Tratamiento endoscópico de una hendidura laríngea posterior: reporte de un caso y revisión de la literatura / Endoscopic treatment of a laryngeal cleft: case report and literature review

RESUMEN Las hendiduras laríngeas posteriores son anomalías congénitas de la laringe de baja incidencia que comprometen la región interaritenoidea o la lámina cricoidea. En caso de extenderse hasta la tráquea son denominados clefts laringo-tráqueo-esofágicos. Su clínica es inespecífica y debe sospecharse en todo niño con trastorno de deglución y neumonía aspirativa a repetición. A continuación, presentamos un caso de un cleft laríngeo tipo 2 tratado endoscópicamente.

ABSTRACT The posterior laryngeal clefts are congenital anomalies of the larynx of low incidence that comprise the interaritenoid region or the cricoid lamina. In case of extending to the trachea they are called laryngo-tracheo-esophagic clefts. Its clinic is non-specific and should be suspected in any child with swallowing disorder and aspiration pneumonia. We present a case of an endoscopically treated laryngeal cleft type 2.

Neumopatía por aspiración (sindrome aspirativo / Aspiration pneumonia (aspiration syndrome)

Aspiration pulmonary disease is the condition in which there is a passage of gastric or oral content to the airways; the extent of aspiration is conditioned by the amount and frequency with which it occurs. The diagnostic approach of this pathology begins with an adequate clinical history with special emphasis on pathologies that generate poor swallowing mechanics such as neurological diseases, esophageal atresia and patients with a history of gastroesophageal reflux. The studies used for the diagnosis of this syndrome are chest X-ray, swallowing mechanics evaluation with barium, Ph-metry, scintigraphy with Tc99 for gastroesophageal reflux, delayed pulmonary scanning, endoscopic study of the digestive tract and bronchoscopy in search of lesions in the respiratory mucosa and bronchial lavage to detect lipid-laden alveolar macrophages which have been linked to the presence of aspiration syndromes in several publications

La neumopatía por aspiración es la condición en la que existe un paso de contenido gástrico a la vía aérea. La magnitud de la aspiración depende de la cantidad y la frecuencia con la que se presenta. El abordaje diagnóstico de esta patología se inicia con una historia clínica adecuada con especial énfasis en patologías que generen una mala mecánica de deglución como pueden ser enfermedades neurológicas, atresia esofágica y pacientes con antecedentes de reflujo gastroesofágico. Los estudios que se requieren para el diagnóstico de esta enfermedad constan de radiografía de tórax, estudio de deglución, Ph-metria, gamagrama para reflujo, estudio endoscópico de vía digestiva y broncoscopia en búsqueda de lesiones en la mucosa respiratoria y realización de lavado bronquial para macrófagos alveolares cargados de lípidos

Chest CT findings in patients with dysphagia and aspiration: a systematic review / Achados de TC de tórax em pacientes com disfagia e aspiração pulmonar: uma revisão sistemática

ABSTRACT The objective of this systematic review was to characterize chest CT findings in patients with dysphagia and pulmonary aspiration, identifying the characteristics and the methods used. The studies were selected from among those indexed in the Brazilian Virtual Library of Health, LILACS, Indice Bibliográfico Español de Ciencias de la Salud, Medline, Cochrane Library, SciELO, and PubMed databases. The search was carried out between June and July of 2016. Five articles were included and reviewed, all of them carried out in the last five years, published in English, and coming from different countries. The sample size in the selected studies ranged from 43 to 56 patients, with a predominance of adult and elderly subjects. The tomographic findings in patients with dysphagia-related aspiration were varied, including bronchiectasis, bronchial wall thickening, pulmonary nodules, consolidations, pleural effusion, ground-glass attenuation, atelectasis, septal thickening, fibrosis, and air trapping. Evidence suggests that chest CT findings in patients with aspiration are diverse. In this review, it was not possible to establish a consensus that could characterize a pattern of pulmonary aspiration in patients with dysphagia, further studies of the topic being needed.

RESUMO O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar uma revisão sistemática dos achados de TC de tórax que caracterizem aspiração pulmonar em pacientes com disfagia, identificando as características e os métodos utilizados. Para a seleção dos estudos, foram utilizadas as bases de dados da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, LILACS, Indice Bibliográfico Español de Ciencias de la Salud, Medline, Biblioteca Cochrane, SciELO e PubMed. A busca foi realizada no período entre junho e julho de 2016. Foram incluídos e revisados cinco artigos, todos realizados nos últimos cinco anos, publicados em língua inglesa e oriundos de diferentes países. O tamanho da amostra nos estudos selecionados variou de 43 a 56 pacientes, com predominância de sujeitos adultos e idosos. Os achados tomográficos em pacientes com aspiração relacionada à disfagia foram variados, abrangendo bronquiectasias, espessamento da parede brônquica, nódulos pulmonares, consolidações, derrame pleural, atenuação em vidro fosco, atelectasias, espessamento septal, fibrose, aprisionamento aéreo, entre outros. As evidências sugerem que os achados de TC de tórax em pacientes que apresentam aspiração são diversificados. Nesta revisão, não foi possível estabelecer um consenso que pudesse caracterizar um padrão de aspiração pulmonar nos pacientes com disfagia, sendo importantes investigações futuras sobre o assunto.

Qualitative and quantitative ultrasound assessment of gastric content / Avaliação qualitativa e quantitativa do conteúdo gástrico através da ultrassonografia

Summary Objective: Pulmonary aspiration of the gastric contents is one of the most feared complications in anesthesia. Its prevention depends on preoperative fasting as well as identification of risky patients. A reliable diagnostic tool to assess gastric volume is currently lacking. The aim of this study performed on volunteers was to evaluate the feasibility of ultrasonography to identify qualitative and quantitative gastric content. Method: A standardized gastric scanning protocol was applied on 67 healthy volunteers to assess the gastric antrum in four different situations: fasting, after ingesting clear fluid, milk and a solid meal. A qualitative and quantitative assessment of the gastric content in the antrum was performed by a blinded sonographer. The antrum was considered either as empty, or containing clear or thick fluid, or solids. Total gastric volume was predicted based on a cross-sectional area of the antrum. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: For each type of gastric content, the sonographic characteristics of the antrum and its content were described and illustrated. Sonographic qualitative assessment allowed to distinguish between an empty stomach and one with different kinds of meal. The predicted gastric volume was significantly larger after the consumption of any food source compared to fasting. Conclusion: Bedside sonography can determine the nature of gastric content. It is also possible to estimate the difference between an empty gastric antrum and one that has some food in it. Such information may be useful to estimate the risk of aspiration, particularly in situations when prandial status is unknown or uncertain.

Resumo Objetivo: A aspiração pulmonar do conteúdo gástrico é uma das complicações mais temidas em anestesia. A sua prevenção depende do jejum pré-operatório e da identificação dos pacientes de risco. Não há um método diagnóstico que possa acessar o conteúdo gástrico a qualquer momento. O objetivo deste estudo realizado em voluntários foi fazer uma avaliação qualitativa e quantitativa do conteúdo gástrico utilizando a ultrassonografia. Método: O estudo foi realizado em 67 voluntários utilizando uma técnica já descrita de avaliação do antro gástrico, em quatro diferentes situações: jejum, após a ingestão de líquido claro, leite ou refeição sólida. Foi feita uma avaliação qualitativa e quantitativa do conteúdo gástrico por um radiologista que desconhecia o estado gástrico do voluntário. O antro foi considerado vazio, contendo líquido claro ou espesso, ou sólido. O volume total do estômago foi calculado com base na área seccional do antro. Um valor de p<0,05 foi considerado estatisticamente significativo. Resultados: Para cada tipo de conteúdo gástrico, as características ultrassonográficas do antro e de seu conteúdo foram descritas e ilustradas. A avaliação qualitativa pode distinguir um estômago vazio de outros com diferentes conteúdos. O volume gástrico calculado foi significativamente maior após a ingestão de qualquer alimento em comparação com o jejum. Conclusão: A ultrassonografia à beira do leito pode determinar a natureza do conteúdo gástrico. Também foi possível diferenciar um antro vazio daquele com algum volume. Essas informações podem ser úteis na determinação do risco de aspiração gástrica, principalmente se a condição gástrica é desconhecida ou incerta.

Percutaneous endoscopic versus surgical gastrostomy in patients with benign and malignant diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

To compare the complications and mortality related to gastrostomy procedures performed using surgical and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy techniques, this review covered seven studies. Five of these were retrospective and two were randomized prospective studies. In total, 406 patients were involved, 232 of whom had undergone percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and 174 of whom had undergone surgical gastrostomy. The analysis was performed using Review Manager. Risk differences were computed using a fixed-effects model and forest and funnel plots. Data on risk differences and 95% confidence intervals were obtained using the Mantel-Haenszel test. There was no difference in major complications in retrospective (95% CI (-0.11 to 0.10)) or randomized (95% CI (-0.07 to 0.05)) studies. Regarding minor complications, no difference was found in retrospective studies (95% CI (-00.17 to 0.09)), whereas a difference was observed in randomized studies (95% CI (-0.25 to -0.02)). Separate analyses of retrospective and randomized studies revealed no differences between the methods in relation to mortality and major complications. Moreover, low levels of minor complications were observed among endoscopic procedures in randomized studies, with no difference observed compared with retrospective studies.

Broncoaspiración en el niño: rol diagnóstico de los estudios de imágenes / Aspiration in children. Role of diagnostic imaging studies

Aspiration is defined as the entrance of foreign material through the respiratory tract to the lungs. This syndrome is relatively frequent in children and often under diagnosed. It can occur at any age and may cause acute or chronic lung disease. Clinical symptoms depend on the amount and frequency of events, individual response, the kind of aspirated material and the underlying cause. There are different diseases that can cause aspiration. Swallowing disorders, often associated with neuromuscular diseases are a common causal factor. Imaging studies can play an important role in the diagnostic approach and may identify aspiration cause. Among these studies, the most important is videofluoroscopy which allows a dynamic and real-time study of swallowing. Chest radiography and computed tomography can support the diagnosis.

La broncoaspiración corresponde a la entrada de material extraño a la vía aérea y pulmones. Es un síndrome relativamente frecuente y muchas veces subdiagnosticado. Puede presentarse a cualquier edad y ser factor causal de enfermedad pulmonar aguda o crónica. El cuadro clínico dependerá del volumen y frecuencia de los eventos, la respuesta individual, el material aspirado y el factor causal. Las causas de broncoaspiración son variadas. Las alteraciones en los mecanismos de la deglución, muchas veces asociadas a enfermedades neuromusculares son un factor causal frecuente. Los estudios de imágenes juegan un rol importante en la aproximación diagnóstica y pueden orientar a la etiología. Dentro de estos el de mayor relevancia es la videofluoroscopía, que permite un estudio dinámico y en tiempo real de la deglución. La cintigrafía también puede ser de utilidad diagnóstica, al igual que la radiografía de tórax y la tomografía computada.

Persistent Pneumonia: Underlying Cause and Outcome.

Objective. To identify the causes and contributing factors of persistent pneumonia in children. Methods. 41 cases with persistent pneumonia were investigated (biochemical, microbiological, histopathological, immunological and radiological tests) to find out the underlying cause. Results. Out of 41 cases, 8 had pulmonary tuberculosis and 12 had Gram negative bacterial infections, 12 had aspiration due to gastroesophageal reflux disease or oil instillation, 3 had immunodeficiency due to HIV infection, 2 had congenital lung malformation, 2 had cardiac disorders and one had foreign body aspiration as causes of persistent pneumonia. The etiology could not be established in one case. Conclusion. The most common underlying cause of persistent pneumonia were persistent infection followed by aspiration and acquired immunodeficiency.

Evaluación y manejo integral de la disfagia orofaríngea / Oropharyngeal dysphagia: assesment and management

La disfagia corresponde a una “sensación de dificultad en el avance de la comida desde la boca al estómago” dada por una alteración en alguna de las cuatro etapas de la deglución. Su prevalencia en la población general es de un 6-9 por ciento y se asocia a complicaciones como neumonía aspirativa, desnutrición, deshidratación y obstrucción de la vía aérea. La disfagia orofaríngea es especialmente prevalente en mayores de 75 años, en portadores de cuadros neurológicos (p.ej. accidente vascular encefálico) y en pacientes que han requerido una instrumentación de su vía aérea (intubación orotraqueal y/otraqueostomía). El estudio de la disfagia orofaríngea puede realizarse mediante evaluación clínica, videofluoroscopía, estudio endoscópico con y sin evaluación sensitiva y en el laboratorio de señales de la deglución. El manejo de los pacientes con trastornos de la deglución orofaríngea es multidisciplinario: médico otorrinolaringólogo, fonoaudiólogo, nutricionista, médico fisiatra, radiólogo, KNT, terapeuta ocupacional y enfermera.

The term dysphagia refers to a “feeling of difficulty in the advance of food from the mouth to the stomach” caused by an alteration in any of the four stages of swallowing. The prevalence of dysphagia rises to 6-9 percent of the general population and is associated to complications like aspirative pneumonia, malnutrition, dehydration, and airway obstruction. Oropharyngeal dysphagia is specially frequent in patients older than 75 years, individuals with neurologic diseases (i.e. stroke), and patients who have required intervention of their airways (endotracheal tubes or tracheostomy). Oropharyngeal dysphagia can be examined through clinical evaluation, modified barium swallow, functional endoscopic evaluation of swallowing with or without sensory testing, and in the laboratory of swallowing signals. The management of patients with oropharyngeal swallowing disorders is multidisciplinary: otolaryngologist, speech-language pathologist, nutritionist, physiatrist, radiologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, and nurse.

Evaluación fibroscópica de la deglución / Fibroscopic evaluation of swallowing

Introducción: La disfagia orofaríngea es una condición patológica frecuente, especialmente en pacientes añosos. Se asocia a una serie de enfermedades (principalmente neuroiógicas y traumáticas), y conlleva un riesgo considerable de aspiración y neumonía. La evaluación fibroscópica de la deglución es una técnica que permite estudiar la fisiología de la deglución, estimar el riesgo de aspiración y orientar sobre la forma más segura de alimentar al paciente. Objetivo: Revisar la experiencia de nuestra institución en la evaluación fibroscópica de la deglución. Material y método: Entre abril de 2006 y julio de 2007 se evaluaron prospectivamente 75 pacientes, realizándose 96 exámenes en total. Hubo un franco predominio masculino (2/3 del grupo), y la edad promedio de los pacientes evaluados fue de 65,6 + 23,3 años (rango: 12-99 años). El examen se realizó utilizando un nasofaríngolaríngoscopio flexible y administrando alimento (papilla y líquido espeso) teñido con colorante azul natural. En ficha especialmente diseñada se registraron los hallazgos del examen, en especial la presencia de penetración laríngea y de aspiración traqueal del alimento. Resultados: Los diagnósticos neurológicos fueron los más habituales (54,7%), predominando la patología cerebrovascular, el traumatismo encéfalo-craneano y la patología neurológica degenerativa. Sólo el 17,8% de los pacientes presentaron una evaluación completamente normal. La alteración más frecuente fue la presencia de residuos alimentarios posdeglución (79,3%); la penetración laríngea y aspiración traqueal se demostraron en el 46,1% y el 27,3% de las evaluaciones, respectivamente. Tanto la presencia de traqueostomía como la retención de secreciones hipofaríngeas se asociaron, en forma significativa, al hallazgo de aspiración alimentaria. No se logró demostrar una asociación entre el diagnóstico de base del paciente y la severidad de la aspiración. No hubo complicaciones...

Introduction. Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a frequent pathological condition, specially in the elderly It is associated to several diseases (mainly neurological and traumatic) and it carries a risk of pneumonia and aspiration. Fibroscopic evaluation of swallowing allows the study of the physiology of swallowing, the assessment of aspiration risk, and enables counseling as to the safest way to feed the patient. Aim. To review the experience in fibrocopic evaluation of swallowing in our institution Material and method: Seventy five patients were prospectively evaluated between April 2006 and July 2007, for a total of 96 fibroscopies. Two-thirds of the evaluated patients were males, with an average age of 65.6 +/- 23.3 years (ranging from 12 to 99 years). Examination was made by means of a flexible nasopharyngoscope while administering food (purée and thick liquid) stained with a natural blue dye. Findings were registered in a custom-designed data sheet, emphasizing the presence of laryngeal penetration and tracheal aspiration offood. Results. The more frequent diagnoses were neurological (54.7%), with a predominance of cerebrovascular pathology cranial trauma and degenerative neurological pathology Only 17.8% of evaluations were considered completely normal. The most frequent alteration was the presence of post-swallowing food residues (79.3%); laryngeal penetration and tracheal aspiration were demonstrated in 46.1% and 27.3% of evaluations, respectively Both the presence of tracheostomy and of hypopharyngeal secretion retention were significantly associated to food residues presence. An association between the patient s diagnosis and the aspiration severity failed to be demonstrated. No complications were reponed during examination. Conclusion. Swallowing evaluation by fibroscopy is a validated, safe and sensitive examination technique for the evaluation of oropharyngeal dysphagia. It has the advantage of easy-to-carry...

Neumonía lipoidea exógena aguda, a propósito de un come fuego / Acute exogenous lipoid pneumonia

Se presenta el caso de un adulto de 19 años de edad, malabarista y manipulador de fuego quien ingresa al servicio de emergencias médicas del Hospital Dr. Rafael A. Calderón Guardia, por un cuadro súbito de dolor tóracico derecho y disnea. Se documenta derrame pleural en base pulmonar derecha y masa redondeada en base pulmonar izquierda. Inicia clínica sugestiva de bronconeumonía horas despúes, abordándosele inicialmente como neumonía adquiridad en la comunidad. Considerando sus antecedentes laborales y características clínicas, se reorienta caso y se concluye que se trata de lo que en la bibliografía médica en habla inglesa se denomina "fire-eater pneumonia", infrecuente neumonía por aspiración de la que se hace una revisión. Descriptores: neumonía lipoidea, neumonía por aspiración, neumonía en come fuego.

An unusual endobronchial foreign body.

A 24-year-old male presented with features of pneumonia of right lower lobe. Chest radiograph after treatment showed cystic opacities in the right lower zone along with a radio-opaque foreign body at the right cardiophrenic angle. The foreign body was successfully removed via the fibreoptic bronchoscope. It was a very unusual type of foreign body with an equally unusual mode of aspiration.

Predicción clínica de aspiración en pacientes con patología neurológica aguda / Clinical prediction of aspiration in acute neurological patients

Glottic dysfunction is a frequent condition in patients with acute neurological diseases: the incidence in stroke patients is between 45 - 51 percent increasing mortality three times. The principal complication is aspiration, which demands the involvement of pulmonary physicians and neurologists. The purpose of this study is to evaluate wet voice, water swallow test and cervical auscultation as clinical predictors of aspiration using endoscopical observation as a gold standard. During a period of one year we have prospectively evaluated these tests in acute neurological patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit. Wet voice, 3 oz water swallow test and cervical auscultation demonstrated sensibilities of 66.7, 88.9 and 77.8 percent, with a respective specificity of 85.2, 59.3 and 77.8 percent. Positive predictive values were 60, 42.1 and 53.8 percent, with negative predictive values of 88.5, 94.1 and 91.3 percent respectively. These results support the utility of clinical aspiration screening as a simple and valuable technique that can be done at the bedside.

La disfunción glótica es una entidad prevalente en enfermos con patología neurológica aguda: compromete aproximadamente entre el 45 al 51 por ciento de los pacientes que padecen un ataque cerebrovascular, incrementando su mortalidad en una relación de 3/1. Su complicación principal es el síndrome aspirativo, que involucra diversas especialidades, entre ellas enfermedades respiratorias y neurología. El propósito de este estudio ha sido evaluar la fonación húmeda, el test del vaso de agua y la auscultación cervical como indicadores clínicos de aspiración frente a la certificación nasolaringoscópica, considerada patrón estándar de evaluación al lado de la cama del enfermo. Evaluamos prospectivamente durante un año a pacientes neurológicos agudos hospitalizados en una unidad de tratamiento intensivo. La fonación húmeda, el test del vaso de agua y la auscultación cervical demostraron sensibilidades de 66,7, 88,9 y 77,8 por ciento, con una especificidad respectiva de 85,2, 59,3 y 77,8 por ciento. Los valores predictivos positivo fueron de 60, 42,1 y 53,8 por ciento, con valores predictivos negativo de 88,5, 94,1 y 91,3 por ciento respectivamente. Nuestros resultados permiten afirmar que el monitoreo clínico de aspiración es un instrumento sencillo y valioso, que puede ser realizado al lado de la cama del enfermo.

Prevenção da aspiração pulmonar do conteúdo gástrico / Prevention of pulmonary gastric contents aspiration

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Apesar da baixa incidência, a aspiração pulmonar do conteúdo gástrico pode ter conseqüências devastadoras para o indivíduo. A diminuição na função do esfíncter esofágico e dos reflexos protetores das vias aéreas causadas pela depressão da consciência, predispõe os pacientes a esta grave complicação. Neste artigo, foi realizada uma revisão dos aspectos fisiológicos associados ao refluxo gastroesofágico, bem como os métodos utilizados para preveni-lo. CONTEUDO: São feitos comentários sobre os mecanismos envolvidos na aspiração do conteúdo gástrico, suas conseqüências e métodos de prevenção, incluindo recentes guias de jejum pré-operatório elaborados após revisão da literatura, o uso racional de drogas que atuam no pH e volume gástrico e, finalmente, o efeito de diferentes métodos de manutenção da via aérea na prevenção da aspiração pulmonar. CONCLUSÕES: A aspiração pulmonar do conteúdo gástrico, apesar de pouco freqüente, exige cuidados especiais para sua prevenção. Guias de jejum pré-operatório elaborados recentemente sugerem períodos menores de jejum, principalmente para líquidos, permitindo mais conforto aos pacientes e menor risco de hipoglicemia e desidratação, sem aumentar a incidência de aspiração pulmonar perioperatória. O uso rotineiro de drogas que diminuem a acidez e volume gástrico parece estar indicado apenas para pacientes de risco. O melhor método de proteção da via aérea contra a aspiração continua sendo a intubação traqueal. Outros métodos de manutenção da via aérea vêm sendo adotados, mas a eficácia na prevenção da aspiração ainda é inferior, embora representem importante alternativa em casos de falha de intubação traqueal.

Pneumonia por aspiração associada à doença periodontal / Aspiration pneumonia associated with periodontal disease

O presente trabalho analisou os fatores etiológicos da pneumonia, relacionando-os com o acúmulo de placa bacteriana e com a doença periodontal, e concluiu que a via nais frequente de desenvolvimento da enfermidade é a aspiração de conteúdos da orofaringe, sendo de extrema importância a manutenção da saúde oral para que os microrganismos orais, presentes na placa bacteriana, na doença periodontal e nas lesões cariosas não colonizem o trato respiratório e também para que a placa bacteriana não atue como reservatório de patógenos e respiratórios

Foreign bodies from the upper-aerodigestive tract of children in Puerto Rico

The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence management, and complications of foreign bodies in the upper aerodigestive tract of children in Puerto Rico. The records of children admitted to the University Pediatric Hospital of Puerto Rico were revised from January 1, 1989 to December 31, 1994. 51 children had foreign body in their airway and 107 children had foreign body in their digestive trac (a total of 158 patients) These records were examined for age, gender, previous medical illness, clinical presentation, radiographic studies, removal technique, complications, and hospital stay. The most common age in both groups was 1 year old children. Of the 51 foreign bodies aspirations, 25 were boys and 26 were girls; and of the 107 ingestion, 67 were boys and 40 were girls. The most common times of the year were during the summer and winter months. The diagnosis of foreign body aspiration or ingestion was made in 6 hours or less in only 68 of the 158 cases. The most common signs were vomiting, coughing, and choking episode (44 cases). X-rays were positive in 146 cases (92.4). The most common foreign body ingestion was coins and aspiration was peanuts. There were no complications on 129 cases (81.6). The most common complication was pneumonia with 19 cases. The mean hospital stay was 3 days. In general, foreign body aspiration or ingestion are common events that can be prevented in the pediatric age. Parental education is important at this stage. If the event can't be prevented then a rapid management must be given to those patients with positive history of an adult witness of the event and a high level of suspicion for those patients with no reported event of choking or witness present

Factores relacionados con la presencia de líquido amniótico meconial y la broncoaspiración del mismo / Relations factors with the precense of meconial amniotic fluid and the same bronchoaspiration

De 4115 recién nacidos atendidos en el hospital general "Miguel Pérez Carreño" en el período junio 1995 a diciembre 1996 el 7.48 (308) fueron meconiales; de los cuales el 61.03 (188) fueron particulados y 38.96 (120) no particulados. La edad materna avanzada y el hábito tabáquico se encontró significativamente incrementado en el grupo particulado. La tinción de piel y presencia de meconio en tráquea fué más frecuente en el grupo particulado. Los recién nacidos fueron similares en peso, talla, edad gestacional y foco fetal en ambos grupos. Se encontró significativamente elevada la obtención por cesárea, el uso de anestesia peridural y general, el uso de oxígeno y traslado a retén patológico en el grupo particulado. El 13.70 presentó síndrome de aspiración meconial, la mayoría de ellos del grupo particulado. La necesidad de ventilación mecánica fué del 50 en el grupo que aspiró meconio y se correlacionó significativamente con apgar menor de tres puntos al minuto. La complicación más frecuente fué sepsis; la mortalidad fué de 5.8 y estuvo asociada a hipertensión pulmonar