Buscando o motivo da instabilidade hemodinâmica: relato de caso sobre o papel do ultrassom intraoperatório

Background and objectives

A prompt and effective management of trauma patient is necessary. The aim of this case report is to highlight the importance of intraoperative echocardiography as a useful tool in patients suffering from refractory hemodynamic instability no otherwise explained.

Intracranial circulation: pulse-sequence considerations in three- dimensional (volume) MR angiography

The technique and feasibility of magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of intracranial vessels were studied in 35 healthy volunteers. Variations in image orientation, repetition time (TR), and flip angle were evaluated to determine their effects on flow-related enhancement. Gradient modifications--including echo time (TE), motion compensation, bandwidth, and field of view--were also studied in an effort to reduce motion-induced phase shifts. Results indicated that a FISP (fast imaging with steady precession) sequence with a TR of 50 msec, TE of 15 msec, velocity compensation in the read and section-select directions, acceleration compensation in the read direction, anisotropic volume, and a 1.25-mm partition thickness produced three-dimensional angiographic MR images that were accurate and reproducible in the depiction of the major intracranial vessels. Difficulties with field of view, persistent signal void secondary to higher-order motion, and spatial resolution remain major problems requiring additional study.     

Diminished aldosterone responses to angiotensin II and adrenocorticotropin in hypocalcemic subjects: restoration of responsiveness with normocalcemia

ACTH-, angiotensin II (AII)-, and K+-mediated aldosterone responses in vitro are dependent on extracellular and intracellular Ca concentrations. This study examined in vivo the relationship of changes in ambient serum calcium (serum Ca) to ACTH- and AII-mediated aldosterone release in hypoparathyroid subjects. Plasma aldosterone (PA) responses to graded dose infusions of ACTH and AII were examined in hypoparathyroid (HypoPTH) patients before (n = 8) and after correction of hypocalcemia (n = 6) and compared to responses in 20 normotensive normocalcemic subjects. ACTH and AII were infused for 90 min at rates increasing from 12.5 to 50 mIU/30 min and 0.5 to 2.0 ng/kg X min, respectively. Pretreatment mean serum Ca was 6.8 +/- 0.2 (+/- SEM) mg/dl, and it rose to 9.3 +/- 0.2 mg/dl after 3-8 weeks of vitamin D administration. In the untreated HypoPTH patients, basal mean PA (5.4 +/- 1.3 ng/dl) was lower (P less than 0.01) than in the normal subjects (10.6 +/- 0.6 ng/dl) or treated HypoPTH patients (9.5 +/- 1.8 ng/dl). There was a marked reduction in PA responses to ACTH at all doses in the untreated HypoPTH patients compared to the normal subjects. With normalization of serum Ca in four patients, the mean peak PA response to ACTH (25.1 +/- 6.0 ng/dl) was not significantly different from normal (28.9 +/- 1.7 ng/dl). During graded dose AII infusion in five untreated HypoPTH patients, mean PA levels increased from 6.9 +/- 1.2 to 11.6 +/- 2.2 ng/dl; when the serum Ca was normal, the corresponding values were 8.7 +/- 1.8 and 20.2 +/- 3.61 ng/dl. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.475; P less than 0.05) between basal PA and serum Ca levels. In addition, maximum changes in mean arterial pressure in response to AII infusions were significantly greater after correction of hypocalcemia. These observations indicate that in HypoPTH patients, extracellular Ca concentrations can influence humoral aldosterone response to ACTH and AII and pressor responses to AII.     

Direct carotid sinus approach to treatment of bilateral carotid-cavernous fistulas. Case report

The authors present a patient with a complex vascular malformation composed of bilateral spontaneous carotid-cavernous fistulas (CCF's). The abnormality was supplied on the right side by the right external carotid artery (ECA) and the right internal carotid artery (ICA), and on the left side only by the left ICA. There was also an arteriovenous communication between the right ECA and the lateral sinus. Surgical embolization of both cavernous sinuses with oxidized cellulose was achieved on one side by direct puncture and on the other through one of its venous affluents, successfully occluding both CCF's and preserving the patency of both ICA's without any neurological deficit. The arteriovenous communication between the right ECA and the lateral sinus was occluded by embolization of the occipital artery and ligation of the right ECA.     

FM sonography in diffuse liver disease: prospective assessment and blinded analysis

FM sonography - a signal-processing technique that uses frequency and phase information as well as amplitude data - shows promise in evaluation of patients with diffuse liver disease. In a prospective blinded review of 37 patients with biopsy-proved liver disease and 42 healthy volunteers, FM sonography was clearly superior to traditional amplitude-based (AM) sonography in distinguishing healthy from diseased subjects. Statistically significant differences were seen in accuracy (FM, 98.7%; AM, 84.8%), sensitivity (FM, 97.3%; AM, 70.3%), and negative predictive value (FM, 97.7%; AM, 78.8%). Our data also suggest that current FM sonographic techniques cannot differentiate among histologic findings associated with different hepatic parenchymal abnormalities. It is unclear, therefore, whether FM imaging can reduce the numbers of patients who require biopsy for diagnosis or the frequency of biopsy procedures in patients with known disease.     

Epidemiology of migraine headache in Santiago, Chile: a prevalence study

Objective . To describe the importance of migraine in Santiago, Chile, by analyzing its prevalence, clinical features and impact by age, gender and socioeconomic status. Methods . In 1993, a representative sample of 1,540 adults of the province of Santiago were interviewed using a standard questionnaire. A total of 1,385 (89.9%) subjects responded to the survey. Initially, a designated member of each household responded to the questionnaire. Subsequently, each household member with headaches was asked to respond to questions about severity, frequency, location, duration, associated symptoms and impact in work and social activities of their most frequent headaches. Migraine diagnoses were determined in accordance with the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria of 1988. Results. Recurrent headaches in the past year were found in 516 (36.82%) respondents, 145 (28.1%) males and 371 (71.9%) females. Total prevalence of migraine was found to be 7.3% (95%, CI 5.9–8.6); 11.9% (95% CI 9.6–14.2) in females and 2.0% (95% CI 0.9–3.0) in males. Overall, migraine constituted 19.6% (101/516) of all headaches reported in this sample. The prevalence did not vary significantly by age groups or socioeconomic status (SES). Migraine with aura had an overall prevalence of 3.5% (CI 0.8–7.1), and was significantly more frequent in females. In 60–70% of cases the attacks lasted 2–6 h and the frequency was 3.3 and 3.4 per month in females and males respectively. Both males and females reported significantly high percentages of attacks during work. Conclusions . Migraine prevalence in a sample of adults of Santiago is similar to that reported in previous studies using IHS criteria. Women of all socioeconomic levels are at an increased risk.