Methodist DeBakey cardiovascular journal
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Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J · Jul 2020
Case ReportsBRASH Syndrome with Hyperkalemia: An Under-Recognized Clinical Condition.
BRASH syndrome is characterized by bradycardia, renal failure, use of an atrioventricular nodal blocker (AVNB), shock, and hyperkalemia. These symptoms represent an ongoing vicious cycle in a patient with a low glomerular filtration rate taking an AVNB. Decreased clearance of the medication and hyperkalemia associated with renal failure synergize to cause bradycardia and hypoperfusion. This reaction causes renal function to worsen, thereby perpetuating the cycle of BRASH syndrome.
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Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J · Apr 2020
Case ReportsCOVID-19: A Potential Risk Factor for Acute Pulmonary Embolism.
A COVID-19-positive patient presented with pleuritic chest pain and cough and was found to have acute pulmonary embolisms (APEs). There has been an increase in observational reports of venous thromboembolic events in patients who are positive for COVID-19, especially in the setting of elevated inflammatory markers. The possibility of COVID-19 as an independent risk factor for APEs should be further explored in this novel pandemic.
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Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J · Apr 2020
ReviewCardiovascular Implications of COVID-19 Infections.
Since early 2020, the world has been facing a pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Although this positive single-stranded RNA virus primarily causes pulmonary infection and failure, it has been associated with multiple cardiovascular diseases including troponin elevation, myocarditis, and cardiac arrhythmias. Cardiac patients are susceptible to developing more severe infection from SARS-COV-2, making management complicated. In this review we discuss the cardiac manifestations of COVID-19 infections as well as considerations for the management of primary cardiac pathologies during this pandemic.
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Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J · Jan 2020
ReviewAcute Mechanical Circulatory Support for Cardiogenic Shock.
Cardiogenic shock is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and clinicians have increasingly used short-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS) over the last 15 years to manage outcomes. In general, the provision of greater hemodynamic support comes with device platforms that are more complex and potentially associated with more adverse events. In this review, we compare and contrast the available percutaneous and surgically placed device types used in cardiogenic shock and discuss the associated clinical and hemodynamic data to support device use.