Risk of complications after a non-ST segment elevation acute myocardial infarction in a Latin-American cohort: An application of the ACTION ICU score.

BACKGROUND: European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation (NSTEMI) recommend Intensive Care Unit (ICU) surveillance during the first 24-48 h. Interestingly, the in-hospital mortality of NSTEMI patients has consistently decreased, giving some patients the option to be managed in general hospital wards. The ACTION ICU score has been proposed to identify high-risk patients with NSTEMI and guide the selective risk-based need for ICU care. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of the ACTION ICU score to predict patients' risk of developing complications requiring ICU care in a Latin-American cohort with NSTEMI. METHODS: We applied the ACTION ICU score in a retrospective cohort. A composite primary outcome included: cardiorespiratory arrest, shock, high-grade atrio-ventricular block, respiratory failure, stroke, or death. The predictive performance of this model was estimated with a conditional multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of 1,062 patients with NSTEMI, the primary outcome was present in 75 patients (7.1%), and 1,019 (96%) were admitted to ICU. The most common event was respiratory failure (4.0%), followed by cardiogenic shock (3.7%), and cardiac arrest (1.7%). The presence of heart failure signs or symptoms had the highest association with the primary outcome (OR:2.16; 95%CI:1.61-2.92). The best cut-off point for this population was 3 (complications risk: 4.0%, SEN:96%, SP:15.4%, NPV:98.1%, PPV:7.9%). CONCLUSION: The ACTION ICU score may be a promising tool to identify the need for ICU care in Latin-American patients with NSTEMI. Furthermore, additional research is needed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this strategy.

Necrosis dérmica como primera manifestación del síndrome de anticuerpos antifosfolípido / Dermal necrosis as the first manifestation of anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome

Resumen El síndrome de anticuerpos antifosfolípidos es una condición de reciente descripción, cuyo diagnóstico se basa en la presencia de eventos trombóticos sin predisposición previa, con positividad de anticuerpos antifosfolípidos. Su presentación clínica incluye gran variedad de patrones, algunos de ellos no incluidos dentro de los criterios clínicos de diagnóstico, pero que deben ser conocidos. El compromiso dérmico es usual como livedo, sin embargo, la necrosis dérmica no es usual. Se presenta un caso de síndrome de anticuerpos antifosfolípidos con necrosis dérmica como manifestación primaria de la enfermedad.

Abstract Antiphospholipid antibodies syndrome is a recently described condition. The diagnosis of this condition is based on the presence of thrombotic events without previous predisposition and the positivity of anti-phospholipid antibodies. Its clinical presentation includes a variety of patterns, some of which are not included within the clinical criteria of the diagnosis, but must be known. Dermal involvement as livedo reticularis is common. However, dermal necrosis is not usual. Thus, a case of antiphospholipid syndrome with dermal necrosis is presented as a primary manifestation of the disease.

Risk Factors for Mortality in Reoperations for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery in a Developing Country.

BACKGROUND: The survival of patients with congenital heart disease has increased in the recent years, because of enhanced diagnostic capabilities, better surgical techniques, and improved perioperative care. Many patients will require reoperation as part of staged procedures or to treat grafts deterioration and residual or recurrent lesions. Reoperations favor the formation of cardiac adhesions and consequently increase surgery time; however, the impact on morbidity and operative mortality is certain. The objective of the study was to describe the risk factors for mortality in pediatric patients undergoing a reoperation for congenital heart disease. METHODS: Historic cohort of patients who underwent reoperation after pediatric cardiac surgery from January 2009 to December 2015. Operations with previous surgical approach different to sternotomy were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: In seven years, 3,086 surgeries were performed, 481 were reoperations, and 238 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Mean number of prior surgeries was 1.4 ± 0.6. Median age at the time of reoperation was 6.4 years. The most common surgical procedures were staged palliation for functionally univentricular heart (17.6%). Median cross-clamp time was 66 minutes. Younger age at the moment of resternotomy, longer cross-clamp time, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons-European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Congenital Heart Surgery (STAT) Mortality Categories risk category greater than three were risk factors for mortality. The number of resternotomies was not associated with mortality. Mortality prior to hospital discharge was 4.6%, and mortality after discharge but prior to 30 days after surgery was 0.54%. Operative mortality was 5.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Resternotomy in pediatric cardiac surgery is a safe procedure in our center.

Using machine learning methods for predicting inhospital mortality in patients undergoing open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

An abdominal aortic aneurysm is an abnormal dilatation of the aortic vessel at abdominal level. This disease presents high rate of mortality and complications causing a decrease in the quality of life and increasing the cost of treatment. To estimate the mortality risk of patients undergoing surgery is complex due to the variables associated. The use of clinical decision support systems based on machine learning could help medical staff to improve the results of surgery and get a better understanding of the disease. In this work, the authors present a predictive system of inhospital mortality in patients who were undergoing to open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Different methods as multilayer perceptron, radial basis function and Bayesian networks are used. Results are measured in terms of accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the classifiers, achieving an accuracy higher than 95%. The developing of a system based on the algorithms tested can be useful for medical staff in order to make a better planning of care and reducing undesirable surgery results and the cost of the post-surgical treatments.

El método Delphi: cuando dos cabezas piensan más que una en el desarrollo de guías de práctica clínica / The Delphi Technique: “When Two Heads Think Better than One” in the Development of Guidelines for Clinical Practice

Introducción: Las guías de práctica clínica deben basarse en la mejor evidencia disponible para formular recomendaciones aplicables y específicas a la práctica clínica. Objetivos: Revisar la técnica Delfos para lograr consenso entre los expertos y presentar recomendaciones basadas en la evidencia a fin de mejorar el desarrollo de una guía clínica. Método: Este artículo revisa la estructuración necesaria que se debe considerar durante el consenso para formular recomendaciones en las guías de práctica clínica. Conclusión: La técnica Delfos ayuda a obtener opiniones de una pregunta de investigación particular. Está basado en la premisa de que la inteligencia colectiva, desde el juicio individual, captura la opinión colectiva de un grupo de expertos sin necesidad de estar físicamente conectados.

Introduction: Clinical practice guidelines should be based on the best available evidence. Other considerations beyond the evidence are therefore needed in order to formulate specific and applicable recommendations for clinical practice. Objective: The aim of this paper was to review the Delphi technique for achieving consensus among experts in the development of evidence-based guidelines. Method: This paper reviews the structuring necessary for obtaining consensus in the process of formulating recommendations for clinical guidelines. Conclusion: The Delphi technique is a method for collecting opinions on a particular research question. It is based on the premise that pooled intelligence enhances individual judgment and captures the collective opinion of a group of experts without them being physically present.

Incidencia de enfermdedad febril aguda: floridablanca, agosto-octubre, 1997 / Incidence on acute febrile illness: floridablanca, august-october, 1997

Se presentan los resultados de una encuesta domiciliaria realizada entre los habitantes del área urbana del municipio de Floridablanca (101.380 habitantes, 1993) la cual se realizó con el objeto de determinar la incidencia, duración y sintomatología de las personas que en los meses de agosto a octubre de 1997 presentaron cuandro febril agudo. Se encuestaron 1182 personas que residían en 237 viviendas. La incidencia de enfermedad febril en los tres meses indagados fue de 89.9 episodios/mes por cada 1000 personas (IC: 95 por ciento 79.4 a 100.8 casos/mes). Los episodios febriles significaron 926 días de enfermedad (8.7 días saludables perdidos por cada 1000 días-persona); (Intervalo de confianza 95 porciento 8.1 a 9.3 días), siendo notable el incremento declarado en el mes inmediatamente anterior a la realización de la encuesta. Se detetó una mayor incidencia de casos en el sector II del municipio. Los síntomas más frecuentemente, asociados a la fiebre fueron debilidad (82.3 porciento), cefalea (82.6 porciento) y dolor en extremidades (66.4 porciento). Un 61.8 porciento de los enfermos (IC 95 porciento 55.0 a 67.8 porciento) buscaron asistencia médica (40.6 consultas al mes por cada 1000 habitantes; IC 95 porciento de 36.3 a 44.8 consultas). El 80.3 por ciento de los casos eran compatibles con dengue (IC: 95 por ciento de 74.7 a 85.2 por ciento), en donde el 62.8 por ciento consultaron al médico (IC 95 porciento de 55.4 a 69.7 porciento) y el 11.7 porciento tuvieron manifestaciones hemorrágicas (IC: 95 por ciento de 7.5 a 17.2 por ciento). La incidencia de enfermedad febril aguda revela que durante el periodo de tiempo indagado se presentó una cifra apreciable de casos, de los cuales la mayoría pasaron desapercibidos por los servicios de salud, tanto públicos como privados. Con estos resultados, se evidencia el impoacto que sobre la comunidad tiene el dengue, así como la necesidad de intensificar las medidas de prevención y control