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INTRODUCTION: Currently there is a need for specific training and special dedication to pediatric urology (PU). Nevertheless, we lack of a continuous education program, which must be specific and multidisciplinary.OBJECTIVES: To create a complementary training program in PU with the following differential characteristics: 1) University postgraduate, 2) internationally accredited, 3) multidisciplinary, 4) theoretical and practical, 5) through virtual teaching, 6) with on-site support, 7) academically directed and mentored, 8) based on individual and group self learning, 9) with international faculty and alumni 10) objectively evaluable.METHODS: We developed two original projects of virtual training courses with practices in PU, Master and Expert following the International University of Andalucía (UNIA) regulations and with the support of the Medical College of Malaga. The Master has a general content one year duration and will be repeated yearly. The Expert course has monographic character, half-year duration and will be repeated yearly with different topics. They are credited 60 and 30 ECTS credits respectively. The course has 3 parts well differentiated in objectives and development: 1. Virtual training 2. On-site hospital practices and, 3. Final work. The alumni answered a questionnaire to evaluate the master at the midpoint.RESULTS: The UNIA has considered viable and approved all 3 projects presented: I PU MASTER (2014-2015), II PU MASTER (2015-2016) and Expert Course on pediatric incontinence (2015-2016)First PU MASTER data.- Registration applications: 60 alumni. Admitted alumni 40; mean age 37 years; 8 nationalities, 57% Spanish, 43% Foreigners. Specialities: Urology 14(35%), Pediatric Surgery 24 (60%), Pediatrics (Pediatric nephrology 1), General Medicine 1. Mid term Master evaluation by the alumni (0-100). Difficulty 60. Quality of the topics 92; complementary materials 90; faculty 90; UNIA virtual Campus 89.CONCLUSIONS: The demand of registrations demonstrates the need and interest of a pediatric Urology training program, through Master and Expert Courses. Virtual Training, e-learning, within the Virtual Campus of the UNIA is viable. This self-learning model is being highly valued by the international alumni. We offer an interesting supplement for continuous education in PU.
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OBJECTIVE: Penile cancer has a predominantly lymphatic dissemination. Lymph nodes metastatic involvement conditions disease prognosis and inguinal lymph node dissection has both prognostic and therapeutic value. High and intermediate risk patients with non-palpable lymph nodes will benefit of a precise diagnosis by means of selective sentinel node biopsy with minimal surgical aggressiveness.METHODS: Retrospective review of our experience on dynamic sentinel node biopsy in penile cancer from November 1999 to July 2014.RESULTS: We performed this procedure in 33 patients, technically successful in 29 (88%). The patients who did not undergo lymph node dissection due to positive sentinel node biopsy have been followed a mean of 60.4 months (Median 59, range 5-145). 20 patients underwent simultaneous sentinel node biopsy and surgical treatment of the primary lesion and in 13 it was performed posteriorly. In these cases the time lapse was 5.5 months (median 5, range 2-12). In 6 (18.9%) of the 29 patients successfully biopsied, metastasis was founded in any of the lymph nodes identified as sentinel. Two patients were false negative (6,25%). Sensitivity (S), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of successfully performed sentinel node biopsies were 66, 100, 100 and 93%, respectively.CONCLUSION: Sentinel node biopsy enables a correct lymph node staging avoiding the morbidity of inguinal lymph node dissection. The rate of technical failure and false negative results is low and it may be considered the diagnostic technique of choice in high and intermediate risk penile cancer with non-palpable lymph nodes.
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OBJECTIVE: To analyze if there is a learning curve to get to perform high quality ultrasound guided prostate biopsies that enable to effectively perform the diagnosis of prostate cancer, taking the pathological result of the samples into consideration.METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from 790 ultrasound-guided biopsies performed consecutively in our center between May 2009 and December 2012 by four surgeons. We reviewed the following data: Surgeon, date of intervention, patient age, PSA, rectal digital examination (DRE), ultrasound, prostate volume, number of cores obtained, pathology result of the biopsy. The surgeons were residents in Urology in their first year in the department. For statistical analysis the biopsies were grouped in blocks of 25 and 75 cases performed by a surgeon, in a chronological order. To evaluate the influence of the learning curve on diagnosis we performed univariate and multivariate analysis between the different variables and pathological report.RESULTS: Median age was 67 years (42-90). 300 biopsies (38%) were positive for prostate cancer. On univariate analysis, regarding cancer detection rate, the variables surgeon, PSA, DRE, ultrasound result, prostate volume, number of cores and groups of 75 showed statistically significant differences, this latter showing 32% in the first 75 biopsies and 43.2% in the last group. The variables age (p=0.11) and groups of 25 patients (p=0.07) did not show differences. Nevertheless, on multivariate analysis only PSA, DRE, prostate volume and groups of 75 patients were statistically significant, this latter with an OR of 1.35 (95%CI 1.09-1.66).CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained in our study show that the number of procedures performed, namely surgeon experience, does have an influence to achieve an optimal diagnostic yield in ultrasound guided prostatic biopsies.
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OBJECTIVE: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are the most common nosocomial acquired infections, with high resistance rates. CAUTIs are a potentially severe complication in hospitalized patients and imply higher costs. Our aim was to analyze the characteristics of CAUTIs in our Urology department.METHODS: Between November 2011 and October 2013, a prospective observational study was carried out analyzing the incidence of healthcare-associated urinary tract infections in patients admitted to the urology ward with an indwelling urinary catheter. Furthermore, we evaluated associated risks factors and comorbidities such as urinary catheter at the time of admission or urological surgery during the hospitalization. We also presented our results regarding the microbiological characteristics and patterns of resistance to antibiotics in patients with CAUTI admitted in our service.RESULTS: The incidence of CAUTI was 8.2% (189/2283 patients who had urinary catheter). Mean age was 67.4 ± 14.26 years, 90.2% underwent a surgical procedure (p < 0.001), 14.8% had a urinary stone (p=0.058) and 46% had a urinary catheter before admission (p < 0.001). The most commonly isolated pathogens were Escherichia coli (22.6%), Enterococcus (21.9%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13.9%). E.coli showed resistance rates of 41.9% for quinolones, 33.3% of them produced extended spectrum βeta-lactamase (ESBL). P.aeruginosa showed resistance rates of 42.1% for quinolones and 21.1% for carbapenems.CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare-associated CAUTI in patients hospitalized in a urology ward are related to risks factors such as having a urinary catheter before admission and undergoing a surgical procedure. Moreover, CAUTIs have higher incidence of pathogens with antibiotic resistances and non-common pathogens such as Enterococcus spp.
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OBJECTIVE: Despite the controversies on its use, Prostatic Specific Antigen (PSA) screening is widely applied in clinical practice, and the variability these different recommendations could produce in daily clinical practice is not profoundly assessed. The objective was to compare the inter-practice and inter-regional variability in total and free PSA (tPSA and fPSA) requests by General Practitioners (GPs).METHODS: 76 laboratories covering a population of 17,679,195 inhabitants filled out the number of tPSA and fPSA requested by GPs during the year 2012. Test requests per 1,000 inhabitants and fPSA/tPSA request ratio were calculated. These variables were compared for the different hospitals according to their setting (urban, urban-rural or rural, location), and type of management (public/private). The tPSA requests necessary to comply with the recent guidelines from the European Association of Urology were calculated according to Spanish demographic characteristics in two possible scenarios depending on tPSA request: 2-4 years and 8 years interval. RESULTS: tPSA/1,000 inhabitants ranged from 8.2 to 92.7. It was significantly higher in rural areas and varied significantly among the different geographical areas. fPSA/1,000 inhabitants was higher in hospitals with private management. A total of 1,755,712 additional tPSA tests would have been necessary to follow guidelines in the first scenario and 112,129 in the second. CONCLUSION: National and regional policies are necessary to optimize the use of tPSA to detect an early prostate cancer.
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OBJECTIVES: Electromagnetic radiation (ER) emitted from cell phones may exert a detrimental influence on human health and may affect the man reproductive system. We aimed to study the biological and morphological effects on the testes of 60-day-old male rats after ER exposure (900 MHz), which was applied continuously throughout embryogenesis. METHODS: A total of six pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were included in the study. Three pregnant rats (experimental group) were exposed to radiation from a cell phone set to talking mode for 24 hours a day for 20 days, and the other 3 pregnant rats (control group)were not to exposed to radiation. Newborn male rats were included from the experimental group (n=7) and the control group (n=7). At the end of 60 days, the rats’ testes were excised, and testis length, width, depth, and weight were measured. Histopathological examinations were compared and serum testosterone (T) levels were assayed biochemically.RESULTS: While serum T level (3.51±0.21 ng/ml) of ER Exposed group was significantly lower than the control group (4.04±0.47 ng/ml, p=0.018), Caspase-3 enzyme activity (2.00±0.88) was significantly higher than the control group control (1.00±0.63, p=0.026). Johnsen score (8.4±0.5) of ER group was fairly lower than the control group (9.4±0.5, p= 0.010). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that ER exposure throughout embryogenesis may cause reductions in serum total T levels and in the size and weight of the testes of male rats, while causing modest increase in apoptosis.
