[Myocardial revascularization surgery without extracorporeal circulation]. / Cirugía de revascularización miocárdica sin circulación extracorpórea.

The number of patients who need coronary artery surgery growth every year. Most of these surgical operations are with extracorporeal circulation (ECC). Recently in our hospital this surgery is realized without ECC in selected patients. Some studies shows that this surgery is an alternative in the treatment of coronary artery disease, especially for aged patients with associated disease and in Jehovah's witness faith. A coronary artery diameter at the anastomotic site of 2 mm or greater and satisfactory hemodynamics with the cardiac manipulation are needed to realize this surgery. Given these limitations this technique has proved useful in selected patients requiring revascularization of the left anterior descending, circumflex or right coronary artery (not for grafting the posterior descending branch). The need of mechanical ventilation, days at ICU, blood required, morbidity and mortality, in our experience as in other studies, were fewer than surgery with CEC.

[Update on and evaluation of an IgG ELISA technique for the diagnosis of human hydatidosis]. / Puesta a punto y valoración de una técnica ELISA IgG para el diagnóstico de hidatidosis humanas.

The methodology to carry out a diagnostic test for hydatid disease is reported. Full hydatid fluid was used as antigen and specific IgG was detected. 61 sera from patients in whom hydatid disease was subsequently confirmed at surgery, 28 sera of patients with other diseases and 16 sera from blood donors were evaluated. The sensitivity and specificity were established on the basis of statistical criteria. In the group of patients with hydatid disease, sensitivity was 98.4%, with only one nonreactive serum. Specificity was 60.6% and was higher with increasing age of the patients or depending on the cyst localization (it was higher in hepatic than in pulmonary cysts).

Prevalence of antibodies to Rickettsia conorii Coxiella burnetii and Rickettsia typhi in Salamanca Province (Spain). Serosurvey in the human population.

The Salamanca Province of Spain is an endemic zone for Mediterranean spotted fever. In this area, only one case of Q fever has been reported and typhus group rickettsial diseases have never been diagnosed. To obtain a panoramic view of the presence of antibodies to the most ubiquitous rickettsial agents, 400 sera specimens from a statistically representative sample of the human population of Salamanca City and its surrounding province were subjected to indirect microimmunofluorescent test for antibodies against Rickettsia conorii, Coxiella burnetti, phase II, and Rickettsia typhi antigens. Titers greater than or equal to 1:40 to R. conorii were found in 73.5% of the sera. Positivity was more common in subjects who reported closer contact with the natural environment and/or with domestic animals. Seropositivity to C. burnetti, phase II, was detected in 50.2% of sera. These positive cases were related to rural environmental factors and to previous contact with animals. The frequency of antibodies increased with age showing a progressive exposure to the rickettsial antigen. The prevalence of antibodies to R. conorii and C. burnetii in the human population of Salamanca Province is higher than that reported from any other geographic zone. The study of antibodies to R. typhi showed that 12.5% of the sera had titers greater than or equal to 1:40. According to our results, seropositivity to this rickettsial antigen cannot be related to any particular group of population nor interpreted totally as cross reactivity with R. conorii. Our data show a wide distribution of R. conorii and C. burnetii antigens in Salamanca Province, and also indicate the presence of R. typhi antigens in this area.