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Objective: To analyze the use and impact of the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) upon the 30-day mortality rate and short-term clinical outcome of non-selected patients with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (acute STEMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS)., Design: A single-center retrospective case-control study was carried out., Setting: Coronary Care Unit., Patients: Data were collected from 825 consecutive patients with acute STEMI admitted to a Coronary Care Unit from January 2009 to August 2015. Seventy-three patients with CS upon admission subjected to emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were finally included in the analysis and were stratified according to IABP use (44 patients receiving IABP)., Variables: Cardiovascular history, hemodynamic situation upon admission, angiographic and procedural characteristics, and variables derived from admission to the Coronary Care Unit., Results: Cumulative 30-day mortality was similar in the patients subjected to IABP and in those who received conventional medical therapy only (29.5% and 27.6%, respectively; HR with IABP 1.10, 95% CI 0.38-3.11; p=0.85). Similarly, no significant differences were found in terms of the short-term clinical outcome between the groups: time on mechanical ventilation, days to hemodynamic stabilization, vasoactive drug requirements and stay in the Coronary Care Unit. Poorer renal function (HR 3.9, 95% CI 1.4-10.6; p=0.008), known peripheral artery disease (HR 3.3, 95% CI 1.2-9.1; p=0.019) and a history of diabetes mellitus (HR 3.2, 95% CI 1.2-8.1; p=0.018) were the only variables independently associated to increased 30-day mortality., Conclusion: In our "real life" experience, IABP does not modify 30-day mortality or the short-term clinical outcome in patients presenting STEMI complicated with CS and subjected to emergency percutaneous coronary revascularization., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.)

Obesity is highly prevalent and has several adverse effects on health. Its treatment is thus warranted and must aim to modify dietary and physical activity habits. The opinion of this association is that anorexigenic drugs with cathecolaminergic action (diethylpropion, phentermine, mazindol and phenylpropanolamine) or serotoninergic action (fenfluoramine and fluoxetine) may be used in moderate or severe obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2) after a complete clinical assessment and in the context of an integral medical treatment. This association recommends a close surveillance of the use of these drugs, specially when formulated as non-proprietary prescriptions.

The hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a very severe congenital heart disease dependent on patency of ductus arteriosus in the newborn. The survival after neonatal period, without surgical treatment, is exceptional. Nowadays, there are basically two types of therapeutic procedures: Palliation with the Norwood operation and/or cardiac transplantation. Both methods have showed advantages and disadvantages; at present, there is not consensus of them. In our hospital, we have recently begun a medical-surgical therapeutic program for the management of neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Because of this, we report our little experience. We have treated three children in the last year: The first of them dead in the operating room; the second was exitus due to a sepsis two months after surgery, and the third, who is three-month-old now, remained well and was discharged to home.