Semiología cardiovascular / Cardiovascular semiology

La semiología cardiovascular en pediatría debe integrar todos los sistemas, tienen gran importancia el enfoque familiar, la historia del período antenatal, perinatal y postnatal, las características y cronología de aparición de los síntomas, su repercusión general y por último, el examen físico con sus componentes semiológicos que incluyan la inspección, la palpación, la percusión y la ascultación.

Semiology in pediatric cardiovascular must integrate all systems are of great importance the family approach, the history of the period antenatal, perinatal and postnatal characteristics and timing of onset of symptoms, their overall impact and finally, physical examination with semiological components that include inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation.

Haemostatic changes in children with cyanotic and acyanotic congenital heart disease.

This study was undertaken to screen children with congenital heart disease for coagulation abnormalities and to compare the groups of cyanotic and acyanotic children with congenital heart disease with respect to abnormalities of the coagulation system. Following investigations were done in all the patients: complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, peripheral smear examination, bleeding time, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, assay of fibrinogen, D-dimer, factors VII and VIII and antithrombin III. Red cell indices were determined in 12 control, 12 acyanotic and 20 cyanotic children. Twenty-five patients each, with echocardiographically proven cyanotic and acyanotic congenital heart disease under 12 years of age constituted the study group; as many children of the same age group were included as the control group. The results showed isolated abnormalities of laboratory tests with equal frequency (28%) in acyanotic and cyanotic groups but coexisting abnormalities of more than one test were seen in significantly larger number of cyanotic children (5/25 and 16/25, respectively). A significant association was noted between thrombocytopenia and a high haematocrit in cyanotic patients. It is concluded that laboratory abnormalities of tests of haemostasis are more common in cyanotic congenital heart disease patients. The patterns of laboratory abnormalities suggest a chronic compensated disseminated intravascular coagulation at a subclinical level, reduced synthesis of clotting factors and/or deranged platelet aggregation in different subgroups of patients.

A case of methemoglobinemia after ingestion of an aphrodisiac, later proven as dapsone

Methemoglobin (MetHb) is an oxidation product of hemoglobin in which the sixth coordination position of ferric iron is bound to a water molecule or to a hydroxyl group. The most common cause of acquired MetHb-emia is accidental poisoning which usually is the result of ingestion of water containing nitrates or food containing nitrite, and sometimes the inhalation or ingestion of butyl or amyl nitrite used as an aphrodisiac. We herein report a case of MetHb-emia after ingestion of an aphrodisiac, later identified as dapsone by gas chromatograph/mass selective detector (GC/MSD). A 24-year old male was admitted due to cyanosis after ingestion of a drug purchased as an aphrodisiac. On arterial blood gas analysis, pH was 7.32, PaCO2 26.8 mmHg, PaO2 75.6 mmHg, and bicarbonate 13.9 mmol/L. Initial pulse oxymetry was 89%. With 3 liter of nasal oxygen supplement, oxygen saturation was increased to 90-92%, but cyanosis did not disappear. Despite continuous supplement of oxygen, cyanosis was not improved. On the fifth hospital day, MetHb was 24.9%. Methylene blue was administered (2 mg/kg intravenously) and the patient rapidly improved. We proved the composition of aphrodisiac as dapsone by the method of GC/MSD.