Heart, lung & circulation
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Heart, lung & circulation · Aug 2008
Cardiac MRI assessment of left and right ventricular parameters in healthy Australian normal volunteers.
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is being utilised increasingly for the purposes of cardiovascular imaging. Limited data suggest a high degree of reproducibility for parameters such as left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF), mass, end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes (EDV and ESV). We sought to investigate reproducibility and establish means for these parameters in a selected normal non-Aboriginal Australian population, using cardiac MRI. ⋯ Intraclass correlation coefficients for LV: EF 0.84, LV mass 0.84, EDV 0.85 and ESV 0.89. Cardiac MRI provides high quality information about cardiac function with a high level of reproducibility. Cardiac MRI parameters in a normal non-Aboriginal Australian population are provided.
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Heart, lung & circulation · Aug 2008
Multicenter StudyValidation of a verbal rating scale for breathlessness amongst patients referred for cardiac stress tests.
Acute shortness of breath (SOB) is a common symptom and a potentially significant marker of cardiorespiratory disease. The subjective and unmeasurable nature of breathlessness can make its clinical evaluation difficult. This study aimed to investigate the convergent validity of a verbal 0-10 rating scale for SOB. ⋯ A verbal numerical rating scale is a valid measure of breathlessness and may provide useful insight into a prognostically significant symptom.
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Heart, lung & circulation · Aug 2008
Anaortic techniques reduce neurological morbidity after off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.
Stroke remains one of the most devastating complications of cardiac surgery. Advocates of off-pump coronary revascularisation (OPCAB) maintain that post-operative neurologic morbidity is reduced by avoiding aortic cannulation and cross-clamping, and by eliminating the systemic effects of cardiopulmonary bypass. We sought to determine whether completing off-pump coronary surgery without any aortic manipulation ("anaortic" technique) afforded any additional neurological protection, as compared to off-pump grafting in which the aorta was utilised for graft inflow. ⋯ Off-pump coronary artery surgery is associated with a low incidence of peri-operative stroke. Completing the surgical procedure without manipulating the ascending aorta in any way ("anaortic" technique) offers additional neurological protection and should be the goal in all suitable off-pump coronary cases.