Computer algorithm compared with routine clinical practice in screening for deep venous thrombosis in the leg in an emergency department.

Objective: To audit routine clinical practice in screening patients admitted to an accident and emergency department for deep venous thrombosis in the leg (DVT) and compare it with a computer algorithm.

Design: Retrospective study of case notes with data subsequently entered into a computer algorithm followed by a comparison of the diagnosis and recommended management from each modality.

Setting: Emergency department at a London teaching hospital.

Manipulation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) release in heart failure through mechanical intervention.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) were developed as a means of temporary circulatory support, but the mechanical unloading they offer also results in significant reverse remodelling. In selected patients, these improvements are sufficient to allow ultimate device explantation without requiring transplantation; this represents a fundamental shift in our understanding of heart failure. Like heart failure itself, LVADs influence multiple biological systems.

Recovery of the failing heart: emerging approaches and mechanisms in excitation-contraction coupling.

Heart failure (HF) is a growing cause of morbidity and mortality globally. All clinical therapies that reduce mortality have been shown to induce reverse remodeling. In this article, we discuss a conceptual approach to the evolving treatment of HF using emerging treatment modalities for the drug-refractory patient.