Valor de la Escala de Rockall en la predicción de la mortalidad de la Hemorragia digestiva alta / Value of the Rockall score in predicting mortality from Upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Introducción: La hemorragia digestiva alta (HDA) presenta una incidencia mundial entre 50 y 140 pacientes por cada 100 000 habitantes al año; la mortalidad varía de un país a otro, pero en Cuba en las últimas décadas oscila entre 4 y 10 por ciento en los de origen no varicoso y alcanza 30 por ciento en los casos asociados a hipertensión portal. Objetivo: Evaluar la utilidad de la Escala de Rockall en la estratificación del riesgo de mortalidad en pacientes con sangrado digestivo alto. Material y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio longitudinal y prospectivo en los pacientes que ingresaron en el Hospital Militar Central Dr. Carlos J. Finlay con diagnóstico de sangrado digestivo alto durante el período comprendido entre noviembre de 2012 y marzo de 2016, a quienes se les aplicó la Escala de Rockall para determinar la capacidad predictiva de la misma con la mortalidad. Resultados: Se estudiaron 394 enfermos de los cuales fallecieron 48 (12,19 por ciento), al estratificar los pacientes en grupos de riesgo según la Escala de Rockall se encontró que la mayor cantidad pertenecía al grupo de alto riesgo donde se encontraban todos los fallecidos del estudio. Al aplicar la curva de COR (Característica Operativa del Receptor) se obtuvo un área bajo la curva de 0,888 lo cual constituye una buena habilidad predictiva para mortalidad. Conclusiones: la Escala de Rockall es útil para predecir la mortalidad en la evolución de enfermos con SDA(AU)

Introduction: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGB) has a worldwide incidence between 50 and 140 patients for every 100 000 inhabitants a year; the mortality varies from a country to another, but during the last decades in Cuba, it fluctuates between 4 and 10 percent in those of non-varicose origin and reaches 30 pèrcent in cases associated with portal hypertension. Objective: To evaluate the utility of the Rockall score in the risk stratification for mortality in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Material and Methods: A longitudinal prospective study was conducted in patients that came to Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Central Military Hospital with the diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal bleeding from November 2012 to March 2016, to whom the Rockall score was applied to determine its predictive capacity of estimating mortality. Results: 394 patients were studied; 48 of them died (12,19 percent). When stratifying the patients in risk groups according to Rockall score it was found that the greatest quantity belonged to the high risk group, which also included all the deceased during the study period. When applying the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC) an area under the curve of 0,888 was obtained, which constitutes a good predictive ability for mortality. Conclusions: The Rockall score can be used to predict mortality in upper gastrointestinal bleeding during the evolution of patients suffering from it(AU)

Motorcycle related cranio-maxillofacial injuries at a tertiary hospital in the Philippines

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>OBJECTIVE:</strong> To describe the type and determine the number of motorcycle related cranio-maxillofacial injuries that were seen by the ORL service in the emergency room of a tertiary hospital from January 2013 to December 2013.<br /><strong>METHODS: </strong> <br /><strong>Design:</strong> Cross sectional retrospective chart review<br /><strong>Setting:</strong> Tertiary National University Hospital<br /><strong>Participants:</strong> One hundred nine (109) charts of patients seen atr the emergency room from Jnuary 2013 to December 2013 were reviewed<br /><strong>RESULTS:</strong> Of the 109 charts of patients involved in vehicular accidents, there were 76 documented cases of motorcycle related accidents. Of these, 91% involved males and 9% involved females. Seventy one percent (71%) did not wear helmets of whom 36% were young adult males between the ages of 18-30 years. Those that wore helmets had a total of 27 different facial fracture sites: 19% zygomatic tripod fractures, 15% temporal bone fractures and 11% with no fractures noted. Among those who did not wear helmets 75 fractures were noted. Twenty four percent (24%) were tripod fractures, 15% temporal bone fractures and 12% maxillary fractures. only one did not incur any fractures.<br /><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> Most cranio-maxillofacial fractures seen at the emergency room were from motorcycle related injuries (70%). Despite implementation of Republic Act 10054 (The Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009) majority of motorcycle-related accidents are still incurred by riders without helmets.</p>

Prevalence of early laryngeal cancer and benign vocal cord pathology among patients undergoing videostroboscopy in Philippine General Hospital from 2008 to 2010

OBJECTIVE: To determine the types and prevalences of laryngeal pathology among patients undergoing videostroboscopy in the Philippine General Hospital. METHODS: A systematic review of videostroboscopy records patients from January 2008 to December 2010 was perform Demographic data, risk factors, diagnosis and their associat were determined. RESULTS: The following vocal cord pathologies were recorded the 507 subjects who underwent videostroboscopy during assessed time period: vocal cord nodules (17.4%) laryngopharygeal reflux (16.6%), vocal cord paralysis (12.8%) cyst (10.5%), polyp (8%) and laryngeal cancer (6%). Vocal cord nodules were found to be more common among professic voice users (odds ratio = 2.8). Risk factors found to be associated with cancer development include age, gender (male, odds ratio 19.8) and smoking history (odds ratio = 12.7). CONCLUSION: The most common laryngeal pathology among patients undergoing videostroboscopy is vocal cord nodules. One out of 20 patients who underwent the procedure was given a diagnosis of laryngeal cancer.

Algunas reflexiones sobre aspectos éticos relacionados con los modelos de responsabilidad moral en la práctica de la cirugía general / Some reflections on ethical aspects related to the models of moral responsibility in the practice of general surgery

Se realizó un ensayo crítico de forma prospectiva con carácter social en el cual participaron los cirujanos del Hospital Militar Central “Dr Carlos J Finlay” mediante 2 encuestas con situaciones problemáticas que reflejan los modelos de responsabilidad moral en cirugía. De los encuestados, 80 por ciento mostró desconocimiento en el control ético de las situaciones presentadas, obviando los modelos de autonomía y beneficencia para su análisis. Solo 20 por ciento mostró un pensamiento ético adecuado de las situaciones presentadas. Se pudo comprobar que la mayoría basan su toma de decisión solo en sus conocimientos médicos, no existiendo uniformidad de criterios en el control ético de las diferentes situaciones tratadas por los cirujanos que participaron en el estudio

Bacterial contamination of anterior chamber during IOL surgery.

PURPOSE: To study the nature and frequency of bacterial contamination during cataract surgery. METHODS: The preoperative smears from the conjunctiva and anterior chamber (AC) fluid aspirates during extra-capsular cataract surgery (ECCE) with posterior chamber intraocular lens (PCIOL) implantation in 40 eyes were analysed for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Any change in the bacterial strains isolated before and after cataract surgery was also studied. RESULTS: AC fluid aspirates were positive for bacteria in 15 eyes (37.5%). Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the most common aerobe (39.4%) and Propionibacterium acnes the most common anaerobe. Of the 15 cases with positive AC fluid cultures, 6 showed an organism in the AC aspirate different from the conjunctival smear. CONCLUSION: Clinically there was no endophthalmitis in any of the eyes. Factors such as preoperative antibiotic use, the antibacterial properties of aqueous, or low inoculum size could explain this. The preoperative conjunctival smear may not be useful in predicting the AC fluid contamination or outcome of cataract surgery.