Critical Limb Ischaemia in Octogenarians: Treatment Outcomes Compared With Younger Patients.

Objective: A growing proportion of patients with chronic limb threatening ischaemia (CLTI) are elderly, the most challenging for management decisions. The aim was to study the patient profile and outcome of CLTI in octogenarian patients, comparing them with younger patients. Methods: Retrospective cohort of consecutive patients hospitalised for CLTI with infrainguinal disease in a Spanish centre (2013-2020). Data on age, comorbidity, anatomical characteristics, and treatment were gathered. Patients were stratified according to age (<80 and ≥80 years). The primary outcomes were overall survival and limb salvage (LS), analysed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression. Results: : A total of 512 patients were enrolled: 305 were <80 years old with mean age 69.7 ± standard deviation (SD) 8.2 years, and 207 were ≥80 years old with mean age 85.3 ± SD 3.6 years. Smoking and diabetes mellitus were more frequent in younger patients (78.0% vs. 45.4%, p < .001; 68.5% vs. 59.5%, p = .037 respectively). Older patients had a higher prevalence of heart and kidney disease (70.5% vs. 57.0%, p = .002; 39.6% vs. 24.3%, p < .001, respectively). The arterial disease was femoropopliteal or tibial in 68.9% and 31.1% in patients <80 years and 58.9% and 41.1% in patients ≥80 years (p = .021). In younger patients, conservative treatment was indicated in 18.0%, endovascular treatment (ET) in 41.6%, and open or hybrid surgery (OS) in 40.3%; in patients ≥80 years these were 36.9%, 37.4%, and 25.7%, respectively (p <. 001). Mean follow up was 23.3 ± SD 17.4 months. One and two year overall survival was 85.4% and 73.0% in younger patients and 64.1% and 51.3% in patients ≥80 years (p < .001). LS was 83.7% and 79% at the same times in younger patients and 75.3% and 72.1% in older ones (p = .045). In younger patients ET led to worse LS than OS (p = .005) but not in older patients (p = .29). Conclusion: Patients ≥80 years with CLTI have higher comorbidity and lower life expectancy and receive conservative treatment more frequently than younger patients. ET and OS are associated with similar survival and LS in these older patients.

Tratamiento combinado de disfagia lusoria y estenosis carotídea ipsilateral concomitante / Combined treatment of dysphagia lusoria and concomitant ipsilateral carotid artery stenosis

INTRODUCCIÓN: la arteria subclavia aberrante es la anomalía más común del arco aórtico, aunque la clínica de disfagia lusoria aparece tan solo en el 0,5-2 % de los pacientes. No existe ningún consenso sobre su tratamiento. CASO CLÍNICO: se presenta el caso de una paciente de 86 años con clínica de disfonía y disfagia de 1,5-2 años de evolución que asocia una pérdida de peso de 10 kg en los últimos 6 meses. En el escáner realizado durante el estudio se encuentra una arteria subclavia aberrante no dilatada que comprime el esófago a su paso retrocardial. Además, la paciente presentaba una estenosis del 60 % de la arteria carótida ipsilateral que le había ocasionado un ictus 5 meses antes. Se realiza un bypass carótido-subclavio derecho con prótesis PTFE de 6 mm y en la misma intervención, tras el procedimiento anterior, se realiza una endarterectomía carotídea derecha y angioplastia quirúrgica. El posoperatorio transcurrió sin complicaciones. La paciente se mantuvo asintomática, sin eventos neurológicos; tampoco disfagia ni disfonía. Pudo retomar la ingesta normal de alimentos. En el CT de control a los 10 días se observó la arteria subclavia derecha trombosada sin compresión residual, por lo que no se consideró necesaria la exclusión de su origen con una endoprótesis torácica. DISCUSIÓN: aunque en un primer momento se consideró la posibilidad de realizar un tratamiento en dos tiempos (cirugía abierta y, posteriormente, endovascular torácico), el tratamiento quirúrgico combinado permitió tratar la disfagia lusoria, así como la estenosis carotídea sintomática ipsilateral, durante la misma intervención para no tener que someter a una paciente mayor a una cirugía excepcionalmente larga, además de omitir el uso de una endoprótesis torácica complementaria que finalmente no fue necesaria

INTRODUCTION: the aberrant subclavian artery is the most common variation of the aortic arch but symptoms of dysphagia lusoria appear only in 0,5-2 % of the patients. There is no consensus on its treatment. CASE REPORT: we hereby present the case of an 86 year-old woman who had suffered dysphonia and dysphagia for 1.5-2 years associating a loss of 10 kg of weight in the last 6 months. An angioCT scan revealed a non-dilated aberrant right subclavian artery which compressed of the retrocardial esophagus, and a 60 % stenosis of the right carotid artery, which had caused an ipsilateral minor stroke 5 months before. We performed a right carotid-subclavian bypass using a 6 mm ePTFE graft, followed by a right carotid endarterectomy and Dacron patch angioplasty in the same procedure. The postoperative period was uneventful, the patient remained asymptomatic, with no neurological symptoms, dysphagia or dysphonia, and resumed normal oral intake. Ten days after the procedure the control CT revealed a thrombosed right subclavian artery with no residual esophageal compression, so an additional endovascular occlusion of the subclavian origin was deemed unnecessary. DISCUSSION: although we first considered the possibility of performing a sequential hybrid treatment, with initial surgical bypass and secondary thoracic endovascular grafting, the combined open surgical technique allowed us to solve both the dysphagia lusoria and the symptomatic right carotid stenosis in one single procedure, and the complementary thoracic endografting was ultimately unnecessary

Evidence of hepatitis A virus circulation in central Argentina: seroprevalence and environmental surveillance.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) has shown intermediate endemicity in Argentina, but notification of clinical cases has decreased since the introduction of the vaccine in 2005. OBJECTIVES: In order to get insight into the local circulation of this virus after four years of the official introduction of the vaccine, the aims of this study were to provide information on HAV immune status of the adult population of Córdoba city and to conduct environmental surveillance of HAV in sewage and river samples in the same region. STUDY DESIGN: The prevalence of anti-HAV was determined by EIA in 416 samples of people (without prior vaccination) from Córdoba city (2009-2010). Spline regression models were estimated under generalized additive models. Environmental surveillance was conducted in river and sewage samples collected in the same period. Viral detection was performed by RT-Nested PCR of the 5'UTR. RESULTS: In Córdoba, the global prevalence of anti-HAV was 73.5%. It increased with age (p<0.0001) and it was associated with the low-income population (OR: 1.14; 95% CI 1.05-1.25). This prevalence decreased in younger age groups, especially in the high-income population. Environmental monitoring revealed the presence of HAV (IA) in 20.8% and 16.1% of wastewater and river samples, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: As a consequence of a decrease in HAV circulation due to improvements in immunization, socio-economic and hygienic conditions, young adults are becoming increasingly susceptible to HAV infections. Environmental monitoring demonstrated that HAV circulates in the local population; therefore, health care systems should consider the implementation of preventive measures for susceptible adults in order to reduce the risk of HAV infection.