An unusual cause of postpartum heart failure.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a weakness of the heart muscle. It is an idiopathic cardiomyopathy that presents with heart failure secondary to left ventricular systolic dysfunction toward the end of pregnancy or in the months after delivery, in the absence of any other cause of heart failure. It is a rare condition that can carry mild or severe symptoms.

Isolated idiopathic aortitis with an unusually thickened aortic wall: case report.

Aortitis includes a broad range of disorders involving inflammation of the aorta. While most forms of aortitis can be linked to a specific cause, patients with idiopathic aortitis (IDA), are asymptomatic and usually diagnosed after surgical removal. The specific pathophysiology is not well understood, but can be strongly associated with tobacco smoking, young age at presentation, and family history of aortic aneurysm.

Utility of brain natriuretic peptide assay as a predictor of short term outcomes in patients presenting with syncope to the emergency department.

Background: Syncope is a common condition that accounts for 3% of emergency department (ED) visits and 1-6% of hospital admissions. Current admissions practices result in marginal diagnostic and therapeutic benefit and consume healthcare resources.

Methods: This prospective cohort study examined the use of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) test as a predictor of short term serious outcome in 159 patients who presented to ED with syncope between August 2012 and August 2013 in two tertiary teaching medical centers.

Platelet Reactivity Unit in Predicting Risk of Bleeding in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery.

Bleeding is a common complication of cardiac surgery, accounting for a significant proportion of the total transfusions performed in the United States and Europe. The relationship between platelet reactivity, bleeding, and other adverse events after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABGS) has been incompletely characterized. This study investigated the relationship between platelet reactivity and bleeding as a clinical outcome after successful CABGS.