Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III: Normative data for Spanish-speaking pediatric population.

OBJECTIVE: To generate normative data for the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (PPVT-III) in Spanish-speaking pediatric populations. METHOD: The sample consisted of 4,373 healthy children from nine countries in Latin America (Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Puerto Rico) and Spain. Each participant was administered the PPVT-III as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. PPVT-III scores were normed using multiple linear regressions and standard deviations of residual values. Age, age2, sex, and mean level of parental education (MLPE) were included as predictors in the analyses. RESULTS: The final multiple linear regression models showed main effects for age in all countries, such that scores increased linearly as a function of age. In addition, age2 had a significant effect in all countries, except Guatemala and Paraguay. Models showed that children whose parent(s) had a MLPE >12 years obtained higher scores compared to children whose parent(s) had a MLPE ≤12 years in all countries, except for Cuba, Peru, and Puerto Rico. Sex affected scores for Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Spain. CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest Spanish-speaking pediatric normative study in the world, and it will allow neuropsychologists from these countries to have a more accurate interpretation of the PPVT-III when used in pediatric populations.

[Consensus document on ultrasound training in Intensive Care Medicine. Care process, use of the technique and acquisition of professional skills]. / Documento de consenso para la formación en ecografía en Medicina Intensiva. Proceso asistencial, uso de la técnica y adquisición de competencias profesionales.

Ultrasound has become an essential tool in assisting critically ill patients. His knowledge, use and instruction requires a statement by scientific societies involved in its development and implementation. Our aim are to determine the use of the technique in intensive care medicine, clinical situations where its application is recommended, levels of knowledge, associated responsibility and learning process also implement the ultrasound technique as a common tool in all intensive care units, similar to the rest of european countries. The SEMICYUC's Working Group Cardiac Intensive Care and CPR establishes after literature review and scientific evidence, a consensus document which sets out the requirements for accreditation in ultrasound applied to the critically ill patient and how to acquire the necessary skills. Training and learning requires a structured process within the specialty. The SEMICYUC must agree to disclose this document, build relationships with other scientific societies and give legal cover through accreditation of the training units, training courses and different levels of training.

El papel del catéter de Swan-Ganz en la actualidad / The current role of the Swan-Ganz catheter

Han pasado más de 3 décadas desde la introducción del catéter de Swan-Ganz (SG) como técnica de valoración hemodinámica del paciente crítico. Aún se plantean dudas sobre la necesidad de su uso en la práctica clínica por su posible relación con un aumento de la mortalidad y la aparición de otras técnicas alternativas con una probable menor morbimortalidad. La introducción de la técnica de ecocardiografía Doppler ha sido fundamental en la valoración hemodinámica y etiológica del paciente crítico y ha permitido aclarar muchas situaciones clínicas sin respuesta terapéutica aceptable. En esta revisión se pretende exponer las bondades y las limitaciones del catéter de SG como técnica gold standard en monitorización hemodinámica del paciente crítico. Creemos que la combinación de distintas técnicas, sin ser excluyentes, deben ayudarnos a responder en el paciente inestable hemodinámicamente la causa etiológica, determinar qué perfil hemodinámico presenta y cuál es el componente principal que genera la inestabilidad hemodinámica para seleccionar adecuadamente el tratamiento inicial y valorar el grado de respuesta a la decisión tomada (AU)

Nearly forty years ago, Swan and Ganz introduced pulmonary artery catheterization to monitor the hemodynamic status of critical patients. The need for pulmonary artery catheterization in clinical practice has been questioned because it may be related to increased mortality and because alternative techniques that will probably cause less morbidity and mortality have been developed. The introduction of color Doppler echocardiography has been fundamental in the hemodynamic and etiologic evaluation of critical patients and has made it possible to clarify many clinical situations in which the response to treatment was unacceptable. This review aims to discuss the advantages and drawbacks of the Swan-Ganz catheter as the gold standard for monitoring hemodynamics in critical patients. We believe that combining the available techniques should help us evaluate the hemodynamics in critical patients and determine the cause of hemodynamic instability so we can select the most appropriate initial treatment and evaluate the subsequent response (AU)

Trombocitopenia inducida por heparina y cirugía cardíaca / Thrombocytopenia induced by heparin and heart surgery

La incidencia de la trombocitopenia inducida por heparina tipo II (TIH-II) es aproximadamente un 1 por ciento, pero puede ser más elevada en pacientes postoperados de cirugía cardíaca. La TIH-II puede ocasionar una elevada morbimortalidad en relación con sus complicaciones trombóticas, especialmente si no se diagnostica precozmente. Presentamos el caso de una TIH-II desarrollada en el postoperatorio de una anuloplastia mitral. Se revisan sus mecanismos fisiopatológicos, la importancia de la sospecha clínica ante la presencia de trombos resistentes a la terapia anticoagulante habitual y la complejidad del tratamiento (AU)