Journal of cardiovascular medicine
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J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) · May 2009
Trends in hospitalization for heart failure in Italy 2001-2003.
Heart failure is one of the main causes of hospitalization in Italy. In some industrialized countries since the second half of 1990s a halt in the grow rate of hospitalization for this pathology has been observed, and in some cases a reversal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trend of hospitalization for heart failure in Italy in the years 2001, 2002 and 2003. ⋯ Heart failure is the primary cause of hospitalization in Italy and the rate of hospital admission from 2001 to 2003 continued to increase, as well as related costs. These data indicate the urgent need for implementation of new models for the management of heart failure, based on a healthcare network, including hospital, ambulatory and home care, potentially capable of ameliorating both quality of life and costs of assistance.
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J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) · May 2009
Case ReportsA rare case of mitro-aortic intervalvular fibrosa aneurysm evolving in the para-aortic cavity.
The mitro-aortic intervalvular fibrosa (MAIF) connects the anterior mitral leaflet to the posterior portion of the aortic annulus. The aneurysms of MAIF represent a complication of aortic valve endocarditis, but blunt chest trauma, aortic valve replacement and congenital heart disease have also been reported as a cause. We describe a case of an aneurysm of MAIF, whose progression was documented by serial echocardiographic observations. To the best of our knowledge, this very rare occurrence has not been reported previously.
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J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) · May 2009
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation in the operating room: early experience.
Aortic stenosis is the most common valvular heart disease in the Western world and the proportion of patients unsuitable for conventional surgery is increasing as a result of aging and comorbidities. We report our early experience with transcatheter aortic valve implantation in high-risk patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. ⋯ The present study confirms the excellent hemodynamic performances of the transcatheter-implanted aortic prosthesis, with both transarterial and transapical approaches, in inoperable candidates with end-stage aortic stenosis. With progressive improvement in patient selection, techniques, equipment, and operator endovascular skills, vascular complications can decline further.
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J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) · May 2009
Is it too early to recommend patent foramen ovale closure for all patients who suffer from migraine? A single-centre study.
To evaluate the course of migraine in migraine headache patients undergoing patent foramen ovale (PFO) transcatheter closure. ⋯ The consistent observations of this and other studies are provocative and worthy of evaluation with a prospective randomized trial using objective measures of migraine frequency and severity. However, it seems too early to recommend PFO closure for all patients who suffer from migraine until the results of ongoing large randomized trials are available.