Modelo de intervención coronaria percutánea primaria en Cataluña / The primary percutaneous coronary intervention program in Catalonia

El Código Infarto de Cataluña se inició en junio de 2009 con el fin de implantar el tratamiento de reperfusión en red, basado en la intervención coronaria percutánea primaria, a los pacientes con infarto de miocardio y elevación del segmento ST, siguiendo las recomendaciones de las Guías de la Sociedad Europea de Cardiología. El protocolo, único para toda Cataluña, fue impulsado por la Sociedad Catalana de Cardiología y fue desarrollado conjuntamente con el Departamento de Salud, el CatSalut y el Servicio de Emergencias Médicas (SEM). El protocolo de actuación se basa en la sectorización de Cataluña alrededor de cinco centros con atención permanente, la participación de otros cinco centros con intervencionismo durante su horario laboral y la activa participación del SEM, que realiza el diagnóstico de infarto, decide el tipo de tratamiento en función de las isocronas, realiza el traslado del paciente directamente a las salas de hemodinámica y asegura su retorno a la unidad coronaria más próxima al domicilio del paciente. Otros aspectos importantes son la obligatoriedad de aceptar a los pacientes por parte de los hospitales, tanto en el traslado primario como en el retorno, y de realizar un registro por internet de los datos de todos los pacientes atendidos. Desde el inicio del programa, el número de intervenciones coronarias percutáneas primarias se ha duplicado, con una media de 250 al mes, y los tiempos de actuación se han reducido entre un 20 y un 40%, especialmente entre los pacientes atendidos inicialmente por el SEM (AU)

A myocardial infarction code of practice was introduced in Catalonia, Spain, in June 2009. Its aim was to establish a treatment network for reperfusion therapy in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) based on the use of primary percutaneous coronary interventions and implemented in accordance with the recommendations of European Society of Cardiology guidelines. The protocol for the code of practice, the only one used in Catalonia, was proposed by the Catalan Society of Cardiology and developed jointly with the Catalan Department of Health, the CatSalut and local Medical Emergency Services. The operating protocol was based on the division of Catalonia into five sectors arranged around centers operating on a 24-hour basis, the participation of five other centers where catheterization facilities were available during normal working hours, and the active participation of the Medical Emergency Services, who usually diagnose the myocardial infarction, decide on the type of treatment that can be given in the time available, transport the patient directly to the catheterization laboratory, and ensure that patients are subsequently transferred to the coronary care unit closest to their home. Other important factors are the hospital’s obligation to accept patients, both on first admission and subsequent transfer, and the establishment of an on-line data register of all patients treated. Since the start of the program, the number of primary percutaneous coronary interventions has doubled, with 250 procedures being performed each month on average, and operating delays have decreased by 20-40%, especially among patients who are first seen by the Medical Emergency Services (AU)

Seventh Day Syndrome--acute hepatocyte apoptosis associated with a unique syndrome of graft loss following liver transplantation.

AIM: The aim of this study is to describe a unique 7th day syndrome (7DS), quite different from other causes of post-transplantation allograft dysfunction in a group of orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) patients who needed retransplantation. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 594 consecutive OLT over an 8-year period revealed that 10 patients developed allograft dysfunction approximately 7 days following an initially normal graft function. RESULTS: The features included: (a) severe liver failure; (b) sudden peak of extremely high liver enzymes at approximately day 7; (c) serial liver biopsy findings of central lobular hemorrhage with minimal inflammatory cell infiltrate and (d) an explant with no evidence of vascular thrombosis. The biochemical and morphometric pathological data of these patients were compared with data of patitents who had early acute rejection (AR), hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT), primary nonfunction (PNF), severe sepsis and no dysfunction. Lastly, serial liver core biopsies and explants were tested for evidence of apoptosis, which revealed a significantly higher number of apoptotic hepatocytes in 7DS compared to all control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Seventh Day Syndrome is a distinct entity associated with early graft dysfunction characterized by a marked apoptosis of hepatocytes. Fas receptor activation or other pathways of program cell death may be implicated in occurrence of 7DS.

Prediction of abstinence from ethanol in alcoholic recipients following liver transplantation.

The prediction of abstinence from ethanol may be crucial to the optimal selection of liver transplantation candidates with alcoholism. Of 84 consecutive end-stage alcoholic patients who underwent transplantation (1986-1994) at our institution, we analyzed 63 long-surviving recipients for pretransplantation variables to predict posttransplantation abstinence (follow-up: 49.3 +/- 21 mo). Thirty-three pretransplantation variables were reviewed from our transplantation data base and supplemented and confirmed with interviews with recipients. The psycho-social inclusion criteria included the following: patient recognition of alcoholism, a domicile, an occupation, and at least one close personal relationship. The incidence of abstinence from ethanol was (50/63) 79%. A logistic regression of the 33 variables in conjunction with our above inclusion criteria accurately predicted abstinence (90% accuracy, chi2 model, P < .00001) based on the absence of previous history of any illicit drug use (Drug Use: yes = 1/no = 0), the presence of an active, personal life insurance policy (Life Ins: yes = 1/no = 0), number of alcoholic sisters (ETOH-SIS), and the length of pretransplantation abstinence (PRE-TRANS-ABS, mos): Prob. of abstinence = 1/1 + e(-F), F = -0.33 +/- 0.89 (DRUG USE) -1.02 (LIFE INS) -1.68 (ETOH-SIS) +0.24 (PRE-TRANS-ABS). In contrast, receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis found that 7 and 9 months of pretransplantation abstinence were the best cut-off points in predicting subsequent abstinence, but poor utility was noted at these points with this specific value alone (sensitivity 61-84%, specificity 64-68%). A separate analysis of high-risk patients with poly-drug use (n = 15, alcohol recidivism 8/15, 53%) and the remaining low-risk group of purely alcohol dependent patients (n = 48, alcohol recidivism 5/48, 10%) found no combination of variables was predictive of abstinence in either group. The length of pretransplantation abstinence is a relatively poor predictor of posttransplantation abstinence. Variables of comorbid substance use, social function, and possibly family history are more predictive in conjunction with our standard criteria and might be useful as tools in evaluating liver transplantation candidates whose primary diagnosis is alcohol-induced cirrhosis.

Clinical assessment of venous thromboembolic risk in surgical patients.

Prophylaxis against postoperative venous thromboembolism should be tailored according to the patient's level of risk. However, risk assessment is not yet in widespread use in surgical practice. In this study, 538 general surgical patients were prospectively assessed based on a scoring system containing 20 risk factors. Depending on the total risk factor score, the patients were grouped into low (0 to 1, 34.5%), moderate (2 to 4, 48.5%), or high risk (more than 4, 17.2%) categories. Statistically significant (p less than 0.0001) correlation was found between our results and those of three existing risk assessment systems. Overall, of the 538 patients, 37.2% received prophylaxis; 10%, 42.1%, and 76% received prophylaxis in the low-, moderate-, and high-risk categories, respectively. Mechanical prophylactic modalities (graduated elastic compression and sequential intermittent compression) were preferred over pharmacologic modalities. These results suggest that implementation of prophylaxis remains underutilized despite published reports, including NIH guidelines. Our results indicate that the majority of surgical patients seen in this suburban hospital have two or more risk factors for developing venous thromboembolism.

Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis and risk assessment in medical patients.

In summary we have developed a VTE risk assessment system for medical patients based on our prior experience in surgical patients. In this model we divide individuals into low, moderate, and high-risk categories. We realize that our system needs further validation with appropriate diagnostic endpoints to correlate the actual occurrence of venous thromboembolism with the predicted risk on the basis of our score system. Nevertheless, the proposed model reflects one approach to achieving a prophylaxis tailored to the patients' risk.

Rabies reference vaccine for use as a regional standard for Latin America and the Caribbean countries.

A candidate rabies reference vaccine of suckling mouse brain (SMB) origin was prepared and standardized at the Pan American Zoonoses Center (PAHO/WHO) and evaluated in a collaborative study involving seven laboratories. On the basis of three different tests, its potency, immunogenicity, and stability were demonstrated to be satisfactory. The vaccine was proposed for consideration of the Latin American and Caribbean countries as a regional standard to determine the potency of SMB vaccines, the most widely used in the Region.

Rabies reference vaccine for use as a regional standard for Latin America and the Caribbean countries

A candidate rabies reference vaccine of suckling mouse brain (SMB) origin was prepared and standardized at the Pan American Zoonoses Center (PAHO/WHO) and evaluated in a collaborative study involving seven laboratories. On the basis of three different tests, its potency, immunogenicity, and stability were demonstrated to be satisfactory. The vaccine was proposed for consideration of the Latin American and Caribbean countries as a regional standard to determine the potency of SMB vaccines, the most widely used in the region. (AU)

A time series analysis of the rabies control programme in Chile.

The classical time series decomposition method was used to compare the temporal pattern of rabies in Chile before and after the implementation of the control programme. In the years 1950-60, a period without control measures, rabies showed an increasing trend, a seasonal excess of cases in November and December and a cyclic behaviour with outbreaks occurring every 5 years. During 1961-1970 and 1971-86, a 26-year period that includes two different phases of the rabies programme which started in 1961, there was a general decline in the incidence of rabies. The seasonality disappeared when the disease reached a low frequency level and the cyclical component was not evident.