Evaluating the clinical effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccination in preventing myocardial infarction: The CAPAMIS study, three-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular benefits using the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) are controversial. This study assessed clinical effectiveness of PPV23 in preventing acute myocardial infarction in people over 60-years. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a population-based cohort study involving 27,204 individuals ≥60 years-old in Tarragona, Spain, who were prospectively followed from 01/12/2008 until 30/11/2011. Outcomes were hospitalization for AMI, 30-day mortality from AMI and all-cause death. Cox regression was used to evaluate the association between pneumococcal vaccination and the risk of each outcome. RESULTS: Cohort members were followed for a total of 76,033 person-years, of which 29,065 were for vaccinated subjects. Overall, 359 cases of AMI, 55 deaths from AMI and 2465 all-cause deaths were observed. Pneumococcal vaccination did not alter the risk of AMI (multivariable hazard ratio [HR]: 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76-1.18; p=0.630), death from AMI (HR: 1.32; 95% CI: 0.76-2.28; p=0.321) and all-cause death (HR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.89-1.05; p=0.448). In analyses focused on people with and without history of prior coronary artery disease, pneumococcal vaccination did not emerge effective in preventing any analyzed event. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports that PPV23 does not provide any relevant benefit against AMI in the general population over 60 years, as in primary as well as in secondary prevention, although it is underpowered to exclude a small benefit of vaccination against rare outcomes.

[Benefits of pyeloplasty in children with pyeloureteral stenosis: study of somatic development and differential renal function]. / Beneficios de la pieloplastia en niños con estenosis pieloureteral: estudio evolutivo del desarrollo somático y la función renal diferencial.

INTRODUCTION: Under the actual controversy about the management of hydronephrosis for ureteropelvic junction obstruction, our objective has been to evaluate the indications and the effects of pyeloplasty as therapeutic option. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We have reviewed the charts of patients who underwent pyeloplasty, in special concerns at the preoperatory study and the postoperatory control by means of differential renal function (DRF) and half-time drainage (T1/2) on curves of Tc99m MAG3 diuretic renogram, and the effects in the body growth. RESULTS: Between 1995-1999 a total of 16 patients (17 kidneys) underwent pyeloplasty (range: 2 months to 12 years), selecting for the surgical treatment the symptomatic cases and the asymptomatics with alteration of renographic curve and/or DRF. The left side was involved in 12 cases, the right side in 3, and one case was bilateral. The malformation was detected by prenatual ultrasonography on 56.25% of cases and by several symptoms (abdominal pain, infection) in remaIns. The preoperatory DRF was normal (> or = 45%) in 53.3% and deteriorated in 46.7%. Postoperatively, global differential renal function improved significantly, with normal values in 66.7% of kidneys at first control and 75% at the second one. All the cases presented before surgery an obstructed renographic curve, with a half-time superior to 20 minutes; after pyeloplasty the excretory pattern in the diuresis renogram improved significantly, with a normal pattern (T1/2 < 10') in 54%, indeterminate (T1/2 between 11 and 20') in 26.7% and obstructive (T1/2 > 20') in 20% of cases. At the age of surgery, 29.4% of children was below the 50th percentile in weight; postoperatively, only 5.9% was, demonstrating a significant increment in all the cases. CONCLUSIONS: Pyeloplasty is an effective technique for the treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction in the selected cases, demonstrating a significant of differential renal function and body growth.

Beneficios de la pieloplastia en niños con estenosis pieloureteral: estudio evolutivo del desarrollo somático y la función renal diferencial / Useful pyeloplasty in children with ureteropelvic junction obstruction: evolutive study of somatic growth and differential renal function

Introducción. Ante la actual controversia con respecto al manejo de la hidronefrosis por estenosis de la unión pieloureteral, nuestro objetivo ha sido la evaluación de las indicaciones y posibles efectos beneficios de la pieloplastia como opción terapéutica. Material y métodos. Hemos registrado los datos epidemiológicos, clínicos y diagnósticos de las pieloplastias realizadas, incidiendo en el estudio preoperatorio y el control evolutivo postoperatorio mediante valores de función renal diferencial (FRD) y tiempo de eliminación TI/2 del renograma isotópico MAG3 Tc99, así como el desarrollo ponderal. Resultados. Durante los años 1995-1999 se han practicado 17 pieloplastias en 16 pacientes de edades comprendidas entre los 2 meses y 12 años, seleccionando los casos quirúrgicos en función de la sintomatología y de la morfología de la curva renográfica excretora y la FRD en los casos asintomáticos. El lado afecto fue el izquierdo en 12 casos, el derecho en tres y bilateral en uno. La malformación se detectó con ecografía prenatal en el 56,25 por ciento de los casos, mientras que en el resto el diagnóstico fue consecuencia de un cuadro clínico sintomático. La FRD preoperatoria fue normal (>= 45 por ciento) en el 53,3 por ciento y disminuida ( 20') en el 20 por ciento de los casos. En el momento de la intervencion el 29,4°' de los casos se encontraban por debajo del percentil 50 de peso, pasando al 5,9 por ciento tras la misma, apreciando un incremento global significativo del desarrollo ponderal. Conclusiones. La pieloplastia es una técnica beneficiosa en el tratamiento de la estenosis pieloureteral en los casos seleccionados, demostrando influir positivamente en la mejora evolutiva del desarrollo ponderal y de la función renal del riñón afecto (AU)