The objective of this study was to compare the evolution of patients with acute renal failure (ARF) treated conservatively or with different dialytic techniques in an intensive care unit (ICU). From June 1992 to November 1994, 1087 consecutive patients were admitted in our ICU. Two hundred and twenty of these presented with ARF, and were divided into three groups; group I (control group): 156 patients with ARF who did not receive substitutive techniques; group II: 21 patients under intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD); group III: 43 patients under continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF). The studied variables were age, etiology of renal failure, requirement of dialysis, type of dialysis, length of ICU and hospital stay, and renal function outcome. APACHE II and SAPS scores were recorded on admission and analyzed for hospital mortality. Chi-square test and the analysis of variance were used for the statistical analysis. Results are presented as mean +/- SD. A p value below 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Although etiology of ARF was multifactorial, we found a high frequency of ARF due to sepsis (56.8%), hypoperfusion (58.7%), and acute tubular necrosis (62.5%). Sepsis and heart failure were clinical conditions associated to a greater mortality. We did not find any statistical difference between the two dialyzed groups for all the studied variables, nor between the three groups regarding APACHE II and hospital stay. Significant differences were found between dialyzed and non-dialyzed patients respect to age, group I: 64.1 +/- 13.6, group II: 56.4 +/- 19.7, and group III: 56.0 +/- 14.1 (p < 0.001), creatinine peak serum levels, group I: 260 +/- 130, group II: 494 +/- 209, and group III: 441 +/- 170 mumol/L (p < 0.0001), and mortality, group I: 46.9%, group II: 66.7%, and group III: 76.2% (p < 0.002). SAPS score showed differences between the control group and the CHDF group 13.9 +/- 4.8 and 16.4 +/- 5.4 (p < 0.007), respectively. The use of dialytic techniques in critically ill ARF patients is associated with greater mortality. Prognostic indexes on admission did not correctly classify our patients with ARF. Continuous hemodiafiltration does not involve greater mortality or length of stay as compared to conventional dialysis.

Background. Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common of those affecting the urinary tract, and a significant proportion of the cases are attributable to tobacco use as well as occupational and environmental factors. Objective. The aim of this study is to estimate the current incidence of BC in an industrialized area in northeastern Spain and to analyze its time trends over three decades from an ecological perspective. Methods. Patients diagnosed with histologically confirmed primary BC, during 2018-2019, in an area in northeastern Spain (430,883 inhabitants) were included. Crude and age-standardized incidence rates were estimated per 100,000 person-years based on the number of individuals getting their first diagnosis. An exploratory time trend analysis was carried out to describe the evolution in tobacco use and occupational or environmental risk factors and the incidence of BC in the same area from the 1990s. Results. 295 patients were included (age 72.5 ± 10.3 years; 89.8% men). The crude rate was 62.6 (95% CI: 51.9–73.2) for men and 6.8 (95% CI: 3.4–10.3) for women. The annual rate adjusted to the European Standard Population was 85.3 (95% CI:75.0–95.5) for men and 7.0 (95% CI:4.5–9.5) for women. From 1994 to 2018, the prevalence of smokers decreased in men (42.3% to 30.9%) as well as in the active population working in the industry (44.36% to 22.59%). Nevertheless, the car fleet, especially diesel, has increased considerably. The annual mean concentrations of air (PM10, PM2.5, O3, and NO2) and water (nitrates, arsenic, trihalomethanes) pollutants were within the regulatory limit values, but not the maximum levels. Conclusions. The incidence of BC is one of the highest in men but not in women, despite the decrease in tobacco use and industrial activity (perhaps related to high latency after carcinogen exposure cessation) and despite the control of environmental pollution (the maximum regulatory limit probably needs to be lowered). Finally, a similar exposure to the carcinogen would result in a gender-specific differential incidence.

Testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) is a clinical and biochemical entity related to sexual and cardiovascular health. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia and overweight are four clinical factors strongly related to cardiovascular illnesses. The aim of our study was to determine if the presence and number of cardiovascular risk factors was related to total testosterone levels and the presence of biochemical TDS. We retrospectively analyzed 384 patients referred to our center for prostate biopsy between September 2007 and December 2009. Variables age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), tobacco use, alcohol intake, hypertension, DM, dyslipidemia (hypercholesterolemia/hypertriglyceridemia) and overweight (BMI425) were recorded prospectively. Hormonal profile was determined as part of our clinical protocol. We used 231 and 346 ng dl À1 as total testosterone cut-points (8 --12 nmol l À1 ) for diagnosis of biochemical TDS, following ISA-ISSAM-EAU Guidelines. We analyzed the relationship between testosterone levels and the presence of hypertension, DM, dyslipidemia and overweight, and with the number of these cardiovascular risk factors. Mean age was 66±8 years. Prevalence of TDS was 6.5% within the 231 ng ml À1 cutoff point and 28.4% for the 346 ng dl À1 cutoff point. Levels of testosterone were related to hypertension (P ¼ 0.007), dyslipidemia (P ¼ 0.013), overweight (P ¼ 0.036) and the number of cardiovascular risk factors (P ¼ 0.018). The prevalence of TDS in our population is comparable to data from international studies. Testosterone levels decrease as the number of cardiovascular risk factors rise.

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