[Resident physician training in the digestive system. The point of view of the residents]. / Formación MIR en aparato digestivo. El punto de vista de los residentes.

AIM: To evaluate various aspects of current training of Spanish residents in gastroenterology. METHOD: An anonymous postal questionnaire was sent to fourth-year resident physicians in Spanish hospitals with accredited gastroenterology residency programs. RESULTS: Forty residents in the fourth year (53% offered positions), four from the second year and one from the first year (20 men, 25 women) answered the survey. Mean age was 29.7 years (26-42 years). Fifty-one percent of the departments did not have ultrasonography facilities apart from those in the radiology department. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was available in all the departments but in 55% of these, residents did not receive training in this technique. Forty-one percent of residents did not know the objectives of the various training periods. Eighty-four percent evaluated the pressure of clinical work as "intense" or "very intense" with 67% reporting that it disturbed their training "seriously" or "very seriously" and 71% that it disturbed their personal lives. Supervision in ultrasonography, endoscopy and clinical work were mainly evaluated as "good" or "very good". Supervision was rated lower in outpatient departments and while on duty. Forty-two percent of residents rated the supervision of the personal tutor as "average". Seventy-six percent were "fairly" or "very interested" in the introduction of "areas of specific training". CONCLUSIONS: The quality of residents' training in general and of gastroenterology training in particular is high. There are, however, several aspects which could be improved.

[Endoscopic drainage with polyethylene endoprosthesis of malignant obstructive jaundice]. / Drenaje endoscópico mediante prótesis de polietileno de la ictericia obstructiva maligna.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and complications of endoscopic drainage of malignant obstructive jaundice with plastic endoprosthesis as well as to identify possible factors related with occlusion. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One-hundred and forty patients with malignant obstructive jaundice were retrospectively evaluated. The site of obstruction was proximal in 35 patients (25.0%), distal in 64 (45.7) and ampullary in 41 (29.3). Amsterdam or pigtail polyethylene prostheses of variable caliber and length were used. Drainage was preoperative in 41 patients and palliative in 99. Seventy-seven patients who underwent with palliative drainage were followed up long-term. RESULTS: Drainage was satisfactory in 132 patients (94.2%). Early morbidity was 10.7% (14/140) and early mortality related with the technique was 5% (7/140). Time free of obstruction was 4.6 +/- 1.0 months and in 47/77 (60%) the prostheses were still working at the end of follow-up. The actuarial rate of obstruction at 6 months was 42%, the majority (61%) occurring in the first 3 months. The median survival was 5.9 +/- 1.3 months. Of all the factors analyzed, greater permeability was found only in the ampullary tumors (p < 0.01) and in prostheses of caliber equal or superior to 10 French (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic biliary drainage using plastic prostheses is satisfactory in the majority of patients with malignant jaundice. It has a low complication rate and provides acceptable palliation: the majority of patients do not require prostheses to be replaced and, when they becomes clogged, substitution usually solves the problem. Ampullary tumors and prostheses of higher caliber (> or = 10F) have been associated with greater permeability.

[The predictive factors of a good response to the transfusion of erythrocyte concentrates in patients with controlled digestive hemorrhage]. / Factores predictivos de buena respuesta a la transfusión de concentrados de hematíes en pacientes con hemorragia digestiva controlada.

INTRODUCTION: Not all patients respond the same to the transfusion of erythrocyte concentrates (EC) after achieving the control of gastrointestinal bleeding. AIM: The aim of the present study was to analyze the predictive factors of good response to EC transfusion in patients with controlled gastrointestinal hemorrhage and determine the stability of transfusion performance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study was carried out in 61 patients with controlled gastrointestinal bleeding. The epidemiologic data were compared and prior to transfusion different analytical and hemodynamic variables were compared basally. On completion of the transfusion analytical controls were performed at 4 and 24 hours. The response was considered as optimum when pretransfusional basal hemoglobin (Hb) increased at least 1 g and the hematocrit (HCT) rose 3 points for each EC administered. RESULTS: The response to transfusion was optimum in 29 patients and bad in 32. The women responded significantly better than the men (p < 0.05), as did patients with lower weight (p < 0.05) and body surface (p < 0.05). The mean age of the responding patients was greater (p = 0.06) and the height, to the contrary, lower (p = 0.09). No significant differences were observed in the presence or not of associated disease, type of lesion causing the hemorrhage, or number of EC transfused. Likewise, no differences were found with regard to the pretransfusional values of TAM, TAS, FC, PVC, Hb, HCT, VCM, HCM, urea and creatinine. The only variables with independent predictive value of good response were female sex and low body surface. The difference between the Hb and HCT values at 4 and 24 h after transfusion did not achieve statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: 1. The hemodynamic state and the degree of basal anemia do not condition response to EC transfusion in controlled gastrointestinal bleeding. 2. The response to the administration of EC is better in women and subjects of lower body surface. 3. Postransfusional analytical control at 4 hours allows early evaluation of the effects of the transfusion in patients at risk of recurrent hemorrhage.