European heart journal. Acute cardiovascular care
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Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care · Jun 2015
Serial hemodynamic measurements in post-cardiac arrest cardiogenic shock treated with therapeutic hypothermia.
Mortality from cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction (MI) remains high despite contemporary treatment. Therapeutic Hypothermia (TH) offers cardiovascular and systemic effects that may prove beneficial in this population, however, current data are limited. This study sought to evaluate the effect of therapeutic hypothermia on serial hemodynamics obtained in subjects with post-cardiac arrest cardiogenic shock. ⋯ In patients with cardiogenic shock following cardiac arrest, initiation of TH was associated with favorable changes in invasive hemodynamics suggesting safety in this population. Given potential for favorable hemodynamic and systemic effects of TH in cardiogenic shock, further prospective study of TH as a potentially novel adjunctive therapy to early reperfusion in post-MI cardiogenic shock should be considered.
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Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care · Jun 2015
Intracoronary insulin administered at reperfusion in a porcine model of acute coronary syndrome.
Experimental studies have demonstrated that insulin elicits cardioprotection in coronary occlusion-reperfusion models. We studied the effects of intracoronary insulin on regional cardiac function in a porcine model with reperfusion after a critical coronary artery stenosis. ⋯ Intracoronary insulin at the onset of reperfusion alleviated regional myocardial dysfunction in acute ischaemia-reperfusion and was associated with a reduction of apoptosis.
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Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care · Apr 2015
Comparative StudyImpact of high-sensitivity Troponin T on hospital admission, resources utilization, and outcomes.
The use of high-sensitivity cardiac Troponin T (hs-cTnT) assay might lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment of Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS). This study assessed the epidemiological, clinical and prognostic impact of introducing hs-cTnT in the everyday clinical practice of an Emergency Department. ⋯ We did not observe overdiagnosis and overtreatment issues in presenters with suspected ACS managed by appropriate changes in hs-cTnT levels, despite the increase in the number of patients presenting with abnormal troponin levels. This occurred without a rise in short-term and mid-term mortality.
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Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care · Apr 2015
Controlled pericardiocentesis in patients with cardiac tamponade complicating aortic dissection: experience of a centre without cardiothoracic surgery.
Cardiac tamponade has been reported in 18.7% of patients with acute type A aortic dissection and its presence is associated with worse outcomes. Emergency aortic repair together with intra-operative pericardial drainage is the recommended treatment approach. However, controversy surrounds how to manage patients with haemopericardium and cardiac tamponade who cannot survive until surgery. ⋯ Preoperative controlled pericardiocentesis can be lifesaving when managing patients with critical cardiac tamponade (pulseless electrical activity or refractory hypotension) complicating acute type A aortic dissection, namely when cardiac surgery is not immediately available.
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Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care · Apr 2015
ReviewRole and importance of ultrasound lung comets in acute cardiac care.
Lung ultrasonography is an emerging, user-friendly and easy-to-use technique that can be performed quickly at the patient's bedside to evaluate several pathologic conditions affecting the lung. Ultrasound lung comets (ULCs) are an echographic sign of uncertain biophysical characterisation mostly attributed to water-thickened subpleural interlobular septa, but invariably associated with increased extravascular lung water. ULCs have thus been proposed as a complementary tool for the assessment and monitoring of acute heart failure and are now entering into statements in international recommendation documents. ⋯ The technique allows the simultaneous gathering of considerable information about the heart and the lungs to investigate acute and chronic cardio-pulmonary conditions within a non-invasive, radiation-free, single-probe, all-in-one examination. We have here reviewed the pertinent literature on the physical origin of ULCs and on their role and importance in intensive and acute cardiac care settings. We also here propose a new algorithm aimed at implementing evaluation in the diagnostic work-up of patients with suspected acute heart failure.