Commercially available endoscopy facemasks to prevent aerosolizing spread of droplets during COVID-19 outbreak

We read with great interest the ESGE and ESGENA Position Statement [1] on gastrointestinal endoscopy and the COVID-19 pandemic. We share the concerns listed in the suggested research agenda, particularly about enhancing procedural protection in the endoscopy unit to reduce risk of COVID-19 dissemination. We would like to bring attention to commercially available endoscopy masks that can be used to avoid aerosolizing spread of droplets during upper endoscopic procedures. These products seem to improve intra-procedure risk management and can serve as an alternative to a modified ventilation mask reported for this purpose by Marchese et al [2]

Renal prostacyclin influences renal function in non-azotemic cirrhotic patients treated with furosemide

The influence of prostaglandins on renal function changes induced by furosemide was analyzed in 21 non-azotemic cirrhotic patients with ascites. Patients were studied in two periods of 120 min immediately before and after furosemide infusion (20 mg, ev). Furosemide caused an increase in creatinine clearance in 15 patients (group A: 99 +/- 7 vs. 129 +/- 5 ml/min; mean +/- S.E.) and a reduction in the remaining six (group B: 102 +/- 13 vs. 71 +/- 9 ml/min). Parallel changes were observed in the urinary excretion of 6-Keto-prostaglandin-F1 alpha (metabolite of renal prostacyclin) which augmented after furosemide in 14 of the 15 patients from group A (478 +/- 107 vs. 1034 +/- 159 pg/min, p less than 0.001) and decreased in all patients from group B (1032 +/- 240 vs. 548 +/- 136 pg/min, p less than 0.05). In contrast, the urinary excretion of prostaglandin E2 was stimulated by furosemide in all patients (group A, 92 +/- 19 vs. 448 +/- 60 pg/min, p less than 0.001; and group B, 209 +/- 63 vs. 361 +/- 25 pg/min, p less than 0.05). In all of the patients furosemide-induced changes (post- minus pre-furosemide values) in creatinine clearance were closely correlated in a direct and linear fashion with those in 6-Keto-prostaglandin-F1 alpha (r = 0.74; p less than 0.001). These changes were associated with a higher furosemide-induced natriuresis in group A than in group B (641 +/- 68 vs. 302 +/-- 46 mumol/min, p less than 0.001

A multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) applied to three long-term prophylactic treatments for hereditary angioedema in Spain

Introduction: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disease that impairs quality of life and could be life-threatening. The aim of this study was to apply a multicriteria decision analysis to assess the value of three long-term prophylactic (LIP) therapies for HAE in Spain. Methods: A multidisciplinary committee of 10 experts assessed the value of lanadelumab (subcutaneous use), C1-inhibitor (C1-INH; intravenous), and danazol (orally), using placebo as comparator. We followed the EVIDEM methodology that considers a set of 13 quantitative criteria. The overall estimated value of each intervention was obtained combining the weighting of each criterion with the scoring of each intervention in each criterion. We used two alternative weighting methods: hierarchical point allocation (HPA) and direct rating scale (DRS). A reevaluation of weightings and scores was performed. Results: Lanadelumab obtained higher mean scores than C1-INH and danazol in all criteria, except for the cost of the intervention and clinical practice guidelines. Under the HPA method, the estimated values were 0.51 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44-0.58) for lanadelumab, 0.47 (95%CI: 0.41-0.53) for C1-INH, and 0.31 (95%CI: 0.240.39) for danazol. Similar results were obtained with the DRS method: 0.51 (95%CI: 0.42-0.60), 0.47 (95%CI: 0.40-0.54), and 0.27 (95%CI: 0.18-0.37), respectively. The comparative cost of the intervention was the only criterion that contributed negatively to the values of lanadelumab and C1-INH. For danazol, four criteria contributed negatively, mainly comparative safety. Conclusion: Lanadelumab was assessed as a high-value intervention, better than C1-INH and substantially better than danazol for LTP treatment of HAE

A strategic reflection for the management and implementation of CAR-T therapy in Spain: an expert consensus paper

CAR-T cell therapy represents a therapeutic revolution in the prognosis and treatment of patients with certain types of hematological cancer. However, they also pose new challenges in the healthcare, regulatory and financial fields. The aim of the RET-A project was to undertake a strategic reflection on the management of CAR-T therapies within the Spanish National Health System, to agree on recommendations that will help to better deal with the new context introduced by these cell therapies in the present and in the future. This think tank involved 40 key agents and opinion leaders. The experts identified three great challenges for implementing advanced therapies in Spain: therapeutic individualisation, with a multidisciplinary approach; acceleration of access times, by minimizing bureaucracy; and increase in the number of centers qualified to manage the CAR-T therapies in the NHS. The experts agreed on the ideal criteria for designating those qualified centers. They also agreed on a comprehensive CAR-T care pathway with the timings and roles which would ideally be involved in each part of the process.This study was funded by Gilead Sciences, Inc.Peer reviewe

Colitis colágena: estudio clinicopatológico de seis nuevos casos

Collagenous colitis (CC) is a newly recognized entity characterized clinically by chronic watery diarrhoea and pathologically by epithelial inflammatory injury and the presence of a thickened collagen band beneath the surface epithelium of the colon. Clinical and pathological data of six patients (5 women and 1 man, mean age 54 years) with this diagnosis have been reviewed. Chronic watery diarrhoea was the main sympton in all cases, ranging from 2 to 12 bowel movements a day (mean ± SD, 5,5 ± 2,3) lasting from 8 months to 19 years (mean ± SD, 6,6 ± 5,9 years). Laboratory, barium and endoscopic studies showed unspecific findings. Rheumatic and thyroid diseases as well as drug allergies were found in five cases. The cause of collagenous colitis and the mechanism of diarrhoea remains undefined, being the inflammatory and autoinmune hypothesis the most likely. Diagnosis was made by multiple rectal and colonic biopsies. Pathologic findings characteristic of CC were more prominent in proximal than in distal colonic specimens. Different treatments were applied and diverse clinic responses were obtained. A review of the literature is made

La macrobiopsia endoscópica en el diagnóstico de la enfermedad de Menetrier

For the anatompathological diagnosis of Menetrier's disease to be made, it is necessary to have a biopsy covering the entire thickness of the mucosa. Until a few years ago, to obtain this it was necessary to resort to a surgical biopsy performed during the course of a laparotomy. We present our experience in 6 patients suffering from this disease, in whom the conventional biopsies taken during the course of a gastroscopy, did not enable us to make the anatomopathological diagnosis of the said entity. The performing during the same exploration of an endoscopic macrobiopsy taken with a polypectomy loop provided us with the diagnosis. The simplicity, harmlessness and abscence of complications as well as its diagnostic efficiency, along with the fact that a laparotomy is avoided, mean that this technique is vitally important in the diagnosis of Menetrier's disease

Therapeutic drug monitoring of neoadjuvant mFOLFIRINOX in resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Background: Despite a potentially curative treatment, the prognosis after upfront surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is poor. Modified FOLFIRINOX (mFOLFIRINOX) is a cornerstone in the systemic treatment of PDAC, including the neoadjuvant setting. Pharmacokinetic-guided (PKG) dosing has demonstrated beneficial effects in other tumors, but scarce data is available in pancreatic cancer. Methods: Forty-six patients with resected PDAC after mFOLFIRINOX neoadjuvant approach and included in an institutional protocol for anticancer drug monitoring were retrospectively analyzed. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) dosage was adjusted throughout neoadjuvant treatment according to pharmacokinetic parameters and Irinotecan (CPT-11) pharmacokinetic variables were retrospectively estimated. Results: By exploratory univariate analyses, a significantly longer progression-free survival was observed for patients with either 5-FU area under the curve (AUC) above 28 mcg$h/mL or CPT-11 AUC values below 10 mcg$h/mL. In the multivariate analyses adjusted by age, gender, performance status and resectability after stratification according to both pharmacokinetic parameters, the risk of progression was significantly reduced in patients with 5-FU AUC 28 mcg$h/mL [HR ¼ 0.251, 95and CPT-11 AUC <10 mcg$h/mL [HR ¼ 0.189, 95% CI 0.073e0.486, p ¼ 0.001]. Conclusions: Pharmacokinetically-guided dose adjustment of standard chemotherapy treatments might improve survival outcomes in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

El hepatocarcinoma en la Comunidad Foral de Navarra: estudio de características y evolución en la práctica clínica habitual

Fundamento. El hepatocarcinoma asienta generalmente sobre una cirrosis hepática. El cribado pretende mejorar la supervivencia. Los objetivos de nuestro trabajo son conocer las características del hepatocarcinoma, su evolución y la influencia del cribado en su supervivencia, en la práctica clínica en Navarra. Material y Métodos. Estudio prospectivo y retrospectivo de 111 pacientes diagnosticados de hepatocarcinoma en hospitales públicos navarros, entre enero de 2009 y enero de 2015. Se analizaron características epidemiológicas, clínicas, analíticas, radiológicas, estadio tumoral, tratamiento y evolución, y el efecto del cribado. Resultados. El 84,7% de los pacientes eran varones. La edad media fue 67 años. El 85,6% tenían cirrosis. La etiología más frecuente fue la enólica (40,7%). El 62,2% se diagnosticó en estadios tempranos, el 15,3% en intermedio y el 22,5% en avanzado o terminal. El 4,5% se trató mediante trasplante, el 21,6% con resección, el 23,4% mediante ablación, el 10,8% con quimioembolización, el 5,4% con radiembolización, el 2,7% con embolización, el 13,5% con sorafenib y el 18% de modo sintomático. Solamente 32 pacientes (28,8%) realizaban cribado. No se han encontrado diferencias significativas en la supervivencia según la realización de cribado (mediana de 32 y 34 meses; p = 0,971). Conclusiones. En Navarra, el hepatocarcinoma se desarrolla generalmente sobre una cirrosis, cuya etiología más frecuente es el consumo de alcohol. El hepatocarcinoma se ha diagnosticado con más frecuencia en estadios iniciales, fuera de cribado. El cribado no ha mejorado la supervivencia.Background. Hepatocellular carcinoma generally arises in a cirrhotic liver. The aim of screening is to improve survival. The aims of our study are to determine the characteristics and evolution of hepatocellular carcinoma and the effect of screening on survival, in clinical practice in Navarre. Methods. Prospective and retrospective study of 111 patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma in public hospitals in Navarre between January 2009 and January 2015. Epidemiological, clinical, analytical, radiological characteristics, tumour staging, treatment and evolution were analyzed. Survival was compared between patients subjected to screening and those not. Results. Mean age was 67 years. The patients (84.7%) were mainly male and 85.6% had cirrhosis. The most frequent aetiology was alcohol consumption (40.7%). 62.2% were diagnosed in early stages, 15.3% in intermediate and 22.5 % in advanced or terminal stages. 4.5% received transplants, 21.6% received surgical resection, 23.4% were treated with ablation techniques, 10.8 % with chemoembolization, 5.4% with radiembolization, 2.7% with embolization, 13.5 % with sorafenib and 18% symptomatically. Only 32 patients (28.8%) were subjected to screening. No statistical differences were found in survival depending on surveillance (32 month versus 34; p = 0.971). Conclusions. In Navarre, hepatocellular carcinoma generally appears against a background of cirrhosis, and alcohol is the most frequent aetiology. Hepatocellular carcinoma is diagnosed most frequently in early stages and out of screening practices. Screening was not associated to better survival