Prevalencia de síndrome de burnout en un centro de cirugía académico-asistencial público en Chile / Prevalence of burnout syndrome in a center for academic-public surgery assistance in Chile

Resumen Objetivo: Evaluar el grado de Síndrome de Burnout en el quehacer de los médicos del Servicio de Cirugía Hospital Hernán Henríquez Aravena y Departamento de Cirugía de la Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile, valorando los niveles de agotamiento emocional, realización personal y despersonalización. Material y Método: Estudio de corte transversal. Se incluyeron 19 internos de medicina, 11 residentes de cirugía y 15 cirujanos pertenecientes al Servicio de Cirugía del Hospital Hernán Henríquez Aravena y Departamento de Cirugía de la Universidad de La Frontera. Instrumento aplicado: cuestionario MBI. Se realizó cálculo de medidas de tendencia central y porcentaje, así como comparación de variables a través de t de Student y valores de coeficientes de alfa de Cronbach. Resultados: Respecto a la escala de MBI, la prevalencia global del síndrome fue del 64,4%, mientras que, por dimensiones, el cansancio emocional mostró una prevalencia del 76%; la baja realización personal en el trabajo, el 55%, y la despersonalización el 62%. Se obtuvo diferencias estadísticamente significativas en cansancio emocional y despersonalización según variables sociodemográficas: hombres y mujeres, solteros y casados, sujetos sin hijos y con hijos, si hace o no turnos de urgencia, obteniendo niveles más altos en las mujeres, en solteros, en sujetos sin hijos y los que hacen turnos de urgencia. Conclusión: Se acepta que el factor central desencadenante es el excesivo agotamiento emocional que gradualmente lleva a un estado de distanciamiento emocional y cognitivo en sus actividades diarias, con la consecuente incapacidad de responder a las demandas del servicio. En este distanciamiento ocurre una despersonalización, indiferencia, y actitudes vinculadas al sarcasmo y la ironía hacia las responsabilidades o hacia las personas, una tendencia de no creer en la sinceridad del ser humano. Por tanto se deben tomar medidas para intentar reducir la prevalencia de este síndrome, principalmente en nuestros internos y residentes.

Aim: To assess the degree of emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment and depersonalization in the work of physicians of the Hospital Hernán Henríquez Aravena surgery service and department of surgery of the Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile. Material and Method: Cross-sectional study. 19 medical interns, 11 surgical residents and 15 surgeons of Hernán Henríquez Aravena Hospital and surgery department of Universidad de La Frontera were included. Applied instrument: MBI questionnaire in its adaptation of the Spanish population. Calculation of measures of central tendency and percentage, as well as comparison of variables through t Student and values of Cronbach's alpha coefficients were performed. Results: Regarding the MBI scale, the overall prevalence of the syndrome was 64.4%, whereas, by dimensions, emotional exhaustion showed a prevalence of 76%; Low personal accomplishment at work, 55%, and depersonalization 62%. Statistically significant differences were found in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization according to socio-demographic variables: men and women, single and married, subjects without children and with children, whether or not they take emergency room shifts, obtaining higher levels in women, unmarried, subjects without children and those who take emergency shifts. Conclusions: It is accepted that the central triggering factor is the high emotional exhaustion that gradually leads to a state of emotional and cognitive distancing in their daily activities, with the consequent inability to respond to demands of the service. In this distancing occurs depersonalization, indifference and cynical attitudes toward responsibilities or towards people. Therefore, measures should be taken to try to reduce the prevalence of this syndrome in our medical interns and residents, mainly.

Increased rate of renal transplant failure in patients with the G20210A mutation of the prothrombin gene.

In patients with thrombophilia caused by reduced physiological anticoagulation, renal transplant failure occurs more frequently. Previous studies showed the importance of the protein C system, a physiological anticoagulatory pathway that inhibits thrombus formation. However, excess activation of the hemostatic system also may result in thrombosis. The G20210A mutation in the prothrombin gene is such a prothrombotic risk factor that results in increased thrombus formation because of elevated factor II levels in plasma. We analyzed graft function in 270 consecutive patients who received 311 renal transplants. The presence of a normal or mutated prothrombin allele was determined by polymerase chain reaction amplification and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of genomic DNA. Demographic data were extracted from hospital records. Graft survival was calculated for patients with and without the G20210A mutation. We identified 9 patients heterozygous for the G20210A mutation in the prothrombin gene who had received a total of 12 renal transplants. Of these 12 transplants, 2 grafts were lost within the first year. Median graft survival for patients heterozygous for the 20210A allele was 65.9 months (range, 0 to 101 months) compared with 149 months (range, 0 to 237 months) for patients homozygous for the normal 20210 G allele (P = 0.02). The G20210A mutation represented a 2.95-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 8.46) increase in risk for graft loss. Only 1 patient with this mutation achieved graft function exceeding 101 months. The G20210A mutation of the prothrombin gene is an independent risk factor for graft failure.

CC chemokine receptor 5 and renal-transplant survival.

BACKGROUND: About 1% of white populations are homozygous carriers of an allele of the gene for the CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) with a 32 bp deletion (CCR5Delta32), which leads to an inactive receptor. During acute and chronic transplant rejection, ligands for CCR5 are upregulated, and the graft is infiltrated by CCR5-positive mononuclear cells. We therefore investigated the influence of CCR5Delta32 on renal-transplant survival. METHODS: Genomic DNA from peripheral-blood leucocytes of 1227 renal-transplant recipients was screened by PCR for the presence of CCR5Delta32. Demographic and clinical data were extracted from hospital records. Complete follow-up data were available for 576 recipients of first renal transplants. Graft survival was analysed by Fisher's exact test and Kaplan-Meier plots compared with a log-rank test. FINDINGS: PCR identified 21 patients homozygous for CCR5Delta32 (frequency 1.7%). One patient died with a functioning graft. Only one of the remaining patients lost transplant function during follow-up (median 7.2 years) compared with 78 of the 555 patients with a homozygous wild-type or heterozygous CCR5Delta32 genotype. Graft survival was significantly longer in the homozygous CCR5Delta32 group than in the control group (log-rank p=0.033; hazard ratio 0.367 [95% CI 0.157-0.859]). INTERPRETATION: Patients homozygous for CCR5Delta32 show longer survival of renal transplants than those with other genotypes, suggesting a pathophysiological role for CCR5 in transplant loss. This receptor may be a useful target for the prevention of transplant loss.

Impact of humoral alloreactivity early after transplantation on the long-term survival of renal allografts.

BACKGROUND: The contribution of humoral alloreactivity to the rejection of renal allografts is not well defined because humoral antigraft reactions are not easily detectable in transplant biopsies, and serial measurements of circulating allo-antibodies in the post-transplantation period are not routinely performed. We have developed diagnostic techniques that improve the assessment of humoral alloreactivity in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: Humoral alloreactivity in transplant biopsies derived from 218 single kidney grafts was detected by assessing the deposition of complement fragment C4d in interstitial capillaries. Circulating alloantibodies were determined in corresponding serum samples by flow cytometry using lymphoblastoid cell lines of donor DR-type as target cells and by a conventional microcytotoxicity test. The impact of capillary C4d and other selected variables on renal graft survival was calculated by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Capillary C4d, present in 46% of biopsies from first grafts and 72% of regrafts, is related to circulating alloantibodies. Grafts with capillary C4d have a markedly shorter survival than grafts without capillary C4d (50% graft survival, 4 vs. 8 years, P = 0.0001). Among several risk factors, capillary C4d is the strongest predictor of subsequent graft loss in a multivariate analysis (relative risk, 2.1, 95% CI, 1.4 to 3.1). Humoral alloreactivity detectable within six months after transplantation has a much stronger impact on graft survival than alloreactivity detected beyond this period. CONCLUSIONS: Humoral alloreactivity, manifested by the capillary deposition of complement C4d in about 50% of biopsied renal grafts, exerts a strong impact on graft survival when it operates within six months after transplantation.

Hyperimmunoglobulin prophylaxis, monitoring and preemptive ganciclovir treatment eliminate the risk of CMV infection to improve patient and renal allograft survival.

This study was designed to investigate whether the introduction of ganciclovir to clinical use for anti-CMV treatment changes the risk of CMV infection in renal transplant patients. A total of 1545 cases who had received cadaveric renal transplants were divided into two groups: group 1 (n = 721) was made up of patients who received their transplants within 6 years before the introduction (1991) of ganciclovir and group 2 (n = 824), of individuals transplanted thereafter. Patient and graft survival of CMV D+/R- patients was uni- and multivariately compared with non-CMV D+/R- patients. In CMV D+/R- patients in group 1, survival was significantly lower, and their relative risk for graft loss was 1.32-fold (P = 0.0483) that of non-CMV D+/R- patients. In group 2 patient and graft survival was identical regardless of whether the patients were at risk for CMV infection or not. The risk of CMV infection can be eliminated by hyperimmunoglobulin prophylaxis, CMV monitoring and preemptive ganciclovir treatment in renal transplant patients.

Mycophenolate mofetil-based, cyclosporine-free induction and maintenance immunosuppression: first-3-months analysis of efficacy and safety in two cohorts of renal allograft recipients.

BACKGROUND: The currently used macrolide immunosuppressants, i.e., cyclosporine and tacrolimus, exert considerable nephrotoxicity. We aimed to avoid the nephrotoxic effects by applying a cyclosporine-free regimen for the induction as well as for the maintenance treatment of renal allograft recipients using mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) as the primary immunosuppressant. METHODS: Thirteen patients were converted from cyclosporine (CsA) to MMF monotherapy. For 4 weeks, MMF (2 g/day) was added to the CsA treatment, before CsA was tapered by weekly steps of 25 mg/day and without "safeguard treatment" with additional immunosuppressants. In a second approach, 12 patients older than 50 years, and receiving a renal graft from a donor older than 50 years, were treated primarily with MMF combined with steroids and an induction therapy using antithymocyte globulin, and without the addition of CsA. RESULTS: Thirteen long-term renal transplant patients could be converted from CsA to MMF monotherapy. Conversion resulted in an immediate and long-lasting improvement of their median creatinine values by 20%. No serious adverse events occurred. In the second cohort of 12 patients, MMF was used as the primary immunosuppressant. All patients are alive and no grafts were lost after 4 months (n= 12) and after 6 months (n=7). The median creatinine values achieved after 4 and 6 months were 1.16+/-0.25 and 1.30+/-0.21 mg/dl, respectively. One patient was converted to CsA because of a reversible rejection episode (8.3%), and another patient was converted because of cytomegalovirus disease. Major complications consisted of wound-healing disturbances (16.6%) and cytomegalovirus infections (41.6%). CONCLUSION: MMF monotherapy can be safely applied as long-term maintenance immunosuppression with improvement of renal function. Steroids are not required as an adjunct to MMF. MMF monotherapy, in the absence of drug-related nephrotoxicity, is particularly beneficial for grafts derived from marginal donors, such as donors of advanced age.

Aggressive treatment of the first acute rejection episode using first-line anti-lymphocytic preparation reduces further acute rejection episodes after human kidney transplantation.

The detrimental effect of acute rejection episodes on long-term outcome of renal allografts in cyclosporin-treated patients is well established, although has not been seen by all investigators. To analyse the possibility that aggressive treatment of the first episode may ameliorate this detrimental effect, we performed an open label, randomised prospective trial in cyclosporin-based, immunosuppressed recipients of postmortem renal allografts in order to compare two different treatment protocols during primary acute rejection episodes: (1) group 1 of 25 patients received 3 x 250 mg methylprednisolone (MP) i.v.; (2) group 2 of 25 patients received 7 x anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG)-Fresenius i.v. (4 mg/kg body weight). During a period of 4 years, the following clinical observations were made: (1) The incidence of an acute re-rejection episode was significantly reduced in the ATG-treated study group (16%) compared to the MP-treated study group (72%); (2) The severity of the first acute rejection episode (intensity of renal dysfunction measured in terms of 10-day creatinine area under curve) showed no significant difference between the groups (37 mg x 10-d/dl to 58 mg x 10-d/dl); and (3) The half-lives of allografts in both groups have not shown any significant differences so far. In conclusion, aggressive treatment of the first rejection episode of renal allografts with the use of ATG reduced the incidence of re-rejection episodes which, however, are not reflected so far by improvement of the 4-year survival rate of these allografts. Since it could be observed that re-rejection is an even worse predictor for chronic transplant failure, a better long-term outcome of renal allografts in ATG-treated patients may be expected during a longer observation period. The incidence of a third episode was also reduced in the ATG-treated group (0%) compared to the MP-treated group (12%).

Early loss of renal transplants in patients with thrombophilia.

BACKGROUND: We considered the possibility that thrombophilia may propagate graft thrombosis and therefore we evaluated the protein C system, which is a natural anticoagulant. Potential alterations in this system include protein C or protein S deficiency, inhibition through a lupus anticoagulant (LA), or a resistance to activated protein C due to the factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation. METHODS: One hundred thirty-two consecutive renal transplant patients, not known to have abnormal thrombostasis, in whom 1-year graft survival could be assessed, underwent laboratory testing for protein C or S activity, LA, and FVL. Transplant survival and demographic data were extracted from the hospital record. RESULTS: We identified 18 patients with thrombophilia (FVL, 10; LA, 6; protein S, 2) who had received a total of 28 renal transplants. Of these 28 transplant recipients, 11 transplants were lost within the first year, compared with 21 of 155 transplants to 114 patients without thrombophilia (P=0.0003). Median graft survival for patients with thrombophilia was 30 months (range: 0 to 166), compared with 86 months (range: 0 to 212) for patients without thrombophilia (P<0.01). The presence of thrombophilia represented a 3.5-fold (95% confidence interval, 2.3-5.3-fold) risk for 1-year graft loss. CONCLUSION: In this retrospective study, patients with thrombophilia had a significantly higher risk of early transplant failure. These data point toward a potential contribution of thrombophilia to transplant loss, a hypothesis that needs further study.

[Chronic transplant reaction of the kidney. A interphase cytogenetic and immunohistologic characterization of the involved cells in relation to donor and recipient origin]. / Die chronische Transplantatreaktion der Niere. Eine interphasezytogenetische und immunhistologische Charakterisierung der beteiligten Zellen bezüglich Spender- und Empfängerherkunft.

Chronic rejection is a major problem in contemporary kidney transplantation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether renal cells are repopulated by extra-renal cells over time or whether the graft remains permanently allogenic. We studied nine explanted allografted kidneys of sex-mismatched donors by means of non-isotopic in situ hybridization (NISH). We used biotinylated centromer-specific DNA probes of the human chromosomes Y and X. In a further step, monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against CD45, CD3, CD20, CD31, CD1a, S100, alpha-actin, factor Vill and UEA were used to analyse the various infiltrating cell types and the cells involved in allograft arteriopathy. In several cases NISH and immunohistochemistry were combined to facilitate the typing of cells. Our study showed that up to several years after transplantation the glomerular, tubular and endothelial cells retained donor origin. The only cells of recipient origin were the inflammatory cells, predominantly macrophages and T lymphocytes.

[Bladder drainage in pancreas transplantation--results of a consecutive series of 100 transplantations]. / Die Blasendrainage bei der Pankreastransplantation--Fazit einer konsekutiven Serie von 100 Transplantationen.

Simultaneous pancreas/kidney transplantation has become a therapeutic approach for patients with renal failure resulting from type-I diabetes mellitus. However, the appropriate route for drainage of the exocrine secretions of the pancreatic gland remains unclear. While bladder drainage is the current state of the art, it is associated with a high frequency of urologic complications like urinary tract infections, hematuria, metabolic acidosis, and reflux pancreatitis.