[Clinical, electrical and echocardiographic characteristics of patients with advanced interatrial block].

El haz de Bachmann se compone de un conjunto de fibras miocárdicas paralelas y especializadas, responsables del 80% de la conducción interauricular. Discurre por las paredes anterosuperiores auriculares, y su afectación da lugar al bloqueo interauricular (BIA); éste puede ser: a) parcial (BIA-p) si la conducción está retrasada (en el ECG produce una onda P ≥ 120 ms) o b) avanzado (BIA-a) si está del todo interrumpida y la despolarización auricular izquierda (AI) ocurre en dirección retrógrada caudocraneal (la onda P es ≥ 120 ms y bifásica +/- en las derivaciones inferiores II, III y VF)1.

Peritumoral immune infiltrates in primary tumours are not associated with the presence of axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The axillary lymph nodes (ALNs) in breast cancer patients are the body regions to where tumoral cells most often first disseminate. The tumour immune response is important for breast cancer patient outcome, and some studies have evaluated its involvement in ALN metastasis development. Most studies have focused on the intratumoral immune response, but very few have evaluated the peritumoral immune response.

Differential characteristics of the typical and atypical advanced interatrial block.

Objetivo: Se denomina bloqueo interauricular avanzado (BIA) a la existencia de una onda P ≥ 120 ms y bifásica +/- en las derivaciones inferiores (II-III-VF) del electrocardiograma (ECG) de superficie, el cual constituye un factor predictivo significativo del desarrollo de fibrilación auricular. En fecha reciente se han descrito cuatro patrones de BIA atípicos (BIA-At) con base en la morfología y la duración de la onda P, sin conocer si comparten patogenia y características clínicas similares.

MÉtodo: Estudio observacional, descriptivo y retrospectivo de pacientes, visitados en el Servicio de Cardiología, en ritmo sinusal y con BIA.

[Competence of triage nurses in hospital emergency departments].

Objectives: To identify associations between sociodemographic characteristics variables and competence levels of triage nurses in hospital emergency departments.

Material And Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional, multicenter study of triage nurses in hospital emergency departments in the southwestern area of Catalonia (Ebre River territory). We used an instrument for evaluating competencies (the COM_VA questionnaire) and recording sociodemographic variables (age, sex, total work experience, emergency department experience, training in critical patient care and triage) and perceived confidence when performing triage.

[Sigmoid septum: A variant of the ventricular hypertrophy or of the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?].

Objective: Sigmoid septum and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy presenting with left ventricular hypertrophy and, although they appear to be different entities, often involve problems in the differential diagnosis. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence and characteristics of the echocardiographic sigmoid septum and its differential findings regarding hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Methods: Descriptive, observational and prospective study.

[Frequency of kidney failure in cardiologic patients: the need to search].

Background: Chronic kidney disease is a major health problem since it is associated with a high cardiovascular risk, total morbidity and mortality, increasing prevalence and high cost treatment.

Aim: To assess the frequency of chronic kidney disease among patients consulting in a cardiology clinic.

Material And Methods: Cross-sectional assessment of 649 patients attended at a cardiology clinic.

Repeated serum creatinine measurement in primary care: Not all patients have chronic renal failure.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of kidney failure in patients from a primary care centre in a basic healthcare district with laboratory availability allowing serum creatinine measurements.

Design: An observational descriptive cross-sectional study.

Data Sources: A basic healthcare district serving 23,807 people aged ≥ 18 years.

Effectiveness of Three Types of Interventions in Patients with Fibromyalgia in a Region of Southern Catalonia.

Several pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments can be used to alleviate the symptoms of fibromyalgia, although none of them are completely effective at present. In this study, we analyzed the effectiveness of different therapies in three groups of people diagnosed with fibromyalgia. The sample for this randomized controlled trial was made up of 66 people diagnosed with fibromyalgia in southern Catalonia.

[Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm by means of transthoracic echocardiography].

Introduction And Objectives: The increasing incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), mainly due to the aging population, and its mortality of 85-90% in the event of rupture justify opting for early diagnosis and elective treatment to repair it. The main aim of this paper is to analyze the utility of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in the study of infrarenal aorta and AAA screening.

Methods: The study included 512 patients (309 men and 203 women) consecutively assessed by TTE and, where possible, abdominal ultrasound for any reason in a cardiology department.

Prolymphocytic leukaemia and Hodgkin's lymphoma.

We describe a case of B-prolymphocytic leukaemia (B-PLL) who, following a long-lasting remission with fluradabine, developed a Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) with bone marrow involvement. A 75-yr-old male was found to have a lymphocytosis [white blood cell (WBC) count = 146 x 10(9) L(-1)], small volume axillary lymphadenopathy, and hepatosplenomegaly. The majority of circulating lymphocytes had a round nucleus and prominent single nucleolus.