[Right ventricular assistance with a centrifugal pump. Report of two cases].

Acute right ventricular failure after cardiac surgery occurring in the first postoperative hours is associated with a bad prognosis. We have used a centrifugal pump either for left, right or biventricular assistance. However, the use of this device for pure right ventricular assistance is rare.

[Cyclosporine-induced gingival hyperplasia: report of one case].

Gingival enlargement can be an adverse effect of cyclosporine A and nifedipine use. It has a high relapse rate if the drugs are not discontinued. There is a genetic predisposition to the development of this condition and dental biofilm can also play a role.

[Usefulness of thrombolytic therapy with low doses of streptokinase in acute myocardial infarction].

Background: The optimal dose of Streptokinase in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction is not well established. Apparently, the thrombolytic efficacy would not increase with doses over 750,000 units.

Aim: To compare the effectiveness and safety of treatment with low doses of Streptokinase, ranging from 500,000 to 750,000 units, in patients with ST elevation acute myocardial infarction.

[Global respiratory failure as the presentation form of hypothyroidism. Report of one case].

We report a 36 years male, admitted to the hospital for progressive respiratory failure. Chest X ray and CT scan were normal. On admission, a severe bradycardia and slow intellectual activity were noted.

[Peri-ileostomic pyoderma gangrenosum. Report of one case].

We report a 39 years old woman with Ulcerative Colitis unresponsive to medical treatment. A total colectomy with Brooke ileostomy was performed, as the first operation. After six weeks she developed a peri-ileostomic Pyoderma Gangrenosum.

[Impact of regulatory measures in the trends of community consumption of antibiotics in Chile].

Background: The indiscriminate use of antibiotics increases the appearance of bacterial resistance and forces the use of more expensive alternatives. The Chilean Ministry of Health is regulating the consumption of antibiotics since September 1999. These regulatory measures restricted the sale of antibiotics only when these were prescribed by an MD or an DS.

[Intravenous multi vitamin formulation to use in pediatric total parenteral nutrition].

Background: No intravenous multivitamin formulation is available at the Chilean market that fulfills the requirements of pediatric patients on total parenteral nutrition. Therefore, adult formulations must be used.

Aim: To prepare a parenteral aqueous multivitamin solution, to be used in pediatric patients.

[Early erythropoietin use for the prevention of anemia in infant premature].

Background: Anemia is common among very low birth weight newborns and requires frequent blood transfusions. Erythropoietin was been reported to be useful in the prevention of this anemia.

Aim: To assess the benefits of early (before the third week of life) Human recombinant Erythropoietin (r-EPO) administration to reduce the requirement of blood transfusions in very low birth weight newborns.

[Amiodarone induced retrobulbar neuritis. Clinical case].

We report a 66 years old male, with an ophtalmologic history of long sightedness, admitted to the hospital due to paroxysmal atrial fibrillation crises in the context of a coronary heart disease. He was treated with i.v.

[Wernicke's encephalopathy as a complication of chronic hemodialysis: report of one case].

Wernicke encephalopathy, due to the depletion of thiamine, can be a complication of chronic hemodialysis. We report a 43 years old diabetic male in chronic hemodialysis, who two weeks after an infra-condyleal amputation of his left leg, was admitted to the hospital due to an episode of vomiting and abdominal pain lasting 5 days, where confusion and ocular motor signs appeared. Parenteral thiamine administration was started and the confusional state abated.

[Acute kidney failure in patients with and without sepsis: prognosis and clinical course].

The purpose of this prospective study was to determine whether the course and prognosis of acute renal failure (ARF) in patients with and without sepsis are different. Two hundred fifty-two (8%) of 3086 consecutive patients admitted to a medical-surgical intensive care unit (ICU) developed ARE. One hundred forty-nine (59%) were septic and 103 (41%) were non-septic.

[APS-2: comparative study on populations of critical patients in Chile, United States and New Zealand].

Between 1988 and 1991, the Acute Physiologic Score (APS-2) was applied to 1000 critically ill patients admitted to an intensive care unit of a general hospital in Chile. Its predictive capacity was assessed and compared with two series from United States and New Zealand. The mean admission APS-2 in Chilean patients was 12.

[Translaparoscopic surgical experience in the Dr. Gustavo Fricke Hospital].

The experience of 160 translaparoscopic surgical patients with gynecological pathologic is described. The advantages and disadvantages of this technique are discussed as well as the future developments which indicate that it will replace the classical surgery by laparotomy.

[Cardiac transplantation: economizing cyclosporin A by including ketoconazole in the immunosuppressive schedule].

Use of cyclosporin A has improved survival in patients submitted to cardiac transplantation. However, high cost of cyclosporin poses a problem for many patients in Chile. Ketoconazole is able to reduce hepatic metabolism of cyclosporin and thus prolong therapeutic levels.

[Numerical taxonomy of Staphylococci isolated from clinical samples].

A taxonomic study of 82 strains of Staphylococci and 6 reference samples isolated from clinical cases was carried out. Results of 47 phenotype tests were submitted to a numerical analysis using the similarity coefficient of Sokal and Michener and a grouping technique (UPGMA). Based on a 75 similarity level, 4 phenons were identified.

[Analysis of cesarean section indication at a center for active management of labor].

Since 1985, when active management of labor was introduced at Hospital Dr. Gustavo Fricke, a significative decrease of cesarean section delivery has been observed. In 918 women operated on between October 1987 and March 1989, the main indication was as follow: elective cesarean section, repeated section, fetal distress in labor and abnormal lying of the fetus with an incidence of 31.