Publications (14)61.46 Total impact
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Article: Clinical patterns and outcomes of ischaemic colitis: results of the Working Group for the Study of Ischaemic Colitis in Spain (CIE study).
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ABSTRACT: There is a lack of prospective studies evaluating the natural history of colonic ischaemia (CI). We performed such a study to evaluate the clinical presentation, outcome, and mortality as well as clinical variables associated with poor prognosis. An open, prospective, and multicentre study was conducted in 24 Spanish hospitals serving a population of 3.5 million people. The study included only patients who met criteria for definitive or probable CI. A website (www.colitisisquemica.org) provided logistical support. A total of 364 patients met criteria for inclusion. CI was suspected clinically in only 24.2% of cases. The distribution of clinical patterns was as follows: reversible colopathy (26.1%), transient colitis (43.7%), gangrenous colitis (9.9%), fulminant pancolitis (2.5%), and chronic segmental colitis (17.9%). A total of 47 patients (12.9%) had an unfavorable outcome as defined by mortality and/or the need for surgery. Multivariate analysis identified the following signs as independent risk factors for an unfavorable outcome: abdominal pain without rectal bleeding [odds ratio (OR) 3.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.6-9.3], non-bloody diarrhoea (OR 10; 95% CI = 3.7-27.4), and peritoneal signs (OR 7.3; 95% CI = 2.7-19.6). Unfavorable outcomes also were more frequent in isolated right colon ischaemia (IRCI) compared with non-IRCI (40.9 vs. 10.3%, respectively; p < 0.0001). The overall mortality rate was 7.7%. The clinical presentation of CI is very heterogeneous, perhaps explaining why clinical suspicion of this disease is so low. The presence of IRCI, and occurrence of peritoneal signs or onset of CI as severe abdominal pain without bleeding, should alert the physician to a potentially unfavorable course.Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology 10/2010; 46(2):236-46. · 2.08 Impact Factor -
Article: Time trends and impact of upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding and perforation in clinical practice.
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ABSTRACT: Changing patterns in medical practice may contribute to temporal changes in the incidence of upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) complications. There are limited data on the incidence of lower GI complications in clinical practice and most studies that have been done have serious methodological limitations to inferring the actual burden of this problem. The aims of this study were to analyze time trends of hospitalizations resulting from GI complications originating both from the upper and lower GI tract in the general population, and to determine the risk factors, severity, and clinical impact of these GI events. This was a population-based study of patients hospitalized because of GI complications in 10 general hospitals between 1996 and 2005 in Spain. We report the age- and gender-specific rates, estimate the regression coefficients of the upper and lower GI event trends, and evaluate the severity and associated risk factors. GI hospitalization charts were validated by an independent review of large random samples of unspecific and specific codes distributed among all hospitals and study years. Upper GI complications fell from 87/100,000 persons in 1996 to 47/100,000 persons in 2005, whereas lower GI complications increased from 20/100,000 to 33/100,000. Overall, mortality rates decreased, but the case fatality remained constant over time. Lower GI events had a higher mortality rate (8.8 vs. 5.5%), a longer hospitalization (11.6+/-13.9 vs. 7.9+/-8.8 days), and higher resource utilization than did upper GI events. The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) without concomitant proton pump inhibitor was more frequently recorded among upper GI complications than among lower GI complications. When comparing upper GI events with lower GI events, we found that male gender (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.94; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.70-2.21), and recorded NSAID use (OR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.60-2.30) were associated to a greater extent with upper GI events, whereas older age (OR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.77-0.89), number of comorbidities (OR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.86-0.96), and having a diagnosis in recent years (OR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.90-0.94) were all associated to a greater extent with lower GI events than with upper GI events after adjusting for age, sex, hospitalization, and discharge year. Over the past decade, there has been a progressive change in the overall picture of GI events leading to hospitalization, with a clear decreasing trend in upper GI events and a significant increase in lower GI events, causing the rates of these two GI complications to converge. Overall, mortality has also decreased, but the in-hospital case fatality of upper or lower GI complication events has remained constant. It will be a challenge to improve future care in this area unless we develop new strategies to reduce the number of events originating in the lower GI tract, as well as reducing their associated mortality.The American Journal of Gastroenterology 08/2009; 104(7):1633-41. · 7.28 Impact Factor -
Article: Infliximab maintenance therapy is associated with decreases in direct resource use in patients with luminal or fistulizing Crohn's disease.
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ABSTRACT: To estimate the impact of infliximab (IFX) maintenance therapy on the use of hospital resources in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Medical records of patients treated with IFX maintenance therapy (5 mg/kg body weight; intravenous infusion) for luminal (L) or fistulizing (F) CD at 13 hospitals were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were assessed as their own controls. Use of CD-related healthcare resources was recorded comparing 1-year periods before and after first IFX infusion (pre-IFX and post-IFX). One hundred fifty-three CD patients (n=84 L; 69 F) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Mean number of IFX infusions was 7/y with an average of 335 mg/infusion dose/patient. During the pre-IFX period, 55% of patients needed hospitalization versus 31% in the post-IFX period (P<0.001). Mean inpatient stay was 11.3 d/y [11.2 (L), 11.5 (F)] for the pre-IFX period, and 6.3 d/y [6.2 (L), 6.3 (F)] in the post-IFX period (P<0.001). Surgery was required in 24% patients in the pre-IFX period and in 11% post-IFX (P<0.001). There were no significant changes in the incidence of outpatient visits although emergency room visits fell significantly. Maintenance IFX in CD patients is associated with decreases in the use and length of hospitalizations and the need for surgery in clinical practice.Journal of clinical gastroenterology 06/2009; 43(10):950-6. · 2.21 Impact Factor -
Article: Time Trends and Impact of Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding and Perforation in Clinical Practice
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ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES: Changing patterns in medical practice may contribute to temporal changes in the incidence of upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) complications. There are limited data on the incidence of lower GI complications in clinical practice and most studies that have been done have serious methodological limitations to inferring the actual burden of this problem. The aims of this study were to analyze time trends of hospitalizations resulting from GI complications originating both from the upper and lower GI tract in the general population, and to determine the risk factors, severity, and clinical impact of these GI events.The American Journal of Gastroenterology 05/2009; 104(7):1633-1641. · 7.28 Impact Factor -
Article: [Quality of life specific questionnaire for constipated patients: development and validation of CVE-20].
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ABSTRACT: Although constipation affects quality of life, questionnaires hardly exist for its evaluation. We aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire able to measure the quality of life in patients with constipation. A Spanish multicenter study was performed in 2 stages: a) questionnaire development (open interview to patients with constipation, pilot questionnaire, quantitative and factorial analysis, Rasch analysis, and specific questionnaire design), and b) questionnaire validation in 136 patients. These patients were divided in 2 groups: a) reliability group (n = 55; no need to begin or change treatment; re-tested after 15 days), and b) sensibility to change group (n = 81; need to begin or change treatment; re-tested after 3 months). We collected clinical and socio-demographic data and we evaluated the quality of life through the general questionnaire EuroQoL-5D (EQ-5D) and the specific one, design in the previous stage (25 items). After that, we analysed feasibility, reliability and validity (of content, convergent and longitudinal). The trial questionnaire was obtained during the development stage and the results were 51 items that were later reduced to 25 in the validation stage. A total of 126 patients (93% women; mean age [standard deviation]: 43.4 [1] years) completed the study properly. The answer average time was 12 min. The content validity process reduced the questionnaire to 20 items (CVE-20) within 4 domains: emotional, general physical, rectal physical and social. The reliability was good in relation to the general punctuation (Cronbach alpha coefficient = 0.87), being in the different domains of 0.79, 0.73, 0.75 and 0.60, respectively. The construct validity showed a good correlation between the CVE-20 results and constipation severity. The CVE-20 score positively correlated with EQ -5D changes. The test and re-test reliability were good: interclass correlation coefficient = 0.89 (ranging from 0.80 to 0.88 in the different domains). The clinically relevant and minimal difference was 17 points (95% confidence interval, 11-23). The content validity showed a strong correlation between CVE-20 and constipation severity. The CVE-20 is the first specific questionnaire in Spanish language for constipated patients; it is valid, reliable, sensitive to changes and it meets the psychometric requirements to be applied in daily practice and clinical trials.Medicina Clínica 10/2008; 131(10):371-7. · 1.38 Impact Factor -
Article: Ten-day sequential treatment for Helicobacter pylori eradication in clinical practice.
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ABSTRACT: Cure rates of Helicobacter pylori infection with standard triple therapy are disappointingly low. A very effective, new sequential treatment schedule has recently been described. However, all studies published to date were performed in Italy; it is mandatory to confirm these results in other settings. To assess the cure rate and the acceptability of a new sequential treatment regimen through a pilot study. A hundred and thirty-nine patients (60% men, mean age 49.6 +/- 15.7 yr) were recruited from six centers. H. pylori status was assessed by histology, urease test or urea breath test. Sequential regime consisted of a 10-day treatment including a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) b.d. plus amoxicillin 1 g b.d. for the first 5 days, followed by a PPI b.d. clarithromycin 500 mg b.d. and metronidazole 500 mg b.d for the next 5 days. Eradication was determined 8 wk after the end of treatment by urea breath test or histology. Eradication rates were calculated both per protocol and by intention-to-treat. Eradication was achieved in 117 out of 129 patients who returned for a follow-up test. The intention-to-treat eradication rate was thus 84.2% (95%CI: 77%-90%) and the per-protocol cure rate 90.7% (95%CI: 84%-95%). The treatment was well tolerated. Only 14 patients complained of mild side effects. Sequential treatment seems highly effective for eradicating H. pylori.The American Journal of Gastroenterology 07/2008; 103(9):2220-3. · 7.28 Impact Factor -
Article: Eradication of Helicobacter pylori for the prevention of peptic ulcer rebleeding.
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ABSTRACT: To evaluate the effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on ulcer bleeding recurrence in a prospective, long-term study including more than 400 patients. Patients with peptic ulcer bleeding were prospectively included. H. pylori infection was confirmed by rapid urease test, histology or (13)C-urea breath test. Several eradication regimens were used. Ranitidine 150 mg was administered daily until eradication was confirmed by breath test 8 weeks after completing eradication therapy. Patients with therapy failure received a second or third course of therapy. Patients with eradication success did not receive maintenance anti-ulcer therapy, and were controlled yearly with a repeated breath test. Four hundred and twenty-two patients were followed up for at least 12 months, with a total of 906 patient-years of follow up. Mean age was 59 years, and 35% were previous nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) users. Sixty-nine percent had duodenal, 24% gastric, and 7% pyloric ulcer. Recurrence of bleeding was demonstrated in two patients at 1 year (incidence: 0.22% per patient-year of follow up), which occurred after NSAID use in both cases. Peptic ulcer rebleeding does not occur in patients with complicated ulcers after H. pylori eradication. Maintenance anti-ulcer (antisecretory) therapy is not necessary if eradication is achieved.Helicobacter 09/2007; 12(4):279-86. · 3.15 Impact Factor -
Article: Effect of antisecretory drugs and nitrates on the risk of ulcer bleeding associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antiplatelet agents, and anticoagulants.
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ABSTRACT: After the withdrawal of some cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitors, traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use has increased, but without additional prevention strategies against upper gastrointestinal (GI) complications in many cases. Here, we report the effect of antisecretory drugs and nitrates on the risk of upper GI peptic ulcer bleeding (UGIB) associated with nonselective NSAIDs, aspirin, antiplatelet agents, and anticoagulants. This case-control study matched 2,777 consecutive patients with UGIB (confirmed by endoscopy) with 5,532 controls (2:1). Adjusted relative risks (RR) of UGIB are reported. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) (RR 0.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.27-0.39), H2-receptor antagonists (H2-RAs) (RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.50-0.85), and nitrates (RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.38-0.70) reduced UGIB risk. PPI use was associated with greater reductions among both traditional NSAID (RR 0.13, 95% CI 0.09-0.19 vs RR 0.30, 95% CI 0.17-0.53 with H2-RAs; RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.19-1.24 with nitrates) and low-dose aspirin users (RR 0.32, 95% CI 0.22-0.51 vs RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.19-0.73 with H2-RA; RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.36-1.04 with nitrates), and among patients taking clopidogrel (RR 0.19, 95% CI 0.07-0.49). For patients taking anticoagulants, use of nitrates, H2-RA, or PPIs was not associated with a significant effect on UGIB risk. Antisecretory agent or nitrate treatment is associated with reduced UGIB RR in patients taking NSAID or aspirin. Only PPI therapy was associated with a marked, consistent risk reduction among patients receiving all types of agents (including nonaspirin antiplatelet agents). Protection was not apparent in patients taking anticoagulants.The American Journal of Gastroenterology 04/2007; 102(3):507-15. · 7.28 Impact Factor -
Article: Efficacy of rifabutin-based triple therapy as second-line treatment to eradicate helicobacter pylori infection.
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ABSTRACT: Rifabutin has been found to be effective in multi-resistant patients after various treatment cycles for Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection, but it has not been analysed as a second-line treatment. Therefore, we seek to compare the effectiveness of a treatment regimen including rifabutin versus conventional quadruple therapy (QT). Open clinical trial, randomised and multi-centre, of two treatment protocols: A) Conventional regime -QT- (omeprazole 20 mg bid, bismuth citrate 120 mg qid, tetracycline 500 mg qid and metronidazole 500 mg tid); B) Experimental one -OAR- (omeprazole 20 mg bid, amoxicillin 1 gr bid, and rifabutin 150 mg bid), both taken orally for 7 days, in patients with HP infection for whom first-line treatment had failed. Eradication was determined by Urea Breath Test (UBT). Safety was determined by the adverse events. 99 patients were randomised, QT, n = 54; OAR, n = 45. The two groups were homogeneous. In 8 cases, treatment was suspended (6 in QT and 2 in OAR). The eradication achieved, analysed by ITT, was for QT, 38 cases (70.4%), and for OAR, 20 cases (44.4%); p = 0.009, OR = 1.58. Of the cases analysed PP, QT were 77.1%; OAR, 46.5%; p = 0.002. Adverse effects were described in 64% of the QT patients and in 44% of the OAR patients (p = 0.04). A 7-day rifabutin-based triple therapy associated to amoxicillin and omeprazole at standard dose was not found to be effective as a second-line rescue therapy. The problem with quadruple therapy lies in the adverse side effects it provokes. We believe the search should continue for alternatives that are more comfortably administered and that are at least as effective, but with fewer adverse side effects. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN81058036.BMC Gastroenterology 02/2007; 7:31. · 2.42 Impact Factor -
Article: Efficacy of rifabutin-based triple therapy as second-line treatment to eradicate helicobacter pylori infection
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ABSTRACT: Abstract Background Rifabutin has been found to be effective in multi-resistant patients after various treatment cycles for Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection, but it has not been analysed as a second-line treatment. Therefore, we seek to compare the effectiveness of a treatment regimen including rifabutin versus conventional quadruple therapy (QT). Methods Open clinical trial, randomised and multi-centre, of two treatment protocols: A) Conventional regime -QT- (omeprazole 20 mg bid, bismuth citrate 120 mg qid, tetracycline 500 mg qid and metronidazole 500 mg tid); B) Experimental one -OAR- (omeprazole 20 mg bid, amoxicillin 1 gr bid, and rifabutin 150 mg bid), both taken orally for 7 days, in patients with HP infection for whom first-line treatment had failed. Eradication was determined by Urea Breath Test (UBT). Safety was determined by the adverse events. Results 99 patients were randomised, QT, n = 54; OAR, n = 45. The two groups were homogeneous. In 8 cases, treatment was suspended (6 in QT and 2 in OAR). The eradication achieved, analysed by ITT, was for QT, 38 cases (70.4%), and for OAR, 20 cases (44.4%); p = 0.009, OR = 1.58. Of the cases analysed PP, QT were 77.1%; OAR, 46.5%; p = 0.002. Adverse effects were described in 64% of the QT patients and in 44% of the OAR patients (p = 0.04). Conclusion A 7-day rifabutin-based triple therapy associated to amoxicillin and omeprazole at standard dose was not found to be effective as a second-line rescue therapy. The problem with quadruple therapy lies in the adverse side effects it provokes. We believe the search should continue for alternatives that are more comfortably administered and that are at least as effective, but with fewer adverse side effects. Trial Registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN81058036BMC Gastroenterology. 01/2007; -
Article: A nationwide study of mortality associated with hospital admission due to severe gastrointestinal events and those associated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use.
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ABSTRACT: The worst outcome of gastrointestinal complications is death. Data regarding those associated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) or aspirin use are scarce. To determine mortality associated with hospital admission due to major gastrointestinal (GI) events and NSAID/aspirin use. The study was based on actual count of deaths from two different data sets from 2001. Study 1 was carried out in 26 general hospitals serving 7,901,198 people. Study 2 used a database from 197 general hospitals, representative of the 269 hospitals in the Spanish National Health System. Information regarding gastrointestinal complications and deaths was obtained throughout the Minimum Basic Data Set (CIE-9-MC) provided by participating hospitals. Deaths attributed to NSAID/aspirin use were estimated on the basis of prospectively collected data from hospitals of study 1. The incidence of hospital admission due to major GI events of the entire (upper and lower) gastrointestinal tract was 121.9 events/100,000 persons/year, but those related to the upper GI tract were six times more frequent. Mortality rate was 5.57% (95% CI = 4.9-6.7), and 5.62% (95% CI = 4.8-6.8) in study 1 and study 2, respectively. Death rate attributed to NSAID/aspirin use was between 21.0 and 24.8 cases/million people, respectively, or 15.3 deaths/100,000 NSAID/aspirin users. Up to one-third of all NSAID/aspirin deaths can be attributed to low-dose aspirin use. Mortality rates associated with either major upper or lower GI events are similar but upper GI events were more frequent. Deaths attributed to NSAID/ASA use were high but previous reports may have provided an overestimate and one-third of them can be due to low-dose aspirin use.The American Journal of Gastroenterology 09/2005; 100(8):1685-93. · 7.28 Impact Factor -
Article: The prevalence of peptic ulcer not related to Helicobacter pylori or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use is negligible in southern Europe.
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ABSTRACT: Helicobacter pylori is the major cause of peptic ulcer disease, but the proportion of H. pylori-negative peptic ulcers seems to be increasing in developed countries. We investigated the frequency of H. pylori-negative peptic ulcer without intake of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in a Mediterranean European country. We prospectively collected consecutive patients with an endoscopically verified active peptic ulcer over 6 months from different areas of Spain. Helicobacter pylori infection was assessed by rapid urease test and histologic examination (corpus and antral biopsies). A (13)C-urea breath test was performed if H. pylori was not detected with the invasive test. Patients were considered H. pylori-negative if all three tests were negative. NSAID use was determined by structured data collection. Of 754 consecutive peptic ulcer patients, 16 (2.1%) were H. pylori-negative and had not used NSAIDs before the diagnosis. Of the 472 patients who had duodenal ulcers, 95.7% (n = 452) were H. pylori-positive and only 1.69% (n = 8) were negative for both H. pylori infection and NSAID use; 193 patients had benign gastric ulcers and 87% (n = 168) of them were infected by H. pylori (p <.001 vs. duodenal ulcers). NSAID intake was more frequent in gastric ulcer patients (52.8%) than in duodenal ulcer patients (25.4%; p <.001). Consequently, the frequency of H. pylori-negative gastric ulcer in patients not using NSAID was 4.1% (n = 8). Peptic ulcer disease is still highly associated with H. pylori infection in southern Europe, and only 1.6% of all duodenal ulcers and 4.1% of all gastric ulcers were not associated with either H. pylori infection or NSAID use.Helicobacter 06/2004; 9(3):249-54. · 3.15 Impact Factor -
Article: [Acute hepatitis due to montelukast].
Medicina Clínica 03/2003; 120(6):239. · 1.38 Impact Factor -
Article: Altered response to oral glutamine challenge as prognostic factor for overt episodes in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy.
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ABSTRACT: We assessed the usefulness of oral glutamine challenge (OGC) and minimal hepatic encephalopathy in evaluating risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) was inferred using neuro-psychological tests. Venous ammonia concentrations were measured pre- and post-60 min (NH(3)-60m) of a 10 g oral glutamine load. Receiver-operating-characteristic curve analysis indicated a pathological glutamine tolerance cut-off value of NH(3)-60m >128 microg/dl. In healthy control subjects (n=10) ammonia concentrations remained unchanged but increased significantly in cirrhotic patients (from 70.41+/-45.2 to 127.43+/-78.6; P<0.001). In multiple logistic regression analysis, altered OGC was related to Child-Pugh (odds ratio, OR=7.69; 95% confidence interval, CI=1.72-33.3; P<0.01) and MHE (OR=5.45; 95% CI=1.17-25.4; P<0.05). In the follow-up 11 patients (15%) developed overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE). In multivariate analysis OGC (OR=14.5; 95% CI=1.26-126.3) and MHE (OR=1.56; 95% CI=1.02-21.9) were independently related with HE in the follow-up. Patients with MHE and altered OGC showed significantly higher risk of overt HE in the follow-up (60%) than patients without MHE and normal OGC (2.8%) (Log rank test=21.60; P<0.0001). A pathological OGC in patients with MHE appears to be a prognostic factor for the development of overt hepatic encephalopathy, whereas a normal OGC in patients without MHE could exclude risk of overt HE.Journal of Hepatology 12/2002; 37(6):781-7. · 9.26 Impact Factor
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2008
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Autonomous University of Barcelona
- Departamento de Medicina
Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
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2002
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Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Valme
Sevilla, Andalusia, Spain
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