American journal of cardiovascular drugs : drugs, devices, and other interventions
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Am J Cardiovasc Drugs · Jan 2006
ReviewVasopressin during cardiopulmonary resuscitation and different shock states: a review of the literature.
Vasopressin administration may be a promising therapy in the management of various shock states. In laboratory models of cardiac arrest, vasopressin improved vital organ blood flow, cerebral oxygen delivery, the rate of return of spontaneous circulation, and neurological recovery compared with epinephrine (adrenaline). In a study of 1219 adult patients with cardiac arrest, the effects of vasopressin were similar to those of epinephrine in the management of ventricular fibrillation and pulseless electrical activity; however, vasopressin was superior to epinephrine in patients with asystole. ⋯ Vasopressin also improved short- and long-term survival in various porcine models of uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock. In the clinical setting, we observed positive effects of vasopressin in some patients with life-threatening hemorrhagic shock, which had no longer responded to adrenergic catecholamines and fluid resuscitation. Clinical employment of vasopressin during hemorrhagic shock is experimental at this point in time.
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Am J Cardiovasc Drugs · Jan 2006
Effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on requirement for allogeneic red blood cell transfusion following coronary artery bypass surgery.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) inhibit platelet function, and use of these drugs has been associated with bleeding events. The objective of this study was to examine whether the requirement for red blood cell transfusion was increased following preoperative use of SSRIs among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). ⋯ Preoperative use of SSRIs was not associated with any substantially increased requirement for allogeneic red blood cell transfusion among patients undergoing CABG. The main strengths of this study are its relatively large size, the use of prospectively collected data obtained from population-based databases with complete follow-up, and the ability to examine specific types of antidepressants. The limitations include a lack of detailed clinical data regarding other factors that may influence transfusion requirements.
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Am J Cardiovasc Drugs · Jan 2005
ReviewAntiarrhythmic drugs in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.
Antiarrhythmic drugs need to be initiated in up to 70% of patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in order to treat atrial tachyarrhythmias, decrease the frequency of defibrillator shocks, and terminate ventricular arrhythmias along with antitachycardia pacing. trial fibrillation (AF) occurs in about 20% of patients with ICDs (the majority with congestive heart failure [CHF]). Antiarrhythmic drugs are initiated for this indication in 2-20% of the ICD population. Data from CHF-STAT (Congestive Heart Failure: Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy; amiodarone vs placebo) and DIAMOND-AF (Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality ON Dofetilide--rial Fibrillation; dofetilide vs placebo) support the approach that restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm might be beneficial in CHF, even though no study has specifically addressed the CHF population with ICDs. ⋯ In conclusion, antiarrhythmic drugs are frequently used in ICD patients, the main indications being treatment of atrial tachyarrhythmias and prevention of ICD shocks. Despite potential adverse effects, antiarrhythmics can be administered safely, as long as ICD/drug interactions are appreciated. Controlled studies that will further define the role of concomitant antiarrhythmic drug utilization in patients with ICDs are underway.
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Am J Cardiovasc Drugs · Jan 2004
ReviewAspirin in cardiovascular disorders. What is the optimum dose?
Clinical trials of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) for cardiovascular disorders have employed doses defined for other pharmacological effects of the drug (such as analgesic effects). Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms with different dose-response relationships may contribute to the clinical effect of aspirin in cardiovascular disease. The optimal aspirin dose remains uncertain. ⋯ Platelets can be activated by pathways that are not blocked by aspirin, and the dose of aspirin needed to fully suppress platelet aggregation may be higher in some patients as a result. Higher doses of aspirin than are currently used (75-325 mg/day) may be required in these patients to achieve desired antithrombotic effects. Better understanding of aspirin-resistant populations will facilitate identification of patients who require higher aspirin doses or alternative forms of antiplatelet therapy.
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Am J Cardiovasc Drugs · Jan 2004
ReviewCalcineurin inhibitor-associated early renal insufficiency in cardiac transplant recipients: risk factors and strategies for prevention and treatment.
Cardiac transplantation is the definitive treatment for eligible patients with end-stage cardiac failure. Techniques have evolved to reduce surgical mortality to under 5%. Immediate and subsequent long-term survival is more dependent on acute and chronic rejection and the complications of immunosuppressive therapy. ⋯ In addition, the paper emphasizes the importance of ruling out other causes of renal insufficiency in the early postoperative period, including volume depletion, depressed cardiac output, and mechanical obstruction to urine flow. Given that there is no highly efficacious treatment for this syndrome, ways to avoid its occurrence are desirable. One paper is referenced that suggests that avoidance of rapid changes in tacrolimus level during the first three days of therapy is associated with a low occurrence of early renal insufficiency.