Estratégia Fármaco-Invasiva no Infarto do Miocárdio: Análise Descritiva,Apresentação de Sintomas Isquêmicos e Preditores de Mortalidade

BackgroundST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is defined by symptoms accompanied by typical electrocardiogram changes. However, the characterization of ischemic symptoms is unclear, especially in subgroups such as women and the elderly.ObjectivesTo analyze the typification of ischemic symptoms, temporal metrics and observe the occurrence of in-hospital outcomes, in the analysis of predictive scores, in patients with STEMI, in a drug-invasive strategy.MethodsStudy involving 2,290 patients. Types of predefined clinical presentations: typical pain, atypical pain, dyspnea, syncope. We measured the time between the onset of symptoms and demand for care and the interval between arrival at the medical unit and thrombolysis. Odds-ratios (OR; CI-95%) were estimated in a regression model. ROC curves were constructed for mortality predictors. The adopted significance level (alpha) was 5%.ResultsWomen had a high prevalence of atypical symptoms; longer time between the onset of symptoms and seeking care; delay between arrival at the emergency room and fibrinolysis. Hospital mortality was 5.6%. Risk prediction by Killip-Kimball classification: AUC: [0.77 (0.73-0.81)] in class ≥II. Subgroups studied [OR (CI-95%)]: women [2.06 (1.42-2.99); p=0.01]; chronic renal failure [3.39 (2.13-5.42); p<0.001]; elderly [2.09 (1.37-3.19) p<0.001]; diabetics [1.55 (1.04-2.29); p=0.02]; obese 1.56 [(1.01-2.40); p=0.04]: previous stroke [2.01 (1.02-3.96); p=0.04] correlated with higher mortality rates.ConclusionDespite higher mortality rates in some subgroups, significant disparity persists in women, with delays in symptom recognition and prompt thrombolysis. We highlight the applicability of the Killip-Kimball score in prediction, regardless of the clinical presentation.     

Impact of effective valvotomy in mitral stenosis on pulmonary venous flow pattern

AIMS: Transesophageal Doppler echocardiography (TEE) is a useful tool to investigate pulmonary venous flow (PVF) velocity, which is altered in patients with mitral stenosis (MS). This study used TEE to analyze the variations in the PVF pattern after successful valvar dilatation in MS patients. METHODS/RESULTS: A total of 15 MS patients, mean age 27.2 years, underwent effective percutaneous balloon valvotomy (PBV). All were submitted to TEE before and after PBV. TEE assessed systolic (SPFV) and diastolic (DPFV) peak flow velocities and their ratio (SPFV/DPFV), time-velocity integrals (STVI and DTVI) and their ratio, and diastolic flow deceleration (DFD). Valvotomy yielded statistically significant increases (P < or = 0.05) in the SPFV: increase on average by 67% and STVI by 120%, as well as in the diastolic component: increased on average by 35%, DTVI by 33%, and DFD by 75%. CONCLUSION: TEE demonstrated that PBV induced a global increase in velocities of PVF, probably related to improvement of left atrial emptying.     

Echocardiographic Parameters and Brain Natriuretic Peptide in Patients after Surgical Repair of Tetralogy of Fallot

Background: Although the residual lesions after surgical correction of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) can be evaluated by Doppler echocardiography (DE), the relation of DE parameters with the proBNP level, a potential biomarker of right ventricle overload, is not well known. The objective of this study was to evaluate the DE parameters and their relation to proBNP levels. Methods: proBNP plasma level and Doppler echocardiography parameters were obtained on the same day in 49 patients later after repair of TOF (mean age of 14.7 years, 51% female, mean PO time of 9.5 years). The DE parameters studied were the dimensions of the right atrium (RA) and ventricle (RV), RV diastolic and systolic function, and residual pulmonary lesions. The relation between them and proBNP levels were analyzed and the cutoff values of DE parameters for elevated proBNP determined. Results: proBNP was elevated in 53% and correlated with RV diastolic diameter (r = 0.41; P = 0.003), RA longitudinal (r = 0.52; P = 0.0001) and transversal (r = 0.47; P = 0.001) diameters, pressure half time of pulmonary regurgitation (PR) velocity (PHT) (r =?0.42; P = 0.005), and the PR index (r =?0.60; P < 0.001). By multivariate analysis, the PR index (r =?597; P = 0,001; CI: ?913.2 to ?280.8) and RA longitudinal (r = 7.74; P < 0,001; CI 4.18 to 11.31) were independent predictors of elevated proBNP. PHT lower than 64 msec (0.76) and PRi lower than 0.65 (0.81) had the best accuracy for elevated proBNP. Conclusion: proBNP may be increased in patients after surgical repair of TOF, correlated with the size of right cardiac chambers and the severity of PR. (Echocardiography 2010;27:442‐447)     

USEFULNESS OF kDNA PCR IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS REACTIVATION IN CO-INFECTED PATIENTS

SUMMARY

It is important to develop new methods for diagnosing relapses in the co-infection of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and HIV to enable earlier detection using less invasive methods. We report a case of a co-infected patient who had relapses after VL treatment, where the qualitative kDNA PCR showed a good performance. The kDNA PCR seems to be a useful tool for diagnosing VL and may be a good marker for predicting VL relapses after treatment of co-infected patients with clinical symptoms of the disease.     

The case for utilizing more strict quantitative Doppler echocardiographic criterions for diagnosis of subclinical rheumatic carditis

AIM: Our aim was to perform a comparative, quantitative and qualitative, analysis of valvar echocardiographic findings in patients with acute rheumatic fever, with or without clinical manifestations of carditis, as compared to healthy controls. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed cross-sectional Doppler echocardiographic images of 31 patients with acute rheumatic fever diagnosed according to the Jones criterions as modified in 1992. Of 31 patients, 22 presented with clinical carditis, while 9 had subclinical carditis. The patients, and a control group of 20 healthy individuals, underwent cardiac examination and echocardiographic assessment, assessing quantitative and qualitative findings of mitral and aortic valvar abnormalities. The leaflets of the mitral valve were statistically thicker in those with clinical and subclinical carditis when compared to controls (p less than 0.001). We observed a greater frequency of mitral variance, convergence of mitral flow, and aortic regurgitation for those with clinical and subclinical carditis when compared to controls (p less than 0.001, p less than 0.001 and p equal to 0.003, respectively). Patients with clinical and subclinical carditis had more quantitative and qualitative changes in the parameters than did the controls. CONCLUSION: Echocardiography is a sensitive method to detect valvar abnormalities in patients with acute rheumatic fever and carditis. Additionally, by using regular standardized criterions, abnormalities that lead to a diagnosis of subclinical carditis are found in those patients with acute rheumatic fever in the apparent absence of cardiac involvement.     

Histological analysis of the periapical tissues of dog deciduous teeth after root canal filling with diferent materials

The problem of finding an ideal material for filling root canals of deciduous teeth has not been solved yet. This fact led to the development of an experiment to histologically analyze the periapical tissue reaction to 3 root canal filling materials. Eighty root canals of dog deciduous anterior teeth from 6 animals, 60 days old, were used in this study. After biomechanical preparation, the root canals were filled with the following materials: slowly resorbable Maisto paste, Sealer 26 with iodoform, L&C paste (calcium hydroxide with olive oil) and as a control group, canals that were prepared but not filled. At thirty days after the treatment the animals were killed and the teeth prepared for histological analysis. The materials were ranked statistically from the best to the worst as follows: a - Maisto paste, b - Sealer 26 with iodoform, c - control group, d - L&C paste. There was significant difference (p = 0.01) only when the results of the other groups were compared with the L&C paste group. It was also observed that L&C paste was not biologically compatible and that the other materials were biocompatible but their resorption was not at the same rate as that of the deciduous teeth roots.     

Effect of Er:YAG and Diode lasers on the adhesion of blood components and on the morphology of irradiated root surfaces

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro, by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the adhesion of blood components on root surfaces irradiated with Er:YAG (2.94 microm) and GaAlAs Diode (808 nm) lasers and the effects on the morphology of irradiated root surfaces. METHODS: One hundred samples of human teeth were obtained. They were previously planed and scaled with manual instruments and divided into five groups of 20 samples each: G1 (control group) - absence of treatment; G2--Er:YAG laser (7.6 J/cm2); G3--Er:YAG laser (12.9 J/cm2); G4--Diode laser (90 J/cm2) and G5--Diode laser (108 J/cm2). After these treatments, 10 samples of each group received a blood tissue but the remaining 10 did not. After laboratory treatments, the samples were obtained by SEM, the photomicrographs were analysed by the score of adhesion of blood components and the results were statistically analysed (Kruskall-Wallis and Mann-Whitney test). RESULTS: In relation to the adhesion of blood components, the study showed no significant differences between the control group and the groups treated with Er:YAG laser (p = 0.9633 and 0.6229). Diode laser radiation was less effective than control group and Er:YAG laser radiation (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: None of the proposed treatments increased the adhesion of blood components in a significant way when compared to the control group. Although the Er:YAG laser did not interfere in the adhesion of blood components, it caused more changes on the root surface, whereas the Diode laser inhibited the adhesion.     

Combination conformal radiotherapy and radioimmunoguided transperineal Pd implantation for patients with intermediate and unfavorable risk prostate adenocarcinoma

PURPOSE: To report outcomes for prostate cancer patients treated with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and permanent prostate brachytherapy utilizing radioimmunoguided targeting of biological tumor volumes (BTVs). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between February 1997 and October 2001, 66 patients with intermediate- to high-risk prostate cancer underwent EBRT and ProstaScint-guided transperineal brachytherapy. Thirty patients received neoadjuvant hormonal manipulation, while 36 patients did not. Median patient age was 66 years (range, 49-78 years). The median follow-up was 41 months (range, 24-78 months). No patients were lost to follow-up. Risk factors (RF) used for risk stratification included PSA >10 ng/ml (35 patients), Stage T2b or greater (22 patients), and Gleason score > or = 7 (55 patients). Results for biochemical disease free survival (bDFS) were reported using the ASTRO consensus definition for biochemical failure, PSA < or = 1.0 ng/mL or PSA< or = 0.5 ng/mL. Survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Five-year overall survival was 93.1% and 5-year bDFS by the ASTRO definition was 89.3% with a median follow up of 41 months. Patients with intermediate- (1 RF) and high-risk (2-3 RF) prostate cancer exhibited 5-year ASTRO-defined bDFS of 100% and 81.9%, respectively. There was no significant difference in bDFS between the patients treated with or without hormone therapy (HT). The 5-year ASTRO-defined bDFS was 89.8% for the 30 patients treated with HT and 88.9% for the 36 patients who did not receive HT (p = 0.843). For the patients without HT the median PSA nadir was 0.11 ng/mL. The median time to nadir was 23 months (range, 6-66 months). CONCLUSIONS: With limited follow-up, the results of EBRT plus radioimmunoguided brachytherapy for intermediate- to high-risk prostate cancer appear favorable. The addition of HT did not appear to affect bDFS significantly, but interpretation is confounded by possible selection bias and the limited power of this study.