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Background: Data on the epidemiology of amyloidosis are scarce worldwide, making it difficult to understand its true incidence and mortality., Aim: The aim of this study is to estimate the incidence and mortality rate of systemic amyloidosis in people affiliated to a Medical Care Program in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina., Methods: This is a hospital-based prospective study. All affiliates over 17 years to the Medical Care Program of the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and incident cases and deaths due to amyloidosis from the Institucional Amyloidosis Registry from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2022 were included. Incidence and mortality rates were reported per million person-year with their respective 95% CIs. Crude, standardised and stratified rates were determined., Results: During the study period, the crude incidence rate was 63 (95% CI 52 to 76) and the crude mortality rate was 31 (95% CI 23 to 40) cases per million person-year, with the wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRwt) subtype having the highest rates. Men were more affected, especially from the age of 70 years onwards. In addition, an increase in the incidence and mortality rate was observed throughout the period studied., Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that amyloidosis remains a rare disease but with an increase in incidence in recent years, especially in elderly people. This underlines the importance of further research in epidemiology for a better understanding of the pathology and its evolution., Competing Interests: None declared., (Copyright © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. Published by BMJ Group.)

Introduction: Influenza represents a global public health challenge. Influenza vaccination is crucial for preventing complications. The World Health Organization recommends a coverage rate of at least 75% for the at-risk population. The aim of this study was to evaluate vaccination coverage among members of the Health Plan of the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires., Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study nested within a dynamic cohort. All members of the Health Plan during the influenza vaccination campaigns of 2022 and 2023 were included. The influenza vaccination rate was calculated and reported as a percentage with its respective 95% confidence interval (CI95%). Demographic variables and comorbidities were analyzed., Results: The influenza vaccination rate was 12% in 2022 and 10% in 2023. Subjects aged between 6 and 23 months had the highest vaccination rates in both periods, at 43% (CI95% 41-46) in 2022 and 48% (CI95% 45-51) in 2023, followed by the population over 65 years old with a rate of 23% (CI95% 23-24) in 2022 and 18% (CI95% 18-19) in 2023. The most common comorbidities were hypertension and dyslipidemia., Discussion: Influenza vaccination coverage in our population fell below the recommendations of the World Health Organization, highlighting the presence of barriers to influenza immunization.

Background: Aortic stenosis (AS) is currently the most common valvular disease, with an estimated prevalence of over 4% in octogenarians., Objective: To describe the prevalence of moderate-severe aortic stenosis (AS) in patients with wild type transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRwt). Also, describe the clinical features, echocardiographic characteristics and clinical evolution., Method: Retrospective cohort of patients with diagnosis of ATTRwt, belonging to Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires Institutional Amyloidosis Registry, from 30/11/2007 to 31/05/2021. Patients follow up was carried out through the institution clinical history. The prevalence of moderate-severe AE was estimated and presented as a percentage with its 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The characteristics were compared by groups according to whether or not they had moderate-severe AS., Results: 104 patients with ATTRwt were included. Median follow up was 476 days [interquartile range: 192-749]. Moderate-severe AS prevalence at the ATTRwt time of diagnosis was 10.5% (n = 11; 95% CI: 5-18%). The median age of patients with AS moderate-severe at the time of diagnosis of ATTRwt was 86 years [78-91] and the male sex predominated (82%). Most of the patients had a history of heart failure (n = 8) and atrial fibrillation (n = 8) prior to the diagnosis of ATTRwt. Most of the patients were subclassified as low flow low gradient severe AS group (n = 7). Four patients underwent some intervention on the aortic valve. During follow-up, 5 patients (46%) were hospitalized for decompensated heart failure and 4 (36%) died., Conclusions: In our cohort, the coexistence of both pathologies had a similar prevalence as reported in the international literature. It was an elderly population with a high percentage of atrial fibrillation and history of heart failure. Most of the patients presented with severe AS with low flow low gradient., (Copyright: © 2024 Permanyer.)

Background: Infantile hemangiomas (IH) are the most common soft tissue tumors of childhood. Although most of these tumors are not worrisome, some IH may be life or function-threatening, can lead to permanent disfigurement, or have associated structural congenital anomalies, requiring early recognition and referral to specialists for treatment consideration. Since 2008, oral propranolol has been widely considered to be the first-line treatment for IH., Objectives: To evaluate aesthetic and functional outcome in propranolol-treated infantile hemangiomas according to the age of treatment onset., Methods: Retrospective, observational study of infantile hemangioma patients under 4 years of age at the time of diagnosis, treated with oral propranolol. Evaluated parameters included: pre and post-treatment morphologic/aesthetic aspects of the hemangioma, total resolution rate, degree of functional compromise of affected areas and its evolution. Two independent pediatric dermatologists evaluated all cases reviewing clinical data from medical records and comparing clinical photographs taken at initiation and at the end of treatment of each patient. Data were analyzed with STATA 13.0 program., Results: The cohort included 138 patients, with a female predominance. The median age at therapy onset was 3 months. The morphological/aesthetic improvement rate was 99% (95% CI 96‒99), the total resolution rate was 48% (95% CI 44‒60) and the functional improvement rate reached 100%. When comparing total resolution outcome versus age when treatment started, the improvement was larger in younger patients (3.5 vs. 4.9 months, p = 0.01). When comparing the total resolution rate in those younger or older than 3 months at treatment initiation, the percentage of total resolution in the younger group was 57% vs. 40% in the older one (p = 0.05)., Study Limitations: Retrospective design; patients photographs were the sole indicators used to measure regression rates. Visual assessment is subjective., Conclusion: The present results strongly suggest that early (before 3 months of age) initiation of treatment of infantile hemangiomas with propranolol results in significantly higher aesthetic and functional improvement rates and a higher percentage of total resolution., (Copyright © 2022 Sociedade Brasileira de Dermatologia. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as glucose intolerance diagnosed during pregnancy. This pathology can be associated with maternal and feto-neonatal complications, both in the short and long term. The prevalence of GDM in Argentina (based on the diagnostic criteria of the Latin American Diabetes Association (ALAD), is estimated between 7.5-10% of pregnant women. Information in Argentina on the incidence of GDM is scarce. The objective of this work was to estimate the incidence of GDM, evaluate its treatment and the frequency of screening for postpartum reclassification of diabetes in a population of pregnant women treated at a private hospital in the city of Buenos Aires., Materials and Methods: Retrospective cohort of pregnant women evaluated at the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Argentina between 2015 and 2018., Results: The cumulative incidence of GDM was 7.6% (95% CI 7.0-8, two). All patients received nutritional advice (food plan). Of the total number of pregnant women studied 229 (39.3%) required pharmacological treatment; Of these, 97 patients received insulin (16.7%) and 132 metformin (22.7%). Regarding the follow-up of the pathology, between six weeks and one year postpartum, 267 women (45.9%) underwent diabetes screening for reclassification. Screening frequency was higher in the insulin-treated group. Of the patients who underwent screening, 36 women (13.5%) had impaired fasting blood glucose, 16 women (6.0%) had impaired glucose tolerance, and 3 women (1.1%) were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. two.Of these, 36 women (13.5%) had impaired fasting blood glucose, 16 women (6.0%) had impaired glucose tolerance, and 3 women (1.1%) were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus., Conclusion: GDM incidence was 7.6%. Less than half of the women diagnosed with GDM required pharmacological treatment. The frequency of diabetes screening up to one year postpartum for reclassification was similar to that reported., (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.)

Objective: To describe the clinical and imaging characteristics of heart transplantation patients due to amyloidosis in a community institution., Method: Descriptive case series of consecutive heart transplantation patients with amyloidosis in a medical center. All patients with diagnosis of amyloidosis with cardiac compromise receiving heart transplantation, performed in the period November 2008 to February 2021, were included in the analysis., Results: A total of 16 patients were included. The mean age was 59.9 years (± 10.2). 81.25% (n = 13) were male. According to the type of amyloidosis, 12 patients were transplanted for AL amyloidosis and 4 for ATTR amyloidosis. The most frequent clinical presentations were left overload (50%) and cardiogenic shock (32%). The mean ejection fraction prior to transplantation was 43% (± 16), 14 of the 16 patients had right ventricular dysfunction. The most common finding on cardiac magnetic resonance was the diffuse subendocardial late gadolinium enhancement pattern, with cancellation of the blood pool. The heart transplantation gave 6 patients the chance to receive a bone marrow transplantation afterwards., Conclusions: Heart transplantation has become an option for patients with heart failure due to AL and ATTR amyloidosis. In patients with AL amyloidosis, it might even allow bone marrow transplantation in a second stage.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis in patients with systemic amyloidosis. Compare survival rates based on whether they show cardiac involvement., Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients with systemic amyloidosis from the Institutional Amyloidosis Registry of the Hospital Italian of Buenos Aires from 2010 to 2019. Heart involvement is considered to be the presence of symptoms and/or images consistent with amyloidosis, and there is no other reason to explain it. All deaths due to causes were evaluated. The survival rate was estimated by Kaplan-Meier. Cox regression model was used to evaluate factors related to mortality. Heart transplantation was evaluated in a competitive risk regression model., Results: The prevalence of heart involvement is 63%. For the group with heart damage, the death rate was 14/1,000 person-months, and for patients without damage, the death rate was 5/1,000 person-months. The 5-year overall survival rate for patients with heart involvement was 44%, while that for patients without damage was 67% (p = 0.02). The original HR for heart involvement was 2.09 (p = 0.02). Age showed that HRa was 1.06 (p <0.01). The sub-HR estimated by the competitive risk regression model are 1.86 (95% CI 0.99-3.49) p = 0.05., Conclusion: Cardiac involvement is an important prognostic factor in patients with amyloidosis.

This clinical practice guideline for treating transthyretin amyloid (ATTR) cardiomyopathy is based on the best available evidence of clinical effectiveness. The PICO format was used to generate a list of questions focused on the effectiveness and safety of the specific treatment of patients with ATTR cardiomyopathy. The search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane and Epistemokus, between July-August 2020, and selected articles between 2000-2020, in English and Spanish. The level of evidence and recommendations were analyzed and classified by the GRADE system. The following drugs were included in the analysis: tafamidis, diflunisal, inotersen, patisiran y doxycycline and ursodeoxycholic acid. The expert panel had an agreement that tafamidis 80mg/daily is the only available drug with moderate evidence and weak recommendation for the reduction of total mortality, cardiovascular morbidity, heart failure hospitalization and progression of the disease in patients with ATTR cardiomyopathy and NYHA class = 3. In contrast, tafamidis 20 mg/daily had low-quality evidence in this group of patients. The expert panel did not recommend inotersen, patisiran and diflunisal in patients with ATTR cardiomyopathy due to the lack of supporting evidence, local drug availability, and the potential risk of toxicity. When patients did not have access to tafamidis, the expert panel stated a weak recommendation to use doxycycline and ursodeoxycholic acid in patients with ATTR cardiomyopathy.

Introduction: Immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare disease. Treatment is challenging, justified in part by systemic compromise and limited scientific evidence., Objectives: Develop evidencebased recommendations that allow adequate treatment of patients with amyloidosis AL., Methods: A list of PICO format questions focused on the effectiveness and safety of amyloidosis AL treatment was generated. PubMed, Cochrane and Epistemonikos were searched. The levels of evidence and grades of recommendation were based on the GRADE system., Results: 11 recommendations were generated. In selected patients with amyloidosis AL, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is recommended after induction with bortezomibbased regimens and conditioning with melphalan, since it could deepen the hematological and organ response, its durability and improve survival. In patients not eligible for ASCT, first-line treatment with bortezomib-based regimens is recommended, since it is likely to achieve a higher rate of hematological and organ response and improve survival. In patients with a contraindication or inaccessibility to bortezomib, treatment with alkylating agents and corticosteroids is recommended, since they are likely to achieve haematological and organ response and improve survival., Discussion: These treatment recommendations are based on the available evidence and the experience of the panel of experts, in a scenario of limited available resources, according to developing countries.

This clinical practice guideline for the treatment of familial amyloid polyneuropathy is based on the best available evidence of clinical effectiveness. A list of questions was generated with a PICO format focused on the effectiveness and safety of the treatment of familial amyloid polyneuropathy. The search was carried out in PubMed, Cochrane and Epistemonikos. The levels of evidence and grades of recommendation were based on the GRADE system. Recommendations were graded according to their direction and their strength and were evaluated with the GLIA tool for their implementation. In patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy and stage I and II neuropathy, it is suggested: inotersen 300 mg subcutaneous weekly or patisirán 0.3 mg/kg intravenously once every 3 weeks, since they probably stabilize or slow the progression of neuropathy and worsening quality of life (moderate quality of evidence; strength of recommendation weak). In patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy and stage I neuropathy, treatment with tafamidis 20 mg orally, once a day, is suggested, as it could slow the progression of neuropathy and worsen quality of life (low quality of evidence; strength of recommendation weak). In patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy and symptomatic neuropathy and in the absence of other treatments with approved efficacy, treatment with oral diflunisal 250 mg twice daily is suggested, as it could prevent the progression of neuropathy (quality evidence low; strength of recommendation weak).

Objective: We aim to evaluate factors associated with the recurrence of thromboembolic episodes among patients with a first episode of venous thromboembolic disease during anticoagulation treatment and at least one year after treatment suspension., Methods: A prospective cohort of patients with a first episode of deep vein thrombosis confirmed by Doppler ultrasound and initiated anticoagulation treatment. Participants were registered in the Institutional Registry of Thromboembolic Disease between June 2015 and March 2019. Patients with cancer, with permanent inferior vena cava filter implant, and those who refused to participate or did not provide informed consent were excluded. All patients were evaluated within treatment at 30 days and at least one year after the suspension of anticoagulation with a D-dimer study and an ultrasound. All patients were evaluated for recurrence, bleeding (major and minor), and death., Results: A total of 304 patients were recruited during the study period. Seventy-three percent were female, and the median age was 80 years. The rate of recurrence rate during anticoagulation treatment was 5% (N = 16/303; 95% confidence interval: 3 to 8), and 5% during post-suspension follow-up (N = 11/202; 95%CI: 3 to 9). The overall bleeding rate was 13% (N = 39; 95%CI: 9 to 17), and 5% for major bleeding. Patients who recurred had higher basal D-dimer mean, higher neutrophils and monocytes, and a higher prevalence of age-adjusted D-dimer ratio greater than 0.5 before discontinuation. In addition, they more frequently had complete leg involvement by ultrasound and received a shorter treatment., Conclusions: Although some baseline and pre-suspension parameters had a higher recurrence incidence, statistical significance was not reached, probably due to small statistical power and a short-term follow-up.

The increasing complexity in the approach to diseases challenges the development of a new paradigm of care that crosses disciplinary limits, where professionals from different disciplines approach a problem applying their expertise, respecting the knowledge of the other and contributing to the global view of the problem. Amyloidoses are rare diseases. The diagnosis is based on the biopsy of those organs in which amyloid infiltration is suspected. There is an increased risk of bleeding associated with these procedures. Therefore, the availability of obtaining samples from certain sites with less invasive accesses, such as the minor salivary glands (GSM), represent an alternative. Objectives: Describe the experiences of GSM biopsies as a diagnostic tool in the detection of amyloidosis and its intra and postoperative complications. - Estimate the diagnostic performance. The design is a cross-sectional cohort. All patients with a suspected diagnosis of amyloidosis were consecutively included, between August 2018-September 2020. Results: 23 biopsies were performed with minimally invasive procedures. 60.86% were male and the average age was 66 years. The prevalence of amyloidosis was 33%. The sensitivity was 55% and the specificity 100%. One patient had more bleeding than usual during the procedure and none had postoperative complications. Conclusions: GSM biopsy experiences were described as a diagnostic tool for amyloidosis, reporting a slight intraoperative complication and no postoperative complication. The test achieved a sensitivity of 55% and a specificity of 100%., (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba)

Background: The limited diffusion about hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) among general practitioners, leads to diagnosis delays., Objectives: To assess the impact of a short and long-term educational campaign on HS among the walk-in clinic physicians of the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires (HIBA), Materials and Methods: Quasi-experimental study with an educational intervention by disseminating a piece of information about HS among 142 walk-in clinic physicians of the HIBA. The same anonymous survey on knowledge of the HS was carried out on 3 occasions: baseline, 1 and 9 months after the intervention. The correct answers were compared before, after 1 and 9 months. The survey and the piece of information were sent by WhatsAppⓇ., Results: Of the total, 64 (45%) answered in the first stage, 48 (34%) in the second stage and 56 (39%) in the third stage. In the baseline survey, only half knew the inflammatory nature of the disease, 3 out of 5 physicians chose an inadequate antibiotic scheme, the surgery mostly indicated was drainage, only a fifth considered ultrasound useful, and a third did not believe that the patient could benefit from referral to a dermatologist. After the educational campaign, we observed a learning in the HS management, which was held at 9 months., Discussion: We observed a lack of HS training among general practitioners. The WhatsAppⓇ platform could be useful as an educational tool., (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.)

Introduction: Pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a frequent complication in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is unclear that the extent to which the traditional risk stratifying scores for PE are accurate in this population., Methods: Cross-sectional study of adult patients with COPD and suspected PE included in an Institutional Registry of Thromboembolic Disease at a tertiary teaching hospital in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. We estimated the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AU-ROC), sensitivity and specificity of the Wells and Geneva scores using a positive computed tomography angiography as the gold standard for PE. We also estimated the sensitivity and specificity for the presence of isolated worsening of dyspnea at presentation, without other cardinal symptoms of acute exacerbation of COPD., Results: A total of 168 patients were included, of which 22% had confirmed PE. The AUC was 0.66 (95% CI 0.56-0.76) and 0.56 (95% CI 0.45-0.67) for the Wells and Geneva, respectively. Considering the most widely used cutoff points, the sensitivity and specificity were 24% and 90% for the Wells and 59% and 43% for the Geneva score, respectively. Isolated worsening of dyspnea on presentation had a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 37%., Conclusions: Both Wells and Geneva scores exhibit poor diagnostic accuracy for the diagnosis of PE in patients with COPD. The presence of isolated worsening of dyspnea on presentation could be an easy to identify criteria for the initial triage in this population. Further validation of our findings remains warranted., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objetivo: Explorar la asociación entre consumo de estatinas (CE) y desarrollo de síndrome postrombótico (SPT)., Método: Cohorte retrospectiva con pacientes con primer episodio de trombosis venosa profunda (TVP) entre el 06/2006 y el 12/2017, incluidos en el Registro Institucional de Enfermedad TromboEmbólica (RIET) del Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. Se consideró exposición al CE entre los 30 días previos y hasta 180 días posterior al diagnóstico de TVP. Se definió SPT según constaba este dato en la base de seguimiento del RIET. Se evaluó el desarrollo de SPT con un modelo de riesgos proporcionales de Cox, reportando hazard ratios (HR) crudas y ajustadas. Se consideró la confusión por indicación del CE y se utilizó un propensity score (PS) para el ajuste del riesgo estimado, reportando los HR con sus intervalos de confianza del 95% (IC 95%)., Resultados: Se incluyeron 905 pacientes, de los cuales 273 fueron CE y 632 no consumidor de estatinas (NCE). Al seguimiento, la incidencia de SPT fue: 6.59% (18) en el grupo CE y 8.07% (51) en el grupo NCE, con p = 0.412. La razón de riesgo para el desarrollo de SPT de CE resultó no significativa (HR cruda: 0.78; IC 95%: 0.43-1.41; p = 0.414). La HR de CE ajustada por edad, sexo, antiinflamatorios no esteroideos, corticosteroides, inmovilidad, anticoagulante, hipertensión arterial, diabetes, dislipidemia, insuficiencia renal crónica, enfermedad coronaria, accidente cerebrovascular, insuficiencia cardiaca y enfermedad oncológica fue 0.45 (IC 95%: 0.13-1.5; p = 0.196). La HR del CE ajustado por edad, sexo, antiinflamatorios no esteroideos, corticosteroides, inmovilidad, tratamiento anticoagulante, enfermedad oncológica y PS fue de 0.52 (IC 95%: 0.17-1.66; p = 0.272)., Conclusiones: El CE no se asoció con menor SPT, aunque hubo escaso número de eventos detectados., Objective: To evaluate the association between statin consumption and development of post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS)., Methods: Retrospective cohort study which included patients with a first episode of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) between 06/2006 and 12/2017, included in the Institutional Registry of ThromboEmbolic Disease of the Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Exposure to statin use (SU) was considered between the 30 days before and up to 180 days after the diagnosis of DVT. PTS was defined as recorded dataset on registry. The development of PTS was evaluated with Cox proportional hazards model, raw and adjusted hazard ratios (HR) were reported. Confusion was considered by indication of SU and a propensity score (PS) was used for adjustment. We reported HR with their 95% confidence interval (CI); p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: Of 1393 patients, 905 were included for the analysis, of which 273 were SU and 632 non-statin users (NSU). At follow-up, incidence of PTS was: 6.59% (18) in the SU group and 8.07% (51) in the NSU group, with p = 0.412. Crude HR for PTS for SU was not significant (0.78; 95% CI: 0.43-1.41; p = 0.414). Adjusted HR of SU by age, sex, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, immobility, anticoagulant, high blood pressure, diabetes, dyslipidemia, chronic renal failure, coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure and cancer disease was 0.45 (95% CI: 0.13-1.5; p = 0.196) for PTS. While HR for the development of PTS adjusted by age, sex, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, immobility, anticoagulant treatment, cancer disease and PS of the SU was 0.52 (95% CI: 0.17-1.66; p = 0.272)., Conclusion: No statistically significant association was found between CE and the development of SPT, although there were a small number of events detected in both groups., (Copyright: © 2020 Permanyer.)

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Antipsychotic treatment is associated with an increased risk of thromboembolic disease, an effect that seems to be constant across the spectrum of distinct agents. This study sought to delineate the effect of new antipsychotic use on the risk of recurrent thromboembolic events after a first episode of either deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism., Methods: This cohort study, conducted between January 2010 and June 2017, was based on a prospectively collected database of adult patients with VTE. The main exposure was the new onset of antipsychotic treatment after having a first episode of venous thromboembolic disease. The primary outcome was defined as recurrent VTE, either deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, during long-term follow-up. The composite of all-cause mortality and recurrent VTE served as the secondary outcome. An inverse probability weighted multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was fitted to adjust for measured confounding and competing risks., Results: One thousand one hundred three patients were included in the present analysis, of whom 136 were identified as new users of antipsychotic agents. A total of 67% of patients were currently treated with full-dose anticoagulation at baseline. No association was found between the new use of antipsychotic agents and recurrent VTE during follow-up (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.08; 95% CI, 0.38-3.08). However, the use of these agents was associated with a 63% increased risk of recurrent VTE or all-cause mortality (adjusted HR = 1.63; 95% CI, 1.26-2.10)., Conclusions: The use of antipsychotic agents among patients with a first episode of VTE and full-dose anticoagulation was not associated with an increased risk of recurrent thromboembolic events. However, antipsychotic treatment was associated with a higher risk of both VTE and all-cause mortality. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings., (© Copyright 2019 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.)

Masked uncontrolled hypertension (MUCH) is an entity described in treated hypertensive subjects, where office blood pressure (BP) is well controlled and out-of-office BP is elevated. It has been related to a higher cardiovascular risk. However, the reproducibility of MUCH has been scarcely studied. In this study, we aimed to determine the reproducibility of MUCH detected through home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM). Two sets of measurements were performed in hypertensive adults under stable treatment with a 1-week interval. Each set of measurements included three office BP readings and a 4-day HBPM with duplicate readings in the morning, afternoon, and evening (the same validated oscillometric device was employed in both settings). We determined the percentage of agreement regarding the presence of MUCH in the two sets of measurements and quantified such agreement through the Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ), its 95% confidence interval, and P value. We included 105 patients (median age 58.6 [IQR 45.6-67.2] years old, 53.4% men). MUCH prevalence on at least one occasion was 22.3% (95% CI: 15.2-31.5). The reproducibility of MUCH was scant: κ = 0.19 (95% CI: 0.0002-0.38), P = 0.02, due to the poor reproducibility of the office BP component of MUCH in comparison with the home BP component: κ = 0.21 (95% CI: 0.03-0.39), P = 0.01 vs κ = 0.48 (95% CI 0.29-0.67), P < 0.001, respectively. In conclusion, the reproducibility of MUCH detected through HBPM is minimal, mainly due to the poor reproducibility of office BP measurements. An HBPM-based strategy for the management of patients with MUCH may be more adequate in terms of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality., (©2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a risk factor for cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases., Aim: To evaluate the association between high MPV and 90-day mortality after an episode of venous thromboembolism (VTE)., Material and Methods: Retrospective cohort of 594 patients with a median age of 73 years (58% women) with a first episode VTE, included in an institutional Thromboembolic Disease registry between 2014 and 2015. MPV values were obtained from the automated blood cell count measured at the moment of VTE diagnosis. Volumes ≥ 11 fL were classified as high. All patients were followed for 90 days to assess survival., Results: The main comorbidities were cancer in 221 patients (37%), sepsis in 172 (29%) and coronary artery disease in 107 (18%). Median MPV was 8 fl (8-9), brain natriuretic peptide 2,000 pg/ml (1,025-3,900) and troponin 40 pg/ml (19.5-75). Overall mortality was 20% (121/594) during the 90 days of follow-up. Thirty three deaths occurred within 7 days and 43 within the first month. The loss of patients from follow-up was 5% (28/594) at 90 days. Mortality among patients with high MP was 36% (23/63). The crude mortality hazard ratio (HR) for high MPV was 2.2 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.4-3.5). When adjusted for sepsis, oncological disease, heart disease, kidney failure and surgery, the mortality HR of high MPV was 2.4 (CI95% 1.5-3.9) in the VTE group, 2.3 (CI95% 1.5-4.4) in the deep venous thrombosis group, and 2.9 (CI95% 1.6 -5.6) in the pulmonary embolism group., Conclusions: High MPV is an independent risk factor for mortality following an episode of VTE.

There is limited epidemiological information on AA amyloidosis in Argentina, so the objective of this study was to describe the epidemiological characteristics of this disease in a tertiary hospital in our country. We designed a prospective clinical cohort of all consecutive patients with AA amyloidosis confirmed by immunohistochemistry in tissue from the Institutional Registry of Amyloidosis of the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, in the period 04/01/2012- 12/31/2017. Of the 121 patients in the registry, 18 were included with AA for the analysis. Of the total included, 50% (9) were female, with a median age of 53.5 (interquartile range, RII 46-61) years. The 88.9% (16) of cohort presented renal compromise, all had proteinuria, and 6 required dialysis. Six had amyloid infiltration of the digestive system. The latency between the onset of the underlying disease and the diagnosis of AA had a median of 27 (RII 8-35) years. The underlying disease was of inflammatory origin in 6 cases. In 50% (9) of the patients the cause of AA amyloidosis was unknown. In the remaining 50%, these causes resemble those observed in developed countries. Furthermore, our results highlight the importance of their differential diagnosis to identify the most appropriate treatment or follow-up according to the situation presented by each patient.

Background: There is limited knowledge of the incidence of venous thromboembolic disease (VTE) during hospitalization, since most of these are community-based data., Purpose: To estimate the incidence rate (IR) of VTE developed during hospitalization., Methods: Prospective cohort of all inpatients admitted in a university tertiary hospital, in Argentina. The inclusion criteria were defined as: adult patients consecutively admitted from July/2006 to August/2013, for any cause. Patients admitted for VTE were excluded; all patients at the time of admission were free of event. Each person was followed contributing time at risk, from admission to event, discharge or death. VTE incident cases were captured from the Institutional Registry of Thromboembolic Disease (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01372514). Incidence rate was calculated with 95% confidence intervals., Results: The crude incidence rate of VTE for clinical patients was 0.49 (95%CI 0.45-0.55) per 1,000 cases person-days, and IR adjusted for WHO was 0.23 (95%CI 0.19-0.26). The crude IR of VTE for surgical patients was 0.25 (95%CI 0.23-0.27), and IR adjusted for WHO was 0.13 (95%CI 0.10-0.17). The incidence rate ratio (IRR) for VTE shows that surgical admission reduces the IRR and age categories increases the thrombosis rate risk, after adjustment for age category, sex and surgical admission., Conclusions: This study suggests that there is a high risk of VTE in hospitalized patients and is still a frequent problem.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis is a leading indication for liver transplantation (LT) worldwide. Access to effective HCV treatment is inequitable globally. We aimed to analyze whether the introduction of effective HCV treatment caused an impact in LT trends in a middle-income country., Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of all adult patients who were listed/received a LT in Argentina for HCV, alcohol-related liver disease (ALD), or autoimmune hepatitis/primary biliary cirrhosis (AIH/PBC) from 2007 to 2017. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to identify changes in the cumulative incidence rates in waiting list (WL) registration, WL mortality, and LT., Results: Liver transplantation WL for HCV increased significantly between 2007 and 2014, with an annual percentage change (APC) +7.8%, P = .01, followed by a downward slope from 2014 to 2017 with an APC -9.8%, P = .1. There were no significant changes in WL mortality. LT trends remained stable. LT for HCV without MELD exception points for HCC decreased (APC -6.6%, P = .01), whereas LT for HCV with HCC exception points increased (APC +11.1, P = .01) during the study period., Conclusion: Waiting list and LT for HCV without HCC decreased, whereas LT for HCV and HCC increased; this may be related to selective antiviral treatment access for patients with advanced fibrosis., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background and Aims: Spontaneous bacteremia is a poorly characterized infection in patients with cirrhosis. We compared the incidence of mortality and acute kidney injury in patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and spontaneous bacteremia, and identified risk factors for mortality and acute kidney injury in patients with spontaneous bacteremia., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with cirrhosis and spontaneous bacteremia or spontaneous bacterial peritonitis from 2008 to 2016 at Hospital Italiano, Buenos Aires. We compared the cumulative incidence of acute kidney injury and death between the two infections, and identified risk factors for these outcomes in patients with spontaneous bacteremia., Results: Seventy-one patients with spontaneous bacteremia and 55 patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis were included. Most infections were nosocomial. Overall, 26% of bacteria were resistant and 11% multi-resistant. We found no significant association between acute kidney injury [subhazard ratio (sHR) 1.05 (95% confidence interval, CI 0.67-1.63, p = 0.83)] or death [sHR 1.15 (95% CI 0.60-2.20, p = 0.68)] and type of spontaneous infection in multivariate analyses adjusting for basal Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. In patients with spontaneous bacteremia, baseline MELD score was independently associated with acute kidney injury [sHR 1.07 (95% CI 1.03-1.11, p = 0.001)] and death [sHR 1.07 (95% CI 1.02-1.15, p = 0.03)]., Conclusions: Short-term acute kidney injury and mortality rates were similar in patients with spontaneous bacteremia and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Risk assessment of patients with spontaneous bacteremia can be performed with baseline MELD score.

Background: There are limited data concerning the incidence density (ID) of ATTRwt, AL and AA amyloidosis in the Argentinean population. Our aim was to estimate the ID of ATTRwt, AL and AA amyloidosis at the Hospital Italiano Medical Care Program in Buenos Aires, Argentina., Methods: Population was all members of a hospital-based health maintenance organization who were affiliated since January 2006 to December 2014. Each person was followed contributing time at risk since January 2006 or enrollment date to the final date. Incident cases of amyloidosis were captured from the institutional registry of amyloidosis. Incidence rate was calculated with 95% confidence intervals., Results: During the nine-year study period, there were 15 patients with ATTRwt, 12 with AL and 2 with AA amyloidosis for 1 105 152 person-years of follow-up. The crude ID of ATTRwt amyloidosis was 13.5 (95%CI 8.1-22.4), that of AL amyloidosis 11 (95%CI: 6-19) and that of AA amyloidosis 1.8 (95%CI: 0.5-7.2) per 1 000 000 person-years. The highest ID was found in men (31.7 for ATTRwt, 15.9 for AL and 2.27 for AA amyloidosis per 1 000 000 person-years). The ID adjusted to the population of the city of Buenos Aires was 6.46 (95%CI: 3.17-9.74) for ATTRwt, 6.13 (95%CI: 2.57-9.7) for AL and 1.21 (95%CI: 0.56 to 2.99) for AA amyloidosis., Conclusions: This is the first paper to report the incidence density of ATTRwt, AL and AA amyloidosis in Latin America. Our results are consistent with other studies from other regions. Although systemic amyloidosis is a rare disease, it is a major health problem because of its morbi-mortality.

Objetive: To evaluate the association between delta variations in the parameters of 2 sinusal ECG with atrial fibrillation (AF) onset., Method: Retrospective cohort of 9,975 adult patients and members of the prepaid system at Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires from Argentina, who had at least 2 sinusal ECG between 2006 and 2011. Population was followed up for detection of AF. All measurements and electrocardiographic deltas (differences between the 2 ECG) were standardized. Hazard ratio (HR) was estimated for the development of AF for each delta of the different ECG parameters using a Cox regression model., Results: During a median follow up of 3.5 years, 189 patients (1.89%) developed AF. Heart rate delta, ST interval delta and P wave amplitude were predictors of AF. Hazard ratio Adjusted for clinical characteristics and ECGbasal values was 0,86 (CI95%: 0.75-0.98, p=0.024) for heart rate delta, 1.12 (CI95%: 0.98-1.27, p=0.082) for ST interval delta and 1.21 (CI95%: 1.05-1.38, p=0.006) for P wave amplitude delta., Conclusion: Differences of heart rate and P wave amplitude between ECG's measurements may predict AF, independently of clinical features and ECGbasal values., (Copyright © 2016 Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez. Published by Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.)

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the most common cause of preventable mortality in hospitalized patients, and pulmonary embolism is responsible for 5-10 % of all hospital deaths. To estimate the hospital mortality in hospitalized patients who developed VTE during hospitalization. Prospective cohort of all adult inpatients >17 years admitted to the hospital between August 2006 and August 2013, and follow-up until discharge to measure death. VTE incident cases were captured prospectively from the Institutional Registry of Thromboembolic disease in a tertiary hospital care in Buenos Aires. In hospital global mortality and fatality rate of inpatients with VTE was calculated. The cumulative incidence of VTE was 1.8 % (95 % CI 1.77-1.93 %), representing 1.32 % (95 % CI 1.23-1.41 %) in the subgroup of surgical patients and 2.1 % (95 % CI 1.9-2.2 %) in clinical inpatients. The overall hospital mortality was 2.4 % (95 % CI 2.35-2.53); being 3.95 % (95 % CI 3.78-4.12) in clinical inpatients and 1.15 % (95 % CI 1.06-1.23) in surgical patients. The death in patients who had developed VTE, represented between 4 and 7 % of hospital deaths, and it increases with age in both clinical and surgical patients. In Argentina there are few data of hospital mortality in patients with VTE. This information is useful when assessing the need for resources for prevention, diagnosis and treatment in inpatients.

Background: The prognosis of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) in whom PE has been ruled out (RPE) is unclear. We aimed to evaluate survival and diagnosis of new cancer in suspected PE patients at follow up., Methods: A prospective cohort study nested in a prospective Institutional Registry of Venous Thromboembolic Disease was performed between 2006 and 2011. This study was designed to evaluate all consecutive, incident cases of suspected PE in adults. The study was performed at the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, a tertiary level hospital, in hospitalized patients and outpatients. Suspected PE cases were collected using a computerized system that alerts whenever a physician requests pulmonary angiography, angiotomography, or ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy. PE was defined by pre-specified criteria and RPE was defined when diagnostic tests were negative for PE., Results: We included 1736 cases of suspected PE. The prevalence of PE was 29% (n = 504). There was no difference in the overall survival at 30 days and follow-up between PE and RPE patients. The presence of provoked or unprovoked venous thromboembolic disease in these patients did not affect survival. The main causes of death were PE in the confirmed PE group (60%), and neoplasm (42%) and sepsis (37%) in the RPE group. Survival at 90 days was 63% for PE (95% CI 58-67%) and 67% for RPE patients (95% CT 64-69%). At follow-up, there was no difference in diagnosis of new cancer between PE and RPE patients (2% vs 2%, p = 0.82), even when taking into account the unprovoked group., Conclusions: Even when the main cause of death in PE patients is PE itself, the overall mortality is similar between PE and RPE patients. The reason for this finding could be because of the more frequent and severe comorbidities in RPE than in PE patients., Trial Registration: HomeClinicalTrial.gov: NCT01372514.

Introduction: The role of the Wells score for patients who develop signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism (PE) during hospitalization has not been sufficiently validated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of the Wells score for inpatients with suspected PE and to evaluate the prevalence of pulmonary embolism., Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study nested in the prospective Institutional Registry of Thromboembolic Disease at Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires from June 2006 to March 2011. We included patients who developed symptoms of pulmonary embolism during hospitalization. Patients were stratified based on the Wells score as PE likely (>4 points) or PE unlikely (≤4 points). The presence of pulmonary embolism was defined by pre-specified criteria., Results: Six hundred and thirteen patients met the inclusion criteria, with an overall prevalence of PE of 36%. Two hundred and nineteen (34%) were classified as PE likely and 394 (66%) as PE unlikely with a prevalence of PE of 66% and 20%, respectively. The Wells score showed a sensitivity of 65 (95% CI 59-72), specificity 81 (95% CI 77-85), positive predictive value 66 (95% CI 60-72) and negative predictive value 80 (95% CI 77-84)., Conclusions: The Wells Score is accurate to predict the probability of PE in hospitalized patients and this population had a higher prevalence of PE than other cohorts. However, the score is not sufficiently predictive to rule out a potentially fatal disorder., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The incidence of venous thromboembolic disease (VTED) is estimated to be, on average, 1-2 cases per 1,000 individuals per year worldwide. There are few data concerning the incidence rate (IR) of VTED in the Argentinean population at large.Our aim was to estimate the IR of VTED at the Italian Hospital Medical Care Program (IHMCP) in Buenos Aires, the most populous city in Argentina., Methods: This prospective cohort study evaluated all consecutive incident cases of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) confirmed in patients over the age of 17 who were members of the IHMCP from June 2006 to May 2012. Any patient who had an initial confirmed VTED episode and was a member of the IHMCP at the time of diagnosis was considered an incident case., Results: There were 1,138 cases of VTED for 687,871 person-years of follow-up. The crude IR of VTED was 1.65 (95% CI: 1.56 to 1.75) per 1,000 person-years. The highest IR was found in subjects >80 years old (5.92 per 1,000 person years; 95% CI: 5.41 to 6.49).The IRs adjusted to the population of the city of Buenos Aires were 0.90 (95% CI: 0.84 to 0.95) for VTED, 0.71 (95% CI: 0.66 to 0.76) for DVT, and 0.34 (95% CI: 0.31 to 0.37) for PTE., Conclusions: VTED is a common health problem with a high IR in members of the IHMCP, especially the elderly. This is the first paper to report prospectively the cumulative incidence of VTED in Latin America.

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) has been associated with a higher risk of developing malignancy and mortality, and patients with VTE may therefore benefit from increased surveillance. We aimed to construct a clinical predictive score that could classify patients with VTE according to their risk for developing these outcomes., Methods: Observational cohort study using an existing clinical registry in a tertiary academic teaching hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 1264 adult patients greater than 17 years of age presented new VTE between June 2006 and December 2011 and were included in the registry. We excluded patients with previous or incident cancer, those who died during the first month, and those with less than one year of follow up (< 5%). 540 patients were included. Primary outcome was new cancer diagnosis during one year of follow-up, secondary composite outcome was any new cancer diagnosis or death. The score was developed using a multivariable logistic regression model to predict cancer or death., Results: During follow-up, one-quarter (26.4%) of patients developed cancer (9.2%) or died (23.7%). Patients with the primary outcome had more comorbidities, were more likely to have previous thromboembolism and less likely to have recent surgery. The final score developed for predicting cancer alone included previous episode of VTE, recent surgery and comorbidity (Charlson comorbidity score), [AUC of 0.75 (95% CI 0.66-0.84) and 0.79 (95% CI 0.63-0.95) in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively]. The version of this score developed to predict cancer or death included age, albumin level, comorbidity, previous episode of VTE, and recent surgery [AUC = 0.72 (95% CI 0.66-0.78) and 0.71 (95% CI 0.63-0.79) in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively]., Conclusions: A simple clinical predictive score accurately estimates patients' risk of developing cancer or death following newly diagnosed VTE. This tool could be used to help reassure low risk patients, or to identify high-risk patients that might benefit from closer surveillance and additional investigations., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01372514.