Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society
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Braintype natriuretic peptide (BNP) or N-terminal segment of the prohormone (NT-proBNP) measured within the first few days after symptom onset offer prognostic information in patients with non- ST elevation acute coronary syndromes (ACS). ⋯ N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide is a marker of weak-to-moderate strength in predicting the long-term prognosis in patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndromes after percutaneous coronary intervention.
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Comparative Study
Assessment of shunt volumes in children with ventricular septal defects: comparative quantification of MR flow measurements and invasive oximetry.
The aim of this study was to compare the results of magnetic resonance based shunt volume measurements with the results of the invasive method by the principle of Fick. In 14 children (median age: 16.5 months) with ventricular septal defects the shunt volume was quantified by magnetic resonance flow measurements under spontaneous breathing conditions as well as with invasive angiography during one sedation. ⋯ A tendency towards higher values in the noninvasive technique was found in the Bland-Altman plot (bias = 3.79). Magnetic resonance based shunt measurements are a reliable alternative to the invasive shunt measurement by cardiac catheterization.
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A recent survey conducted by the publicly funded Competence Network Sepsis (Sep- Net) reveals that severe sepsis and/or septic shock occurs in 75,000 inhabitants (110 out of 100,000) and sepsis in 79,000 inhabitants (116 out of 100,000) in Germany annually. This illness is responsible for approx. 60,000 deaths and ranges as the third most frequent cause of death after acute myocardial infarction. Direct costs for the intensive care of patients with severe sepsis alone amount to approx. 1.77 billion euros, which means that about 30% of the budget in intensive care is used to treat severe sepsis. ⋯ Therefore, the German Sepsis Society initiated the development of guidelines which are based on international recommendations by the International Sepsis Forum (ISF) and the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) and take into account the structure and organisation of the German health care system. Priority was given to the following guideline topics: a) diagnosis, b) prevention, c) causative therapy, d) supportive therapy, e) adjunctive therapy. The guidelines development process was carefully planned and strictly adhered to according to the requirements of the Working Group of Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF).