Grosor corneal en una muestra de adultos de la población chilena / Corneal thickness in a sample of adults of the chilean population

The central corneal thickness (CCT) is crucial to the estimation of the intraocular pressure (IOP). There are variations among different populations. The objective of the present job was to determine de CCT in a sample of Chilean population. The sample was taken at random from patients attending the office of an ophthalmologist of the Clinical Hospital of the University of Chile. The patients age ranged between 15 and 65 years. We discarded patients with IOP over 21 mm Hg, Spherical Equivalent greater than 6 diopters or with ophthalmological local treatment. The CCT was measured using ulotrasonographyc pachymeter. We enrolled 127 patients and analized 253 eyes. The CCT average was 537,70 μm 39.34 um with an standard deviation of 32.09 um. The CCT of the studied population was less than the reported in Spanish populations in USA, greater Japanese and Afro-Americans and less than Europeans and Chinese. It is important to consider the ethnic variation of the CCT in our population regarding its effect in the correction of the IO.

Fibrilación auricular en el postoperatorio de cirugía cardiaca: factores de riesgo y morbimortalidad / Postoperative atrial fibrillation of cardiac surgery: risk factors and morbid-mortality

Introduction: postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most frequent arrhythmia observed in patients undergoing a cardiac surgery. The worldwide incidence is 30 to 65 percent of cardiac surgery procedures, and is more frequent in patients undergoing a cardiac valve surgery. This arrhyhtmia implies an increment in the lenght and in the total costs of hospitalization, and is associated with serious adverse events like stroke, bleeding and death. The aim of this study was to know the incidence, risk factors, morbidity and mortality associated with POAF in our institution during one year. Main results: we analyze 321 patients that undergone a cardiac surgery during 2003. The incidence of POAF was 6,7 percent and the risk factors associated were the use of cold crystalloid cardioplegia (p < 0,05) and dyslipidemia (p < 0,05). Also, the left ventricle end diastolic diameter was larger but not significant (p = 0,053) in patients with POAF in comparison with patients without POAF. POAF results in an increment of the costs and the lenght of hospitalization. There was no mortality attributed to this arrhythmia in our patients. Conclusion: in this retrospective analysis of patients undergoing cardiac surgery there was a lower incidence of POAF in comparison with other series. The risk factors in this population of patients were the use of cold crystalloid cardioplegia and dyslipidemia. Although this arrhythmiawas associated with more days of hospitalization, there were no difference in mortality between patients with POAF and patients without POAF.