Croatian medical journal
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Croatian medical journal · Dec 2005
Case ReportsTransient left ventricular apical ballooning mimicking acute coronary syndrome in four patients from central Europe.
The syndrome of "apical ballooning" consists of an acute onset of transient extensive akinesia of the apical portion of the left ventricle, without significant stenosis on the coronary angiogram. The syndrome is accompanied by chest symptoms, electocardiographic changes, and limited release of cardiac markers disproportionate to the extent of akinesia. So far, the vast majority of cases with this syndrome have been reported among Japanese population and only a few cases among Caucasian population. ⋯ Left ventricular systolic function recovered completely within three days to three weeks. Emotional or physical stress or other preceding triggering factors might play a key role in this cardiomyopathy, but the precise etiology remains unknown. Despite severe initial presentation, conservative medical management leads to good long term outcome.
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Croatian medical journal · Dec 2005
Evaluation of single intensive care unit performance by simplified acute physiology score II system.
To evaluate effectiveness and quality of care in a single intensive care unit (ICU) by the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II). ⋯ SAPS II system is a useful tool for the assessment of ICU performance. This system demonstrated a good ability of discrimination, but an under-prediction of the actual mortality rate in our ICU.
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Croatian medical journal · Dec 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialLevosimendan as a new strategy during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial.
To determine if levosimendan could improve cardiac performance during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with normal preoperative left ventricular function. ⋯ Administration of 12 microg/kg of levosimendan enhances the left ventricular performance and offers a promising therapeutic option during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with good preoperative left ventricular function.
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Croatian medical journal · Dec 2005
In-hospital cardiac arrest and resuscitation outcomes: rationale for sudden cardiac death approach.
To assess the frequency of cardiac arrest and outcomes and predictors of survival after cardiopulmonary resuscitation in hospitalized patients. ⋯ The rate of successful resuscitation was higher in the coronary care unit, during the day and in younger witnessed cardiac arrest patients with ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia.
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Croatian medical journal · Dec 2005
Comparative StudyComparison of on-demand vs planned relaparotomy for treatment of severe intra-abdominal infections.
To compare morbidity and mortality of patients with severe intra-abdominal infections after two types of surgical treatment, on-demand ("wait and see") relaparotomy and modified planned relaparotomy. ⋯ Patients with severe peritonitis treated with planned relaparotomy seemed to have lower mortality. However, the relative risk of dying was not statistically different between the on-demand and planned relaparotomy groups after adjustment for preoperative APACHE II scores. The severity of disease rather than surgical approach plays more important role in survival of these patients.