Surface electrical stimulation of the auditory cortex preserves efferent medial olivocochlear neurons and reduces cochlear traits of age-related hearing loss.

The auditory cortex is the source of descending connections providing contextual feedback for auditory signal processing at almost all levels of the lemniscal auditory pathway. Such feedback is essential for cognitive processing. It is likely that corticofugal pathways are degraded with aging, becoming important players in age-related hearing loss and, by extension, in cognitive decline. We are testing the hypothesis that surface, epidural stimulation of the auditory cortex during aging may regulate the activity of corticofugal pathways, resulting in modulation of central and peripheral traits of auditory aging. Increased auditory thresholds during ongoing age-related hearing loss in the rat are attenuated after two weeks of epidural stimulation with direct current applied to the surface of the auditory cortex for two weeks in alternate days (Fernández del Campo et al., 2024). Here we report that the same cortical electrical stimulation protocol induces structural and cytochemical changes in the aging cochlea and auditory brainstem, which may underlie recovery of age-degraded auditory sensitivity. Specifically, we found that in 18 month-old rats after two weeks of cortical electrical stimulation there is, relative to age-matched non-stimulated rats: a) a larger number of choline acetyltransferase immunoreactive neuronal cell body profiles in the ventral nucleus of the trapezoid body, originating the medial olivocochlear system.; b) a reduction of age-related dystrophic changes in the stria vascularis; c) diminished immunoreactivity for the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFα in the stria vascularis and spiral ligament. d) diminished immunoreactivity for Iba1 and changes in the morphology of Iba1 immunoreactive cells in the lateral wall, suggesting reduced activation of macrophage/microglia; d) Increased immunoreactivity levels for calretinin in spiral ganglion neurons, suggesting excitability modulation by corticofugal stimulation. Altogether, these findings support that non-invasive neuromodulation of the auditory cortex during aging preserves the cochlear efferent system and ameliorates cochlear aging traits, including stria vascularis dystrophy, dysregulated inflammation and altered excitability in primary auditory neurons.

Anesthetic management of a combined heart and liver transplantation in an amyloidotic patient: a case report.

Few cases of combined heart and liver transplantation (CHLT) have been reported for familial amyloidosis. Our first CHLT was performed on a female patient with familial amyloidosis due to a genetic defect in transthyretin, characterized by deposition of amyloid in various organs and tissues. This disease produced autonomic heart dysfunction that preceded the development of clinical manifestations and may be an important factor in determining the optimal timing for liver transplantation. CHLT can be performed successfully, even in patients with advanced disease. However, the most compromised patients are more exposed to intraoperative risks, postoperative complications, and worsening of extracardiac and extrahepatic symptoms. Our patient presented severe cardiac dysfunction requiring CHLT. The operative technique is far from being consolidated, despite this, both organs were transplanted in the same day with 2 hours in the intensive care unit (ICU) between surgeries. The outcome of both organs has been favorable. The amyloidotic liver was transplanted to another patient, a sequential (domino) transplantation.

Mujer con osteoporosis con dolor en región ilíaca / Woman with osteoporosis and pain in the iliac region

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[Diagnostic consistency between primary care and specialized care following emergency consultation]. / Concordancia diagnóstica entre atención primaria y atención especializada tras consulta urgente.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic concordance between primary health-care level and hospital health-care level after emergency visits. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Health-care area 7 in Madrid. PARTICIPANTS: Any patient studied in the primary health-care level and further sent by referral request to the emergencies of the health-care area reference hospital. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The sample size was estimated according to a confidence level of 95%, a precision level of 5%, a concordance level of 50% and a 30% of referral requests without diagnosis. All diagnosis were codified by the ICD-9 CM. Single kappa index for each diagnosis and global kappa index were calculated. 559 patients were studied. 447 (80%) of the patients were referred with diagnosis and 112 (20%) without it. Kappa index was very high (> or = 0.8) for the following diagnosis: angina pectoris, and urticaria. Kappa index was high (0.6 > or = k < 0.8) for stroke, and deep venous thrombosis. It was moderate (0.4 > or = k < 0.6) for pneumonia, heart failure and heart attack. Kappa index was low (0.2 > or = k < 0.4) for appendicitis, and arthritis, and it was very low (< 0.2) for meningitis, and cellulitis. Global kappa index was 0.65 (95% CI, 0.58-0.72). CONCLUSIONS: Global concordance was high. The highest concordance was obtained for diseases with clinical diagnosis. Most of diseases with low and very low concordance are diseases that need specialized clinical tests.

Concordancia diagnóstica entre atención primaria y atención especializada tras consulta urgente / Diagnostic concordance between primary and specialist care after urgent consultations

Objetivo. Evaluar la concordancia diagnóstica entre los medios intra y extrahospitalario tras consulta urgente. Diseño. Estudio descriptivo transversal. Emplazamiento. Área Sanitaria 7. Madrid. Pacientes. Cualquier paciente que hubiera consultado de forma urgente en atención primaria y hubiera sido remitido a urgencias del hospital de referencia. Mediciones y resultados principales. Se hizo una estimación muestral teniendo en cuenta una proporción de acuerdo esperado del 50 por ciento, una confianza del 95 por ciento, una precisión del 5 por ciento y una ausencia de diagnóstico en los partes de interconsulta del 30 por ciento. Se estimaron necesarios 551 casos. Se revisaron las historias clínicas del servicio de urgencias del hospital. Se codificaron los diagnósticos intra y extrahospitalarios según la clasificación internacional de enfermedades (CIE-9 MC). Se halló el índice kappa de concordancia entre diagnósticos individuales y el índice kappa global. Se revisaron los diagnósticos intra y extrahospitalarios de 559 pacientes. En 112 (20 por ciento) no se especificaba el diagnóstico extrahospitalario. El índice kappa fue muy alto (kappa >= 0,8) para la angina de pecho y urticaria. El índice kappafue alto (0,6 >= k = k = k < 0,4) para apendicitis y artritis, y muy bajo (k < 0,2) para meningitis y celulitis. El coeficiente kappa global para todos los diagnósticos fue de 0,65 (IC del 95 por ciento, 0,58-0,72). Conclusiones. La concordancia global fue alta. La concordancia más elevada se obtuvo para procesos con diagnóstico fundamentalmente clínico, y la más baja para enfermedades que requieren exploraciones complementarias especializadas (AU)

[Ischemic colitis: a descriptive analysis in a Madrid hospital]. / Colitis isquémica: análisis descriptivo en un hospital madrileño.

BACKGROUND: Ischaemic colitis represents the most common form of intestinal ischaemia and involves more commonly elderly patients with a variety of underlying conditions. This study analyses the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of the disease in our environment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The IC cases occurred at our institution during the last two years were studied. Twenty-eight cases of IC obtained by reviewing colonoscopy and pathological records were analyzed. RESULTS: The non-occlusive type is the most common presentation form of IC. It affected elderly patients (74 +/- 10 years) with cardiovascular risk factors. Most cases manifested with abdominal pain (68%). In 64% cases, colonoscopy showed ulcerations, located mainly at descending colon and rectosigmoid. The clinical course was generally favourable with conservative measures. The overall mortality rate was 10%. CONCLUSION: The possibility of IC should be considered in the differential diagnosis of elderly patient with abdominal pain and cardiovascular risk factors.

[Intraoperative anesthetic management of kidney failure in adult liver transplantation. Conventional hemodialysis]. / Manejo anestésico intraoperatorio del fallo renal en el trasplante hepático del adulto. Hemodiálisis convencional.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate our application of indications, use and benefits of conventional hemodialysis during surgery in patients with advanced liver disease and acute or chronic renal failure undergoing liver transplantation (LP), liver retransplantation (LRT) or combined hepatorenal transplantation (CHRT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of 22 patients with advanced liver disease, 11 with acute renal failure and 11 with chronic renal failure. We performed 6 LT, 5 LRT and 11 CHRT. The following data were recorded in the periods before, during and immediately after surgery: metabolic, hemodynamic and coagulation parameters; bicarbonate, calcium and inotropic drug requirements; incidences during reperfusion of the graft; surgical technique used; and survival. RESULTS: Seven patients (32%) needed hemodialysis, 4 (18%) needed ultrafiltration, 7 (32%) needed both and 4 (18%) required neither. For 6 patients total clamping of the inferior vena cava (ICV) was required with external venovenous bypass. For 8 patients total clamping of the IVC was performed without venovenous bypass. For 8 others IVC clamping was partial with retrohepatic preservation (piggy-back). There were 2 deaths during surgery, 4 more within the first month after surgery and 4 more in the second month. Overall survival was 36.4% among acute patients and 72.7% among CHRT patients. CONCLUSIONS: 1) Conventional hemodialysis during surgery is feasible and gives good results; 2) conventional "high efficiency" hemodialysis is more effective and useful in these patients than is either slow, continuous hemodialysis or filtration; 3) the survival rate of CHRT patients is similar to that of patients undergoing LT with normal kidney function, and 4) partial IVC clamping in the anhepatic phase may decrease the need for ultrafiltration.