American heart journal
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American heart journal · May 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyResuscitation Outcomes Consortium-Amiodarone, Lidocaine or Placebo Study (ROC-ALPS): Rationale and methodology behind an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest antiarrhythmic drug trial.
Despite their wide use, whether antiarrhythmic drugs improve survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is not known. The ROC-ALPS is evaluating the effectiveness of these drugs for OHCA due to shock-refractory ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VF/VT). ⋯ Results from ALPS will provide important information about the choice and value of antiarrhythmic therapies for VF/VT arrest with direct implications for resuscitation guidelines and clinical practice.
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American heart journal · May 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyRationale and design of the steroids in cardiac surgery trial.
Steroids may improve outcomes in high-risk patients undergoing cardiac surgery with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CBP). There is a need\ for a large randomized controlled trial to clarify the effect of steroids in such patients. ⋯ SIRS will lead to a better understanding of the safety and efficacy of prophylactic steroids for cardiac surgery requiring CBP.
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Medical professional liability (MPL) remains a significant burden for physicians, in general, and cardiologists, in particular, as recent research has shown that average MPL defense costs are higher in cardiology than other specialties. Knowledge of the clinical characteristics and outcomes of lawsuits against cardiologists may improve quality of care and risk management. ⋯ Rates of malpractice lawsuits are higher among cardiologists than physicians overall. A substantial portion of claims are noncardiovascular in nature.
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American heart journal · May 2014
Galectin-3 is independently associated with cardiovascular mortality in community-dwelling older adults without known cardiovascular disease: The Rancho Bernardo Study.
Galectin-3 is a marker of myocardial fibrosis that has been implicated in the pathophysiologic pathway of fibrosis; its association with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in a community-based cohort free of baseline CVD has not been reported. Our aim was to determine the association between galectin-3 levels and all-cause and CVD mortality in community-dwelling older adults without known CVD. ⋯ Higher levels of galectin-3 are independently associated with all-cause and CVD mortality among community-dwelling older adults with no known CVD at baseline.