Kardiol Pol
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Enormous progress in treating acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and shortening the time between the onset of pain and intervention has been made in recent years. However, the time from the beginning of pain to the call for help is still too long. ⋯ The main cause of delayed call for help in ACS patients was a poor level of knowledge about MI, risk factors and management at the time of chest pain onset. Education concerning these issues should be started at school. Physicians, nurses and media should participate in the education.
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Gastrointestinal haemorrhage secondary to off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) surgery is uncommon but lethal. We describe an 83-year-old male patient who developed gastrointestinal haemorrhage after successful off-pump CABG. He received intensive treatment, but further deteriorated following noradrenaline infusion, and subsequently died six days after surgery. Off-pump technique in combination with an extensive calcified arterial system could lead to mesenteric ischaemia accounting for the postoperative gastrointestinal haemorrhage, which might be exacerbated by the use of noradrenaline in this octogenarian patient.
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Rhabdomyosarcoma accounts for 20% of primary malignant cardiac tumours. We describe a woman with cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma. She had loss of appetite, loss of weight, and symptoms of heart failure. ⋯ The tumour was removed surgically in total; histological diagnosis was rhabdomyosarcoma; however, the patient died after 6 months. In conclusion, primary malignant cardiac tumours can simulate heart failure or systemic disorders. Cardiac rhabdomyosarcomas have a poor prognosis with average survival of 6 months after diagnosis.
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Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease affecting young women and is associated with increased frequency of atherosclerotic vascular diseases. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is an index of arterial stiffness and a marker of cardiovascular events. This study aimed to investigate arterial distensibility using carotid-femoral (aortic) PWV measurements in premenopausal women with SLE. ⋯ Arterial distensibility is decreased in premenopausal women with SLE.