Detection of transplant heart rejection by analysis of endomyocardial voltage.

These studies seek an alternative method with myocardial biopsy for rejection diagnosis. A pacemaker (Biotronik model Logos) was implanted into 16 patients to detect intramyocardial voltage. The recordings were classified in two groups according to results of myocardial biopsy. The results of the biopsy were classified according to the recommendations of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation: namely, Group I: rejection < 2 (52 recordings) and Group II: rejection > or = 2 (9 recordings). The sensitive parameter for rejection detection was Tslew, which was deduced from the paced intracardial potential in the monopolar mode. The results were significant in both groups; the medium value of Tslew in group I was 96.7%, and the value for group II was 87.13% (P=.022). The sensitivity value in our patient group for detection of treatedable rejection was 78%; the negative predictive value was 95%. In conclusion the method is useful for rejection detection, but is necessary to make several recordings for the same patients during the first month post transplant, to obtain an individual baseline value.

New strategies of cyclosporine monitoring in heart transplantation: initial results.

The aim of this study was to evaluate cyclosporine (CyA) absorption profiles in heart transplantation to establish the most adequate monitoring strategy and determine the optimal therapeutic range for AUC(0-4) or C2 levels. A total of 22 full pharmacokinetic studies were performed at steady-state in 22 adult heart transplant recipients (18 men, 4 women). Twelve studies were performed during the first month posttransplant (group I), and 10 studies were done after 1 month (group II). In 9 outpatients we performed an abbreviated AUC(0-4). The mean age of the patients was 49+/-15 years (range, 15-72 years), and the mean weight was 70.4+/-10.8 kg (mean, 54-98 kg). The CyA dosage had been adjusted to maintain trough levels (C0) in the putative target ranges of 200 to 400 ng/mL in group I and between 100 to 300 ng/mL in group II. Blood samples were drawn prior to and at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 hours after the morning dose. The CyA blood levels were measured by the AxSYM cyclosporine assay. The AUC was calculated by the trapezoidal rule. Multiple linear regression was done to evaluate the predictive ability of various limited sampling strategies. The C0 correlated poorly, either with the full AUC (r2=0.64) or the AUC(0-4) (r2=0.43), while C2 seemed to be the most accurate single predictor of drug exposure (r2=0.92 for AUC(0-12); r2=0.74 for AUC(0-4)). For both AUC(0-4) and AUC(0-12), all 2- or 3-point strategies had r2 values approaching that of the C2 value. In conclusion, C2 is a simple, fast, and accurate value to predict AUC(0-4) in routine clinical practice. Its implementation must focus on ensuring the commitment of all unit staff, thus ensuring that patients are sampled on time and minimizing the impact on workload.

[Clinical features and prognosis of infective endocarditis in the elderly]. / Características clínicas y pronósticas de la endocarditis infecciosa en el anciano.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: In recent decades the mean age of patients with infective endocarditis has progressively increased. The objective of the present study was to describe the clinical features and prognoses of infective endocarditis in the elderly. METHODS: A prospective study was performed of 125 non drug abuser patients over the age of 14 years and admitted from 1987 until 1997 in a single institution. Twenty-one patients were older than 65 years. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed among the age groups with respect to delay in diagnosis, clinical signs, site of the infection and the rate of negative blood cultures. Prosthetic valve endocarditis was more frequent in elderly than in younger adults (41 and 33%, respectively). S. viridans and enterococcus were more frequent (47 compared with 29% in younger adults, p < 0.05). Elderly patients underwent surgery less frequently (46 versus 56%) and most surgery was performed on an emergency basis. The in hospital mortality was higher in the elderly (50 versus 15%), p < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Prosthetic valve endocarditis and severe complications during the active phase are more frequent in the elderly and this is related to a worse prognosis in the short and intermediate term. A higher rate of elective surgery during the active phase could improve the prognosis of infective endocarditis in the elderly.

[Short and long-term prognosis of prosthetic valve endocarditis in non-drug addicts]. / Pronóstico a corto y largo plazo de la endocarditis sobre prótesis en pacientes no drogadictos.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Prosthetic valve infective endocarditis is a complication of valvular replacement surgery with a high morbimortality during the in-hospital phase and an important risk of complications during follow-up. The objective of the present study is to assess the clinical features and the short and long-term prognosis of this disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study of 43 consecutive cases of prosthetic valve endocarditis in non-addict patients from January 1987 to March 1997. RESULTS: The mean age was 51 +/-16 years. Eight patients (19%) had early prosthetic valve endocarditis (two months following heart surgery), fourteen patients (32%) had intermediate (between 2 and 12 months post surgery) and twenty-one (49%) had late prosthetic valve endocarditis (more than one year after heart surgery). Transesophageal echocardiography was performed in 32 patients with a sensibility of 81%. Complications occurred in 86% of patients and 53% of patients underwent surgery during the active phase (25% was emergency surgery). Inpatient mortality was 23% (50% in early prosthetic valve endocarditis). After a mean follow-up of 56 months there were 5 cases of recurrence, four patients required late surgery and 5 patients died. Survival (excluding early mortality) was 82% at 5 years with no significant differences among patients who received only medical treatment and those who underwent surgery in the active phase. CONCLUSIONS: Early mortality of prosthetic valve endocarditis is, according to our experience of 20%. The prognosis of survivors to the active phase is favourable in the majority. Early prosthetic valve endocarditis still causes a high mortality rate despite the use of combined medical surgical treatment in most cases.

[Fungal endocarditis in non drug-addict patients. 10-year experience]. / Endocarditis por hongos en pacientes no adictos a drogas por vía parenteral. Nuestra experiencia en 10 años.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Fungal endocarditis is an uncommon but serious disease. Five cases of fungal endocarditis, involving non-addict patients, were diagnosed at our hospital in the last 10 years. RESULTS: Causal organisms included Candida albicans (3 patients), Saccharomyces (1 patient) and Torulopsis glabrata (1 patient). The predisposing condition to fungal infection was previous cardiac surgery in four cases (three of them with prosthetic heart valves, and the other patient underwent total surgical correction of Tetralogy of Fallot). No predisposing cause was found in one patient. All patients developed important complications. Three cases underwent cardiac surgery that evolved favorably, and two patients had contraindications for surgery and died from multiorgan septic involvement (overall survival was 60%). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of fungal endocarditis involving non-addict patients has represented 3% of all cases of infective endocarditis. Even nowadays, fungal endocarditis is a disease with a high mortality and a precocious diagnosis is important to approach surgical treatment and to improve its prognosis.

[The general characteristics and short- and long-term results of infective endocarditis in non-drug addicts]. / Características generales y resultados a corto y largo plazo de la endocarditis infecciosa en pacientes no drogadictos.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Infective endocarditis is a disease with a high morbimortality during the active phase and a considerable risk of complications during follow-up. The aim of our study is to describe the clinical and prognostic features of infective endocarditis in non-drug addict patients in short and long terms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study of 138 cases of infective endocarditis in non-drug addict patients through the parenteral pathway treated in our institution from 1987 to 1997. RESULTS: The mean age was 44 +/- 20 years. Ninety-five patients (69%) had native valve infective endocarditis and forty-three (31%) had prosthetic valve endocarditis. Streptococci were the causal microorganism in 34% and staphylococci in 33%. 83% of patients developed some type of complications during hospital stay. 51% of patients were operated on during the active phase (22% were urgent). The in-hospital mortality rate was 21%. 10 patients (9%) needed late cardiac surgery and seven patients (5%) died during follow-up. Global survival at 10 years was 71%. There were no statistical differences in survival in as much as the type of treatment received during the hospital stay in the active phase (medical alone or combined medical-surgical). CONCLUSIONS: A high early surgery rate in the active phase related to good long-term results and does not increase early in-hospital mortality. Medical treatment also offers good long-term results in cases of infectious endocarditis with absence of bad prognostic factors and good clinical outcome.

[Constrictive pericarditis and Behçet's disease: a very rare association]. / Pericarditis constrictiva y enfermedad de Behçet: una asociación muy infrecuente.

Although benign acute pericarditis can be considered a common cardiac complication of Behçet's disease, the association of this systemic vasculitis with constrictive pericarditis has not been described. A case of this peculiar clinical association is presented, and some interesting diagnostic points are discussed.

[Commentary on the 6th Report of the American National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure]. / Comentario sobre el VI Informe del Comité Nacional Americano sobre Prevención, Detección, Evaluación y Tratamiento de la Hipertensión Arterial.

Systemic hypertension is present world-wide and it is a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. A great number of different drugs have been used in the treatment. Many other drugs are being developed, but evidence upon their effect on morbidity and mortality is not always present. In this setting, the sixth report of the National Committee on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Bloos Pressuere, review the safety and efficacy of therapies in hypertension. In the absence of counter-indications diuretics and beta-blockers should be used as first-line agents. Treatment must be based, not only on the level of blood pressure. Risk factors, target organ disease, and other comorbid diseases are considered. Not all the recommendations are solidly based.

[Isolated left ventricular myxoma discovered incidentally by echocardiography]. / Mixoma ventricular izquierdo aislado descubierto casualmente por ecocardiografía.

We describe the case of a young patient in whom two-dimensional echocardiography, performed because of episodes of palpitations, discovered the presence of a small mass in the left ventricle, attached to the posterior wall. Transesophageal echocardiography was performed to further assess the mass's attachments and to verify the lack of involvement of the mitral valve and its associated structures. The patient had a cardiopulmonary bypass, surgery and the mass was removed approaching into the left ventricular cavity through the atrial septum via a right atriotomy, without any complication during the postoperative period. In the histologic study the mass appeared to be a typical myxoma. This case has a great interest because the ventricular location of the myxoma is unusual; and because the use of two-dimensional echocardiography, even in the absence of significant symptoms and/or signs, avoided dangerous embolic complications, which often represent the first sign of this neoplastic pathology.

[Mobile thrombus in the right cardiac cavities in patients with severe pulmonary thromboembolism. Importance of echocardiography]. / Trombos móviles en cavidades cardíacas derechas en pacientes con tromboembolismo pulmonar grave. Importancia de la ecocardiografía.

The pulmonary thromboembolism is a frequent and severe disease, usually difficult to recognize, specially in patients with thrombotic material trapped within right heart cavities. We present our experience in three patients with severe pulmonary thromboembolism where echocardiographic study demonstrated the presence of huge mobile thrombus in right heart cavities, which demanded urgent therapy with excellent results. We would like to stress that echocardiographic study in these patients could be elective diagnostic procedure, avoiding the realization of pulmonary arteriography, which could bring risk of possible thrombus mobilization.

[Aneurysm of the anterior mitral valve in a case of aortic endocarditis in a patient with ulcerative colitis]. / Aneurisma de la valva anterior mitral en un caso de endocarditis aórtica en un paciente diagnosticado de colitis ulcerosa.

We report a case of an aortic endocarditis caused by Enterococcus faecium in a 34 year old patient diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. A Doppler echocardiogram showed an anterior mitral valve leaflet aneurysm, which made surgery necessary. Mitral valve leaflet aneurysm is a rare, though well-known complication of aortic valve endocarditis which can eventually perforate.

[Abscess of the mitral-aortic confluence and perforation of the mitral valve in a patient with Brucella endocarditis]. / Absceso de la confluencia mitroaórtica y perforación de la válvula mitral en un paciente con endocarditis por Brucella.

We report a case of Brucella aortic valve endocarditis in a 36 year-old patient with no underlying heart disease who required urgent surgery. In the postoperative follow-up, he suffered from congestive heart failure due to an anterior mitral valve rupture. In the echocardiogram, a periprosthetic abscess was seen and a second intervention was necessary. This report suggests that treating Brucella endocarditis requires a combined medical and surgical approach.

[Austrian's syndrome (endocarditis, meningitis and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae). Apropos of a rare case]. / Síndrome de Austrian (endocarditis, meningitis y neumonía por Streptococcus pneumoniae). A propósito de un caso poco frecuente.

We report a case of a mitral endocarditis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in a 48 year old man diagnosed with moderate mitral stenosis and liver cirrhosis. The clinical features were fever with penicillin-sensitive pneumococcal bacteremia, meningitis and pneumonia. Only transesophageal echocardiography could confirm the presence of vegetations. In spite of vancomycin therapy, the patient required mitral valve replacement, with good results. Some clinical aspects of this uncommon cause of infective endocarditis are discussed.

[Cardio-protection and cardio-reparation in systemic arterial hypertension]. / Cardioprotección y cardiorreparación en la hipertensión arterial sistémica.

Left ventricular hypertrophy in systemic hypertension is an important independent risk factor for adverse cardiovascular events. Hypertrophy is due to increase of the myocytic and non-myocytic compartments of the myocardium. The changes in architecture, shape and function of the left ventricular is considered as remodelling. The concept of cardioreparation implies a restoration of structural (regression of both intersticial and perivascular fibrosis and myocyte hypertrophy) and functional consequences of remodelling. The concept of cardio-protection implies prevention of remodelling. Remodelling is caused not only because high pressure but there are many other factors, mainly hormonal, as activation of renin angiotensin aldosterone system promoting nuclear oncogens. Functional changes are mainly due to fibrosis with diastolic impairment at a first step and dilatation later. Therapeutic goal in systemic hypertension is to achieved, not only a normal pressure but a normal structural and functional heart.