[Brazilian study with alteplase in acute myocardial infarction--EBRALT]. / Estudo Brasileiro com alteplase no infarto agudo do miocárdio--EBRALT.

PURPOSE: Prospective evaluation of the effects of the intravenous administration of rt-PA (Alteplase) up to 6 hours after the pain onset on the patency of the AMI related artery, mortality, adverse reactions and complications. METHODS: Open, multicenter, non-comparative study involving 139 patients with diagnosis of AMI, with less than 6h of duration. The rt-PA was intravenously administered, in a dose of 100mg, as follows: 10mg in the 1st 2min, 50mg in 58min and 40mg in 120min. In addition, the patients received intravenous heparin (5000 IU at first and then, 1000 IU/hour, for 24h), aspirin (500mg in the 1st day and then, 100mg/day) and dipyridamole (75mg, three times a day), during the hospitalization period. The angiographic study was performed in 129 (93%) patients, within the 1st week of AMI. RESULTS: The age of the patients ranged from 29 to 85 (mean 56.6 +/- 10.3) years. The related artery for the AMI was patent (TIMI II and III flow) in 92/129 (71%) patients, with a mean ejection fraction of 50 +/- 14%, a value higher than that exhibited by patients with TIMI 0 and I flow (average ejection fraction = 44 +/- 14%). Reinfarction was diagnosed in 9 (6.4%) patients during the hospitalization period. During this period, there were 9 (6.4%) deaths. Minor hemorrhages were observed in 19 (12%) patients and major hemorrhages in 3 (2%) cases. No patient experienced stroke. CONCLUSION: The administration of the rt-PA therapy in the AMI was associated to a high reperfusion index of the related artery for the infarction, with improved left ventricular function and low incidence of reinfarction and in-hospital mortality, as well as, complications.

[Surgical treatment of infective endocarditis]. / Tratamento cirúrgico na endocardite infecciosa.

PURPOSE: To analyse, retrospectively, 83 patients with infective endocarditis (IE) that were operated during the acute phase of the disease and to identify possible subgroups with distinct mortality. METHODS: Between 1985 to 1990, 83 patients comprised the subject of this analysis. Fifty-one (61%) were male, aged between 3 months to 71 years, mean of 31.4 +/- 16.7 years. RESULTS: We could identify two subgroups that were most frequently operated on: the left side IE and the Staphylococcus aureus; and 77 (43%) had left sided IE (p < 0.001). When discriminated accordingly to the specifically etiologic agent (Staphylococcus aureus) this difference continues to be statistically significant: of 29 left sided IE by this agent 13 (45%) were operated on, whereas from 22 right sided IE by the same agents, just 3 (14%) were operated on (p < 0.05). The two major etiologic agents did not show any statistically significant difference in the number of patients that needed to be operated on: on those 51 patients with Staphylococcus aureus IE, 16 (31%) were treated surgically, while from the 60 patients with Streptococcus viridans, 22 (37%) underwent to surgical procedure (p- NS). The mortality in the patients treated by surgery was 32%, and those with Staphylococcus aureus IE were responsible for 46% of the total surgical deaths. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment were most frequently used in the patient with left sided IE independently of the etiologic agent.

[Infective endocarditis associated with pregnancy]. / Endocardite infecciosa relacionada à gravidez.

PURPOSE: To report the intra-hospitalar and late follow-up of patients with infective endocarditis (IE) acquired in the pregnancy or puerperium. METHODS: Eleven patients, between 1984-1992 according to the beginning of the IE episode (fever and other signals) were studied. Patients were divided in two groups: IE of pregnancy (7 cases), and puerperal IE (4 cases). RESULTS: In the pregnancy IE group, mitral valve was affected in 6 (85%), and aortic valve in 1 (15%). During the course of the treatment, two patients had to be operated on, respectively, in the 24th and 28th week of the pregnancy. The 1st one had a successfully mitral valve replacement by a biological prosthesis but 48 h later she aborted, and the 2nd presented neurological complication (intracerebral hemorrhage) in the immediate post-operative period of a successfully mitral valve replacement by biological prosthesis. She was undergone to a cesarean but the fetus remained alive for 24 h only. If we look at the newborns (fetus), only 4 of them survived. Out of 3 fetal deaths, 2 had close association with mother cardiac surgeries. In the pregnant period acquired IE, 3 (47%) mothers died. In the puerperium group, 2 mitral valves and 2 aortic valves had IE. Two of them had to be operated on due to an important aortic regurgitation and cardiac failure. There were no deaths in this group. CONCLUSION: During pregnancy, IE showed a high morbi-mortality for mother and concept. The mother's neurological complications played a major role in the poor outcome during the pregnancy period.

[Infective endocarditis in children and adolescents]. / Endocardite infecciosa na infância e adolescência.

PURPOSE: To assess infective endocarditis (IE) predisposing factors, etiologic agents and hospital course in infants and adolescents. METHODS: We Studied 222 patients admitted under compatible IE diagnosis, from 1985 to 1990. The population of this study is fifty patients (23%) under 16 years of age. RESULTS: Rheumatic valvular disease, as predisposing cardiopathy was proeminent within 9 to 16 years of age, markedly Statistical difference when compared to age range of 0 to 8 years (p < 0.05). Among congenital cardiopathies, the most frequent were: interventricular septal defect (26.0%) and tetralogy of Fallot (21.7%). Blood cultures, surgical material or emboli cultures were positive in 35 (70.0%) assessed patients. Streptococcus viridans (45.7%) and Staphylococcus aureus (42.8%) were the etiologic agents most often isolated. It was found that endocarditis by Staphylococcus aureus had mortality rate of 53.3% [(clinical (66.6%) and surgical (44.4%)], (p < 0.05) when compared to those by Streptococcus viridans; with total mortality of 6.2% (no clinical death and 16.6% in the surgical group). Total in-hospital mortality (clinical and surgical) was 26.0% (13 deaths). CONCLUSION: IE in infants and adolescents in this studied population presented Streptococcus viridans responsible for 46.7% of patients with endocarditis and the Staphylococcus aureus for 42.8% were the etiologic agents most often found. Total, clinical and surgical mortality was greater in patients with endocarditis by Staphylococcus aureus when compared with those by Streptococcus viridans. Among the congenital cardiopathies, whether operated on or not, ventricular septal defect and of Fallot's tetralogy were the most involved ones; rheumatic cardiopathy Still remains a significant predisposing factor to infective IE in our country.

[Endocarditis due to Mycobacterium chelonei in a valvular prosthesis]. / Endocardite por Mycobacterium chelonei em prótese valvar.

Male aged 40 year, with infective endocarditis in valvular prosthesis caused by Mycobacterium chelonei. This agent is unusual in this situation and rarely identified by the blood cultures.

[Infective endocarditis in patients with permanent pacemaker]. / Endocardite infecciosa em pacientes com marcapasso definitivo.

Five patients who had permanent pacemaker and infective endocarditis were analyzed. Diagnose was confirmed by a positive blood cultures in all patients and 2 of them had identifiable vegetation in the echocardiogram too. The etiologic agent was Staphylococcus aureus in 3, Staphylococcus epidermidis in 1 and Staphylococcus viridans in 1. Three patients were treated with antibiotics alone: one had no clinical conditions to be operated, one died before surgery and one had good response to antimicrobial therapy alone. Two patients were submitted to antibiotic therapy and surgical removal of the pacemaker system, without complications. It was concluded that the surgical removal of the pacemaker system, as soon as possible, is the choice's therapy.

[Radiologic signal of dehiscence of Starr-Edwards aortic prosthesis]. / Sinal radiológico de deiscência de prótese aórtica de Starr-Edwards.

A male 54 years-old patient with infective endocarditis through Staphylococcus aureus with prosthesis of Starr-Edwards aortic with clinical and echocardiographic signs compatible with dysfunction classified as severe. The x-ray images presented double silhouette of the prosthesis, thus suggesting its partial dehiscence. This case report points out that the detailed analysis of the X-ray may supply relevant data for the diagnosis of one of this complication thus influencing on management and prognosis.

[Myocardial infarction in infective endocarditis]. / Infarto do miocárdio na endocardite infecciosa.

Two patients with chronic valvular heart disease and myocardial infarction were assisted at our hospital. Both of them were febrile and only one had petechiae associated with signs of valvular involvement led to suspicion of infective endocarditis. Although blood cultures were negative, echocardiographic, surgical and anatomopathologic findings were compatible with infective endocarditis. They required cardiac surgery during the acute phase of the infection because they presented progressive hemodynamic deterioration and no satisfactory response to antimicrobial regimen too. One patient died at late follow-up (two weeks after the hospital discharge) and the other survived, but with signs of cardiac failure (class II of NYHA) one year after the procedure.

[Embolomycotic pseudoaneurysm of the common femoral artery in infective endocarditis]. / Pseudoaneurisma embolomicótico da artéria femoral comum na endocardite infecciosa.

A male patient, six years old, with mitral valve endocarditis presented with pseudoaneurysm of the right femoral artery. He was submitted to surgical treatment with reconstruction of the artery with good outcome.

[Reinfarction after thrombolytic therapy. Results obtained with readministration of thrombolytic agent in 3 patients]. / Reinfarto após tratamento trombolítico. Resultados obtidos com a reaplicação de droga trombolítica em 3 pacientes.

From 1985 to 1990, 120 patients within 6h after the onset of acute myocardial infarction were submitted to thrombolytic treatment. In 4 patients, there were clinical and electrocardiographic (ECG) changes of reinfarction. Three of them were undergone to a second thrombolytic therapy with streptokinase (SK). Two had infarction of the inferior wall, and one on the anterior wall. The patients were managed with the same SK dosage as in the first episode and the same protocol of infusion. All 3 patients, after new SK infusion showed evidence of myocardial reperfusion with relief of pain and improvement of the ECG. One patient, 24h after retreatment, had another reinfarction treated with emergency angioplasty of the right coronary artery, which was totally occluded. One patient (case n. 2), presented haematoma of right arm after punction of the subclavian vein and the other two patients did not show any serious intecorrence related to the new thrombolytic treatment. All of them were found alive over one year of follow-up.

[Infectious endocarditis in a drug addict]. / Endocardite infecciosa em toxicômanos.

PURPOSE: To compare two groups of patients with infective endocarditis, the drug addicts and non-drug addicts. We attempted to set particularities among the various aspects that involve the patient with endocarditis, due to the concurrent chronic use of cocaine intravenously. METHODS: Twenty nine patients, group B, whose clinical diagnose was compatible with infective endocarditis, with risk factor of parenteral toxicomania by cocaine were treated at Institute "Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia" and Hospital "Emilio Ribas" in São Paulo, from 1984 to 1990. The data obtained for etiological agents, previous cardiac pathology, affected heart structures, affected heart side and clinical-surgical evolutions of group B were compared to group A (193 patients), which was also composed of patients with endocarditis, without chronic endovenous use of cocaine antecedent. The data obtained were analysed comparatively according to the chi square with Yates correction. RESULTS: Male gender (89.7%) was predominate in group B towards group A (57.0%); (p < 0.01). Previous cardiopathy, either congenital or acquired, as antecedent proning to endocarditis, was found in 89.1% of patients in group A, significantly higher than 17.2% of patients group B (p < 0.001). Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent agent, which accounted for endocarditis of group B in 86.4% of the cases, significantly higher when compared to 23.9% of cases of group A (p < 0.01). Streptococcus viridans was the most frequent etiological agent for endocarditis of group A (44.8%), significantly higher than group B (4.5%), (p < 0.01). In concern to the affected structures, the tricuspid valve was most affected in group B (65.5%), significantly higher than group A (4.7%) p < 0.001. The mitral valve was significantly more affected in group A (45.1%) in comparison to group B (6.9%), (p < 0.05). In group A 82 patients (42.5%) required surgical treatment and this occurred in 3 patients of group b (10.3%), (p < 0.05). No significant statistical difference was found as for the general mortality (clinical and surgical) in both groups. CONCLUSION: a) presence of previous cardiac disease was lower suggesting permanent contamination blood flow by pathologic agents, mainly of those found in the skin as S. aureus; b) right side of the heart is most frequently affected, specially the tricuspid valve even without previous damage.

[Meningitis and other neurological complications in infectious endocarditis]. / Meningite e outras complicações neurológicas na endocardite infecciosa.

PURPOSE: To study the localization, etiological agents and the respective prognosis in patients with infective endocarditis with or without neurological complications, with emphasis on the association of endocarditis and meningitis. METHODS: 222 patients with clinical, echocardiographic and laboratory diagnosis of infective endocarditis were treated at Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia from 1985 to 1990. They were classified in two groups: group A-116 patients without neurological complications, ages 4 months-76 (mean 30) years old and 66.3% males. group B-56 patients with neurological complication, ages 1-71 (mean 31) years old and 46.4% males. A third group, group C, comprised 17 patients, ages 8-51 (mean 23.7) years old and 9 patients (52.9%) male, assisted at Hospital Emilio Ribas, which is specialized at infectious diseases, which presented meningitis as the unique manifestation of neurological complication associated to the diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE). In all patients the diagnosis of IE was based on the presence of at least two of three essential findings: echocardiogram with vegetations or valvar dysfunctions, positive hemocultures and the compatible clinical picture. For the comparative analysis among the groups was employed through the chi-square test corrected according to Yates. RESULTS: No differences of sex and age of the patients were found among the three groups. Predominated the Staphylococcus aureus as etiological agent. The localization of cardiac lesions was similar in the three groups, except for the tricuspid valve affected in 16.3% of patients of group A and 2.3% of group B. There was a greater association of the structures on the left side of the heart with IE of group B (p < 0.05). Group B and C showed a general mortality rate greater than group A (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Meningitis and other neurological complications showed interrelationship between the presence of "Staphylococcus aureus" as etiological agent of endocarditis and the association with infection of the left heart side.

[The importance of the early diagnosis of infectious endocarditis in an aortic prosthesis by transesophageal two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography]. / Importância do diagnóstico precoce de endocardite infecciosa em prótese aórtica pela ecodopplercardiografia bidimensional transesofágica.

A female patient, 21 years old, was submitted to surgical treatment of severe aortic insufficiency. She was doing well until the 9th postoperative day, when she presented sepsis and an embolic cerebrovascular attack. The transesophageal echo-Doppler-cardiogram showed paraprosthetic abscess and vegetations, that were not seen on the transthoracic echo-Doppler-cardiogram performed one day before. We are convinced that the findings on the echocardiogram were very important for the good results obtained by the prompt surgical procedure.

[Endovenous thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarct. The experience in a community hospital. An analysis of 120 patients]. / Trombólise endovenosa no infarto agudo do miocárdio. Experiência em hospital comunitário. Análise de 120 pacientes.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the experience with thrombolytic therapy in a community hospital without a cardiac catheterization laboratory. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients with EKG evidence of acute myocardial infarction with less than 6 hours of pain entered the study. They were retrospectively subdivided into two groups: group 1 (n = 96) received streptokinase and group 2 (n = 24) received rt-PA. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty patients were analysed. Ninety six (80%) received SK and 24 (20%) received intravenous rt-PA. Infarct side was anterior in 57 cases (47.5%) and inferior and/or lateral in 63 (52.5%). Coronary-angiography performed prior the discharge in reference hospital demonstrated patency of culprit vessel in 69 patients (80%) treated with SK and in 22 (91%) treated with rt-PA. According to clinical and angiographic data 60 patients (50%) were managed with medical treatment, 31 (25.8%) were submitted to angioplasty of the culprit artery and 29 (24.1%) underwent coronary bypass surgery. The complications were intracranial hemorrhage in 2 cases (1.6%), 1 post SK (1.0%) and 1 post rt-PA (4%); both of these patients died; reinfarction occurred in 4 patients and in 3 of them SK infusion was repeated successfully. There were no reinfarction in patients receiving rt-PA; major bleeding requiring blood transfusion occurred in 2 patients (1.6%); 1 patient developed hemothorax post SK and another one treated with rt-PA developed hematoma of left inferior limb. Eleven patients (9.1%) died during the hospital stay; 2 patients died of intracranial hemorrhage, 7 of cardiogenic shock and 2 had sudden death. The mortality rate in patient with anterior wall infarction was 15.7%, whereas it was significantly lower in the remaining patients (3.1%, p < 0.05). Only 4 patients over the age 75 received thrombolysis and 2 of them (50%) died. CONCLUSION: Intravenous thrombolytic therapy was safe and feasible in a community hospital without cardiac catheterization facilities. We observed only 2 fatal complications (1.6%) directly related to drug management (intracranial hemorrhage). The hospital mortality was 9.1%, including patient undergoing angioplasty of surgery following thrombolytic therapy.