Aspergilosis traqueobronquial necrotizante en paciente crítico / Necrotizing tracheobronchial aspergillosis in an immunosuppressed patient. Report of one case

Necrotizing tracheobronchitis due to Aspergillus spp is a rare form of invasive aspergillosis. This infection is limited to or predominant in the bronchial tree. The clinical evolution is gradual: from mild non-specific manifestations of acute tracheobronchitis to severe acute respiratory insufficiency determined by a bronchial obstruction syndrome. We report a 38 years old female with systemic lupus erythematosus treated with methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide. She developed an invasive aspergillosis, severe respiratory failure with predominant tracheobronchial damage and upper respiratory complications.

La Revista Médica de Chile en el año 2012 / Revista Médica de Chile in the year 2012

During the year 2012, 539 manuscripts were submitted to this journal, following an increasing trend in the recent decade. Rejection rate was 33%. This higher number of submissions demanded a larger number and wider scope of external reviews, retarding the editorial process. The mean time lapse from reception to acceptance (or rejection) was 6.3 months (range 2-14) and from acceptance to publication 5.3 months (range 3-7). Research articles were 43.9% of published manuscripts and the remaining articles were Reviews, Special Articles, Case Reports, articles on Medical Ethics, Medical Education, Evidence Based Medicine, Public Health, History of Medicine, Letters to the Editor and others. Thirty seven published manuscripts (14.6%) came from foreign countries and 9 of them were published with full text in English. The 2012 Impact Factor was 0.360, showing little variation from previous years, locating the journal in the upper part of quartil 4 in the ISI-JCR category "Medicine, General and Internal", while the SCImago Journal & Country Rank locates the Revista in quartil 2 of its category "Medicine (miscellaneous)". In contrast with the low citation rate, the number of visits to the open access electronic version in www.scielo.cl averages over 3 million visits per year, illustrating that the interest among readers outnumbers the country’s expectable readership. Only 22% of articles declared to have received financial help from entities external to the institution where the work was performed, coming mainly from Chilean Governmental competitive funds. The aim of Revista Médica de Chile is to provide readers and authors a valuable source of information about current relevant topics in general and internal medicine, progress in related specialties and updates in basic sciences, rendering them available to Health professionals in Chile and worldwide, following international standards of ethical and scientific quality in medical publications.

El aniversario 140 de la Revista Médica de Chile / The 140th Anniversary of Revista Médica de Chile

Revista Médica de Chile was founded in 1872 and thus is one of the oldest medical journals being published since the 19th Century. The sponsoring institution -"Sociedad Médica de Santiago", founded in 1869- initially was the only scientific society in Chile, gathering medical doctors from every existing specialty. With the splitting of independent organizations representing specific specialties, including subspecial-ties of internal medicine, Sociedad Médica de Santiago focused its scope of action to become the "Chilean Society of Internal Medicine". Its official journal -Revista Médica de Chile- is currently a general and internal medicine journal that also publishes articles on scientific and technological advances in many fields of medicine and health sciences. While initially all authors were Chilean, the journal is now open to submissions from abroad and since the year 2000 articles are published in English when the local language of authors is not Spanish. The number of articles received determines an increasing administrative and editorial burden and, together with the high cost of publishing, will require changes in publication policies. The journal will participate in continuing medical education programs as soon as reaccreditation of medical specialties becomes officially organized in Chile.

Perfil epidemiológico de la candidiasis invasora en unidades de pacientes críticos en un hospital universitario / Epidemiologial profile of invasive candidiasis in intensive care units at a university hospital

Invasive candidiasis (IC) epidemiology has changed in critically ill patients and limited data are available in Chile. Objective: To describe the epidemiological and microbiological profile of IC in critically ill patients. Methods: Observational prospective study conducted from October 2001 to August 2003 in critically ill adults with suspected or confirmed IC. Results: 53 patients met criteria for IC, finding 18 (33.9 percent) candidemias, 22 (41.5 percent) disseminated IC, and 13 (24.5 percent) local IC. We identified 8 (44.4 percent) C. albicans and 10 (55.6 percent) non-albicans Candida in candidemias. C. tropicalis was the predominant non-albicans species (27.7 percent). An 88.8 percent of Candidas sp recovered in candidemias were fluconazole susceptible. Overall hospital mortality was 24.5 percent. Mortality in candidemia was significantly lower than in disseminated IC (16.6 vs 31.8 percent, p = 0.02). Conclusions: A higher proportion of non-albicans Candida was observed in candidemias from critically ill patients. However, most of these strains were fluconazole susceptible. A lower overall mortality was observed in candidemias.

La epidemiología de candidiasis invasora (CI) ha cambiado, lo cual no ha sido suficientemente estudiado en Chile. Objetivo: Describir el perfil epidemiológico y microbiológico de CI en pacientes críticos. Métodos: Estudio observacional prospectivo entre octubre 2001 y agosto 2003, en pacientes críticos adultos con sospecha o confimnación de CI. Resultados: 53 pacientes cumplieron criterios de CI. De ellos, 18 (33,9 por ciento) tuvieron candidemia, 22(41,5 por ciento) CI diseminada y 13(24,5 por ciento) CI local. Entre las candidemias, hubo 8 C. albicans (44,4 por ciento) y 10 Candida no albicans (55,6 por ciento), predominando C. tropicalis (27,7 por ciento). Un 88,8 por ciento de las candidemias fueron susceptibles a fluconazol. La mortalidad hospitalaria global fue 24,5 por ciento, significativamente menor en pacientes con candidemias vs CI diseminada (16,6 vs 31,8 por ciento, p = 0,02). Conclusiones: Se observó una mayor proporción de Candida no albicans en candidemias de pacientes críticos. Sin embargo, la mayoría de estas cepas fue susceptible a fluconazol. La mortalidad global fue menor en candidemias.

Ventilación mecánica en el paciente con lesión cerebral aguda / Mechanical ventilation in patients with acute brain injury

In about20 percent of patients admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) the indica-tion of mechanical ventilation (MV) is a neurological disease. These patients have a prolonged MV stay and high mortality. The appropriate use of MV in patients with acute brain injury (ABI) is critica! considering that MV by itself is oble to induce or worsen an underlying lung injury. Patients with ABI have a higher risk to develop pulmonary complications. During endotracheal intubation the activation of airway reflexes should beprevented, because they may increase intracranialpressure. Tracheostomy is indicated to improve airway management and it is performed in about 33 percent of these patients. Indications for MV are loss of spontaneous respira-tory effort, changes in lung compliance, gas exchange impairment and ventilatory failure due to muscle fatigue or neuromuscular junction dysfunction. During MV, hypoxemia should be avoided. The pC0(2) level has a critica! role in cerebral blood flow regulation; therefore a normal pCO must be maintained in order to guarantee an optimal cerebral blood flow. Despite that, hypocapnia has been used in patients with increased intracranial pressure, at the present it is not recommended. Its use should be limited to the emergency management of intracranial hypertension, while the underlying cause is beingtreated. Non-conventional ventilatory modes asprone position ventilation, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and extracorporeal C02 removal can be used in patients with ABI. All ofthem have specific risks and should be employed cautiously This paper reviews upper airway management and MV in patients with acute brain injury.

La importancia y el destino de los resúmenes presentados en reuniones científicas / The relevance and fate of abstracts presented in scientific meetings

Abstracts presented in scientific meetings are indispensable tools to diffuse the latest research in thefield. They provide the authors with an opportunity to receive feedbackfrom a critica! audience so they can prepare a final manuscript to be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. However, several studies in a wide range of medical specialties and other related sciences showed that no more than 50 percent of abstracts presented in annual meetings oflearned societies are published in a 5-year follow up after the meeting. Therefore, abstracts are considered "preliminary publications" and it is recommended not to include them as bibliographic references unless they have been published recently (less than 3 years) in peer-reviewed journals (regular issues or supplements) or in their official websites. Databases dependent ofthe National Library of Medicine (USA) or SciELO do not Índex individual abstracts from a meeting. Authors and reviewers should be reminded that manuscripts that have shaped current knowledge probably had also been presented as abstracts in scientific meetings, sometime before their final publication.

Púrpura trombótico trombocitopénico: revisión de la literatura a partir de 18 casos / Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: experience in 18 cases and literature review

Background: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is characterized by anemia, thrombocytopenia, neurological and renal involvement of variable severity and it has a dismal prognosis. Platelet-derived von Willebrand Factor-cleaving metalloprotease ADAMTS-13 activity may orient the diagnosis, but normal levels do not discard it. The most effective therapy thus known is plasmapheresis. Aim: To report the experience in 18 patients with TTP. Material and methods: Retrospective assessment of 11 patients and prospective assessment of seven subjects with TTP, aged 15 to 81 years. Results: All presented with anemia, thrombocytopenia and LDH elevation. Sixteen had neurological symptoms, five had fever, four had macroscopic urinary excretion of pigments, four had petechiae, and two had nosebleeds. Haptoglobin was low in 10 of 11 patients in whom it was measured. ADAMTS-13 had low activity in 15 of 17 patients (in 11, the inhibitor was found). Seventeen patients were treated with plasmapheresis and nine received steroids also. Seven patients died due to shock with respiratory involvement or múltiple organic failure. Conclusions: TTP has heterogeneous modes of presentation. If the diagnosis is strongly suspected, plasmapheresis can be started without laboratory confirmation. An ADAMTS-13 activity below 6 percent is almost exclusive of TTP .

Evaluación de la microcirculación sublingual en un paciente en shock séptico refractario tratado con hemofiltración de alto volumen / Evaluation of sublingual microcirculation in septic shock: report of one patient treated with high volume hemofiltration

Microcirculation is severely compromised in sepsis, with a reduction of capillary density and flow impairment. These alterations have important prognostic implications, being more severe in non-survivors to septic shock. Today microcirculation may be assessed bedside, non-invasively usingpolarized light videomicroscopy a technique known as SDF (side dark field). We report a 54 year-old man with an extramembranous nephropathy that developed a necrotizing fascitis associated to septic shock, in whom microcirculation was periodically assessed during his management. The patient was treated with Buids, vasoactive drugs, antibiotics and was operated for exploration and debridement. As the patient persisted in refractory shock despite treatment, high-volume hemofiltration was started. Before hemofiltration the patient had severe microcirculatory alterations that improved during and after the procedure. Physiologic endpoints of high-volume hemofiltration in septic shock remain unknown, but it has the capacity to clear inflammatory mediators. Since microcirculatory alterations are in part secondary to these mediators, their removal is beneficial. Like other authors, we found no relation between microcirculation and other haemodynamic and perfusion variables.

Prevalencia de sepsis grave en las Unidades de Cuidado Intensivo: Primer estudio nacional multicéntrico / Prevalence of severe sepsis in Intensive Care Units: A national multicentric study

Background: Severe sepsis (SS) is the leading cause of death in the Intensive Care Units (ICU). Aim: To study the prevalence of SS in Chilean ICUs. Material and methods: An observational, cross-sectional study using a predesigned written survey was done in all ICUs of Chile on April 21st, 2004. General hospital and ICU data and the number of hospitalized patients in the hospital and in the ICU at the survey day, were recorded. Patients were followed for 28 days. Results: Ninety four percent of ICUs participated in the survey. The ICU occupation index was 66 percent. Mean age of patients was 57.7+18 years and 59 percent were male, APACHE II score was 15+7.5 and SOFA score was 6+4. SS was the admission diagnosis of 94 of the 283 patients (33 percent) and 38 patients presented SS after admission. On the survey day, 112 patients fulfilled SS criteria (40 percent). APACHE II and SOFA scores were significantly higher in SS patients than in non SS patients. Global case-fatality ratio at 28 days was 15.9 percent (45/283). Case-fatality ratio in patients with or without SS at the moment of the survey was 26.7 percent (30/112) and 8.7 percent (17/171), respectively p <0.05. Thirteen percent of patients who developed SS after admission, died. Case-fatality ratios for patients with SS from Santiago and the other cities were similar, but APACHE II score was significantly higher in patients from Santiago. In SS patients, the independent predictors of mortality were SS as cause of hospital admission, APACHE II and SOFA scores. Ninety nine percent of SS patients had a known sepsis focus (48 percent respiratory and 30 percent abdominal). Eighty five patients that presented SS after admission, had a respiratory focus. Conclusions: SS is highly prevalent in Chilean ICUs and represents the leading diagnosis at admission. SS as cause of hospitalization, APA CHE II and SOFA scores were independent predictors of mortality.

Edema pulmonar agudo por uso de tiazidas, ¿existe falla cardíaca?: Comunicación de un caso / Thiazide induced acute pulmonary edema: Report of one case

Acute pulmonary edema caused by thiazides is uncommon and of difficult diagnosis. It is considered an idiosyncratic reaction and the physiopathology or cardiac function changes are not well known. We report a 60 year-old female with a thiazide induced acute pulmonary edema who was followed with serial measurements of type B n-terminal natriuretic peptide fraction as marker for cardiac dysfunction. There was a significant elevation of the peptide, not associated to evidences of ventricular dysfunction. Its normalization paralleled the resolution of the clinical picture.

Ética de las publicaciones en revistas médicas / Ethics in articles published in medical journals

Authors of clinical articles have similar motivations and rules than authors in other scientific fields. In addition, medical research must obey specific ethical rules that apply to studies involving human subjects, including biological samples, tissues, cellular or sub cellular samples obtained from them. When submitting their reports for publication, authors must declare that they have followed such ethical rules and also should declare any possible conflict of interest that may have arisen. External peer reviewers and the editors should also conform to limitations by eventual conflicts of interest. Authors should respect specific ethical norms that apply to the process of submitting, publishing and reproducing their manuscripts. In recent years, the editors of Revista Médica de Chile have become aware of five instances of misconduct committed by authors of articles submitted or already published. Four correspond to redundant publications and one exhibits overt plagiarism in the text and syntax. Appropriate actions have been taken following recommendations published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, the World Association of Medical Editors and other groups. The present article stresses that authors and their sponsoring institutions must be aware of the importance of following ethical rules when reporting scientific work.

Estrés oxidativo en el paciente crítico / Oxidative stress in critically ill patients

Among critically ill patients, several physio-pathological processes such as global and local hypo-perfusion, hypoxia, endothelial injury and acidosis have been associated with the production and release of large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a non regulated fashion. Although in physiologic conditions ROS influence intracellular processes and participate in the defense against infectious organism, in critically ill conditions they are associated with potential oxidative damage over cellular structures and with persistent activation of the inflammatory response. Mechanisms associated with oxidative damage are activation of the macrophage-monocyte system and neutrophils, ischemia-reperfusion events and intracellular ROS production. Endogenous compounds, mainly enzymes, and dietary components act as antioxidant. Several studies show that in critically ill patients increase levels of ROS or reduction of antioxidant levels are related to disease severity. In animal models of critical diseases, antioxidant therapy has shown to reduce mortality. Nevertheless, there are few studies in humans that only show improvements in hemodynamic variables, reduction in inflammatory mediators levels, decreases in oxidized compounds and that suggest a lower incidence of multiple organ failure.

Malaria: revisión retrospectiva de 12 casos no autóctonos en Chile / Malaria: Report of 12 non autochthonous cases

Malaria is a protozoan infection caused by four Plasmodia species transmitted by female Anopheles mosquito. Nearly 40% of the world population is at risk of acquiring the disease because of increasing resistance to treatment, climate changes and travels to endemic zones. We report twelve patients with diagnosis of malaria, supported by the identification of parasites on blood smear. All cases had traveled to endemic zones (Peru, Ecuador, Central America, Africa), but only three used chemoprophylaxis. Seven cases were infected with Plasmodium vivax and five cases with P. falciparum. Three of latter required intensive care. All patients were treated with standard drugs according to the severity and Plasmodium specie, with excellent results and no mortality.

Ascitis y falla renal: no olvidar el uroperitoneo / Ascites and renal failure caused by a bladder fistula: Report of one case

Bladder fistula to open peritoneum is an uncommon cause of ascites. We report a 50 year-old woman with a history of pain in the lower abdomen and slight weight loss. The patient had a history of a repaired bladder perforation 12 years before, during a labor with forceps. The patient had microscopic hematuria and an abdominal CAT scan showed ascites. Serum creatinine was 2.2 mg/dl. An abdominal Doppler ultrasound showed normal portal and suprahepatic veins. Due to the suspicion that ascites accumulation could be urine, a sample was obtained and urea nitrogen and creatinine were measured. Since both levels were high in the ascitic fluid the patients was subjected to a cystoscopy that disclosed a fistula between the bladder and peritoneum. The patient was operated and the fistula excised. The postoperative period was uneventful, and the serum creatinine normalized.

Características de la enfermedad cerebrovascular en un Servicio de Cuidados Intermedios Neurológicos, en Chile. Análisis de 459 pacientes consecutivos / Cerebrovascular disease in a Neurologic Intermediate Care Unit in Chile. Analysis of 459 consecutive patients

Background: Stroke is the second cause of mortality and the first cause of morbidity in Chile and worldwide. Nowadays there is a major interest in introducing new therapies applying evidence based medicine for these patients. Aim: To describe the clinical profile of patients attended after a stroke, to determine stroke subtypes and their risk factors. Material and methods: Retrospective review of clinical records of 459 patients (mean age 65±48 years, 238 female) that were admitted to our unit during a period of 37 months. Results: Sixty three percent of patients had an ischemic stroke, 14% had an hemorrhagic stroke, 15% had a transient ischemic attack, 2% had a cerebral venous thrombosis and 6% a subarachnoidal hemorrhage. The global mortality was 1%. Seventy percent of patients had a history of high blood pressure. Conclusions: The most common type of stroke is ischemic and high blood pressure is the main risk factor.

Síndrome neuroléptico maligno y poliserositis en paciente usuaria de clozapina: una asociación infrecuente / Malignant neuroleptic syndrome and polyserositis associated to clozapine use: report of one case

Malignant neuroleptic syndrome is a complication of antipsychotic medication use. Clozapine use is also associated with polyserositis and eosinophilia. We report a 17 years old female treated with clozapine, valproic acid, lithium carbonate and lorazepam that consulted in the emergency room for confusion, lethargy, catatonia, rigidity, myalgya and fever. Complete blood count showed eosinophilia. An abdominal CAT scan showed ascites and pleural effusion. Clozapine was discontinued and bromocriptine was started. One week after admission, the patient remained febrile and liver enzymes were elevated. Valproic acid was discontinued. Inflammatory parameters stated to subside and the patient was discharged afebrile days after admission.

Determinación y análisis comparativo de gasto cardíaco en enfermos críticos mediante Doppler transesofágico y termodilución en bolos: Experiencia preliminar / Comparison of cardiac output measurement in critical patients using transesophageal Doppler or thermodilution: A preliminary report

Background: Cardiac output can be measured non invasively by transesophageal Doppler. This is an alternative to measure it by thermodilution with a catheter in the pulmonary artery. Aim: To compare both methods of cardiac output measurement. Material and methods: Simultaneous measurement of cardiac output by transesophageal Doppler and thermodilution with a catheter in the pulmonary artery in four male critical patients, aged 60±12 years, hospitalized in a University Hospital. The Bland and Altman method to compare the concordance between two measurements, was used. Results: Forty measurements were performed. The results of both methods had a correlation coefficient of 0.98. According to the Bland and Altman method, the difference between both methods was -0.5 L with a precision of 0.52 L/min (95% confidence interval -1.51 to 0.52 L/min). Considering that a change between two sequential measurements is considered significant when the difference is more than 15%, both measurements agreed in 83% of cases, that there was a change in cardiac output. Conclusions:Transesophageal Doppler is a promising non invasive technique to measure cardiac output in critical care patients. It becomes a valid alternative to the thermodilution technique. This preliminary experience must be confirmed in a larger series.

Hemicraniectomía descompresiva en dos pacientes con infarto maligno de la arteria cerebral media / Decompressive hemicraniectomy for malignant middle cerebral artery infarction. Report of two cases

Malignant middle cerebral territory infarction represents 5 to 10 percent of all brain infarctions. Its mortality is 80 percent, due to brain herniation and it is not reduced by medical treatment. Decompressive hemicraniectomy reduces mortality to 12 percent, and the subsequent quality of life of patients is acceptable. We report two male patients aged 61 and 54 years, with a malignant middle cerebral territory infarction who were treated with decompressive hemicraniectomy. After two years of follow up, both patients are self-sufficient and live at home with their families.

El Comité Editorial Asesor: Nuevos miembros con mayores responsabilidades / The Editorial Advisory Committee: New members with greater responsibilities

During the 1960's Revista Médica de Chile started to request external peer reviews to assess the quality of the manuscripts received and an official Editorial Advisory Committee was incorporated in 1973. Since then, its members have been changed four times. The Committee has served the purposes of providing an external peer review independent to the editors, assessing manuscripts submitted, although many other experts have also contributed and their names have been acknowledged yearly in the July issues of the journal. At the present time, the journal receives an increasing number of manuscripts from a wider range of medical specialties as well as from basic scientists doing research in topics connected with clinical medicine. The overload of papers forces the editors to adopt policies to cope with it. One of them is to renew and enlarge the list of members of the Editorial Advisory Committee, including experts who have recently provided efficient help in reviewing manuscripts. They have also accepted to collaborate with the Editors in selecting other external experts able to participate in the peer-review process, while decisions on acceptance or rejection remain in the Editor and Associate Editors. As a Special Article in this issue, Revista Médica de Chile recognizes again the generosity of all those who along the recent decades have contributed as Members of the Editorial Advisory Committee to the educational, professional and scientific role of this journal.