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OBJECTIVE: To study trends in selected manuscript characteristics of articles published in the Brazilian Archives of Cardiology from March 1948, to February 1998, in the quarterly, bimonthly and monthly cycles of publication. METHODS: A random sample of 25% of all issues of the journal comprised the study sample: 13 issues (11.5%) from the quarterly, 27 (23,5%) from the bimonthly, and 58 (65%) from the monthly publication cycle. We studied the type of manuscript, number of authors, geographical distribution, language of publication and references. RESULTS: A total of 1204 articles were studied, 90 (7.5%) from the quarterly, 238 (19,8%) from the bimonthly, and 876 (72.8%) from the monthly publication cycle. The most frequent published articles were original contributions (353), reviews (350) and case reports (205). No significant difference occurred in the proportion of original articles, reviews and case reports; the number of authors was higher in the monthly period;a geographical concentration of the contributions occurred (72% from three Brazilian States); manuscripts in languages other than Portuguese decreased. The mean number of Brazilian references cited was less than 4.7 and the mean number of international references cited was greater than 16.7. CONCLUSION: The analysis of the trends over five decades of publication revealed the need for further steps to be taken by the Brazilian Archives of Cardiology, to meet international publication standards for biomedical journals as well as authors' and readers' demands.

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The objective of this study was to assess quality of care for premature labor at public maternity facilities in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using referents, indicators, and standards of care derived from scientific evidence. The standard utilized in the process analysis for use of betamimetic tocolytics was 100%, considering the related referents. For outcome analysis, the standard applied was the occurrence of premature delivery in 11% of patients within 24 h and in 24% of patients (referent) within 48 h of hospital admission. Use of tocolytics was observed in 18.7% of patients admitted in premature labor. At gestational age from 28 weeks to 33 weeks and 6 days, especially critical for neonatal survival, tocolytics were used in 32.6% of patients. Premature birth occurred in 59% of patients within 24 h and in 64% within 48 h. These outcomes were consistent with the low rate of utilization of tocolytics. Effectiveness of care for preterm labor measured by rate of premature birth was low. Results of the corresponding process and outcomes analysis were consistent.

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This study aimed to assess quality of obstetric care for preterm labor patients, using referents, indicators, and standards derived from scientific evidence, focusing on antenatal corticotherapy. Available meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials were examined to establish referents, defining indicators and estimating process and outcome standards for the present study. Data from hospital discharge summaries of seven public maternity hospitals in Rio de Janeiro were analyzed. The standard of process used was 100%. It was not possible to estimate outcome standards, since the necessary adjustment for gestational age was not feasible. Utilization of antenatal corticotherapy in the present study was very low, about 4% and 2%, considering patients up to 33 weeks and 6 days and 36 weeks and 6 days, respectively. Failure to use antenatal corticotherapy when formally indicated deserves attention by health planners and managers, considering: a) the ease in incorporating such a technology, in contrast to the adequate incorporation of special/intensive neonatal care; b) benefits and costs associated with this technology compared to those of delivering neonatal care to premature babies.

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OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate whether alterations in cardiac high energy phosphates occur in postischemic "stunned" human myocardium. BACKGROUND: Transient postischemic myocardial dysfunction is a common phenomenon that occurs in a variety of clinical settings in the absence of necrosis, and its pathogenesis is still unclear. Cardiac high energy phosphates are reduced during ischemia, and persistently altered myocardial high energy phosphate metabolism has been suggested as a mechanism contributing to stunning. METHODS: We studied 29 patients with a first anterior myocardial infarction (MI) who underwent successful reperfusion within 6 h of the onset of chest pain. These patients underwent 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) a mean of 4 days after MI for measurement of left ventricular contractility and relative high energy phosphate metabolites. Twenty-one patients underwent a second 31P MRS study a mean of 39 days after MI. Eight volunteers served as control subjects. RESULTS: Global and infarct area wall motion scores improved significantly between the early and late studies. No difference was found between early cardiac phosphocreatine (PCr)/beta-adenosine triphosphate (beta-ATP) ratios in patients and control subjects ([mean +/- SD] 1.51 +/- 0.17 vs. 1.61 +/- 0.18, respectively, p = 0.17) or between early and late study results in patients (1.51 +/- 0.17 vs. 1.53 +/- 0.17, respectively, p = 0.6). For alpha of 0.05, the study had a 90% power to detect a 9% difference. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate normal myocardial PCr/ATP ratios in patients with myocardial stunning after reperfusion and suggest that relative cardiac high energy phosphates are not depleted in stunned human myocardium.

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This study investigated both the in-hospital and long-term prognostic significance of ST-segment depression in non-infarct-related leads in patients who received thrombolytic therapy after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We evaluated 221 consecutive patients who were admitted with their first AMI and underwent thrombolysis. Patients were followed for an average of 31 months and were classified into 3 groups: group 1 included 51 patients with persistent ST-segment depression, group 2 had 97 patients with transient ST-segment depression, and group 3 consisted of 73 patients without ST-segment depression (absent). Group 1 had significantly worse long-term survival during follow up by Kaplan-Meier analysis (55%) versus group 2 (81%) and group 3 (94%) (p = 0.0004) and higher event rates. This prognostic significance seemed to be maintained in both the anterior and inferior wall AMI groups. Multivariate analysis, using the Cox model, showed that Killip class, in-hospital left ventricular ejection fraction, and the persistence of ST-segment depression on the predischarge electrocardiogram (group 1) were independent predictors of survival. ST-segment depression in non-infarct-related leads on the predischarge electrocardiogram is an independent risk factor for worse long-term survival after anterior as well as inferior AMI treated with thrombolytic therapy.

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Objetivo - Avaliar a influência do precondicionamento isquêmico no fenômeno do desenvolvimento de circulaçäo colateral (CC), na funçäo ventrícular precoce e na evoluçäo hospitalar de pacientes com infarto agudo do miocárdio (IAM). Métodos - Foram estudados 97 pacientes com IAM anterior nas primeiras 6h, com oclusäo proximal da artéria coronária descendente anterior e divididos em 2 grupos na dependência da presença (GA) ou ausência (GB) de angina precedendo o IAM. Coronariografia e ventriculografiaoram realizadas nas primeiras 6h , antes de qualquer tentativa de reperfusäo. A fraçäo de ejeçäo global do ventrículo esquerdo (FEVE), foi obtida através do método de áreas e a funçäo regional da parede anterior anterior através da linha do centro. Resultados - Os grupos foram superponíveis em relaçäo ao sexo, idade, pico de CKMB, tratamento instituído (perfusäo química ou mecânica) e sucesso na reperfusäo. A média da FEVE e a mobilidade da parede anterior foram similares nos 2 gupos, respectivamente, 3+_9 por cento e -2,55+/_1,17 dp/corda no GA e 37 por cento+/_8 por cento e -2,75+/_0,79 dp/corda no GB (p=ns). A CC esteve presente em 6 pacientes do GA e em 8 do GB (p=ns). A evoluçäo clínica foi melhor no GA (todos Killip classe 1) em comparçäo ao GB (8 pacientes Killip > ou igual a 2) p=0,007. Conclusäo - Embora näo exista diferença entre os grupos em relaçäo a presença de CC, funçäo ventricular e regional do ventrículo esquerdo, a presença de angina precedendo o infarto associado à melhor evoluçäo hsptalar, a qual poderia em parte ser explicada pelo fenômeno denominado precondicionamento esquêmico.

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Objetivo - Determinar angiograficamente a retraçäo elástica (RE) nos primeiros 15 minutos após angioplastia coronária (AC) por cateter baläo. Métodos - E um estudo prospectivo, 154 pacientes, portadores de angina estável, foram submetidos a AC com sucesso. Realizaram-se angiografias imediatamente após a última insuflaçäo com sucesso e aos 5,10 e 15 min. Na análise quantitativa utilizou-se caliper eletrônico. Quantificaram-se o diâmetro luminal mínimo (DLM) e a RE no controle imediato, aos 5, 10 e 1min. Relacionaram-se a magnitude da RE e o DLM com as características angiográficas da lesäo tratada, com o diâmetro do baläo e com o grau de lesäo residual imediatamente após a AC. Resultados - O diâmetro de referência médio do vaso foi de 3,09+/_0,61 mm e o diâmetro do baläo de 2,95+/_0,52 mm. O DLM mínimo pré dilataçäo foi de 0,65+/_0,42 mm, atingindo 2,23+/_0,55 mm após a dilataçäo (p<0,0001), decrescendo para 2,09+/_0,47 mm e 5 min (p<0,0001), 2,01+/_0,47 mm em 10 min (p<0,0001) e para1,91+/_0,56 mem 15 min. (p<0,0001). A RE aumentou progressivamente, atingindo 34,29+/_20,40 por cento aos 15 min. Nos vaso tratados onde a relaçäo baläo/artéria < ou igual a 1 a RE foi de 0,90+/_0,74 mm em 15 min. e de 1,20+/_0,50 mm quando a relaçäo foi >1 (p<0,0001). Identificou-se maior RE nos primeiros 15 min. no grupo de pacientes onde a lesäo residual no controle imediato situou-se entre 30 a 50 por cento do que no grupo onde a lesäo residual foi < 30 por cento. Conclusäo - A RE é um fenômeno dinâmico e progrssvo que ocorre dentro de 15 min. após a AC com sucesso. Determinou reduçäo média de 34,29+/_20,40 por cento no diâmetro do vaso em 15 min. e é maior quando a relaçäo baläo/artéria é >1. A lesäo residual que situa entre 30 e 50 por cento no controle angiográfico imediato é fator preditor de maior RE ao longo dos 15 min.

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OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate, in a prospective and randomized trial, the relative efficacies of three possible therapeutic strategies for patients with a single severe proximal stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery and stable angina. BACKGROUND: Although percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and coronary artery bypass surgery are often performed in patients with a single proximal stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery, it is unclear whether revascularization offers greater clinical benefit than medical therapy alone. METHODS: At a single center, 214 patients with stable angina, normal ventricular function and a proximal stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery > 80% were randomly assigned to undergo mammary bypass surgery (n = 70), balloon angioplasty (n = 72) or medical therapy alone (n = 72). Angioplasty had to be considered technically feasible in every case. The predefined primary study end point was the combined incidence of cardiac death, myocardial infarction or refractory angina requiring revascularization. RESULTS: At an average follow-up period of 3 years, a primary end point had occurred in only 2 patients (3%) assigned to bypass surgery compared with 17 assigned to angioplasty (24%) and 12 assigned to medical therapy (17%) (p = 0.0002, angioplasty vs. bypass surgery; p = 0.006, bypass surgery vs. medical treatment; p = 0.28, angioplasty vs. medical treatment, all by log-rank test). There was no difference in mortality or infarction rates among the groups. However, no patient allocated to bypass surgery needed revascularization, compared with eight and seven patients assigned, respectively, to coronary angioplasty and medical treatment (p = 0.019). Both revascularization techniques resulted in greater symptomatic relief and a lower incidence of ischemia on the treadmill test; however, all three strategies eventually resulted in the abolition of limiting angina. CONCLUSIONS: The more aggressive therapeutic approach with initial bypass surgery for patients with a single severe proximal stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery is associated with a lower incidence of medium-term adverse events than coronary angioplasty or medical treatment. However, all three strategies resulted in a similar incidence of death and infarction during an average follow-up period of 3 years. This information should be taken into consideration when physicians and patients make therapeutic choices in this setting.

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PURPOSE: To study the correlation between magnetic resonance imaging of the heart and right ventricle endomyocardial biopsy results in chronic Chagas' heart disease. METHODS: Ten patients with Chagas' disease, mean age 47 +/- 7 years, all males, in congestive heart failure with New York Heart Association class II (2 patients), III (6) and IV (2) were studied. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction was at echocardiogram 36 +/- 6%. The patients were submitted to right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy and magnetic resonance imaging of the heart. The results of this group were compared with a control group of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, with mean age of 46 +/- 10 years and left ventricular ejection fraction of 30 +/- 4%, in heart failure with functional class II (1 patient), III (5) and IV (1). RESULTS: All patients with Chagas' heart disease presented an increase in magnetic ressonance imaging signal of the heart after gadolinium use. The septal signal intensity changed from 0.87 +/- 0.06 to 1.54 +/- 0.16 (p < 0.001). In the control group the mean septal signal intensity was 0.93 +/- 0.07 before and 0.89 +/- 0.06 after the gadolinium (p = ns). Eight patients of the Chagas' disease group had biopsy proven myocarditis and two had borderline myocarditis. However, only one patient of the control group had diagnosis of borderline myocarditis. CONCLUSION: Myocarditis is frequently found in Chagas' heart disease patients and who unlike controls present a significant increase in myocardial signal intensity after gadolinium infusion. The magnetic resonance imaging of the heart seems a promising alternative method for the diagnosis of an inflammatory process in Chagas' heart disease.

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PURPOSE: To determine the patency and incidence rates of left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) as the infarct related artery (IRA) in Q-wave and non-Q wave acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: Two-hundreds and twenty one patients (172 men) with AMI were stratified in Q and non-Q waves groups. All patients were submitted to cinecoronary angiography 72 hours after the beginning of symptoms and the IRA and its patency were evaluated. RESULTS: In non-Q wave AMI, the LCX was considered to be the IRA in 35% of the patients. In Q wave AMI, this incidence was 8% (p < 0.001). Occlusion of LCX was seen in all non-Q wave AMI patients when it was the IRA. CONCLUSION: The incidence of LCX as IRA was significantly higher in non-Q wave AMI patients. This group did not have the previously expected greater patency rates, what could result in different clinical and evolutive characteristics.

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PURPOSE: To evaluate the importance of the right coronary artery (RCA) patency in patients with right ventricular infarction. METHODS: Fifty-two patients with inferior wall myocardial infarction and right ventricular involvement were studied and divided in two groups: group A (GA) included 35 patients in whom the RCA was patent at coronary angiography, and group B (GB), 17 who had an occluded RCA. They were prospectively evaluated for electrical and hemodynamic complications, as well as in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: The mortality in GA was 11% and 29% in GB, p = 0.13; electrical complications were 11% in GA and 35% in GB, p = 0.06; hemodynamic complications were 8% in GA and 41% in GB, p = 0.009. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a trend towards reduction in mortality and electrical complications, and significant reduction of hemodynamic complications in patients with inferior wall myocardial infarction with involvement of the right ventricle who have the RCA patent. Thus, RCA patency appears to be important in determining in-hospital outcomes of these patients.

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PURPOSE: To determine the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the noninvasive detection of infarct related coronary artery patency after thrombolysis. METHODS: We studied 26 patients with acute myocardial infarction submitted to thrombolysis underwent MRI studies before and after 0.1mmol/kg gadolinium-DTPA injection within the first 48 h of MI. Signal intensity was assessed by circumferential profile analysis techniques. RESULTS: The average ratio of signal intensity of infarcted tissue over normal myocardium (I/N) was significantly higher in patients with patent arteries (1.3 +/- 0.13 vs 1.12 +/- 0.07, p < 0.02). Compared to coronariography MRI, sensitivity of 81% and specificity of 100% for the diagnosis of coronary patency. CONCLUSION: Gadolinium infusion increased infarcted and normal myocardium differentiation. The study of gadolinium kinetics at MRI is a promising technique for noninvasive diagnosis of coronary patency.

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Many important aspects of Chagas' heart disease can be successfully assessed using magnetic resonance imaging of the heart. It is possible to obtain with great detail the anatomic characterization of the cardiac as well as important information of the functional or metabolic status of the heart. Magnetic resonance imaging after gadolinium infusion seems also a promising technique to obtain a better regional characterization of myocardial tissue, and may be important in the non-invasive diagnosis of active myocarditis in patients with Chagas' heart disease.

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BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) function is the most important determinant of outcome after a myocardial infarction. Global LV function after a myocardial infarction is affected not only by wall motion in the infarct zone but also by regional function in the contralateral territory. It was hypothesised that the presence of significant stenoses in coronary arteries supplying the contralateral territory might influence the ability of this region to compensate for damaged myocardium after a myocardial infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS: 79 patients treated with thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction had coronary and ventricular angiograms within 24 h and at a mean follow up of 12 months after myocardial infarction. Wall motion in the contralateral territory was analysed and scored by the centre line method and the change over time was correlated with the presence or absence of significant (> 70%) diameter stenoses in the non-infarct-related artery. Mean (SD) contralateral territory motion worsened, from 0.74 (1.78) to -1.55 (2.06) SD chord (p < 0.001) in 40 patients with stenoses, whereas contralateral territory motion improved from -0.02 (2.4) to 0.63 (2.21) SD chord (p < 0.05) in the 39 patients without coronary stenoses. The same pattern was present whether or not the infarct artery was patent. The global left ventricular ejection fraction at 12 months was also related to contralateral territory motion (r = 0.71, p < 0.001) and to the presence of coronary stenoses (54 (15)% in those with coronary stenoses and 62 (16)% in those without, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that significant stenoses in arteries supplying the non-infarct territory adversely affect global and regional left ventricular function after a transmural infarction. Non-infarct artery anatomy should be considered in intervention strategies to improve left ventricular function after acute myocardial infarction.

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PURPOSE: To evaluate if early interventions which increase flow in the non-infarct related arteries (NRA) could improve long-term ventricular function in the non-infarct (NI) area after an acute myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: We studied regional wall motion analyzed by the center-line method in two groups of patients with significant stenoses (> or = 70%) in the NRA after successful coronary reperfusion (chemical or mechanical thrombolysis). Group I (GI) consisted of 21 patients that were submitted to early (mean 14 days) complete surgical revascularization of both NRA and infarct related artery (IRA); the 12 group II (GII) patients underwent successful revascularization of the IRA only, with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (mean 6 days). Paired ventriculograms were obtained within 48 hours of the infarction and a mean of 17 months later. RESULTS: NI area contractility in GI patients improved from -0.35 +/- 2.16 to +0.62 +/- 1.6sd/chord (p < 0.05), whereas in GII decreased from +0.54 +/- 1.78 to -0.66 +/- 1.72 sd/chord (p < 0.05), p < 0.05 between the groups at follow-up. Mean infarct area wall motion did not differ between the two groups: from -3.04 +/- 2.43 to 2.61 +/- 2.49 sd/chord in GI (p = NS), and from -2.68 +/- 2.54 to -2.93 +/- 2.35 sd/chord in GII (p = NS). Mean global left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction did not change in GII patients (0.72 +/- 0.09 and 0.67 +/- 0.12, p = NS), but significantly increased from 0.63 +/- 0.12 to 0.72 +/- 0.11 in GI patients (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that early revascularization of NRA with significant stenoses can improve not only the NI area regional contractility, but also the global LV function in the long-term follow-up of post MI patients treated with thrombolytic therapy.

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This study evaluates the association between the presence of diagonal earlobe creases (ELC) and coronary artery disease (CAD). One thousand four hundred twenty-four patients (760 men and 664 women, aged 30 to 80 years) were examined for the presence of ELC and classified into 2 groups: group I control--1,086 consecutive patients who denied symptoms of myocardial ischemia and were admitted to a general hospital for other reasons; group II CAD--338 patients with documented CAD (presence of > or = 70% coronary diameter stenosis at angiography). ELC was present in 304 patients (28%) in group I and 220 (65%) in group II (p < 0.0001). The patients were stratified in age groups to isolate the influence of age because the prevalence of ELC and CAD increased with advancing age (p < 0.0001 for both). This association remained statistically significant in all decades, except for patients aged > 70 years. To further remove the confounding effect of different age and sex distributions between the groups, a direct adjustment of the ELC prevalence was performed. When adjusted for age and sex, the prevalence of creases was still 58% higher in patients with CAD than in control subjects (p < 0.001). The presence of ELC was also related to the extent of CAD as measured by the number of major arteries narrowed (p = 0.015). The observed sensitivity of the sign for the diagnosis of CAD was 65%, the specificity 72%, the positive predictive value 42% and the negative predictive value 87%.

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PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of bedside Technetium99-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (99mTc-MIBI) cardiac imaging to assess perfusion after thrombolytic therapy (TT) for myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: We studied 9 patients (mean age 59 +/- 9 years) submitted to TT with 100 mg of rt-PA in 90 minutes within the 6 hours of the onset of MI with subsequent angiography. 99mTc-MIBI was injected intravenously in a doses of 740 MBq immediately before TT start. Imaging was performed in three moments: study 1--as soon as the TT finished, study 2--3-18 hours after TT; study 3--7-10 days after TT. A perfusion score was established in each study and then compared to determine the perfusion patterns after TT. We compared through linear regression, the perfusion score with left ventricle ejection fraction, and with CKMB enzymatic peak. RESULTS: All patients had a patent infarct related artery. The perfusion score of study 1 varied from 12 to 22, mean 15.8 +/- 3.7, and correlated with ejection fraction (r = 0.9, p < 0.01) and peak CKMB (r = 0.78, p = 0.03). Four (44%) patients presented perfusion score improvement in study 2 (varied from 12 to 23, mean 16.8 +/- 4.3) and 8 (88%) in study 3 (varied from 12 to 28, mean 19.0 +/- 4.3). CONCLUSION: Bedside 99mTc-MIBI cardiac imaging is useful to quantify myocardial area under risk before TT, and to identify the late (7 to 10 days) benefit of TT.

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PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of lipoprotein (a) (Lp (a)) levels in thrombolysis with rt-PA for myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: Thirty-eight MI patients, 28 male, mean age 51 +/- 9 years, submitted to thrombolysis with rt-PA, divided in two groups according the result of the thrombolysis: A) Successful, B) Failure. Serum fibrinogen (SF) was assessed before and 90 minutes after treatment. Lp (a) levels were determined six months later. These parameters were analyzed in both groups. RESULTS: Lp (a) levels were similar in groups A and B (p = 0.45). The SF levels were not different in the groups. CONCLUSION: Lp (a) seems to have no influence in thrombolysis with rt-PA for MI.

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PURPOSE: Evaluate the lytic state (LS) expressed by the level of plasmatic fibrinogen (PF) after rt-PA "in bolus" infusion for acute myocardial infarction (MI) and its relation to coronary reperfusion. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-one patients (38 men, mean age of 53.0 +/- 9.8 years) with demonstrated occlusion of the infarct related artery (IRA) received an intravenous bolus infusion of 70 mg of rt-PA, PF was assessed before and 90 minutes after the treatment and the levels were compared in patients with (group 1) and without (group 2) reperfusion of the IRA. RESULTS: Basal levels of PF were within the normal range in all patients. There was a decrement of 35.1% in the PF dosed at 90 minutes, from 276.8 +/- 55.5 mg/dl to 168.0 +/- 68.2 mg/dl. Both groups were similar in the levels of PF 90 after treatment (145.1 +/- 95.7 mg/dl in group 1 versus 187.0 +/- 53.7 mg/dl in group 2). CONCLUSION: "In bolus" rt-PA treatment for MI significantly reduces the PF, but the LS obtained was similar in patients with or without reperfusion of the IRA.

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