Heart : official journal of the British Cardiac Society
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Comparative Study
Ischaemic heart disease, influenza and influenza vaccination: a prospective case control study.
Abundant, indirect epidemiological evidence indicates that influenza contributes to all-cause mortality and cardiovascular hospitalisations with studies showing increases in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and death during the influenza season. ⋯ Recent influenza infection was an unrecognised comorbidity in almost 10% of hospital patients. Influenza did not predict AMI, but vaccination was significantly protective but underused. The potential population health impact of influenza vaccination, particularly in the age group 50-64 years, who are at risk for AMI but not targeted for vaccination, should be further explored. Our data should inform vaccination policy and cardiologists should be aware of missed opportunities to vaccinate individuals with ischaemic heart disease against influenza.
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The need to provide invasive mechanical ventilatory support to patients with myocardial infarction and acute left heart failure is common. Despite the large number of patients requiring mechanical ventilation in this setting, there are remarkably few data addressing the ideal mode of respiratory support in such patients. ⋯ Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is almost universally applied in mechanically ventilated patients due to benefits in gas exchange, recruitment of alveolar units, counterbalance of hydrostatic forces leading to pulmonary oedema and maintenance of airway patency. The limited available clinical data suggest that a moderate level of PEEP is safe to use in severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and cardiogenic shock, and may provide haemodynamic benefits as well in LV failure which exhibits afterload-sensitive physiology.
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Review Meta Analysis
Remote monitoring after recent hospital discharge in patients with heart failure: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Readmission to hospital for heart failure is common after recent discharge. Remote monitoring (RM) strategies have the potential to deliver specialised care and management and may be one way to meet the growing needs of the heart failure population. ⋯ STS HH and TM with medical support provided during office hours showed beneficial trends, particularly in reducing all-cause mortality for recently discharged patients with heart failure. Where 'usual' care is less good, the impact of RM is likely to be greater.
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Comparative Study
Temporal variation and morphologic characteristics of J-waves in patients with early repolarisation syndrome.
Electrocardiographic markers identifying malignant forms of early repolarisation (ER) from ER of normal variants are of prime clinical importance. We compared the ECG parameters of ER patterns in patients with early repolarisation syndrome (ERS) proximate to the ventricular fibrillation (VF) episodes, remote from the events and those with normal controls with ER. ⋯ Although the extent of and amplitude of J-wave or ST segment elevation (STE) increased significantly around VF episodes, the electrocardiographic parameters of ER remote from VF episodes were not significantly different from those of normal controls. The narrow time window of these ECG changes limits early detection of ER patients at risk of developing VF or sudden cardiac death.