Evidence-Based Checklist to Delay Cardiac Arrest in Brain-Dead Potential Organ Donors: The DONORS Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The effectiveness of goal-directed care to reduce loss of brain-dead potential donors to cardiac arrest is unclear. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence-based, goal-directed checklist in the clinical management of brain-dead potential donors in the intensive care unit (ICU). Design, Setting, and Participants: The Donation Network to Optimize Organ Recovery Study (DONORS) was an open-label, parallel-group cluster randomized clinical trial in Brazil. Enrollment and follow-up were conducted from June 20, 2017, to November 30, 2019. Hospital ICUs that reported 10 or more brain deaths in the previous 2 years were included. Consecutive brain-dead potential donors in the ICU aged 14 to 90 years with a condition consistent with brain death after the first clinical examination were enrolled. Participants were randomized to either the intervention group or the control group. The intention-to-treat data analysis was conducted from June 15 to August 30, 2020. Interventions: Hospital staff in the intervention group were instructed to administer to brain-dead potential donors in the intervention group an evidence-based checklist with 13 clinical goals and 14 corresponding actions to guide care, every 6 hours, from study enrollment to organ retrieval. The control group provided or received usual care. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was loss of brain-dead potential donors to cardiac arrest at the individual level. A prespecified sensitivity analysis assessed the effect of adherence to the checklist in the intervention group. Results: Among the 1771 brain-dead potential donors screened in 63 hospitals, 1535 were included. These patients included 673 males (59.2%) and had a median (IQR) age of 51 (36.3-62.0) years. The main cause of brain injury was stroke (877 [57.1%]), followed by trauma (485 [31.6%]). Of the 63 hospitals, 31 (49.2%) were assigned to the intervention group (743 [48.4%] brain-dead potential donors) and 32 (50.8%) to the control group (792 [51.6%] brain-dead potential donors). Seventy potential donors (9.4%) at intervention hospitals and 117 (14.8%) at control hospitals met the primary outcome (risk ratio [RR], 0.70; 95% CI, 0.46-1.08; P = .11). The primary outcome rate was lower in those with adherence higher than 79.0% than in the control group (5.3% vs 14.8%; RR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.22-0.78; P = .006). Conclusions and Relevance: This cluster randomized clinical trial was inconclusive in determining whether the overall use of an evidence-based, goal-directed checklist reduced brain-dead potential donor loss to cardiac arrest. The findings suggest that use of such a checklist has limited effectiveness without adherence to the actions recommended in this checklist. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03179020.

Brazilian guidelines for the management of brain-dead potential organ donors. The task force of the Associação de Medicina Intensiva Brasileira, Associação Brasileira de Transplantes de Órgãos, Brazilian Research in Critical Care Network, and the General Coordination of the National Transplant System. / Diretrizes brasileiras para o manejo de potenciais doadores de órgãos em morte encefálica. Uma força-tarefa composta por Associação de Medicina Intensiva Brasileira, Associação Brasileira de Transplantes de Órgãos, Brazilian Research in Critical Care Network e Coordenação Geral do Sistema Nacional de Transplantes.

OBJECTIVE: To contribute to updating the recommendations for brain-dead potential organ donor management. METHODS: A group of 27 experts, including intensivists, transplant coordinators, transplant surgeons, and epidemiologists, answered questions related to the following topics were divided into mechanical ventilation, hemodynamics, endocrine-metabolic management, infection, body temperature, blood transfusion, and checklists use. The outcomes considered were cardiac arrests, number of organs removed or transplanted as well as function / survival of transplanted organs. The quality of evidence of the recommendations was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system to classify the recommendations. RESULTS: A total of 19 recommendations were drawn from the expert panel. Of these, 7 were classified as strong, 11 as weak and 1 was considered a good clinical practice. CONCLUSION: Despite the agreement among panel members on most recommendations, the grade of recommendation was mostly weak.

OBJETIVO: Fornecer recomendações para nortear o manejo clínico do potencial doador em morte encefálica. MÉTODOS: O presente documento foi formulado em dois painéis compostos por uma força tarefa integrada por 27 especialistas de diferentes áreas que responderam a questões dirigidas aos seguintes temas: ventilação mecânica, hemodinâmica, suporte endócrino-metabólico, infecção, temperatura corporal, transfusão sanguínea, e uso de checklists. Os desfechos considerados foram: parada cardíaca, número de órgãos retirados ou transplantados e função/sobrevida dos órgãos transplantados. A qualidade das evidências das recomendações foi avaliada pelo sistema Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation. RESULTADOS: Foram geradas 19 recomendações a partir do painel de especialistas. Dessas, 7 foram classificadas como fortes, 11 fracas e uma foi considerada boa prática clínica. CONCLUSÃO: Apesar da concordância entre os membros do painel em relação à maior parte das recomendações, o grau de recomendação é fraco em sua maioria.

Diretrizes brasileiras para o manejo de potenciais doadores de órgãos em morte encefálica. Uma força-tarefa composta por Associação de Medicina Intensiva Brasileira, Associação Brasileira de Transplantes de Órgãos, Brazilian Research in Critical Care Network e Coordenação Geral do Sistema Nacional de Transplantes / Brazilian guidelines for the management of brain-dead potential organ donors. The task force of the Associação de Medicina Intensiva Brasileira, Associação Brasileira de Transplantes de Órgãos, Brazilian Research in Critical Care Network, and the General Coordination of the National Transplant System

RESUMO Objetivo: Fornecer recomendações para nortear o manejo clínico do potencial doador em morte encefálica. Métodos: O presente documento foi formulado em dois painéis compostos por uma força tarefa integrada por 27 especialistas de diferentes áreas que responderam a questões dirigidas aos seguintes temas: ventilação mecânica, hemodinâmica, suporte endócrino-metabólico, infecção, temperatura corporal, transfusão sanguínea, e uso de checklists. Os desfechos considerados foram: parada cardíaca, número de órgãos retirados ou transplantados e função/sobrevida dos órgãos transplantados. A qualidade das evidências das recomendações foi avaliada pelo sistema Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation. Resultados: Foram geradas 19 recomendações a partir do painel de especialistas. Dessas, 7 foram classificadas como fortes, 11 fracas e uma foi considerada boa prática clínica. Conclusão: Apesar da concordância entre os membros do painel em relação à maior parte das recomendações, o grau de recomendação é fraco em sua maioria.

Abstract Objective: To contribute to updating the recommendations for brain-dead potential organ donor management. Methods: A group of 27 experts, including intensivists, transplant coordinators, transplant surgeons, and epidemiologists, answered questions related to the following topics were divided into mechanical ventilation, hemodynamics, endocrine-metabolic management, infection, body temperature, blood transfusion, and checklists use. The outcomes considered were cardiac arrests, number of organs removed or transplanted as well as function / survival of transplanted organs. The quality of evidence of the recommendations was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system to classify the recommendations. Results: A total of 19 recommendations were drawn from the expert panel. Of these, 7 were classified as strong, 11 as weak and 1 was considered a good clinical practice. Conclusion: Despite the agreement among panel members on most recommendations, the grade of recommendation was mostly weak.

Brazilian guidelines for the management of brain-dead potential organ donors. The task force of the AMIB, ABTO, BRICNet, and the General Coordination of the National Transplant System.

OBJECTIVE: To contribute to updating the recommendations for brain-dead potential organ donor management. METHOD: A group of 27 experts, including intensivists, transplant coordinators, transplant surgeons, and epidemiologists, joined a task force formed by the General Coordination Office of the National Transplant System/Brazilian Ministry of Health (CGSNT-MS), the Brazilian Association of Intensive Care Medicine (AMIB), the Brazilian Association of Organ Transplantation (ABTO), and the Brazilian Research in Intensive Care Network (BRICNet). The questions were developed within the scope of the 2011 Brazilian Guidelines for Management of Adult Potential Multiple-Organ Deceased Donors. The topics were divided into mechanical ventilation, hemodynamic support, endocrine-metabolic management, infection, body temperature, blood transfusion, and use of checklists. The outcomes considered for decision-making were cardiac arrest, number of organs recovered or transplanted per donor, and graft function/survival. Rapid systematic reviews were conducted, and the quality of evidence of the recommendations was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Two expert panels were held in November 2016 and February 2017 to classify the recommendations. A systematic review update was performed in June 2020, and the recommendations were reviewed through a Delphi process with the panelists between June and July 2020. RESULTS: A total of 19 recommendations were drawn from the expert panel. Of these, 7 were classified as strong (lung-protective ventilation strategy, vasopressors and combining arginine vasopressin to control blood pressure, antidiuretic hormones to control polyuria, serum potassium and magnesium control, and antibiotic use), 11 as weak (alveolar recruitment maneuvers, low-dose dopamine, low-dose corticosteroids, thyroid hormones, glycemic and serum sodium control, nutritional support, body temperature control or hypothermia, red blood cell transfusion, and goal-directed protocols), and 1 was considered a good clinical practice (volemic expansion). CONCLUSION: Despite the agreement among panel members on most recommendations, the grade of recommendation was mostly weak. The observed lack of robust evidence on the topic highlights the importance of the present guideline to improve the management of brain-dead potential organ donors.

Statistical analysis plan for a cluster-randomised trial assessing the effectiveness of implementation of a bedside evidence-based checklist for clinical management of brain-dead potential organ donors in intensive care units: DONORS (Donation Network to Optimise Organ Recovery Study).

BACKGROUND: The quality of clinical care of brain-dead potential organ donors may help reduce donor losses caused by irreversible or unreversed cardiac arrest and increase the number of organs donated. We sought to determine whether an evidence-based, goal-directed checklist for donor management in intensive care units (ICUs) can reduce donor losses to cardiac arrest. METHODS/DESIGN: The DONORS study is a multicentre, cluster-randomised controlled trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio designed to compare an intervention group (goal-directed checklist for brain-dead potential organ donor management) with a control group (standard ICU care). The primary outcome is loss of potential donors due to cardiac arrest. Secondary outcomes are the number of actual organ donors and the number of solid organs recovered per actual donor. Exploratory outcomes include the achievement of relevant clinical goals during the management of brain-dead potential organ donors. The present statistical analysis plan (SAP) describes all primary statistical procedures that will be used to evaluate the results and perform exploratory and sensitivity analyses of the trial. DISCUSSION: The SAP of the DONORS study aims to describe its analytic procedures, enhancing the transparency of the study. At the moment of SAP subsmission, 63 institutions have been randomised and were enrolling study participants. Thus, the analyses reported herein have been defined before the end of the study recruitment and database locking. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03179020. Registered on 7 June 2017.

Diagnosis of brain death in Brazil. / Determinação da morte encefálica no Brasil.

Brain death, defined as the complete and irreversible loss of brain functions, has a history that is linked to the emergence of intensive care units and the advancement of artificial ventilatory support. In Brazil, by federal law, the criteria for the diagnosis of brain death have been defined by the Federal Council of Medicine since 1997 and apply to the entire Brazilian territory. Resolution 2,173/2017 of the Federal Council of Medicine updated the criteria for diagnosing brain death. These changes include the following: the requirement for the patient to meet specific physiological prerequisites and for the physician to provide optimized care to the patient before starting the procedures for diagnosing brain death and to perform complementary tests, as well as the need for specific training for physicians who make this diagnosis. Other changes include the reduction of the time interval between the two clinical examinations, the possibility of continuing procedures in the presence of unilateral ear or eye injury, the performance of a single apnea test and the creation of a statement of brain death determination that includes the recording of all procedures in a single document. This document, despite the controversy surrounding it, increases the safety necessary when establishing a diagnosis of such importance and has positive implications that extend beyond the patient and the physician to reach the entire health system.

Definida como a perda completa e irreversível das funções encefálicas, a morte encefálica tem sua história vinculada ao surgimento das unidades de terapia intensiva e do avanço do suporte ventilatório artificial. No Brasil, por determinação de lei federal, os critérios para determinação da morte encefálica são definidos pelo Conselho Federal de Medicina desde 1997, sendo válidos para todo o território nacional. A resolução 2.173/2017 do Conselho Federal de Medicina atualizou a metodologia para determinação da morte encefálica. Fazem parte dessas mudanças: a obrigatoriedade da observação de pré-requisitos fisiológicos, do atendimento otimizado ao paciente antes de iniciar os procedimentos para determinar a morte encefálica e da realização de exames complementares, bem como a necessidade de capacitação específica dos médicos que realizam tal diagnóstico. Também fazem parte das novidades a redução do intervalo de tempo entre os dois exames clínicos, a possibilidade de prosseguir os procedimentos mediante lesão unilateral de olho ou ouvido, a realização de um único teste de apneia e a criação de um termo de determinação de morte encefálica que contempla o registro de todos os procedimentos em um documento único. É evidente, nesse documento, ainda que existam controvérsias, o aprimoramento da segurança para definição de um diagnóstico de tamanha importância, com implicações positivas que se estendem para além do paciente e do médico, e abrangem todo o sistema de saúde.

Determinação da morte encefálica no Brasil / Diagnosis of brain death in Brazil

RESUMO Definida como a perda completa e irreversível das funções encefálicas, a morte encefálica tem sua história vinculada ao surgimento das unidades de terapia intensiva e do avanço do suporte ventilatório artificial. No Brasil, por determinação de lei federal, os critérios para determinação da morte encefálica são definidos pelo Conselho Federal de Medicina desde 1997, sendo válidos para todo o território nacional. A resolução 2.173/2017 do Conselho Federal de Medicina atualizou a metodologia para determinação da morte encefálica. Fazem parte dessas mudanças: a obrigatoriedade da observação de pré-requisitos fisiológicos, do atendimento otimizado ao paciente antes de iniciar os procedimentos para determinar a morte encefálica e da realização de exames complementares, bem como a necessidade de capacitação específica dos médicos que realizam tal diagnóstico. Também fazem parte das novidades a redução do intervalo de tempo entre os dois exames clínicos, a possibilidade de prosseguir os procedimentos mediante lesão unilateral de olho ou ouvido, a realização de um único teste de apneia e a criação de um termo de determinação de morte encefálica que contempla o registro de todos os procedimentos em um documento único. É evidente, nesse documento, ainda que existam controvérsias, o aprimoramento da segurança para definição de um diagnóstico de tamanha importância, com implicações positivas que se estendem para além do paciente e do médico, e abrangem todo o sistema de saúde.

ABSTRACT Brain death, defined as the complete and irreversible loss of brain functions, has a history that is linked to the emergence of intensive care units and the advancement of artificial ventilatory support. In Brazil, by federal law, the criteria for the diagnosis of brain death have been defined by the Federal Council of Medicine since 1997 and apply to the entire Brazilian territory. Resolution 2,173/2017 of the Federal Council of Medicine updated the criteria for diagnosing brain death. These changes include the following: the requirement for the patient to meet specific physiological prerequisites and for the physician to provide optimized care to the patient before starting the procedures for diagnosing brain death and to perform complementary tests, as well as the need for specific training for physicians who make this diagnosis. Other changes include the reduction of the time interval between the two clinical examinations, the possibility of continuing procedures in the presence of unilateral ear or eye injury, the performance of a single apnea test and the creation of a statement of brain death determination that includes the recording of all procedures in a single document. This document, despite the controversy surrounding it, increases the safety necessary when establishing a diagnosis of such importance and has positive implications that extend beyond the patient and the physician to reach the entire health system.

DONORS (Donation Network to Optimise Organ Recovery Study): Study protocol to evaluate the implementation of an evidence-based checklist for brain-dead potential organ donor management in intensive care units, a cluster randomised trial.

INTRODUCTION: There is an increasing demand for multi-organ donors for organ transplantation programmes. This study protocol describes the Donation Network to Optimise Organ Recovery Study, a planned cluster randomised controlled trial that aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of an evidence-based, goal-directed checklist for brain-dead potential organ donor management in intensive care units (ICUs) in reducing the loss of potential donors due to cardiac arrest. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study will include ICUs of at least 60 Brazilian sites with an average of ≥10 annual notifications of valid potential organ donors. Hospitals will be randomly assigned (with a 1:1 allocation ratio) to the intervention group, which will involve the implementation of an evidence-based, goal-directed checklist for potential organ donor maintenance, or the control group, which will maintain the usual care practices of the ICU. Team members from all participating ICUs will receive training on how to conduct family interviews for organ donation. The primary outcome will be loss of potential donors due to cardiac arrest. Secondary outcomes will include the number of actual organ donors and the number of organs recovered per actual donor. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The institutional review board (IRB) of the coordinating centre and of each participating site individually approved the study. We requested a waiver of informed consent for the IRB of each site. Study results will be disseminated to the general medical community through publications in peer-reviewed medical journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03179020; Pre-results.

Lung transplantation and organ allocation in Brazil: necessity or utility.

The philosophy of organ allocation is the result of two seemingly irreconcilable principles: utilitarianism and distributive justice. The process of organ donation and transplantation in Brazil reveals large inequalities between regions and units of the Federation, from the harvesting of organs to their implantation. In this context, lung transplantation is performed in only a few centers in the country and is still a treatment with limited long-term results. The allocation of the few organs harvested for the few procedures performed is defined mainly by chronology, a criterion that is not linked to necessity, which is a criterion of distributive justice, and neither to utility, a criterion of utilitarianism. This article reviews the organ allocation philosophy focusing on the case of lung transplantations in Brazil.

Lung transplantation and organ allocation in Brazil: necessity or utility / Transplante de pulmão e alocação de órgãos no Brasil: necessidade ou utilidade

ABSTRACT The philosophy of organ allocation is the result of two seemingly irreconcilable principles: utilitarianism and distributive justice. The process of organ donation and transplantation in Brazil reveals large inequalities between regions and units of the Federation, from the harvesting of organs to their implantation. In this context, lung transplantation is performed in only a few centers in the country and is still a treatment with limited long-term results. The allocation of the few organs harvested for the few procedures performed is defined mainly by chronology, a criterion that is not linked to necessity, which is a criterion of distributive justice, and neither to utility, a criterion of utilitarianism. This article reviews the organ allocation philosophy focusing on the case of lung transplantations in Brazil.

RESUMO A filosofia da alocação de órgãos é resultado de duas vertentes aparentemente inconciliáveis: utilitarismo e justiça distributiva. O processo de doação e transplante de órgãos no Brasil revela grandes desigualdades entre regiões e unidades da federação, desde a captação de órgãos até o implante dos órgãos. Nesse contexto, o transplante de pulmão é realizado em poucos centros no país e ainda é um tratamento, cujos resultados de longo prazo são limitados. A alocação dos poucos órgãos captados para os poucos procedimentos realizados é definida principalmente por meio da cronologia, um critério que nem é vinculado à necessidade, critério da justiça distributiva, e nem à utilidade, critério do utilitarismo. O presente artigo revisa a filosofia da alocação de órgãos com enfoque no caso dos transplantes de pulmão no Brasil.

[Liver transplants and organ allocation in Brazil: from Rawls to utilitarianism]. / Transplante de fígado e alocação dos órgãos no Brasil: entre Rawls e o utilitarismo.

The process of liver donations and transplants in Brazil reveals major inequalities between regions and states of the country, ranging from uptake of the organs to their transplantation. In 2006, the MELD score (Model for End-stage Liver Disease), inspired by the U.S. model and based on the principle of need, was introduced in Brazil for liver transplant allocation. However, Brazil's inequalities have partially undermined the initiative's success. Other countries have already benefited from growing discussion on the benefits of models that seek to harmonize utilitarianism and need. The current article reviews the relevant literature with a special focus on the Brazilian reality.

O processo de doação e transplante hepático no Brasil revela grandes desigualdades entre regiões e Unidades da Federação, desde a captação de órgãos até o implante do fígado. Em 2006, o escore MELD (Model for End-stage Liver Disease), inspirado no modelo estadunidense e baseado no princípio da necessidade, foi introduzido no Brasil para a alocação de fígado. Porém, as desigualdades no nosso país têm comprometido, parcialmente, o sucesso dessa iniciativa. Em outros países, já se presencia uma crescente discussão sobre o benefício de modelos que tentam harmonizar utilitarismo e necessidade. O presente artigo revisa a literatura pertinente com um foco especial na realidade brasileira.

El proceso de donación y trasplante hepático en Brasil revela grandes desigualdades entre regiones y unidades de la federación, desde la captación del órgano hasta el implante del mismo. En 2006, el marcador MELD (Model for End-stage Liver Disease), inspirado en el modelo estadounidense, y basado en el principio de necesidad, fue incorporado en Brasil para la asignación en trasplantes de hígado. No obstante, las desigualdades en nuestro país han comprometido, parcialmente, el éxito de esta iniciativa. En otros países, ya se vive una creciente discusión sobre el beneficio de modelos que intentan armonizar utilitarismo y necesidad. Este artículo revisa la literatura pertinente, centrándose especialmente en la realidad brasileña.

Guidelines for the assessment and acceptance of potential brain-dead organ donors. / Diretrizes para avaliação e validação do potencial doador de órgãos em morte encefálica.

Organ transplantation is the only alternative for many patients with terminal diseases. The increasing disproportion between the high demand for organ transplants and the low rate of transplants actually performed is worrisome. Some of the causes of this disproportion are errors in the identification of potential organ donors and in the determination of contraindications by the attending staff. Therefore, the aim of the present document is to provide guidelines for intensive care multi-professional staffs for the recognition, assessment and acceptance of potential organ donors.

Diretrizes para avaliação e validação do potencial doador de órgãos em morte encefálica / Guidelines for the assessment and acceptance of potential brain-dead organ donors

RESUMO O transplante de órgãos é a única alternativa para muitos pacientes portadores de algumas doenças terminais. Ao mesmo tempo, é preocupante a crescente desproporção entre a alta demanda por transplantes de órgãos e o baixo índice de transplantes efetivados. Dentre as diferentes causas que alimentam essa desproporção, estão os equívocos na identificação do potencial doador de órgãos e as contraindicações mal atribuídas pela equipe assistente. Assim, o presente documento pretende fornecer subsídios à equipe multiprofissional da terapia intensiva para o reconhecimento, a avaliação e a validação do potencial doador de órgãos.

ABSTRACT Organ transplantation is the only alternative for many patients with terminal diseases. The increasing disproportion between the high demand for organ transplants and the low rate of transplants actually performed is worrisome. Some of the causes of this disproportion are errors in the identification of potential organ donors and in the determination of contraindications by the attending staff. Therefore, the aim of the present document is to provide guidelines for intensive care multi-professional staffs for the recognition, assessment and acceptance of potential organ donors.

Inhalation injury after exposure to indoor fire and smoke: The Brazilian disaster experience.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the pre-hospital, emergency department, and intensive care unit (ICU) care and prognosis of patients with inhalation injury after exposure to indoor fire and smoke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective observational cohort study that includes patients admitted to seven ICUs after a fire disaster. The following data were collected: demographic characteristics; use of fiberoptic bronchoscopy; degree of inhalation injury; percentage of burned body surface area; mechanical ventilation parameters; and subsequent events during ICU stay. Patients were followed to determine the ICU and hospital mortality rates. RESULTS: Within 24h of the incident, 68 patients were admitted to seven ICUs. The patients were young and had no comorbidities. Most patients (n=35; 51.5%) only had an inhalation injury. The mean ventilator-free days for patients with an inhalation injury degree of 0 or I was 12.5±8.1 days. For patients with an inhalation injury degree of II or III, the mean ventilator-free days was 9.4±5.8 days (p=0.12). In terms of the length of ICU stay for patients with degrees 0 or I, and patients with degrees II or III, the median was 7.0 days (5.0-8.0 days) and 12.0 days (8.0-23.0 days) (p<0.001), respectively. In addition, patients with a larger percentage of burned surface areas also had a longer ICU stay; however, no association with ventilator-free days was found. The patients with <10% of burned body surface area showed a mean of 9.2±5.4 ventilator-free days. The mean ventilator-free days for patients who had >10% burned body surface area was 11.9±9.5 (p=0.26). The length of ICU stay for the <10% and >10% burned body surface area patients was 7.0 days (5.0-10.0 days) and 23.0 days (11.5-25.5 days) (p<0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that burn patients with inhalation injuries have different courses of disease, which are mainly determined by the percentage of burned body surface area.

Câncer colorretal em Caxias do Sul / Colorectal cancer in Caxias do Sul

Os autores realizaram uma pesquisa retrospectiva dos casos de câncer colorretal, nos laboratórios de patologia, na cidade de Caxias do Sul, nos laboratórios de patologia na cidade de Caxias do Sul. No período de janeiro de 1989 à dezembro de 1993, dos 245 casos encontrados, foram analisados os seguintes dados: número de casos por ano, faixas etárias, distribuiçao por sexo, relaçao biópsia/peça cirúrgica, tipo histológico, localizaçao anatômica, estadiamento, comprometimento ganglionar e tratamento cirúrgico. Concluiu-se que essa doença ocorre com maior freqüência a partir dos 60 anos de idade, localiza-se na regiao reto-sigmóide em mais de 60 por cento dos casos, o adenocarcinoma é do tipo histológico mais freqüente (96,7 por cento) e apenas 11,7 por cento desses casos sao Dukes "A".

Câncer gástrico em Caxias do Sul / Gastric cancer in Caxias do Sul

Os autores apresentam um levantamento retrospectivo de 296 casos de câncer gástrico diagnosticados durante os últimos 5 anos nos laboratórios de patologia da cidade de Caxias do Sul. Foram analisados os seguintes dados: número de casos por ano, faixa etária, grupo sexual, relaçao peças/biópsias, tipo histológico, localizaçao anatômica, estadiamento, comprometimento ganglionar e tipo de cirurgias dos casos operados. Desses 296 casos, só foi possível fazer o estudo de 146 casos, porque estavam acompanhados de espécimes cirúrgicas ressecadas. Das 146 peças cirúrgicas estudadas, apenas 18 (l2,32 por cento) eram superficiais e as demais 127 (87,7 por cento) eram tumores avançados, demonstrando que na Regiao de Caxias do Sul o câncer gástrico é, em aproximadamente 90 por cento dos casos diagnosticado tardiamente. É importante salientar que em 150 casos (50,7 por cento), o diagnóstico era proveniente de biópsias endoscópicas e nao estavam acompanhados de peças cirúrgicas, significando que, provavelmente, esses doentes nao foram operados na nossa regiao.