Heart : official journal of the British Cardiac Society
-
Multicenter Study
Association between bariatric surgery and rate of hospitalisations for stable angina pectoris in obese adults.
Obesity and stable angina pectoris (SAP) are important public health problems in the USA. However, little is known about whether weight reduction affects the rate of SAP-related morbidities. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that bariatric surgery is associated with a lower rate of hospitalisations for SAP in obese adults. ⋯ In this population-based study of obese adults with SAP, we found that the rate of hospitalisations for SAP was lower by two-thirds after bariatric surgery.
-
Although the factors associated with short-term survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are well established, relatively little is known about the factors that influence long-term survival. In this study, we describe the 15-year survival outcomes of OHCA survivors and examine the influence of peri-arrest factors and 12-month outcomes on long-term survival. ⋯ OHCA survivors experience relatively favourable long-term survival after discharge from hospital. While peri-arrest factors had little influence on long-term survival after hospital discharge, favourable recovery postdischarge was associated with improved long-term outcomes.
-
Review
Point-of-care cardiac ultrasound techniques in the physical examination: better at the bedside.
The development of hand-carried, battery-powered ultrasound devices has created a new practice in ultrasound diagnostic imaging, called 'point-of-care' ultrasound (POCUS). Capitalising on device portability, POCUS is marked by brief and limited ultrasound imaging performed by the physician at the bedside to increase diagnostic accuracy and expediency. The natural evolution of POCUS techniques in general medicine, particularly with pocket-sized devices, may be in the development of a basic ultrasound examination similar to the use of the binaural stethoscope. ⋯ Signs of left ventricular systolic dysfunction, left atrial enlargement, lung congestion and elevated central venous pressures are often missed by physical techniques but can be easily detected by POCUS and have prognostic and treatment implications. Creating a general set of repetitive imaging skills for these entities for application on all patients during routine examination will standardise and reduce heterogeneity in cardiac bedside ultrasound applications, simplify teaching curricula, enhance learning and recollection, and unify competency thresholds and practice. The addition of POCUS to standard physical examination techniques in cardiovascular medicine will result in an ultrasound-augmented cardiac physical examination that reaffirms the value of bedside diagnosis.
-
UK ambulance services are called to 30 000 cardiac arrests (CAs) annually where resuscitation is attempted. Correct identification by the ambulance service trebles survival by facilitating bystander-cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and immediate ambulance dispatch. Identification of CA by telephone is challenging and involves algorithms to identify key features. 'NHS Pathways' is now used for triage by six of 12 UK ambulance services, covering a population of 20 million. With the significant improvements in survival when CA is accurately identified, it is vital that 'NHS Pathways' is able to identify CA correctly. ⋯ NHS Pathways accurately identifies 75.9% of adult CAs. The remainder represents approximately 7500 treatable CAs in the UK annually where the diagnosis is missed, with significant implications for patient outcome. Further work is required to improve this first link in the chain of survival.