vascular access infections and between 15% and 30% are caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).3 Only a few studies have researched Gram-negative bacilli (GNB’s) nasal and skin colonization.4 There are reports in medical literature of a low incidence of catheter-related GNB infections, theoretically it is attributed to those who have a lesser adherence to vascular endothelial contrary to Gram-positive cocci.5,6 GNB, which colonizes nasal mucus and the pericatheter in patients in peritoneal dialysis has not showed a major association with infections in the dialysis catheter’s exit point, nor in the development of peritonitis associated with peritoneal dialysis. 7,8 Conversely, a discrete association between nasal and skin colonization by GNB and vascular access infection in HD patients has been demonstrated.8,9 The number of hemodialysis-related primary bacteremias increased notoriously in our Hospital between 2010 and 2011, with a predominance of GNB in up to 60% of patients. On the other hand, as described in medical literature, MRSA is the causal pathogen of primary bacteremia with the highest morbidity; however its prevalence is unknown. For this reason we focused this study on finding the prevalence of GNB and MRSA in patients and healthcare staff and their association with primary bacteremia developed in the HD Unit of the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. Methods The present study was conducted at the Renal Unit of the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, from January to December of 2012, including all patients and nursing staff in the HD Unit. We used the following operational definition for primary bacteremia: The presence of bacteria in the blood stream in a patient with a vascular catheter for over 48 hours, with positive hemoculture and clinical manifestation of infections without any other infectious focus. The study was divided into 3 stages: I. Supervision of a cohort of patients in the HD program in order to identify primary bacteremia cases and determine the rate of primary bacteremia per 1,000 catheter-day and patient-year episodes. We identified the patients who developed fever during HD and we performed a hemoculture to monitor them in the bacteriology lab and verify GNB and MRSA isolations. We calculated the rate of primary bacteremia per 1,000 catheter-day and patient-year episodes. II. Detection of patients colonized by GNB and MRSA in nasal mucous and pericatheter skin, also detection of nasal mucous and hands colonization in the C. G. Quiñonez-Olivas et al nursing staff on the HD Unit; and determination of the prevalence of colonization in both groups. We performed a nasal swab culture and pericatheter skin in all patients in the HD Unit, and we performed nasal and predominant hand swabs in the healthcare personnel involved in the connection of patients in HD. Subsequently, we determined nasal and skin colonization prevalence in both groups. III.Determination of phenotypic association between GNB’s isolated from primary bacteremias and GNBs colonizing the nasal mucous and skin. We identified bacteria genus and species in all bacteremia cases, as well as the colonizing strains, using conventional biochemistry performed by the clinical pathology lab. We carried out antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) in the following GNBs: ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin and amikacin. In the S. aureus we performed the AST to cefoxitin and if it wasn’t sensitive to this antibiotic we determined its methicillin resistance. We searched for an association between GNB’s isolated from primary bacteremia and colonizing GNB’s through phenotypic comparison with genus, species and sensitivities described in the antibiogram. In a second stage of the same study we determined whether or not isolated MRSA’s were clones using pulsed field electrophoresis. The results were analyzed with descriptive statistics in frequencies and proportions. Results We conducted colonization cultures from each of the 70 patients in the HD Unit. We documented nasal colonization in 47 patients (67%) and 50 isolations because 3 patients had 2 bacteria colonizing the nasal mucous. Pericatheter colonization was evidenced in 27 patients (39%) and 29 isolations because 2 patients had 2 bacteria colonizing the pericatheter skin. The most relevant nasal and pericatheter skin-colonizing isolations can be found in Tables 1 and 2. Table 1 Nasal colonizations in patients of the Hemodialysis Unit of the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. Nasal n=50* Frequency % Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus 21 42 Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 13 26 Escherichia coli 3 6 Klebsiella pneumoniae 1 2 Acinetobacter baumanii 1 2 Morganella morganii 1 2 *The frequencies do not add up to the total number of colonies (n=50) because we did not add coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, which is not considered a pathogenic flora. Prevalence of colonizing bacteria and their association with primary bacteremias in hemodialysis of a university hospital Table 2 Bacterial colonies of pericatheter skin in patients of the Hemodialysis Unit of the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. Pericatheter skin n=29* Frequency 127 Enterobacter cloacae % Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus 14 48 Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 4 14 Klebsiella pneumoniae 3 11 Pseudomona aeruginosa 1 3 Escherichia coli Pseudomona aeuruginosa *The frequencies do not add up to the total number of colonies (n=29) because we did not add coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, which is not considered a pathogenic flora. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Figure 1 The percentage of each of the Gram-negative bacilli isolated from the primary bacterimias. Regarding healthcare personnel in the HD Unit, we documented nasal colonization in 10 nurses (100%) and 10 isolations. We found colonization in the predominant hand in 3 nurses (30%) and 3 isolations. The most relevant nasal and predominant hand colonizations in healthcare personnel can be found in Table 3. The prevalence of nasal colonization in patients by MRSA was 19% and by GNB, 9%; the prevalence in pericatheter skin by GNB and MRSA was 6% for both. Regarding the nursing staff, the prevalence of nasal colonization by MRSA was 50% and 10% in the predominant hand; we did not find GNB colonization. During the study we identified 29 primary bacteremia cases confirmed microbiologically. The rate of bacteremia caused by GNB was 28%, you can read each of the percentages Table 3 Bacterial colonies in the nasal mucous and dominant hand of the healthcare personnel of the Hemodialysis Unit of the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. Nasal n=10* Frequency % Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 5 50 Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus 4 40 Dominant hand n=3* Frequency % Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus 1 33 Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 1 33 *The frequencies do not add up to the total number of colonies (n) because we did not add coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, which is not considered a pathogenic flora. on bacteremia-isolated GNBs in Figure 1. Primary bacteremias caused by S. aureus were 12 (67%) and 25% was by MRSA, you can read each percentage of bacteremia-isolated CGP in Figure 2. Primary bacteremia rate was 1.5 per 1,000 catheter-day or 0.4 episodes per patient-year. In the patients with isolations by GNB in their primary bacteremia blood cultures, none of them displayed phenotypic association with nasal mucous and skin (Table 4). Discussion A low prevalence of GNB colonization in patients was demonstrated, with 6% and 9% for skin and nasal mucous respectively, similar to the rate described in medical literature. Prevalence of MRSA colonization was 6% and 19% for skin and nasal mucous respectively.10 In healthcare personnel, a prevalence of 10% in the predominant hand and 50% in nasal mucous was demonstrated, between both groups this means that at least one in every 3 individuals is an MRSA carrier. Primary bacteremia rate was 1.5 per 1,000 catheter-day or 0.4 episodes per patient-year, lower than the rate reported in international literature. 11 Bacteremias caused by MRSA were 10%, but there is no previous information regarding our grounds to compare to previous years. Primary bacteremias caused by GNB were 28%, representing a reduction of over 50% of the cases identified as GNB in the years 2010 and 2011, during which it was 60% of the total of bacteremias. The reduction of primary bacteremias by GNB during the present study with regard to the last 2 years is probably caused by hygiene actions performed by the nephrology department at the beginning of that year, including the standardization of asepsis of the pericatheter region with chlorhexidine, and having enough supplies for proper hand-washing, such as alcohol antibacterials and electronic-sensor sinks. In conclusion, an association between carriers (patients) of GNB and primary bacteremias by GNB was not proved, which is consistent with other epidemiologic studies. In addition, a high prevalence of colonizing MRSA in patients and nursing staff in the HD Unit was demonstrated. 128 C. G. Quiñonez-Olivas et al Table 4 Example of the phenotypic association between Gram-negative bacilli. It shows that this Gram-negative bacilli with the same genus and specie (i. e. Pseudomonas aeruginosa) colonizing (C) does not have the same antibiotic sensitivity as the Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated in bacteremias (B), which demonstrates that there is no association between the bacteria that colonizes and that pathogenic bacteria isolated in the bacteremia hemocultures. Bacteria Amikacin Ciprofloxacin Ceftazidime Pseudomona aeruginosa Bacterimia (B) *09/07/12 Sensitive Sensitive Resistant Pseudomona aeruginosa (B) *15/07/12 Sensitive Sensitive Resistant Pseudomona aeruginosa (B) *16/07/12 Sensitive Sensitive Resistant Pseudomona aeruginosa (B) *04/08/12 Sensitive Sensitive Resistant Pseudomona aeruginosa Colonizing (C) *23/04/12 Sensitive Sensitive Sensitive *The dates show when the bacteria were isolated in the bacteremia and as a colony on the skin. References Enterococo fecalis Staphylococcus coagulasa negativo Staphylococcus aureus sensible a meticilina Staphylococcus aureus resistente a meticilina 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Figure 2 The percentage of each of the Gram-positive cocci isolated from the primary bacterimias. Conflicts of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Funding No financial support was provided. 1. O’Grady NP, Alexander M, Burns LA, et al. Guidelines for the prevention of intravascular catheter-related infections. Clinical infectious diseases: an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2011;52:162-193. 2. Alexander EL, Morgan DJ, Kesh S, et al. Prevalence, persistence, and microbiology of Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage among hemodialysis outpatients at a major New York Hospital. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2011;70:37-44. 3. Allon M, Daugirdas J, Depner TA, et al. Effect of change in vascular access on patients mortality in hemodialysis patients. American journal of kidney disease: the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation 2006;47:469-477. 4. Katneni R, Hedayati, S Susan. Central venous catheter-related bacteremia in chronic hemodialysis patients: epidemiology and evidence-based management. Nature Clinical Practice Nephrology 2007;3:256-266. 5. Choi CS, Yin CS, Bakar AA, et al. Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus among healthy adults. J Microbiol Immunol Infect 2006;39:458-464. 6. Mermel LA. Prevention of intravascular catheter-related infections. Ann Intern Med 2000;132:391–402. 7. Burton DC, Edwards JR, Horan TC, et al. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus central line-associated bloodstream infections in US intensive care units, 1997–2007. JAMA 2009;301:727–736. 8. Gaynes R, Edwards JR. Overview of nosocomial infections caused by gram-negative bacilli. Clin Infect Dis 2005;41:848–854. 9. Yazgi H, Ertek M, Ozbek A, et al. Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in hospital personnel and the normal population and antibiotic resistance of the isolates. Mikrobiyol Bul 2003;37:137-142. 10. Kaplowitz LG, Comstock JA, Landwehr DM, et al. Prospective study of microbial colonization of nose and skin and infection of the vascular access in hemodialysis patients. J Clin Microbiol 1988;26:1257-1262. 11. Cisneros-Herreros J, Cobo-Reinoso J, Pujol-Rojo M, et al. Guía para el diagnóstico y tratamiento del paciente con bacteremia. Guías de la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiologia Clinica (SEIMC). Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiologia Clinica 2007;25:111-130. Medicina Universitaria 2014;16(64):129-132 medicina universitaria www.elsevier.com.mx Scientific letters Laryngeal amyloidosis: An uncommon cause of dysphonia V. J. Villagómez-Ortiz*, M. Villegas-González, J. L. Treviño-González, R. SantosLartigue, B. González-Andrade, N. Montemayor-Peña Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Departament, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico Received: November 2013; Accepted: January 2014 KEYWORDS Amyloidosis; Larynx; Hoarseness; Congo red; Vocal cords; Mexico. Abstract Introduction: Amyloidosis is used to describe a range of disorders defined by extracellular deposition of abnormal protein fibrils. The larynx is the most common site of localized amyloidosis in the head and neck region and constitutes less than 1% of benign laryngeal lesions. Hoarseness is the most common symptom. Objective: Prospective clinical evaluation of patients with localized laryngeal amyloidosis. Clinical cases: Presented are 4 cases of patients with localized laryngeal amyloidosis who were treated at the Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Department at the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital in Monterrey, Mexico. Three patients underwent phonomicrosurgery by direct microlaryngoscopy with the removal of the amyloid implantation using a cold knife excision with great results. In each patient the major site of involvement was the supraglottis with a small focus on the false vocal cord. A medical work-up, including a complete blood count (CBC), a basic metabolic panel, urinalysis, liver function test, chest X-ray and physical examination were performed to rule out the presence of systemic disease; no amyloidosis or signs of systemic disease were found. Congo red staining confirms the diagnosis of amyloidosis in all surgical specimens. Conclusions: In laryngeal amyloidosis, the treatment should be directed toward the improvement of the voice and the maintenance of the airway. 1665-5796 © 2014 Revista Medicina Universitaria. Facultad de Medicina UANL. Publicado por Elsevier México. Todos los derechos reservados. * Corresponding author: Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Departament, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. Francisco I. Madero and Gonzalitos Avenue, Mitras Centro, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. Telephone: (81) 8333 2917. E-mail address: [email protected] (V. J. Villagómez-Ortiz). 130 Introduction Amyloidosis is used to describe a range of disorders defined by extracellular deposition of abnormal protein fibrils. Amyloid deposits were first described by Von Rokitansky in 1842, and the term amyloid was first used by Virchow in 1851 to describe the reaction of this tissue to iodine and sulfate.1 Borrow and Neuman (1873) were the first to report laryngeal amyloidosis. Over 300 cases have been reported since then.2 Current classifications of amyloidosis are based on the biochemical nature of the protein subunit (Chastonay, Hurliman in 1986 and Lewis et al. in 1992). AL amyloidosis (derived from light immunoglobulin chains) is associated with systemic amyloidosis. Fibrillar proteins have a characteristic pattern when observed under an electronic microscope after Congo red staining, displaying apple-green birefringence when examined with polarized light.3 The larynx is the most common site of localized amyloidosis in the head and neck region and constitutes less than 1% of benign laryngeal lesions.4 Hoarseness is the most common symptom. The male-female ratio is 3:1, with an age range between 8 and 80 years old, and a peak incidence occurring in the 5th decade of life.5-7 There are different treatments and resection methods for these lesions, though a few stand out, such as resection with a CO2 laser and cold technique. Radiotherapy has recently been described in cases where the lesions cannot be completely resected. Follow up is important in the long term, because these lesions have a high recurrence rate.3,4,8,9 Methods Presented are 4 cases of patients with localized laryngeal amyloidosis who were treated at the Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Service at the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital in Monterrey, Mexico. A flexible nasal fiber laryngoscopy was performed on all of the patients. Lab studies were ordered to rule out the presence of a systemic disease: a complete blood count (CBC) and basic metabolic panel, urinalysis, hepatic function test, thoracic X-rays, and a full physical examination was performed, all of which were reported to be within normal parameters. Rectal or bone marrow biopsies were not performed. Maximum phonation time, voice handicap index, reflux symptoms (described by Belafsky et al.), and glottic function and features in all patients were measured. A resection by microlaryngoscopy with cold technique on all the lesions was performed. Congo red stains were applied to all surgical specimens. The approval of the Ethics Committee of the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital was obtained, as well as signed informed consents from all the patients. V. J. Villagómez-Ortiz et al Diagnosis and treatment were implemented to rule out systemic involvement; the results were negative in all patients. Resections of the lesions by microlaryngoscopy with cold technique were executed, and samples were sent out for histopathology analysis. Congo red staining was used, where we were able to observe green birefringence through the use of the electronic microscope. The results of the questionnaires conducted before and after the surgical procedure were documented. With the use of this technique we were able to observe favorable results in the subjective symptoms as well as in the maximum phonation time. Case 1 A 67-year-old male, came to the Voice Clinic for the first time presenting hoarseness with an evolution of 10 years, progressive, vocal fatigue, glottic leak and inability to reach high notes. He denies any systemic diseases or smoking. He scored a glottic closure force index of 9, reflux index of 8 and quality of life index of 3. At the physical examination: Maximum phonation time was 17 seconds, S:Z ratio of 25:27. The videolaryngoscopy displayed an elevated lump towards the right false vocal cord and anterior commissure (Fig. 1). Case 2 A 52-year-old female, teacher, came to the Voice Clinic as a result of hoarseness with a 3-year evolution, accompanied by vocal fatigue, vocal pauses and inability to reach high notes. She did not improve by resting her voice. She denies smoking or ethilism. She previously received steroids and antibiotics without improvement. Her glottic closure force index was 12, reflux index of 17 and quality of life index of 7. Her maximum phonation time Cases presentation A laryngeal amyloidosis diagnosis was performed on 3 men and one woman, whose ages ranged from 14 to 67 years. The most common symptoms are: hoarseness, pharyngodynia, vocal pauses, and vocal fatigue. The duration of the symptoms before diagnosis was between 2 and 12 years. Figure 1 Patient 1, first visit. An increase in submucus volume can be observed in the photograph, altering the anatomy of the false vocal cords at the supraglottic level. Laryngeal amyloidosis: An uncommon cause of dysphonia 131 Figure 2 Patient 2, first visit. An increase in volume is observed in the left lower lip of the true vocal cord, creating premature contact upon glottal closure. Figure 3 Patient 2, one month post-surgery. A lessening of the increase in volume can be observed at the true vocal cords. There is now no premature contact upon glottal closure. was 7 seconds, S:Z ratio of 5:3. We were able to observe a major glottis edema with the videolaryngoscopy (Fig. 2). A phonomicrosurgery with cold technique was performed, and the sample was sent for histopathological analysis with an amyloidosis report. Post-surgically, she showed an improvement in her maximum phonation time to 12 seconds, a glottic force closure rate index to 4, reflux index to 4, and a quality of life index of 3 (Fig. 3). index of 18, maximum phonation time was 9 seconds, S:Z ratio of 32:8. The videolaryngoscopy displayed an elevated lump towards the right false vocal cord which impedes glottic closure, with a wide glottal gap (Fig. 4). A resection using the cold technique was performed, and we confirmed a diagnosis of amyloidosis. Post-surgical data: Glottic force closure rate index of 10, reflux index of 5, quality of life index of 9, and maximum phonation time of 16 seconds (Fig. 5). Case 3 Case 4 A 33-year-old male, presenting hoarseness with an evolution of 3 years, accompanied by vocal fatigue, vocal pauses and inability to reach high notes, occasional ethilism and denied smoking. At physical examination: Glottic leak, a glottic force closure rate index of 19, reflux index of 25, and a quality of life A 14-year-old male with hoarseness, with a 2-year evolution, progressive, with vocal fatigue and vocal pauses during conversation. A videolaryngoscopy was performed, where we were able to observe a lump which deformed both false and true vocal cords, thus conditioning a premature glottic closure (Fig. 6). Glottic force closure rate index of 13, reflux index of 10, and a quality of life index of 6, maximum phonation time was 12 seconds, S:Z ratio of 17:12 seconds. Figure 4 Patient 3, first visit. Increased exophytic volume can be seen, at the right level of the false vocal cords, which does not obstruct the glottal light. And a plain deformity of the right true vocal cord with premature contact and alteration of the chordal wave vibration. Figure 5 Patient 3, one month post-surgery. There is no evidence of supraglottic lesions, or obstruction of glottic light. 132 V. J. Villagómez-Ortiz et al Figure 6 Patient 4, first visit. Submucous lesions at the left false vocal cord level can be observed. Figure 7 Patient 4, post-surgery. No evidence of lesions at the supraglotic or glotic level. The same surgical procedure was executed, and we sent a sample for histopathological analysis. Post-surgical data: Maximum phonation time of 21 seconds, glottic force closure rate index of 4, reflux index of 2, quality of life index of 5 (Fig. 7). life. Diagnosis is confirmed by Congo red staining observing an apple-green birefringence under an electronic microscope. Resection with cold technique is an adequate method to remove lesions with positive subjective and objective results. It is important to rule out a systemic involvement in these patients. Discussion The larynx is the most common site for primary amyloidosis in the head and neck region. The male-female ratio in our patients was the same as the one reported in medical literature, with a variation in age range. In order of frequency, lesions were most commonly found in the ventricle, vestibular folds, vocal folds, epiglottis, and aryepiglottic folds. In our patients the most common was the involvement of false vocal cords. In general, the symptoms of this pathology are specific and do not lead to diagnosis, thus requiring a high level of suspicion, because they will appear depending on the size and site of the lesion. The most common reported symptom in our patients was hoarseness and vocal fatigue. It is important to rule out the involvement of a systemic disease in patients with this pathology. It is worth noting the fact that in order to obtain our diagnosis, we did not perform any invasive procedures in our patients (i. e. rectal or bone marrow biopsies). The treatment for these patients is surgical, and a complete resection is essential to avoid recurrence; however, there are few comparative studies between lesion resection with cold technique and laser to estimate their recurrence. Studies have suggested the use of radiotherapy combined with surgery in those lesions where complete resection is not possible.7 Conclusions Laryngeal amyloidosis is a rare disease with a rate of 8 in 1,000,000 and a higher incidence during the 5th decade of Conflicts of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Funding No financial support was provided. References 1. Green KM, Morris DP, Pitt M, et al. Amyloidosis of Waldeyer´s ring and larynx. J Laryngol Otol 2000;114:296–298. 2. Gertz MA. Diagnosing primary amyloidosis. Mayo clinic proceedings 2002;77:1278–1281. 3. Biewend ML, Menke DM, Calamia KT. The spectrum of localized amyloidosis: a case series of 20 patients and review of the literature. Amyloid 2006;13:135-142. 4. Gallivan, Gregory J. Laryngeal amyloidosis causing hoarseness and airway obstruction. Journal of Voice 2010;24:235-239. 5. Aydin O, Ustundag E, Iseri M, et al. Laryngeal amyloidosis with laryngocele. J Laryngol Otol 1999;113:361–363. 6. Nagasaka T, Lai R, Kuno K, et al. Localized amyloidosis and extramedullary plasmacytoma involving the larynx of a child. Hum Pathol 2001;32:132–134. 7. Elphinstone J, McCafferty. Localized amyloidosis of the larynx. Aust. J. Otolaryngology 1999;3:275–277. 8. Gillmore JD, Hawkins PN. Amyloidosis and the respiratory tract. Thorax 1999;54:444–451. 9. Neuner GA, Badros AA, Meyer TK, et al. Complete resolution of laryngeal amyloidosis with radiation treatment. Head Neck 2012;34:748-752. Medicina Universitaria 2014;16(64):133-135 medicina universitaria www.elsevier.com.mx Scientific letters Surgical treatment of a pseudoaneurysm of the femoral artery secondary to a gunshot wound. Clinical case report M. A. Gómez-Álvareza,*, G. E. Muñoz-Maldonadoa, R. Salinas-Domíngueza, M. MercadoFloresb, J. A. Tamez-del Bosquea General Surgery Services, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico a b Radiology Services, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico Received: December 2013; Accepted: January 2014 KEYWORDS Gunshot wound; Femoral artery aneurysm; Reversed saphenous graft; Mexico. Abstract We report a case of a 18-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm of the right superficial femoral artery secondary to penetrating injury by gunshot, which was treated in our Hospital with an aneurysm resection and a saphenous vascular graft inverted with a satisfactory evolution. 1665-5796 © 2014 Revista Medicina Universitaria. Facultad de Medicina UANL. Publicado por Elsevier México. Todos los derechos reservados. Introduction Trauma is the 3rd leading cause of death among the general population. Vascular injuries represent 3% of everyday traumas with a high morbidity. Extremity pseudoaneurysms are developed after penetrating trauma in 60% of arterial injuries. In 40% of those cases, the trauma is caused by a gunshot wound.1 In medical literature, we are able to find a series of small amounts of cases; however, in a study by Yetkin et al., they presented 8 patients with pseudoaneurysms located in the femoral, popliteal and tibioperoneal arteries secondary to gunshot wounds. They concluded that the diagnosis depends on the high rate of suspicion by the healthcare provider, and the longer the diagnosis takes, the more complications they may have, up to loss of the limb.2 Case presentation We report a case of a patient, male, 18-year-old with a gunshot wound in the right lower extremity that was assessed in a different medical facility and was discharged without * Corresponding author: General Surgery Services, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. Francisco I. Madero and Gonzalitos Avenue, Mitras Centro, Z.P. 64460, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. Telephone: (81) 8346 7198. Cell Phone: 5566945497. E-mail address: [email protected] (M. A. Gómez-Álvarez). 134 an evident vascular injury. Four months after the incident, the patient came to the General Surgery Department at our Hospital for a consultation with pain in the right lower extremity and a limited gait. During physical examination a pulsatile tumor of 9 x 7 x 9 cm in the external face of the right thigh with the presence of a murmur in the femoral region was documented; the rest of the extremity displayed palpable pulse with a good intensity (Fig. 1). We performed an angiotomography showing an arterial aneurysm 10 x 8 x 7 cm originating from the superficial femoral artery with a continuity solution of 0.58 cm, which communicated with the deep femoral artery (Figs. 2 and 3). Our surgical strategy consisted of performing proximal and distal vascular control of the superficial femoral artery, complete resection of the superficial femoral artery aneurysm (Fig. 4) and placement of the inverted saphenous graft (Fig. 5). The patient was discharged after a 7-day post-surgical stay, with a good evolution without complications, and after a follow-up period of a year of consultations, the patient was reported as fully asymptomatic. M. A. Gómez-Álvarez et al Figure 1 Lump in anterior side outside of right thigh. Discussion Lower extremity pseudoaneurysms concur with global trauma statistics, being more frequent in young male adults. The pathophysiology consists of the result of the energy dissemination of the surrounding tissue, the expansive wave, projectile fragmentation or bone damaging the vascular wall, injuring the endothelial and causing a thrombus.3 Chronic traumatic aneurysm is developed by the partial or complete absorption of the periarterial hematoma at a fibrous sac level which is surrounded by the adjacent tissue. In general, the term “traumatic aneurysm” is utilized to refer to pseudoaneurysms, whether they are acute or chronic. Pseudoaneurysms must be treated as soon as possible, because of their risk of rupture or thrombosis.3 In our patient the diagnosis was made 4 months after the event. The typical clinical picture starts with a lump with progressive growth and pain and limitation in the extremity’s functionality. During physical examinations there may be tissue pallor and edema, and pulsations and bruits over the lump. Most often there is an absence or decrease of intensity of the distal pulse; however, this is a critical point. In a study by Peck, he concluded that it is possible to feel a distal pulse in 10% of patients with a severe arterial injury,4 just as with our patient. The most common vascular injuries occur in the femoral arteries (37.3%), as it was in our case, the popliteal arteries (27.8%) and the axillary and brachial arteries (23.5%).1 The diagnosis is made through physical examination and confirmed with an imaging study. The first study used is the color Doppler ultrasound, because it is a non-invasive method with excellent sensitivity and specificity which provides diagnostic, but not therapeutic, information. Even though the “gold standard” is still the arteriography, more importance has been given to non-invasive studies like the angiotomography with 3D reconstruction. It is used because of its diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation; it provides detailed information about the dimensions, morphology and anatomy of the pseudoaneurysm.5 This was the study utilized in our case. Figure 2 Computed axial tomography in coronal section showing pseudoaneurysm of the superficial femoral artery. When an aneurysm is larger than 2.5 cm, it is considered “surgical” because of the risk of complications, such as a thromboembolism or a rupture. The surgical treatment includes open surgical repair, compression and injection of thrombin guided by ultrasound, embolization or endovascular repair with stent.3,5 Endovascular repair is not used routinely for the treatment of femoral pseudoaneurysms. In general, it is used when the patient presents contraindications for conventional surgery.6 Open surgical repair must be the first treatment option for late complications of arterial injuries such as fistulas and pseudoaneurysms, using end-to-end anastomosis; however when it is not possible, an inverted saphenous venous graft should be used, because it is more resistant to infection and has a longer duration,7 as was done in our case. Therefore, we suggest our patients with penetrating wounds located over the vascular trajectory to rule out a vascular injury through an imaging study, even when there is no clinical evidence of such injury. The risk of not diagnosing a vascular injury is the posterior emergence of an Surgical treatment of a pseudoaneurysm of the femoral artery secondary to a gunshot wound. Clinical case report 135 Figure 5 Reversed saphenous graft in the femoral artery. Figure 3 3D recontruction of the pseudoaneurysm of the femoral artery. exclude possible complications when necessary. Despite all the advances in endovascular interventionism, the first treatment option for this pathology is conventional surgery which consists of a resection of the pseudoaneurysm and reconstruction with an inverted saphenous graft or a prosthetic graft. Conflicts of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Funding No financial support was provided. References Figure 4 Pseudoaneurysm of the superficial femoral artery. arterial-venous fistula or a pseudoaneurysm which can bring severe complications if not treated in time, because they can cause massive bleeding and possibly loss of the limb. Conclusion Currently, vascular injuries are rising with the increase in violence and crime within society. Physical examination is not enough in order to diagnose vascular injuries; therefore, non-invasive and invasive methods must be used in order to 1. Uçar HI,Öç M,Doğan. Peripheral Vascular Injuries in Civilian Population. Turkiye Klinikleri J Cardiovasc Sci 2006;18:132137. 2. Yetkin U, Bayrak S, Tetik B, et al. Surgical Approach to the Pseudoaneurysms Of Lower Extremity Arteries Developed after Gunshot Injuries. Journal of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery 2007;10:2. 3. Rutherford RB. Diagnostic evaluation of extremity vascular injuries. Surg Clin North Am 1988;68:683-691. 4. Peck JJ, Eastman AB, Bergan JJ, et al. Popliteal vascular trauma. A community experience. Arc Surg 1990;125:1339-1343. 5. Feliciano DV, Mattox KL. Traumatic aneurysms. Vascular Surgery. 3rd edition. USA: Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders Company; 1989. p. 996-1003. 6. Ozisik K, Dural K, Okcu O, et al. Pseudoaneurysms of the popliteal and tibioperoneal arteries after gunshot injuries. J Trauma 2003;55:485-488. 7. Corriere MA,Guzman RJ. True and false aneurysms of the femoral artery. Semin Vasc Surg 2005;18:216-223. Medicina Universitaria 2014;16(64):136-140 medicina universitaria www.elsevier.com.mx Review article Health effects due to exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the petroleum refining industry M. T. Montaño-Soto, L. Garza-Ocañas* Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, School of Medicine and “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico Received: January 2014; Accepted: May 2014 KEYWORDS Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Health; Health impact assessment; Petroleum; Oil refinery; Air pollutants; Environmental; Mexico. Abstract Introduction: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are a group of semi-volatile organic compounds composed of 2 or more aromatic rings, generated during incomplete combustion of organic matter. These compounds have been considered as major air pollutants, and also, there is evidence of potential mutagenic and carcinogenic effects in some of them. One of the most important sources of these compounds is industry, and particularly, in processes such as aluminium or coke production, waste incineration and petrochemical and oil refining. This last process is the subject of this article, whose aim is to review the health effects in persons potentially exposed to PAH generated during petroleum refining. Methods: A descriptive review of the available literature was performed, in which PubMed was used as an information source. The following search descriptors were used: refinery, PAH, health, health impact assessment, air pollutants and environmental, as well as their translations in Spanish. Results: Eleven articles were included, and most of them correspond to epidemiological studies in which a high incidence of cancer is reported. Conclusions: The reviewed studies concur that there is a significant relationship between the presence of oil refineries and the increase of adverse health effects of workers and people living in areas that are close to these industries, particularly, respiratory diseases and cancer. However, it is important to develop studies that simultaneously evaluate the effects on human health and the concentration of these substances in the environment, in order to establish a more direct relationship between the 2 variables. 1665-5796 © 2014 Revista Medicina Universitaria. Facultad de Medicina UANL. Publicado por Elsevier México. Todos los derechos reservados. * Corresponding author: Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, School of Medicine and “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. 235 Gonzalitos Street, Mitras Centro, Z.P. 64460, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. Telephone: (+52 81) 8329 4201. E-mail address: [email protected] (L. Garza-Ocañas). Health effects due to exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the petroleum refining industry 137 Introduction The refining industry as a PAH source Evidence shows an increasing correlation between environmental pollution and health effects on an exposed population.1 By the year 2006 the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that between 23% and 24% of the world’s morbidity/mortality was attributable to environmental factors, and of the considered conditions the ones associated with air pollution occupied 2nd place.2 Among major air pollutants representing health risks are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which can be found in the gas phase or well-bonded to particulate matter (PM).3 PAHs are a group of semi-volatile organic compounds composed of 2 or more aromatic rings, generated during incomplete combustion of organic matter. During this process molecule and radical fragments are combined, thus creating these substances.3 These compounds are major environmental pollutants because they are considered to be potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic, hence considered “air quality markers” in terms of the health risks their presence represents.4-10 According to the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), out of the 100 substances of this kind listed, 16 are catalogued as “priority pollutants” (Table 1) based on the following criteria: toxicity, human exposure potential and frequency of occurrence in hazardous waste sites.9-11 Undoubtedly oil refining’s final products are currently one of the most important energy sources for the industry as well as for most people’s everyday life. However, over the past few years, this activity has been strongly connected to the presence of high PAH concentrations in locations close to these types of facilities.12-20 At most of these sites PAH levels have been quantified even above those reported at areas with major vehicular traffic. Consequently, different authors have researched the health effects as a result of the exposure to this type of industry, in people exposed occupationally and environmentally. Thus the objective of this study is to conduct a descriptive review of the available literature in which they show the main health effects linked to PAH exposure from the oil refinery industry. PAH presence in the environment PAHs are generally found in the environment as complex combinations, practically in every substrate, their accumulation is the result of emission rates exceeding the capability of natural degradation.12 They can be released into the environment through natural sources such as forest fires and volcanic eruptions; however in recent years anthropogenic emissions have been responsible for the increase of these substances in the environment. Among the main sources of anthropogenic origin are: domestic, mobile, agricultural and industrial emissions.9 Despite the fact that the industry in general is considered an important source of PAH emission into the environment, the activities that emit the largest PAH amounts are: primary aluminum production, coke production, waste incineration, fossil-fuel-based power generation, the petrochemical industry, and crude oil refineries.9,10 Methods Available literature was identified performing a web search. We used PubMed’s database as a source of information, as well as Science Direct, EBSCOhost and Springer, through the General Direction of Libraries of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL, by its Spanish acronym). We used the following terms and combinations as search criteria (and their Spanish equivalents): oil refinery AND polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [MeSH] AND health [MeSH], oil refinery AND health [MeSH], OR health impact assessment [MeSH], oil refinery AND air pollutants [MeSH], OR environmental impact [MeSH], these last 2 combinations were used to examine the environmental PAH presence in areas located close to oil refineries. The search was not limited to newer articles, thus we used all available literature to date. Results We obtained a total of 87 articles, from which we selected 11. The excluded articles were those that did not evaluate sanitary effects of exposure during oil production or those where they evaluated the effects in other organisms (like in Salmonella in the “Ames Test”), or by other pollutant sources. The articles where work exposure was evaluated correspond to 3 epidemiological studies developed for the purpose of correlating the increase in cancer incidence and work activity in refineries. They used work records, national survey demographic data, national cancer and epidemiological Table 1 Substances prioritized for their carcinogenic and mutagenic potential. Naphthalene Acenaphthene Acenaphthylene Fluorene Phenanthrene Anthracene Fluoranthene Pyrene Benzo (a) anthracene* Chrysene Benzo (b) fluoranthene* Benzo (k) fluoranthene* * Carcinogens. Source: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).10 Benzo (a) pyrene* Dibenzo (ah) anthracene* Benzo (ghi) perylene Indeno (123-cd) pyrene* 138 M. T. Montaño-Soto, L. Garza-Ocañas surveillance records from different countries. Of the studies that evaluated environmental exposure, 4 of them linked exposure and cancer incidence, 2 of them linked the distance to the refineries and cancer incidence, and one linked exposure with effects over gestation time and another one with pulmonary function in children. Table 2 is a list of the main findings in this review. In 1991, in a study conducted in Australia by Christie et al., where they evaluated cancer incidence in the Australian oil industry from 1981 to 1989, observed an increase of approximately twice as many cases of cancer than expected in employees of the different oil companies operating in the country, including refineries, production facilities, warehouses and distribution centers. The most common cancer types were lung cancer and pleural cancer, which have been linked to PAH exposure, as well as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma and leukemia, the latter of which has been mainly linked to benzene exposure. Benzene is also an aromatic obtained during oil refinery, however, this has the characteristic of being volatile, and this substance as well as PAHs have been strongly connected to cancer development.21 Similar results were presented by Järvholm et al., in Sweden, where a cohort study was conducted, including 4,319 Swedish workers (4,128 men and 191 women) who worked for at least one year in the oil industry. Cancer incidence within these workers was compared to cancer incidence within the general population, and in the results it was reported that refinery operators presented a statistically significant increment in the development of leukemia (6 cases vs. 1.7 expected, 90% confidence interval [CI] of relative risk) in comparison to the general population.22 On the other hand, in the year 2000, Wong and Raabe conducted a meta-analysis based on a review of 28 cohort studies, which included over 350,000 oil workers in countries like US, United Kingdom (UK), Canada, Australia, Italy, Sweden and Finland, during an observation period of 60 years (1937-1996). In their results a significant increase in the risks of melanoma in 2 studies in the UK stand out, and prostate cancer in a couple of studies in the US.23 For different authors it is reasonable to consider that if occupational exposure to the oil industry pollutants increases incidence of diseases in workers, then environmental and non-occupational exposure to these pollutants can also cause an increase in the incidence of certain diseases among residents of areas located close to this type of industry.24-28 Under the same hypothesis several papers have been developed where they evaluate the effects in the open population who live in areas close to refineries. The results of some of these studies suggest an important connection between cancer incidence and the proximity to refineries. Since the early 1980’s in the US a study was conducted where they determined cancer incidence in places located close to a refinery along the coast of California. This study showed a growing and statistically significant trend (p<0.05) of cancer in the oral cavity and pharynx, stomach, trachea, bronchi, lung, prostate, kidney and urinary organs, in men, while in women they observed a statistically significant increase in oral cavity and pharynx cancer.24 In Taiwan, they evaluated if lung cancer mortality in women was linked with residence adjacent to an oil refinery. In this country lung cancer is the second cause of cancer mortality in men and the main cause for women. Results showed that women with a higher exposure to the petrochemical industry presented a higher risk of developing lung cancer in comparison to the group who lived in locations with low petrochemical atmospheric pollution.25 On the other hand, Barregard et al. conducted a study in Sweden, where they evaluated leukemia incidence in an area down-wind from a big oil refinery. In their results they observed an increase in leukemia incidence in the population living in sites affected by the winds from the refinery, Table 2 Evaluated health effects. Health effects Author Year 1 2 Christie (1991) X X Järvholm (1997) Wong (2000) Kaldor (1984) X X Yang (1999) Barregard (2009) Axelsson (2010) Wilkinson (1999) Zusman (2012) Yang (2004) Wichmann (2004) 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 X X 12 13 14 X X X X X X X X X X X X - - - X X X X X 1: lung cancer; 2: pleural cancer; 3: skin cancer; 4: bladder cancer; 5: prostate cancer; 6: oropharyngeal cancer; 7: stomach cancer; 8: trachea cancer; 9: kidney cancer; 10: non-Hodgkin lymphoma; 11: multiple myeloma; 12: leukemia; 13: preterm birth; 14: pulmonary function. Health effects due to exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the petroleum refining industry and that in a 10-year period (1995-2004), the number of cases doubled the expected numbers for this particular disease.26 Just as the reports by Christie (1991) and Järvholm (1997), they considered that leukemia development is linked to benzene exposure, more than to PAH exposure. Contrary to the results reported by Barregard (2009), Axelsson et al. (2010) conducted a study in the Stenungsund region in the same country. Said study included cancer records from 1974 to 2005, specifically leukemia, lymphoma, liver cancer, and brain cancer. In their results they did not present significant differences between the total of observed cases and the number of expected cases, for any cancer type, consequently the author concludes that for this area cancer incidence was not affected by industrial emissions from refineries.27 Moreover, as a response to the public and scientific preoccupation of the possible risks involved in living near refineries, Wilkinson et al. (1999) conducted a study which included 11 refineries in Great Britain, where they evaluated the incidence of lympho-hematopoietic diseases linked to refinery pollutant exposure. The analysis was performed taking into account the distance between refineries and the place where the individuals included in the study lived, for this purpose they established 8 rings around the refineries’ perimeters with a maximum distance of 7.5 Km. In their results, they observed a decline in the risk of Hodgkin lymphoma as the distance from the refineries increased.28 Zusman et al. also associated the risks of cancer linked to living in the proximity of an industrial area with the presence of oil refineries and oil and petrochemical storage facilities. Their results are very similar to Wilkinson’s, because they showed that lung cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma incidence tended to decrease as the distance to storage facilities increased, especially among the elderly.29 Another important health effect on the population living near refineries is the rise in the incidence of premature births. Regarding this issue, in Taiwan they evaluated its incidence in infants born within 3 towns located 3 Km from oil refineries. The amount of considered births was 7,095 (cases) and 57,483 (controls), results showed an adjusted odds ratio of 1.14 (95% CI) for premature births when they compared refinery areas and control zones, these results provide evidence of the link between living in areas with atmospheric pollution caused by oil refineries and premature birth risk.30 Furthermore, in Argentina they evaluated the impact on respiratory health in children, under the hypothesis that children who live near refineries and petrochemical plants would have more serious health consequences, compared to those children who live in areas outside this source. In this study, they considered 181 children from 4 different areas (industrial, urban and 2 control sites). In order to evaluate their pulmonary function a spirometry was performed on every child as well as a survey. Results showed that children who lived in the industrial region showed a significant increment in adverse side effects in respiratory health, presenting a higher asthma prevalence (p<0.001), more asthma exacerbations (p<0.001), and more respiratory symptoms (p<0.001), as well as diminished respiratory function.31 Conclusions Without a doubt, air pollution because of industrial emissions has become a matter of concern more and more due to 139 its harmful effect on the health of the population. Different researches show that the industry’s growth in urban areas is frequently connected to high levels of atmospheric pollutants, at the same time these levels are connected to the rise and exacerbation of different diseases.32 Nevertheless, there is no evidence of the health impact of all environmental pollutants. While PAHs are considered to be potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic, and thus we could consider them responsible for the health impact caused by exposure to refinery emissions, according to the reviewed literature we can conclude that PAHs are not the only ones participating in this process. In some cases, the effect is on bone marrow cells. Leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma, are more connected to exposure to compounds such as benzene, while lung, airways, urinary tract and skin cancer, have been related more to PAH exposure. Thus, we are not overlooking the fact that atmospheric pollution corresponds to a complex mixture of different toxic substances and from different sources that can hardly be identified. Therefore, we suggest the development of environmental evaluations that allow us to identify organic compounds like PAH in different substrates, developed simultaneously with studies of the health impact in exposed populations in order to establish more direct connections with the health effects in humans and the emission source of these compounds. Conflicts of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Funding No financial support was provided. References 1. Kelly FJ, Fussell JC. Air pollution and airway disease. Clinical and Experimental Allergy 2011;41:1059-1071. 2. Prüss-Üstün A, Corvalán C. Cáncer de Ambientes saludables y prevención de enfermedades: hacia una estimación de la carga de morbilidad atribuible al medio ambiente, Organización Mundial de la Salud; 2006. 3. Consultado en enero de 2013. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp.asp?id=122&tid=25 4. Vargas M. La contaminación ambiental como factor determinante de la salud. Rev Esp Salud Pública 2005;79:117-127. 5. Tomić Spirić V, Janković S, Jović Vraneš A, et al. The impact of air pollution on chronic respiratory diseases. Pol J Environ Stud 2012;21:481-490. 6. Amador-Muñoz O, Delgado-Rodríguez A, Villalobos-Pietrini R, et al. Partículas suspendidas, hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos y mutagenicidad en el suroeste de la ciudad de México. Rev Int Contam Ambient 2001;17:193-204. 7. Plisková M, Vondrácek J, Vojtesek B, et al. Deregulation of Cell Proliferation by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Human Breast Carcinoma MCF-7 Cells Reflects Both Genotoxic and Nongenotoxic Events. Toxicological Sciences 2005;83:246-256. 8. Mastandrea C, Chichizola C, Ludueña B, et al. Hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos. Riesgos para la salud y marcadores biológicos. Acta Bioquím Clín Latinoam 2005;39:27-36. 140 9. Ravindra K, Sokhi R, Van Grieken R. Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Source attribution, emission factors and regulation. Atmospheric Environment 2008;42:2895–2921. 10. Consultado en marzo de 2013. http://www.epa.gov/airquality/ urbanair/ 11. IARC, International Agency for Research on Cancer. Some Nonheterocyclic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Some Related Exposure. Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Word Health Organization; 2010. p. 92. 12. Olajire A, Brack W. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Niger Delta soil: contamination sources and profiles. Int J Environ Sci Tech 2005;2:343-352. 13. Díaz-González G, Vázquez-Botello A, Ponce-Vélez G. Contaminación por hidrocarburos aromáticos y policíclicos (HAP´S) disueltos en la laguna Mecoacán, Tabasco, México. Hidrobiológica 1994;4:21-27. 14. Rao B, Ansari M, Pipalatkar P, et al. Monitoring and assessment of particulate matter and poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) around a petroleum refinery. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 2007;79:197-201 15. Tiwari J, Chaturvedi P, Ansari N, et al. Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) and Heavy Metals in the Vicinity of an Oil Refinery in India. Soil and Sediment Contamination 2011;20:315-328. 16. Yassaa N, Cecinato A. Composition of torched crude oil organic particulate emitted by refinery and its similarity to atmospheric aerosol in the surrounding area. Chemosphere 2005;60:11601166. 17. Cazier F, Dewaele D, Delbende A, et al. Sampling analysis and characterization of particles in the atmosphere of rural, urban and industrial areas. Procedia Environmental Sciences 2011;4:218-227. 18. Rehwagen M, Müller A, Massolo L, et al. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with particles in ambient air from urban and industrial areas. Science of the Total Environment 2005;348:199-210. 19. Di Filippo P, Riccardi C, Pomata D, et al. Seasonal Abundance of Particle-Phase Organic Pollutants in an Urban/Industrial Atmosphere. Water Air Soil Pollut 2010;211:231-250. 20. Bozlaker A, Muezzinoglu A, Odabasi M. Atmospheric concentrations, dry deposition and air-soil exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in an industrial region in Turkey. Journal of Hazardous Materials 2008;153:1093-1102. M. T. Montaño-Soto, L. Garza-Ocañas 21. Christie D, Robinson, Gordon I, et al. A prospective study in the Australian petroleum industry. I Mortality and II Incidence of cancer. British Journal of Industrial Medicine 1991;48:507-514. 22. Järvholm B, Mellblom B, Norrman R, et al. Cancer incidence of workers in the Swedish petroleum industry. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1997;54:686-691. 23. Wong O, Raabe G. A Critical Review of Cancer Epidemiology in the Petroleum Industry, with a Meta-analysis of a Combined Database of More Than 350,000 Workers. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 2000;32:78-98. 24. Kaldor J, Harris J, Glazer E, et al. Statistical association between cancer incidence and major-cause mortality, and estimated residential exposure to air emissions from petroleum and chemical plants. Environmental Health Perspectives 1984;54:319-332. 25. Yang C, Cheng M, Chiu J, et al. Female lung cancer risk and petrochemical air pollution in Taiwan. Arch Environ Health 1999;54:180-185. 26. Barregard L, Holmberg E, Sallsten G. Leukaemia incidence in people living close to an oil refinery. Environmental Research 2009;109:985-990. 27. Axelsson G, Barregard L, Holmber E, et al. Cancer incidence in a petrochemical industry area in Sweden. Science of the Total Environment 2010;408:4482–4487. 28. Wilkinson P, Thakrar B, Walls P. Lymphohaematopoietic malignancy around all industrial complexes that include major oil refineries in Great Britain. Occup Environ Med 1999;56:577580. 29. Zusman M, Dubnov J, Barchana M, et al. Residential proximity to petroleum storage tanks and associated cancer risks: Double Kernel Density approach vs. zonal estimates. Science of the Total Environment 2012;441:265-276. 30. Yang C, Chang C, Chuang H, et al. Increased risk of preterm delivery among people living near the three oil refineries in Taiwan. Environment International 2004;30:337–342. 31. Wichmann F, Müller A, Busi L, et al. Increased asthma and respiratory symptoms in children exposed to petrochemical pollution. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2009;123:632-638. 32. Srogi K. Monitoring of environmental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a review. Environmental Chemistry Letters 2007;4:169-195. Medicina Universitaria 2014;16(64):141-142 medicina universitaria www.elsevier.com.mx Voices of doctors and patients The new generation of residents E. M. Treviño-Salinas* Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico Received: May 2014; Accepted: June 2014 The new generation of medical professionals keeps growing and evolving, along with technology in the medical field, as well as our responsibility to form generations of qualified graduates to address the current population’s demands. This generation goes hand in hand with virtual medicine; although a useful tool, it involves the development of fewer interpersonal skills. Perhaps in other fields outside the natural sciences, social interactions through virtual means and virtual work activity can form successful professionals, yet not in the medical field, where the doctor-patient personal relationship is still essential in order to form integral medical professionals. Discipline and respect of hierarchies, in my opinion, has decreased from generation to generation, which leads to a loss of values such as punctuality, pulchritude, and perfectionism; thus, a deficiency in clinical skills, resulting in medical professionals unable to make a proper clinical history, a reliable physical examination, interpret information, and establish a diagnosis with logic and communication. The so-called Burnout syndrome, which exist, and always have, is a part of our residents’ formation, who must work long shifts and learn how to manage stress and fatigue. This is not only part of their formation as a specialist but a taste of the work performed once they have graduated, keeping in mind at all times that we are working with human beings and that we are responsible for their health regardless of time, stress or personal issues, as we pronounce in the Hippocratic Oath. Even though the internet is a tool of great value for medical attention, it by no means replaces the importance of personalized gadget-free care. Technology should be used and it is of great help in becoming experts in requesting all kinds of tests and procedures, yet technology does not always help us understand when to request them or how to interpret them. Thus we could fall into a laboratory-oriented, instead of a patient-directed, perspective. Although values have changed, tenacious effort, pride, devotion to work, strict responsibility and the pursuit of excellence should still be the norm. University hospitals are highly prestigious institutions whose function, in addition to offering medical care of excellence, is to train high-level medical personnel. This involves a great responsibility and the requirements and demands required from post-graduate medical professionals should be higher than in other hospitals. We, the teachers, need to recognize that our duty is to educate, supervise and explain pathophysiology, clinical symptoms and the natural history of diseases. We must be present in the learning of the residents and teach them to know which tests to order, when to do it and how to interpret them, teach them to use technology and the internet to verify rather than formulate their clinical impressions. We need them to learn the value of a good clinical history and a proper physical examination; to know how to think and be responsible, teach them that the value of hierarchy doesn’t only reside in the number of years of residence, but * Corresponding author: Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital. Francisco I. Madero and Gonzalitos Avenue, Mitras Centro, Z.P. 64460, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico (E. M. Treviño-Salinas). 142 that every resident has surgical, caregiving and service work, teaching work to residents lower in the hierarchy and shouldering the great responsibility of demanding, reviewing and supervising each and every one of their actions performed with every one of their patients. Residents must acquire sufficient experience with responsibility, which any medical professional who graduated from our university should have. E. M. Treviño-Salinas The resident should be responsible enough to study his/ her patients and their pathologies and be able to continue offering quality care. Being a medical professional is a vocation of service to others, without major personal considerations. And we, as teachers at a University Hospital, must be responsible leaders, committed and with a high social standards. Medicina Universitaria 2014;16(64):143-145 medicina universitaria www.elsevier.com.mx Expert’s corner: a personal approach How we study and treat patients with suspected thrombophilia G. J. Ruiz-Argüelles*, G. J. Ruiz-Delgado Center for Hematology and Internal Medicine, Clínica Ruiz de Puebla, Puebla, Pue., Mexico Received: April 2014; Accepted: June 2014 Since 1999 we have been studying and treating patients with suspected inherited and/or acquired thrombophilia. Some of them have been referred to us by other specialists, mainly ophthalmologists and neurologists, but interestingly, most of them have come to our clinic referred to by friends or relatives, this being most likely, to our regret, a reflection of the importance that other specialists place on this condition. Diagnosis Inherited thrombophilia is a rather common condition which explains several cases of thrombosis. An inherited thrombophilic condition should be suspected in cases of: Thrombosis in individuals of less than 45 years, thrombosis in unusual sites, thrombosis without other triggering conditions, resistance to antithrombotic treatments, recurrent miscarriages and a family history of thrombosis. Most cases of thrombosis in these persons present themselves when exposed to other acquired thrombophilic conditions, the most frequent ones being estrogen treatment, puerperium and prolonged immobilization. In the vast majority of cases, patients coming to our clinic have been studied incompletely by other physicians and given empirically antiplatelet drugs, anticoagulants or both. Many of these patients have been frightened by their physicians about having a potentially mortal disease at a young age. a) Thrombophilic screening Stemming from our studies of more than 15 years, we have designed 2 thrombophilic screening sets of studies in Mexican patients being studied for thrombophilia. Table 1 shows the salient inherited thrombophilic conditions which we have identified in Mexicans and which were used to design these 2 thrombophilic profiles: 1. Full thrombophilic screening profile: MTHFR C677T gene mutation, investigation of the sticky platelet syndrome, activated protein C resistance aPCR phenotype, factor V Leiden mutation, HR2 haplotype of the factor V gene, anti-phospholipid antibodies, factor II G20210A gene mutation, protein C levels, protein S levels, antithrombin III levels, PNH phenotype in red and white blood cells, JAK-2 V617F gene mutation, and lupus anticoagulant 2. Limited thrombophilic screening profile: MTHFR C677T gene mutation, investigation of the sticky platelet syndrome, aPCR phenotype, and antiphospholipid antibodies. We encourage all patients to have the full laboratory workup done, since the chances of identifying the thrombophilic conditions are above 90%, provided all the workup is done. We reserve the limited profile for patients who are unable to defray the cost of the full workup. Before making the set of studies, we instruct the patients to stop both * Corresponding author: Center for Hematology and Internal Medicine. 3710 8B Sur Street, Z.P. 72530, Puebla, Pue., Mexico. Telephone: 01 (222) 243 8100. Fax: 01 (222) 243 8428. E-mail address: [email protected] (G. J. Ruiz-Argüelles). 144 G. J. Ruiz-Argüelles, G. J. Ruiz-Delgado Table 1 Prevalence of several thrombophilic conditions in both thrombophilic Mexicans mestizos and normal controls. significance. On the other hand, the prevalence of this mutation in the normal population in Mexico is extremely high. Since this mutation may lead into hyperhomocystinemia which may be aggravated by folic acid deficiency, we recommend folic acid, 5 mg/day, indefinitely to individuals displaying this gene mutation and having suffered a thrombotic episode. Thrombophilics Normal controls MTHFR C677T gene mutation 67 78 Sticky platelet syndrome 57 15 Factor V gene HR2 haplotype 21 8 c) Activated PCR aPCR phenotype Activated protein C resistance phenotype 20 2 Anti-phospholipid antibodies 15 3 Factor V gene Leiden mutation 13 0.7 Factor II gene G202010A mutation 11 0 Coagulation protein C deficiency 7 0 Coagulation protein S deficiency 6 0 This condition can be either inherited or acquired. In Mexicans mestizos the acquired forms (antiphospholipid antibodies, increased factor VIII levels) are considerably more frequent. Patients with inherited forms of aPCR who have had a thrombosis probably need an anticoagulant indefinitely. We tend to use the new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) more than vitamin K antagonists and prefer rivaroxaban which is used once a day. Individuals with acquired forms of aPCR need the anticoagulant at least while the laboratory phenomenon is present. Anti-thrombin III deficiency 1 0 Factor V gene Hong Kong mutation 1 0 antiplatelet drugs and/or anticoagulants, and to switch into low molecular weight heparin 5-7 days before drawing the blood samples. Most of the times we identify 2 or more inherited thrombophilic conditions which coexist with another acquired thrombophilic state in order to develop a full blown thrombotic episode. Treatment Once the diagnosis is done, employing the above mentioned studies, we make the following recommendations to the patients: a) Sticky platelet syndrome (SPS) This inherited condition leads into both arterial and venous thrombosis and, until recently, its true importance in medical literature had been neglected. Patients with the SPS rethrombose when given oral anticoagulants; they must be treated with antiplatelet drugs. Aspirin (100 mg/day) is adequately tolerated by more than 90% of patients; the rest are to be given clopidogrel or other antiplatelet drugs. The test to define SPS must be repeated 4 weeks after starting aspirin; if the aggregation profiles normalize it must be kept indefinitely; less than 10% of individuals need other antiplatelet drugs to reverse the platelet hyperaggregability. SPS patients, adequately treated, have a less than 5% chance of re-thrombosing. b) MTHFR C677T gene mutation This genetic condition probably is not, by itself, enough to create thrombophilia, but added to other ones, it may have d) Other inherited conditions Protein S deficiency, protein C deficiency and anti-thrombin III deficiency, all of them very infrequent in Mexicans mestizos, probably need lifelong anticoagulation. Again, we tend to use the NOACs more than vitamin K antagonists and prefer rivaroxaban which is used once a day. NOACs are significantly more expensive than vitamin K antagonists, but in the long turn, needing no laboratory control and being less related to severe hemorrhages, may be a good option. Conclusion With a full laboratory workup, we are now able to identify inherited and acquired thrombophilic conditions in more than 90% of individuals having a clinical marker of thrombophilia. These studies should ideally be done in persons studied and treated by cardiologists, angiologists, gastroenterologists, neurologists, gynecologists, ophthalmologists and other specialists dealing with either arterial or venous thrombosis, in order to properly identify the conditions and prevent future re-thrombotic episodes. Even hematologists still consider these studies and treatments as experimental or non-evidencebased. As a result of studying these conditions in more than 500 Mexicans mestizos, we have been able to define thrombophilic profiles, which could be used to both identify these diseases and define the more adequate treatment.1-16 References 1. Ruiz-Argüelles GJ, González-Estrada S, Garcés-Eisele J, et al. Primary thrombophilia in México: A prospective study. Am J Hematol 1999;60:1-5. 2. Ruiz-Argüelles GJ, Garcés-Eisele J, Reyes-Núñez V, et al. Primary thrombophilia in México II: Factor V G1691A (Leiden), prothrombin G20210A and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism in thrombophilic Mexican mestizos. Am J Hematol 2001;66:28-31. 3. Ruiz-Argüelles GJ, López-Martínez B, Cruz-Cruz D, et al. Primary thrombophilia in México III. A prospective study of the sticky platelet syndrome. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost 2002;8:273-277. How we study and treat patients with suspected thrombophilia 4. Ruiz-Argüelles GJ, Ruiz-Delgado GJ, López-Martínez B. El «síndrome de las plaquetas pegajosas”: Una causa frecuente pero ignorada de trombofilia. Rev Invest Clín Méx 2002;54:394-396. 5. Ruiz-Argüelles GJ, Poblete-Naredo I, Reyes-Núñez V, et al. Primary thrombophilia in México IV: Leiden, Cambridge, Hong Kong, Liverpool and HR2 haplotype polymorphisms in the factor V gene of a group of thrombophilic Mexican Mestizos. Rev Invest Clín Méx 2004;56:600-604. 6. Ruiz-Argüelles GJ, López-Martínez B, Valdés-Tapia P, et al. Primary thrombophilia in México V: A comprehensive prospective study indicates that most cases are multifactorial. Am J Hematol 2005;78:21-26. 7. Ruiz-Argüelles GJ, González-Carrillo ML, Reyes-Núñez V, et al. Trombofilia primaria en México, parte VI: Falta de asociación estadística entre las condiciones trombofílicas heredadas. Gac Méd Méx 2007;143:317-322. 8. Garcés-Eisele J, González-Carrillo ML, Reyes-Núñez V, et al. Primary thrombophilia in México VII: the V617F mutation of JAK2 is not a frequent cause of thrombosis. Hematology 2008;13:244-246. 9. Ruiz-Argüelles GJ, Alarcón-Urdaneta C, Calderón-García J, et al. Primary thrombophilia in México VIII: Description of five kindreds of familial sticky platelet syndrome phenotype. Rev Hematol Méx 2011;12:73-78. 145 10. Ruiz-Argüelles GJ, Garcés-Eisele J, Camacho-Alarcón C, et al. Primary thrombophilia in Mexico IX: The glycoprotein IIIa PLA1/ A2 polymorphism is not associated with the sticky platelet syndrome phenotype. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost 2013;19:689-692. 11. Moncada B, Ruíz-Argüelles GJ, Castillo-Martínez C. The sticky platelet syndrome. Hematology 2013;18:230-232. 12. Velázquez-Sánchez-de-Cima S, Zamora-Ortiz G, Hernández-Reyes J, et al. Primary thrombophilia in México X: A prospective study of the treatment of the sticky platelet syndrome. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost 2013;Sep 19. [Epub ahead of print] 13. Césarman-Maus G, Villa R, Kubisz P, González-Ramírez M, et al. El síndrome de plaquetas pegajosas. Rev Hematol Méx 2013;14:149-153. 14. Ruiz-Argüelles GJ. Comment on sticky platelet syndrome. Semin Thromb Hemost 2014;40:273. 15. Ruiz-Argüelles GJ, Ruiz-Delgado GJ. Trombofilia. En: Ruiz-Argüelles GJ, Ruiz-Delgado GJ (editores). Fundamentos de Hematología. 5ª Edición. México: Editorial Médica Panamericana; 2014. p. 327-336. 16. Kubisz P, Ruiz-Argüelles GJ, Stasko J, et al. Sticky platelet syndrome: History and future perspectives. Semin Thromb Hemost 2014 Jun 9. [Epub ahead of print]. Medicina Universitaria 2014;16(64):146-148 medicina universitaria www.elsevier.com.mx Expert’s corner: a personal approach Managing functional dyspepsia Á. R. Flores-Rendón* Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy Service, Social Security and Services for Government and Municipal Workers of Baja California ISSSTECALI, Mexicali Hospital, Mexicali, B.C., Mexico Received: May 2014; Accepted: May 2014 Functional dyspepsia is a highly prevalent disease worldwide. Its symptoms are manifested as pain (burning or not) in the upper abdomen and early satiety, postprandial fullness, bloating, nausea and belching. For its study and treatment, it is divided into 2 syndromes: epigastric pain, which is meal unrelated, and postprandial distress, which as the name suggests, are meal related symptoms. These 2 syndromes frequently overlap.1 The term functional dyspepsia implies a patient with upper digestive symptoms whose endoscopy reveals a normal stomach and duodenum or with minimum changes, the Rome III criteria diagnoses this disease; nevertheless, recent studies suggest the need to modify the temporality criteria. Categorizing patients into 2 syndromes has therapeutic implications, which are based on pathophysiological mechanisms, considering that patients with epigastric pain may have hypersensitivity or a Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, while patients with postprandial distress may suffer fundic-relaxation or gastric emptying issues. Within the therapeutic approach of functional dyspepsia, there are important pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures, including: Non-pharmacological measures a.Diet We suggest avoiding foods such as: soft drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate, mint, peppermint, garlic, onion, tomato, pepper, gum, spices and citrus, as well as excessive amounts of fruit and vegetables, especially when symptoms suggest problems with gastric emptying. Once the patient improves, these foods should be re-introduced in an orderly fashion to test tolerance. b.Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy It is necessary for a functional dyspepsia diagnosis, yet not for all patients. Indications include: recent onset dyspepsia in people older than 50, weight loss, nocturnal symptoms, and evidence of anemia or digestive hemorrhage. Patients with dyspepsia benefit from the endoscopy, because this has proved to reduce anxiety rates by ruling out cancer or a peptic ulcer. c. Avoid alcohol, tobacco and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) These are unarguably dyspepsia generators and are associated with peptic ulcers. We suggest avoiding them due to their GI toxicity. d.Psychoeducation and psychotherapy Prevalence of depression and especially of anxiety is high in patients with dyspepsia. It is important to detect such diseases and treat them, since these may increase the perception of symptoms. In our experience, symptoms such as nausea are associated independently with anxiety and the * Corresponding author: Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy Service, Social Mexicali Hospital. 1300 Francisco Sarabia Street, Zacatecas, Z.P. 21070, Mexicali, B. C., Mexico. E-mail address: [email protected] (Á. R. Flores-Rendón). Managing functional dyspepsia 147 degree of anxiety is positively correlated with the intensity of the symptoms.2 We strongly recommend the use of tools like the in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale survey (validated in Mexico) as well as the Rome Psychosocial Alarm survey for anxiety and depression detection in patients with dyspepsia. Pharmacological measures Finding pharmacological measures that function better than the placebo is definitely a hard task in functional disorders, because placebos have a very high effect to control dyspepsia, from 30% up to 70%. In case of functional dyspepsia we must remember that we are dealing with 2 diseases instead of just one (epigastric pain and postprandial discomfort), which may coexist. Thus, we must examine patients for the presence of each and every one of the symptoms, which will tell us the pathophysiological aspect involved, and enable us to treat the patient based or their symptoms. Most of the published clinical trials about functional dyspepsia treatment evaluate for both types of dyspepsia; hence, the results must be carefully interpreted. The efficacy of different pharmacological treatments for functional dyspepsia is variable (Table 1). Available pharmacological treatments for dyspepsia: • H. pylori eradication treatment: One of the patient’s biggest fears about dyspepsia is having H. pylori, the patients show a major concern caused by a microorganism, which may have been in their stomachs for a long time already. Eradication treatment has an effectiveness measured as a number needed to treat (NNT) of 14, which in specialty care is not too effective. Nevertheless, a recent clinical trial shows that it is a good strategy in primary care medicine as well as in places of high prevalence like our county. Some patients benefited by this treatment are those who manifest pain. • Anti-secretory drugs: Both type-2 anti-histaminergic pharmaceuticals (i. e. ranitidine) as well as Table 1 Efficacy of pharmacological treatments for functional dyspepsia. Studies Points NNT (95% CI) Tricyclics Treatment 4 167 2 (1.5-5) Prokinetics 17 4,495 5 (3-11) Anti-H2 11 2,164 8 (5-24) PPI 13 5,660 9 (6-19) H. pylori eradication 21 4,331 14 (10-20) NNT: needed to treat; CI: confidence interval; PPI: proton pump inhibitor; H. pylori: Helicobacter pylori. proton pump inhibitors are medications of moderate efficacy with an NNT of 8 and 9, respectively. Patients who may be benefited by the use of these medications are those with burning pain, overlapping with gastroesophageal reflux (frequent in our population, up to 50%). However, it is important to know that the patients who benefit the least are those with postprandial distress, considering that gastric emptying studies have proven that proton pump inhibitor (PPI) reduces solids rate and this could worsen the symptoms. • Prokinetics: These are useful medications in the treatment of postprandial distress syndrome; however researchers in US forget them because its therapeutic dosage approaches the level of dosage which causes adverse effects. Nevertheless, when these are used wisely, it gives dyspepsia patients a major benefit with an NNT of 5. It is important to highlight that there is a considerable amount of prokinetics available in Mexico, but we must chose the one that, in addition to being effective, has an acceptable safety profile. • Antidepressants: Highly effective medications in the treatment of dyspepsia since they work as visceral analgesics. It is important to highlight that the use of these medications is for pain management. However, we must evaluate the presence of subjacent anxiety or depression for their treatment.3 Selective serotonin receptor inhibitors have only proved to have a positive effect over quality of life but not in pain. A recent study showed preliminary results demonstrating that amitriptyline is better than a placebo for dyspepsia management, yet not escitalopram. Tricyclic antidepressants are modulators of the perception of pain; their prescription in the treatment of dyspepsia should follow the concept of “low and slow”: effective dosages in dyspepsia tend to be lower than those for depression and their therapeutic effects tend to be noticed sooner than in depression. This treatment’s effectiveness is proven with an NNT of 2. It is important to consider that before the prescription of a tricyclic, organic diseases must have been ruled out because these medications have been demonstrated to be effective for pain management in general and it could be masking other causes. We must emphasize and consider that if we want to treat anxiety or depression there are other medications with better results, thus my suggestion would be to refer to a specialist for its management and maintain the tricyclic’s minimum effective dosage. Recent studies have demonstrated that amitriptyline can manage pain, as well as nausea4 (regardless of the fact that one of its effects is to delay gastric emptying) and even can be found in the American College of Gastroenterology gastroparesis management guide because of its effect over this problematic symptom. Regarding dyspepsia treatment duration the suggestion is 3 months; however, the use of tricyclic as an option can be considered up to 6 months (there is not a well-established time). 148 Functional dyspepsia is more complex than we think and therapeutic development seems to be stagnant for some years now. Management guidelines are different based on prokinetic availability; always consider H. pylori eradication as a first choice. They suggest subdividing the patient into 2 groups (epigastric pain or postprandial distress); however, it is very frequent that the patient suffers both (up to 50%). Therefore my recommendation is to consider the fact that symptoms are the key to establishing a treatment plan, because they can explain whether the patient is hypersensitive and requires a tricyclic, if the patient has gastric relaxation or emptying issues where a prokinetic would be ideal, or if acid is casual and an anti-secretor would be the best option. Even though we must consider that the best option is probably the combination of 2 or more medications based on the symptoms. Á. R. Flores-Rendón References 1. Tack J, Talley N. Functional dyspepsia-symptoms, definitions and validity of the Rome III criteria. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2013;10:134–141. 2. Flores Rendón AR, Ramos B, Durán Arizaga HJ, et al. The Relation of Anxiety and Digestive Symptoms in Uninvestigated Dyspepsia: A Different Look on Troublesome Symptoms. Gastroenterology 2013;144(suppl1):S683. 3. Mak AD, Wu JC, Chan Y, et al. Dyspepsia is strongly associated with major depression and generalised anxiety disorder - a community study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2012;36:800-810. 4. Braak B, Klooker TK, Wouters MM, et al. Randomised clinical trial: the effects of amitriptyline on drinking capacity and symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia, a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2011;34:638– 648. medicina medicina universitaria universitaria www.elsevier.com.mx www.elsevier.com.mx Standards for authors Manuscripts should be written in line with the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Magazines Publishers (N Engl J Med 1997;336:309-15) and articles should adhere to the following rules: 1. The text should be delivered in printed letter size sheets (21 × 27 cm [8.5 × 11 inches]). Use “Times New Roman” type (title in 14 points size, and text in 12 points size), and use double spacing. Printed sheets must be accompanied by a CD (Compact Disc) with the corresponding text captured, and having a label indicating the following: the title of the article, main author’s name, and computer program used (including the number version). Example: Estrogen in menopause. Guillermo Martinez. Word (6.0). The articles should be preferably in English, nevertheless, Spanish written papers will be accepted, but the author must accept the translation that the Editorial Board determines. 2. Text sections should be sequenced as follows: Title page, Summary (in Spanish), Abstract (in English), Introduction, Materials and methods, Results, Discussion, References, Tables, Illustrations feet. 3. Original articles should be no longer than 30 pages. Presentations of clinical cases should be written in 16 or less pages. Review articles won’t be longer than 30 pages. Finally, the maximal length of the letters to the Editor will be 30 pages. 4. Front page should include full title of the work (in no more than 85 characters), author(s)’ names and their professional credits (including work function in services or departments and institution[s] where they work), and mail address of the main author. If authors serve in various services in the same institution, institution’s name is to be written once below the authors list, with superscript numbers for identi5. For and surname in the left side of the heading of every page, and progressive page number in the right extreme of the heading. 6. All artwork (one color or full color) must be presenslide frame, write by hand the keywords for the artire. When using illustrations previously published, you must add the written consent from the copyright holder. Insted of slides, you may deliver printed copies in 7. Images, drawings and other graphic material must be professionally drawn or elaborated through a computer program in TIFF (300 dpi) format, and attach them and specifying the computer program used. 8. Tables shall be numbered in Arabic characters. Each one must hold a brief, self-documenting title, as well as information of the place and year of the study, when applicable; at the foot of this title, notes should be included to explain uncommon abbreviations. Don’t use horizontal nor vertical lines inside the tables. All tables must be quoted in the body text. The maximal acceptable quantity of tables equals the number of the double-spaced pages divided by two, minus one, excluding front page and references or bibliography. Example: 10 pages text = 4 graphs or tables (as a whole); 16 pages text = 7 graphs or tables. Don’t deliver photos of tables. 9. Kinds of articles: this magazine publishes: original articles on clinical or laboratory research, editorials, Editor accepts items written in English or Spanish. 10. Summary (in Spanish). The second page should include a summary in no more than 250 words. This summary must be structured as follows: objective, material and methods, results and conclusions. Summary should present clearly the purposes, basic procedures, clusions. Below the summary, include 3 to 10 keywords using terms included in the Medical Subject Headings of the latest Index Medicus or based in the terminology vocabulary structured by BIREME in the Descriptors in Health Sciences (DeCS). 11. Abstract (in English). It is a correct English translation of the summary. 12. Body text. Experimental or observational items must include introduction, materials and methods, results and discussion. Other kinds of articles, as cases reports, 1665-5796 © 2014 Revista Medicina Universitaria. Facultad de Medicina UANL. Publicado por Elsevier México. Todos los derechos reservados. Standards for authors review articles and editorials, will include introduction, development and conclusions. 13. Introduction. This is a brief presentation of the purpose of the article. It contains an outline of the rationale used for the study or observation. Mention strictly relevant references, without a comprehensive review of the topic. Do not include here data or conclusions of the work you are presenting. 14. Material and methods. Make a clear description of the method for selecting subjects to be observed or their role in the study or experiments (patients or lab animals, including controls). Identify the methods, equipment (writing the manufacturer name and address in parentheses) and procedures with enough details to allow other researchers to replicate the results. Exmethods, indicating the rationale for using them, and evaluate their limitations. Identify exactly all drugs and chemicals by generic names, dose and routes of administration. Include the ethical aspects of your study (protocol approved by ethics or research commissions or committees, informed consent). Describe the statistical management of data and indicate the statistical package you used. 15. Results. Present them in a logical sequence. Don’t highlight or summariza important observation. 16. Discussion. Compare the results of your study with others already published, expressing consistencies and differences among trials. Emphasize new and important aspects in your research. Don’t repeat detailed data or other information already presented in previous sections. Explain the meaning of the results and their limitations, including implications for future research. Set the link between the conclusions and the goals of the study, and do not make general statements or conclusions without a foundation. Set for 17. References. Number references consecutively, following the order in which they appear in the article (identify quotations in the text through superscript numbers; don’t use parentheses). In texts followed by a punctuation mark (period, comma, colon, semicolon), the quotation numbers will be written after the punctuation mark. For references to the name of the magazine, use abbreviations listed in the Index Medicus, on the January issue published each year. Don’t use the term “personal communication”. On he contrary, the expression “in press” is allowed when it refers to a text already accepted by some magazine. When information comes from a text sent to a magazine, but not accepted yet, it should be quoted as “unpublished observations”. All authors of quoted articles shall be mentioned if they are six or less; however, if the item was written by seven or more authors, relate referred article was published in a supplement, add the text Suppl X between the volume number and the 18. References to magazines shall be ordered as follows: 19. Torres BG, García RE, Robles DG et al. Complicaciones tardías de la diabetes mellitus de origen pancreático. Rev Gastroenterol Mex 1992;57:226-9. 20. References to books or monographs should appear as follows: 21. Hernández RF. Manual de anatomía. 2ª Edición. México: Méndez Cervantes; 1991: 120-9. 22. References to one chapter of a book should include: chapter authors’ name, article name, country of the publishing company, publishing company, year of publication, and relevant pages. 23. Copyright transmission. Every article must have attached a letter signed by all authors, containing the following text: “I/we s transfer all commercial rights to the University Medicine Magazine, that becomes the owner of all materials submitted to them for publication”. This transference will be effective only for works published by the magazine. Material published in the Magazine can’t be reproduced without permission. 24. The University Medicine Magazine has the right to make changes or amendments to the manuscript, for the sake of a better understanding of the article, without changing the contents of the item. 25. All correspondence related to this publication, including works proposed to be published, should be directed to Subdirección de Educación Continua, Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Dr. Eduardo Aguirre Pequeño y Madero s/n, Col. Mitras Centro, C. P. 64460, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Phone numbers: (0181) 8346-1370, 8347-5867 8329-4193; fax: (0181) 8333-6687; Elsevier Editorial System EES http://ees.elsevier.com/rmuanl/ Más del FACULTAD DE MEDICINA DE LA UANL SUBDIRECCIÓN DE EDUCACIÓN CONTINUA CARACTERÍSTICAS PRINCIPALES: REQUISITOS: En base a la discusión de casos clínicos nuestros médicos expertos llevan a cabo una amplia exposición de cada tema pertinente para el ENARM. Copia de título, o carta de pasante o de servicio social (uno de estos tres docuemntos). Copia e CURP (extranjeros pasaporte). Copia de Kárdex completo. 1 Fotografía tamaño infantil a color. Utilización del Sistema de Respuesta Inmediata de la Audiencia (SIRIA) como una herramienta para interactuar continuamente con los asistentes y mejorar su aprendizaje. Incluimos los libros “Fundamentos para el Ejercicio de la Medicina” y el “Cuaderno de Trabajo Fundamentos para el Ejercicio de la Medicina” que contienen más de 200 casos clínicos y 300 temas de salud. Enviar digitalizados estos documentos a: [email protected] PRECIO: Del 1 de septiembre de 2014 al 31 de enero de 2015.................................. $ 18,000.00 1 de febrero al 30 de marzo.............. $ 19,500.00 1 de abril al 31 de mayo.................... $ 20,500.00 Del 1 de junio en adelante................. $ 22,000.00 El temario del curso NO esta basado en el contenido del libro, sino que se complementan. Practica para el ENARM con nuestro “Simulador de Examen de Residencias Médicas (SERM)” a través de nuestro portal de internet: www.meduconuanl.com.mx NO hay reembolso por cancelación. Aplicación de exámenes de evaluación durante el curso. Constancia de asistencia al curso con un valor curricular por más de 200 horas de educación continua. Se incluye el servicio de comida para todos los asistentes al curso, así como servicio de café durante el día. Centro Regional de Información y Documentación en Salud “Dr. Alfredo Piñeyro López” planta baja. Av. Francisco I. Madero y Dr. Eduardo Aguirre Pequeño Col. Mitras Centro Monterrey, N.L. Número de Cuenta Banorte: 0168442120 Clabe interbancaria: 072580001684421206 De nuestros asistentes son seleccionados para realizar su residencia médica.