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In an HF outpatient clinic, B-lines were significantly correlated with more established parameters of decompensation. A B-line ≥15 cutoff could be considered for a quick and reliable assessment of decompensation in outpatients with HF.

Introduction. Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) has a deleterious clinical impact in end-stage liver disease, and multidrug resistance has increased, raising concern about effectiveness of traditional antibiotic regimens. Patients and Methods. Single-center retrospective study of ascitic fluid infections in cirrhotic patients. Results. We analyzed medical records related to 2129 culture-positive ascitic fluid and found 183 samples from cirrhotic patients. There were 113 monobacterial SBP cases from 97 cirrhotic patients; 57% of patients were male; hepatitis C and alcohol were the main etiologies for cirrhosis. Multidrug resistant bacteria were isolated in 46.9% of SBP samples, and third-generation cephalosporin and quinolone resistant reached 38.9% and 25.7% of SBP cases. Conclusion. SBP due to multidrug resistant bacteria is a growing problem, and one should consider reported resistance profiles for the decision-making process of empirical first-line treatment prescription.

BackgroundRisk stratification of a syncopal episode is necessary to better differentiate patients needing hospitalization of those who can be safely sent home from the emergency department. Currently there are no strict guidelines from our Brazilian medical societies to guide the cardiologist that evaluate patients in an emergency setting.ObjectivesTo analyze the criteria adopted for defining the need for hospitalization and compare them with the predictors of high risk for adverse outcome defined by the OESIL score that is already validated in the medical literature for assessing syncope.MethodsA cross-sectional study of patients diagnosed with syncope during emergency department evaluation at our institution in the year 2011.ResultsOf the 46,476 emergency visits made in that year, 216 were due to syncope. Of the 216 patients analyzed, 39% were hospitalized. The variables associated with the need of hospital admission were - having health care insurance, previous known cardiovascular disease, no history of prior stroke, previous syncope and abnormal electrocardiograms during the presentation. Patients classified in OESIL scores of 0-1 had a greater chance of emergency discharge; 2-3 scores showed greater association with the need of hospitalization. A score ≥ 2 OESIL provided an odds ratio 7.8 times higher for hospitalization compared to score 0 (p <0.001, 95% CI:4,03-15,11). In approximately 39% no etiological cause for syncope was found and in 18% cardiac cause was identified.ConclusionsFactors such as cardiovascular disease, prior history of syncope, health insurance, no previous stroke and abnormal electrocardiograms, were the criteria used by doctors to indicate hospital admission. There was a good correlation between the clinical judgment and the OESIL criteria for high risk described in literature.

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CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Occurrences of asymptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) are common. It is important to identify AF because it increases morbidity and mortality. 24-hour Holter has been used to detect paroxysmal AF (PAF). The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between occurrence of PAF in 24-hour Holter and the symptoms of the population studied. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study conducted at a cardiology hospital. METHODS: 11,321 consecutive 24-hour Holter tests performed at a referral service were analyzed. Patients with pacemakers or with AF throughout the recording were excluded. RESULTS: There were 75 tests (0.67%) with PAF. The mean age was 67 ± 13 years and 45% were female. The heart rate (HR) over the 24 hours was a minimum of 45 ± 8 bpm, mean of 74 ± 17 bpm and maximum of 151 ± 32 bpm. Among the tests showing PAF, only 26% had symptoms. The only factor tested that showed a correlation with symptomatic AF was maximum HR (165 ± 34 versus 147 ± 30 bpm) (P = 0.03). Use of beta blockers had a protective effect against occurrence of PAF symptoms (odds ratio: 0.24, P = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: PAF is a rare event in 24-hour Holter. The maximum HR during the 24 hours was the only factor correlated with symptomatic AF, and use of beta blockers had a protective effect against AF symptom occurrence. RESUMO

Brugada syndrome (BrS) is associated with increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. Some drugs can trigger the electrocardiographic and arrhythmic manifestations of this syndrome. Cold medicines for symptom relief are sold without prescription in Brazil and most contain antihistamines and adrenergic agonists. We report a case of BrS probably triggered by the use of such medication.

A 41-year-old woman diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension presented symptoms despite the use of vasodilators, requiring treatment with bosentan. Previously, the patient had no signs of autoimmunity and had normal liver function. After three years of bosentan use, aminotransferase levels increased, without improvement after bosentan suspension, leading to complementary investigation. The diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis was confirmed by biopsy, already in the stage of cirrhosis. In conclusion, in case of aminotransferase levels that remain persistently elevated, despite the reduction in doses and/or suspension of bosentan, autoimmune hepatitis must be investigated and treated urgently due to possibly rapid progression to cirrhosis..