Applicability of heart failure clinical practice guidelines in low- and middle-income countries.

Aims: Clinical practice guidelines are commonly written by professional societies in high-income countries (HIC) with limited anticipation of implementation obstacles in other environments. We used heart failure (HF) guidelines as a paradigm to examine this concern, by conducting a survey to understand clinicians' ability to implement HF guidelines and their perceptions of the current HF guideline applicability in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).

Methods And Results: An online survey of physicians in the database of the Translational Medicine Academy who treat HF patients was offered by email from 5 October to 27 November 2023, inquiring of participants' demographic information, experience, and views of HF guidelines as related to their practice.

Cryobiopsy as a Diagnostic Tool in Lung Transplantation: A Case Report.

Lung transplantation is an option for patients with advanced lung pathologies. Transbronchial biopsies are routinely conducted during the first year to manage acute rejection episodes, with chronic rejection, particularly bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, becoming a significant concern thereafter. A 34-year-old patient with a diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia was admitted to the emergency room due to a severe exacerbation that caused mixed respiratory failure.

Periareolar Incision for Endoscopic Cardiac Surgery: How to Do It?

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) has demonstrated its efficacy in diminishing postoperative pain, accelerating early recovery, and facilitating a prompt return to daily activities. Notably, the periareolar incision has gained prominence owing to its superior cosmesis. This article elucidates the procedural details for implementing periareolar incision access in MICS and providing insights into its technique and applications.

Intercostal Lung Hernias Presenting After Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery.

Introduction: With the introduction of minimally invasive cardiac surgery, more commonly cases of lung herniation are starting to appear. Acquired lung hernias are classified as postoperative, traumatic, pathologic, and spontaneous. Up to 83% of lung hernias are intercostal.

Microbiological performance and adherence in blood culture protocols: The role of a second anaerobic bottle.

Background: Bacteremia represents high rates of morbidity and mortality, especially in developing countries, highlighting the need for a diagnostic method that allows prompt and appropriate patient treatment. This study compared microbiological performance and adherence of two blood culture protocols for the diagnosis of bacteremia.

Methods: Quasi-experimental study conducted between June 2022 and February 2023.

Suppurative Thyroiditis: Coinfection by Nocardia spp. and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in an Immunocompromised Patient.

Suppurative thyroiditis is a rare entity with a low incidence in thyroid diseases, manifesting with pain, fever, dysphagia, and dysphonia. Its infrequency is explained by the thyroid gland's resistance to infections due to its encapsulated position, high blood flow, bactericidal action of iodine, and extensive lymphatic network. We present the first report in the literature of a 72-year-old woman with a history of inflammatory myopathy and immunosuppression diagnosed with suppurative thyroiditis co-infected with Nocardia spp.

High-Resolution Ultrasound for Complications of Botulinum Toxin Use: A Case Series and Literature Review.

Botulinum toxin (BTX) has revolutionized both aesthetic and therapeutic medicine by selectively inhibiting acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction, inducing localized muscle relaxation. However, its use can be associated with various complications. As a diagnostic modality, high-resolution ultrasound can better characterize these complications.

Understanding Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) and Its Impact on Quality of Life: A Systematic Review.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a common vestibular disorder characterized by brief episodes of vertigo triggered by specific head movements. Despite its short duration, BPPV significantly impacts the quality of life. A comprehensive search of electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, was performed to gather peer-reviewed articles, clinical trials, and review articles published between 2014 and 2024.

Cardiothoracic surgery training in Africa: History and developments.

Objective: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally, responsible for 17.5 million deaths each year, 80% of which occur in low- and middle-income countries, including countries in Africa. Cardiothoracic surgery, with its heavy financial outlay, is unavailable in many African countries.

Low-Cost Innovations in Global Cardiac Surgery.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, costing the lives of 18 million people annually, with up to one-third being attributable to cardiac surgical conditions. Approximately 6 billion people do not have access to safe, timely, and affordable cardiac surgery, predominantly affecting populations living in low-middle income countries. Cardiac surgical care is costly, resulting in few centers in variable-resource contexts operating continuously or with the resources observed in higher-resource environments.

Type 2 diabetes in latin America: recommendations on the flash glucose monitoring system.

Objective: To establish recommendations through the consensus of a Latin American experts panel on the use of the flash glucose monitoring system (fCGM) in people living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) regarding the benefits and challenges of using the fCGM.

Methods: An executive committee of experts was created, comprised by a panel of fifteen physicians, including endocrinologists and internal medicine physicians, with expertise in management of adult patients with T2DM. The experts were from various countries: Colombia, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil.

Device-Associated Infections in COVID-19 Patients: Frequency of Resistant Bacteria, Predictors and Mortality in Medellín, Colombia.

Introduction: Increased antimicrobial use during the COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about the spread of resistant bacteria. This study analyzed the frequency of device-associated infections (DAI) caused by resistant bacteria, the predictors of these infections, and 30-day all-cause mortality in patients with and without COVID-19.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on DAI patients admitted to the ICU (intensive care unit) in 20 hospitals in Medellin, Colombia (2020-2021).

Meniscocapsular release technique to reduce chronic and challenging bucket-handle meniscus tear.

Several surgical procedures for the repair of bucket handle meniscus tears have been reported in the literature. However, even the most skilled surgeon can find it difficult to treat chronic and locked lesions, which typically result in meniscectomies. Therefore, a repair method for bucket-handle meniscus tears that are chronic and locked is shown, along with a case series where this procedure was used.

Characterization of cornea donors at a tissue center in the city of Medellin, Colombia.

The cornea transplant is considered the most frequently performed type of transplant in the world, with a demand that has been increasing in recent years. An observational descriptive study was conducted, focusing on the ocular tissue extracted from cadaveric donors from January 2019 to December 2021 at the Red Cross Eye Bank in Medellin, Colombia. This is the first epidemiological characterization of corneal donor tissues within the eye banks of our city, where high rates of violence-related deaths explain that tissue donors are mostly young individuals.

Interatrial Septum Stenting for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome in Ex Utero Intrapartum Therapy.

Patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) with intact atrial septum have an increased mortality rate. This presentation occurs in 6% to 10% of cases. We present a patient with fetal diagnosis of HLHS with restrictive atrial septum.

Evaluation of a telehealth program for high-risk pregnancy in a health service provider institution.

Introduction: eHealth offers a solution to current challenges in maternal health. Telemonitoring can rethink antenatal care, achieving more personalized medicine, especially in high-obstetric risk conditions. A home care model mediated by the development of a mobile and web application that seeks support in clinical decision-making was created in our institution.

Fontan surgery failure: risk factors and experience in a Colombian reference centre.

Background: The Fontan procedure is considered one of the most remarkable achievements in paediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery. Its final anatomical objective is a venous return through the superior and inferior vena cava. The complications inherent to this procedure and subsequent failure are its limitations.

What Do We Know About Heart Failure in Latin American Women?

Data about heart failure in Latin America is scarce. Women living in this region of the world are exposed to a mix of traditional risk factors for heart failure, neglected diseases, and social determinants of health. The aim of this review is to present what we know about heart failure in Latin American women and to establish the needs for future research.

Novel surgical technique for soft tissue distal avulsion of the anterior cruciate ligament: Technical note.

The most popular surgical treatment for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries is reconstruction. However, different native tissue preservation and repair techniques have recently become popular. Among the different types of ACL injuries, the least frequent is the tibial-sided soft-tissue avulsion type.

Doxorubicin Interaction with Lipid Monolayers Leads to Decreased Membrane Stiffness when Experiencing Compression-Expansion Dynamics.

Physical membrane models permit to study and quantify the interactions of many external molecules with monitored and simplified systems. In this work, we have constructed artificial Langmuir single-lipid monolayers with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE), dipalmitoylphosphatidylserine (DPPS), or sphingomyelin to resemble the main lipid components of the mammalian cell membranes. We determined the collapse pressure, minimum area per molecule, and maximum compression modulus () from surface pressure measurements in a Langmuir trough.

Mechanisms of Action of Fruit and Vegetable Phytochemicals in Colorectal Cancer Prevention.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide and its incidence is expected to increase by almost 80% by 2030. CRC apparition is related to poor diet, mainly due to low consumption of phytochemicals present in fruits and vegetables. Hence, this paper reviews the most promising phytochemicals in the literature, presenting scientific evidence regarding potential CRC chemopreventive effects.

ST‑segment elevation associated with intraparenchymal hemorrhage: A case report.

The electrocardiogram (ECG) changes in patients with intraparenchymal hemorrhage (IPH) have remained largely elusive and no case reports are currently available in the scientific literature. The medical management of a patient with ST-segment elevation associated with IPH was described in the present study. The case report describes a 78-year-old male patient who presented with ST-segment elevation in V1, V2, V3 and V4 on ECG.

Twenty-Five Years of Lung Transplantation in Medellín: Overcoming the Challenges of an Emerging Country.

The first successful lung transplant in Colombia was performed on October 28, 1997 in Medellín by Alberto Villegas Hernández at the "Clínica Cardiovascular Santa María" today called the Cardio VID Clinic. Here we present both survival outcomes and characteristics of the oldest and most experienced lung transplant program in Colombia. We conducted a retrospective study of all patients taken to lung transplantation at the Cardio VID Clinic in Medellín, Colombia from October 1997 to October 2022.