[Influence of age in mortality of patients with heart failure]. / Influencia de la edad en la mortalidad de pacientes con insuficiencia cardiaca.

OBJECTIVE: Heart failure (HF) is one of the most frequent diagnosis in Internal Medicine Units. High age of patients is an important characteristic in these admissions. Our objective was to evaluate how age interact with mortality, to medium-term, in HF after a decompensated episode. METHOD: Through the patient medical record we obtained data about patients hospitalised in a Internal Medicine Unit, with HF diagnosis, for a year (from September 2000 to August 2001) and their survival at 1st January 2003. 215 patients were reviewed. RESULTS: During follow-up, 60 patients died (27.9% of overall). In elderly patients, we observed a higher number of women and less use of echocardiography and treatment with beta-blockers and warfarin (in patients with atrial fibrillation). In Cox proportional-hazards model, age (OR 1.043 IC 95% 1.002-1.085), days of hospitalization (OR 1.04 IC 95% 1.003-1.078), diabetes mellitus (OR 2.51 IC 95% 1.37-4.60) and do not prescribe warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation (OR 2.71 IC 95% 1.10-6.60) were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Age was an important prognostic factor in patients with HF. Clinical trials should be done in patients with these characteristics. So, we can know better clinical evolution of HF in this population.

[Syncope: many studies and few diagnoses?]. / Síncope: muchos estudios y pocos diagnósticos?

INTRODUCTION: Syncope is a frequent disorder shows diagnostic difficulties, so that an important percentage of patients remain without diagnosis after the implementation of diagnostic tests that sometimes are unnecessary. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of the patients admitted during a period of two years because of syncope in an Internal Medicine Service was carried out. RESULTS: Of a total of 2,878 patients hospitalized during the years 1999 and 2000, 79 were admitted because of syncope (2.74%). Forty-five (57%) were men and 34 (43%) were women, with a median age of 68.8 years. Twenty-seven patients (34%) had history of syncope. After a median hospitalization of 9.5 days, the etiological diagnosis was established in 53 (67%) patients: in 25 patients (31.6%) the syncope was mediated by neurological mechanisms, in 16 (20.25%) it was of cardiology origin, in 4 (5.06%) it was of neurological origin and in 8 (10.1%) the syncope was secondary to other causes. In 54 patient (68.8%) at least one cardiology test was carried out (41 Holter, 32 echocardiograms, 6 tilt board tests, 3 maneuvers of massage of the carotid sinus, 3 ergometry studies, 3 electrophysiological studies, 2 coronary angiographies and 3 ventilation perfusion lung gammagraphies). In 51 patient (64%) at least one neurological test was carried out (31 EEG, 42 CT, 2 MNR, 1 Doppler cranial ultrasound and 3 electroneuromyogram). Only 4 of the Holter carried out were diagnostic, as well as 3 of the echocardiograms and only 2 of the CT carried out. No EEG was useful for the etiological diagnosis of the syncope. CONCLUSIONS: There is an excessive utilization of some diagnostic tests (EEG, Holter, cerebral CT), in spite of which in an important percentage of patients with syncope the etiological diagnosis is no done (33%). The use of diagnostic algorithms based on detailed clinical history, physical exploration and assessment of the ECG is proposed, that they would make it possible to issue a diagnostic hypothesis from which there could be begun the diagnostic study with a use as rational as possible of the complementary examinations.

[Multiple symmetric lipomatosis]. / Lipomatosis simétrica múltiple (LSM).

Multiple Symmetric Lipomatosis (MSL or Madelung's Disease) is a rare entity characterized by the presence of non-capsulated lipomas mainly located at the neck and upper part of the thorax and frequently associated to chronic hepatopathy, neuropathy and alcoholic habit. We review and update the clinical, etiopathogenic, diagnostic and therapeutical aspects of this rare entity. We stress the presence of neuropathy, a typical feature of the disease, which has also a predictive value.