Troponina I por percentil 99 da definição universal de infarto do miocárdio versus ponto de corte de melhor acurácia em síndromes coronárias agudas / Troponin I by 99th percentile of universal definition of myocardial infarction versus cutoff point of best accuracy in acute coronary syndromes

FUNDAMENTO: O diagnóstico de SCA e a estratificação de risco contemporâneos são fundamentais para o manejo apropriado e redução da mortalidade e eventos isquêmicos recorrentes, tanto na fase aguda quanto após hospitalização. A Definição Universal de Infarto do Miocárdio recomenda a detecção de curva de troponina acima do limite superior do percentil 99. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a ocorrência de óbito e infarto agudo do miocárdio (IAM) na fase precoce em pacientes sem elevação de troponina (0,034 ng/mL e 0,12 ng/mL)]. Avaliar o impacto do percentil 99 versus ponto de corte para troponina na indicação de estratégia invasiva e revascularização miocárdica. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal de pacientes com SCA sem elevação de ST com avaliação do pico da troponina I, escore de risco GRACE - admissão e alta, análise prospectiva de desfechos clínicos até 30 dias e testes bilaterais de significância. RESULTADOS: Em 494 pacientes, troponina > percentil 99 e abaixo do ponto de corte, assim como valores maiores (acima do ponto de corte), foram associados à maior incidência do desfecho composto (p<0,01) sem diferença significante em mortalidade até 30 dias. (Gráficos 1, 2 e 3) CONCLUSÕES: Valores de troponina acima do percentil 99 pela Definição Universal de IAM apresentam papel prognóstico e agregam informação útil ao diagnóstico clínico e escore de risco na identificação de pacientes com maior probabilidade de benefício com estratificação invasiva e procedimentos de revascularização coronária.

Perfil clínico, etiologia e escalas de avaliação funcional de pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca avançada: alocação para abordagem paliativa e desfechos hospitalares / Clinical profile, etiology and functional assessment scales of patients with advanced heart failure: allocation for palliative approach and hospital outcomes

INTRODUÇÃO: No conceito do Continuo da Doença Cardiovascular, a sequência de eventos seria iniciada por vários fatores de riscos progredindo por vias e processos fisiopatológicos até o desenvolvimento da lesão cardíaca final, no caso a Insuficiência Cardíaca (IC) em fase avançada. Cuidado Paliativo (CP) é uma abordagem interdisciplinar de tratamento que se concentra em melhorar a qualidade de vida dos pacientes nos diferentes estágios da IC.O racional para implementação de CP com planejamento avançado de cuidados por toda a progressão da doença e no luto , em pacientes com IC avançada ,inclui os seguintes: prognóstico limitado , elevada carga de sintomas , rehospitalizações, baixa qualidade de vida, comorbidades e estresse dos cuidadores OBJETIVOS: Caracterizar o perfil clínico dos pacientes cardiopatas incluídos para abordagem paliativa (AP), associado ao tratamento farmacológico da IC. MÉTODOS: Análise de 116 pacientes com IC incluídos para uma AP, entre fevereiro de 2017 a dezembro de 2018. RESULTADOS: Idade média de 74±12,7 anos, com 54% do sexo masculino. Diagnósticos etiológicos da miocardiopatia: incluíram: isquêmica 27%, valvar 25%, arritmogênica 13%, hipertensiva 8,6%, chagásica 8,6% e congênita 2,5%. Diagnósticos mas relevantes no momento da AP foram: insuficiência renal 78%, choque séptico 39,6%, IC 41,4%, choque cardiogênico 30,1%, acidente vascular cerebral 18,1% e pós parada cardiorrespiratória 9,4%, a média de fração de ejeção do VE por ecocardiograma 40%±16,5%. Performances nas atividades cotidianas: 64,6% com dependência total na escala Kartz, 37,9% com necessidade de suporte de vida na escala Karnofsky e 34,5% com alta dependência de cuidados pela Palliative Performance Scala. O intervalo de tempo entre a hospitalização e o óbito vario entre 3 e 405 dias (média de 29 dias). O intervalo de tempo entre a internação e a solicitação e indicação de uma AP variou entre 1 a 177 dias(média de 15 dias). Desfechos clínicos: 12% receberam alta hospitalar, e 7,7% estão em seguimento clínico. CONCLUSÃO: Os pacientes alocados e incluídos no programa de AP encontravam-se em estádios avançado da IC, em fase final de vida, mostrando que a AP foi iniciada tardiamente, caracterizado pelo tempo prolongado de internação , alta dependência de cuidados. DESCRITORES: Cuidados Paliativos, Cardiologia, Cuidados Paliativos na fase final de vida, Insuficiência Cardíaca. (AU)

Staging laparoscopy in gastric cancer to detect peritoneal metastases: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Several imaging tests are used to stage gastric cancer; however the accuracy in the detection of peritoneal metastases is still low. Staging laparoscopy in gastric cancer has shown good results compared to imaging tests, particularly in patients with locally advanced disease signs. A search was conducted on electronic databases, and the studies were selected by methodological quality, inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were analyzed using the Meta-Disc software version 1.4 to: describe primary results and explore homogeneity; explore threshold effect; calculate the sensitivity and specificity, negative and positive likelihood ratios; calculate the diagnostic odds ratio (DOR); and the summary ROC (sROC) curve. Five primary studies with a total of 240 participants were obtained. The overall sensitivity was 84.6%, and the overall specificity was 100%. The sensitivity and specificity homogeneity tests showed a Q value of 2.51 (P < 0.6434) with I(2) = 0, and Q = 0% (P = 1.0), I(2) = 0%, respectively. The DOR was 291.31 and positive and negative likelihood ratios were 0.197 and 49.711, respectively; while the AUC obtained by sROC was 98%. Staging laparoscopy shows good accuracy in the detection of peritoneal metastases and is an important diagnostic tool in the staging of gastric cancer.

Autoantibody response to chromatographic fractions from oxidized LDL in unstable angina patients and healthy controls.

Levels of autoantibodies to oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) have been correlated to atherosclerosis; however, contradictory results have been shown. To better understand the role of autoantibodies to oxLDL in atherogenesis, and their potential to predict risk of developing coronary artery disease we investigated the antibody response of unstable angina (UA) patients and healthy controls against chromatographic separated fractions of oxLDL. Five major peaks were detected after chromatographic separation of oxLDL and 10 fractions were collected. Surprisingly, when the response to high molecular weight fractions was analysed, we observed a significant increase in the levels of autoantibodies in controls compared to UA. In contrast, when the autoantibody response to intermediate and low molecular weight fractions was analysed, we observed that the UA group showed consistently higher levels compared with controls. Our data demonstrates that within oxLDL there are major fractions that can be recognized by autoantibodies from either UA patients or healthy individuals, and that the use of total oxLDL as an antigen pool may mask the presence of some antigenic molecules and their corresponding antibodies. Further studies are needed, but the analysis of antibody profiles may indeed open up a novel approach for evaluation and prevention against atherosclerosis.

Prognostic factors of the results of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a cardiology hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the early and late results of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a cardiology hospital and to try to detect prognostic determinants of both short- and long-term survival. METHODS: A series of 557 patients who suffered cardiorespiratory arrest (CRA) at the Dante Pazzanese Cardiology Institute over a period of 5 years was analyzed to examine factors predicting successful resuscitation and long-term survival. RESULTS: Ressuscitation maneuvers were tried in 536 patients; 281 patients (52.4%) died immediately, and 164 patients (30.6%) survived for than 24 hours. The 87 patients who survived for more than 1 month after CRA were compared with nonsurvivors. Coronary disease, cardiomyopathy, and valvular disease had a better prognosis. Primary arrhythmia occurred in 73.5% of the >1-month survivor group and heart failure occurred in 12.6% of this group. In those patients in whom the initial mechanism of CRA was ventricular fibrillation, 33.3% survived for more than 1 month, but of those with ventricular asystole only 4.3% survived. None of the 10 patients with electromechanical dissociation survived. There was worse prognosis in patients included in the extreme age groups (zero to 10 years and 70 years or more). The best results occurred when the cardiac arrest took place in the catheterization laboratories. The worst results occurred in the intensive care unit and the hemodialysis room. CONCLUSION: The results in our series may serve as a helpful guide to physicians with the difficult task of deciding when not to resuscitate or when to stop resuscitation efforts.

Choque cardiogênico / Cardiogenic shock

Choque cardiogênico pós-infarto agudo do miocárdio ocorre em cerca de 8 "por cento" dos pacientes acometidos por infarto do miocárdio. Somente com o tratamento farmacológico, apresenta altas taxas de mortalidade. Medidas agressivas, intervencionistas, devem ser instituídas täo logo o diagnóstico seja feito. A reperfusäo pelo infarto, como terapêutica de primeira linha, promove expressiva reduçäo das taxas de mortalidade. Os métodos mais eficazes para se revascularizar o miocárdio säo angioplastia coronariana, uso de agentes trombolíticos e cirurgia para correçäo de complicaçöes mecânicas (comunicaçäo interventricular, insuficiência mitral). A estratégia de tratamento deve ser iniciada o mais precocemente possível com agentes farmacológicos, além da instalaçäo do baläo intra-aórtico, seguida de terapêutica definitiva (angioplastia ou trombolítico). Essa estratégia reduz as elevadas taxas de mortalidade hospitalar desses pacientes.

[Value of the use of milrinone in the treatment of acute crisis in patients with congestive heart failure]. / Valor do uso da milrinona no tratamento das crises de agudização em portadores de insuficiência cardíaca congestiva.

PURPOSE: To assess the hemodynamic effects of milrinone in a 48h intravenous infusion in patients with severe congestive heart failure (CHF) (NYHA class III or IV). METHODS: Forty patients with CHF were sequentially evaluated. Right heart catheterization was performed in order to measure, before and after administration of milrinone, several hemodynamic parameters (cardiac index, pulmonary wedge pressure, systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance). RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in hemodynamic parameters (cardiac index, cardiac output), and a decrease in systemic vascular resistance and pulmonary vascular resistance. Serious side effects were not observed in these patients. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that milrinone is effective in the treatment of deteriorating phases of CHF and suggest that milrinone should be used in these select patients.

Embolia pulmonar / Pulmonary embolia

A embolia pulmonar é a forma mais comum de doença pulmonar aguda na populaçäo hospitalar adulta, sendo a terceira causa de óbito nos Estados Unidos. A maioria dos casos letais de embolia pulmonar é precedida de episódios menos maciços; se a patologia for detectadas na pirmeira ocorrência, uma terapêutica altamente eficaz poderá ser usada para prevenir futuros embolismos. É uma entidade muito mais frequente do que diagnosticada, como se constata por necrópsias. Sua incidência aumenta com a idade, sendo mais comum nos homens do que nas mulheres. Em cerca de 85 por cento dos casos, os locais de formaçäo dos trombos venosos säo as veias maiores dos membros inferiores, principlamente as das panturrilhas; em 10 por cento originam-se do átrio direito; nos 5 por cento restantes, das veias superficiais dos membros inferiores, veias pélvicas, veias cavas e veias das extremidades supeirores. O trobro propaga-se veia acima, podendo romper-se e transformar-se num êmbolo a qualquer tempo. do ponto de vista terapêutico, as pernas devem, portanto, ser consideradas como o local-fonte mais provável de êmbolos. Os principais fatores predisponentes à trobose venosa säo: Estase sanguínea: por repouso prolongado no leito, gravidez, obesidade e, principalmente, insuficiência cardíaca congestiva. Anormalidades da parede venosa decorrentes de trauma, procedimentos cirúrgicos, fleboesclerose, deonças inflamatórias das veias e lesöes degenerativas (como na ateroscleorse e diabete melito). Estado de hipercoagulabilidade que pode ocorrer na gravidez, pelo uso de anticoncepcionais orais, deficiência de antitrombina II (genética(, trombocitose (pós-parto, pós-operatório, etc.), anemia falciforme, etc.

[Acute myocardial infarction in patients under 40 years of age]. / Infarto agudo do miocárdio em pacientes com idade inferior a 40 anos.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the short and long-term prognosis of a group of patients aged 40 and under, who developed an acute myocardial infarction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the last 15 years we studied a group of 73 patients aged 40 and under with a confirmed diagnosis of first acute myocardial infarction. Patients with infarctions caused by coronary embolisms or to revascularization procedures were excluded. RESULTS: Ninety percent were male and mean the age was 35. The most frequent risk factors observed were cigarette smoking in 64 (88%), hypertension in 16 (22%), hypercholesterolemia in 12 (16%) and diabetes in 3 (4%). Seven (9%) patients had no risk factors. The myocardial infarction was anterior em 50 (68%) cases and inferior in the remaining 23 (32%). Severe heart failure (Killip III and IV) was present in 3 (4%). Angiographic studies were performed in 63 (86%). Cineangiography showed critical coronary lesions (obstruction greater than 70%) in one vessel in 38 (60%) patients, multivessel disease in 18 (28%) and 7 (12%) had normal coronary vessels. In-hospital mortality was 5% (3 patients died due to severe heart failure and 1 due to cerebro-vascular accident). The 56 survivors were followed-up to 15 years, with overall survival of 74%. Fourty-nine (71%) were asymptomatic and 7 (10%) had recurrent chest pain. There were 7 (10%) late deaths and follow-up was lost in 6 (9%). Reinfarctions were observed in 5 cases (7%). Revascularization procedures were performed in 12 (17%) patients (bypass-graft surgery in 9 and coronary angioplasty in 3). CONCLUSION: Young patients with acute myocardial infarction have a low mortality rate in the early phase and a favorable outcome after the discharge of the hospital.

[Use of isosorbide-5-mononitrate in acute myocardial infarction]. / Emprego do 5-mononitrato de isossorbida no infarto agudo do miocárdio.

Isosorbide mononitrate in a dose of 20 mg t.i.d. was used in 25 patients admitted few hours after acute myocardial infarction. The following parameters were analysed: systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, clinical features, and laboratory data. Heart rate and diastolic blood pressure remained unchanged, however systolic blood pressure was slightly reduced (p less than 0.01). There was a reduction in the angina episodes post-AMI. None of the patients included in the study had clinical deterioration or showed infarction extension. There were no changes in laboratory data. After the interruption of the drug, one patient died on the 6th day with acute mitral insufficiency. In conclusion, isosorbide mononitrate can be safely used during an uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction, without the risk of haemodynamic deterioration, and helps to prevent post-infarction angina.

Clinical spectrum of primary empty sella turcica.

Over recent years empty sella turcica has become more frequently diagnosed with high resolution computerized tomography and the associated clinical abnormalities have been better described. In this article the spectrum of clinical presentation is based on a review of 26 cases with six illustrative case reports. Recommendations for management and further assessment are presented. It is important for clinicians to be aware of the varying presentations of this syndrome, since it should not be considered simply as an incidental finding. A patient diagnosed with empty sella syndrome requires clinical and endocrine evaluation, and appropriate follow-up as determined by initial test results.

Estudo ecocardiografico na esclerose sistemica progressiva. / Echocardiographic study in progressive systemic sclerosis

Os autores estudam, por ecocardiografia, 18 portadores de esclerose sistemica progressiva, correlacionando os achados com dados clinicos. Mostram a importancia deste metodo nao invasivo para detectar alteracoes pericardicas, miocardicas e endocardicas, mesmo em pacientes sem quaisquer manifestacoes aparentes para o lado do aparelho cardiovascular. O envolvimento pericardico foi detectado em 39%. Alteracoes de valva mitral e aortica ocorreram 39% dos casos. Comprometimento miocardico ocorreu em 11 casos e pancardite em 2 casos. Consideram o ecocardiograma um importante metodo para detectar a cardiopatia esclerodermica e para seguir o curso da doenca