American heart journal
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American heart journal · Sep 1998
QT dispersion may be a useful adjunct for detection of myocardial infarction in the chest pain center.
QT dispersion has been proposed as a noninvasive measurement of the degree of inhomogeneity in myocardial repolarization. Increased QT dispersion has been reported after myocardial infarction. We hypothesized that increased QT dispersion may be a useful adjunct for risk stratification in patients being evaluated in a chest pain center. ⋯ QT dispersion can be a useful diagnostic adjunct for detection of AMI in patients with chest pain with a normal ECG and normal cardiac enzymes.
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American heart journal · Sep 1998
Managed care for congestive heart failure: influence of payer status on process of care, resource utilization, and short-term outcomes.
Although health maintenance organizations (HMO) are insuring an increasing number of Americans, there are concerns that cost-reduction strategies may limit access to medical care or jeopardize its quality. This study was conducted to examine the influence of insurance payer status on the process of care and resource utilization among patients hospitalized for congestive heart failure (CHF). ⋯ Though insuring only a small proportion of New Yorkers hospitalized for CHF, managed care plans provide similar access to clinical services while generating fewer charges. Whether these observed differences in short-term outcomes derive from patient mix or quality of care is uncertain and deserves wider prospective study.
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American heart journal · Sep 1998
Clinical predictors easily obtained at presentation predict resource utilization in unstable angina.
To determine if a risk prediction model for patients with unstable angina would predict resource utilization. ⋯ Resource utilization as assessed by the use of revascularization procedures, length of stay, and hospital costs are influenced by patient acuity estimated from a prediction model on the basis of estimated risk of cardiac complications. The model exerts independent influence on cost even after adjustment for various procedures. The use of revascularization procedures, especially coronary artery surgery, remains a large determinant of hospital cost.
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American heart journal · Sep 1998
Evidence of left ventricular dysfunction in children with merosin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy.
Deficiency of the sarcolemmal protein dystrophin has been linked to dilated cardiomyopathy. Some children with congenital muscular dystrophy have a deficiency of the laminin alpha2 chain of merosin, an extracellular matrix protein linked to dystrophin through a group of glycoproteins. It has been shown that deficiency in one of these glycoproteins is responsible for muscular dystrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy. Children with laminin alpha2 deficiency may be at risk for development of cardiomyopathy. ⋯ This study suggests that a deficiency of laminin alpha2 can give rise to dilated cardiomyopathy, supporting the idea that defects of dystrophin, or of associated proteins, can cause dilated cardiomyopathy in addition to muscular dystrophy.