Questionário de sintomas na doença do refluxo gastroesofágico / Symptom's questionnaire for gastroesophageal reflux disease

RACIONAL: Questionários estruturados são valiosos instrumentos para medir o impacto de doenças na qualidade de vida dos pacientes através do cálculo de um escore e são disponíveis tanto no exterior, quanto no Brasil. Entretanto, questionários baseados em sintomas para a doença do refluxo gastroesofágico não são disponíveis na língua portuguesa. OBJETIVOS: Desenvolver e validar na língua portuguesa um questionário específico de sintomas na doença do refluxo gastroesofágico. PACIENTES E MÉTODOS: Traduziu-se o questionário de Velanovich, acrescentou-se uma questão para o sintoma "regurgitação" e adaptou-se o vocabulário à escolaridade média estimada da população estudada. A "validade de face" para cada pergunta foi avaliada por um painel multidisciplinar e um questionário QS-DRGE consensual construído. O questionário foi, então, respondido por pacientes com sintomas de refluxo gastroesofágico confirmado por pHmetria esofagiana prolongada. Mediu-se sua compreensão, o tempo necessário para respondê-lo, sua reprodutibilidade e o coeficiente de correlação com o escore de Johnson-DeMeester. RESULTADOS: A "validade de face" foi referendada pelo painel e o questionário aplicado a 124 indivíduos, consecutivamente. A compreensão do questionário e o tempo menor do que 5 minutos para seu preenchimento foram observados em todos os indivíduos (100 por cento). A reprodutibilidade em 10 indivíduos, em duas ocasiões distintas, apresentou elevado coeficiente de correlação intraclasse (0,833). A correlação com o escore de Johnson-DeMeester foi nula. CONCLUSÃO: O questionário de sintomas na doença do refluxo gastroesofágico apresentou "validade de face", fácil compreensão e rápida resposta em todos os indivíduos com excelente reprodutibilidade. A correlação com o escore de Johnson-DeMeester foi nula.

Chronic functional constipation in adolescents: clinical findings and motility studies.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical findings and colonic transit time in adolescents with chronic functional constipation. METHODS: Forty-eight consecutive adolescents with chronic functional constipation referred to the Gastroenterology Service at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil were studied. Clinical parameters were assessed using a questionnaire. Total and segmental colonic transit time were measured with radiopaque markers. RESULTS: Mean age at first visit was 14 +/- 2 years, and age at onset of constipation was 6 +/- 4 years; 90% of patients depended on laxatives, and 86% on intermittent enemas; 76% had a family history of constipation. There was no statistical difference in the amount of daily fiber ingested by patients and controls. Measurements of colonic transit time revealed that 60% of patients had slow transit constipation, 13% had pelvic floor dysfunction, 10% had slow transit constipation associated with pelvic floor dysfunction, and 17% had a normal colonic transit time. Decreased frequency of evacuation and palpable abdominal fecal mass were significantly associated with slow transit constipation. CONCLUSIONS: Functional constipation in adolescence consists of a heterogeneous group of colonic functional disorders. The identification of these different functional disorders in adolescents will guide specific treatment, which may prevent the progression of this symptom into adult life.

[Symptom's questionnaire for gastroesophageal reflux disease]. / Questionário de sintomas na doença do refluxo gastroesofágico.

BACKGROUND: Structured questionnaires are valuable instruments to measure the impact of specific diseases in patient's quality of life through a score and they are available such abroad as in Brazil. Nevertheless, questionnaires based on gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms are not available in Portuguese. AIM: To develop and validate in Portuguese a specific questionnaire for gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Velanovich's original questionnaire was translated, one question about "regurgitation" symptom was included and the vocabulary was adjusted to be understood to the scholarity level of the analyzed population. The "face validity" to each question was evaluated by the members of a multidisciplinary panel and a symptom's questionnaire for gastroesophageal reflux disease was developed. The questionnaire was applied to patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms confirmed by prolonged pH esophageal monitoring. The reproducibility, the comprehension, the time spent to fill out the questionnaire and the correlation coefficient to Johnson-DeMeester's score were measured. RESULTS: The "face validity" was considered satisfactory by the panel and the questionnaire was applied to 124 patients, consecutively. The comprehension of the questionnaire and the time less than 5 minutes to fill out them were observed in all patients (100%). Reproducibility for 10 patients in two different occasions showed a high intra-class correlation coefficient of 0,833. The correlation to the Johnson-DeMeester's score was null. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the symptom's questionnaire for gastroesophageal reflux disease has "face validity", excellent reproducibility, easy comprehension and was quickly answered by patients. The correlation with Johnson-DeMeester's score was null.

Acalasia na doença de Chagas é diferente de acalasia idiopática? Experiência do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre / Is achalasia in Chagas'disease different from idiopathic achalasia? Experience of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar as diferenças entre a acalasia chagásica e a idiopática em pacientes do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, através da análise de achados epidemiológicos, clínicos, radiológicos e manométricos. Foram estudados pacientes encaminhados ao Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, entre novembro de 1996 e dezembro de 2001, com suspeita de acalasia, posteriormente, confirmada por manometria esofágica. Além das características manométricas e radiológicas, os pacientes foram avaliados quanto a idade, sexo, sintomas e tempo de evolução. Entre 51 pacientes, nove (18 por cento) tiveram sorologia positiva para doença de Chagas e 42 (82 por cento) sorologia negativa. Indivíduos com sorologia negativa foram considerados portadores de acalasia idiopática. Pacientes com acalasia chagásica tinham média de idade de 62 mais ou menos 15 anos e os com idiopática 43 mais ou menos 18 anos (P<0,02). O período de evolução dos sintomas em pacientes com acalasia chagásica foi de 74 mais ou menos 47 meses e nos idiopáticos 49 mais ou menos 35 meses (P<0,05). Disfagia, regurgitação, dor torácica e emagrecimento, valores do esfíncter esofágico inferior (pressão basal, pressão e duração de relaxamento pós-deglutição e comprimento total) e do corpo esofágico (amplitude e duração das ondas pós-deglutição) foram similares em ambos os grupos). As únicas diferenças estatisticamente significativas encontradas entre os dois grupos foram a média de idade e o período de evolução dos sintomas, maiores nos pacientes chagásicos. Esses dados permitem especular sobre uma maior tolerância aos sintomas nos pacientes com idade mais avançada.

Manometria esofágica: limpeza e desinfecção do equipamento com glutaraldeído / Esophageal manometry: equipment cleaning and disinfection with glutaraldehyde

Many publications have emphasized the need of proper cleaning, disinfection and sterilization process for reused materials intended to prevent cross infections. As the endoscope the esophageal manometry catheters are considered as semicritical materials and must be free of microrganisms. AIM: To standardize the esophageal manometry materials cleaning and disinfection process to guarantee the safety of patients when reusing semicritical materials. It was based on international protocols and according to recommendations of the Hospital Infection Control Commission of the "Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre", Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Enzymatic detergent was used for catheter cleaning, followed by immersion with 2% glutaraldehyde solution during 20 minutes for high-level disinfection. The water reservatory was kept clean and dry to prevent microorganisms proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: The high level disinfection with 2% glutaraldehyde, preceded by enzymatic detergent cleaning, is a safe and simple technique that avoids cross infection in the esophageal manometry equipment. This care must be taken after each manometric procedure. The transducers must be resterilized in ethylene oxide. The professionals of this area must work in concordance with the Hospital Infection Control Commission, being acquainted with the country laws and regulations and keeping sterilizing process and materials updated

Prevalência de adenocarcinoma do esôfago e da junçäo esofagogástrica durante 10 anos nun centro de referência para câncer no Sul do Brasil / Prevalence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and esophagogastric junction during a 10 year period in a cancer referral center in Southern Brazil

A incidência do adenocarcinoma do esôfago e junção esofagogástrica tem aumentado dramaticamente nos EUA e na Europa, mas dados epidemiológicos no Brasil são escassos. Objetivo e métodos - Foram revisados os casos de câncer envolvendo o esôfago e confirmados, histologicamente, num período de 10 anos (1987-1996) obtidos por biopsia durante endoscopia digestiva alta, para determinar a prevalência desse tumor em um centro médico de referência para câncer, no Sul do Brasil. Os casos de câncer foram classificados em três categorias: adenocarcinoma, carcinoma epidermóide e outros. Resultados - Entre 349 casos de câncer; encontrou-se adenocarcinoma em 53 (15,2 por cento), carcinoma epidermóide em 283 (81,1 por cento) e outras neoplasias em 13 (3,7 por cento). Conclusões - A prevalência encontrada de adenocarcinoma na população estudada foi de 15 por cento.

Esophageal dysplasia and chronic esophagitis: detection at upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy

Cancer of the esophagus becomes symptomatic at na advanced phase with a late diagnosis, when the tumor is already incurable. Early diagnosis has been shown to improve the survival rates. Conventional esophagoscopy is largely available but its sensitivity to detect early cancer or precancerous lesions remains controversil. In this study we tested the sensitivity of conventional esophagoscopy to identify suspicious areas and compared to histopathology of endoscopic biopsies to detect dysplasia and chronic esophagitis in a population at risk for cancer in southern Brazil. Adult males scheduled to have outpatient endoscopy were examined by two experienced endoscopists and any small (<5 mm) plaque, nodule, erosion, hyperemia and for friable areas of the mucosa were biopsied and looked for the presence of early cancer or precancerous lesions. Normal appearing mucosa at the middle third of the esophagus was also biopsied and results compared sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value. Of the 89 individuals with satisfactory biopsies, 3 had dysplasias, 29 moderate or severe chronic esophagitis and 57 normal findings at the histopathological study. We found no early cancer. We found two large, vegetating lesions confirmed to be advanced squamous cell carcinoma but they were excluded from analysis. To detect dysplasia or moderate/severe chronic esophagitis conventional esophagoscopy had a sensitivity of 40.6 per cent, specificity of 78.9 per cent, positive predicitve value of 52 per cent and negative predicitve value of 70.3. Conclusions. In this study, conventional esophagoscopy had a low sensitivity to detect dysplasias and/or chronic esophagitis and techniques to improve endoscopic identification of these lesions in individuals at risk for cancer are much needed.