ABSTRACT
Spinal epidural I abscess is an uncommon disease. The medical literature emphasizes the importance of its timely recognition and treatment. Three patients admitted in our hospital are presented. None of them was diagnosed on ambulatory bases. All of them were admitted because of spinal ache and two of them also had fever. Magnetic resonance imaging yielded the correct diagnosis in all cases and was very effective in delineating the extent of the lesion. We used antimicrobial therapy directed against the bacteria identified by cultures as well as surgical drainage in all cases. The three patients had a good outcome and no neurologic sequela. Early recognition, proper microbiologic diagnosis and surgical drainage are the main criteria for the current management of spinal epidural abscess.
Subject(s)
Abscess/diagnosis , Abscess/therapy , Spinal Diseases/diagnosis , Spinal Diseases/therapy , Staphylococcal Infections/diagnosis , Staphylococcal Infections/therapy , Aged , Drainage , Epidural Space/pathology , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Spinal epidural I abscess is an uncommon disease. The medical literature emphasizes the importance of its timely recognition and treatment. Three patients admitted in our hospital are presented. None of them was diagnosed on ambulatory bases. All of them were admitted because of spinal ache and two of them also had fever. Magnetic resonance imaging yielded the correct diagnosis in all cases and was very effective in delineating the extent of the lesion. We used antimicrobial therapy directed against the bacteria identified by cultures as well as surgical drainage in all cases. The three patients had a good outcome and no neurologic sequela. Early recognition, proper microbiologic diagnosis and surgical drainage are the main criteria for the current management of spinal epidural abscess.
ABSTRACT
Euthanasia and other medical decisions concerning the end of life (MDEL) have been poorly developed in the Argentine medical literature. On that basis, and presuming that MDEL occur frequently in the medical practice in our country (in spite of insufficient pre and postgraduate medical education on the matter), we have developed a survey on MDEL. It was conformed by a 13 multiple-choice question poll, which was answered by 172 physicians from Buenos Aires, suburban locations and La Plata. The questionnaire began with a professional profile and subsequently developed questions on medical, legal, ethical, religious and sociologic aspects of MDEL. The questions were based on the main or more frequent topics referred to MDEL, according to the medical literature between 1989 and 1994, researched through Medline. The poll was anonymous. Most of the questions could be answered based on the physician's attitudes toward MDEL; some required specific knowledge on the subject (as in the questions on legal matters). Three different MDEL were defined for this survey: active Euthanasia, Passive Euthanasia and Relief of Symptoms. Results showed that MDEL are frequent (69%) of the physicians have performed Relief of Symptoms, 58% Passive Euthanasia, and 7% Active Euthanasia) and that the physician's knowledge on the subject is poor and sparse. We concluded that more research on MDEL is needed in Argentina in order to support changes in medical education and legal background.
Subject(s)
Critical Illness , Euthanasia , Physicians , Resuscitation Orders , Surveys and Questionnaires , Argentina , Euthanasia/legislation & jurisprudence , Euthanasia, Passive/legislation & jurisprudence , HumansABSTRACT
Existem pocos estudios que describem el prognóstico de los pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca congestiva (ICC) y función sistólica (FS) del ventrículo izquierdo (VI) intacta. El objetivo de este estudio prospectivo es describir a un grupo de 70 pacientes consecutivos internados en un servicio de medicina interna con ICC, identificar con ecocardiografía el estado contráctil del VI y establecer el pronóstico a corto plazo. Fueron 39 hombres y 31 mujeres con una edad media de 76,4 años. En 38 (54,3 por ciento) se encontró alteración de la FS del VI (Grupo I ) y en 32(45,7 por ciento) se encontraba intacta (Grupo II). El estudio con Doppler cardíaco mostró que 14 del Grupo II tenían alteración de la función diastólica (FD) del VI como único mecanismo responsable de su ICC. Se realizó un seguimiento de 8 meses en promedio, donde 20(28 por ciento) fallecieron. No hubo diferencias significativas en la mortalidad entre los Grupos I y II. Se realizó un análisis multivariado para determinar el riesgo relativo sobre la mortalidad de las variables edad, sexo, FS y diámetros del VI. Ninguna de éstas alcanzó una diferencia estadísticamente significativa. El nuestra serie de pacientes con ICC, 45,7 por ciento tenían FS del VI normal. El pronóstico a corto plazo fue similar al de los pacientes con FS del VI alterada
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Aged , Female , Heart Failure/physiopathology , Ventricular Function, Left , Follow-Up Studies , Heart Failure/mortality , Multivariate Analysis , Prognosis , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
Existem pocos estudios que describem el prognóstico de los pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca congestiva (ICC) y función sistólica (FS) del ventrículo izquierdo (VI) intacta. El objetivo de este estudio prospectivo es describir a un grupo de 70 pacientes consecutivos internados en un servicio de medicina interna con ICC, identificar con ecocardiografía el estado contráctil del VI y establecer el pronóstico a corto plazo. Fueron 39 hombres y 31 mujeres con una edad media de 76,4 años. En 38 (54,3 por ciento) se encontró alteración de la FS del VI (Grupo I ) y en 32(45,7 por ciento) se encontraba intacta (Grupo II). El estudio con Doppler cardíaco mostró que 14 del Grupo II tenían alteración de la función diastólica (FD) del VI como único mecanismo responsable de su ICC. Se realizó un seguimiento de 8 meses en promedio, donde 20(28 por ciento) fallecieron. No hubo diferencias significativas en la mortalidad entre los Grupos I y II. Se realizó un análisis multivariado para determinar el riesgo relativo sobre la mortalidad de las variables edad, sexo, FS y diámetros del VI. Ninguna de éstas alcanzó una diferencia estadísticamente significativa. El nuestra serie de pacientes con ICC, 45,7 por ciento tenían FS del VI normal. El pronóstico a corto plazo fue similar al de los pacientes con FS del VI alterada (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Aged , Female , Heart Failure/physiopathology , Ventricular Function, Left , Heart Failure/mortality , Prognosis , Follow-Up Studies , Multivariate Analysis , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
Congestive heart failure (CHF) has been traditionally associated with impairment of the left ventricular systolic function (LVSF). There are few clinical assays that describe the prognosis of patients with CHF and intact LVSF. The aims of this prospective assay are: to describe a group of 70 patients admitted to an internal medicine department with the clinical syndrome of CHF, to determine the contractile state of the left ventricle with echocardiography and to establish the short term prognosis. There were 39 males and 31 females with a mean age of 76.4. The LVSF was impaired in 38 (54.3%) [Group I] and preserved in 32 (45.7%) [Group II] (Table 1). Sex distribution was different between both groups with women predominating in group II (Figure 1). Fourteen patients belonging to Group II had diastolic function impairment according to cardiac Doppler. There was no other evidence of cardiac abnormality that could justify CHF. During an average of 8 months follow-up 20 (28%) patients died. There were no differences in overall mortality between Groups I and II (Figure 2). Multivariate analysis was used to determine the relative risk in prognosis of the covariates age, gender, systolic function and diameters of the LV. None of these were statistically significant (Table 2). In our series 45.7% of the patients with CHF had normal LVSF. The short term prognosis proved to be the same in patients with and without impaired LVSF.
Subject(s)
Heart Failure/physiopathology , Ventricular Function, Left/physiology , Aged , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Heart Failure/mortality , Humans , Male , Multivariate Analysis , Prognosis , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
Congestive heart failure (CHF) has been traditionally associated with impairment of the left ventricular systolic function (LVSF). There are few clinical assays that describe the prognosis of patients with CHF and intact LVSF. The aims of this prospective assay are: to describe a group of 70 patients admitted to an internal medicine department with the clinical syndrome of CHF, to determine the contractile state of the left ventricle with echocardiography and to establish the short term prognosis. There were 39 males and 31 females with a mean age of 76.4. The LVSF was impaired in 38 (54.3
) [Group I] and preserved in 32 (45.7
) [Group II] (Table 1). Sex distribution was different between both groups with women predominating in group II (Figure 1). Fourteen patients belonging to Group II had diastolic function impairment according to cardiac Doppler. There was no other evidence of cardiac abnormality that could justify CHF. During an average of 8 months follow-up 20 (28
) patients died. There were no differences in overall mortality between Groups I and II (Figure 2). Multivariate analysis was used to determine the relative risk in prognosis of the covariates age, gender, systolic function and diameters of the LV. None of these were statistically significant (Table 2). In our series 45.7
of the patients with CHF had normal LVSF. The short term prognosis proved to be the same in patients with and without impaired LVSF.
