Journal of the American College of Cardiology
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Nov 2002
Comparative StudyComparative value of Doppler echocardiography and B-type natriuretic peptide assay in the etiologic diagnosis of acute dyspnea.
We compared the accuracy of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) assay with Doppler echocardiography for the diagnosis of decompensated congestive left-heart failure (CHF) in patients with acute dyspnea. ⋯ Bedside BNP measurement and Doppler echocardiography are both useful for establishing the cause of acute dyspnea. However, Doppler analysis of the mitral inflow pattern was more accurate, particularly in patients with intermediate BNP levels or "flash" pulmonary edema.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Nov 2002
Cardiac catheterization of patients supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
The goal of this study was to describe the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing cardiac catheterization while supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). ⋯ Cardiac catheterization can be performed safely on patients supported with ECMO. Catheterization during ECMO enables the diagnosis of residual lesions and can facilitate important therapeutic interventions.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Nov 2002
Meta Analysis Comparative StudyThrombolytic therapy of pulmonary embolism: a meta-analysis.
We sought to assess the efficacy and safety of thrombolytic therapy in patients with an acute pulmonary embolism (PE). ⋯ Compared with intravenous heparin, thrombolytic therapy does not appear to have therapeutic benefit in unselected patients with acute PE, but it is associated with an increased risk of major hemorrhage. Given the small number of patients included in the randomized trials thus far, the negative results in terms of the efficacy outcomes should be interpreted with caution. Definitive evidence of the utility of thrombolytic therapy in this setting requires a large, randomized, controlled trial.