Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
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In current practice, right atrial pressure (RAP) is an essential component in the hemodynamic assessment of patients and a requisite for the noninvasive estimation of the pulmonary artery pressures. RAP provides an estimation of intravascular volume, which is a critical component for optimal patient care and management. Increased RAP is associated with adverse outcomes and is independently related to all-cause mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease. ⋯ Various echocardiographic methods have been suggested for the evaluation of RAP, consisting of indices obtained from the inferior vena cava, systemic and hepatic veins, tissue Doppler parameters, and right atrial dimensions. Because the noninvasive evaluation of RAP involves indirect measurements, multiple factors must be taken into account to provide the most accurate estimate of RAP. The authors review the data supporting current guidelines, identifying areas of agreement, conflict, limitation, and uncertainty.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Sep 2013
Multicenter StudyImpact of telemedicine on hospital transport, length of stay, and medical outcomes in infants with suspected heart disease: a multicenter study.
Previous single-center studies have shown that telemedicine improves care in newborns with suspected heart disease. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that telemedicine would shorten time to diagnosis, prevent unnecessary transports, reduce length of stay, and decrease exposure to invasive treatments. ⋯ Telemedicine shortened the time to diagnosis and significantly decreased the need for transport of infants with mild or no heart disease. The length of hospitalization and intensive care stay and use of indomethacin and inotropic support were less in telemedicine patients.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Sep 2013
Echo-Doppler assessment of arterial stiffness in pediatric patients with Kawasaki disease.
There is growing evidence to suggest increased arterial stiffness in patients with a history of Kawasaki disease (KD). Pulse-wave velocity (PWV) is the most validated measure of arterial stiffness. The aim of this study was to determine if aortic PWV is increased in children with KD. ⋯ Arterial stiffness was increased in children with KD. There was no association between acute-phase KD coronary involvement and PWV. This implies that patients with KD may be at increased cardiovascular risk in the future.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Sep 2013
Left atrial function by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients with severe organic mitral regurgitation: association with guidelines-based surgical indication and postoperative (long-term) survival.
Left atrial (LA) mechanics in patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) remain largely unexplored. The aim of the present evaluation was to assess the effect of severe MR on LA function, its potential relation with conventional surgical indications, and long-term postoperative survival. ⋯ Impaired LA reservoir strain in patients with severe organic MR relates to long-term survival after mitral valve surgery, independently of and incremental to current guidelines-based indications for mitral surgery.