Electroanatomic and Pathologic Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Abnormalities in Patients With Brugada Syndrome.

Background: The prevalence and significance of structural abnormalities in Brugada syndrome (BrS) are still largely debated.

Objectives: The authors investigated the relationship between genetic background, electroanatomic abnormalities, and pathologic substrate in BrS.

Methods: They performed 3-dimensional electroanatomic unipolar and bipolar mapping in 30 patients with BrS.

Long-term prognostic value of delirium in elderly patients with acute cardiac diseases admitted to two cardiac intensive care units: a prospective study (DELIRIUM CORDIS).

Background: Delirium is a frequent in-hospital complication in elderly patients, and is associated with poor clinical outcome. Its clinical impact, however, has not yet been fully addressed in the setting of the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU). The present study is a prospective, two-centre registry aimed at assessing the incidence, prevalence and significance of delirium in elderly patients with acute cardiac diseases.

Feasibility of short term drainage for diagnostic thoracoscopy.

Background And Aim: Thoracoscopy is a diagnostic tool superior to other available techniques for the assessment of pleural effusions. There are numerous publications that describe the technique in detail but there is very little published on the optimal time of chest drain removal post procedure. Our aim was to retrospectively study all cases of diagnostic thoracoscopy and to ascertain the time of chest drain removal, length of hospital stay and associated complications.