American heart journal
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American heart journal · Dec 2008
Direction of blood flow from the left ventricle during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in humans: its implications for mechanism of blood flow.
Common mechanisms proposed to explain forward blood flow during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) include the cardiac and thoracic pumps. However, the exact role of the left ventricle in promoting forward blood flow during standard CPR in humans is mostly unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the role of the left ventricle in generating forward blood flow during standard CPR in humans by observing the direction of blood flow during CPR. ⋯ Retrograde flow to the left atrium and forward blood flow onto the aorta on left ventricular contrast echocardiography during the compression phase suggests that extrinsic compression of the left ventricle by external chest compression acts as a pump in generating blood flow during standard CPR in humans.
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American heart journal · Dec 2008
Optimizing cardiology capacity to reduce emergency department boarding: a systems engineering approach.
Patient safety and emergency department (ED) functionality are compromised when inefficient coordination between hospital departments impedes ED patients' access to inpatient cardiac care. The objective of this study was to determine how bed demand from competing cardiology admission sources affects ED patients' access to inpatient cardiac care. ⋯ Scheduling and bed management practices based on measured patient transfer patterns can reduce inpatient bed blocking, optimize hospital capacity, and improve ED patient access.
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American heart journal · Dec 2008
Trends in reperfusion strategies, door-to-needle and door-to-balloon times, and in-hospital mortality among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction enrolled in the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction from 1990 to 2006.
Among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), rapid reperfusion is associated with improved mortality. As such, door-to-needle (D2N) and door-to-balloon (D2B) times have become metrics of quality of care and targets for intense quality improvement. ⋯ Since 1990, there has been a progressive decline in D2N and D2B time among reperfusion-eligible STEMI patients. These improvements have contributed, at least in part, to a progressive decline in mortality.
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American heart journal · Nov 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialIncentive spirometry with expiratory positive airway pressure reduces pulmonary complications, improves pulmonary function and 6-minute walk distance in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
The use of the incentive spirometry (IS) with expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) to prevent postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is not well established. This study sought to determine the effects of IS+EPAP after CABG. ⋯ In patients undergoing CABG, IS+EPAP results in improved pulmonary function and 6-minute walk distance as well as a reduction in PPC.