Malnutrition risk prevalence in hospitalised patients in Castilla-La Mancha: Ten years after the PREDyCES® study.

INTRODUCTION: The PREDyCESR study showed ten years ago that malnutrition is a highly prevalent problem at the hospital level. In the present study we investigate the prevalence of malnutrition in hospitals of Castilla La Mancha and its relationship with complications, mortality and length of hospital stay. METHODS: 433 patients (236 men and 197 women), from 4 hospitals were included and randomised within the first 48 h of admission. Nutritional risk was assessed using the NRS-2002 screening test. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 71.3 ±â€¯0.9 years (alpha-trimmed mean ±â€¯insorized standard deviation). Their mean weight was 72.3 ±â€¯0.8 kg and BMI 26.8 ±â€¯0.3 kg/m2. The mean length of hospital stay was 7.2 ±â€¯0.3 days. Of the 433 study patients, 19.4% were defined as 'at-risk' by NRS-2002 > 3. Of the patients at risk, 39.3% received nutritional support. Patients at nutritional risk had an increased length of hospital stay (9.6 vs 6.8 days; p = 0.012) and had more complications and/or higher mortality (40.5% of complications and/or mortality vs 16.4%; p < 0.005). The OR of having a complication and/or death was 3.93 (95% CI: 2.36-6.5); p < 0.005. Regarding the results obtained in the PREDyCES® study, no significant differences were found in the prevalence of nutritional risk at patients' admission (19.4% vs 23%; p = 0.12). CONCLUSIONS: The nutritional risk at hospital admission continues to be high. Patients at nutritional risk have more complications, higher mortality and an increased length of hospital stay.

Seguimiento y características clínicas de los pacientes con nódulos tiroideos en nuestra práctica clínica antes de 2015 / Follow-up and clinical characteristics of patients with thyroid nodules in our clinical practice before 2015

INTRODUCCIÓN: Los nódulos tiroideos son una consulta muy prevalente en Endocrinología. Las guías de la Asociación Americana de Tiroides (2015) animaban a realizar estudios a largo plazo. El objetivo de este estudio fue revisar las características, el seguimiento y la evolución de los nódulos de tiroides seguidos en nuestras consultas hasta 2015. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio retrospectivo de pacientes con al menos dos ecografías o cirugía. Los datos clínicos, ecográficos y de punción, así como la evolución y los resultados histológicos de aquellos operados, se analizaron con métodos descriptivos, bivariados y de regresión. RESULTADOS: 1.420 pacientes seguidos en Endocrinología a largo plazo fueron incluidos. 20 se excluyeron por tener una sola ecografía. El 71,2% presentaban normofunción, 9,6% hipertiroidismo subclínico, 9,5% hipotiroidismo subclínico, 5,7% hipotiroidismo clínico y 4% hipertiroidismo clínico. Del total de nódulos seguidos (n= 1400), 64,1%, 15,6% y 20,3% permanecieron estables, aumentaron y disminuyeron respectivamente. Los que crecieron no tuvieron más características sospechosas en las ecografías. De los intervenidos (457 casos (32,6% del total), 207 fueron malignos (45,2%). 57% de ellos fueron diagnosticados e intervenidos durante el primer año, en la primera evaluación. La aparición de nódulos malignos en el resto de pacientes fue de 89 casos (6,3% de todos los nódulos seguidos, 38,3% de ellos, incidentalomas). La ecografía y la citología empleadas antes de la homogenización de los criterios diagnósticos tuvieron una baja sensibilidad y especificidad en nuestro medio. CONCLUSIONES: Más de la mitad de los cánceres de tiroides fueron diagnosticados en la evaluación inicial del nódulo tiroideo. Más de la mitad de los nódulos no operados en el primer año mantienen el mismo tamaño a largo plazo. No encontramos predictores clínicos del aumento de tamaño. El valor diagnóstico de la ecografía y PAAF sin unos criterios estandarizados homogéneos es bajo.

INTRODUCTION: Thyroid nodules are a very prevalent consultation in endocrinology. Guidelines from the American Thyroid Association (2015) encouraged to conduct follow-up studies in the long term. This study object was to review the clinical characteristics, follow-up and evolution of thyroid nodules visited in our consultations till 2015. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of patients that had at least two thyroid ultrasounds or had been operated. Clinical, ultrasound and FNA (fine needle aspiration) data as well as the evolution and histology results of those operated, were analyzed with descriptive, bivariated and regression analyses. RESULTS: 1.420 patients followed in Endocrinology in the long term were included. 20 were excluded for having only one ecography. 71,2% had normal function, 9,6% subclinical hyperthyroidism, 9,5% subclinical hypothyroidism, 5,7% clinical hypothyroidism and 4% clinical hyperthyroidism. Of all the nodules followed (n=1400), 64,1%, 15,6% and 20,3% remained the same size, grew and decreased respectively. Nodules that grew didn´t have more suspicious sonographic characteristics. Of the operated nodules (457 cases (32,6% of all), 207 were cáncer (45,2%). 57% of them were diagnosed and intervened during the first year, in the first evaluation. Malignant nodules were detected in the rest of patients in 89 cases (6,3% of all the followed nodules, 38,3% of them were incidental cases). The ultrasound and citology diagnoses used before the homogenization of diagnoses criteria had a low senitivity and specificity in our clinical environment. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the thyroid cancers were diagnosed in the initial evaluation of the thyroid nodule. More than half of nodules non operated in the first year remained the same size long term. We could not find clinical predictors of growth. The diagnostic value of the ultrasound and FNA is low without standardized and homogenous criteria.