Heart : official journal of the British Cardiac Society
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Aortic dilatation patterns and rates in adults with bicuspid aortic valves: a comparative study with Marfan syndrome and degenerative aortopathy.
Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is related to aortic dilatation, but patterns/rates are conflicting with no comparison among aneurysms of different aetiology. We sought to define ascending aorta dilatation patterns/progression rates in BAV versus other aortopathies (Marfan syndrome (MFS), degenerative aortopathy (DA)). ⋯ In patients with BAV, tubular ascending aorta dilatation is the most common pattern and exhibits the fastest growing rate, irrespective of valve morphology and function. Dilatation of the Valsalva sinuses is less common and associated with typical BAV morphology and male gender. Aortic dilatation progresses equally fast in BAV (tubular segment) and MFS (Valsalva sinuses), but a significantly higher proportion of BAV patients does not progress at all, irrespective of BAV type. Baseline aortic diameter does not proportionally predict progression rate; systematic follow-up is therefore warranted in patients with BAV.
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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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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.