Bmc Cardiovasc Disor
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Bmc Cardiovasc Disor · Sep 2016
The utilization and prognostic impact of B-type Natriuretic Peptide in hospitalized acute decompensated heart failure in an Asian population.
B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels during admission have been shown to have prognostic value in the diagnosis of heart failure and further predict the in-hospital mortality of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). This study describes the characteristics of BNP among hospitalized ADHF and elucidates its prognostic value of in-hospital mortality in an Asian population. ⋯ Abnormally high BNP levels in ADHF patients during admission were tightly linked to clinical features of worse physical, functional, and clinical presentations, and further provided prognostic value for determining in-hospital mortality among patients with ADHF in an Asian population.
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Bmc Cardiovasc Disor · Sep 2016
Multicenter StudyPre-operative echocardiography among patients with coronary artery disease in the United States Veterans Affairs healthcare system: A retrospective cohort study.
Echocardiography is not recommended for routine pre-surgical evaluation but may have value for patients at high risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). The objective of this study was to evaluate whether pre-operative echocardiography is associated with lower risk of post-operative MACE among patients with coronary artery disease. ⋯ Pre-operative echocardiography was not associated with lower risk of post-operative MACE, even in a high risk population. Future guidelines should encourage pre-operative echocardiography only in specific patients with cardiovascular disease among whom findings can be translated into effective changes in care.