Detección de personas en riesgo de padecer diabetes en farmacias comunitarias de Pontevedra (DEDIPO) / Detection of people at risk of diabetes in community pharmacies of Pontevedra (Spain) (DEDIPO)

Objetivo: Pilotar una actividad profesional consistente en la detección de personas en riesgo de padecer diabetes o alteraciones del metabolismo de los hidratos de carbono y derivación para posible diagnóstico en los centros de salud. Comprobación del número de diagnósticos y evaluación del coste para la farmacia. Métodos: Estudio observacional transversal en farmacias comunitarias de Pontevedra en septiembre-octubre de 2014. Cuestionario Findrisc a usuarios de la farmacia con más de 18 años. Con Findrisc ≥ 15 determinación de la glucemia basal capilar y derivación al médico con ≥ 110mg/dL. Variables principales: puntos en cuestionario Findrisc, número de diagnósticos de diabetes, coste del servicio. Las diferencias entre grupos se calcularon con el test de chi-cuadrado, t de Student o test de Wilcoxon. Resultados: El estudio se realizó en 180 farmacias. La muestra incluyó a 4.222 usuarios. De ellos, 992 (23,5%) tenían alto o muy alto riesgo de diabetes (F≥15). Se realizaron 1.060 test de glucemia basal capilar, con un resultado medio de 110,2 (DE=20,4)mg/dL (56-254). De los 384 (9,1%) sujetos derivados al médico, el Servicio Gallego de Salud envió información de 83: 28 (33,7%) diagnosticados de diabetes (3,1% de la muestra) y 26 (31,3%) de prediabetes (2,8%). El coste por sujeto diagnosticado fue de 184,22 € y por sujeto con diabetes o prediabetes fue de 96,86 €. Conclusiones: El número de diagnósticos de nuevos pacientes diabéticos, 3,1% de la muestra total, muestra la alta eficiencia de un programa de cribado para diabéticos ocultos realizado en farmacias comunitarias como el que aquí se presenta

Objective: The aim of this study was to detect people at risk of suffering diabetes or changes in carbohydrate metabolism and to refer them for possible diagnosis to health care centres. The number of diagnoses and costs for the pharmacy were recorded. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in community pharmacies in Pontevedra in September-October of 2014. The Findrisc questionnaire was completed by pharmacy users over 18 years old. If Findrisc score was ≥ 15, capillary blood glucose was measured, and the participant was referred to a physician if the value was ≥ 110mg/dL. The main variables included score in the Findrisc questionnaire, number of diabetes diagnosed, and cost of the service. Differences between the groups were calculated using a Chi-squared test, a Student's t test, and/or a Wilcoxon test. Results: This study was conducted in 180 pharmacies on a sample of 4,222 users, including 992 (23.5%) with a high or very high risk of diabetes (F≥15). In the 1,060 basal capillary blood glucose tests performed, mean glucose level was 110.2 (SD=20.4) mg/dL (56-254). The Galician Health Service sent information about 83 of the 384 (9.1%) subjects referred to a physician: 28 (33.7%) of them were diagnosed with diabetes (3.1% of the sample), and 26 (31.3%) were diagnosed with prediabetes (2.8% of the sample). Cost per diagnosed subject was €184.22 per subject with diabetes and €96.86 per subject with prediabetes. Conclusions: The proportion of subjects with new diagnosis of diabetes (3.1%) shows the high efficiency of a screening program for hidden diabetics implemented at community pharmacies as the one presented here (AU)

Detection of people at risk of diabetes in community pharmacies of Pontevedra (Spain) (DEDIPO). / Detección de personas en riesgo de padecer diabetes en farmacias comunitarias de Pontevedra (DEDIPO).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to detect people at risk of suffering diabetes or changes in carbohydrate metabolism and to refer them for possible diagnosis to health care centres. The number of diagnoses and costs for the pharmacy were recorded. METHODS: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in community pharmacies in Pontevedra in September-October of 2014. The Findrisc questionnaire was completed by pharmacy users over 18 years old. If Findrisc score was ≥ 15, capillary blood glucose was measured, and the participant was referred to a physician if the value was ≥110mg/dL. The main variables included score in the Findrisc questionnaire, number of diabetes diagnosed, and cost of the service. Differences between the groups were calculated using a Chi-squared test, a Student's t test, and/or a Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: This study was conducted in 180 pharmacies on a sample of 4,222 users, including 992 (23.5%) with a high or very high risk of diabetes (F≥15). In the 1,060 basal capillary blood glucose tests performed, mean glucose level was 110.2 (SD=20.4)mg/dL (56-254). The Galician Health Service sent information about 83 of the 384 (9.1%) subjects referred to a physician: 28 (33.7%) of them were diagnosed with diabetes (3.1% of the sample), and 26 (31.3%) were diagnosed with prediabetes (2.8% of the sample). Cost per diagnosed subject was € 184.22 per subject with diabetes and € 96.86 per subject with prediabetes. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of subjects with new diagnosis of diabetes (3.1%) shows the high efficiency of a screening program for hidden diabetics implemented at community pharmacies as the one presented here.

El lavado de la aguja aumenta la rentabilidad diagnóstica de la punción-aspiración con aguja fina de tiroides / Needle washing increases the diagnostic yield of fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid gland

Introducción y objetivo La enfermedad nodular tiroidea es un proceso frecuente en nuestra práctica clínica y la punción-aspiración con aguja fina (PAAF) es la técnica diagnóstica de elección. Su mayor limitación es la prevalencia de muestras no diagnósticas. Desde la implantación en 2007 de los criterios de Bethesda (documento de consenso sobre los criterios morfológicos y la terminología diagnóstica en la interpretación de las extensiones citológicas de tiroides) se demostró en nuestro servicio una mayor prevalencia de PAAF no diagnósticas. Decidimos añadir a la técnica habitual la recogida y el centrifugado del material remanente en las agujas de punción mediante lavado en una solución ThinPrep® y evaluar el aumento de la rentabilidad diagnóstica de la PAAF tras este cambio. Pacientes y métodos Muestreo sistemático de 168 pacientes a los que se realizó una PAAF en el Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición del Hospital Xeral-Cíes de Vigo desde enero de 2010 hasta noviembre (..) (AU)

Background and objective Nodular thyroid disease is a common condition in our clinical practice, and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the diagnostic procedure of choice. Its main limitation is the number of non-diagnostic samples. Since the Bethesda criteria were implemented in 2007 (a consensus document on the morphologic criteria and diagnostic terminology for interpretation of thyroid cytological samples), a higher prevalence of non-diagnostic FNAB was shown. In addition to the standard technique, we decided to collect and centrifuge the material remaining in puncture needles by washing them in a ThinPrep® solution, and to assess the increase in the diagnostic yield of FNAB after this change. Patients and methods Systematic sampling of 168 patients who underwent FNAB at the Nutrition and Endocrinology Department of the Xeral-Cies Hospital (Vigo, Spain) from January 2010 to November 2011. Patients were classified into 2 groups: 75 patients in whom the residual material in the needle was not collected (non-washing group) and 93 patients in whom the material was collected (washing-group). All FNABs were performed by the same endocrinologist. Data are shown as percentage (± standard error) for ordinal variables or as mean (± standard deviation) for quantitative variables. A Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis (..) (AU)

Needle washing increases the diagnostic yield of fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid gland.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Nodular thyroid disease is a common condition in our clinical practice, and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the diagnostic procedure of choice. Its main limitation is the number of non-diagnostic samples. Since the Bethesda criteria were implemented in 2007 (a consensus document on the morphologic criteria and diagnostic terminology for interpretation of thyroid cytological samples), a higher prevalence of non-diagnostic FNAB was shown. In addition to the standard technique, we decided to collect and centrifuge the material remaining in puncture needles by washing them in a ThinPrep(®) solution, and to assess the increase in the diagnostic yield of FNAB after this change. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Systematic sampling of 168 patients who underwent FNAB at the Nutrition and Endocrinology Department of the Xeral-Cies Hospital (Vigo, Spain) from January 2010 to November 2011. Patients were classified into 2 groups: 75 patients in whom the residual material in the needle was not collected (non-washing group) and 93 patients in whom the material was collected (washing-group). All FNABs were performed by the same endocrinologist. Data are shown as percentage (± standard error) for ordinal variables or as mean (± standard deviation) for quantitative variables. A Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis of comparisons between percentages, and a Student's t test for comparisons between quantitative variables. A value of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the groups in age, sex, plasma TSH levels or nodule size. The rate of non-diagnostic FNABs was 44% (± 0.06) in the non-washing group and 17.2% (± 0.04%) in the washing group, with a significant difference (p < 0.01). DISCUSSION: Collection and subsequent processing of the residual material in the needle after FNAB significantly decreased the prevalence of non-diagnostic punctures in our patients. Collection of the residual material in the needle in this way is strongly recommended.

Tratamiento con dosis fija de tiroxina en gestantes con hipotiroidismo subclínico / Treatment with fixed thyroxine doses in pregnant women with subclinical hypothyroidism

Introducción El tratamiento del hipotiroidismo se hace habitualmente calculando la dosis de tiroxina en función del peso del paciente. En algunas situaciones se ha comprobado la utilidad de administrar dosis fijas de la hormona para normalizar la concentración de TSH, cuyo control es especialmente importante en el caso de pacientes gestantes. Pacientes y métodos Se administró una dosis fija de 50 mcg/día de tiroxina a 68 mujeres con hipotiroidismo subclínico diagnosticado durante la gestación, autoinmune o no, y se evaluó trimestralmente a través de la concentración de TSH la necesidad de modificarla. Se programaron incrementos o decrementos de 25 mcg/día en los casos en los que el cambio de dosis fuese necesario. Resultados El 42% de las pacientes alcanzaron una concentración plasmática de TSH inferior a 3μU/mL con la dosis de 50 mcg/día de tiroxina. Si se toman como referencia los valores de la población general no gestante, dicha dosis fue óptima durante el embarazo en el 79,4% de las pacientes; y no lo fue en el 20,6% restante. Discusión Nuestros datos sugieren que una dosis fija de 50 mcg/día de tiroxina es insuficiente en un porcentaje elevado de pacientes con hipotiroidismo diagnosticado en la gestación, tanto si se toman como valores de referencia de concentración de TSH los de la población general como (especialmente) si se usan las recomendaciones más recientes. Dosis de 75 mcg/día serán probablemente más adecuadas, aunque se necesitan estudios que evalúen la posibilidad de sobretratamiento con dichas dosis (AU)

Background Hypothyroidism is usually treated with thyroxine doses on patient weight. In some cases, however, fixed doses have proved to useful to normalize TSH levels, which is especially important during pregnancy. Patients and methods Sixty-eight women diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism, autoimmune or not, during pregnancy were given a fixed dose of thyroxine 50mcg/day. TSH measurements were performed to assess the need to change the dose, which was increased or decreased by 25mcg/day when necessary. Results With a dose of 50mcg/day of thyroxine, 42% of patients reached a TSH level less than 3μU/mL, 79.4% reached a TSH level less than 4.5μU/mL, and 20.6% had TSH levels higher than 4.5μU/mL.Discussion Our data suggest that a fixed dose of thyroxine 50mcg/day is inadequate in a significant proportion of pregnancy-diagnosed hypothyroidism regardless of whether the reference of TSH level used is 4.5 or 3μU/mL. Starting dose of 75mcg/day is probably more adequate, but studies are needed to evaluate the possibility of overtreatment with such dose (AU)

Treatment with fixed thyroxine doses in pregnant women with subclinical hypothyroidism.

BACKGROUND: Hypothyroidism is usually treated with thyroxine doses on patient weight. In some cases, however, fixed doses have proved to useful to normalize TSH levels, which is especially important during pregnancy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-eight women diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism, autoimmune or not, during pregnancy were given a fixed dose of thyroxine 50 mcg/day. TSH measurements were performed to assess the need to change the dose, which was increased or decreased by 25 mcg/day when necessary. RESULTS: With a dose of 50 mcg/day of thyroxine, 42% of patients reached a TSH level less than 3 µU/mL, 79.4% reached a TSH level less than 4.5 µU/mL, and 20.6% had TSH levels higher than 4.5 µU/mL. DISCUSSION: Our data suggest that a fixed dose of thyroxine 50 mcg/day is inadequate in a significant proportion of pregnancy-diagnosed hypothyroidism regardless of whether the reference of TSH level used is 4.5 or 3 µU/mL. S starting dose of 75 mcg/day is probably more adequate, but studies are needed to evaluate the possibility of overtreatment with such dose.

Similitudes y discrepancias en las características clinicopatológicas de feocromocitomas y paragangliomas / Clinical and pathological similarities and differences between pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas

Objetivo: Comparar características clínicas, principalmente adrenérgicas, de los feocromocitomas (FC), paragangliomas simpáticos (PGLS) y parasimpáticos (PGLPS).Pacientes y método: Se incluyó en el estudio a 34 pacientes diagnosticados y tratados consecutivamente de FC (20), PGLS (9) y PGLPS (5), con una edad media de 44 (rango, 17-74) años. Se comparó formas de presentación, manifestaciones clínicas, producción hormonal, características patológicas y resultados tras el tratamiento. Resultados: Los pacientes fueron atendidos por múltiples servicios. Los FC se diagnosticaron predominantemente por clínica adrenérgica (65%); los PGLS, por clínica adrenérgica (44%) y por efecto compresivo (45%), y los PGLPS, por efecto masa (100%). Sin embargo, cuando se evaluó de forma dirigida la clínica adrenérgica, el 80% de los FC, el 66,7% de los PGLS y el 40% de los PGLPS la habían manifestado. Presentaron secreción hormonal el 82,4% de los FC y el 100% de los PGLS. No se realizó estudio bioquímico en 3 FC, 5 PGLS y en ningún PGLPS. El tamaño tumoral (en mm) de los FC fue significativamente mayor que los PGLS y PGLPS (59 ± 28, 39 ±16 y 34 ± 26). Tras la extirpación del tumor, 17pacientes con FC, 7 con PGS y 4 con PGLPS quedaron libres de enfermedad, en 1 con PGLPS, éste persiste parcialmente, 1 PGLS recidivó y 5 pacientes murieron (3 con FC y 2 con PGLS).Conclusiones: En nuestro estudio observamos que se diagnostica por clínica adrenérgica los FC (65%) y los PGLS (44%), y además los PGLPS también presentaron clínica compatible con producción de catecolaminasen el interrogatorio dirigido en un 40%. Queremos reseñar el alto porcentaje de manifestaciones adrenérgicas en el grupo de tumores extra adrenales, que no se suele estudiarlos en este sentido, por tanto creemos que deben ser manejados como una misma entidad nosológica por una unidad de referencia (AU)

Objective: To compare the clinical features, mainly adrenergic manifestations, in patients with pheochromocytoma (PCT), sympathetic paraganglioma (SPGL) and parasympathetic paraganglioma (PSPGL).Patients and method: Thirty-four patients consecutively diagnosed and treated for PCT (n = 20), SPGL (n = 9) and PSPGL (n = 5) were included in the present study. The mean age was 44 years (range, 17-74). The forms of presentation, clinical manifestations, results of diagnostic tests, pathological characteristics, and postsurgery outcomes were analyzed. Results: The patients were treated in different medical units in our hospital. Diagnosis of PCT was mainly based on adrenergic symptoms (65%), SPGL on adrenergic symptoms (44%) and compressive symptoms (65%) and PSPGL on the basis of the tumor mass effect (100%). However, exhaustive analysis of adrenergic manifestations revealed that 80%, 66.7% and 40% of patients with PCT,SPGL and PSPGL respectively had adrenergic manifestations. Eighty-two percent of patients with PCT and 100% of those with SPGL showed increased urinaryexcretion of catecholamines and their metabolites. Biochemical studies were not performed in three patients with PCT and five with SPGL and were performed in all patients with PSPGL. The mean tumoral size (in mm) was significantly higher in PCT than in SPGL and PSPGL (59 ± 28, 39 ± 16 and 34 ± 26). After surgery, 17 patients with PCT, seven with PGS and four with PSPGL were considered cured, one patient showed partially persistent PSPGL, one patient with SPGL relapsed, and five patients died (three with PCT and two with SPGL).Conclusions: In the present study, 65% of PCT and 44% of SPGL were diagnosed on the basis of adrenergic symptoms, while 40% of PSPGL also showed symptoms compatible with catecholamine production. We highlight the high percentage of adrenergic manifestations in the group of extra-adrenal tumors, which are not usually investigated in this context. Therefore, we believe that PCT, SPGL and PSPGL should be considered as the same nosological entity in different locations and should be managed in referral units (AU)