Iron deficiency in the elderly

Anemia é comum em idosos e é associada a significante morbidade e mortalidade. Mais de 10% dos indivíduos acima de 65 anos tem anemia. Com uma proporção crescente da população mundial atingindo idade igual ou superior a 65 anos, a prevalência de anemia certamente aumentará no futuro. O diagnóstico precoce é importante para prevenir piora do quadro, diminuir progressão da doença e melhorar a evolução dos pacientes. Os critérios mais utilizados em estudos epidemiológicos para definir anemia em idosos são os da OMS (hemoglobina<12 g/dL para mulheres e hemoglobina <13 g/dL para homens). Aproximadamente um terço dos idosos com anemia tem deficiência de ferro, folato e/ou vitamina B12, um terço tem insuficiência renal e/ou inflamação crônica e o terço remanescente tem anemia inexplicada. A anemia ferropênica é microcítica e hipocrômica e caracteriza-se por baixos níveis de ferritina sérica, capacidade total de ligação de ferro do plasma aumentada, saturação da transferrina diminuída, concentração do receptor solúvel da transferrina elevada e ausência de ferro na medula óssea. É causada geralmente por perda de sangue pelo trato gastrointestinal devido a gastrite, úlceras, câncer de colo ou angiodisplasia. Anormalidades do trato gastrointestinal podem ser identificadas na maioria dos pacientes. Em alguns casos, ingestão ou absorção inadequada de ferro pode contribuir para a anemia. Entretanto, em todos os casos deveria ser exaustivamente investigada e excluída perda de sangue antes de assumir que a deficiência de ferro é devida a outras causas. O tratamento inclui parar o sangramento e repor o ferro.Anemia is a common problem in the elderly and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. More than 10% of all individuals above the age of 65 have anemia. Because an increasing proportion of the world's population is aged 65 and older, it is inevitable that the prevalence of anemia will increase in the future. Thus, early diagnosis of anemia is important to prevent the condition from worsening, to slow disease progression, and improve outcomes in patients. The WHO definition of anemia (hemoglobin concentration <12 g/dL, in women and <13 g/dL, in men) is most often used in epidemiologic studies of older adults. Among older adults with anemia approximately one-third have evidence of iron, folate, and/or vitamin B12 deficiency, another third have renal insufficiency and/or chronic inflammation, and the remaining third have anemia that is unexplained. Anemia due to iron deficiency (IDA) is microcytic and hypochromic. Low serum ferritin levels, high total iron-binding capacity, low transferrin saturation, high concentrations of soluble transferrin receptor, and absent bone marrow iron stores accompany IDA. Iron deficiency in the elderly usually occurs as a result of chronic gastrointestinal blood loss caused by gastritis, ulcers, colon cancer, or angiodysplasia. Gastrointestinal tract abnormalities can be identified in the majority of patients with IDA. In some cases, inadequate intake or inadequate absorption of iron may contribute to the anemia. However, in all cases blood loss should be investigated and excluded before assuming that iron deficiency is due to other causes. Treatment includes stopping blood loss and replacing iron

Orthopedic surgery increases atherosclerotic lesions and necrotic core area in ApoE-/- mice

Background and aims Observational studies show a peak incidence of cardiovascular events after major surgery. For example, the risk of myocardial infarction increases 25-fold early after hip replacement. The acuteness of this increased risk suggests abrupt enhancement in plaque vulnerability, which may be related to intra-plaque inflammation, thinner fibrous cap and/or necrotic core expansion. We hypothesized that acute systemic inflammation following major orthopedic surgery induces such changes. Methods ApoE−/− mice were fed a western diet for 10 weeks. Thereafter, half the mice underwent mid-shaft femur osteotomy followed by realignment with an intramedullary K-wire, to mimic major orthopedic surgery. Mice were sacrificed 5 or 15 days post-surgery (n = 22) or post-saline injection (n = 13). Serum amyloid A (SAA) was measured as a marker of systemic inflammation. Paraffin embedded slides of the aortic root were stained to measure total plaque area and to quantify fibrosis, calcification, necrotic core, and inflammatory cells. Results Surgery mice showed a pronounced elevation of serum amyloid A (SAA) and developed increased plaque and necrotic core area already at 5 days, which reached significance at 15 days (p = 0.019; p = 0.004 for plaque and necrotic core, respectively). Macrophage and lymphocyte density significantly decreased in the surgery group compared to the control group at 15 days (p = 0.037; p = 0.024, respectively). The density of neutrophils and mast cells remained unchanged. Conclusions Major orthopedic surgery in ApoE−/− mice triggers a systemic inflammatory response. Atherosclerotic plaque area is enlarged after surgery mainly due to an increase of the necrotic core. The role of intra-plaque inflammation in this response to surgical injury remains to be fully elucidated. © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Lt

Cardiovascular disease and yellow fever

Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Coracao InCor, Interdisciplinary Cardiol Unit, Sao Paulo, BrazilAdv Life Support AHFALS Program, Acute Heart Failure, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo Unifesp, Escola Paulista Med, Div Infect Dis, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Emergency Unit, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilOutpatient Hospital, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilPronto Socorro Cardiol Univ Pernambuco, Procape UPE, Unit Coronary Artery Dis, Recife, PE, BrazilReal Hosp Portugues Beneficencia Pernambuco, Coronary Artery Dis Unit, Recife, PE, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo Unifesp, Escola Paulista Med, Div Infect Dis, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Estudo multicêntrico de avaliação perioperatória para operações não cardíacas (EMAPO)

INTRODUCTION: The accuracy of perioperative evaluation methods available is better than chance, but their performance is not ideal. OBJECTIVES: To compare a new evaluation method (EMAPO) to the American College of Physicians method for determining the risk of cardiovascular complications in noncardiac surgeries and to look for new influencing variables. METHODS: Evaluations through EMAPO and the American College of Physicians method were employed for 700 patients. Cardiac events and deaths were recorded, the risk variables related to the occurrence of complications were verified, and the models were compared by analyzing the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: Mortality rate was 3.4%, and the incidence of cardiovascular complications was 5.3%. Renal failure (P = 0.01), major surgery (P = 0.004), and emergency surgery (P = 0.003) were independently related to the occurrence of cardiovascular complications. The two methods produced similar results. CONCLUSION: EMAPO is as good as the American College of Physicians method in determining the risk of cardiovascular complications in noncardiac surgeries. New variables related to surgical risk were identified.INTRODUÇÃO: A precisão dos métodos de avaliação perioperatória disponíveis é melhor que o acaso, porém está longe do ideal. OBJETIVOS: Comparar um novo método de avaliação perioperatória (EMAPO) ao método do American College of Physicians para determinar o risco cardíaco em cirurgias não cardíacas e buscar novas variáveis envolvidas na determinação deste risco. MÉTODOS: O EMAPO e o método do American College of Physicians foram aplicados em 700 pacientes. A ocorrência de eventos cardíacos e de mortes foi documentada, a relação entre as variáveis de risco e as complicações foi estabelecida e os métodos foram comparados analisando as áreas sob a curva ROC. RESULTADOS: A mortalidade foi 3.4% e a incidência de complicações cardiovasculares 5.3%. A presença de insuficiência renal (p=0.01), cirurgia de grande porte (p=0.004) e cirurgia de emergência (p=0.003) se correlacionaram com a ocorrência de complicações cardiovasculares na análise multivariada. Não houve diferença entre os dois métodos. CONCLUSÕES: O EMAPO é tão eficaz quanto o método do American College of Physicians para determinar o risco de complicações cardiovasculares em cirurgias não cardíacas. Novas variáveis relacionadas com o risco perioperatório foram encontradas

Guidelines on the treatment of anemia of chronic renal failure using recombinant human erythropoietin: associação brasileira de hematologia, hemoterapia e terapia celular guidelines project: Associação médica brasileira - 2014

The guidelines project is a joint initiative of the Associação Médica Brasileira and the Conselho Federal de Medicina. It aims to collect information to standardize decisions and help create strategies during diagnosis and treatment. These data were prepa366450453sem informaçãosem informaçã

Implementing screening for myocardial injury in non-cardiac surgery: perspectives of an ad-hoc interdisciplinary expert group

Objectives. Perioperative myocardial injury (PMI) is increasingly recognised as an important complication of non-cardiac surgery, with often clinically silent presentation, but detrimental prognosis. Active screening for PMI, involving the detection of dynamic and elevated levels of cardiac troponin, has recently been advocated by an increasing number of guidelines; however, active PMI screening has not been reflected in clinical practice. Design. As consensus on a common screening and management pathway is lacking, we synthesise the current evidence to provide suggestions on the selection of patients for screening, organisation of a screening program, and a potential management pathway, building upon a recently published perioperative screening algorithm. Results. Screening should be performed using high-sensitivity assays both preoperatively and postoperatively (postoperative Days 1 and 2) in patients at high-risk of experiencing perioperative complications. Conclusion. This expert opinion piece by an interdisciplinary group of predominantly Norwegian clinicians aims to assist healthcare professionals planning to implement guideline-recommended PMI screening at a local level in order to improve patient outcomes following non-cardiac surgery.publishedVersio

Acute myocardial infarction after noncardiac surgery

Em todo o mundo, são realizadas mais de 230 milhões de operações por ano e as complicações cardíacas são as causas mais comuns de morbidade e mortalidade pós-operatórias. Com o aumento da expectativa de vida da população mundial, um número crescente de pacientes com múltiplas comorbidades tem sido submetido a operações não cardíacas. Em consequência, é esperado um aumento de complicações cardiovasculares associadas a tais procedimentos e o infarto agudo do miocárdio (IAM) perioperatório poderá se tornar um problema frequente. No Brasil, o número de operações não cardíacas também está aumentando, sendo realizadas aproximadamente três milhões de cirurgias por ano. Apesar dos avanços nas técnicas cirúrgicas e anestésicas, a mortalidade e o custo relacionados a estes procedimentos também estão aumentando, sendo fundamental o desenvolvimento de estratégias para a redução da mortalidade. A ocorrência de um IAM perioperatório prolonga a necessidade de terapia intensiva, a estadia hospitalar, aumenta o custo da internação e diminui a sobrevida a longo prazo. Esta revisão aborda a fisiopatologia, a incidência, o diagnóstico e o tratamento do IAM perioperatório, baseado nas evidências atuais

Impact of cardiology referral: clinical outcomes and factors associated with physicians' adherence to recommendations

OBJECTIVES: Cardiology referral is common for patients admitted for non-cardiac diseases. Recommendations from cardiologists may involve complex and aggressive treatments that could be ignored or denied by other physicians. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of patients who were given recommendations during cardiology referrals and to examine the clinical outcomes of patients who did not follow the recommendations. METHODS: We enrolled 589 consecutive patients who received in-hospital cardiology consultations. Data on recommendations, implementation of suggestions and outcomes were collected. RESULTS: Regarding adherence of the referring service to the recommendations, 77% of patients were classified in the adherence group and 23% were classified in the non-adherence group. Membership in the non-adherence group (

Thalidomide as a treatment of intestinal angiodisplastic lesions in a patient with CREST syndrome – case report and literature review

A anemia ferropriva grave secundária à hemorragia digestiva por angiodisplasiasintestinais representa um grande desafio terapêutico. Comumente, as ectasias vasculares sãomúltiplas e dispersas ao longo do intestino, limitando a eficácia do tratamento hemostáticolocal. Nos últimos anos houve significativo avanço no tratamento anti-angiogênico sistêmico dasangiodisplasias intestinais, sendo talidomida a droga mais empregada para tal fim. Relatamoso caso de uma paciente de 49 anos com angiodisplasias intestinais secundárias a síndromeCREST (Calcinose, Raynaud, Dismotilidade Esofágica, Esclerodactilia e Telangiectasias). Apaciente apresentava quadro de melena recorrente e alta necessidade transfusional, e nãoobteve resposta clínica após realização de enteroscopia e eletro-coagulação das lesões complasma de argônio. Após a introdução de talidomida 100mg ao dia, a paciente evoluiu deforma bastante satisfatória. O caso apresentado neste texto, além de demonstrar sucesso datalidomida no tratamento de angiodisplasias intestinais refratárias à eletro-coagulação complasma de argônio, também revela eficácia da droga na situação específica da síndromeCREST. Tal fato pode ser de grande valia quando da abordagem de hemorragia intestinal porangiodisplasias nesses pacientes, representando nova opção terapêuticaThe severe ferropenic anemia secondary to digestive bleeding due to intestinalangiodisplastic lesions represents a great challenge. Commonly, angiodisplastic lesions aremultiples and disperse through the intestine and that fact limits local treatments. Over the lastyears, there was a great advance in the antiangiogenic treatment of intestinal angiodisplasticlesions and thalidomide was the most employed drug for this purpose. We report a case of a49 year-old patient with intestinal angiodisplastic lesions due to CREST syndrome (Calcinosis,Raynaud phenomenon, Esophageal dysmotility, Sclerodactyly, and Telangiectasia). The patientpresented repeated episodes of digestive bleeding and did not achieve clinical improvementafter enteroscopy and argon plasma coagulation. The treatment consisting of the introductionof thalidomide 100mg per day demonstrated success. The case presented in this text revealssuccess in the use of thalidomide in the treatment of intestinal angiodisplastic lesions, probablyrepresenting a new therapeutic optio