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Objective: To evaluate 15 years of experience with balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty in a single third level health care center., Material and Methods: Hundred-fifty patients underwent the procedure, 73 (48%) men and 77 (52%) women, mean age 10.5 +/- 11.3 years., Results: The initial systolic gradient decreased from 86 +/- 35 to 21.67 +/- 12.20 mm Hg, p < 0.001, whereas the initial right ventricular systolic pressure decreased from 106 +/- 34.8 to 53 +/- 27 mm Hg, p < 0.0001. At the end of the follow-up, 48 +/- 44 months, the systolic gradient was 13.43 +/- 8.73 mm Hg, p < 0.001. Major complications occurred in 9 (6.4%) patients. Immediate technical success was achieved in 111 (74%) patients and failure in 39 (26%). At the end of the follow-up period, successful outcomes were achieved in 104 (89.6%); in contrast, failures were present in 12 (10.4%) patients, p < 0.001. Death occurred in 2 (1.33%) patients. The predictors for failure were age < 1.5 +/- 1-33 years (p < 0.004), dysplastic valve (p < 0.001), high initial systolic gradient (p < 0.002), and high initial systolic right ventricular pressure (p < 0.0001)., Conclusion: Balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty is an effective, safe, and first choice treatment for congenital pulmonary valve stenosis.

In order to define the main diseases of the elderly and a possible changes of mortality causes at Hospital General of Mexico, SSA, the authors studied 586 autopsy reports of individuals over sixty years old, deceased between 1960 and 1965 and of 625 individuals of similar characteristics deceased between 1981 and 1985. The analysis of diseases showed qualitative and quantitative changes in the ten principal causes of death at each period: some of the most frequent diseases in the 60's, for instance, amebiasis, were not included among the then principal causes of death in the 80's. On the other hand, malignant neoplasms persisted as one of the principal death causes in both periods, but the most frequent carcinoma in the 60's, gastric carcinoma, was substituted in the 80's by bronchogenic carcinoma. This study suggests that great technical and sanitary interventions are necessary to promote health of third age persons, an increasing but poorly protected population in our country.

Purpose: To identify current concepts and practices to treat a folk illness "empacho" in Leon, Guanajuato and a critical appraisal of risk involved., Design: Prospective cross sectional survey., Framework: General population., Patients: A random sample of 519 families., Measurements: Socioeconomic stratum, the point of view on empacho, the type and kind of treatment undertook and the clinical course observed were recorded., Results: The 45.9% of the families considered empacho as a serious condition, though the prevalence of the concept was less in the high socioeconomic group. The most frequent (44.1%) concept on empacho was "something stuck in the gut" and it use to be deal with abdominal massage and herb infusions. Cooking oil was used in 34.7%, bismuth powder in 36.5%, and an unknown powder in a further 7.9% of cases. The remedy was "prescribed" by the mother herself in 48.3% of patients, whilst in the remaining someone else did it. Simultaneous medical treatment was received by 44.2% of children and 95% of them improved., Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of the concept of empacho in the general population, mainly in the low and medium socioeconomic strata. In its treatment, dangerous practices are used, which can results in lipidic pneumonia or poisoning and according to their intensity can produce lose of life or deterioration in the respiratory or neurologic functions or both.