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Objectives: The paradoxical effect of smoking after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a phenomenon consisting of a reduction in the mortality of smokers compared to nonsmokers. However, it is not known whether the benefit of this reduction in mortality is due to smoking itself or to other covariables. Despite acceptance of the paradoxical effect of smoking in AMI, it is not known whether a similar phenomenon occurs in unstable angina. The objective of this study was to investigate the paradoxical effect of smoking in AMI and unstable angina, and to study specifically whether smoking is an independent prognostic variable.Methods and Results: The study population was selected from the multicentric ARIAM (Análisis del Retraso en el Infarto Agudo de Miocardio [analysis of delay in AMI]) Register, a register of 29,532 patients with a diagnosis of unstable angina or AMI. Tobacco smokers were younger, presented fewer cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes or hypertension, fewer previous infarcts, a lower Killip and Kimball class, and a lower crude and adjusted mortality in AMI (odds ratio, 0.774; 95% confidence interval, 0.660 to 0.909; p = 0.002). Smokers with unstable angina were younger, with less hypertension or diabetes. In the multivariate analysis, no statistically significant difference in mortality was found.Conclusions: The reduced mortality observed in smokers with AMI during their stay in the ICU cannot be explained solely by clinical covariables such as age, sex, other cardiovascular factors, Killip and Kimball class, or treatment received. Therefore, smoking may have a direct beneficial effect on reduced mortality in the AMI population. The lower mortality rates found in smokers with unstable angina are not supported by the multivariate analysis. In this case, the difference in mortality can be explained by the other covariables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The main aim of our study is to know the sociodemographic, clinical, analytical, and functional variables that predict the probability of developing dementia in patients with delirium who attend the emergency room., Method: All patients with delirium (n=45) from the emergency room who were admitted to the Geriatrics service of the General University Hospital of Ciudad Real (HGUCR) in 2016-2018 and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included. Subsequently, we ran a bivariate and multivariate analysis of the variables that predicted a diagnosis of dementia at six months and a discriminant analysis., Results: 15.6% of patients presented dementia at six months of follow-up, 22.2% had developed cognitive impairment. We conducted a multivariate model (R2 Nagelkerke 0.459) for the probability of developing dementia, with elevated heart rate being the most crucial variable (OR=11.5). The model could excluded dementia with 100% accuracy. Finally, we achieved a discriminant function capable of correctly classifying 95.6% of the cases. It included the following variables of influence: pH, Lawton Brody index, calcium, urea, and heart rate., Conclusions: A few clinical and analytical variables that are easily detectable in the emergency room, especially tachycardia, could help us better identify those patients with delirium at higher risk of developing dementia, as well as formulate hypotheses about the variables involved in the development of dementia in patients with delirium., (Copyright © 2024 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: The objective of this study was to assess long-term outcome in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage admitted to the intensive care unit., Methods: Mortality and Glasgow Outcome Scale, Barthel Index, and 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L) scores were analyzed in a multicenter cohort study of three Spanish hospitals (336 patients). Mortality was also analyzed in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) database., Results: The median (25th percentile-75th percentile) age was 62 (50-70) years, the median Glasgow Coma Score was 7 (4-11) points, and the median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health disease Classification System II (APACHE-II) score was 21 (15-26) points. Hospital mortality was 54.17%, mortality at 90 days was 56%, mortality at 1 year was 59.2%, and mortality at 5 years was 66.4%. In the Glasgow Outcome Scale, a normal or disabled self-sufficient situation was recorded in 21.5% of patients at 6 months, in 25.5% of patients after 1 year, and in 22.1% of patients after 5 years of follow-up (4.5% missing). The Barthel Index score of survivors improved over time: 50 (25-80) points at 6 months, 70 (35-95) points at 1 year, and 90 (40-100) points at 5 years (p < 0.001). Quality of life evaluated with the EQ-5D-5L at 1 year and 5 years indicated that greater than 50% of patients had no problems or slight problems in all items (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression). In the MIMIC-III study (N = 1354), hospital mortality was 31.83% and was 40.5% at 90 days and 56.2% after 5 years., Conclusions: In patients admitted to the intensive care unit with a diagnosis of nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage, hospital mortality up to 90 days after admission is very high. Between 90 days and 5 years after admission, mortality is not high. A large percentage of survivors presented a significant deficit in quality of life and functional status, although with progressive improvement over time. Five years after the hemorrhagic stroke, a survival of 30% was observed, with a good functional status seen in 20% of patients who had been admitted to the hospital., (© 2024. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and Neurocritical Care Society.)

Introduction: Little evidence appears to exist for the use of anakinra, a recombinant interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, after non-response to treatment with corticosteroids alone or combined with tocilizumab in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and moderate hyperinflammatory state., Patients and Methods: A retrospective observational cohort study was carried out involving 143 patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and moderate hyperinflammation. They received standard therapy along with pulses of methylprednisolone (group 1) or methylprednisolone plus tocilizumab (group 2), with the possibility of receiving anakinra (group 3) according to protocol. The aim of this study was to assess the role of anakinra in the clinical course (death, admission to the intensive care ward) during the first 60 days after the first corticosteroid pulse. Clinical, laboratory, and imaging characteristics as well as infectious complications were also analyzed., Results: 74 patients (51.7%) in group 1, 59 (41.3%) patients in group 2, and 10 patients (7%) in group 3 were included. 8 patients (10.8%) in group 1 died, 6 (10.2%) in group 2, and 0 (0%) in group 3. After adjustment for age and clinical severity indices, treatment with anakinra was associated with a reduced risk of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 0.518, 95% CI 0.265-0.910; p = 0.0437). Patients in group 3 had a lower mean CD4 count after 3 days of treatment. No patients in this group presented infectious complications., Conclusions: In patients with moderate hyperinflammatory state associated with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, treatment with anakinra after non-response to corticosteroids or corticosteroids plus tocilizumab therapy may be an option for the management of these patients and may improve their prognosis.

Objective: To better understand the clinical, functional and analytical variables associated with delirium in emergencies and their evolution in order to obtain an improvement in the therapeutic approach of the elderly patient, thus preventing morbidity and mortality in this type of patient., Design: This is a prospective descriptive study of acute confusional syndrome in the emergency department. SITE: General University Hospital of Ciudad Real., Participants: All patients from the emergency department with a diagnosis of delirium were included in the 24-h interval following admission to the geriatric service., Main Measurements: An analysis of the variables of the data set (sociodemographic and clinical variables) was performed, calculating frequency tables for qualitative variables and descriptive statistics for quantitative variables. Subsequently, statistical inference techniques have been used., Results: The most frequent medical antecedent were neurological pathology and hypertension, followed by rheumatologic diseases. The main reasons for consultation were deterioration in general condition, dyspnea, decreased level of consciousness, and fever. Highlight the incidence of polypharmacy, especially drugs such as diuretics, benzodiazepines or hypnotics. In relation to the main etiology, the role of urinary and respiratory infections is noteworthy., Conclusions: Highlight the fundamental role of neurological diseases (especially dementia), hypertension, polypharmacy (inappropriate use of benzodiazepines and hypnotics) and urinary and respiratory infections as treatable and/or preventable factors of delirium in Primary Care patients in our setting., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: To analyze the mortality associated with prescriptions, the drugs most frequently involved and the associated risk factors in patients admitted to Internal Medicine., Methods: A retrospective, observational study. The clinical records of adult patients who died consecutively in the department of Internal Medicine in a Spanish tertiary hospital over twenty-two months were reviewed. The main variable was the prevalence of hospital death suspected of being related to the medications administered during admission., Results: Out of the 455 deaths analyzed, 22.2% were related to the medications received; in 55 cases (12.1%) the drugs were suspected of being the cause of death and in 46 cases (10.1%) of contributing to it. The most frequent diagnoses in cases of death associated with drugs were cardiac arrhythmia (23.7%), severe hemorrhage (19.8%) and aspiration pneumonia (12.8%). The drugs with the highest prevalence in deaths related to pharmacological treatment were an-tithrombotic drugs (23.7%), digoxin (21.7%), antipsychotics (17.8%) and benzodiazepines (14.8%). The only independent risk factor for mortality associated with treatment was the number of medications administered (OR=1.25, 95%CI: 1.14-1.37). No significant association was found with age, sex, number of pathologies or duration of hospital stay., Conclusion: A high percentage of deaths of patients admitted to Internal Medicine were considered related to the medications received. Antithrombotic drugs, digoxin and psychotropic drugs were the agents most frequently implicated. This mortality is independently and significantly associated with the number of medications administered.

Objective: Validation of the intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) score in patients with a diagnosis of spontaneous ICH admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU)., Methods: A multicentre cohort study was conducted in all consecutive patients with ICH admitted to the ICUs of three hospitals with a neurosurgery department between 2009 and 2012 in Andalusia, Spain. Data collected included ICH, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE-II) scores. Demographic data, location and volume of haematoma and 30-day mortality rate were also collated., Results: A total of 336 patients were included. 105 of whom underwent surgery. Median (IQR) age: 62 (50-70) years., Apache-Ii: 21(15-26) points, GCS: 7 (4-11) points, ICH score: 2 (2-3) points. 11.1% presented with bilateral mydriasis on admission (mortality rate=100%). Intraventricular haemorrhage was observed in 58.9% of patients. In-hospital mortality was 54.17% while the APACHE-II predicted mortality was 57.22% with a standardised mortality ratio (SMR) of 0.95 (95% CI 0.81 to 1.09) and a Hosmer-Lemenshow test value (H) of 3.62 (no significant statistical difference, n.s.). 30-day mortality was 52.38% compared with the ICH score predicted mortality of 48.79%, SMR: 1.07 (95% CI 0.91 to 1.23), n.s. Mortality was higher than predicted at the lowest scores and lower than predicted in the more severe patients, (H=55.89, p<0.001), Gruppo Italiano per la Valutazione degli Interventi in Terapia Intensiva calibration belt (p<0.001). The area under a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.74 (95% CI 0.69 to 0.79)., Conclusions: ICH score shows an acceptable discrimination as a tool to predict mortality rates in patients with spontaneous ICH admitted to the ICU, but its calibration is suboptimal., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2018. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objectives: To assess factors associated with survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in patients who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during ambulance transport., Material and Methods: Retrospective analysis of a registry of OHCA cases treated between 2008 and 2014. We included patients who had not recovered circulation at the time it was decided to transport to a hospital and who were rejected as non-heart-beating donors. Multivariate analysis was used to explore factors associated with the use of ambulance CPR, survival, and neurologic outcome., Results: Out of a total of 7241 cases, 259 (3.6%) were given CPR during emergency transport. The mean (SD) age was 51.6 (23.6) years; 27 (10.1%) were aged 16 years or younger. The following variables were associated with the use of CPR during transport: age 16 years or under (odds ratio [OR], 6.48; 95% CI, 3.91-10.76); P<.001)], witnessed OHCA (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.16-2.26; P=.004), cardiac arrest outside the home (OR, 3.17; 95% CI, 2.38-4.21; P<.001), noncardiac cause (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.07-2.02; P=.019], initially shockable rhythm (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.17-2.37; P=.004), no prior basic life support (OR, 3.48; 95% CI, 2.58-4.70; P<.001), and orotracheal intubation (OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.24-2.99; P=.003). One patient (0.38%) survived to discharge with good neurologic outcome., Conclusion: Ambulance CPR by a physician on board is applied in few OHCA cases. Young patient age, cardiac arrest outside the home, the presence of a witness, lack of a shockable rhythm on responder arrival, lack of basic life support prior to responder arrival, noncardiac cause, and orotracheal intubation are associated with the use of ambulance CPR, a strategy that can be considered futile.

Objective: To conduct a survival study and evaluation of surgical treatment in a cohort of patients with diagnosis of supratentorial spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)., Materials and Methods: The study included all consecutive patients with supratentorial ICH admitted to the Intensive Care Units of three Spanish hospitals with Neurosurgery Department between 2009 and 2012., Data Collected: age, APACHE-II, Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), and pupillary anomalies on admission, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) score, location/volume of hematoma, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), surgical evacuation alone or with additional external ventricular drain, and 30-days survival and at hospital discharge, Results: A total of 263 patients were included. Mean age: 59.74±14.14 years. GCS: 8±4 points, APACHE II: 20.7±7.68 points. ICH Score: 2.32+1.04 points. Pupillary anomalies were observed in 30%. The 30-day mortality: 51.3% (45.3% predicted by ICH-score), and 53.2% at hospital discharge. A significant difference (p=0.004) was observed in hospital mortality rates between surgically treated patients (39.7%, n=78) versus those conservatively managed (58.9%, n=185); specifically in those with IVH surgically treated (34.2%, n=38) versus non-operated IVH (67.2%, n=125), p<0.001. No significant difference was found between mortality rates in patients without IVH. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed an OR for surgery of 1.04 (95% CI; 0.33-3.22) in patients without IVH versus 0.19 (95% CI; 0.07-0.53) in patients with IVH (decreased mortality with surgical treatment). The propensity score analysis for IVH patients showed improved survival of operated group (OR 0.23, 95% CI; 0.07-0.75), p=0.01., Conclusions: Hospital mortality was lower in patients who underwent surgery compared to patients conservatively managed, specifically for the subgroup of patients with intraventricular hemorrhage., (Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Neurocirugía. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Hospital mortality related to adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is a relevant clinical problem with major health and economic consequences. We conducted a study to assess hospital mortality related to ADRs, the drugs most frequently involved, and the possible risk factors associated with fatal ADRs., Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted, reviewing the clinical records of 1388 consecutive adult patients (18-101 years) who died during a 22-month period in a tertiary hospital in Southern Europe (Granada, Spain). The main outcome was the prevalence of hospital death suspected to be related to administered drugs., Results: Out of the 1388 adult deaths studied, 256 (18.4 %) were suspected of being related to drugs. Drugs were suspected of causing death in 146 inpatients (10.5 %) and contributing to death in 110 (7.9 %). Drugs related to death were administered during the hospital stay in 161 cases (11.5 %) and before hospital admission in 95 (6.84 %). The most frequent fatal ADRs were cardiac arrhythmia, gastrointestinal bleeding, and respiratory failure. The drugs most frequently involved in fatal ADRs were antithrombotics (anticoagulants or antiplatelets) (23 %), psychotropic drugs (21.2 %), and digoxin (11.3 %). Independent risk factors for ADR-related death were the presence of ≥4 diseases (OR = 1.43) and the receipt of ≥10 drugs (OR = 3.24), but no significant association with gender or age was found., Conclusions: A high percentage of hospital deaths were suspected of being associated with ADRs, especially in patients with comorbidity and/or polypharmacy. Antithrombotics, psychotropics, and digoxin were the drugs most frequently associated with in-hospital drug-related deaths.

Introduction: The association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and anxiety and depression is not yet completely characterized, and differences between countries may exist. We used a predictive model to assess this association in a Spanish population., Patients and Method: Prospective transversal descriptive study of 204 patients with stable COPD. Concomitant anxiety or depression were diagnosed by psychiatric assessment, using the diagnostic criteria of the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10). Sociodemographic, clinical and lung function parameters were analyzed., Results: In total, 36% of stable COPD patients had psychiatric comorbidities, but 76% were unaware of their diagnosis. Nineteen percent had a pure anxiety disorder, 9.8% had isolated depression, and 7.3% had a mixed anxiety-depression disorder. Predictive variables in the multivariate analysis were younger age, higher educational level, lack of home support, higher BODE index, and greater number of exacerbations. The ROC curve of the model had an AUC of 0.765 (P<0.001)., Conclusions: In COPD, concomitant psychiatric disorders are significantly associated with sociodemographic factors. Anxiety disorders are more common than depression. Patients with more severe COPD, according to BODE, younger patients and those with a higher educational level have a greater risk of being diagnosed with anxiety or depression in a structured psychiatric interview. In our population, most patients with psychiatric comorbidities remain unidentified., (Copyright © 2015 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyze the efficacy of negative fluid balance in hypoxemic patients with an elevated extravascular lung water index (EVLWI)., Design: A retrospective observational study was made., Setting: Intensive Care Unit of Virgen de las Nieves Hospital (Spain)., Participants: Forty-four patients participated in the study., Interventions: We analyzed our database of hypoxemic patients covering a period of 11 consecutive months. We included all hemodynamically stable and hypoxemic patients with EVLWI>9ml/kg. The protocol dictates a negative fluid balance between 500 and 1500ml/day. We analyzed the impact of this negative fluid balance strategy upon pulmonary, hemodynamic, and renal function., Main Variables of Interest: Demographic data, severity scores, clinical, hemodynamic, pulmonary, metabolic and renal function data., Results: Thirty-three patients achieved negative fluid balance (NFB group) and 11 had a positive fluid balance (PFB group). In the former group, PaO2/FiO2 improved from 145 (IQR 106, 200) to 210mmHg (IQR 164, 248) (p<0.001), and EVLWI decreased from 14 (11, 18) to 10ml/kg (8, 14) (p<0.001). In the PFB group, EVLWI also decreased from 11 (10, 14) to 10ml/kg (8, 14) at the end of the protocol (p=0.004). For these patients there were no changes in oxygenation, with a PaO2/FiO2 of 216mmHg (IQR 137, 260) at the beginning versus 205mmHg (IQR 99,257) at the end of the study (p=0.08)., Conclusion: Three out of four hypoxic patients with elevated EVLWI tolerated the NFB protocol. In these subjects, the improvement of various analyzed physiological parameters was greater and faster than in those unable to complete the protocol. Patients who did not tolerate the protocol were usually in more severe condition, though a larger sample would be needed to detect specific characteristics of this group., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: There is little information on the oncologic diagnostic accuracy of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels more than 3-fold above normal., Objetives: To determine the prevalence of underlying cancer in patients with mild CEA elevation and the mean cost per patient of CEA determination., Methods: A retrospective study was carried out in all patients with CEA elevation (3-10 ng/ml) and suspicion of cancer referred to the gastroenterology or internal medicine outpatient units from 2001 to 2007., Results: We studied 100 patients (60 men and 40 women), with a mean age of 67.4 ± 14.2 years and baseline CEA of 5.8 ± 1.7 ng/ml. The most important symptoms and signs were laboratory abnormalities (19 patients [19%]). Cancer was diagnosed in 4 patients (one gastric, 2 lung and one colon). Among patients without malignancies, 49 patients (49%) had no related processes, and 47 (47%) had benign diseases. During follow-up, one laryngeal cancer, one acute myeloid leukemia, and one colon cancer were detected (54.3 ± 24.6 months). We found no differences between baseline CEA levels in patients with and without cancer (6.6 ± 2.4 vs. 5.8 ± 1.7 ng/ml, p = 0.2). The mean cost per patient was 503.6 ± 257.6 €., Conclusions: Cancer was detected in a small proportion (7%) of patients with mild CEA elevation. The study of these patients is directly and indirectly associated with a not inconsiderable cost., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and AEEH y AEG. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Cerebrovascular disease is associated with high morbidity and mortality. In 2008, the Spanish Ministry of Health published its Clinical Practice Guidelines for stroke prevention, but implementation of that document has not yet been assessed. Our study aims to investigate compliance with the Guidelines by analysing control over vascular risk factors, antithrombotic treatment and lipid lowering treatment in patients who had suffered an acute ischaemic stroke and who were under the care of neurologists or internists., Methods: Cross-sectional study based on data from clinical reports (vascular risk factors, diagnosis and treatment), blood pressure readings and laboratory tests pertaining to 203 patients diagnosed with acute ischaemic stroke and admitted to a medium-to-long stay hospital for rehabilitation and care., Results: The mean patient age was 75 ± 10 years; 56% were women. The most common risk factors were hypertension (68%) and diabetes mellitus (40%). Intravenous fibrinolytic therapy had been administered to 8.9% of the patients. Of the patients with thrombotic cerebral infarction, 91.7% received antiplatelet agents; 59.4% of patients with embolic infarction received anticoagulants. Statins were prescribed to 65% of patients with thrombotic infarction. Laboratory tests upon admission showed that 23% of patients had total cholesterol levels above 175 mg/dl and 26.6% had plasma glucose levels above 126 mg/dl. Of the patient total, 70% received antihypertensive therapy, but 47.5% had blood pressure levels above 130/80 mm Hg., Conclusions: In our opinion, secondary prevention of acute cerebrovascular disease could be improved, mainly by increasing the percentage of patients treated with antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs (depending on aetiology), increasing prescription of statins, and improving blood pressure control., (Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aims of the present study were to assess the prevalence of fatal adverse drug reactions (FADRs) in a hospitalized population, identify the drugs involved and investigate reported risk factors for these events., Methods: The study population of this retrospective, single-centre case study comprised 289 patients dying between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2004 and registered in the Cause of Death Register of a teaching hospital. All compiled data were recorded by two observers especially trained to identify and report adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The degree of probability that the ADR led directly to death was determined by using WHO criteria and an adapted version of Naranjo's score., Results: Among 289 deceased study subjects, 17 (5.9%) were suspected to have died from an ADR. The most common suspected FADRs were gastrointestinal hemorrhages (52.9%), central nervous system hemorrhages (17.6%), cardiac disorders (17.6%), drug-induced myelosuppression (6%) and antimicrobial-related enterocolitis (6%). The drugs most frequently implicated in a FADR were antithrombotic drugs (65%), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (47%) and corticosteroids (29%). The only risk factors associated with FADRs in this population were multiple-drug therapy and the presence of platelet antiaggregants and NSAIDs, alone or associated., Conclusions: FADRs are an important cause of death in hospitalized patients. Hemorrhages were seen in a majority of the fatal reactions, and antithrombotic agents or NSAIDs were implicated in most of these events.

Background: To evaluate the frequency and factors associated with cardiogenic shock (CS) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and unstable angina (UA) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Material/methods: Spanish registry. The study period was June 1996 to December 2005. Follow-up was length of stay in an intensive care or coronary care unit (ICU/CCU). Multivariate studies evaluated factors associated with CS, mortality in CS, and PCI performance., Results: The study included 45.688 AMI patients and 17.277 UA patients. Cardiogenic shock occurred in 9.3% of patients with AMI and 1.79% of those with UA, frequencies that decreased over time. Variables associated with cardiogenic shock in AMI patients were female sex, age, type of infarction, diabetes, previous stroke, arrhythmia, previous angiography, complicated angina, and reinfarction. Hypertension and oral beta-blocking, ACE inhibitor, and hypolipidemic agents protected against CS. In UA, these variables were age, previous angina or AMI, right ventricular heart failure, arrhythmia. Beta-blocking agents were associated with a reduction in CS. Deaths from CS and AMI, respectively, were 62.8% and 38.7% in persons with UA. Doing PCIs has increased significantly; it is more prevalent in ex-smokers and those with right ventricular heart failure and mechanical ventilation; lower performance is associated with need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation; patients who die are older or have a history of AMI., Conclusions: There has been a slight drop in the frequency of CS and its mortality. Factors associated with CS are similar to those associated with acute coronary syndromes. The frequency of PCI was low.

Objective: To determine the occult mortality in the extra-hospital setting., Patients and Method: Retrospective study included patients who required health care using the Andalusian Emergency Services from January 2002 to June 2002 and who remained at home or were transferred to an Emergency department of a hospital in a normal ambulance as they were not considered to be in need of emergency assistance., Results: Of the 562 patients who met the inclusion criteria of this study, 17 patients died after this care, which was an occult mortality of 3%, 8 of whom had remained at home., Conclusions: The occult mortality in this study is not insignificant; it affects all ages and is mainly due to respiratory disorders., (Copyright © 2007 Sociedad Española de Calidad Asistencial. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Describe the frequency of high degree atrioventricular block (HDAVB) in patients with unstable angina (UA), analyze the variables associated with their appearance and evaluate whether HDAVB is independently associated with increased mortality or increased length of ICU stay., Design: Retrospective descriptive study of patients with UA included in the ARIAM registry., Setting: ICUs from 129 hospitals in Spain., Patients: From June 1996 to December 2003 a total of 14,096 patients were included in the ARIAM registry with a diagnosis of UA., Main Variables of Interest: Variables associated with the development of HDAVB, variables associated with the mortality of patients with UA, variables associated with the length of ICU stay of patients with UA., Results: HDAVB frequency was 1%. Development of HDAVB was independently associated with the Killip classification and the presence of sustained ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. Crude mortality of patients was significantly increased when HDAVB was present (9% versus 1%, p < 0,001). When adjusted for other variables, HDAVB was not associated with increased mortality. Development of HDAVB in patients with UA was independently associated with an increase in the length of ICU stay (adjusted odds ratio 1.89: 95% confidence interval: 1.33-5.69)., Conclusions: Patients with UA complicated with HDAVB represent a high-risk population with an increased ICU stay.

Objective: Myocardial stunning frequently has been described in patients with an acute coronary syndrome. Recently, it has also been described in critically ill patients without ischaemic heart disease. It is possible that the most severe form of any syndrome, leading to cardio-respiratory arrest, may cause myocardial stunning. Myocardial stunning appears to have been demonstrated in experimental studies, though this phenomenon has not been sufficiently studied in human models. The aim of the present work has been to study and describe the possible development of myocardial dysfunction in patients resuscitated after cardio-respiratory arrest, in the absence of acute or previous coronary artery disease., Design: Descriptive study of a case series., Setting: The intensive care unit (ICU) of a provincial hospital., Patients and Participants: The study period was from April 1999 to June 2001. All patients admitted to the ICU with critical, non-coronary artery pathology, with no past history of cardiac disease, and those who were resuscitated after cardio-respiratory arrest, were included in the study., Measurements and Results: Transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography was used to assess left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and disturbances of segmental contractility. This study was carried out within the first 24h after admission, during the first week, during the second or third week, after 1 month, and between 3 and 6 months. Twenty-nine patients with a median age of 65 years (range 24--76) were included in the study. Twelve patients died. Twenty patients developed myocardial dysfunction; the initial LVEF in these patients was 0.28 (0.12--0.51), showing improvement over time in the patients who survived. All of these patients presented disturbances of segmental contractility which also became normal over time., Conclusions: After successful CPR, reversible myocardial dysfunction, consisting of systolic myocardial dysfunction and disturbances of segmental contractility, may occur.

Purpose: Reversible myocardial dysfunction or myocardial stunning is frequently described in patients with episodes of acute coronary syndrome and has recently been reported in critically ill patients without ischaemic heart disease. This article presents a study and description of the possible existence of myocardial dysfunction in critically ill patients in our setting who present no acute episode or history of cardiovascular disease., Design: Prospective, descriptive study., Setting: The intensive care unit of a district hospital., Patients and Participants: The study included all patients admitted to the intensive care unit between March 1998 and March 2001 for noncardiac causes and with no history of heart disease, and who underwent echocardiographic examination for electrocardiographic changes, signs of cardiac insufficiency, persistent arrhythmias, or any other indication. Patients with sepsis or other critical illness known to be associated with myocardial dysfunction were excluded from the study. The study was carried out on those selected patients who developed myocardial dysfunction., Measurements and Results: Transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography were carried out to assess the left ventricular ejection fraction and any segmental contractility disturbances. These investigations were carried out within 24 hours of admission, during the first week, during the second or third week, after one month and after three to 6 months. The electrocardiogram was assessed on admission and the changes over time were studied. Thirty-three patients were included in the study after detecting myocardial dysfunction; the median age of these patients was 63 years [range, 23-82 years]. Seven patients died. The median initial left ventricular ejection fraction was 0.34 [range, 0.16-0.48] and improved with time. Segmental contractility disturbances were detected initially in all patients and also normalized with time. All patients presented electrocardiogram changes that normalised in line with the echocardiographic changes., Conclusions: Reversible myocardial dysfunction can be develop in critically ill patients without primary heart disease. This syndrome is associated with systolic dysfunction, segmental contractility disturbances and electrocardiographic changes.

Background and Objective: Our purpose was to determine the prognostic factors of mortality among patients with cardiorespiratory arrest (CRA) assisted by 061 emergency teams in Andalusia., Patients and Method: Retrospective observational study from January 1998 to December 1999 of 1950 cases of out-of-hospital CRA (OH-CRA) assisted by Andalusian 061 emergency teams (ETs). Independent (predictor) variables considered in the study were those defined in the Utstein style, after categorization. The dependent (outcome) variable was out-of-hospital mortality. A multivariate model was constructed using logistic regression to define the factors that, when considered together, predict mortality. The model was calibrated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. For the discrimination of the model, we calculated the area under the ROC curve., Results: The incidence of OH-CRA was 27/100,000. Among our population of 1950 patients, 24.95% (483) were admitted alive to hospital and 75.05% (1444) died in the out-of hospital setting; 1393 patients were male and 552 were female. The mean age was 61.3 28.4 years. The model revealed the following mortality prognostic factors: personnel performing cadiopulmonary resuscitation before ET arrival (healthcare/non-healthcare), presence of defibrillation, number of defibrillations, CRA site, general function categories before CRA, and cardiac massage within the first minute by ET., Conclusions: In order to reduce the CRA-induced mortality in our setting, defibrillation and cardiac massage by ETs must be done without delay. It is fundamental to achieve greater health awareness and education among both the general population and the healthcare workers involved in the survival chain.

Background: The use of generic pharmaceutic specialities (GPS) has risen lately as a necessary tool in the control of sanitary expenses. This use is becoming of high importance, even in the non-medical media. Our aim was to stablish its use profile in patients discharged from a University Hospital., Material and Method: To analyse the use of GPS in 256 discharge reports, randomly chosen from the Clinical Documentation Service, belonging to eight different Units for two months (June-July 2000)., Results: A total of 1233 prescriptions were reported. Among them, there was an equivalent generic drug to the medication prescribed in 220 cases (18%), but only in five ocasions one of them was indicated (2.2%). The cost of the drugs with an equivalent form in GPS was calculated in 707,521 pts. This cost could have been reduced to 505,865 pts. taking into account the average price of the GPS. In case of indicating the cheapest one, the cost could have been 479,672 pts., Conclusions: There is an important proportion of GPS to indicate as an alternative to the usual medicaments prescribed. However, nowadays, the GPS prescription is not a usual practice among the hospital physicians.

Objectives: Study the percentage of clinical successes which have been confirmed by percutaneous hepatic biopsy guided by echography (PHBE) in those diseases which can affect the liver in an Internal Medicine service., Patients and Methods: 78 patients were chosen for this study. All of them were admitted to hospital during the last eight years. Each patient had had a PHBE made regarding clinical, analytical and echographic criteria that were necessary to conclude their diagnostic studies. They were distributed into different groups., Results: Patients could be distributed into five different groups. There was a higher percentage of clinical successes on those who suffered from chronic hepatopathy derived from alcohol-addiction and on those with carcinomatous hepatopathies. When corroborating the diagnosis of clinical suspect, the diagnostic profitability of the biopsy proved to get down in the others groups, depending on it was the group of miscellaneous, dissociate cholestasis and, in the last place, unknownly originated fever., Conclusions: The diversity of diseases which can affect the liver in an Internal Medicine service gives PHBE a particular diagnostic character. The diagnosis of clinical suspect was confirmed in 78.2% of the total of cases that made up the different groups. Therefore, PHBE plays a main role in a large amount of hepatic repercussive diseases that are treated in Internal Medicine services where, despite the clinical suspect, a diagnostic corroboration is often required for a right treatment.

Intracerebral hemorrhages represent about 10% of the whole of vascular cerebral accidents. According to different authors, the incidence of cerebral amyloid angiopathy varies between 5-10% and up to 20-30% of all primary non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhages. This incidence was analyzed in our environment. A retrospective study was carried out on 403 patients, 203 of them were analyzed between 1990-91 and the other 200 between 1992-3. Age, arterial tension, relapses and localization were taken as criteria for a diagnosis. For the statistical analysis, Student's T-test was used for quantitative variables, while square Chi with Yates' correction was used for qualitative variables. Ischemic cerebral accidents (90.5% of the total) are more frequent than hemorrhagic cerebral accidents, which represent 5.7%. 3.7% were not registered. Therefore, it was suspected cerebral amyloid angiopathy in 1.4% of all vascular cerebral accidents. This represents 26.1% of the total of hemorrhagic patients. Different variables from groups of hemorrhagic vascular cerebral accidents were compared to those caused by amyloid cerebral angiopathy and significant statistics were found with respect to localization in the cerebral hemispheres (p < 0.01). Neither age, nor arterial tension or relapses were significant. Amyloid cerebral angiopathy as a cause of hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident is and entity to be considered in the diagnosis of these patients. By using clinical criteria and others of localization through complementary explorations, a diagnosis for guessing such a process can be determined.