Donation after circulatory death (DCD) represents a promising opportunity to overcome the relative shortage of donors for heart transplantation. However, the necessary period of warm ischemia is a concern. This study aims to determine the critical warm ischemia time based on in vivo biochemical changes. Sixteen DCD non‐cardiac donors, without cardiovascular disease, underwent serial endomyocardial biopsies immediately before withdrawal of life‐sustaining therapy (WLST), at circulatory arrest (CA) and every 2 min thereafter. Samples were processed into representative pools to assess calcium homeostasis, mitochondrial function and cellular viability. Compared to baseline, no significant deterioration was observed in any studied parameter at the time of CA (median: 9 min; IQR: 7–13 min; range: 4–19 min). Ten min after CA, phosphorylation of cAMP‐dependent protein kinase‐A on Thr197 and SERCA2 decreased markedly; and parallelly, mitochondrial complex II and IV activities decreased, and caspase 3/7 activity raised significantly. These results did not differ when donors with higher WLST to CA times (≥9 min) were analyzed separately. In human cardiomyocytes, the period from WLST to CA and the first 10 min after CA were not associated with a significant compromise in cellular function or viability. These findings may help to incorporate DCD into heart transplant programs.

We report a case of acute aortic syndrome in a 64-year-old man who presented with chest pain and hypotension. His electrocardiogram and cardiac troponins were normal. Computed tomography showed hemopericardium of 2.4 cm, but no aortic intimal tear. At surgery, the portion of the aorta affected by adventitial hemorrhage was replaced with a Dacron graft. A nonpenetrating ulcerated plaque was also observed. Massive bleeding through the chest drains with hypotension required emergency reoperation in the intensive care unit. The patient was discharged home on postoperative day 11.

Introducción y objetivos: El tratamiento de reperfusión en un síndrome coronario agudo con elevación del segmento ST (SCACEST) se puede realizar con agentes fibrinolíticos o con angioplastia primaria (ICPp). La ICPp es la estrategia de elección, pero muchos de los pacientes con SCACEST acuden inicialmente a hospitales sin ICPp. Se han desarrollado programas de asistencia al SCACEST en los que se integran ambos tratamientos, utilizando la trombolisis en casos indicados, seguida de un estudio angiográfico (estrategia farmacoinvasiva). El objetivo del estudio es analizar los resultados del tratamiento del SCACEST según sea diagnosticado en áreas de salud con o sin disponibilidad de ICPp inmediata.

No abstract