Influence of the centralizing gastric cancer surgery on the health-related quality of life in Brazil.

Background: The assessment of health-related quality of life (QoL) has improved the treatment of gastric cancer. Aiming to compare the influence of skilled surgeons in general hospitals versus specialized hospitals in cancer in Brazil, this study evaluated the relationship between quality of life and types of hospitals (general or cancer) in treating patients with gastric adenocarcinoma operated by surgeons with specific training in Surgical Oncology. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 104 patients. Inferential analyses were used to compare two Brazilian general hospitals and a cancer center, evaluating scores of the SF-36 and FACT-Ga QoL questionnaires (Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney test); gender, smoking, and Helicobacter pylori tests status (Pearson's Chi-Square test); ethnicity, alcoholism, location of the tumor in the stomach, Lauren's histological types, and type of surgery (Fisher's exact test), number of lymph nodes resected by Surgical Oncologists [Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with a Fixed Factor], and comparative survival analysis (Log-Rank test). Results: Patients treated at a cancer hospital had higher scores of the FACT-Ga (FACT-G total score, P=0.023; physical well-being, PWB, P=0.006; and functional well-being, FWB, P=0.011). The mean scores of the SF-36 questionnaire showed similar behavior but without reaching a significant difference. Patients operated by Surgical Oncologists at the cancer hospital had better scores in emotional well-being FACT-Ga domain (EWB, P=0.034 and P=0.047) compared to those operated by Surgical Oncologists in general hospitals. There was no significant difference in survival among the three hospitals (P=0.214). Conclusions: In this study, it was possible to suggest the relationship between QoL assessment scores with the centralization of care at specialized cancer hospital in the treatment of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma undergoing surgery with curative intent in Brazil.

Donor-derived TB after kidney transplantation: a case report / TB derivada do doador após transplante renal: um relato de caso

Abstract Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a possible serious complication of solid organ transplantation, associated with high mortality and morbidity. Post-transplant TB has varied pathogenesis with many approaches to its prevention, which is the most important way to reduce its incidence. Treatment of TB in organ recipients is challenging because of drug toxicity and interaction with immunosuppressants. Case report: an 18-year-old woman that underwent kidney transplantation from a deceased donor and was discharged with fair renal function was readmitted at 37th postoperative day with fever. CT showed signs of miliary TB and fluid collection besides graft fistulization through the skin. The patient presented positive BAAR in the drained fluid and Koch's bacillus in the urine. She was treated with a four-drug regimen (rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and etambutol), with great response and preserved graft function. We were informed that the recipient of the contralateral kidney also presented post-transplant TB, implying in a donor-derived origin. Conclusion: TB is an important differential diagnosis for infectious complications in patients after solid-organ transplantation, especially in endemic regions. Its initial clinical presentation can be unspecific and it should be suspected in the presence of fever or formation of fluid collections. The suspicion of TB is the key to early diagnosis and satisfactory outcomes in post-transplant TB.

Resumo Introdução: A tuberculose (TB) é uma possível complicação grave do transplante de órgãos sólidos, associada à alta mortalidade e morbidade. A TB pós-transplante tem patogênese variada com muitas abordagens para sua prevenção, que é a forma mais importante de reduzir sua incidência. O tratamento da TB em receptores de órgãos é um desafio devido à toxicidade dos medicamentos e à interação com imunossupressores. Relato de caso: uma mulher de 18 anos que foi submetida a transplante renal de um doador falecido e recebeu alta com função renal adequada foi readmitida no 37º dia de pós-operatório com febre. A TC mostrou sinais de TB miliar e coleção de fluidos além de fistulização do enxerto através da pele. A paciente apresentou BAAR positivo no fluido drenado e bacilo de Koch na urina. Ela foi tratada com um esquema de quatro medicamentos (rifampicina, isoniazida, pirazinamida e etambutol), com ótima resposta e função de enxerto preservada. Fomos informados de que o receptor do rim contralateral também apresentou TB pós-transplante, implicando em uma origem derivada do doador. Conclusão: A TB é um importante diagnóstico diferencial para complicações infecciosas em pacientes após transplante de órgãos sólidos, especialmente em regiões endêmicas. Sua apresentação clínica inicial pode não ser específica e deve ser suspeitada na presença de febre ou formação de coleções de fluidos. A suspeita de TB é a chave para o diagnóstico precoce e desfechos satisfatórios na TB pós-transplante.

Donor-derived TB after kidney transplantation: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis (TB) is a possible serious complication of solid organ transplantation, associated with high mortality and morbidity. Post-transplant TB has varied pathogenesis with many approaches to its prevention, which is the most important way to reduce its incidence. Treatment of TB in organ recipients is challenging because of drug toxicity and interaction with immunosuppressants. CASE REPORT: an 18-year-old woman that underwent kidney transplantation from a deceased donor and was discharged with fair renal function was readmitted at 37th postoperative day with fever. CT showed signs of miliary TB and fluid collection besides graft fistulization through the skin. The patient presented positive BAAR in the drained fluid and Koch's bacillus in the urine. She was treated with a four-drug regimen (rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and etambutol), with great response and preserved graft function. We were informed that the recipient of the contralateral kidney also presented post-transplant TB, implying in a donor-derived origin. CONCLUSION: TB is an important differential diagnosis for infectious complications in patients after solid-organ transplantation, especially in endemic regions. Its initial clinical presentation can be unspecific and it should be suspected in the presence of fever or formation of fluid collections. The suspicion of TB is the key to early diagnosis and satisfactory outcomes in post-transplant TB.

Reduction of Management Costs and Avoidance of Air Release of Carcinogens Through a Waste Segregation Program in a Brazilian Medical Institution.

Hospital waste management is a current sustainability challenge. Although not always performed, the most applied approach in current protocols is the proper segregation of waste. The incineration of hospital waste is an significant source of emission of specific toxic particles and gases. We highlighted dioxins, whose representatives have been considered carcinogenic agents since 1994. Several experimental and epidemiologic studies have shown greater cancer morbidity and mortality associated with dioxin exposure. In the present study, we presented the impact of a hospital waste management program implemented in an oncology institution based on proper segregation and consequent reduction of incinerated mass. Data were collected for 8 years and the waste was separated into five categories: infectious (A4), chemical (B), recyclable (DR), non-recyclable (DNR), and sharps (E). The classes addressed to incineration were A4, B, and E. A team education starting from the admission process and with a continued education program was essential for a successfully implemented program. We achieved a 66% saving of waste from incineration, equivalent to 76 tons, of which 71.9 tons corresponded to recyclable waste. If the waste separation protocol was not implemented, the biohazardous and chemical material would contaminate the rest of the residues, making incineration as a final destination mandatory for all the waste. This scenario would result in significantly more dioxins release and a 64% higher cost of waste management. This low-cost implementation measure was effective in the cost reduction of waste management and minimization of air release of human carcinogens.

Combined Liver and Kidney Transplant in Acute Intermittent Porphyria: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Acute intermittent porphyria is an inherited disease caused by a defect in heme biosynthesis, with accumulation of neurotoxic metabolites leading to acute neurovisceral symptoms. Some patients develop long-term neurological and renal damage after the acute episodes, many of them requiring hemodialysis. Since heme production in the human body occurs predominantly in the bone marrow and liver, liver transplantation has been shown to significantly reduce the production of neurotoxic metabolites, effectively controlling the disease. Patients with severe acute intermittent porphyria who have chronic kidney failure may benefit from combined kidney and liver transplant. Only 2 uses of this approach have been previously reported in the literature. CASE REPORT We report here the case of a 19-year-old male patient who received a combined liver and kidney transplant for the treatment of acute intermittent porphyria. He presented the first symptoms of the disease 4 years before the procedure, with abdominal pain and significant neurological impairment, with weakness requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. He also had chronic kidney failure secondary to the porphyria. A combined liver and kidney transplant was performed, with no intraoperative complications. The explanted liver showed light siderosis, as well as portal and perisinusoidal fibrosis at microscopy. At 3.5 years of follow-up, he remains clinically well, with normal hepatic and renal function, had had no further acute porphyria episodes, and shows progressive neurological recovery. CONCLUSIONS This case demonstrates that combined liver and kidney transplant can be a curative treatment for patients with severe acute intermittent porphyria associated with end-stage renal failure. The patient shows satisfactory long-term function of both grafts, with no clinical or biochemical signs of porphyria recurrence.

Quality of life as a fundamental outcome after curative intent gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma: lessons learned from patients.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer has an important epidemiologic impact, and the main curative therapeutic modality for gastric cancer is surgical resection. However, even curative intent therapy can have negative effects on the quality of life (QoL) of these patients, which is undesirable; thus, it is difficult to balance the standardized treatment reported in the literature and treatment response to achieve full patient satisfaction. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the QoL and identify the association of scores on the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Gastric (FACT-Ga) and Short Form 36 Health Survey version 2 (SF36v2) questionnaires with sociodemographic, clinical and anatomopathological aspects of gastric adenocarcinoma patients undergoing curative surgery. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving 104 patients from three regions of Brazil. Inferential analyses were used to compare (multiple regression and Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis tests) the relationships between these scores and variables (Spearman's coefficient). RESULTS: In the multiple regression analysis, we found correlations between Helicobacter pylori status and physical well-being (PWB) (P=0.026), between gender and emotional well-being (EWB) (P=0.008), between Lauren's histology and physical functioning (P=0.009), as well as the Short Form 36 Health Survey version 2 (SF-36v2) role-physical (P=0.027), between the tumor site and EWB (P=0.038), between the SF-36v2 mental health and N (the lower the staging, the better the score, P=0.006) and between the SF-36v2 mental health and lymph nodes removed (P=0.029). According to the Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis test, women had worse FACT-Ga total (P=0.049), PWB (P=0.005), EWB (P=0.007), gastric cancer subscale (GaCS, P=0.011), trial outcome index (TOI, P=0.030) and mental health scores than men (P=0.011). Patients with distal tumors had better scores (FACT-Ga, P=0.018; GaCS, P=0.014; TOI, P=0.020) than patients with proximal tumors. Patients with tumors located in the cardia had better physical functioning than those with proximal tumors (P=0.042). Patients who underwent partial gastrectomy had better FACT-Ga total scores (P=0.011), PWB (P=0.033), GaCS scores (P=0.006) and TOI scores (P=0.008) than those who underwent total gastrectomy. Patients who did not receive adjuvant therapy had worse bodily pain as reported on the SF-36v2 than those who received therapy (P=0.048). According to Spearman's coefficient, a higher lymph node stage corresponded to worse FACT-Ga total (s=-0.200, P=0.034), GaCS (s=-0.206, P=0.037), TOI (s=-0.216; P=0.028) and vitality (s=-0.215, P=0.029) scores. A longer time after treatment corresponded to a better SF-36v2 role-physical domain score (s=0.223; P=0.023). CONCLUSIONS: The type of treatment instituted, postoperative time and sociodemographic and anatomopathological factors influence the QoL.