International journal of cardiology
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Bicuspid aortic valve is the most common congenital heart defect and is associated with an aortopathy manifested by dilatation of the ascending thoracic aorta. The clinical consequences of this aortopathy are the need for periodic monitoring of aortic diameters, elective prophylactic surgical aortic repair, and the occurrence of aortic dissection or rupture. This review describes the current knowledge of BAV aortopathy in adults, including incidence, pathophysiologic insights into its etiology, contemporary hypothesis-generating observations into its complications, and recommendations for monitoring and intervention.
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Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is associated with a poor prognosis. As comorbidity and frailty increase with age; ethical dilemmas may arise when OHCA occur in the very old. ⋯ OHCA in octogenarians was associated with a significantly higher mortality rate after adjustment for prognostic factors. However, the majority of octogenarian survivors were discharged with a favorable neurological outcome. Withholding resuscitation and post resuscitation care in octogenarians does not seem justified.