Circulation
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Randomized, controlled trial of ultrasound-assisted catheter-directed thrombolysis for acute intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism.
In patients with acute pulmonary embolism, systemic thrombolysis improves right ventricular (RV) dilatation, is associated with major bleeding, and is withheld in many patients at risk. This multicenter randomized, controlled trial investigated whether ultrasound-assisted catheter-directed thrombolysis (USAT) is superior to anticoagulation alone in the reversal of RV dilatation in intermediate-risk patients. ⋯ http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01166997.
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Several trials have demonstrated improved survival with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy. The cause and nature of death in the ICD population have been insufficiently investigated. The objective of this study was to analyze ICDs from deceased patients to assess the incidence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias, the occurrence of shocks, and possible device malfunction. ⋯ More than one third of the patients had a ventricular tachyarrhythmia within the last hour of life. Cardiac death was the primary cause and heart failure the specific cause of death in the majority of the cases. Devices remained active in more than half of the patients with a do-not-resuscitate order; almost one fourth of these patients received at least 1 shock in the last 24 hours of life.