OBJECTIVE: To test the hypotheses that 1) coronary artery disease patients with lower aerobic fitness exhibit a lower ventilatory efficiency and 2) coronary artery disease patients with lower initial aerobic fitness exhibit greater improvements in ventilatory efficiency with aerobic exercise training. METHOD: A total of 123 patients (61.0±0.7 years) with coronary artery disease were divided according to aerobic fitness status into 3 groups: group 1 (n = 34, peak VO2<17.5 ml/kg/min), group 2 (n = 67, peak VO2>17.5 and <24.5 ml/kg/min) and group 3 (n = 22, peak VO2>24.5 ml/kg/min). All patients performed a cardiorespiratory exercise test on a treadmill. Ventilatory efficiency was determined by the lowest VE/VCO2 ratio observed. The exercise training program comprised moderate-intensity aerobic exercise performed 3 times per week for 3 months. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02106533 RESULTS: Before intervention, group 1 exhibited both lower peak VO2 and lower ventilatory efficiency compared with the other 2 groups (p<0.05). After the exercise training program, group 1 exhibited greater improvements in aerobic fitness and ventilatory efficiency compared with the 2 other groups (group 1: ▵ = -2.5±0.5 units; group 2: ▵ = -0.8±0.3 units; and group 3: ▵ = -1.4±0.6 units, respectively; p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Coronary artery disease patients with lower aerobic fitness status exhibited lower ventilatory efficiency during a graded exercise test. In addition, after 3 months of aerobic exercise training, only the patients with initially lower levels of aerobic fitness exhibited greater improvements in ventilatory efficiency.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate angiotensin receptor blocker add-on therapy in patients with low cardiac output during decompensated heart failure. METHODS: We selected patients with decompensated heart failure, low cardiac output, dobutamine dependence, and an ejection fraction <0.45 who were receiving an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor. The patients were randomized to losartan or placebo and underwent invasive hemodynamic and B-type natriuretic peptide measurements at baseline and on the seventh day after intervention. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01857999. RESULTS: We studied 10 patients in the losartan group and 11 patients in the placebo group. The patient characteristics were as follows: age 52.7 years, ejection fraction 21.3%, dobutamine infusion 8.5 mcg/kg.min, indexed systemic vascular resistance 1918.0 dynes.sec/cm5.m2, cardiac index 2.8 L/min.m2, and B-type natriuretic peptide 1,403 pg/mL. After 7 days of intervention, there was a 37.4% reduction in the B-type natriuretic peptide levels in the losartan group compared with an 11.9% increase in the placebo group (mean difference, -49.1%; 95% confidence interval: -88.1 to -9.8%, p = 0.018). No significant difference was observed in the hemodynamic measurements. CONCLUSION: Short-term add-on therapy with losartan reduced B-type natriuretic peptide levels in patients hospitalized for decompensated severe heart failure and low cardiac output with inotrope dependence.

FUNDAMENTO: A avaliação clínico-hemodinâmica à beira do leito e o uso do cateter de artéria pulmonar para a estimativa de dados hemodinâmicos têm sido utilizados na insuficiência cardíaca descompensada. Entretanto, não existem dados com o uso da monitorização hemodinâmica contínua não invasiva. OBJETIVO: Comparar as medidas obtidas com a monitorização hemodinâmica não invasiva com as invasivas em pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca descompensada e refratária ao tratamento. MÉTODOS: As medidas hemodinâmicas não invasivas foram obtidas através da monitorização contínua da pressão arterial sistêmica pelo modelo de ondas de pulso (modelflow) e foram comparadas com as medidas obtidas pela passagem do cateter de artéria pulmonar, simultaneamente. RESULTADOS: Foram realizadas 56 medidas em 14 pacientes estudados em dias e horários diferentes. O índice de correlação entre as medidas da pressão arterial sistólica foi de r = 0,26 (IC 95% = 0,00 a 0,49, p = 0,0492) e da diastólica de r = 0,50 (IC 95% = 0,27 a 0,67, p < 0,0001). A correlação foi de r = 0,55 (IC 95% = 0,34 a 0,71, p 0,0001) para o índice cardíaco e de r = 0,32 (IC 95% = 0,06 a 0,53, p = 0,0178) para a resistência vascular sistêmica. CONCLUSÃO: Houve correlação entre as medidas hemodinâmicas não invasivas quando comparadas às medidas do cateter de artéria pulmonar. A monitorização hemodinâmica contínua não invasiva pode ser útil para pacientes internados com insuficiência cardíaca descompensada.

BACKGROUND: The clinical and hemodynamic assessment at the bedside and the use of pulmonary artery catheter for the estimation of hemodynamic data have been used in decompensated heart failure. However, there are no data on the use of continuous noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring. OBJECTIVE: To compare the data obtained through noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring with invasive ones in patients with decompensated heart failure and refractory to treatment. METHODS: The non-invasive hemodynamic measurements were obtained through continuous monitoring of systemic blood pressure by the pulse wave model (Modelflow) and compared with measurements obtained by the passage of a pulmonary artery catheter, simultaneously. RESULTS: A total of 56 measurements were performed in 14 patients studied on different days and time periods. The correlation index between systolic blood pressure measurements was r = 0.26 (95% CI = 0.00 to 0.49, p = 0.0492) and diastolic ones, r = 0.50 (95% CI = 0.27 to 0.67, p <0.0001). The correlation was r = 0.55 (95% CI = 0.34 to 0.71, p <0.0001) for cardiac index and r = 0.32 (95% CI = 0.06 to 0 53, p = 0.0178) for systemic vascular resistance. CONCLUSION: There was a correlation between the hemodynamic measurements when compared to noninvasive pulmonary artery catheter measurements. The continuous noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring may be useful for hospitalized patients with decompensated heart failure.

Avaliamos o caso de uma paciente portadora de fibroelastoma papilífero (FEP) que apresentou embolização para membro superior direito. A paciente foi submetida à embolectomia percutânea, com retirada do fragmento. O diagnóstico foi confirmado por ecocardiograma transtorácico e exame anatomopatológico. Optou-se pelo tratamento clínico conservador e acompanhamento da paciente, que mostrou boa evolução e não teve recorrência do quadro até o momento. Aproveitamos esse raro e interessante caso na intenção de revisar a literatura vigente e discutir a melhor conduta terapêutica.

We evaluated the case of a patient with Papillary Fibroelastoma (PFE) that presented embolization to the upper right limb. The patient was submitted to percutaneous embolectomy, with fragment removal. The diagnosis was confirmed by transthoracic echocardiogram and anatomopathological analysis of the fragment. The patient chose to undergo the conservative clinical treatment and the follow-up has shown good evolution with no disease recurrence to date. We decided to use this rare and interesting case with the objective of reviewing the current literature and discuss the best therapeutic management.

Evaluamos el caso de una paciente portadora de fibroelastoma papilar (FEP) que presentó embolización para miembro superior derecho. La paciente fue sometida a embolectomía percutánea, con retirada del fragmento. El diagnóstico fue confirmado por ecocardiograma transtoracico y examen anatomopatológico. Se optó por el tratamiento clínico conservador y seguimiento de la paciente, que mostró la buena evolución y no tuvo recurrencia del cuadro hasta el momento. Aprovechamos este raro e interesante caso en la intención de revisar la literatura vigente y discutir la mejor conducta terapéutica.