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Background The dynamic interactions of severe infectious diseases with epidemic potential and their hosts are complex. Therefore, it remains uncertain if a sporadic zoonosis restricted to a certain area will become a global pandemic or something in between. Objective The objective of the study was to present a surveillance system for acute severe infections with epidemic potential based on a deterministic-stochastic model, the StochCum Method. Design The StochCum Method is founded on clinical, administrative, and sociodemographic variables that provide a space/time map as a preventive warning of possible outbreaks of severe infections that can be complemented based on the sum of all the first accumulated cases. If the outbreak is happening in high-risk areas, an early warning can be elicited to activate the health response system and save time while waiting for the confirmation of symptomatic cases. Results The surveillance system was tested virtually for 1 month on admissions to the emergency room of a public hospital located in Mexico City, Mexico. It promptly identified simulated cases of acute respiratory infections with epidemic potential. Conclusions The StochCum Method proved to be a practical and useful system for conducting epidemic surveillance on a hospital network.

El Sindrome de Takotsubo es una disfuncion ventricular aguda reversible en ausencia de obstruccion coronaria. Una mujer de 85 anos de edad con antecedentes de reemplazo valvular aortico transcateter, ingreso por dos semanas de dolor severo por una cadera desplazada por osteosintesis fallida. Mientras se programaba para cirugia, se documento hiponatremia severa secundaria a secrecion inapropiada de hormona antidiuretica. Subitamente desarrollo edema agudo pulmonar. El ecocardiograma confirmo una valvula protesica funcional y aquinesia medial y apical de las paredes del ventriculo izquierdo. Recibio tratamiento con ventilacion mecanica no invasiva, restriccion de liquidos y diureticos. La hiponatremia y la cardiomiopatia resolvieron. Takotsubo syndrome is a form of acute reversible left ventricular dysfunction in the absence of coronary obstruction. An 85-year-old lady with a medical history of transcatheter aortic valve replacement was readmitted complaining of 2 weeks of severe pain by a displaced hip and failed osteosynthesis. While she was scheduled for hip surgery, severe hyponatremia secondary to inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion was documented, and sudden-onset pulmonary edema ensued. Echocardiography confirmed normally functioning aortic prosthetic valve and classical features of Takotsubo. She was treated with non-invasive mechanical ventilation, water restriction, and diuretics. Hyponatremia and the cardiomyopathy resolved and the patient recovered completely.