The study of anaphylaxis mortality using secondary data requires the use of information derived from the underlying as well as from the contributing causes-of-death fields. Coding definitions should be standardized with a view of enabling trend analyses and international comparisons. The ICD-11 revision is a unique opportunity to improve the coding system so as to facilitate epidemiological studies of anaphylaxis mortality. Educational interventions targeted at improving the quality of death certificate completion are urgently needed.

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Meningiomas of the third ventricle are rare intracranial neoplasms. We reported such a case in a 42 years old man without clinical evidence of increased intracranial pressure. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated the tumour sitting in the superior and anterior part of the third ventricle, bulging into the lateral ventricles. CT was more effective than MRI in the demonstration of calcifications whereas MRI proved to be superior in delineation of the tumour and its relation with surrounding structures.

BNP correlates with clinical endpoints more than inflammatory markers and can be used as a predictor of early outcome after heart surgery.

BackgroundIt is well known that the occurrence of bleeding increases in-hospital mortality in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), and there is a good correlation between bleeding risk scores and bleeding incidence. However, the role of bleeding risk score as mortality predictor is poorly studied.ObjectiveThe main purpose of this paper was to analyze the role of bleeding risk score as in-hospital mortality predictor in a cohort of patients with ACS treated in a single cardiology tertiary center.MethodsOut of 1,655 patients with ACS (547 with ST-elevation ACS and 1,118 with non-ST-elevation ACS), we calculated the ACUITY/HORIZONS bleeding score prospectively in 249 patients and retrospectively in the remaining 1,416. Mortality information and hemorrhagic complications were also obtained.ResultsAmong the mean age of 64.3 ± 12.6 years, the mean bleeding score was 18 ± 7.7. The correlation between bleeding and mortality was highly significant (p < 0.001, OR = 5.296), as well as the correlation between bleeding score and in-hospital bleeding (p < 0.001, OR = 1.058), and between bleeding score and in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR = 1.121, p < 0.001, area under the ROC curve 0.753, p < 0.001). The adjusted OR and area under the ROC curve for the population with ST-elevation ACS were, respectively, 1.046 (p = 0.046) and 0.686 ± 0.040 (p < 0.001); for non-ST-elevation ACS the figures were, respectively, 1.150 (p < 0.001) and 0.769 ± 0.036 (p < 0.001).ConclusionsBleeding risk score is a very useful and highly reliable predictor of in-hospital mortality in a wide range of patients with acute coronary syndromes, especially in those with unstable angina or non-ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction.

Objectives: Community members should be trained so that witnesses of cardiac arrests are able to trigger the emergency system and perform adequate resuscitation. In this study, the authors evaluated the results of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training of communities in four Brazilian cities, using personal resuscitation manikins. Methods:In total, 9,200 manikins were distributed in Apucarana, Itanha em, Maringá, and São Carlos, which are cities where the populations range from 80,000 to 325,000 inhabitants. Elementary and secondary school teachers were trained on how to identify a cardiac arrest, trigger the emergency system, and perform chest compressions. The teachers were to transfer the training to their students, who would then train their families and friends.Results: In total, 49,131 individuals were trained (6.7% of the population), but the original strategy of using teachers and students as multipliers was responsible for only 27.9% of the training. A total of 508 teachers were trained, and only 88 (17.3%) transferred the training to the students. Furthermore, the students have trained only 45 individuals of the population. In Maringá and São Carlos, the strategy was changed and professionals in the primary health care system were prepared and used as multipliers. This strategy proved extremely effective, especially in Maringá, where 39,041 individuals were trained (79.5% of the total number of trainings). Community health care providers were more effective in passing the training to students than the teachers (odds ratio [OR] = 7.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.74 to 10.69; p < 0.0001).Conclusions: Instruction of CPR using personal manikins by professionals in the primary health care system seems to be a more efficient strategy for training the community than creating a training network in the schools.ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2014;21:886-891