Reorganización de la actividad asistencial ambulatoria en la era de la COVID-19. La hora de la e-consulta / Reorganizing outpatient care in the era of COVID-19. Time for e-consultations

La situación actual consecuencia de la pandemia de COVID-19 nos apremia a la reorganización de la atención ambulatoria, entre otras actividades médicas. Las medidas urgentes que se impusieron durante el periodo de confinamiento obligaron a una reestructuración de las consultas que se ha convertido en una oportunidad de cambio y una necesidad para el futuro. Es el momento de innovar con la implantación de nuevas modalidades de asistencia, apostando por la atención no presencial, con el propósito de garantizar la seguridad de los pacientes, pero también optimizar los recursos y el gasto sanitarios, evitando consultas innecesarias y repetición de actos médicos. Hay exitosas experiencias previas de la telemedicina tanto para comunicación entre profesionales como para la relación médico-paciente. El desarrollo de las tecnologlas de la información y la comunicación nos brinda multitud de oportunidades para está reorganización, que deben adaptarse a cada realidad, pero siempre primando la calidad asistencial

The current situacion caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to reorganize outpatient care, along with other healthcare activities. Urgent measures imposed during the lockdown period have necessitated the reorganization of patient consultations, which has provided an opportunity to make changes that may become essential in the future. Now is the time to innovate by implementing new modalities of care, for example by trying out remote patient care, not only to guarantee patient safety, but also to optimize the use of health-care resources and expenditure and to avoid unnecessary consultations and the duplication of medical efforts. Previously, telemedicine has been used successfully both for communications between professionals and in the doctor-patient relationship. The development of Información and communication technologies has given us a plethora of opportunities for reorganization, which must be adapted to each real-life situación while bearing in mind that care quality is a priority

Nutritional status is related to heart failure severity and hospital readmissions in acute heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is common in hospitalized heart failure (HF) patients and predicts adverse outcomes. The relationship between nutritional status and outcomes in HF has been partially studied. Our aim was to determine the relationship between the nutritional status and the long-term prognosis in patients hospitalized for acute HF. METHODS: We analyzed 145 patients admitted consecutively to a cardiology department for acute HF. Nutritional status was measured with the CONUT method, a validated scale based on laboratory testing (albumin; cholesterol; lymphocytes) during hospitalization. Patients were classified as normal, mildly, moderately or severely malnourished, and followed in a HF clinic. RESULTS: The mean aged of the population was 69.6years and 61% of patients were men, 54 had previous HF hospitalization (37%), 112 had hypertension (77%), 67 were diabetic (46%) and 135 had class III or IV NYHA (93%). Forty eight patients (33%) had normal nutritional status, 75 were mildly malnourished (52%), and 22 were moderately or severely malnourished (15%). Age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or NYHA class among the three groups were not statistically different. ProBNP was directly correlated with the nutritional status. After a mean follow-up of 326days, 27 had a HF hospitalization (19%) and 61 (42,1%) had a hospitalization not related to HF. The analysis by Kaplan-Meier curves and log rank test showed that these differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Malnutrition is common in patients hospitalized for HF. It seems to be a mediator of disease progression and determines a poor prognosis especially in advanced stages.

Systemic sclerosis: a rare cause of heart failure?

Systemic sclerosis (SS) is a chronic disease in which there may be multisystem involvement. It is rare (estimated prevalence: 0.5-2/10000) with high morbidity and mortality, and there is as yet no curative treatment. We report the case of a young woman newly diagnosed with SS, in whom decompensated heart failure was the main manifestation.

Mortality and cardiovascular morbidity within 30 days of discharge following acute coronary syndrome in a contemporary European cohort of patients: How can early risk prediction be improved? The six-month GRACE risk score.

OBJECTIVES: Given the increasing focus on early mortality and readmission rates among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), this study was designed to evaluate the accuracy of the GRACE risk score for identifying patients at high risk of 30-day post-discharge mortality and cardiovascular readmission. METHODS: This was a retrospective study carried out in a single center with 4229 ACS patients discharged between 2004 and 2010. The study endpoint was the combination of 30-day post-discharge mortality and readmission due to reinfarction, heart failure or stroke. RESULTS: One hundred and fourteen patients had 30-day events: 0.7% mortality, 1% reinfarction, 1.3% heart failure, and 0.2% stroke. After multivariate analysis, the six-month GRACE risk score was associated with an increased risk of 30-day events (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02-1.04; p<0.001), demonstrating good discrimination (C-statistic: 0.79 ± 0.02) and optimal fit (Hosmer-Lemeshow p=0.83). The sensitivity and specificity were adequate (78.1% and 63.3%, respectively), and negative predictive value was excellent (99.1%). In separate analyses for each event of interest (all-cause mortality, reinfarction, heart failure and stroke), assessment of the six-month GRACE risk score also demonstrated good discrimination and fit, as well as adequate predictive values. CONCLUSIONS: The six-month GRACE risk score is a useful tool to predict 30-day post-discharge death and early cardiovascular readmission. Clinicians may find it simple to use with the online and mobile app score calculator and applicable to clinical daily practice.

Risk stratification for the development of heart failure after acute coronary syndrome at the time of hospital discharge: Predictive ability of GRACE risk score.

BACKGROUND: Despite encouraging declines in the incidence of heart failure (HF) complicating acute coronary syndrome (ACS), it remains a common problem with high mortality. Being able to identify patients at high risk of HF after ACS would have great clinical and economic impact. With this study, we assessed the usefulness of the GRACE score to predict HF after an ACS. METHODS: We studied 4137 consecutive patients discharged with diagnosis of ACS. We analyzed HF incidence, timing, and association with the follow-up mortality. Cox proportional hazards modeling was performed to assess the accuracy of the GRACE risk score to predict HF admissions in follow-up (median 3.1 years). RESULTS: A total of 433 patients (10.5%) developed HF. GRACE score was an independent predictor of HF after ACS [hazard ratio (HR) 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.03, p<0.001]. A risk gradient for the development of HF with GRACE risk score was shown: high- and moderate-GRACE risk groups have been linked to a sixfold and twofold increased risk of HF. This risk gradient was maintained in patients with and without prior history of HF, in ST elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction groups, and in patients with depressed and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. The development of HF was associated with high mortality (54.5% vs 13.4%; HR=4.48; 95% CI: 3.84-5.24; p<0.001). After adjusting for GRACE risk score, HF development resulted as an independent predictor of mortality. CONCLUSION: GRACE risk score has been shown to provide clinically relevant stratification of follow-up HF admission risk at the time of hospital discharge in patients with ACS.

Relation of contrast induced nephropathy to new onset atrial fibrillation in acute coronary syndrome.

Chronic renal failure has been described as a risk factor for the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to examine the association between contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and new-onset AF in patients with acute coronary syndromes. A total of 1,520 consecutive patients (mean age 67.1 ± 12.7 years) with acute coronary syndromes (34.4% with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions) who underwent coronary angiography were studied. CIN was defined as an increase in serum creatinine of 0.5 mg/dl within 72 hours of contrast exposure. The independent effect of AF history (chronic or paroxysmal AF before catheterization) on the development of CIN, as well as the independent effect of CIN on the development of new-onset AF (after catheterization, during the in-hospital phase), were tested by using different logistic regression models. One hundred thirty-nine patients (9.1%) had histories of AF before catheterization (60 with paroxysmal and 79 with chronic AF), and 56 (4.1%) developed new-onset AF after catheterization. Eighty-seven patients (5.7%) had CIN. AF history was a predictor of CIN in univariate analysis (odds ratio 2.19, 95% confidence interval 1.22 to 3.95, p = 0.007) but not in multivariate analysis, after adjusting for confounding variables (odds ratio 1.69, 95% confidence interval 0.89 to 3.22, p = 0.111). In contrast, those with CIN had an increased prevalence of new-onset AF (15.3% vs 3.4%, p <0.001). After adjusting for those variables associated with new-onset AF in the univariate analysis, CIN continued to show a significant association with new-onset AF, with a twofold increased risk (odds ratio 2.45, 95% confidence interval 1.07 to 5.64, p = 0.035). In conclusion, the development of CIN is an independent predictor of new-onset AF in the context of acute coronary syndromes.

Usefulness of the QRS-T angle to improve long-term risk stratification of patients with acute myocardial infarction and depressed left ventricular ejection fraction.

In light of the low cost, the widespread availability of the electrocardiogram, and the increasing economic burden of the health-related problems, we aimed to analyze the prognostic value of automatic frontal QRS-T angle to predict mortality in patients with left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). About 467 consecutive patients discharged with diagnosis of AMI and with LV ejection fraction ≤40% were followed during 3.9 years (2.1 to 5.9). From them, 217 patients (47.5%) died. The frontal QRS-T angle was higher in patients who died (116.6±52.8 vs 77.9±55.1, respectively, p<0.001). The QRS-T angle value of 90° was the most accurate to predict all-cause cardiac death. After multivariate analysis, frontal QRS-T angle remained as an excellent predictor of all-cause and cardiac deaths, increasing the mortality 6% per each 10°. For the global mortality, the hazard ratio for a QRS-T angle>90° was 2.180 (1.558 to 3.050), and for the combined end point of cardiac death and appropriate implantable cardioverter defribrillator therapy, it was 2.385 (1.570 to 3.623). This independent predictive value was maintained even after adjusting by bundle brunch block, ST-elevation AMI, and its localization. In conclusion, a wide automatic frontal QRS-T angle (>90°) is a good discriminator of long-term mortality in patients with LV systolic dysfunction after an AMI. The ability to easily measure it from a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram together with its prognostic value makes the frontal QRS-T angle an attractive tool to help clinicians to improve risk stratification of those patients.

[Renal failure is an independent predictor of mortality in hospitalized heart failure patients and is associated with a worse cardiovascular risk profile]. / La insuficiencia renal es un predictor independiente de la mortalidad en pacientes hospitalizados por insuficiencia cardíaca y se asocia con un peor perfil de riesgo cardiovascular.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Most clinical trials that demonstrated the negative impact of renal failure on survival in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) included a relatively small proportion of subjects with a high creatinine level and were performed in patients with depressed left ventricular systolic function. Our aim was to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of hospitalized CHF patients with depressed or preserved systolic function and different degrees of renal dysfunction. PATIENTS AND METHOD: The study included 552 consecutive CHF patients admitted to a hospital department of cardiology between 2000-2002. Renal function was determined from the estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and patients were divided into three groups: GFR>60, GFR 30-60, and GFR<30 mL.min per 1.73 m2 (severe renal failure), containing 56.5%, 35.5%, and 8.0% of patients, respectively. RESULTS: Patients with severe renal failure had the worst cardiovascular risk profile: older age, higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, anemia, inflammatory markers in plasma, and less prescription of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Survival in this patient group was significantly poorer than in other groups (relative risk or RR=2.4; 95% CI, 1.3-4.4) in those with either depressed (RR=3.8; 95% CI, 1.4-10.6) or preserved (RR=2.9; 95% CI, 1.2-6.9) systolic function, independent of other prognostic factors. The negative impact of severe renal failure on prognosis was reduced by ACE inhibitor use. CONCLUSIONS: Renal failure is common and a strong predictor of mortality in hospitalized CHF patients with or without depressed systolic function. It is associated with a worse risk profile.

La insuficiencia renal es un predictor independiente de la mortalidad en pacientes hospitalizados por insuficiencia cardíaca y se asocia con un peor perfil de riesgo cardiovascular / Renal failure is an independent predictor of mortality in hospitalized heart failure patients and is associated with a worse cardiovascular risk profile

Introducción y objetivos. El impacto negativo de la insuficiencia renal (IR) en la supervivencia de los pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca congestiva (ICC) se ha descrito en ensayos clínicos realizados, principalmente, en pacientes con función sistólica deprimida (FS-D). El objetivo es valorar las características clínicas y el pronóstico en pacientes hospitalizados por ICC y diferentes grados de disfunción renal en los grupos con FS-D y función sistólica preservada (FS-P). Pacientes y método. Se analizó a 552 pacientes ingresados entre el año 2000 y el 2002 en el servicio de cardiología con ICC. La función renal se valoró utilizando la tasa de filtración glomerular (TFG) y se consideraron 3 grupos: TFG > 60, 30-60 y < 30 ml/min/1,73 m² (IR grave) presente en el 56,5, el 35,5 y el 8,0% de los pacientes, respectivamente. Resultados. La IR grave se asoció con el perfil de riesgo cardiovascular más adverso: mayor edad, mayor prevalencia de factores de riesgo cardiovascular, anemia, marcadores de inflamación y una menor prescripción de inhibidores de la enzima de conversión de la angiotensina (IECA). Los pacientes con IR grave tenían una supervivencia inferior a la de los otros grupos (riesgo relativo ([RR] = 2,4; intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95%, 1,3-4,4), tanto en FS-D (RR = 3,8; IC del 95%, 1,4-10,6) como en FS-P (RR = 2,9; IC del 95%, 1,2-6,9) e independiente de otras variables con influencia pronóstica. La prescripción de IECA en los enfermos con IR atenuó el impacto negativo de ésta sobre el pronóstico. Conclusiones. La IR es un predictor común y potente de mortalidad en pacientes hospitalizados por ICC, tanto con FS-P como FS-D, y se asocia con un perfil de riesgo más elevado

Introduction and objectives. Most clinical trials that demonstrated the negative impact of renal failure on survival in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) included a relatively small proportion of subjects with a high creatinine level and were performed in patients with depressed left ventricular systolic function. Our aim was to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of hospitalized CHF patients with depressed or preserved systolic function and different degrees of renal dysfunction. Patients and method. The study included 552 consecutive CHF patients admitted to a hospital department of cardiology between 2000-2002. Renal function was determined from the estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and patients were divided into three groups: GFR>60, GFR 30-60, and GFR<30 mL/min per 1.73 m² (severe renal failure), containing 56.5%, 35.5%, and 8.0% of patients, respectively. Results. Patients with severe renal failure had the worst cardiovascular risk profile: older age, higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, anemia, inflammatory markers in plasma, and less prescription of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Survival in this patient group was significantly poorer than in other groups (relative risk or RR=2.4; 95% CI, 1.3-4.4) in those with either depressed (RR=3.8; 95% CI, 1.4-10.6) or preserved (RR=2.9; 95% CI, 1.2-6.9) systolic function, independent of other prognostic factors. The negative impact of severe renal failure on prognosis was reduced by ACE inhibitor use. Conclusions. Renal failure is common and a strong predictor of mortality in hospitalized CHF patients with or without depressed systolic function. It is associated with a worse risk profile

[Long-term trends in drug prescription for hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure. Influence of type of dysfunction]. / Evolución a largo plazo de la prescripción de fármacos en pacientes hospitalizados por insuficiencia cardíaca congestiva. Influencia del patrón de disfunción.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate changes in drug prescription during 1991-2002 in patients hospitalized for congestive heart failure (CHF) with preserved or depressed left ventricular (LV) systolic function. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A total of 1252 CHF patients (mean age, 69.4 (11.7) years; 61.3% male) hospitalized in a cardiology department were studied. Ischemic heart disease was present in 616 (49.2%), hypertension in 693 (55.4%), and diabetes in 335 (26.8%). Some 498 (39.8%) had preserved LV systolic function, defined as an echocardiographically determined ejection fraction > or =50% at admission. Pharmacotherapy at hospital discharge was recorded for all patients. RESULTS: The changes in drug prescription observed in CHF patients with preserved LV systolic function paralleled those in patients with depressed LV systolic function. Change was influenced by the publication of major clinical trials on CHF and depressed LV systolic function. Consequently, the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers, beta-blockers, and spironolactone progressively increased during follow-up for both types of CHF. Diuretics were prescribed for more than 70% of patients, with the rate being higher in those with depressed LV systolic function. Digoxin use decreased markedly in patients with preserved LV systolic function. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in the prescription of drugs with proven effects on mortality and morbidity in patients with CHF was observed. Nevertheless, beta-blocker and spironolactone use remains suboptimal. The trend seen after hospitalization in CHF patients with preserved LV systolic function was similar, though slightly less marked.

Evolución a largo plazo de la prescripción de fármacos en pacientes hospitalizados por insuficiencia cardíaca congestiva. Influencia del patrón de disfunción / Long-term trends in drug prescription for hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure. Influence of type of dysfunction

Introducción y objetivos. Evaluar a largo plazo (1991-2002) la prescripción de fármacos en pacientes hospitalizados por insuficiencia cardíaca con función sistólica(FS) ventricular izquierda conservada y deprimida. Pacientes y método. Se ha evaluado a un total de1.252 pacientes ingresados en el servicio de cardiología por insuficiencia cardíaca con una edad media de 69,4 ±11,7 años y 767 (61,3%) varones. El 49,2% (616) de los enfermos presentaba cardiopatía isquémica; el 55,4%(693), hipertensión arterial, y 335 (26,8%), diabetes. La FS ventricular izquierda estaba conservada en 498 enfermos(39,8%) (fracción de eyección determinada ecocardiográficamente durante el ingreso ≥ 50%). En todos los pacientes incluidos en el estudio se ha evaluado el tratamiento prescrito en el alta hospitalaria. Resultados. Se ha observado un patrón paralelo en la prescripción de fármacos en pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca con FS ventricular izquierda conservada y deprimida, cuya evolución ha coincidido con la publicada en amplios ensayos clínicos de insuficiencia cardíaca con FS ventricular izquierda deprimida. Así, la prescripción de inhibidores de la enzima de conversión de la angiotensina, bloqueadores de los receptores de la angiotensina II, espironolactona y bloqueadores beta se incrementó progresivamente en ambos patrones de disfunción. Más del70% de los pacientes utilizaba diuréticos, con más frecuencia en el grupo con FS ventricular izquierda deprimida; la utilización de digital mostró una marcada reducción en el grupo con FS ventricular izquierda conservada. Conclusiones. Hemos asistido a un incremento del empleo de fármacos con efecto probado sobre la mortalidad y morbilidad de pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca congestiva; sin embargo, el empleo de bloqueadores beta y espironolactona es aún limitado. Hay una tendencia paralela, aunque ligeramente inferior en el grupo de FS conservada, en el empleo de estos fármacos después de la hospitalización de los pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca

Introduction and objectives. To evaluate changes in drug prescription during 1991-2002 in patients hospitalized for congestive heart failure (CHF) with preserved or depressed left ventricular (LV) systolic function. Patients and method. A total of 1252 CHF patients(mean age, 69.4 (11.7) years; 61.3% male) hospitalized in a cardiology department were studied. Ischemic heart disease was present in 616 (49.2%), hypertension in 693 (55.4%),and diabetes in 335 (26.8%). Some 498 (39.8%) had preserved LV systolic function, defined as an echocardiographically determined ejection fraction ≥50% at admission. Pharmaco therapy at hospital discharge was recorded for all patients. Results. The changes in drug prescription observed in CHF patients with preserved LV systolic function paralleled those in patients with depressed LV systolic function. Change was influenced by the publication of major clinical trials on CHF and depressed LV systolic function. Consequently, the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers, beta-blockers, and spironolactone progressively increased during follow-up for both types of CHF. Diuretics were prescribed for more than70% of patients, with the rate being higher in those with depressed LV systolic function. Digoxin use decreased markedly in patients with preserved LV systolic function. Conclusions. An increase in the prescription of drugs with proven effects on mortality and morbidity in patients with CHF was observed. Nevertheless, beta-blocker and spironolactone use remains suboptimal. The trend seen after hospitalization in CHF patients with preserved LV systolic function was similar, though slightly less marked

Cuarenta años de experiencia en el tratamiento quirúrgico de la pericarditis constructiva / Forty years experience in the treatment of constructive pericarditis

Con el fin de conocer los resultados tempranos y tardíos de la pericardiectomía en el tratamiento de la pericarditis constrictiva, en el Instituo Nacional de Cardiología Ignaci Chávez de México, revisamos los expedientes de 58 enfermos, que se sometieron a esta investigación entre 1947 y 1986. Los factores etiológiocos más frecuentes fueron la tuberculosis y el origen idiopático (en 68.3% y 24.1% respectivamente). Antes de la intervención quirúrgica el 3.4% de los pacientes estaban en clase funcional I de la New York Heart Association, 31% en clase II, 48,3% en clase III y 16.2% en clase IV. La mortalidad operativa global fue del 6.89% y en la última década fue del 0%. La complicación operatoria más frecuente fue el bajo gasto, que ocurrió en el 15.5% de los pacientes. El desgarro accidental de la aurícula derecha ocurrió en el 8.6% de los casos. El tiempo de seguimiento fue de 5.6 ñ 6.3 años (con un máximo de 25.6 años). La mortalidad por paciente y año fue del 2.04%. La supervivencia a los cinco y diez años, excluida la mortalidad operatoria fue de 82% y 71% respectivamente. Después de la pericardiectomía el 76% de los enfermos estaba en clase funcional I de la New York Heart Association (p <0.001), el 16% en clase II (p <0.001), el 8% en clase III (p <0.001) y el 0% en clase IV (p <0.05). No hubo correlación entre la clase IV funcional preoperatoria ni la duración de los síntomas antes del diagnóstico y la mortalidad temprana y tardía, y la clase funcional postoperatoria. Se concluye que la pericardiectomía es el tratamiento de elección en la pericarditis constrictiva sintomática, al producir una importante y duradera mejoría en los síntomas y en la capacidad funcional, con una baja mortalidad operatoria, sobre todo en la última década