Do patients with inflammatory bowel disease really know what other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases they are diagnosed with?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The association of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) in the same patient is well known. We aimed to evaluate the degree of knowledge that patients with IBD have regarding the coexistence of other IMIDs and to analyze the factors associated with the concordance between self-reported and confirmed medical information. METHODS: Patients with IBD at a tertiary hospital answered a questionnaire on the presence of 54 IMIDs (self-reported diagnosis), and their IMID diagnosis was confirmed in their medical records (reference diagnosis). Agreement between the self-reported IMID and the IMID according to medical records was evaluated. The association between concordance and different predictors was evaluated using logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 1,620 patients were included. Six hundred and twenty-six (39%) patients were diagnosed with at least one IMID, and 177 (11%) with two or more. Overall agreement between patients´ self-report and medical records was k:0.61. When we grouped IMIDs according to affected organs or systems, agreement on rheumatic IMIDs was moderate (k:0.58), whereas agreement on cutaneous (k:0.66), endocrine (k: 0.74) and ocular (k:0.73) IMIDs was substantial. Among patients who had IMIDs, the factor associated with greater concordance was female gender, while lower concordance was associated with a lower educational level and the fact that the IMID had been diagnosed at the same time or later than IBD. CONCLUSION: The knowledge that patients with IBD have regarding the coexistence of other IMIDs is poor, especially in rheumatic IMIDs.

Sex-Related Differences in Heart Failure Diagnosis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The literature on the importance of sex in heart failure diagnosis is scarce. This review aims to summarize current knowledge on sex differences regarding the diagnosis of heart failure. RECENT FINDINGS: Comorbidities are frequent in patients with heart failure, and their prevalence differs between sexes; some differences in symptomatology and diagnostic imaging techniques were also found. Biomarkers also usually show differences between sexes but are not significant enough to establish sex-specific ranges. This article outlines current information related to sex differences in HF diagnosis. Research in this field remains to be done. Maintaining a high diagnostic suspicion, actively searching for the disease, and considering the sex is relevant for early diagnosis and better prognosis. In addition, more studies with equal representation are needed.

Association Between Use of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol and Postoperative Complications in Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty in the Postoperative Outcomes Within Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol in Elective Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Study (POWER2).

Importance: The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) care protocol has been shown to improve outcomes compared with traditional care in certain types of surgery. Objective: To assess the association of use of the ERAS protocols with complications in patients undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter, prospective cohort study included patients recruited from 131 centers in Spain from October 22 through December 22, 2018. All consecutive adults scheduled for elective THA or TKA were eligible for inclusion. Patients were stratified between those treated in a self-designated ERAS center (ERAS group) and those treated in a non-ERAS center (non-ERAS group). Data were analyzed from June 15 through September 15, 2019. Exposures: Total hip or knee arthroplasty and perioperative management. Sixteen individual ERAS items were assessed in all included patients, whether they were treated at a center that was part of an established ERAS protocol or not. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was postoperative complications within 30 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes included length of stay and mortality. Results: During the 2-month recruitment period, 6146 patients were included (3580 women [58.2%]; median age, 71 [interquartile range (IQR), 63-76] years). Of these, 680 patients (11.1%) presented with postoperative complications. No differences were found in the number of patients with overall postoperative complications between ERAS and non-ERAS groups (163 [10.2%] vs 517 [11.4%]; odds ratio [OR], 0.89; 95% CI, 0.74-1.07; P = .22). Fewer patients in the ERAS group had moderate to severe complications (73 [4.6%] vs 279 [6.1%]; OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.56-0.96; P = .02). The median overall adherence rate with the ERAS protocol was 50.0% (IQR, 43.8%-62.5%), with the rate for ERAS facilities being 68.8% (IQR, 56.2%-81.2%) vs 50.0% (IQR, 37.5%-56.2%) at non-ERAS centers (P < .001). Among the patients with the highest and lowest quartiles of adherence to ERAS components, the patients with the highest adherence had fewer overall postoperative complications (144 [10.6%] vs 270 [13.0%]; OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.64-0.99; P < .001) and moderate to severe postoperative complications (59 [4.4%] vs 143 [6.9%]; OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.45-0.84; P < .001) and shorter median length of hospital stay (4 [IQR, 3-5] vs 5 [IQR, 4-6] days; OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.96-0.99; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: An increase in adherence to the ERAS program was associated with a decrease in postoperative complications, although only a few ERAS items were individually associated with improved outcomes.

El levetiracetam puede disminuir la dosis de desmopresina en niños con diabetes insípida / Levetiracetam can decrease desmopressin requirement in children with diabetes insipidus

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The ratio of leaf to total photosynthetic area influences shade survival and plastic response to light of green-stemmed leguminous shrub seedlings.

Different plant species and organs within a plant differ in their plastic response to light. These responses influence their performance and survival in relation to the light environment, which may range from full sunlight to deep shade. Plasticity, especially with regard to physiological features, is linked to a greater capacity to exploit high light and is usually low in shade-tolerant species. Among photosynthetic organs, green stems, which represent a large fraction of the total photosynthetic area of certain species, are hypothesized to be less capable of adjustment to light than leaves, because of biomechanical and hydraulic constraints. The response to light by leaves and stems of six species of leguminous, green-stemmed shrubs from dry and high-light environments was studied by growing seedlings in three light environments: deep shade, moderate shade and sun (3, 30 and 100 % of full sunlight, respectively). Survival in deep shade ranged from 2 % in Retama sphaerocarpa to 74 % in Ulex europaeus. Survival was maximal at moderate shade in all species, ranging from 80 to 98 %. The six species differed significantly in their ratio of leaf to total photosynthetic area, which influenced their light response. Survival in deep shade increased significantly with increasing ratio of leaf to total photosynthetic area, and decreased with increasing plasticity in net photosynthesis and dark respiration. Responses to light differed between stems and leaves within each species. Mean phenotypic plasticity for the variables leaf or stem specific mass, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll a/b ratio, and carotenoid to chlorophyll ratio of leaves, was inversely related to that of stems. Although mean plasticity of stems increased with the ratio of leaf to total photosynthetic area, the mean plasticity of leaves decreased. Shrubs with green stems and a low ratio of leaf to total photosynthetic area are expected to be restricted to well-lit habitats, at least during the seedling stage, owing to their inefficient light capture and the low plasticity of their stems.