[pulmonary thromboembolism in hospitalized patients during the period 1994-2000: an autopsy study]. / Tromboembolismo pulmonar en pacientes hospitalizados entre 1994-2000: serie de autopsia.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) has been for a long time a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. The utility of Low-Molecular Weight Heparins (LMWH) in these patients in the last decade of the XX century has decreased the incidence of this disease. We try to know if the massive useful of LMWH as thromboprophylasis is diminishing its incidence in autopsies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of all the autopsies in adults in the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (Madrid) in a period of 6 years (from January 1994 to December 1999). There were reviewed those necropsies which had pathological data of pulmonary thromboembolism and several items were studied: anatomopathological, epidemiological, clinical and therapeutical. RESULTS: 483 necropsies were performed in this period; 40 (8.3%) had PE. Most of them were older than 50 years (85%) and the most important risk factors associated were bedridden, chronic cardiovascular diseases and malignant neoplasias. Only Pre-mortem diagnosis was only suspected in 5 patients (12.5%) and 15 of them (37.5%) had a fatal pulmonary embolism despite receipt of thromboprophylasis with LMWH. CONCLUSIONS: PTE is still an important cause of mortality in hospitalized patients. The increased of life expect, survival of chronic cardiovascular and malignant disease made PTE a frequent possibility situation in hospitalized patients. Receipt of LMWH as thromboprophylaxis is not always effective to avoid PTE.

Tromboembolismo pulmonar en pacientes hospitalizados entre 1994-2000: serie de autopsia / Pulmonary thromboembolism in hospitalized patients during the period 1994-2000: an autopsy study

Introducción: El tromboembolismo pulmonar (TEP) ha sido durante muchos años una causa muy importante de morbi-mortalidad en los pacientes hospitalizados. El empleo de forma profiláctica de Heparinas de Bajo Peso Molecular (HBPM) en pacientes ingresados en la última década del siglo XX parece haber disminuido de forma significativa su incidencia clínica. Pretendemos ver si el empleo de HBPM como medida de tromboprofilaxis ha modificado el hallazgo de esta patología en autopsias. Material y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo de todas las autopsias realizadas en adultos en el Hospital Clínico San Carlos (Madrid) en un periodo de 6 años (Enero 1994-Diciembre 1999). Se incluyeron en el estudio todas aquellas que presentaron hallazgos anatomopatológicos (AP) de TEP y se rellenó un protocolo en el que se incluyeron datos AP, datos epidemiológicos, clínicos y terapéuticos. Resultados: En el periodo estudiado se realizaron 483 necropsias, de las cuales 40 (8,3%) tenían datos de TEP. La mayor parte de ellos tenían más de 50 años (85%) y entre los factores de riesgo destacaron el reposo-encamamiento, la enfermedad crónica médica y la presencia de tumores malignos (adenocarcinomas). Sólo se sospechó el diagnóstico pre-mortem en 5 (12,5 %) y 15 (37,5 %) desarrollaron la ETE a pesar de haber recibido tratamiento profiláctico con HBPM. Conclusiones: El TEP continúa siendo una causa muy importante de mortalidad de los pacientes ingresados en el hospital. El aumento de la esperanza de vida, de la supervivencia de enfermedades crónicas médicas y tumorales determina que hay que tener muy en cuenta esta patología. El empleo de una HBPM como profilaxis no excluye la posibilidad de esta entidad

Background: Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) has been for a long time a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. The utility of Low-Molecular Weight Heparins (LMWH) in these patients in the last decade of the XX century has decreased the incidence of this disease. We try to know if the massive useful of LMWH as thromboprophylasis is diminishing its incidence in autopsies. Material y methods: Retrospective study of all the autopsies in adults in the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (Madrid) in a period of 6 years (from January 1994 to December 1999). There were reviewed those necropsies which had pathological data of pulmonary thromboembolism and several items were studied: anatomopathological, epidemiological, clinical and therapeutical. Results: 483 necropsies were performed in this period; 40 (8.3%) had PE. Most of them were older than 50 years (85%) and the most important risk factors associated were bedridden, chronic cardiovascular diseases and malignant neoplasias. Only Pre-mortem diagnosis was only suspected in 5 patients (12.5%) and 15 of them (37.5%) had a fatal pulmonary embolism despite receipt of thromboprophylasis with LMWH. Conclusions: PTE is still an important cause of mortality in hospitalized patients. The increased of life expect, survival of chronic cardiovascular and malignant disease made PTE a frequent possibility situation in hospitalized patients. Receipt of LMWH as thromboprophylaxis is not always effective to avoid PTE

[Aortic dissection: false negative results of aortography and thoracic CAT, report of a case]. / Disección de aorta: falsos negativos de aortografía y TAC torácico, a propósito de un caso.

Acute dissection of the aorta is a relatively frequent clinical entity, with a poor prognosis and a global mortality of 40% during the first 48 hours. A correct diagnosis and an early surgical treatment may modify the natural course of the dissection of aorta. We present a case of a patient with high clinical suspicion in the aortography, thoraci CAT and transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE). However, it was not possible to establish the diagnosis. The transesophagic echocardiogram (TEE), on the contrary, suggested the presence of dissection of aorta, as was later verified in the necropsis methods, seems to support the TEE as the first election method in the dissection of aorta.