Gender differences in workplace violence against physicians and nurses in Latin America: a survey from the Interamerican Society of Cardiology.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate gender differences in workplace violence (WPV) against physicians and nurses in Latin America. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A cross-sectional electronic survey was conducted between January 11 and February 28, 2022. A prespecified gender analysis was performed. RESULTS: Among the 3056 responses to the electronic survey, 57% were women, 81.6% were physicians, and 18.4% were nurses. At least one act of violence was experienced by 59.2% of respondents, with verbal violence being the most common (97.5%). Women experienced more WPV than men (65.8% vs 50.4%; P < 0.001; odds ratio [OR]: 1.89; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.63-2.19). Women were more likely to report at least one episode of WPV per week (19.2% vs 11.9%, P < 0.001), to request for psychological help (14.5% vs 9%, P = 0.001) and to experience more psychosomatic symptoms. In addition, women were more likely to report having considered changing their job after an aggression (57.6% vs 51.3%, P = 0.011) and even leaving their job (33% vs 25.7%, P = 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, being a woman (OR: 1.76), working in emergency departments (OR: 1.99), and with COVID-19 patients (OR: 3.3) were independently associated with more aggressive interactions, while older age (OR: 0.95) and working in a private setting (OR: 0.62) implied lower risk. CONCLUSIONS: Women are more likely to experience WPV and to report more psychosomatic symptoms after the event. Preventive measures are urgently needed, with a special focus on high-risk groups such as women.

Long-term prognostic value of quantitative myocardial perfusion in patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteries.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chest pain and no obstructive coronary artery disease have shown a high incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). We evaluated the role of absolute myocardial perfusion quantification in predicting all-cause mortality and MACE during long-term follow-up in this group of patients. METHODS: We studied 79 patients who underwent Nitrogen-13 ammonia PET for quantification of global myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial flow reserve (MFR) due to suspected impaired myocardial perfusion. Patients with coronary artery disease (i.e., > 30% stenosis in one or more coronary arteries) were excluded. We assessed all-cause mortality and MACE. MACE was defined as the composite incidence of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or hospitalization due to heart failure. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 8 (IQR: 3-14) years. Univariate Cox regression showed that only MFR (P = 0.01) was a predictor of all-cause mortality. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that both MFR and Stress MBF were predictors of the composite endpoint of MACE (P < 0.001 and P = 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: Quantitative assessment of myocardial perfusion may predict all-cause mortality and MACE in patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteries in the long-term follow-up.

[18F]-Sodium fluoride uptake in Takayasu arteritis.

BACKGROUND: While 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose and 18F-sodium fluoride with positron emission tomography relate with inflammation and calcification, their role in the assessment of patients with Takayasu arteritis has not yet been studied. METHODS: We present 5 patients with suspected active metabolic disease who underwent PET with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose and 18F-sodium fluoride in order to explore the locations and correlations of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose and 18F-sodium fluoride uptakes. Diagnosis of metabolic active disease was based on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake. RESULTS: We studied 3 female patients and 2 male patients. Median age was 29 years (min: 19 max: 63). In areas with atherosclerotic plaques, we found a negative correlation between 18F-sodium fluoride and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptakes (r = -0.78) (P = .001). Meanwhile, in areas with only metabolic active disease, we found a positive correlation between 18F-sodium fluoride and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptakes (r = 0.94) (P = .019). CONCLUSIONS: In Takayasu arteritis, 18F-sodium fluoride uptake can document different stages of metabolic disease, even in the absence of active metabolic disease or symptoms.

[Diagnosis of complex congenital heart disease through magnetic resonance]. / Diagnóstico de las cardiopatías congénitas complejas por resonancia magnética.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the usefulness of magnetic resonance for the morphological diagnosis in complex congenital cardiopathies and compare it with the transthoracic echocardiogram. METHOD: We included 45 patients with clinical suspicion of severe congenital cardiopathy. A magnetic resonance and a transthoracic echocardiogram were performed and the anatomy and size of the cardiac cavities were compared. Descriptive statistics were used and Bland-Altman test was used to analyze concordance between both methods. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the measures obtained with either method, except for the left ventricle ejection fraction (66.56 +/- 9.47 with ECO vs 52.32 +/- 13.85 with MR, p = 0.0001) and for diameter of the left branch of the pulmonary artery (9.77 +/- 6.80 with ECO vs 12.83 +/- 8.46 with MR, p = 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of MR were high to analyze the AV and VA connection, but not for the atrial sinus and the venous drainages (pulmonary and systemic). Concordance of ejection fraction measures, McGoon index, and size of VD revealed few extreme values. CONCLUSIONS: MR and ECO are similar for the morphological diagnosis of severe congenital cardiopathies, but MR can be better than ECO for the visualization of extracardiac structures.

Myocardial perfusion defects in patients with autoimmune diseases: a prospective study. Analysis of two diagnostic tests.

A significant correlation between autoimmune diseases and premature or accelerated coronary atherosclerosis has been found. The objectives of the study were: (a) to evaluate myocardial perfusion defects in patients with autoimmune diseases by contrast echocardiography and nuclear imaging; and (b) to evaluate the prevalence of alterations in subclinical myocardial perfusion defects in autoimmune diseases. Myocardial perfusion in 37 patients was evaluated by contrast echocardiography at rest and with dobutamine and with nuclear imaging. The agreement between the two diagnostic tests at rest was 0.72 (P < 0.0001) and with dobutamine was 0.65 (P < 0.0001). The prevalence of abnormalities in myocardial perfusion in autoimmune diseases by contrast echocardiography and nuclear imaging was 27% and in patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome was 30%. We concluded that there is a high level of agreement between contrast ecocardiography and nuclear imaging for assessment of myocardial perfusion defects in patients with autoimmune diseases, and their prevalence is similar to that reported in the literature.

[Effect to the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) on personality dimensions in individuals without psychopathology]. / Efecto del gen transportador de la serotonina (5-HTT) sobre las dimensiones de la personalidad en individuos sin psicopatología.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study was to assess the association between the serotonin transporter gene and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) personality dimensions in subjects without psychopathology. METHOD: Fifty seven individuals without psychiatric symptoms were assessed with the SCL-90, and the TCI. In all subjects a peripheral blood sample was taken to determine their genotypes, after informed consent. Three groups were formed according to the 5-HTT genotype: SS, SL and LL, and the TCI results were compared. RESULTS: There was no association among the 5-HTT genotypes and any of the TCI subscales. There were also no statistical differences among any of the three groups divided by genotype only according to the TCI scores, as well as when compared with historical controls. CONCLUSIONS: These results are consistent with other studies that have not found associations among the different measurements of personality and 5-HTT genotypes. Likewise, our data suggest that our sample can be useful as a source of controls for later studies. This is the first study assessing TCI dimensions and the 5-HTT gene in the Mexican population.

[Silent myocardial ischemia in unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction. Prospective clinical study]. / Isquemia miocardica asintomatica en la angina inestable y en el infarto miocardico agudo. Investigacion clinica prospectiva.

To establish the prevalence and characteristics of silent myocardial ischemia in patients with unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction and its possible correlation with coronary artery lesions; two groups patients were studied, fifteen with unstable angina and fifteen with acute myocardial infarction. In all patients a continuous 24 hours ECG recording was made with a solid state microprocessor for ST variation analysis, and all underwent coronary arteriography and ventriculography, the severity of coronary heart disease was determined by Gensini scoring system and the coronary angiography morphology was studied. In 86% patients with unstable angina ischemic ST changes were found, 90% of these episodes were silent. There were 66% of the patients with acute myocardial infarction and ST ischemic changes of these 75% were silent. There was no correlation with the ischemic myocardium score index, nor with the angiographic morphology or the heart rate. Therefore it can be said that myocardial ischemia is a result not only of anatomic factors but of many others such as vasoconstriction, endothelial, myocardial, systemic and hemorheological alterations.

[High-fidelity spectrocardiography for the diagnosis of ischemic cardiopathy. The validation of a new method for analyzing the spectral components of the QRS complex]. / Espectrocardiografía de alta fidelidad para el diagnóstico de cardiopatía isquémica. Validación de un nuevo método para el análisis de los componentes espectrales del complejo QRS.

BACKGROUND: Analysis of high-frequency QRS complex envelope has been suggested as a method that could detect myocardial ischemia but the characteristics of the turbulence spectral from an spectral-temporal mapping into the QRS complex has not been studied yet. This is a prospective study of phase I for the validation of a new diagnostic test. AIMS: The aims for this study are: 1) To validate a new method for the detection of transient myocardial ischemia by both, high-frequency QRS and spectral turbulence analysis, which we have named "high-fidelity spectrocardiogram" (HFS). 2) To compare the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of this HFS versus those obtained from nuclear medicine (NM-MIBI) and a conventional exercise ECG test, in a highly selected population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients (P) were studied: 10 P (Group B) with risk factors for coronary artery disease, without previous infarct, who had atypical precordial pain and a conventional ECG considered as "normal" by two cardiologists. The group A was formed by 15 P without risk factors or another kind of heart disease. All patients underwent a conventional surface ECG, which had to be normal in order to be considered for this study. Echocardiogram, exercise testing ECG and a NM-MIBI study were also normal. The HFS recording was taken before and after Dipyridamole testing, similar to the conventional method for the NM-MIBI (dipyridamole 0.25 mg/Kg/doses) studies. Our software for the analysis of QRS-frequencies was constructed from a language Turbo C++. The Fourier's transform allowed the construction of 3-dimensional graphics. After the determination of the best wide band for detecting changes in the frequency contained of QRS, the determination coefficients (r2) were obtained and compared before and after the challenge with dipyridamole. These changes were compared between groups (A vs B) later. RESULTS: The r2 changed more than 30% after dipyridamole in those patients in whom myocardial ischemia was demonstrated later by NM-MIBI. The sensitivity (85%) and specificity (90%) of HFS were similar to the nuclear medicine for identifying myocardial ischemia, but higher than a conventional exercise ECG testing (p.001). The main change in HFS was in the frequency-contained QRS in the 130-260 Hz band. The accuracy of our method was increased when an analysis of each orthogonal lead was made. There was a clear tendency of the group B to increase the QRS duration, while the contrary was found in group A, being the QRS the shorter (p.064). The chronological responses were different in those patients with ischemia. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that an episode of myocardial ischemia is able to change in a dramatic manner the frequency-contained within of the QRS complex, in spite of an unchanged ST segment in the conventional exercise ECG. We suggest that the HFS could be a good method for identifying myocardial ischemia. Its advantages could be important, particularly when the conventional exercise ECG is non informative.

[The mechanism of remodelling in left ventricular volume overload]. / El mecanismo de remodelación en las sobrecargas de volumen del ventrículo izquierdo.

We studied 60 people who were separated into three groups. Group A: 11 patients with pure, severe mitral regurgitation (MR); Group B: 18 patients with pure, severe aortic regurgitation (AR) [this group was divided into two: I) with normal ejection fraction (EF) and II) with low EF]. The third group was a control one with 31 healthy people. Through 2-D Echocardiography (2-D Echo) we got: diameters of the cavities, thickness of the wall, ventricular function, h/r ratio, and systolic wall stress (S). Patients with MR showed left atrial and ventricular enlargement with low h/r ratio, normal ventricular function and raised S. The group I of AR had left ventricular enlargement and hypertrophy, with normal h/r ratio and EF, and with raised S, while the group II of AR showed left ventricular enlargement, low h/r ratio and EF with very high S. In MR volumetric overload causes different anatomic and functional changes on the left ventricle than in the AR. In MR there is a systolic leak toward left atrium. This causes the low S in the beginning of the illness and is not the mechanism that trigger left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The absence of LVH causes excessive enlargement of the myofibril and with time there is structural damage and contractile failure which raises the systolic volume and S. Later on, hypertrophy develops. On the other hand, since the beginning AR has high S which causes adequate hypertrophy (normal h/r ratio) and later it produces huge ventricular enlargement decreases the h/r ratio (inadequate hypertrophy) with contractile failure. We conclude: the time of surgery in MR is when the patient raises S and in the AR when inadequate hypertrophy appears (low h/r) but when EF is still normal.

Diagnóstico de las cardiopatías congénitas complejas por resonancia magnética / Diagnosis of complex congenital heart disease through magnetic resonance

Objetivo: Analizar la utilidad de la resonancia magnética para el diagnóstico morfológico en las cardiopatías congénitas complejas comparada con el ecocardiograma transtorácico. Método: Se incluyeron 45 pacientes con sospecha clínica de cardiopatía congénita grave, se les realizó una resonancia magnética y ecocardiograma transtorácico y se comparó anatomía y tamaño de cavidades cardíacas. Para el análisis se empleó estadística descriptiva y análisis de Bland-AItman para la concordancia entre ambos métodos. Resultados: No hubo diferencias significativas en mediciones obtenidas por ambos métodos, excepto en la fracción de expulsión del ventrículo izquierdo (66.56 ± 9.47 por ECO vs 52.32 ± 13.85 por RM, p = 0.0001) y la medición del diámetro de la rama izquierda de la arteria pulmonar (9.77 ± 6.80 por ECO vs 13.83 ± 8.46 por RM, p = 0.05). La sensibilidad, especificidad y los valores predictivos de la RM fueron elevados para analizar la conexión AV y VA, no así para el situs atrial y los drenajes venosos (pulmonar y sistémico) donde el ECO tiene baja resolución. La concordancia de las mediciones de la FE, índice de McGoon y tamaño del VD mostró pocos valores extremos. Conclusiones: La RM y el ECO son similares para el diagnóstico morfológico de las cardiopatías congénitas graves, pero la RM puede superar al ECO en la visualización de estructuras extracardíacas.

Objective: To analyze the usefulness of magnetic resonance for the morphological diagnosis in complex congenital cardiopathies and compare it with the transthoracic echocardiogram. Method: We included 45 patients with clinical suspicion of severe congenital cardiopathy A magnetic resonance and a transthoracic echocardiogram were performed and the anatomy and size of the cardiac cavities were compared. Descriptive statistics were used and Bland-Altman test was used to analyze concordance between both methods. Results: There were no significant differences in the measures obtained with either method, except for the left ventricle ejection fraction (66.56 ± 9.47 with ECO vs 52.32 ± 13.85 with MR, p = 0.0001) and for diameter of the left branch of the pulmonary artery (9.77 ± 6.80 with ECO vs 12.83 ± 8.46 with MR, p = 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of MR were high to analyze the AV and VA connection, but not for the atrial sinus and the venous drainages (pulmonary and systemic). Concordance of ejection fraction measures, McGoon index, and size of VD revealed few extreme values. Conclusions: MR and ECO are similar for the morphological diagnosis of severe congenital cardiopathies, but MR can be better than ECO for the visualization of extracardiac structures.