Risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality for patients with ECLS due to postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock after isolated coronary surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or extracorporeal life support (ECLS) in patients after cardiac surgery and postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock (PCS) is known to be associated with high mortality. Especially in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and PCS, ECLS is frequently established. The aim of this analysis was to evaluate factors associated with in-hospital mortality in patients treated with ECLS due to PCS after CABG. METHODS: Between August 2006 and January 2017, 92 consecutive patients with V-A ECLS due to PCS after isolated CABG were identified and included in this retrospective analysis. Patients were divided into survivors (S) and non-survivors (NS) and analyzed with risk factors of in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality added up to 61 patients (66%). Non-survivors were significantly older (60 ± 812 (S) vs. 67 ± 10 (NS); p = 0.013). Bilateral internal mammary artery graft was significantly more frequently used in S (23% (S) vs. 2% (NS); p = 0.001). After 24 h of ECLS support, median lactate levels were significantly higher in NS (1.9 (1.3; 3.5) mmol/L (S) vs. 3.5 (2.1; 6.3) mmol/L (NS); p = 0.001). NS suffered more often acute kidney injury requiring dialysis (42% (S) vs. 74% (NS); p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Mortality in patients with refractory PCS after CABG and consecutive ECLS support remains high. Failing end-organ recovery under ECLS despite optimized concomitant medical therapy is an indicator of adverse outcomes in this specific patient cohort. Moreover, total-arterial revascularization might be beneficial for cardiac recovery in patients suffering PCS after CABG and following ECLS.

Age and Anterior Basal Forebrain Volume Predict the Cholinergic Deficit in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Early and severe neuronal loss in the cholinergic basal forebrain is observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). To date, cholinomimetics play a central role in the symptomatic treatment of AD dementia. Although basic research indicates that a cholinergic deficit is present in AD before dementia, the efficacy of cholinomimetics in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains controversial. Predictors of cholinergic impairment could guide individualized therapy. OBJECTIVE: To investigate if the extent of the cholinergic deficit, measured using positron emission tomography (PET) and the tracer 11C-N-methyl-4-piperidyl acetate (MP4A), could be predicted from the volume of cholinergic basal forebrain nuclei in non-demented AD patients. METHODS: Seventeen patients with a high likelihood of MCI due to AD and 18 age-matched cognitively healthy adults underwent MRI-scanning. Basal forebrain volume was assessed using voxel-based morphometry and a cytoarchitectonic atlas of cholinergic nuclei. Cortical acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was measured using MP4A-PET. RESULTS: Cortical AChE activity and nucleus basalis of Meynert (Ch4 area) volume were significantly decreased in MCI. The extent of the cholinergic deficit varied considerably across patients. Greater volumes of anterior basal forebrain nuclei (Ch1/2 area) and younger age (Spearman's rho (17) â€Š= -0.596, 95% -CI [-0.905, -0.119] and 0.593, 95% -CI [0.092, 0.863])) were associated with a greater cholinergic deficit. CONCLUSION: Data suggest that less atrophy of the Ch1/2 area and younger age are associated with a more significant cholinergic deficit in MCI due to AD. Further investigations are warranted to determine if the individual response to cholinomimetics can be inferred from these measures.

Crise convulsiva na emergência médica / Convulsive crisis in medical emergency

Por ser uma emergência médica, muitas vezes relacionada a uma co-morbidade, a crise convulsiva é tema a ser explorado, visto a sua grande prevalência no atendimento de pronto-socorro. Os autores se propõem a uma revisão deste a etiopatogenia até a orientação para o planejamento terapêutico posterior, fornecendo ao leitor uma fonte de consulta atualizada e sucinta, útil na sua prática diária.

Glaucoma: conceitos fundamentais para o clínico / Glaucoma: main concepts of the clinician

Os autores se propõem a uma revisão de conceitos fundamentais sobre o tema glaucoma que, além da gravidade, é um problema de saúde pública. Ao não-especialista em Oftalmologia cabe a determinação de fatores de risco nos pacientes, para que estes sejam encaminhados e então avaliados pelo especialista, buscando assim sua detecção precoce e seu tratamento adequado, o que previne perdas visuais (completas ou parciais).