Ahogamiento incompleto, valoración de la injuria cerebral al ingreso: terapia intensiva pediátrica / Nearly drowning, valuation of the cerebral injury when entering the hospital: intensive pediatric therapy

Se realizó una investigación descriptiva retrospectiva que incluyó a todos los pacientes que fueron ingresados en el Servicio de Terapia Intensiva del Hospital Eliseo Noel Caamaño, en el período comprendido desde junio de 1982 hasta junio de 2004, con el diagnóstico de Ahogamiento Incompleto, con el propósito de determinar el estado neurológico y su relación con diferentes variables que pueden haber influido en la intensidad del daño, así como la sobrevivencia final de los mismos. Los resultados obtenidos nos permitieron conocer el manejo del paciente pediátrico que ha sufrido este tipo de accidentes, así como su estado a la llegada al Servicio. El 68 por ciento de los pacientes tuvieron una afección de moderada a severa según las escalas de Conn y Glasgow, además existió una correlación de hasta un 97 por ciento entre dichos métodos de evaluación. Dentro de las variables que influenciaron en el estado de los niños al ingreso se destacó un tiempo de inmersión mayor de 5 minutos para los clasificados como severos, 70 por ciento de la muestra, fallecieron el 7 por ciento de todos los pacientes estudiados, todos ellos clasificados como severos.

We carried out a descriptive retrospective study including all the patients that were entered in the Service of Intensive Therapy of the hospital Eliseo Noel Caamaño, in the period from June 1982 to June 2004, with the diagnosis of nearly drowning, with the purpose of determining the neurological state and its relation with different variables that might have influence in the intensity of the damage, as well as in the final surviving of the patients. The obtained results allowed us knowing the managing of the paediatrics patient that have suffered this kind of accidents, as well as their state at the arrival to the service; 68 percent of the patients had a moderated to severe affection according to the Conn and Glasgow scales; moreover, there was a correlation of up to 97 percent between these evaluation methods. Among the variables that influenced in the state of the children at the entering, there was an immersion time of more than 5 minutes for those classified as severe, 70 percent of the sample; 7 percent of all the studied patients died, all of them classified as severe.

Ion movements in cell death: from protection to exection

Cell death is preceded by severe disruption of inorganic ion homeostasis. Seconds to minutes after an injury, calcium, protons, sodium, potassium and chloride are exchanged between the cell and its environment. Simultaneously, ions are shifted between membrane compartments inside the cell, whereby mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum play a crucial role. Depending of the type and severity of injury, two mutually exclusive metastable states can be reached, which predict the final outcome. Cells characterized by large increases in cytosolic [Ca2+], [Na+] and [Mg2+] swell and die by necrosis; alternatively, cells characterized by high [H+] and low [K+], with normal [Na+] and normal to moderate [Ca2+] increases die by apoptosis. The levels of these ions represent central determinants in signaling events leading to cell death. Their movements are explained mechanistically by specific modulation of membrane transport proteins including channels, pumps and carriers