Abstract Background Infectious endocarditis (IE) refers to infection of the endocardial surface of the heart and usually occurs in native or prosthetic valves. Objective This study aimed to raise IE data reflecting the surgical therapy in a University Hospital in the interior of the State of Sao Paulo–Brazil. Method Retrospective and observational approach of 328 patients with IE who underwent surgery between 1982 and 2020 Results The main data (n=121/37%), congestive heart failure (n=114/35%), valve disease (n=92/28%), diabetes mellitus (n=85/26%), chronic kidney disease (n=59/18%), and rheumatic fever (49/15%). Renal failure is one of the main and most relevant pre-surgical risk factors for a poor prognosis. Conclusion For a better clinical and surgical outcome, an early syndromic and etiological diagnosis of IE is necessary, especially in patients with multiple comorbidities.

Resumo Fundamento A endocardite infecciosa (EI) refere-se à infecção da superfície endocárdica do coração e geralmente ocorre em valvas nativas ou protéticas. Objetivo Este estudo teve como objetivo levantar dados de EI refletindo a terapêutica cirúrgica, em um Hospital Universitário do interior do estado de São Paulo – Brasil. Método Abordagem retrospectiva e observacional de 328 pacientes com EI operados entre 1982 e 2020 Resultados Os principais dados (n=121/37%), insuficiência cardíaca congestiva (n=114/35%), valvopatia (n=92/28%), diabetes mellitus (n=85/26%), doença renal crônica (n=59/18%) e febre reumática (49/15%). A insuficiência renal é um dos principais e mais relevantes fatores de risco pré-cirúrgicos para um mau prognóstico. Conclusão Para um melhor resultado clínico e cirúrgico é necessário o diagnóstico sindrômico e etiológico precoce da EI, principalmente em pacientes com múltiplas comorbidades.

ABSTRACT Objective: To examine if methylene blue (MB) can counteract or prevent protamine (P) cardiovascular effects. Methods: The protocol included five heparinized pig groups: Group Sham -without any drug; Group MB - MB 3 mg/kg infusion; Group P - protamine; Group P/MB - MB after protamine; Group MB/P - MB before protamine. Nitric oxide levels were obtained by the nitric oxide/ozone chemiluminescence method, performed using the Nitric Oxide Analizer 280i (Sievers, Boulder, CO, USA). Malondialdehyde plasma levels were estimated using the thiobarbiturate technique. Results: 1) Groups Sham and MB presented unchanged parameters; 2) Group P - a) Intravenous protamine infusion caused mean arterial pressure decrease and recovery trend after 25-30 minutes, b) Cardiac output decreased and remained stable until the end of protamine injection, and c) Sustained systemic vascular resistance increased until the end of protamine injection; 3) Methylene blue infusion after protamine (Group P/MB) - a) Marked mean arterial pressure decreased after protamine, but recovery after methylene blue injection, b) Cardiac output decreased after protamine infusion, recovering after methylene blue infusion, and c) Sustained systemic vascular resistance increased after protamine infusion and methylene blue injections; 4) Methylene blue infusion before protamine (Group MB/P) - a) Mean arterial pressure decrease was less severe with rapid recovery, b) After methylene blue, there was a progressive cardiac output increase up to protamine injection, when cardiac output decreased, and c) Sustained systemic vascular resistance decreased after protamine, followed by immediate Sustained systemic vascular resistance increase; 5) Plasma nitrite/nitrate and malondialdehyde values did not differ among the experimental groups. Conclusion: Reviewing these experimental results and our clinical experience, we suggest methylene blue safely prevents and treats hemodynamic protamine complications, from the endothelium function point of view.

Contexto Observa-se relativa falta de estudos sobre nitrito (NO2-) exalado como biomarcador de lesão, após transplante de fígado. Objetivo Verificar possíveis diferenças e correlações entre os níveis de nitrito (NO2-), medido no plasma e condensado do exalado pulmonar de pacientes com cirrose e transplante de fígado. Método Sessenta pacientes adultos, masculinos, idades entre 27 e 67 anos, foram divididos em três grupos: grupo controle composto por 15 voluntários saudáveis, grupo cirrose, composto por 15 voluntários e, grupo de transplante, composto por 30 voluntários. As dosagens plasmáticas e do condensado do exalado pulmonar foram realizadas por quimioluminescência. Resultados A análise os valores de NO2- plasmático não mostrou diferença entre os grupos. As comparações entre grupos cirrose e controle, controle e transplantados e cirrose e transplante não foram significativas. As medidas em amostras de condensado do exalado pulmonar entre os três grupos não evidenciaram diferenças estatísticas. Ao comparar as amostras dos grupos controle e cirrótico, controle e transplantado e cirróticos e transplantados, não houve alterações significativas nas concentrações de NO2-. Conclusão Não foram encontradas correlações entre plasma e condensado do exalado pulmonar, sugerindo que o NO exalado reflete mais as condições respiratórias locais de liberação de NO do que a circulação sistêmica.

Context There is a relative lack of studies about exhaled nitrite (NO2-) concentrations in cirrhotic and transplanted patients. Objective Verify possible differences and correlations between the levels of NO2-, measured in plasma and exhaled breath condensate collected from patients with cirrhosis and liver transplant. Method Sixty adult male patients, aged between 27 and 67 years, were subdivided into three groups: a control group comprised of 15 healthy volunteers, a cirrhosis group composed of 15 volunteers, and a transplant group comprised of 30 volunteers. The NO2- concentrations were measured by chemiluminescence. Results 1) The analysis of plasma NO2- held among the three groups showed no statistical significance. 2) The comparison between cirrhotic and control groups, control and transplanted and cirrhotic and transplanted was not statistically significant. 3) The measurements performed on of NO2- exhaled breath condensate among the three groups showed no statistical difference. 4) When comparing the control group samples and cirrhotic, control and transplanted and cirrhotic and transplanted, there was no significant changes in the concentrations of NO2-. Conclusion No correlations were found between plasma and exhaled NO2-, suggesting that the exhaled NO2- is more reflective of local respiratory NO release than the systemic circulation.

Relatamos o caso de um adolescente encaminhado com o diagnóstico de hipertensão pulmonar. A investigação não invasiva detectou comunicação interatrial seio venoso com sinais de hipertensão pulmonar. No estudo hemodinâmico o diagnóstico foi confirmado, sendo também notada compressão esquerda pelo tronco pulmonar. O paciente foi submetido à oclusão cirúrgica da comunicação interatrial e à plastia redutora do tronco pulmonar. Dois anos após o procedimento, o paciente encontra-se bem, com sinais clínicos e ecocardiográficos de hipertensão pulmonar discreta e sem evidências, também pelo ecocardiograma, de obstrução do tronco da artéria coronária esquerda.

We report the case of an adolescent referred with initial diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension. Non-invasive investigation disclosed a sinus venous atrial septal defect with pulmonary hypertension. The hemodynamic study confirmed diagnosis, and also showed extrinsic compression of left main coronary artery by pulmonary trunk. Surgical closure of the defect in addition to pulmonary trunk plasty were undertaken. Two years after the surgery the patient is well, with clinical signs of mild pulmonary hypertension, and showing no evidence - also on echocardiogram - of left coronary artery trunk obstruction.

OBJETIVO: O presente trabalho clínico foi motivado pela frustrante experiência de quatro pacientes operados para o tratamento cirúrgico da comunicação interatrial tipo ostium secundum (CIA-II), que vieram a falecer em condições extremamente dramáticas. MÉTODO: Estudo retrospectivo embasado em dados de prontuários. As pesquisas bibliográficas incluíram: tromboembolismo paradoxal (cerebral, pulmonar ou mesentérico), malformações vasculares do sistema nervoso central e conexões anômalas das veias cavas. Estas pesquisas da literatura foram embasadas em possíveis eventos, inesperados e catastróficos, que levaram quatro pacientes ao óbito. RESULTADOS: Os quatros pacientes, todos do sexo feminino, foram submetidos a atriosseptorrafia com tempo de parada cardíaca isquêmica inferior a 20 minutos, em circulação extracorpórea. As causas de óbito foram: isquemia intestinal não-oclusiva, ruptura de aneurisma cerebral de artéria comunicante anterior, cor pulmonale com hipertensão arterial e tromboembolismo e um provável tromboembolismo cerebral em uma criança que precisou ser reoperada pela drenagem da veia cava inferior em átrio esquerdo. CONCLUSÃO: A lição final deste trabalho é: "Não subestime a comunicação interatrial em cirurgia cardíaca!".

OBJECTIVE: The present article was motivated by the frustrating experiences with four patients who underwent surgical treatment of ostium secundum atrial septal defect (ASD-II) and who died in extremely dramatic circumstances. METHOD: This is a retrospective study based on clinical data. The bibliographical researche included: paradoxical thromboembolism (cerebral, lung or mesenteric), central nervous system vascular malformations and anomalous vena cava connections. This research was based on possible events, unexpected and catastrophic, that could have directly caused the patients' deaths. RESULTS: All patients were female, the operations were performed under cardiopulmonary bypasses with less than 20 minutes of aortic cross-clamping. The causes of death were: non-occlusive intestinal ischemia, rupture of a cerebral aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery, cor pulmonale associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension and thromboembolism and probable cerebral thromboembolism in a child that needed to be reoperated to correct anomalous inferior vena cava drainage into the left atrium. CONCLUSION: Even being technically easy to treat, death due to atrial septal defects in extremely dramatic circumstances is possible, so "Do not underestimate the atrial septal in congenital heart surgery".

Apresenta-se a história e a evolução de uma paciente no qual o seio coronariano foi lesado e, imediatamente, reconstruído através do anel valvar mitral. O acidente cirúrgico aconteceu durante a instrumentação para remoção de uma prótese biológica degenerada. Uma quase completa lesão da artéria coronária circunflexa foi a primeira impressão. Um calibrador coronariano foi distalmente detectado dentro do átrio direito, mostrando tratar-se de uma lesão do seio coronariano. A correção cirúrgica foi realizada por sutura contínua com fio de polipropileno 7-0 através do anel valvar. Uma angiografia, realizada após 14 meses, mostrou apenas discreto estreitamento do seio coronariano no local da sutura, observando-se a fase venosa de uma arteriografia seletiva da artéria coronária descendente anterior. Os autores acreditam que a simples ligadura ou a reconstrução do seio coronariano, na condição iatrogênica apresentada, é motivo para especulações.

We report a case and evolution of a patient in whom the coronary sinus was damaged and reconstructed through the mitral annulus. The surgical accident happened during a degenerated biological valve prosthesis instrumentation. An almost complete left circumflex coronary artery division was our first hypothesis. A coronary probe introduced through the vascular injury was distally detected inside the right atrium confirming a coronary sinus lesion. The surgical correction was performed using running polypropylene 7-0 sutures through the mitral ring. After fourteen months, a coronary sinus angiographic image was taking observing the venous phase of selective left coronary arteriography. The image demonstrated an acceptable narrowing of the local venous repair. In our opinion the single coronary sinus division or its repair, in this iatrogenic situation, is a matter of speculation.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether arginine vasopressin releases endothelium-derived nitric oxide (EDNO) from the epicardial coronary artery. METHODS: We studied segments of canine left circumflex coronary arteries suspended in organ chambers to measure isometric force. The coronary artery segments were contracted with prostaglandin F2alpha (2 x 10-6M) and exposed to a unique, strong arginine vasopressin concentration (10-6M) or titrated concentrations (10-9 a 10-5 M). RESULTS: The unique dose of arginine vasopressin concentration (10-6M) induced transient, but significant (p<0.05), relaxation in arterial segments with endothelium, and an increase, not significant, in tension in arteries without endothelium. Endothelium-dependent relaxation to arginine vasopressin was inhibited by Ng-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA, 10-5M) or N G-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG) (10-4M), 2 inhibitors of nitric oxide synthesis from L-arginine. Exogenous L-arginine (10-4M), but not D-arginine (10-4M), reversed the inhibitory effect of L-NMMA on vasopressin-mediated vasorelaxation. Endothelium dependent relaxation to vasopressin was also reversibly inhibited by the vasopressin V1-receptor blocker d(CH2)5Try(Me) arginine vasopressin (10-6M) (n=6, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Vasopressin acts through V1 endothelial receptors to stimulate nitric oxide release from L-arginine.