American heart journal
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American heart journal · Oct 2004
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialAmiodarone versus sotalol for the treatment of atrial fibrillation after open heart surgery: the Reduction in Postoperative Cardiovascular Arrhythmic Events (REDUCE) trial.
This prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study compared the efficacy and safety of amiodarone and sotalol in the prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF) following open heart surgery. ⋯ Amiodarone and sotalol share similar efficacy and safety in reducing postoperative AF. Hemodynamic effects were similar between both drugs at 24 hours, with the exception that stroke volume was lower in sotalol-treated patients. In patients undergoing more complex surgery, postoperative AF occurred more frequently with sotalol than with amiodarone.
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American heart journal · Oct 2004
Clinical TrialDiagnostic value of serial measurement of cardiac markers in patients with chest pain: limited value of adding myoglobin to troponin I for exclusion of myocardial infarction.
Despite improved laboratory assays for cardiac markers and a revised standard for definition of myocardial infarction (AMI), early detection of coronary ischemia in unselected patients with chest pain remains a difficult challenge. ⋯ A TnI cutoff corresponding to the 10% coefficient of variation was most appropriate for early diagnosis of AMI. A lower TnI cutoff may be useful for very early exclusion of AMI. CK-MB and in particular myoglobin did not offer additional diagnostic value.
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American heart journal · Oct 2004
Tissue Doppler imaging in patients with moderate to severe aortic valve stenosis: clinical usefulness and diagnostic accuracy.
Mitral annular velocities derived from tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) provide information about left ventricular (LV) long-axis function and allow for the assessment of LV filling pressures in selected subsets of patients. It was the aim of this study to assess the usefulness of TDI in patients with moderate to severe aortic valve stenosis (AS). ⋯ In patients with moderate to severe AS, TDI allows for a reliable, noninvasive estimation of filling pressures. In such patients, systolic long-axis function is impaired even in the presence of normal ejection fraction and cardiac index. Thus, TDI integrates information about systolic and diastolic performance and may be a useful addition in the echocardiographic workup and care of patients with AS.
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Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare disease that is characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance and right heart failure. Recent advances in the understanding of pulmonary arterial hypertension have been translated into effective therapies tested in clinical trials. These trials have used surrogate end points as the primary outcomes of interest. ⋯ Functional studies, such as the distance walked in 6 minutes, also may be meaningful. We present the available data as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each metric. Further studies should focus on validating the most promising of these surrogate end points, so that future investigators, subjects, and patients may benefit from the advantages they confer on clinical trials and patient care.
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American heart journal · Oct 2004
Clinical TrialSerum B-type natriuretic peptide levels on admission predict not only short-term death but also angiographic success of procedure in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary angioplasty.
B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels are predictive of short-term death in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Few data are available for BNP levels obtained on admission in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). ⋯ BNP levels obtained on admission are a powerful, independent predictor of short-term death and angiographic success after PCI in patients with STEMI. The no-reflow phenomenon may be predicted in STEMI on the basis of high serum BNP values on admission.