Anemia grave en un paciente con infección por el virus de inmunodeficiencia humana / Severe anemia in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus infection

La anemia es relativamente frecuente en pacientes con infección avanzada por VIH. La aplasia pura de la serie roja (APSR) asociada a la infección por Parvovirus B19 (PVB19) se caracteriza por la ausencia de precursores eritroides en la médula ósea que produce anemia grave normocítica, normocrómica, con un bajo recuento de reticulocitos. Este artículo describe un paciente con infección por VIH con inmunosupresión grave y en fracaso virológico que desarrolló APSR asociada a PV B19.

Severe anemia is quite frequently seen in HIV infected patient with advanced disease. Pure red cell aplasia associated to Parvovirus B19 (PVB 19) infection is characterized by the absence of erythroid precursors in the bone marrow resulting in severe normocytic-normochromic anemia with a low reticulocyte count. This article reports a patient with advanced HIV and virological failure, who developed pure red cell aplasia associated to PVB19.

Infecciones en pacientes hospitalizados por cirrosis / Infections in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis

Evaluamos la prevalecencia y relevancia clínica de las infecciones bacterianas y no bacterianas en pacientes cirróticos predominantemente alcohólicos internados en un hospital de mediana complejidad, y comparamos las características clínicas, de laboratorio y la evolución de pacientes con y sin infección bacteriana en un estudio prospectivo de cohorte. Se incluyeron 211 internaciones consecutivas de 132 pacientes con diagnóstico de cirrosis, de abril 2004 a julio 2007. El promedio de edad (±DS) fue 51.8 (±8) años, 112 fueron hombres (84.8%); etiología alcohólica 95.4%. Se diagnosticaron 129 episodios de infecciones bacterianas en 99/211 (46.9%) internaciones, adquiridos en la comunidad 79 (61.2%) y 50 (38.8%) intrahospitalarios: peritonitis bacteriana espontánea (23.3%); infección urinaria (21.7%); neumonías (17.8%); infecciones de piel y partes blandas (17.1%); sepsis por bacteriemia espontánea (7.7%); otras infecciones bacterianas (12.4%). El 52.2% fueron por gérmenes gram-positivos. Hubo ocho casos de tuberculosis e infecciones graves por hongos y parásitos. La prevalecencia de tuberculosis fue del 6% con una mortalidad anual de 62.5%. El 28.1% (9/32) de los exámenes coproparasitológicos tuvieron Strongyloides stercolaris. La mortalidad hospitalaria fue mayor en los pacientes con infección bacteriana (32.4% vs. 13.2%; p=0.02). Fueron identificados como predictores independientes de mortalidad: las infecciones bacterianas, el score de Child-Pügh y creatininemia > 1.5 mg/dl. En el análisis multivariado fueron factores independientes asociados a infección bacteriana la leucocitosis y la encefalopatía hepática grado III/IV. Este estudio confirma que las infecciones bacterianas y no bacterianas son una complicación frecuente y grave en pacientes cirróticos internados, con un aumento de la mortalidad hospitalaria.

We evaluated the prevalence and the clinical relevance of bacterial and nonbacterial infections in predominantly alcoholic cirrhotic patients, admitted to an intermediate complexity hospital, and we also compared the clinical characteristics, laboratory and evolution of these patients with and without bacterial infection in a prospective study of cohort. A total of 211 consecutive admissions in 132 cirrhotic patients, between April 2004 and July 2007, were included. The mean age was 51.8 (±8) years, being 84.8% male. The alcoholic etiology of cirrhosis was present in 95.4%. One hundred and twenty nine episodes of bacterial infections were diagnosed in 99/211 (46.9%) admissions, community- acquired in 79 (61.2%) and hospital-acquired in 50 (38.8%): spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (23.3%); urinary tract infection (21.7%); pneumonia (17.8%); infection of the skin and soft parts (17.1%), sepsis by spontaneous bacteremia (7.7%); other bacterial infections (12.4%). Gram-positive organisms were responsible for 52.2% of total bacterial infections documented cases. There were eight serious cases of tuberculosis, fungal and parasitic infections; the prevalence of tuberculosis was 6% with an annual mortality of 62.5%; 28.1% (9/32) of the coproparasitological examination had Strongyloides stercolaris. The in-hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients with bacterial infection than in non-infected patients (32.4% vs. 13.2%; p=0.02). The independent factors associated with mortality were bacterial infections, the score of Child-Pügh and creatininemia > 1.5 mg/dl. By the multivariate analysis, leukocytosis and hepatic encephalopathy degree III/IV were independent factors associated to bacterial infection. This study confirms that bacterial and nonbacterial infections are a frequent and severe complication in hospitalized cirrhotic patients, with an increase of in-hospital mortality.

Insuficiencia renal en pacientes con cirrosis y ascitis: incidencia, etiología y factores predictivos / Renal failure in patients with cirrhosis and ascites: incidence, etiology and predictive factors

BACKGROUND: renal insufficiency (RI) is a frequent complication in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. OBJECTIVE: to assess the incidence, causes, predictive factors and prognosis of RI in cirrhotic patients with ascites. PATIENT AND METHODS: descriptive study of cases and controls. Clinical histories of 162 admissions in 103 patients during 3 years were reviewed. It was considered RI when there was an increase of creatininemia > 1.5 mg/dl. The predictive factors, clinical features, and mortality of the patients with and without RI were compared. RESULTS: a diagnosis of RI was made in 35 cases (21.6%). Hospital mortality rate was 18.5%: with RI 57.1%, controls 7.8% (p<0.01). Etiology: reversible prerrenal failure (54.3%), SHR 1 (14.2%) and 2 (5.7%), septic shock by spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) (11.4%), NTA (8.5%). The patients with and without RI had a Child-Pügh score average (+/-DS): 12.8 (1.8) and 11.4 (1.9) (p=0.0002) respectively. The patients with RI had higher values of total bilirubin, AST, ALT, white blood cells, time prothrombin, and minors values of serum sodium, Hto, Hb, protein, albumin and cholinesterase that controls (p<0.05). The clinical variables associated with RI included infections (OR 1.4), SBP (OR 4) and hepatic encephalopathy (OR 2.4). In the multivariate analysis, the independent predictive factors for RI were hyponatremia, bilirubinemia greater to 10 mg/dl and SPB. CONCLUSION: in cirrhotic patients RI have high mortality. The most frequent cause was reversible prerrenal failure. The risk of RI was increased significantly in patients with hyponatremia, marked hyperbilirubinemia and SPB.

Background: renal insufficiency (RI) is a frequent complication in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. Objective: to assess the incidence, causes, predictive factors and prognosis of RI in cirrhotic patients with ascites. Patient and methods: descriptive study of cases andcontrols. Clinical histories of 162 admissions in 103 patients during 3 years were reviewed. It was consideredRI when there was an increase of creatininemia > 1,5 mg/dl. The predictive factors, clinical features, andmortality of the patients with and without RI were compared. Results: a diagnosis of RI was made in 35 cases (21.6%). Hospital mortality rate was 18.5%: with RI 57.1%, controls 7.8% (p< 0.01). Etiology: reversible prerrenal failure (54.3%), SHR 1 (14.2%) and 2 (5.7%), septic shock by spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) (11.4%), NTA (8.5%). The patientswith and without RI had a Child-Pügh score average (± DS): 12.8 (1.8) and 11,4 (1.9) (p=0.0002) respectively.The patients with RI had higher values of total bilirubin, AST, ALT, white blood cells, time prothrombin, and minors values of serum sodium, Hto, Hb, protein,albumin and cholinesterase that controls (p<0.05). The clinical variables associated with RI included infections (OR 1.4), SBP (OR 4) and hepatic encephalopathy (OR 2.4). In the multivariate analysis, the independent predictive factors for RI were hyponatremia, bilirubinemia greater to 10 mg/dl and SPB. Conclusion: in cirrhotic patients RI have high mortality.The most frequent cause was reversible prerrenal failure. The risk of RI was increased significantly in patients with hyponatremia, marked yperbilirubinemiaand SPB.

Fiebre de origen desconocido en pacientes infectados con el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana / Fever of unknown origin in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

La fiebre de origen desconocido (FOD) es frecuente en pacientes infectados por el HIV. Existen numerosas causas que pueden originar FOD y su frecuencia relativa depende de múltiples factores. Usualmente se debe de una infección oportunista agregada. La evaluación diagnóstica depende de la presentación clínica y del estadio de la infección por HIV. Existe una asociación entre el recuerdo de linfocitos CD4 y ciertas enfermedades oportunistas que pueden originar FOD. El área geográfica y la prevalencia local de infecciones endémicas es un factor importante. Las infecciones de distribución mundial como la tuberculosis siempre deben ser consideradas y otras como la histoplasmosis diseminada son causa frecuente de FOD en áreas endémicas como la Argentina. La mayor utilidad diagnóstica se obtiene con los cultivos de esputo y hemocultivos para microbacterias, y entre los métodos invasivos con cultivos a partir de la aspiración/biopsia de ganglio linfático, la biopsia de médula ósea y la biopsia hepática. La eficacia del tratamiento empírico ha sido documentada en ciertas infecciones.