International heart journal
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The percutaneous cardiopulmonary support system (PCPS) has been widely accepted for the treatment of patients with severe cardiac failure. This system, which uses Seldinger's method through a percutaneous approach, enables rapid application in emergency situations. However, the indication for deployment and discontinuation of PCPS has not yet been established. ⋯ Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that an episode of cardiac arrest prior to PCPS induction was the only significant predictor for the unsuitability for discontinuation of PCPS. This retrospective study showed the limitation of PCPS therapy for patients with an episode of cardiac arrest who did not show improvement in their APACHE II score, urine output, serum lactate levels, and catecholamine dose received within 72 hours after PCPS induction. These results may help formulate criteria for indication and discontinuation of PCPS for patients with severe cardiac failure.
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An attenuated heart rate recovery (HRR) immediately after exercise has been shown to be predictive of mortality. It is not known whether HRR predicts mortality when measured in patients with heart failure. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the ability of HRR to predict mortality in patients with heart failure. ⋯ When we separated the groups according to beta-blocker usage, beta-blockers had no prominent effect on HRR. In the follow-up period (mean 14.1 +/- 6.1 months), the presence of abnormal HRR and lower peak VO2 (< or = 14 mL/kg/min) were the only significant predictors of mortality in our patient population (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 5.2, 95% CI, 1.3 to 24, P = 0.03 and adjusted HR 13, 95% CI, 2.1 to 25.6, P = 0.005, respectively). It seems that the attenuated HRR value one minute after peak exercise appears to be a reliable index of the severity of exercise intolerance in heart failure patients and this study supports the value of HRR as a prognostic marker among heart failure patients referred for cardiopulmonary exercise testing for prediction of prognosis.
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Comparative Study
Factors associated with failure of weaning from long-term mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery.
The purpose of this prospective, quantitative, comparative study, conducted at the 55 bed cardiothoracic intensive care unit of the Heart Institute (InCor), University of Sao Paulo Medical School, was to identify factors involved in the weaning of patients who require long-term (> 10 days) mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery. The subjects included all patients who underwent open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass during a 10 month period from April 2000 to January 2001 (n = 946). From this group, 52 (5.7%) patients who required a tracheotomy for the management of long-term mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass were selected. ⋯ There was a significant difference in relation to the presence of pneumonia (P = 0.0086) between the two groups. Although neurological complications were more frequent in patients in the weaning success group, the failure group had lower GCS scores, which is indicative of worse prognoses. It is concluded that cardiac dysfunction, the need for dialysis, and pneumonia are determinants for weaning failure in patients undergoing long-term mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery.
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A 72-year-old man was referred for further assessment of a chronic cough. He noticed an association between the episodes of coughing and palpitations. Electrocardiography (ECG) revealed normal sinus rhythm and sporadic unifocal ventricular premature contractions (VPCs). ⋯ He was successfully treated for VPCs with oral disopyramide, resulting in subsidence of both the coughing and palpitations. We suspect that the VPC-induced hemodynamic changes in the pulmonary circulation might be responsible for coughing in our patient. Premature contractions should be considered as a possible cause of chronic dry cough in the clinical setting.
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Case Reports
A case of takotsubo-shaped hypokinesis of the left ventricle caused by a lightning strike.
A 62-year-old woman was struck by lightning while on a mountain and fortunately did not suffer burns or unconsciousness. She stayed at a mountain lodge overnight and was taken to our hospital by helicopter the next day. Upon admission, electrocardiography showed ST segment elevation indicating acute lateral myocardial infarction, and echocardiography showed takotsubo-shaped hypokinesis of the left ventricle indicating an apical aneurysm. ⋯ An echocardiogram obtained 2 days later showed resolution of the LV wall motion abnormality. This is the first reported case of takotsubo cardiomyopathy caused by lightning. Takotsubo-shaped hypokinesis is not described as a complication of lightning-induced cardiac injury and its pathogenesis remains controversial.