Estudio de réplica con control aleatorizado de la eficacia de una intervención basada en el modelo Consciencia, Coraje y Amor / A Replication Randomized Controlled Trial of an Awareness, Courage, and Love Intervention

A Replication Randomized Controlled Trial of an Awareness, Courage, and Love Intervention. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a one session online intervention based on the Awareness, Courage and Love Model from Functional Analytic Psychotherapy to promote intimacy in couples during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of seventeen couples (dyads) from Argentina, older than 18 years old that were cohabitating in a situation of social distancing during the COVID-19 were randomly allocated into either the intervention or control group for a single 2-hour online group session. Both groups responded to two instruments that assessed the studied variables in three moments (pre, post and follow up). For data analysis it was used Generalized Estimation Equations to compare the change scores over time between the groups. The experimental group obtained a higher score in the VDs and the differences were maintained at one week of follow-up. The preliminary findings support the efficacy of this short intervention to foster closeness and intimacy in couples during situations of social isolation (AU)

Congenital aneurysm of the left atrial appendage.

Congenital aneurysm of the left atrial appendage is quite infrequent. Most instances are asymptomatic. Patients can report a variety of symptoms, one of the most frequent being onset of auricular tachyarrhythmia. Various imaging techniques are useful in diagnosis and allow the differential diagnosis with other pathologies. We describe the case of a 24-year-old male with congenital aneurysm of the left atrial appendage. The patient presented with auricular fibrillation. Diagnosis was based on transthoracic and trans-esophageal echocardiography, and the patient was treated by surgical resection of the aneurysm under extracorporeal circulation.

Intact Medtronic and Carpentier Edwards S.A.V.: clinical and hemodynamic outcomes over 13 years.

UNLABELLED: We report on 215 consecutive patients with isolated aortic replacement of which 91 received an Intact Medtronic (IM) prosthesis and 124 a Carpentier Edwards SAV. (CE). More than 50% of patients were over 70 years old. Follow-up was complete for 95% of patients. Mean follow-up was 6.04 years (16 days-13 years); a total of 1244 patient-years (IM 6.61years, 590 patient-years, CE 5.95 years, 670 patient-years). RESULTS: the following results are expressed for IM and CE groups respectively. Early mortality: 3.3% and 8.13%. Late mortality: 23 and 27 patients. Survival at 13 years: 53.31+/-7.63% and 47.47+/-7.9%. Major thromboembolism: 0.34% and 0.30% per patient-year. SVD: 0.16% and 0.14% per patient-year. Endocarditis: 0.33% and 0.29%. Re-operation: 0.5% and 0.44%. Over 95% of patients are re-operation free at 13 years. CONCLUSION: Intact and Carpentier valves had similar durability and clinical/hemodynamic results. Both have proved excellent aortic valve substitutes in elderly patients.

Accidente cerebro-vascular isquémico: una visión cardiológica / Ischaemic cerebrovascular accident: a cardiological view

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Prospective application of risk scores in the interhospital transport of patients.

We carried out a prospective evaluation of 172 patients using our own risk score for patients transferred from the emergency department of a community hospital in Tudela, Spain, to main centres, during 1988. Although the data go back almost 10 years, this scoring has not been internationally published and is at present widely applied in Spain. Patients scoring less than 7 points were transferred under specialized nursing supervision (Group I), and those scoring equal to or over 7 points were transferred in a specially equipped intensive care unit surface ambulance and supervised by a physician and a nurse (Group II). There were 102 patients in Group I and 70 in Group II. Complications arising during transfer were defined as minor or serious. A low overall incidence of complications was recorded--a total of 29 cases (16.9% of all transfers). The incidence of complications was significantly higher in Group II patients (p < 0.005). One patient from Group II died during transport. All patients from Group II were admitted to the ICUs compared with only 20 (18.6%) from Group I (p < 0.001). Of a total of 23 deaths in hospital, nine were from Group I and 14 from Group II. During the first 24 hours after admission, six patients died from Group II and none from Group I. The application of risk scores has permitted to assign effectively technical and human resources for a safe interhospital transfer of critically ill patients.