Is Portable Cardiopulmonary Ultrasound the Future of Heart Failure Diagnosis?

Aim of the Study: Heart failure is a major problem of public health in Morroco , pulmonary congestion is a key sign which can be easly detected by pulmonary sonography via interlobular septal thickening. The aim of this study was to establish a link Between kerley B lines in the lung and signs of pulmonary congestion. In addition to assess the evolution of these parameters in response to diuretic treatment. Materials and Methods: We prospectively evaluate 118 patients who presented to the emergency of IBN Rochd Hospital in Casablanca with sensation of breathlessness at baseline, 7 days, one month and 3 months for kerley B lines, NYHA Class of dyspnea and the levels of NT pro bnp. the duration of this study was 4 months. Results: Kerley B lines were present in 87.4% of patients initially, 67.6% had elevated levels of NT-probnp and 53%,30%,16% had dyspnea Class II, III and IV respectively. Diuretic treatment have shown a similar improvement of kerley B lines, levels of NT pro bnp and the class of dyspnea . In deed after a follow up of 3 month : only 7 % of patients had persistant kerley b lines, NT pro bnp levels were high in only 7.6% these findings were concordant with the clinical symptomatolgy. Hence only 7% of our patients suffered from dyspnea at moderate efforts at the end of the study. Conclusion: We demonstrated in this study a positive correlation between kerley b lines and levels of NT pro-bnp. These findings may facilitate the orientation of patients within the emergency department and help to initiate heart failure treatment rapidely.

2D Echocardiographic Findings, NT-ProBNP Levels, and Outcomes in Dyspnoeic Patients: Results from the Pro-BNP Investigation of Dyspnoea in the Emergency Department- a Single Centre Experience

Background: Dyspnoeic in the emergency department with multiple co-morbidities is a diagnostic challenge. Approximately 15-20% of acute dyspneic in the Emergency Department due to ADHF (acute decompensated heart failure) are misdiagnosed. B-type peptide (BNP) and its amino-terminal fragment (NT-proBNP) accurately identify HF in dyspnoeic patients. In the general population with dyspnoea, plasma pro-BNP concentrations are increased in left ventricular dilatation, hypertrophy, systolic dysfunction, or diastolic dysfunction but are unaffected by pulmonary dysfunction. Aims and Objectives: To study the relation between NT pro-BNP & echocardiographic findings in acute dyspnoeic patients, and the relation between NT pro-BNP and In-hospital Mortality. Materials and Methods: Source of data- Patients admitted to the Emergency Room or cardiac intensive care unit with a history of acute dyspnea in a tertiary cardiac care center in south India, meeting inclusion & exclusion criteria, were studied. Results: The study population is predominantly constituted of the elderly population. The most common co-morbid condition was hypertension. The present study uses an NT pro BNP level of 900pg/ml as the cut-off level. 78 patients were positive for the test. Echocardiography showed that 58% had LV systolic dysfunction, 60% had diastolic dysfunction. 42 patients had EF >55%, 10 patients between 55-45%, 33 patients between 44-30% and 15 patients had EF < 30%. Mortality rate was 6% in the whole study population. However, Mortality was seen in only NT pro-BNP positive group it was not statistically significant (p=0.46). Conclusions: NT pro-BNP correlates well with the worsening of LV systolic function; as the EF decreases, NT pro-BNP increases. Increase in NT pro-BNP levels has to be interpreted in the clinical context, and it is not a substitute for echocardiography for assessing cardiac abnormalities and dysfunction.

Vitamin D Levels and Cardiopulmonary Status in Infants With Acute Bronchiolitis

Background: To assess association of vitamin D deficiency with cardiac and pulmonary status in infants with acute bronchiolitis. Methods: Infants hospitalized with acute bronchiolitis were enrolled and classified as those with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) below or equal and above 20 ng/mL. The primary outcomes were cardiopulmonary involvement defined by elevation of NT-ProBNP, alteration of echocardiographic parameters and respiratory support requirements. The secondary outcomes were the need for PICU admission and duration of hospitalization. Results: 92 (50 males) infants with median (IQR) age of 1 (0.5-3) month were included with median (IQR) serum 25-OHD level 27.4 (11.4-40.3) ng/mL. 43 (47%) patients had serum 25-OHD level below 20 ng/mL with left ventricle dysfunction (P=0.008), right ventricle dysfunction (P=0.008) and pulmonary hypertension (P=0.007) on echocardiography more commonly than those with serum 25- OHD ?20 ng/mL. The median (IQR) serum NT-ProBNP levels were higher in those with low 25-OHD levels than normal 25-OHD levels [2232.2 (461.4-4313.3) and 830.4 (312.7- 2579.5)], respectively (P=0.003). Low 25-OHD levels were associated with increased risk for PICU admission (OR 3.9 (95% CI 1.5-10.1); P=0.004), higher rates of non-invasive ventilation (P=0.048) and mechanical ventilation (P=0.005) and longer duration of hospitalization (P=0.015). Conclusion: Low serum vitamin D level was associated with clinical severity and impaired cardiac and pulmonary status in infants with acute bronchiolitis

Heart failure with Normal and Reduced Ejection Fraction – Assessment and Shared Care Management

@#Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the commonest chronic liver disease in the world. Overall improvement in public health, active screening of blood products, and universal vaccination of hepatitis B have led to a drop in incidence of hepatitis B and C worldwide. NAFLD is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome. With the rise in overweight status and obesity worldwide, it is not surprising that NAFLD is on the rise. Diagnosis of NAFLD requires confirmation of fatty infiltration in liver, as well as liver damage such as elevated liver enzymes and presence of fibrosis. Currently, the best treatment for NAFLD is weight loss, and the proven method would be dieting with regular exercises. Vitamin E and pioglitazoles are promising medications for treating NAFLD, but each medication has their shortcomings. Until more studies are conducted, lifestyle modification remains the only reliable way to treat NAFLD. Family physicians ought to look out for cardiovascular diseases, as well as being vigilant in cancer screening, as NAFLD is associated with higher risks of ischemic heart disease and cancer.

The poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of BRD4 mediated by PARP1 promoted pathological cardiac hypertrophy

The bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) family member BRD4 is pivotal in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy. BRD4 induces hypertrophic gene expression by binding to the acetylated chromatin, facilitating the phosphorylation of RNA polymerases II (Pol II) and leading to transcription elongation. The present study identified a novel post-translational modification of BRD4: poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation), that was mediated by poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 (PARP1) in cardiac hypertrophy. BRD4 silencing or BET inhibitors JQ1 and MS417 prevented cardiac hypertrophic responses induced by isoproterenol (ISO), whereas overexpression of BRD4 promoted cardiac hypertrophy, confirming the critical role of BRD4 in pathological cardiac hypertrophy. PARP1 was activated in ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy and facilitated the development of cardiac hypertrophy. BRD4 was involved in the prohypertrophic effect of PARP1, as implied by the observations that BRD4 inhibition or silencing reversed PARP1-induced hypertrophic responses, and that BRD4 overexpression suppressed the anti-hypertrophic effect of PARP1 inhibitors. Interactions of BRD4 and PARP1 were observed by co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence. PARylation of BRD4 induced by PARP1 was investigated by PARylation assays. In response to hypertrophic stimuli like ISO, PARylation level of BRD4 was elevated, along with enhanced interactions between BRD4 and PARP1. By investigating the PARylation of truncation mutants of BRD4, the C-terminal domain (CTD) was identified as the PARylation modification sites of BRD4. PARylation of BRD4 facilitated its binding to the transcription start sites (TSS) of hypertrophic genes, resulting in enhanced phosphorylation of RNA Pol II and transcription activation of hypertrophic genes. The present findings suggest that strategies targeting inhibition of PARP1-BRD4 might have therapeutic potential for pathological cardiac hypertrophy.

N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide as a marker of myocardial dysfunction in newborns with perinatal asphyxia

Background: Perinatal asphyxia refers to a condition during first and second stage of labour in which impaired gas exchange leads to foetal hypoxemia. Perinatal asphyxia causes cardiac dysfunction in 24 to 60 percent of the cases. The reduced cardiovascular reserve is associated with hypoxic brain damage and has high impact on neonatal mortality and adverse neurological outcomes. It has been challenging to diagnose myocardial dysfunction in resource constraint setting. Aim and objective of this study was to Determine N-Terminal Pro BNP concentrations in perinatal asphyxia and correlate with modified Sarnat stages of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.Methods: Among 120 Neonates admitted in neonatal intensive care unit with diagnosis of perinatal asphyxia were considered for the study. 2mL of venous blood drawn within 48hours of life was analyzed for quantitative N-Terminal Pro BNP and was correlated with modified Sarnat stages of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.Results: A Total of 120 cases of perinatal asphyxia were considered for the study, among which 44 cases had HIE stage 1, 48 had HIE stage 2 and rest 28 had HIE stage 3. The mean and standard deviation of N-Terminal Pro BNP concentrations in stage 1 was 1,502.86'3,581.170 pg/mL, stage 2 was 4,916.31'8,001.674 pg/mL and stage 3 was 8,912.41'13,927.152 pg/mL with significant p value of 0.003.Conclusions: Early N-Terminal Pro BNP concentrations may provide a useful marker for the anticipated severity of myocardial dysfunction.

Association of N-terminal-Pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide with Localization of Thrombus and Clinical Outcome in Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Introduction: Pulmonary Embolism is a major health problemwhich is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Itis a common and lethal condition. This study was undertakento find the association between NT-Pro-BNP levels and thelocalisation of thrombus in acute Pulmonary Embolism and toprognosticate the patients.Material and methods: Prospective study conducted ata tertiary care hospital.Thirty patients with PulmonaryEmbolism of various etiologies, confirmed with clinicalfeatures, laboratory investigations and imaging and fulfillingthe inclusion and exclusion criteria were included. Aftergetting informed consent, Blood samples for assessmentof NT-Pro-BNP levels were collected within 24 hours ofadmission.Results: In 19 patients, the thrombus was located centrally(in main pulmonary artery) whereas in 11 patients, thethrombus was located in the peripherally (in segmental andsubsegmental pulmonary arteries). 22 participants of thestudy had normal clinical outcome. 5 patients were morbid(oxygen dependant/ heart failure) whereas 3 patients died.Patients with central pulmonary embolus had higher NT-ProBNP levels whereas patients with pulmonary embolus in thesegmental or subsegmental pulmonary arteries had relativelyless NTPro-BNP levels. Patients with high NT-Pro-BNPlevels had complicated in-hospital course/ mortality whereas,patients with relatively lower NT-Pro-BNP had uncomplicatedin-hospital course.Conclusion: This study shows that higher NT-Pro-BNPlevels indicate higher probability of a more central locationof thrombus in pulmonary embolism and also right ventricularoverload. Also patients with higher NT-Pro-BNP levels had acomplicated in hospital course.

Changes of serum NT-pro BNP and Lp (a) levels in patients with acute mocardial infarction after emergency PCI and their clincal significances / 吉林大学学报(医学版)

Objective: To investigate the changes of the levels of amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP) and lipoprotein a [Lp (a)], and to clarify the relationships between the severity of coronary artery lesions and the prognosis in the patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCD. Methods: A total of 316 AMI patients underwent emergency PCI were selected. According to the number of stenosed coronary vessels, the patients were divided into single-vessel disease group (n=135), double-vessel disease group (n= 99) and three-vessel disease group (n=82). According to the Gensini score, there were 79 cases in 83. 00 group. The patients' general data, biochemical parameters, echocardiography results, and coronary angiography findings were recorded, and the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were also recorded during a 12-month folow-up. The relationships between the serum NT-pro BNP and Lp (a) levels of the AMI patients in different lesion counts and Gensini scores, and the recent Accurrence of MACE were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to investigate the values of NT-pro BNP and Lp (a) levels on predicting the recent MACE in the patients with AMI. Results: The serum NT-pro BNP levels of the patients in three-vessel disease group and double-vessel disease group were higher than that in single-vessel disease group (P< 0.01); the serum Lp (a) level of the patients in three-vessel disease group was higher than that in single-vessel disease group (P<0.05). According to Spearman correlation analysis, there were positive correlations between the serum NT-pro BNP level, Lp (a) level of the AMI patients and the number of coronary vessels (r=0.285, P< 0.01; r=0.144, P=0.010); there were positive correlation between the serum NT-pro BNP level, Lp (a) level and Gensini score of coronary lesions (r=0.156, P=0.006; r=0.164, P=0.003). The serum NT-pro BNP and Lp (a) levels of the patients with MACE during follow-up were higher than those in the patients without MACE. The ROC curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the levels of serum NT-pro BNP and Lp (a) was 0.747 (95%CI: 0.679-0.814). Conclusion: The serum NT-pro BNP and Lp (a) levels have the certain relationships with the severity of coronary artery lesions in the AMI patients after PCI. The simultaneous detection A serum NT-pro BNP and Lp (a) levels has certain predictive value for the recent Accurrence of MACE in the AMI patients underwent emergency PCI.

Meta-Analysis for Effect of Danhong Injection on Cardiac Function and TIMI During Perioperative PCI in Acute Myocardial Infarction / 中国实验方剂学杂志

<b>Objective::Evaluate the effects of Danhong injection for perioperative percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on cardiac function and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). <b>Method::Computer retrieving CNKI, Wanfang database, VIP database, PubMed, CBM, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, gathering Danhong injection in percutaneous coronary intervention perioperative application in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction clinic trials. The Cochrane risk evaluation is adopted to improve the quality of literature evaluation, with Revman 5.3 software for Meta-analysis. <b>Result::Participants included in 12 clinic trials contains a total of 1 131 patients, including 569 patients in Danhong treatment and 562 patients in control group. The results showed that compared with conventional treatment, Danhong injection treated patients had LVEF increased obviously [mean difference (MD)=6.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) (4.91, 8.34), <italic>P</italic><0.000 01], the number of TIMI class 3 patients significantly increased[relative risk (RR)=0.22, 95%CI(0.12, 0.41), <italic>P</italic><0.000 01], and BNP levels significantly decreased [MD=151.86, 95%CI (-247.00, -56.72), <italic>P</italic>=0.002]. <b>Conclusion::Danhong injection can improve the function of acute myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment With High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin I And Other Biomarkers: An Observational Cohort Study In Johor, Malaysia

@#Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health challenge in Malaysia, many Malaysians are unaware of their CVD risk. The measurement of biomarkers in the general population may help to identify at-risk individuals before the onset of symptomatic CVD. The aim of this community health screening project was to determine the distribution of high-sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI) and other biomarkers of CVD risk in the general population of Johor, Malaysia. A sampling of self-declared healthy volunteers was conducted during the 2016 Kembara Mahkota community event in Johor. Levels of hsTnI, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and homocysteine (HCY) were analyzed using the ARCHITECT immunoassay and clinical chemistry platforms utilizing fresh venous blood samples. Based on previous data, biomarker levels indicative of high risk were >10 and >12 ng/mL for hsTnI in women and men, respectively, BNP >50 pg/mL in the overall population, and HCY >13.6 µmol/L in women and >16.2 µmol/L in men. A total of 2744 volunteers participated in biomarker testing. Biomarker measurements showed that up to 10% of participants had moderate or high CVD risk based on hsTnI, approximately 2% were above the BNP threshold and >50% of subjects were above the HCY threshold. General population biomarker testing shows distribution of biomarker levels that may be indicative of CVD risk or the presence of disease and suggests that biomarker-guided risk strategies should be more widely implemented to determine the impact they would have on early detection and prevention of disease.

The correlation of doxorubicin related cardiotoxicity with B-type natriuretic peptide levels in South Indian population

Background: Anthracyclines represent the greatest risk for development of cardiotoxicity. Cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines may develop during the treatment (acute cardiotoxicity) and during the follow-up (chronic and late cardiotoxicity). Natriuretic peptides - Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP), B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) are released by myocardium in response to wall strain and pressure overload. The applicability of natriuretic peptides (ANP, BNP, NT-pro-BNP) as markers for Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity has been investigated only in a few studies and there is scarcity of data from India. Aims and Objectives: To observe correlation of NT-pro-BNP levels with cardiotoxicity in patients receiving doxorubicin. Methods and Materials: Eighty patients who were planned for treatment with Doxorubicin > 200 mg/m2 were included in this study. Each patient was assessed clinically (History, Pulse rate, Blood pressure) along with ECG, ECHO and NT-pro-BNP levels prior to initiation of chemotherapy, after completion of 200 mg/m2 of Doxorubicin, 3 months and 6 months after chemotherapy. Result: There were total of 80 patients in the study and they received a total of 384 cycles of Doxorubicin containing regimens according to respective protocols. The median number of cycles was four (range four to six cycles). The mean cumulative dose of doxorubicin was 267.75 mg/m2. As none of the patients developed any cardiac symptoms during or after the planned chemotherapy nor was there a drop in Ejection Fraction on serial ECHO, correlation with BNP levels was not possible. There were 4 patients who had very high values of NT-pro-BNP (>300 pg/ml) and 4 patients with moderate elevation of NT-pro-BNP (200-300 pg/ml) prior to the initiation of chemotherapy. 14 patients had serially increasing values of NT-pro-BNP in the 6 months follow-up. Conclusion: Based on the findings in this study it can be concluded that high upfront BNP values or increasing values of BNP does not correlate with the incidence of acute and early onset chronic cardiotoxicity. Whether or not the BNP values correlate with the incidence of late onset cardiotoxicity can be concluded only with a longer follow-up of these patients.

Correlación entre los valores séricos de NT-proBNP y el puntaje inotrópico vasoactivo máximo en las primeras 24 horas después de una intervención de cirugía cardíaca / Correlation between NT-proBNP levels and the maximun vasoactive-inotropic score in the first 24 hours post-intervention of cardiac surgery

Resumen Introducción: La utilidad clínica del péptido natriurético cerebral (NT-proBNP) como marcador pronóstico en pacientes pediátricos con falla cardíaca es controversial. El puntaje inotrópico vasoactivo 24 horas después de la operación cardíaca en pacientes pediátricos es un importante predictor de morbilidad y mortalidad posoperatoria. Objetivo: Determinar si existe correlación entre los valores séricos de NT-proBNP y el puntaje inotrópico vasoactivo a las 24 horas posteriores a la intervención cardíaca en pacientes pediátricos atendidos en una unidad de terapia intensiva. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal analítico. Se realizó un análisis de correlación de Spearman (rs) entre la cifra sérica de NT-proBNP y el puntaje inotrópico máximo tomados ambos a las 24 horas del postoperatorio. Se consideró estadísticamente significativo un valor de p menor que 0.05. Resultados: Se incluyó a 40 pacientes, 52.5% del sexo masculino, 72.5% era mayor de un año de edad al momento de la operación. Se encontró una baja correlación (rs = 0.26) entre las concentraciones séricos de NT-proBNP y el puntaje inotrópico vasoactivo máximo a las 24 horas; dicha correlación no fue estadísticamente significativa (p = 0.09). Conclusiones: Este estudio es el primero en investigar la correlación entre estos marcadores y los resultados podrían sentar un antecedente que marque el inicio de múltiples investigaciones, con la finalidad de establecer nuevas herramientas diagnósticas, pronósticas y terapéuticas.

Abstract Introduction: The clinical utility of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) as a prognostic marker in pediatric patients with heart failure is controversial. The maximum vasoactive inotropic score at 24 h after cardiac surgery in pediatric patients is an important predictor of morbidity and postoperative mortality. Objective: To determine if there is a correlation between the serum levels of NT-proBNP and the maximum vasoactive inotropic score at 24 hours after cardiac surgery in pediatric patients seen in the Intensive Care Unit. Material and methods: An analytical cross-sectional study. A Spearman correlation analysis (rs) was performed between the serum level of NT-proBNP and the maximum inotropic score both taken at 24 hours postoperatively. A value of p less 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: 40 patients were included, 52.5% to the male sex, 72.5% were older than 1 year of age at the time of surgery. A low correlation (rs = 0.26) was found between the serum levels of NT-proBNP and the maximum vasoactive inotropic score at 24 hours, this correlation was not statistically significant (p = 0.09). Conclusions: To our understanding, the present study is the first to investigate whether there is a correlation between these markers, so our results could set an important precedent that marks the beginning of multiple investigations in our critically ill patients in order to establish new diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic approaches.

Study of cardiac manifestations in patients with chronic liver disease

Background: Chronic liver disease is a common cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. This has pathological effects on various systems in the body including cardiovascular system which usually is unnoticed. In majority of cases of chronic liver disease, cardiovascular complications develop as a subclinical condition which manifests only during stressful situations. Hence early detection of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy by echocardiography and 2D-ECHO studies in all patients of chronic liver disease helps in reducing the morbidity and mortality.Methods: 100 cases of chronic liver disease were included in the study. Data was collected through a prepared proforma. All patients were subjected to cardiac evaluation by ECG and Echocardiography. Serum pro-BNP levels were done for selected patients. Severity of the liver disease was assessed by using Child-Pugh score. Cardiac abnormalities were noted and correlated with the severity of the liver disease.Results: Out of 100 patients studied, 83% were males. 80% of the patients had history of alcoholism. 59% of the patients had abnormal ECG finding. 40% of them had QT prolongation and was related to the severity of liver disease. 60% of the total patients studied had positive pro-BNP values in patients with significant cardiac dysfunction. 46% of the patients had normal echocardiographic finding; most common abnormal finding was diastolic dysfunction (43%) and positively correlated with severity of liver disease.Conclusions: In chronic liver disease patient’s QT prolongation is the most common ECG abnormality. Most common Echocardiographic finding was diastolic dysfunction which had strong correlation with the severity of the liver disease.

Heart failure with normal and reduced ejection fraction - assessment and shared care management

@#Heart failure (HF) is a common clinical syndrome resulting from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the ventricle to fill with or eject blood. HF may be caused by disease of the myocardium, pericardium, endocardium, heart valves, vessels, or by metabolic disorders. HF due to left ventricular dysfunction is categorized into HF with reduced ejection fraction (with Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) ≤50 percent, known as HFrEF; also referred to as systolic HF) and HF with preserved ejection fraction (with LVEF >50 percent; known as HFpEF; also referred to as diastolic HF.1 A reduced LVEF in systolic heart failure is a powerful predictor of mortality. As many as 40 -50 percent of patients with heart failure have diastolic heart failure with preserved left ventricular function. Overall, there is no difference in survival between diastolic and systolic heart failure that cannot be attributed to ejection fraction. Patients with diastolic heart failure are more likely to be women, to be older, and to have hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and left ventricular hypertrophy, but no history of coronary artery disease.2,3 The pathogenesis of diastolic dysfunction involves abnormalities of active ventricular relaxation and passive ventricular compliance, which lead to ventricular stiffness and higher diastolic pressures. These pressures are transmitted through atrial and pulmonary venous systems, reducing lung compliance. A combination of decreased lung compliance and cardiac output leads to symptoms.

A Case Report of Transfusion-associated Circulatory Overload

Transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO) is recently becoming more important than transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) in terms of the number of patients with definite diagnosis as well as its prognosis. In order to diagnose TACO, it is helpful to recognize early the symptoms suspicious of transfusion reaction through electronic medical record system and computer network, and this will be of help for obtaining samples for brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) measurement before and after the onset of transfusion reaction. We report a case in which a transfusion reaction was diagnosed as TACO. A 62-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency room due to bleeding tendency. Two fresh frozen plasma units and one unit of leukocyte-reduced red blood cells were transfused. Blood pressure increased during transfusion, and the chest X-ray showed findings suggestive of newly developed pulmonary edema. N-terminal prohormone of BNP (NT-proBNP) test was carried out using the specimens in refrigerated storage. Compared with the NT-proBNP level measured 12 hours before the transfusion, that measured 6 hours after the transfusion was markedly increased (>48 fold of pre-transfusion level). As a result, this case was diagnosed with TACO.

ST2 elevation in heart failure, predictive of a high early mortality

Background Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (sST2) is a novel biomarker shown to be useful for prognostic assessment in heart failure (HF). However, very limited data exists about its prognostic utility in patients with HF in India. Methods We studied 150 patients [mean age 67.7 ± 13.3, 93 (62%) males], hospitalized with clinical HF, irrespective of their left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). HF was confirmed by N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) value above 125 ng/L. Primary end point was death or cardiac transplant at 1-year follow-up, with additional telephonic follow-up performed at 2 years. The clinical outcomes were correlated with the sST2 values obtained at the time of initial hospitalization. Results HF was ischemic in origin in 82.0% patients. The primary outcome occurred in 9.3% patients at the end of 1-year follow-up and in 16.7% patients at the end of 2 years. The patients who had events had significantly higher NT-proBNP and sST2 values, but there was no difference in the clinical characteristics, cause of HF, baseline LVEF, or serum creatinine. The patients with elevated sST2 levels (>35 ng/mL) had substantially higher event rates than those with normal sST2 levels (13.7% vs 0.0% at 1-year, P = 0.005; 22.5% vs 4.2% at 2-years, P = 0.004). On multivariate analysis, sST2 was the strongest predictor of adverse outcomes at both 1-year and 2-year follow-ups. Conclusion In patients hospitalized for HF, elevated sST2 >35 ng/mL at the time of initial hospitalization was associated with significantly high mortality over a 2-year period. The prognostic value of sST2 was incremental to that of NT-proBNP. These findings suggest that a single elevated sST2 value at the time of hospitalization should alert the physicians about the high risk of adverse outcomes and should help facilitate timely intensification of HF treatment.

Falla cardíaca en pacientes pediátricos. Fisiopatología y tratamiento. Parte II / Heart failure in paediatric patients: pathophysiology and treatment. Part II

Resumen La falla cardiaca en una patología poco reconocida en la edad pediátrica y tiene una alta tasa de mortalidad al no ser diagnosticada en forma temprana. Se hace una revisión del diagnóstico, la estratificación y el manejo actual de la falla cardiaca en niños y se mencionan las nuevas terapias actualmente en investigación.

Abstract Heart failure is a little known condition at paediatric age, and has a high mortality rate on not being diagnosed early. A review is presented on its diagnosis, stratification, and current management of heart failure in children, as well the new therapies currently under investigation.

Índice de asincronía/péptido natriurético cerebral como predictor de éxito en extubación en pacientes con trauma de tórax / Index asynchrony/brain natriuretic peptide as a predictor of successful extubation in patients with chest trauma / Índice assincronia/peptido natriurético cerebral como preditor de sucesso na extubação de pacientes com traumatismo de toráx

Resumen: Antecedentes: El trauma de tórax (TT) requiere estrategias de ventilación mecánica (VM) específicas y el retiro es complejo; la asincronía ventilatoria (AV) aumenta la morbimortalidad, situación no descrita en la población mexicana. Objetivo: Correlacionar el índice de asincronía (IA)/péptido natriurético cerebral (BNP) (IA/BNP), con el resultado de la extubación en pacientes con TT. Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio longitudinal en unidades de cuidados intensivos (UCI) con 30 participantes con variables de estudio demográficas, tipo de TT, IA, BNP pre- (BNP1) y postdecanulación (BNP2), IA/BNP, escalas predictoras de extubación. Desenlace: éxito o fracaso en la extubación (reintubación en las primeras 48 horas). Resultados: Los participantes representaron 96.7% masculino, 3.3% femenino; edad: 34.4 ± 11.2 años; éxito en el retiro de la VM: 70%; tipo de TT: neumotórax/hemotórax 40%, hemotórax aislado 16.7%, neumotórax 10%, tórax inestable/contusión pulmonar 10%, otras variedades de lesión 23.3%. BNP1: 44.2 ± 23.2 pg/dL, BNP2: 67 ± 49 pg/dL, IA: 13 ± 2%, IA/BNP: 0.28 ± 0.15, índice de ventilación rápida y superficial (IVRS): 83.2 ± 13.1, MIP: -24.2 ± 3.07, P 0.1-3.9 ± 0.7. La correlación de Pearson para IA y BNP1 fue r = 0.71, el índice de determinación: r2 = 0.50, con significancia p < 0.001, a un intervalo de confianza (IC) 95%; para IA y BNP2: r = 0.83, r2 = 0.68, p < 0.001, IC 95%. La correlación de Spearman para IA/BNP y fallo: r = 0.62, el índice de determinación: r2 = 0.39, con significancia p < 0.001, a un intervalo de confianza (IC) 95%; para IVRS y fallo: r = 0.31, r2 = 0.09, p < 0.094, IC 95%. IA/BNP < 0.14 se correlacionó con fallo en la extubación. Conclusiones: Se demostró que el IA/BNP < 0.14 es un marcador confiable como predictor del fallo en el retiro de la VM en las primeras 48 horas, comparado con el tradicional IVRS, el cual no demostró significancia estadística.

Abstract: Background: Chest trauma (CT) requires specific mechanical ventilation (MV) strategies; weaning is a complex situation. Ventilatory asynchrony (VA) implies an increased morbimortality, not described in the Mexican population. Aim: To correlate the index of asynchrony (IA)/brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), (IABNP), with the result of extubation in patients with chest trauma. Material and methods: A longitudinal study was done in intensive care units (ICU), 30 patients were included; the following variables were evaluated: demographics, type of trauma, IA, BNP before (BNP1) and after (BNP2) extubation, as well as IA/BNP as a scale to predict extubation. Endpoint: success or failure of the extubation (reintubation in next 48 hours). Results: The study population was 96.7% masculine, 3.3% female; age: 34.4 ± 11.2 years. Successful withdrawal of MV was 70%. Type of trauma was pneumo/hemothorax 40%, hemothorax 16.7%, pneumothorax 10%, flail chest/pulmonary contusion 10%, other types 23.3%. BPN1: 44.2 ± 23.2 pg/dL, BNP2: 67 ± 49 pg/dL, IA: 13 ± 2%, IA/BNP: 0.28 ± 0.15, rapid surface respiration index (IVRS): 83.2 ± 13.1, maximum inspiration pressure (MIP): -24.2 ± 3.07, P 0.1-3.9 ± 0.7. Pearson correlation for IA and BNP1 was r = 0.71, the determination index: r2= 0.50, with significance p < 0.001, confidence interval (CI) 95%; for AI and BNP2: r = 0.83, r2 = 0.68, p < 0.001, CI 95%. Spearman correlation for IA/BNP and failure: r = 0.62, and determination index: r2 = 0.39, with significance p < 0.001, CI 95%; for RSSR and failure: r = 0.31, r2 = 0.09, with p < 0.094, CI 95%. IA/BNP < 0.14 was related with failure at extubation. Conclusions: IA/BNP < 0.14 was a predictive marker for failure of weaning MV in the first 48 hours compared with the traditional RSRR, which was not statistically significant.

Resumo: Introdução: O trauma torácico (TT) requer estratégias específicas de ventilação mecânica (VM) e a retirada é complexa; a assincronia ventilatória (AV) aumenta a morbimortalidade; situação não descrita na população mexicana. Objetivo: Correlacionar o índice de assincronia (IA)/peptídeo natriurético cerebral (BNP) (IA/BNP) com o resultado da extubação em pacientes com TT. Material e métodos: Realizou-se um estudo longitudinal em Unidades de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) com 30 participantes com variáveis de estudo: demográficos, tipo de TT, IA, BNP pré (BNP1) e pós-decanulação (BNP2), IA/BNP, escalas preditivas de extubação. Desenlace: sucesso ou falha na extubação (reintubação nas primeiras 48 horas). Resultados: Os participantes representados: 96.7% homens, 3.3% mulheres, idade 34.4 ± 11.2 anos, sucesso da retirada da VM 70%; Tipo TT: pneumotórax/hemotórax 40%, hemotórax isolado 16.7%, pneumotórax 10%, tórax instável/contusão pulmonar 10%, outras variedades de lesão 23.3%. BNP1 44.2 ± 23.2 pg/dL, BNP2 67 ± 49 pg/dL, IA13 ± 2%, IA/BNP 0.28 ± 0.15, índice de ventilação rápida e superficial (IVRS) 83.2 ± 13.1, MIP -24.2 ± 3.07, P 0.1-3.9 ± 0.7. A correlação de Pearson para IA e BNP1 foi: r = 0.71, o índice de determinação r2 = 0.50 com significância p < 0.001, intervalo de confiança (IC) 95%, para IA e BNP2: r = 0.83, r2 = 0.68, p < 0.001, IC 95%. A correlação de Spearman para IABNP e falha r = 0.62, índice de determinação r2 = 0.39, com significância p < 0.001, intervalo de confiança (IC) 95%, para IVRS e falha r = 0.31, r2 = 0.09, p < 0.094, IC 95%. IA/BNP < 0.14 correlacionou-se com falha na extubação. Conclusões: Demonstrouse que o índice AI/BNP < 0.14 é um marcador confiável como preditor de falha na remoção de VM nas primeiras 48 horas em comparação com a tradicional IVRS, que não apresentou significância estatística.

Protective effect of Dendrobium candidum on isoproterenol induced cardiac hypertrophy in rats / 中国中药杂志

To study the effect and mechanism of Dendrobium candidum on isoproterenol-induced myocardial hypertrophy in rats, 60 healthy SD rats(30 males and 30 females) were randomly divided into 5 groups(12 in each group): normal group, model group, three D. candidum preventive administration groups(0.09, 0.18, 1.1 g·kg⁻¹). Except for the normal group, rats of other groups were injected back subcutaneously with ISO(5 mg·kg⁻¹) for 10 consecutive days. At the same time, preventive administration groups began to give different doses of the sample for 30 days and model group began to give normal saline. Left ventricular systolic pressure(LVSP) was measured in each group by common carotid artery cannulation, and the left ventricle(LW)/tibia length, heart weight index(HWI) and myocardial hydroxyproline(Hydro) content were calculated. Myocardial tissue HE staining and Masson staining were used to observe the myocardial structure and the degree of myocardial fibrosis respectively. Atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP), brain natriuretic peptide(BNP), and cardiac troponin I(cTN-I) concentration were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The results showed that as compared with the normal group, the levels of ANP, BNP and cTN-I in plasma were significantly increased in ISO-induced hypertrophic rats; as compared with the model group, D. candidumcan inhibit ISO-induced ventricular pressure and ventricular hypertrophy, reduce myocardial collagen synthesis, improve myocardial fibrosis and ventricular remodeling, and significantly down-regulate ANP, BNP and cTN-I levels in plasma. This study shows that D. candidum has a protective effect on isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy.