High dose and short-term streptokinase infusion in patients with pulmonary embolism: prospective with seven-year follow-up trial.

BACKGROUND: High dose and short-term streptokinase infusion has proved to improve survival among few patients with pulmonary embolism and cardiogenic shock, without increasing hemorrhagic complications. However its efficacy and safety in terms of long follow-up and in major number of patients requires to be established. METHODS: Patients with pulmonary embolism proved through high probability V/Q lung scan, suggestive echocardiogram, or deep venous thrombosis were enrolled. All were assigned to receive 1,500,000 IU in one-hour streptokinase infusion. The primary end point was efficacy and safety of streptokinase regimen in terms of pulmonary arterial hypertension, right ventricular dysfunction, perfusion abnormalities, recurrence, mortality and hemorrhagic complications. In long-term follow-up, we assessed functional class, recurrence, chronic pulmonary arterial hypertension, postthrombotic-syndrome and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 40 consecutive patients (47.3+/-15.3 years of age) with large or massive pulmonary embolism were enrolled. In 35 patients high dose and short-term streptokinase regimen reversed acute pulmonary arterial hypertension, clinical and echocardiographic evidence of right ventricular dysfunction and improved pulmonary perfusion without increasing hemorrhagic complications. In acute phase 5 patients died, necropsy study performed in 4 patients showed massive pulmonary embolism and right ventricular myocardial infarction, without significant coronary arterial obstruction. Risk factors for mortality and recurrence were: right ventricular global hypokinesis (p<0.0001), 6 hours or over between onset symptoms and streptokinase regimen (p=0.02), severe systolic pulmonary arterial hypertension (p=0.001) right ventricular hypokinesis (p=0.001), hypoxemia (p=0.02) and right ventricular acute myocardial infarction (p<0.0001). Right ventricular hypokinesis (p=0.02) was the only independent risk factor for recurrence. In a seven-year follow-up of the original 35 patients who survived in acute phase, 2 patients were lost and 33 are alive, in functional class I, without recurrence or chronic pulmonary arterial hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Our report indicates that among properly selected high-risk PE patients, short-term streptokinase infusion is effective and safe.

Iodopovidone and bleomycin pleurodesis for effusions due to malignant epithelial neoplasms.

The search for the ideal agent to achieve pleurodesis for malignant pleural effusions is still on. Twenty-two patients with dyspnea-producing, recurrent pleural effusions secondary to epithelial neoplasms were subjected to instillation into the pleural cavity of either iodopovidone (14 patients) or bleomycin (8 patients) through a large bore chest tube. The results showed that in 9 of the 14 patients receiving iodopovidone (64.2%) and in 7 of the 8 patients in the bleomycin group (87.5%) there was no further need for drainage of the pleural space. Local or systematic complications occurred in 8 patients; no complication was severe. In conclusion in this preliminary study, iodopovidone has shown promise as an effective, readily available and inexpensive alternative to achieve chemical pleurodesis in cases of recurrent, incapacitating effusions secondary to malignant epithelial neoplasms; further studies are needed to confirm these initial results.

The Dressler syndrome after pulmonary embolism.

A study was conducted in 14 patients with pericardial syndrome after pulmonary embolism. The role of right ventricular myocardial injury and noncardiogenic pulmonary edema in this syndrome is considered and its existence is established.

Intrapleural fibrinolysis with streptokinase as an adjunctive treatment in hemothorax and empyema: a multicenter trial.

To test the efficacy of intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy in patients with loculated pleural effusions, we conducted an open, prospective, and multicenter trial among five hospitals in Mexico. We enrolled patients with hemothorax or empyema, clotted and/or loculated, that was not resolved through conventional pleural drainage with chest tube and antibiotics in patients with empyema. All patients received repeated doses of 250,000 IU of streptokinase through chest tube. Effectiveness criteria were before and after intrapleural streptokinase (IPSK) drainage, and poststreptokinase radiographic and respiratory function test improvement. Forty-eight patients were studied; there were 30 patients with empyemas, 14 with hemothorax, and 4 patients with malignant pleural effusions without lung trapping. Successful fibrinolysis was obtained in 44 patients, with complete resolution of the pleural collection and adequate radiologic and spirometric improvement. In three of four patients with multiloculated malignant hemothorax with high-yielding pleural drainage, IPSK allowed successful lysis of loci and an adequate pleurodesis was achieved. Only four patients required surgical treatment. The overall success rate in our series was 92%, similar to previous reports. The results in this first prospective and multicentric trial suggest that intrapleural fibrinolysis is an effective and safe adjunctive treatment in patients with heterogeneous pleural coagulated and loculated collections to restore the pulmonary function assessed by respiratory function tests and can obviate surgery in most cases.

[Lung perforation by a small-bore enteral feeding tube]. / Perforación pulmonar por sonda de pequeño calibre para alimentación enteral.

A 68 year old male with multisystemic disease, mainly lungs and heart, was treated with a cuffed endotracheal tube, mechanical ventilation and a 16 Fr Levin nasogastric tube for feeding; it was substituted 13 days later by a 2.3 mm, 8 Fr O'Brien KMI polyurethane small bore enteral feeding tube introduced with a guide wire. The feeding tube perforated his right lung and passed into the pleural cavity, either through the larynx or through a nonconfirmed tracheoesophageal fistula; signs for the supposedly correct position of the tube were positive. In patients with depressed sensoria, abnormalities of gag or cough reflexes, esophageal strictures, significant cardiomegaly or tracheoesophageal fistula, small bore enteral feeding tubes should be passed under direct vision by laryngoscopy or preferably by flexible endoscopy; adequate confirmation of the correct position requires a chest and an upper abdominal roentgenogram.

[Understanding and diagnosis of complex cardiopathies. I]. / Comprensión y diagnóstico de las cardiopatías complejas. I.

Even pediatricians and cardiologists the complex congenital heart disease is considered to be difficult chapter. The purpose of this review is to show that complex congenital heart disease is not difficult to understand it two avenues are followed: First, a detailed explanation of the methodology used for the segmental analysis is given; all possible segmental combinations are reviewed. Second, 5 basic rules for this analysis are proposed: symmetry of the first segment, a discordant intersegmentary connection, two discordant intersegmentary connections, absence or hypoplasia of one the elements of the ventricular or arterial segment and both components of the arterial segment join one instead of the two ventricles. If these concepts are mastered, the basis for a correct diagnosis and suitable treatment are established.

Single-dose sublingual nifedipine as the only treatment in hypertensive urgencies and emergencies.

One hundred and eighteen patients with hypertensive urgencies and emergencies and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at least 120 mm Hg by the cuff method were seen at the Emergency Care Department; none had received calcium channel blockers during the previous twelve hours. Patients with DBP of 120 to 139 mm Hg received 10 mg of sublingual nifedipine; patients with left ventricular hypertrophy or failure, renal disease, hypertensive encephalopathy, angina, papilledema, or a DBP over 140 mm Hg received 20 mg of the drug. The criterion for control was the achievement of a DBP of 100 mm Hg or less within sixty minutes of receiving sublingual nifedipine and maintenance of the effect until discharge. Control was achieved in all patients; a sixty-three-year-old man died of a brain hemorrhage after pulmonary edema and a DBP of 210 had been controlled; the other 117 were discharged to their attending physicians, either as outpatients or to a hospital ward. No patient developed hypotension, clinical or electrocardiographic signs of myocardial ischemia, or clinical signs of neurologic dysfunction. Practical, fast, safe, and dependable control of hypertensive urgencies and emergencies has made sublingual nifedipine the treatment of choice of such patients in the Emergency Care Department.

[Pulmonary thromboembolism in children]. / Tromboembolia pulmonar en niños.

We report our experience with five children with pulmonary embolism and infarction. Two with congenital heart disease, one with rheumatic cardiopathy and two with a previously healthy cardiopulmonary system. The risk factors, clinical behavior and ECG were similar to those in adults. In chest roentgenogram we found pulmonary infarction with cavitations in three patients because of a delayed diagnosis. All patients had hypoxemia and hypocapnia, and diagnosis was made on the basis of segmentary or larger defects in perfusion gammagraphy. In just one case we obtained V/Q gammagraphy and pulmonary angiography. In one case we confirmed the clinical diagnosis by autopsy. We conclude that it is very important to keep this diagnosis in mind in all children with respiratory failure.