[Epidemiological events related to decompensated heart failure]. / Factores epidemiológicos asociados a la hospitalización por descompensación de la insuficiencia cardiaca.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to evaluate the profile of patients with decompensated heart failure hospitalized in a tertiary hospital. METHODS: It was designed an observational and retrospective study where data from clinical records of patients suffering from heart failure along 2005 were registered randomly. RESULTS: 209 patients were collected (average age: 78.6 +/- 9.1; male: 52.4%) with a comorbidity rate of 87.55%. Almost one third of them have not stimation of systolic function and among the others 72.4% have it preserved. Most of decompensated were due to respiratory infections. Ischemic-hipertensive cardiopathy was the most frequent aetiology of systolic disfunction. Average stay was 12.9 days with a mortality rate of 9.56%. Its main risk factors were advanced stages in NYHA od Red Cross scales, as so as dementia or ictus. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows a patient hospitalized for decompensated heart failure roughly different from that one reported at clinical trials. It makes difficult to apply therapeutical interventions, previously well documented to be useful.

[Epidemiology of heart failure. Ratio of epidemic]. / Epidemiología de la insuficiencia cardiaca. Proporciones de epidemia.

The Heart Failure is a complex sindrom with a high prevalence in the population, being about 10% in older than 70 years and it is continuosly increasing . Its incidence in persons older than 65 years is about 1% per year. In developed countries it is the first cause of hospitalitation in older than 65 years, supposing the 5% of total admissions and it is increasing every year. The most of authors recognise that the numbers reach values of epidemic, although it is true that it is difficult to determine and cuantify due to its complexity. Although the supervivence has improved in last years, it continues being in a bad pronostic with a mortality about 50% after 5 years approximately of the diagnostic . In order to its high prevalence and its high rate of admissions-readmissions it supposes a problem of public health due to high assistance work. Globally it is estimated that the direct costs of heart failure suppose 1-2 % of healthy cost of developed countries.

[Statin-induced rhabdomyolysis and renal failure: also with fluvastatine]. / Rabdomiolisis y fallo renal por estatinas: también con fluvastatina.

Hydroximetilglutaril-coenzima A reductase inhibitors (statin) have the potential to cause rhabdomyolysis. However, fluvastatin is rarely associated with rhabdomyolysis when compared to other statins. Differences in biochemical and pharmacokinetic properties between fluvastatin and the other statins have been invocated in order to explain the apparent comparative safety of fluvastatin. We present a case of rhabdomyolysis with acute renal failure in a patient receiving fluvastatin and, following the Karch-Lasagne algorithm, we present evidence that this case was an adverse reactions to fluvastatin.

Use of ligase chain reaction for the rapid diagnosis of lymph node tuberculosis.

Ligase chain reaction amplification (LCx Abbott Laboratories) was used to detect the presence of M. tuberculosis in 101 adenopathy specimens obtained from 98 patients. A total of 30 cases of lymph node tuberculosis were diagnosed, and the data were compared with results obtained using conventional techniques. The sensitivity of auramine staining and culture were 50.0% and 66.7%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the LCx assay were 80.0, 98.6, 96.0, and 92.1% respectively. The results confirm the reliability of ligase chain reaction amplification for the detection of lymph node tuberculosis.