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Introduction: Urinary stone disease (USD) prevalence is highly variable worldwide, from 2.5 to 20%. This research aims to describe the prevalence and characteristics of USD in an urban population in Chile. Methods: retrospective descriptive research based on abdominal computed tomography (CT) registries done at our hospital, between 2019 and 2020. We selected people 15 years old and older. Sample size was calculated and patients were randomly selected. Our primary outcome is to describe the characteristics of kidney stones (KS) in this population. Secondary outcomes are the prevalence of ureterolithiasis and cystolithiasis. Results: 1,001 CT were randomly reviewed. Kidney stones were detected in 144 patients, 75 females (52.1%) and 69 males (47.9%). The estimated prevalence of nephrolithiasis was 14.4% (95%CI 12.3 - 16.7); among women was 12.7% (95%CI 10.2 - 15.8) compared to 16.7% (95%CI 13.2 - 20.6) in men. The mean age was 56.6 years old (SD 15.5). The mean number of KS per patient was 2.5, the mode was 1 KS per patient. The mean radiodensity of KS was 501 HU (SD 345.9). The mean largest diameter was 10.9 mm (SD 16.8), and the mean volume was 154.0 mm3 (SD 1,544.1). Related to KS size, 101 cases (70.1%) were 10 mm or less, 18 (12.5%) between 11 to 20 mm and 25 (17.4%) larger than 20mm. Ureterolithiasis was present in 33 cases (3.3%) and cystolithiasis in 5 patients (0.5%). Conclusions: KS is a prevalent disease in our population, more frequent in men than women and affecting working-age people.

Pharmacological preconditioning limits myocardial infarct size after ischemia/reperfusion. Dexmedetomidine is an α(2)-adrenergic receptor agonist used in anesthesia that may have cardioprotective properties against ischemia/reperfusion injury. We investigate whether dexmedetomidine administration activates cardiac survival kinases and induces cardioprotection against regional ischemia/reperfusion injury. In in vivo and ex vivo models, rat hearts were subjected to 30 min of regional ischemia followed by 120 min of reperfusion with dexmedetomidine before ischemia. The α(2)-adrenergic receptor antagonist yohimbine was also given before ischemia, alone or with dexmedetomidine. Erk1/2, Akt and eNOS phosphorylations were determined before ischemia/reperfusion. Cardioprotection after regional ischemia/reperfusion was assessed from infarct size measurement and ventricular function recovery. Localization of α(2)-adrenergic receptors in cardiac tissue was also assessed. Dexmedetomidine preconditioning increased levels of phosphorylated Erk1/2, Akt and eNOS forms before ischemia/reperfusion; being significantly reversed by yohimbine in both models. Dexmedetomidine preconditioning (in vivo model) and peri-insult protection (ex vivo model) significantly reduced myocardial infarction size, improved functional recovery and yohimbine abolished dexmedetomidine-induced cardioprotection in both models. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY-294002 reversed myocardial infarction size reduction induced by dexmedetomidine preconditioning. The three isotypes of α(2)-adrenergic receptors were detected in the whole cardiac tissue whereas only the subtypes 2A and 2C were observed in isolated rat adult cardiomyocytes. These results show that dexmedetomidine preconditioning and dexmedetomidine peri-insult administration produce cardioprotection against regional ischemia/reperfusion injury, which is mediated by the activation of pro-survival kinases after cardiac α(2)-adrenergic receptor stimulation.

Intraventricular resynchronization with pacemakers is a promising therapy for patients with refractory cardiac failure and intraventricular conductions delay. However its long term effects are not well known.To report the results of this therapy in patients with cardiac failure.Fourteen patients (11 male), whose mean age was 68 years, with a severe and refractory cardiac failure, have been treated in our unit using intraventricular resynchronization with pacemakers. Eight had a coronary heart disease and six a dilated myocardiopathy. The pacemaker was implanted transvenously, with conventional stimulation in atrium and right ventricle. The left ventricle was stimulated through an epicardial vein, accessed through the coronary sinus.In one patient the high thresholds did not allow a left ventricular stimulation. In the other 13 patients, a clinical improvement was observed in 11 (85%), that has been sustained for a mean of 8.2 months. The ejection fraction improved form 23.5 to 32.4% (p0.001), the 6 min walking test improved from 347 to 437 m (p = 0.003) and the functional capacity changes from 3.3 to 2.7 (p0.001). Three patients died during follow up. One was the patient in whom the stimulation failed and two had a sudden death. No complications of the procedure were observed.In this series, intraventricular resynchronization with pacemakers was effective in 11 of 13 patients, improving functional capacity and ejection fraction. Sudden death could be avoided adding a defibrillator to the pacemaker system.

Fourteen patients (11 male), whose mean age was 68years, with a severe and refractory cardiac failure, have been treated in our unit using intraventricu-lar resynchronization with pacemakers. Eight had a coronary heart disease and six a dilated myocar-diopathy. The pacemaker was implanted transvenously, with conventional stimulation in atrium andright ventricle. The left ventricle was stimulated through an epicardial vein, accessed through the coro-nary sinus.