ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) supports the use of nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) to identify disease patterns (DPs) associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). Recently, EULAR proposed an easy-to-manage procedure, a so-called Fast Track algorithm, to differentiate SSc from non-SSc patterns in NVC specimens. However, subjectivity among capillaroscopists remains a limitation. Our aim was to perform a software-based analysis of NVC peculiarities in a cohort of samples from SSc and RP patients and, subsequently, build a Fast Track-inspired algorithm to identify DPs without the constraint of interobserver variability. METHODS: NVCs were examined by 9 capillaroscopists. Those NVCs whose DPs were consensually agreed (≥2 out of 3 interobservers) were subsequently analysed with an in-house developed software. Each variable's results were grouped according to the consensually agreed DPs in order to identify useful hallmarks to categorise them. RESULTS: Eight-hundred and fifty-one NVCs (21 957 images) whose DPs had been consensually agreed were software-analysed. Appropriate cut-offs set in capillary density and percentage of abnormal and giant capillaries, tortuosities and hemorrhages allowed DP categorization and the development of the CAPI-Score algorithm. This consisted of 4 rules: Rule 1, SSc vs non-SSc, accuracy 0.88; Rules 2 and 3, SSc-early vs SSc-active vs SSc-late, accuracy 0.82; Rule 4, non-SSc normal vs non-SSc non-specific, accuracy 0.73. Accuracy improved when the analysis was limited to NVCs whose DPs had achieved full consensus among interobservers. CONCLUSIONS: The CAPI-Score algorithm may become a useful tool to assign DPs by overcoming the limitations of subjectivity.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Radical cystectomy with urinary diversion associated with extended pelvic lymphadenectomy continues to be the treatment of choice in muscle invasive bladder cancer. Sixty-four percent of patients submitted to this procedure present postoperative complications, with urinary infection being responsible in 20-40% of cases. The aim of this project is to assess the rate of urinary infection as a cause of re-admission after cystectomy, and to identify protective and predisposing factors for urinary infection in our environment. Finally, we will evaluate the outcomes after the establishment of a prophylactic antibiotic protocol after removal of ureteral catheters. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective descriptive study of cystectomized patients in the Urology Service of the Hospital Clínico Universitario of Zaragoza, from January 2012 to December 2018. A urinary tract infection (UTI) prevention protocol after catheter removal is established for all patients since October 2017. RESULTS: UTI is responsible for 54.7% of readmissions, with 55.1% of these being due to UTI after removal of ureteral catheters. Of the patients who received with prophylaxis, 9.5% presented UTIs after withdrawal, compared to 10.6% in the group of patients without prophylaxis. The patient who is re-admitted for UTI after withdrawal has a mean catheter time of 24.3±7.2 days, compared to 24.5±7.4 days for patients in the group without UTI (P=.847). CONCLUSIONS: The type of urinary diversion performed is not related to the rate of urinary infection. The regression model does not identify antibiotic prophylaxis, nor catheter time, as independent factors of UTI after catheter removal.
