Alcoholización de nervios intercostales en el postoperatorio de la cirugía torácica / Alcoholization of the Intercostal Nerves on the Postoperative Period of Thoracic Surgery

Introducción: La cirugía torácica figura entre los procedimientos quirúrgicos más dolorosos. Objetivo: Describir los resultados de la alcoholización de nervios intercostales para analgesia postoperatoria. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio prospectivo, observacional y descriptivo de pacientes tratados quirúrgicamente por afecciones torácicas durante 2018-2019. La muestra incluyó 50 pacientes que cumplieron los criterios de inclusión: operados por el autor principal, mayores de 18 años, acceso intercostal y firmaron el consentimiento informado. Se excluyeron los operados por otros cirujanos o presentaron afectación de la pared torácica. La intensidad del dolor se categorizó en cuatro grupos: leve, moderado, intenso e insoportable, según escala análogo visual. Resultados: Durante la primera noche, predominaron el dolor leve (25/50 por ciento) y moderado (9/18 por ciento). El dolor intenso se presentó en dos (4 por ciento) pacientes y 14(28 por ciento) no necesitaron medicación adicional. Al día siguiente no hubo casos con dolor intenso y solo 9 acusaron dolor moderado. La analgesia peridural solo se utilizó la primera noche y al siguiente día. La tendencia a disminuir el dolor se mantuvo al segundo y tercer día. No hubo casos con dolor insoportable. A largo plazo solo un paciente presentó dolor intenso que necesitó tratamiento con bloqueos. Conclusiones: La alcoholización disminuyó el uso adicional de analgésicos. No hubo complicaciones ni dolor insoportable, por lo que consideramos que este método podría ser una alternativa segura, sobre todo cuando no se dispone de fármacos costosos o personal entrenado en las técnicas modernas de analgesia postoperatoria(AU)

Introduction: Thoracic surgery is among the most painful surgical procedures. Objective: To describe the outcomes of the alcoholization of the intercostal nerves for postoperative analgesia. Methods: A prospective, observational and descriptive study was carried out, with patients treated surgically for thoracic conditions during 2018-2019. The sample included fifty patients who met the inclusion criteria: operated by the corresponding author, older than eighteen years, intercostal access and patients who signed the informed consent. Those operated on by other surgeons or who had chest wall involvement were excluded. Pain intensity was categorized into four groups: mild, moderate, intense and unbearable, according to the analog-visual scale. Results: During the first night, mild (25: 50 percent) and moderate (9: 18 percent) pain predominated. Severe pain occurred in two (4 percent) patients, while 14 (28 percent) did not require any additional medication. The next day, there were no cases of severe pain and only nine reported moderate pain. Epidural analgesia was only used the first night and the next day. The tendency to decrease in pain was maintained on the second and third days. There were no cases with unbearable pain. In the long term, only one patient had severe pain and required, therefore, treatment with blocks. Conclusions: Alcoholization decreased the additional use of analgesics. There were no complications or unbearable pain, a reason why we consider that this method could be a safe alternative, especially when expensive drugs or personnel trained in modern postoperative analgesia techniques are not available(AU)

Preliminary study of the prevalence of hypotrophy and fetal alcohol syndrome in Antananarivo, Madagascar

Background: Hypotrophy is a major contributor to neonatal mortality and morbidity in underdeveloped countries. In Madagascar, efforts have been made to improve this situation, particularly with regard to prevention and early treatment. This prevention is mainly focused on the search for determining factors. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is not yet mentioned in Madagascar although more than 9% of Tananarivian women drink alcohol. A study was conducted in our department to determine the relationship between maternal alcohol intake and hypotrophy.Methods: The prospective study was carried out in the pediatrics department of the Joseph Raseta Befelatanana University Hospital Centre, on hospitalized hypotrophic newborns (below the 10th percentile) over a period of 3 months from December 1, 2018 to February 31, 2019. In the newborn, authors studied facial features, neurological abnormalities and associated malformations. For the mother, alcohol consumption, pregnancy information was analyzed. The character of FAS could thus be classified.Results: Author counted 21 hypotrophs among the 128 newborns hospitalized during this period. The facial abnormalities observed were: upper lip thickness abnormality (9.5%) and retrognathism (4.7%). Neurological signs described were: difficulty sucking (76.1%), hypotonia (66.6%), restlessness (9.5%), hyper-responsiveness (9.5%), hypertonia (9.5%) and tremor (4.7%). Two organ malformations (9.5%) were seen: cardiac and biliary tract malformations. Only one mother (4.7%) admitted having taken alcohol during pregnancy. Seven cases of familial alcoholism were reported. At the end of this study, we were able to identify only one case of doubtful FAS (4.7%), 2 cases of suspected FAS (9.5%) and 1 case of confirmed FAS (4.7%).Conclusions: This syndrome remains under-diagnosed in Madagascar due to the lack of staff training on FAS and the non-systematization of the search for its signs during systematic visits.

Alcoolização de nódulo tiroidiano em região endêmica de bócio colóide / Alcoholization in the treatment of thyroid nodule in colloid goiter endemic region

A doença nodular tiroidiana é problema clínico comum, principalmente em regiões com carência de iodo. Esse estudo avaliou a eficácia da injeção percutânea de etanol (IPE) no tratamento de nódulos tiroidianos únicos, múltiplos, sólidos, císticos, de diferentes tamanhos com ou sem disfunção glandular, em região endêmica de bócio. Quarenta e dois pacientes com diagnóstico de bócio colóide ou hiperplasia nodular colóide, na punção biópsia aspirativa por agulha fina (PBAAF), foram selecionados para análise após terem sido submetidos a pelo menos duas IPEs. Os nódulos tiroidianos eram múltiplos (sólidos e ou císticos) em 52,4 por cento dos pacientes, únicos e sólidos ou mistos em 35,7 por cento e únicos e císticos em 11,9 por cento. A redução média dos nódulos após injeção de etanol foi de 58,2 por cento para os únicos e 60,8 por cento nos císticos. Nos nódulos múltiplos, avaliou-se a redução de todo o lobo tiroidiano, alcançando 52,4 por cento de redução. Os efeitos colaterais registrados foram decorrentes apenas do desconforto na aplicação. Este estudo indica que a injeção percutânea de etanol (IPE), alcançando reduções médias de volume que variam de 49 a 60 por cento, é método seguro, eficaz e simples para o tratamento de nódulos tiroidianos benignos.

Thyroid nodular disease is a common clinical disorder mainly in iodine lacking regions. This study has evaluated the effectiveness of percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the treatment of single, multiple, solid, and cystic thyroid nodules of different sizes with or without glandular dysfunction, in goiter endemic region. Forty-two patients with diagnosis of colloid goiter or colloid nodular hyperplasia in fine-needle aspiration (FNA) were selected for analysis, after having been submitted to at least two PEI. Thyroid nodules were multiple (solid and or cystic) in 52.4 percent of the patients, single and solid or mixed in 35.7 percent, and single and cystic in 11.9 percent. The mean reduction of nodules after ethanol injection was of 58.2 percent in the single and of 60.8 percent in the cystic ones. The reduction of the whole thyroid lobe was evaluated in the multiple nodules and it reached 52.4 percent. The side-effects were registered only as a consequence of the application discomfort. This study points out that the percutaneous ethanol injection reaching volume mean reductions, varying from 49 percent to 60 percent, is a safe, effective, and simple method for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules.