Depth of bacterial invasion in resected intestinal tissue predicts mortality in surgical necrotizing enterocolitis.

OBJECTIVE: Up to a third of all infants who develop necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) require surgical resection of necrotic bowel. We hypothesized that the histopathological findings in surgically resected bowel can predict the clinical outcome of these infants. STUDY DESIGN: We reviewed the medical records and archived pathology specimens from all patients who underwent bowel resection/autopsy for NEC at a regional referral center over a 10-year period. Pathology specimens were graded for the depth and severity of necrosis, inflammation, bacteria invasion and pneumatosis, and histopathological findings were correlated with clinical outcomes. RESULT: We performed clinico-pathological analysis on 33 infants with confirmed NEC, of which 18 (54.5%) died. Depth of bacterial invasion in resected intestinal tissue predicted death from NEC (odds ratio 5.39 per unit change in the depth of bacterial invasion, 95% confidence interval 1.33 to 21.73). The presence of transmural necrosis and bacteria in the surgical margins of resected bowel was also associated with increased mortality. CONCLUSION: Depth of bacterial invasion in resected intestinal tissue predicts mortality in surgical NEC.

Prognosis of acute myocardial infarction in the thrombolytic era: medical evaluation is still valuable.

BACKGROUND: Modern and sophisticated technology for the management of myocardial infarction has progressively devalued medical evaluation. HYPOTHESIS: This study was undertaken to assess the importance of the findings of medical evaluation at hospital presentation, in patients with acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: Data from 590 thrombolytic-treated myocardial infarction patients were analyzed. The patients were grouped according to their clinical status on arrival at hospital. A modified Forrester classification--subset II was divided according to the absence (IIa) or presence (IIb) of symptoms--was applied. Short- (14 days) and long-term (up to 10 years) survival was analyzed and 19 independent variables were included in the multivariate models. RESULTS: Short-term survival was 95.6% for subset I, 83.3% for subset IIa, 60% for subset IIb, 54.6% for subset III, and 34.8% for subset IV (P<0.001). By multiple regression analysis, lower clinical subsets (P<0.001), fewer coronary arteries with disease (P=0.006), younger age (P=0.014), absence of reinfarction (P=0.034), longer interval between streptokinase infusion and coronary arteriography (P=0.016), and higher left ventricular ejection fraction (P=0.037) demonstrated significant and independent correlation with short-term survival. Long-term survival for the total population was 71+/-3.6% for subset I, 54.4+/-8.5% for subset IIa, 20.8+/-9.4% for subset IIb, 54.5+/-15% for subset III, and 0% for subset IV (P<0.001). Using Cox regression analysis, lower clinical subsets (P<0.001), younger age (P<0.001), higher global left ventricular ejection fraction (P<0.001), and fewer coronary arteries with disease (P=0.021) correlated independently and significantly with long-term survival. When excluding data from patients who died before the short-term follow-up (n=532), lower clinical subsets remained an important predictor of long-term survival (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Clinical classification at hospital presentation is a powerful predictor of short- and long-term survival post-myocardial infarction.

Early infarct artery collateral flow does not improve long-term survival following thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction.

It is known that acutely developed collaterals can prevent the onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the presence of a total coronary occlusion. However, there still is controversy concerning long-term follow-up of coronary collateral circulation to the infarct-related artery. In this study we analyze the prognostic role of collateral flow (degrees 0 to 3) as well as anterograde flow (degrees 0 to 3) in patients with AMI treated with thrombolytic therapy. Four hundred twenty-two patients (median age 57 years, 355 men) with AMI were treated with intravenous streptokinase and followed prospectively for up to 8 years. At the end of the study period, patients with collateral coronary flow 3 (n = 30) and those with flow <3 (n = 392) at in-hospital coronary arteriography had survival rates of 66% and 85%, respectively (p <0.12). Meanwhile, patients with coronary anterograde flow 3 (n = 189) and those with flow <3 (n = 233) had survival rates of 89% and 80%, respectively (p <0.04). By censored regression analysis, a negative correlation was found between coronary collateral flow degree and survival (p = 0.0498) and, inversely, a positive correlation was found between coronary anterograde flow degree and survival (p = 0.0053). By Cox multivariate analysis, the following variables showed significant correlations with long-term survival: global left ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.0003), anterograde flow degree (p = 0.0006), collateral flow degree (negative correlation, p = 0.0179), and medical treatment (negative correlation, p = 0.0464). Thus, patients treated with intravenous streptokinase during AMI and with adequate coronary collateral circulation had a worse prognosis than those who developed adequate anterograde flow, probably because of residual myocardial ischemia. Such patients may benefit from coronary revascularization (angioplasty or surgery) to restore anterograde blood flow and minimize myocardium at risk.

[Treatment of membranous subaortic stenosis with balloon dilatation]. / Tratamento de estenose subaórtica em membrana por cateter balão.

PURPOSE: This study sought to evaluate the immediate and follow-up results of percutaneous balloon dilatation for the treatment of membranous subaortic stenoses. METHODS: Fourteen patients with mean age 11.4 +/- 5.2 years, were submitted to the procedure. They were selected when the echocardiogram showed a thin subaortic membrane that was far from the aortic valve, no fibro-muscular obstruction and only mild or moderate aortic regurgitation. After measuring the pressure gradient and analysis of the angiographic features, the balloon dilatation was made by applying a fast manual inflation until the balloon waist disappeared. The balloon diameter was the same as that of the outflow tract of left ventricle, immediately bellow the aortic valve. Pressure measurement, left ventriculogram and aortogram were repeated. Doppler echocardiogram was repeated in the following day, after 3 months and every 6 months thereafter. RESULTS: All 17 procedures were successful. The mean gradient was 76.1 +/- 21.2 mmHg before and 29.8 +/- 8.8 mmHg after dilatation (p < 0.01). There was no increase in aortic regurgitation or death after the procedure or during the follow-up. Twelve patients were discharged 24h after the procedure. Surgical treatment for femoral artery thrombosis was performed in 2 patients. In the follow-up of 33.3 +/- 23.6 months, 4 patients developed restenosis and 3 of them were submitted to successful redilatation. CONCLUSION: We conclude that in selected cases, the procedure is safe and effective, and restenosis may be treated by percutaneous balloon redilatation.

Tratamento de estenose subatória em membrana por cateter baläo / Ballon dilatation for the treatment of membranous subaortic stenosis

OBJETIVO - Avaliar os resultados imendiatos e a médio prazo de tratamento da estenose subaórtica em membrana através da dilataçÝo percutânea por cateter baläo. MÉTODOS - Os 14 pacientes, com idade média de 11,4ñ5,2 anos, foram selecionados pelo estudo ecodopplercardiográfico, mediante evidência de membrana subaórtica de fina espessura e distante das válvulas aórticas, ausência de componente muscular associado ou insuficiência aórtica (IAo) importante. Após a medida do gradiente e comprovaçÝo dos achados pela cineangiocardiografia, as dilataçöes eram feitas por insuflaçäo manual e rápida até o desaparecimento da constricçÝo do baläo. O diâmetro do baläo era no máximo igual ao da via de saída de ventrículo esquerdo, medida logo abaixo da valva aórtica. Manometria, ventriculografia esquerda era realizado no dia seguinte, após 3 meses e a cada 6 meses após o procedimento. RESULTADO - Os 17 procedimentos foram realizados com sucesso. O gradiente médio da amostra foi 76,1ñ21,1mmHg (41-115) pré dilataçäo e 29,8ñ8,8mmHg (13-45) pós dilataçäo (p menor que 0,01). Näo houve aumento do IAo pós procedimento. Doze pacientes receberam alta em 24h e 2 apresentaram oclusäo de artéria femoral, tratados cirurgicamente. Näo houve óbito imediato ou tardio. No acompanhamento de 33,3+23,6 meses (1-75) ocorreu reestenose em quatro pacientes, sendo três deles redilatados com sucesso. CONCLUSÄO - Em casos selecionados, o procedimento é seguro e eficaz e a ocorrência de reestenose pode ser tratada com nova dilataçäo percutânea.

The role of antegrade and collateral flow in relation to left ventricular function post-thrombolysis.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between antegrade and collateral flow degree to the "culprit" coronary artery, and between both variables and left ventricular systolic function. We analyzed five hundred patients with acute myocardial infarction, treated prospectively and consecutively within 6 h of evolution with intravenous streptokinase. The degree of antegrade (0-3) and collateral blood flow (0-3) were correlated with 18 other variables. RESULTS: (a) By simple regression analysis, antegrade flow degree correlated positively (p < 0.0001), and collateral flow degree negatively (p = 0.0073) with left ventricular ejection fraction; (b) By multiple regression analysis, antegrade flow degree (p = 0.0032), but not collateral flow degree (p > 0.1), correlated independently with left ventricular ejection fraction; (c) In the subgroup of patients with occluded "culprit" coronary artery, the mean ejection fraction was significantly higher for those with collateral flow 3 (60.2% +/- 13.3 in relation to those with collateral flow < 3 (53.9% +/- 13.1, p = 0.032, 95% CI. 11.96 to (0.53%). In conclusion, antegrade coronary flow degree, but not collateral flow degree, correlated significantly and independently with left ventricular ejection fraction. However, in the subgroup of patients with occluded "culprit" coronary artery, collateral flow 3 led to better left ventricular systolic function, in relation to collateral flow < 3.

Transcatheter occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus using coil embolization.

We studied 31 procedures of coil embolization for occlusion of ductus arteriosus, attempted in 29 patients. The mean age was 4.8+/-3.4 years (1-16 years) and the mean diameter of ductus was 1.8+/-0.7 mm (0.8-3.1 mm). Femoral artery approach was used and aortogram in 90 degrees lateral view was performed. Through a Judkin right coronary catheter, the coil was delivered for occlusion of the ductus. In 5 cases, 2 coils were delivered using retrograde and anterograde techniques. Successful placement of coil was accomplished in 29 procedures. Coils 0.038 inch (diameter)-5 cm (length)-5 mm (helical diameter) (Cook, Inc) were used in 16 procedures, coils 0.035 inch-5 cm-5 mm in 9, coil 0.038 inch-8 cm-8 mm in 1, two coils 0.038 inch-5 cm-5 mm in 2, coils 0.038 inch-5 cm-5 mm+0.038 inch-5 cm-8 mm in 1, and 2 coils 0.035 inch-5 cm-5 mm in 2. Aortogram 20 min after the occlusion, showed residual shunt in 9. Coil migration occurred in a ductus type B in the following day. One patient developed severe haemolysis, due to a change in the coil position, 12 h after the procedure. Echodopplercardiogram 4 to 6 h after the procedure showed a residual shunt in 5 patients, 24 h after in 3 and 30 days after, in 1(3.8%). Heparin therapy started 10 days after occlusion of the ductus, caused reappearance of the shunt in 1 patient. This technique is simple and effective, but complications may occur hours or days after successful ductus occlusion.

Diltiazem improves left ventricular systolic function following acute myocardial infarction treated with streptokinase. The Calcium Antagonist in Reperfusion Study (CARES) Group.

The role of diltiazem on left ventricular systolic function was analyzed in 101 patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with streptokinase, being obtained, for the total of the population, higher LV global ejection fraction (p = 0.022), LV regional shortening (p = 0.046) and LV global shortening (p = 0.064) for the treated group, relative to the placebo group; the p values were, respectively, 0.005, 0.009, and 0.012, for patients that achieved TIMI-3 antegrade coronary flow. It is concluded that diltiazem is useful as adjuvant to streptokinase, especially when antegrade coronary blood flow TIMI-3 is obtained.

[Left ventricular function in the acute phase of patients with myocardial infarction randomly treated with 750,000 or 1.5 million units of streptokinase]. / Função ventricular esquerda na fase aguda de infartados submetidos aleatoriamente a 750,000 ou 1.5 milhão de unidades de estreptoquinase.

PURPOSE: To compare the doses of 750,000 and 1.5 million units (U) of streptokinase (SK), relatively to the left ventricular (LV) systolic function analyzed through contrasted ventriculography. METHODS: We included 110 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) within 6h of the onset (mean-age 60 years, 83.6% men), that were randomized to receive 750,000U of SK in 15 min (55 patients), or 1.5 million U in 30 min (55 patients). The study main goal was the comparison between the groups relatively to LV ejection fraction, global and regional shortening, obtained at the fifth day of the AMI. RESULTS: The 750,000 and 1.5 million groups were homogeneous relatively to 15 analyzed variables. Relatively to the main goal of the study, it was found respectively: a) ejection fraction analysis (median): 64% and 60.5% for the total population (p = 0.25, 95% CI -2.7 to 10), 64% and 57.5% for anterior AMI (p = 0.2, 95% CI -3.6 to 16.3), 65% and 65% for inferior AMI (p = 0.99, 95% CI -8.4 to 8.4); b) global shortening analysis: -2.53 and -2.66 for the total population (p = 0.3, 95% CI -0.47 to 0.87), -2.27 and -2.53 for anterior AMI (p = 0.18, 95% CI -0.3 to 1.4), -1.82 and 1.72 for inferior AMI (p = 0.9, 95% CI -0.82 to 0.75); c) regional shortening analysis: anterior AMI -2.6 and -2.67 (p = 0.47, 95% CI -0.7 to 1.5), inferior AMI -2.3 and -2.32 (p = 0.9, 95% CI -0.82 to 0.75). CONCLUSION: The dose of 750,000U was as efficacious as the 1.5 million relatively to LV systolic function, one of the best survival predictors of short-medium and long-term survival post AMI.

Electrocardiography in Chagas' heart disease.

Conventional ECG still plays an important role in the overall knowledge of Chagas' cardiopathy, because of its importance in longitudinal and epidemiological studies, its diagnostic value, and its utility in prognostic evaluation. The authors discuss these aspects, as well as the use of eCG in the acute phase and the significance of a normal ECG in Chagas' disease. Correlations were made between ECG and Hemodynamic/angiographic variables among 1010 patients with positive laboratory tests for Chagas' disease: a) in the group with normal ECG there was no significant differences between symptomatic and non-symptomatic patients with regard to ejection fraction and angiographic abnormalities; b) slight abnormalities on the ECG corresponded to an intermediate level of severity of the disease, that is, between normal ECG and ECG with significant abnormalities C) fibrosis on the ECG was not predictive of akinesia in the related area on the angiography; d) combined ECG abnormalities generally correlated with greater myocardial compromises compared to isolated abnormalities; e) under multiple regression analysis the ECG abnormalities that independently correlated with depressed ejection fraction were: premature ventricular beats, ventricular tachycardia, left bundle branch block, atrial fibrillation, complete AV block, and anterior and inferior fibrosis. Male sex, cardiac insufficiency and cardiomegaly on the throat radiography were also significantly related.

Surgical revascularization after fibrinolysis in acute myocardial infarction. Long-term follow-up.

One hundred twenty-eight patients with myocardial infarction who underwent operation for myocardial revascularization and 147 patients who received medical therapy were followed up for up to 6 years: all patients had received treatment with intravenous streptokinase. In the surgical group, 91.5% of the patients had the region related to the infarction revascularized, and in 82.8% of them the mammary artery was used. Statistically significant differences were not detected between the groups according to infarct size, clinical features, and left ventricular ejection fraction. However, there was a higher risk in the surgical group, as compared with that in the medical group, in terms of anatomic characteristics: 99.2% versus 77.1% of the patients showed more than 70% residual obstruction at the "culprit" coronary artery (p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval 14.1% to 30.1%) and 76.8% versus 40.7% showed multivessel coronary disease (p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval 23.7% to 48.5%). In-hospital survival was 95.3% in the surgical group and 89.1% in the medical group (p = 0.096, 95% confidence interval -0.2% to 12.6%). Significantly higher survivals were obtained for the surgical group both during the first (93% +/- 2.3% versus 80.3% +/- 3.3%, p = 0.005) and the sixth (86.4% +/- 3.4% versus 68.4% +/- 4.3%, p = 0.003) year of follow-up. Statistically significant differences were also obtained when in-hospital deaths were excluded. A Cox regression model with 13 variables showed that only age (p = 0.0422) and medical treatment (p = 0.0194) correlated independently with mortality. It is concluded that in this nonrandomized study, operation led to a significantly higher survival both on a medium- and long-term basis, when compared with that obtained for patients receiving medical therapy.

Initial experience with balloon dilatation of supravalvar aortic stenosis.

Primary balloon dilatation of supravalvar aortic stenosis was attempted in three patients: a 20 year old woman, a seven month old boy, and a 12 year old girl. Balloon catheters (Mansfield) with diameters of 25 mm, 8 mm, and 15 mm were used in the three patients respectively. The systolic pressure gradient across the aortic narrowing decreased considerably and the diameter of the constricted area increased significantly. Balloon dilatation was feasible and provided good immediate results and sustained relief of supravalvar aortic stenosis in these three patients. However, a larger study is needed to establish the place of this procedure in treatment.

[In-hospital survival predictors in infarction patients undergoing fibrinolytic therapy]. / Preditores da sobrevida intra-hospitalar em pacientes infartados submetidos à terapêutica fibrinolítica.

PURPOSE: To analyze the in-hospital predictors of survival in a population of infarcted patients submitted to the same therapeutic protocol that included IV streptokinase (SK) in the dose of 750,000 units. METHODS: Three hundred and thirty two patients (mean age 55.6 +/- 10 years, 82.3% men) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were studied within six hours of onset of symptoms in a prospective and consecutive protocol. Using simple and multiple regression analysis, the following variables were selected for correlation with survival: LV ejection fraction by contrast ventriculography > 50%; CK-MB peak < or = 100 UI/1; male sex; invasive treatment (surgery or angioplasty); patent "culprit" coronary on cineangiography; age < or = 65 years; time interval between the onset of pain and the beginning of SK infusion < 3 hours; residual obstruction < 70% at the "culprit" coronary; inferior AMI location on ECG; absence of hypotension per-peri SK infusion, previous AMI, multivessel coronary artery disease and reinfarction. RESULTS: By simple regression analysis, ejection fraction > 50% (p < 0.001), CK-MB peak < or = 100 UI/1 (p = 0.003), and the absence of hypotension (p < 0.001), previous AMI (p = 0.009), multivessel coronary artery disease (p = 0.02) and reinfarction (p = 0.049), correlated significantly with survival. By multiple regression analysis ejection fraction > 50% (p = 0.017) and the absence of hypotension (p < 0.01), multivessel coronary artery disease (p = 0.032) and reinfarction (p = 0.037) correlated independently with survival. CONCLUSION: The data presented strongly support the concept of preventing atherosclerosis and maintaining myocardial viability using either direct measures such as recanalization, or indirect measures such prevention of hypotension and reinfarction.

Acute myocardial infarction treated with intravenous streptokinase: 6-year follow-up.

Our objective was to investigate variables which, although occurring during the acute period, could influence the medium (1st year) and long-term (6th year) survival of infarcted patients. Of a total of 332 patients treated consecutively and prospectively according to the same protocol which included intravenous streptokinase, 305 survived the hospital phase and represent the study population. Mean patient age was 55.6 +/- 10 years and mean follow-up time was 3.33 years, with 1008.59 patient-years. The clinical course of the group was analyzed according to the following variables: left ventricle ejection fraction, hypotension per/peri streptokinase infusion, CK-MB peak, previous myocardial infarction, number of obstructed coronaries, reinfarction, sex, 'definitive' treatment, residual obstruction, age, pain/streptokinase infusion interval, patency of the 'culprit' coronary and infarct location. Overall, patient survival was 93.8 +/- 1.4% during the 1st year and 83.7 +/- 2.6% at the 6th. The following groups showed significantly different (log-rank) survivals: (a) 1st year: 94.6% for absence and 82.6% for presence of reinfarction (P = 0.0451); 97.9% for inferior and 91.4% for anterior infarct location (P = 0.044); 96.4% for ejection fraction > 50% and 90.6% for ejection fraction < or = 50% (P = 0.0187); 96.5% for angioplasty/surgery and 90.1% for clinical treatment (P = 0.0028); 95.5% for absence and 80.6% for presence of previous infarct (P = 0.0001). (b) 6th year: 88.3% for ejection fraction > 50% and 73.9% for ejection fraction < or = 50% (P = 0.028); 87.4% for < or = 65 and 66.4% for > 65 years (P = 0.0114); 89.6% for aggressive and 76.8% for conservative treatment (P = 0.013); 86.6% for absence and 60.7% for presence of previous infarct (P = 0.0009).

[Double aortic arch associated with stenosis of left pulmonary artery]. / Duplo arco aórtico associado a estenosa da artéria pulmonar esquerda.

Case report on a 6-year-old patient with vascular ring, due to double aortic arch. The patient was asymptomatic. The barium-filled esophagus showed bilateral indentations and a large posterior indentation. Echocardiographic study in notch suprasternal view revealed features of this pathology. The diagnosis was made by the cineangiocardiographic study that showed double aortic arch with separate carotid and subclavian arteries arising from each arch. The right arch was larger than the left, and the descending aorta was on the left side. There was severe left pulmonary artery stenosis associated. The clinical management was chosen, because the patient was asymptomatic.

[Transluminal coronary angioplasty combined with cardiomyoplasty in the treatment of coronary disease associated with dilated cardiomyopathy]. / Angioplastia transluminal coronária combinada à cardiomioplastia no tratamento de doença coronária associada à cardiomiopatia dilatada.

A 53-year-old white female candidate to cardiomyoplasty to control heart failure class III (NYHA). Submitted to coronary angioplasty, presented at the coronarography 75% obstruction of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery and at the left ventriculography diffuse and severe hypocontractility ejection fraction (EF) = 17%. After primary success of the coronary dilatation, she was operated on with a good surgical outcome. Six months after the surgery, she did well clinically (class II) and at the coronarography the LAD artery presented free from restenosis or progression of the disease and the left ventriculography showed improvement of the ventricular function (EF = 28%).

[Univentricular heart: angiographic features in 31 patients]. / Coração univentricular: aspectos angiográficos em 31 pacientes.

PURPOSE: Evaluation of angiographic features of univentricular heart. METHODS: Thirty-one patients were divided into 3 groups according to morphological type of univentricular heart: left ventricle type, right ventricle type and undetermined. They were studied for atrio-ventricular junction, position of rudimentary chamber in relation to principal chamber, ventricle-arterial junction, the position of the two great arteries in relation to each other and whenever possible, the origin of the coronary arteries. RESULTS: There were 16 cases of left ventricle type with A-V junction through 2 valves in 8 and through single valve in 6. The rudimentary chamber position was superior and to the right in 4 cases of dextrocardia and superior and to the left in 8 of levocardia. The ventricle-arterial junction was discordant in 9 patients and concordant in 4, double outlet of rudimentary chamber in 2 and single outlet in 1. The aorta was anterior to the pulmonary artery in 13 patients. Anomalous origin of the coronary arteries occurred in 5 of 9 cases studied. Right ventricle type occurred in 9 patients with absence of one of the A-V junctions in 5. Trabecular pouch was seen in 6 patients, posterior and inferior positioned in all of them. Double outlet from principal chamber occurred in 8 patients. The aorta was anterior in 66.6%. Undetermined type occurred in 6 patients with A-V junction through single valve in 5. In 3 there was double outlet from principal chamber showing pulmonary stenosis and in the remaining 3 there was pulmonary atresia. CONCLUSION: Discordant ventricle-arterial junction is common for left ventricle type; trabecular pouch is frequent in right ventricle type; single A-V valve is common for undetermined type; obstruction of pulmonary flow happens in all 3 types but it is more frequent in undetermined type; the aorta is anterior to the pulmonary artery in most cases; it is common the anomalous origin of the coronary arteries from the aortic sinus.

[Survival and predictive factors of late mortality in the surgical treatment of aortic stenosis]. / Sobrevida e fatores preditivos da mortalidade tardia no tratamento cirúrgico da estenose aórtica.

PURPOSE: Study of 161 patients submitted to aortic valve replacement due to aortic stenosis to evaluate survival and predictive factors of late mortality. METHODS: The mean age was 45.8 years +/- 13.2 and 122 patients were men. Surgical mortality was 6.8%. The survival actuarial curve showed 59.28% of the patients alive after 16 years. Among the survival 62.3% +/- 10% were event free, including prosthesis thrombosis, thromboembolism, infective endocarditis and reoperation. Symptoms, age, gradient LV/Ao, ejection fraction (EF) and the compliance (CO) were related to prognosis. Sudden death after surgery was studied, with incidence of the 0.8 events/100 patients year. RESULTS: The asymptomatic patients had better evolution than symptomatic (p less than 0.05). The age above 60 years was not predictive of the prognosis in 10 years of follow-up, but no patients survived after 10 years. The gradient LV/Ao was not an important factor in the survival. The group with EF greater than 50% had 66.4% of survival, while the group with EF less than 50% survival was 39%. Normal or decreased compliance was not important in the survival. All patients with EF less than 50% always has decreased CO. Fifteen patients were dead due to heart failure and the most important predictive factor was the left ventricular dysfunction (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: In aortic stenosis: a) severe ventricular dysfunction does not preclude the surgical treatment; b) the actuarial analysis suggests that EF less than 50% determines worse prognosis and always occurs with decreased CO; c) the excellent evolution of the asymptomatic patients does not generalize the surgical treatment in this phase; d) the incidence of the sudden death was not high after the surgical treatment; e) patients with pre-operative left ventricular dysfunction had greater mortality due to heart failure, than patients with normal left ventricular function; f) despite of the morbid events our results confirm the real benefit of the surgical treatment in the aortic stenosis.

[Fibrinolytic therapy in non-coronary diseases]. / Terapêutica fibrinolítica em doenças não coronarianas.

Utilization of fibrinolytic drugs in non-coronary diseases has been described since 1949, but despite of that, works about that subject are very rare in the literature. In this paper we discuss the cases of three patients that were treated with such compounds for pulmonary embolism, peripheral arterial embolism, and thrombosis in mechanical aortic prosthesis. All patients had excellent in-hospital outcome, and were totally asymptomatic at the discharge time. It is emphasized the clinical symptoms, sometimes unexpected, and the importance of the complementary tests not only in the disease's diagnosis, but also in some decisions that must be taken during the patient's evolution, where they can help us to decide, for example, about the correct moment to stop the thrombolytic infusion. In conclusion, fibrinolytic drugs can be utilized in the management of many affections that otherwise would be treated by emergency surgery.