Introducción: La experiencia clínica ha permitido la ventilación no invasiva fuera de unidades críticas. Describimos el perfil clínico y evolución de pacientes que recibieron ventilación no invasiva en sala general. Material y... more
Introducción: La experiencia clínica ha permitido la ventilación no invasiva fuera de unidades críticas. Describimos el perfil clínico y evolución de pacientes que recibieron ventilación no invasiva en sala general. Material y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo en pacientes con soporte ventilatorio durante un año en un hospital general. Resultados: Se utilizó ventilación no invasiva en 43 pacientes, 67,4% con hipercapnia. La relación hombre/mujer fue 1:1. La edad y el IMC fueron 68,3 ± 12,4 años y 30,1 ± 12,3 kg/m2 y los diagnósticos principales, enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica, enfermedad neuromuscular y obesidad-hipoventilación. Un tercio inició la ventilación no invasiva en la unidad de cuidados intensivos, y dos tercios usaban ventilación no invasiva en domicilio antes del ingreso por exacerbación de la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (39,5%) o progresión de la enfermedad (14%). La estancia hospitalaria fue 12,1 ± 7 d (14 ± 9 en supervivientes y 5,7 ± 3 en pacient...
Research Interests: Medicine and Gynecology
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Objective: To determine the impact of factors which hamper the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in a private hospital. Methods: We conducted a retrospective telephonic survey of adults referred for treatment of OSA during a two... more
Objective: To determine the impact of factors which hamper the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in a private hospital. Methods: We conducted a retrospective telephonic survey of adults referred for treatment of OSA during a two year period. The questionnaire included data about health insurance system, type and methods of acquisition (purchase or rental) of the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) equipment, compliance with treatment and reasons for abandonment if it occurred.
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Multiple myeloma is a hematologic disease, which accounts for 15% of hematologic malignancies. The average age of onset is between 65-70 years and is very rare in young patients, as 2% are under 40 years old. We present a case of... more
Multiple myeloma is a hematologic disease, which accounts for 15% of hematologic malignancies. The average age of onset is between 65-70 years and is very rare in young patients, as 2% are under 40 years old. We present a case of 36-year-old women with history of 20 pack years (p/y) smoking, who complaints of dyspnea associated with signs of right cardiac overload, anemia, proteinuria, elevated acute phase reactants and spirometry pattern suggestive of moderately-severe restriction and severe drop in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO). Echocardiogram evidence dilated right heart cavities and signs of pulmonary hypertension which is confirmed by right heart catheterization. In search of the etiology we arrive to the diagnosis of multiple myeloma.
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Survival in Patients with Usual Interstitial Pneumonia Secondary to Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Connective Tissue Disease
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Indicators of Respiratory Polygraphy and their Relation with Anthropometric Parameters in Obesity Patients Evaluated for Bariatric Surgery Objective: To ass...
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Whipple's disease is a chronic mutisystem disease caused by the bacteria Tropherima whipplei. Approximately 1200 cases have been described in the literature. The worldwide incidence is estimated at 9.8 cases per million people. Data... more
Whipple's disease is a chronic mutisystem disease caused by the bacteria Tropherima whipplei. Approximately 1200 cases have been described in the literature. The worldwide incidence is estimated at 9.8 cases per million people. Data from South America and Europe show that it affects middle-aged males. It is believed that host immunological factors rather than agent genotypic traits influence the course of the infection. Since the clinical characteristics are usually nonspecific and the wide spectrum of manifestations in individual organs may be underestimated, the diagnosis remains challenging. We present a case with multisystem compromise confirmed by histopathology. We consider its publication important given the few cases documented in South America and the relevance of bearing in mind the importance of an early diagnosis for a prompt treatment that improves the prognosis of this rare disease.
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Hughes-Stovin Syndrome, a case report. The Hughes-Stovin syndrome is a rare entity characterized by deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary artery aneurysms of unknown etiol- ogy and pathogenesis. Some authors considered a variant of... more
Hughes-Stovin Syndrome, a case report. The Hughes-Stovin syndrome is a rare entity characterized by deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary artery aneurysms of unknown etiol- ogy and pathogenesis. Some authors considered a variant of Behcet's disease. Its natural course is usu- ally fatal. The symptoms are cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis, chest pain and fever. The treatment goes from steroids and cytotoxic agents to surgery. We present the case of a 41 year old man who shows dyspnea, hemoptysis, and chest pain leading to the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis of the right leg, lung throm- boembolism and pulmonary artery aneurysms. He was treated with high-dose corticosteroids and 6 cyclophos- phamide pulses of 1 gram each per 6 months with complete regression of aneurysms and symptomatology.
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Thoracic Empyema as a Complication of Laparoscopic Cholecysctetomy: Commu- nication of One Case and Review of the Literature In the laparoscopic cholecystectomy, accidental spill of bile duct stones into the abdominal cavity can occur... more
Thoracic Empyema as a Complication of Laparoscopic Cholecysctetomy: Commu- nication of One Case and Review of the Literature In the laparoscopic cholecystectomy, accidental spill of bile duct stones into the abdominal cavity can occur more frequently than in the conventional cholecystectomy. The incidence of this complication is estimated to range between 2 to 30%, but only 12% of them have shown thoracic involvement. Pleural effusion during the immediate postoperative period of upper abdominal surgery is common but usually minimal and self-limited. When it persists, a sample should be taken to study its cause. This report is about a patient who presented a pleural empyema three months after a programmed laparoscopic cholecys- tectomy. He underwent a video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication and was treated with antibiotics. The patient showed a good evolution. Our hypothesis is that the thoracic infection would be the result of the formation of a subphrenic abscess which ends drai...
Research Interests: Medicine and Gynecology
Smoking is the major cause of COPD; however factors such as age, previous history of asthma, exacerbations, and genetic predisposition could influence the de...
Introduction: The diagnosis of Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Obstructive Syndrome (SAHOS) requires confirmation by polysomnography (PSG) or respiratory polygraphy (R...
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To identify patients at risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome at a specialized hypertension center, we administered questionnaires and used respiratory polygraphy (RP). We studied 168 patients (64.8% men and 35.2% women).... more
To identify patients at risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome at a specialized hypertension center, we administered questionnaires and used respiratory polygraphy (RP). We studied 168 patients (64.8% men and 35.2% women). Patients' body mass index (BMI) was 34.7 ± 6.79 and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores were 8.01 for male and 8.92 for women (p = 0.69). RP recordings revealed AHI (Apnea-Hypopnea Index) of 18.03 ± 15.7, an ODI (Oxygen Desaturation Index) of 18.6 ± 15.2, and a time oxygen saturation <90% (%) of 20.8 ± 24.3. Around 44% of patients had an AHI of >15 events/h, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) was recommended to 69 patients (41.07%). Pulse wave velocity (PWV) showed high values in AHI > 15/h (p = 0.050), and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) did not correlate with AHI > 15; right IMT: 0.83 ± 1.3 versus 0.78 ± 0.13 mm (p = 0.41) and 0.82 ± 0.16 versus 0.78 ± 0.19 mm (p = 0.40). However, we find correlation with carotid plaque (p = 0.046). The ACC/AHA calculator revealed a gradual increase in the risk of cardiovascular events: 8.7% with AHI < 5/h, and 30.3% in severe OSA. In hypertension (HT) patients, RP revealed a high prevalence of OSA associated with carotid artery disease, high PWV, and increased cardiovascular risk.
Research Interests: Medicine, Humans, Hypertension, Obstructive sleep apnea, Female, and 15 moreMale, Body Mass Index, Risk factors, Clinical Sciences, Polysomnography, Aged, Prevalence, Middle Aged, Adult, Risk Factors, The Carotid Artery Intima Media Thickness, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, Severity of Illness Index, Surveys and Questionnaires, and Pulse wave analysis
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To establish whether predictors of sleep apnea (OSAHS) from patients with normal body mass index (BMI) could facilitate the prioritization of candidates for sleep tests. Aim To describe the role of sex and age as predictors of apnea and... more
To establish whether predictors of sleep apnea (OSAHS) from patients with normal body mass index (BMI) could facilitate the prioritization of candidates for sleep tests. Aim To describe the role of sex and age as predictors of apnea and hypopnea index (AHI)>5 events per hour in patients with normal BMI (<25kg/m(2)). Retrospective study of patients referred for home respiratory polygraphy level iii. One hundred and forty-three patients with BMI<25kg/m(2), of which 70 had OSA defined by an AHI>5/h were analyzed. The clinical variables to predict AHI>5/h in a multiple logistic regression model, found statistical significance for age>60 years (OR=5.67; 95% CI 2.38-13.53; P<.0001) and male (OR=3.15; 95% CI 1.47-6.73; P<.003). Forty-eight point ninety-five percent of normal weight patients in a population at risk had OSAHS defined by an AHI>5/h. The sex and age would be risk predictors in this population and most likely in men.
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A Case Report of Idiopathic Subglottic Stenosis Idiopathic subglottic stenosis is a narrowing of the larynx at the cricoid cartilage level with unknown etiology. There are multiple causes, but its etiology can be mainly divided into... more
A Case Report of Idiopathic Subglottic Stenosis Idiopathic subglottic stenosis is a narrowing of the larynx at the cricoid cartilage level with unknown etiology. There are multiple causes, but its etiology can be mainly divided into traumatic and non traumatic stenosis. It is a rare condition for which the real incidence has never been established due to the difficulty of making the diagnosis. There is a pre ponderance of young females affected between 30-40 years old. Its development in adult patients shows clinical signs such as stridor and progressive dyspnea. The diagnosis is established by the histological study. All the other causes of tracheal stenosis should be excluded before initiating the appropriate treatment. The tracheal stenosis is managed by means of endobronchial laser therapy, laryngotracheal reconstruction or bronchoscopic dilatation. We present a case of a young woman with stridor as the only symptom and a final diagnosis of idiopathic subglottic stenosis. The literature is reviewed.
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The pulmonary marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of bronchus associated lymphoid tissue of the lung (BALT) is a rare illness that can remain without symptoms. Radiological findings of pulmonary lymphoma are heterogeneous. In literature,... more
The pulmonary marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of bronchus associated lymphoid tissue of the lung (BALT) is a rare illness that can remain without symptoms. Radiological findings of pulmonary lymphoma are heterogeneous. In literature, bronchiectasis is only described in one patient who also had besides adenomegalies. We reported on a 48-year-old female patient. She showed symptoms consistent with dyspnea with productive cough; there were crepitant sounds in the auscultation. Pulmonary functional test has shown a severe restrictive pattern with a low FVC and DLCO. CT scan showed bronchiectasis in the medium lobule without adenomegalies. Echocardiogram was normal, and the laboratory findings only showed leukocytosis. There were no findings in the bronchoscopy, but the lung biopsy showed a B-cell pulmonary lymphoma (positive to CD20 and CD79a in immunostaining). A wide variety of radiological manifestations has been previously described; however, we have presented this rare case, with bro...
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ABSTRACT
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: The interstitial lymphoid pneumonia (LIP) is an uncommon disorder, described as non-neoplastic lung lymphoid tissue hyperplasia and classified as an interstitial lung disease. It has been described in association with HIV infection,... more
: The interstitial lymphoid pneumonia (LIP) is an uncommon disorder, described as non-neoplastic lung lymphoid tissue hyperplasia and classified as an interstitial lung disease. It has been described in association with HIV infection, autoimmune disorders, policlonal hypergammaglobulinemia and less frequently, with hypogammaglobulinemia. We report the case of a 66 year old female patient with a history of diabetes, Sjogren syndrome and hypertension. She was referred to our hospital due to a dry cough and dyspnea (FC II-III). The physical examination showed bilateral dry crackles and splenomegaly. Laboratory studies showed thrombocytopenia (50 000/ mm3) and hypogammaglobulinemia. A computed tomography thoracic scan showed interstitial bilateral basal lung infiltrates with small peribroncovascular nodules. A lung biopsy was made by thoracoscopy and reported LIP. Initial treatment consisted of oral methilprednisone, 40 mg daily, and once a month intravenous gammaglobulin 500 mg/kg, with good clinical and radiological response. A splenectomy was done due to persistent thrombocytopenia associated with hypersplenism, with good response of the platelets counts. No lymphoid clonal or other associated disease was detected.
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Objetivos: La poligrafía respiratoria se ha convertido en una importante herramienta para el diagnóstico de las apneas del sueño. Sin embargo, una desventaja es que su realización en el domicilio corre el riesgo de pérdida del estudio por... more
Objetivos: La poligrafía respiratoria se ha convertido en una importante herramienta para el diagnóstico de las apneas del sueño. Sin embargo, una desventaja es que su realización en el domicilio corre el riesgo de pérdida del estudio por señales de mala calidad, desconexión o dificultades durante el encendido del equipo. Existen pocos datos inherentes al procedimiento cuando la instalación del equipo la realiza el propio paciente. Este trabajo evalúa los factores predictores de la pérdida o invalidación de registros durante la utilización de una estrategia de auto-colocación domiciliaria en 325 registros de poligrafía.Métodos: Análisis descriptivo basado en 325 poligrafías domiciliarias entre el 13/11/2009 hasta el 13/05/2011, coordinadas por el Laboratorio de Función Pulmonar del Hospital Británico. Se evaluaron como factores predictores de fracaso: la edad (> o Resultados: Se evaluaron 325 poligrafías; 62.5% fueron en hombres, 78.5% en menores de 65 años. 11% tenían diagnóstic...
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Introducción: Los cuestionarios para calcular la probabilidad de padecer apneas del sueño (SAHOS) tienen utilidad variable, por lo que resultaría interesante conocer el desempeño del cuestionario STOP-BANG en nuestra población de alto... more
Introducción: Los cuestionarios para calcular la probabilidad de padecer apneas del sueño (SAHOS) tienen utilidad variable, por lo que resultaría interesante conocer el desempeño del cuestionario STOP-BANG en nuestra población de alto riesgo usando métodos simplificados de diagnóstico. Objetivo: Evaluar el desempeño de STOP-BANG y su capacidad de predicción para identificar un índice de apneas e hipopneas por hora de registro (IAH) elevado en pacientes con sospecha clínica de apneas del sueño derivados para la realización de una poligrafía respiratoria domiciliaria auto-administrada (PR) de nivel III. Métodos: Estudio longitudinal en pacientes referidos para PR (nivel III) durante catorce meses. Las habilidades de STOP-BANG para discriminar pacientes con SAHOS para cada grado de severidad se validaron contra los resultados de la PR usando el IAH. Se evaluaron la combinación de síntomas (STOP), los parámetros antropométricos (BANG) y STOP-BANG para cada punto de corte propuesto en el...
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Research Interests: Psychology, Psychometrics, Medicine, Probability, Prospective studies, and 15 moreSleep Apnea, Humans, Obstructive sleep apnea, Female, Male, Risk factors, Clinical Sciences, Sleep breathing disorders, Polysomnography, Aged, Middle Aged, Adult, Reproducibility of Results, Risk Factors, and Cross Sectional Studies
A restrictive ventilatory defect is characterized by a decreased total lung capacity (TLC). The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of spirometry to detect pulmonary restriction in patients with or without airflow... more
A restrictive ventilatory defect is characterized by a decreased total lung capacity (TLC). The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of spirometry to detect pulmonary restriction in patients with or without airflow obstruction in the spirometry. Five hundred and twenty patients were included. Normal values for lung function were determined by using the 95% confidence interval (CI) with Morris reference equation for spirometry and European Respiratory Society equation for lung volume. Spirometries were considered obstructive when FEV1/FVC ratio was <70% and FEV1 was below 95%CI. In patients without obstruction in the spirometry (n = 357) sensitivity and specificity were 42.2% and 94.3% respectively, negative predictive value (NPP) was 86.6% and positive PV (PPV) was 65.2%. In patients with an obstructive spirometry (n = 66) sensitivity increased to 75.8% but specificity decreased to 65.9%. PPV was only 57.8% and NPV 81.5%. Patients showing obstruction in the spiro...
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Pulmonary involvement is a prominent feature in systemic sclerosis and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. A restrictive ventilatory defect is typical and static lung volumes are usually reduced in patients with ILDs. The... more
Pulmonary involvement is a prominent feature in systemic sclerosis and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. A restrictive ventilatory defect is typical and static lung volumes are usually reduced in patients with ILDs. The possibility of obstruction of small airways in progressive systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been suggested by widespread bronchiolectasis and peribronchial fibrosis noted at necropsy. A total of 46 patients with a diagnosis of SSc were retrospectively included in this study. Patients were classified according to their smoking status (never smokers, n = 34 and ex or current smokers, n = 12). Patients were also compared on the basis of the presence or not of an obstructive pattern on spirometry. The purpose of this study was to establish if SSc patients who are smokers have a different pattern of pulmonary function involvement. Our hypothesis was that smoking habit was not the only cause of air trapping and that the existence of small airway involvement secondary to SSc itself cannot be excluded.
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Objective. According to current guidelines, autoscoring of respiratory events in respiratory polygraphy requires manual scoring. The aim of this study was to evaluate the agreement between automatic analysis and manual scoring to identify... more
Objective. According to current guidelines, autoscoring of respiratory events in respiratory polygraphy requires manual scoring. The aim of this study was to evaluate the agreement between automatic analysis and manual scoring to identify patients with suspected OSA.Methods. This retrospective study analyzed 791 records from respiratory polygraphy (RP) performed at home. The association grade between automatic scoring and manual scoring was evaluated using Kappa coefficient and the agreement using Bland and Altman test and intraclass correlation coefficient (CCI). To determine the accuracy in the identification ofAHI≥30 eV/h, the ROC curve analysis was used.Results. The population analyzed consisted of 493 male (62.3%) and 298 female patients, with an average age of54.7±14.20years and BMI of32.7±8.21 kg/m2. There was no significant difference between automatic and manual apnea/hypopnea indexes (aAHI, mAHI): aAHI 17.25 (SD: 17.42) versus mAHI21.20±7.96(p; NS). The agreement between m...
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Relationship between Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Apnea/hypopnea Index in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients
The interstitial lymphoid pneumonia (LIP) is an uncommon disorder, described as non-neoplastic lung lymphoid tissue hyperplasia and classified as an interstitial lung disease. It has been described in association with HIV infection,... more
The interstitial lymphoid pneumonia (LIP) is an uncommon disorder, described as non-neoplastic lung lymphoid tissue hyperplasia and classified as an interstitial lung disease. It has been described in association with HIV infection, autoimmune disorders, policlonal hypergammaglobulinemia and less frequently, with hypogammaglobulinemia. We report the case of a 66 year old female patient with a history of diabetes, Sjogren syndrome and hypertension. She was referred to our hospital due to a dry cough and dyspnea (FC II-III). The physical examination showed bilateral dry crackles and splenomegaly. Laboratory studies showed thrombocytopenia (50 000/ mm3) and hypogammaglobulinemia. A computed tomography thoracic scan showed interstitial bilateral basal lung infiltrates with small peribroncovascular nodules. A lung biopsy was made by thoracoscopy and reported LIP. Initial treatment consisted of oral methilprednisone, 40 mg daily, and once a month intravenous gammaglobulin 500 mg/kg, with ...