INTRODUCTION

Heart failure (HF) is a common cause of hospitalization, heart failure-related readmission, poor quality of life, and mortality. It also poses a substantial economic burden. The heart failure clinical practice guideline (HFCPG) was developed to provide evidence-based recommendations on the diagnosis and management of chronic HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) among adult Filipino patients in the outpatient setting for primary care physicians.

METHODS

The GRADE approach and an Evidence-to-Decision framework were used to evaluate the evidence and formulate recommendations. The strength and direction of each recommendation were determined through voting, with consensus reached if 75% of all CP members agreed.

RESULTS

The HFCPG provides 19 recommendations and one good practice statement in response to 14 identified clinical questions. Careful history-taking and physical examination, use of chest x-ray to detect cardiomegaly and/or pulmonary congestion, two-dimensional echocardiography for HF diagnosis, and baseline determination of serum sodium, potassium, and creatinine to guide management have been highly recommended; however, the 12-lead electrocardiogram should not be solely used for HF diagnosis. Judicious use of diuretics to relieve congestion, use of selected beta-blockers, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and SGLT2 inhibitors are strongly recommended for the treatment of HFrEF.

CONCLUSION

HFrEF is a complex condition that requires early recognition and careful management. Guideline-directed medical therapies, particularly the evidence-based pillars of treatment, are recommended, as well as early discussion of palliative care, timely determination of advanced heart failure and the need for referral to higher levels of care.

Human ; Heart Failure ; Outpatient Care ; Ambulatory Care ; Primary Health Care

Background: Cytoreductive surgery was developed as a treatment for peritoneal carcinomatosis. However, this surgery is associated with important complications. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between lactacidemia and the rate of associated complications during the immediate postoperative period in the intensive care unit (ICU) in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. A total of 57 patients underwent cytoreductive surgery. All patients were admitted to the ICU immediately after the surgery. Data on lactic acid levels at the time of admission and discharge from the ICU were collected. Postsurgical complications that occurred during the ICU stay were recorded according to failure-to-rescue analysis and their severity stratified according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Results: The lactic acid levels at admission to the ICU were significantly higher in patients who developed complications, with an almost tripled unadjusted relative risk (2.9, 95% CI: 1.6, 5.3), than in those who did not develop complications for the lactacidemia threshold established in the cumulative sum curve graphs. After adjustment for confounding effects, the relative risk became even higher (3.1, 95% CI: 1.8, 3.6). Lactic acid levels were still significantly higher in this group at the time of discharge from the ICU. Conclusions Serum lactate level is a risk factor for postoperative complications in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery for peritoneal carcinomatosis. This study suggests that the risk of developing severe complications almost triples with a lactic acid level of 2.5 mmol/L or higher at the time of admission in the ICU.

OBJECTIVEThe gamma(2) subunit of AMP-activated protein kinase (PRKAG2) located in chromosome 7 plays an important role in regulating metabolic pathways, and patients with PRKAG2 mutations are associated with familial ventricular pre-excitation, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and AV block. We observed the difference on the phenotypes in a large family with same PRKAG2 mutation.

METHODDirect DNA sequence was performed to screen the exons and exon-intron boundaries of PRKAG2 gene in a large family with 13 affected persons detected by electrocardiography (ECG).

RESULTSSinus bradycardia, short PR interval, right bundle bunch block (RBBB), complete AV block, atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation and sudden cardiac death were identified in this family. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was found in one family member. Genetic analysis revealed a missense mutation (Arg302Glu) in all affected family members. This mutation was previous described in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

CONCLUSIONSBesides WPW syndrome and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, PRKAG2 mutations are responsible also for a diverse phenotypes. PRKAG2 gene mutation should be suspected with familial occurrence of RBBB, sinus bradycardia, and short PR interval.

AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; genetics ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; genetics ; Brazil ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Phenotype ; Pre-Excitation Syndromes ; etiology