Can emergency physicians diagnose and correctly classify diastolic dysfunction using bedside echocardiography?

Objectives: The goal of this study was to determine if emergency physicians (EPs) can correctly perform a bedside diastology examination (DE) and correctly grade the level of diastolic function with minimal additional training in echocardiography beyond what is learned in residency. We hypothesize that EPs will be accurate at detecting and grading diastolic dysfunction (DD) when compared to a criterion standard interpretation by a cardiologist.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational study on a convenience sample of adult patients who presented to an urban emergency department with a chief concern of dyspnea.

Prosthesis-patient mismatch in bovine pericardial aortic valves: evaluation using 3 different modalities and associated medium-term outcomes.

Background: The prevalence of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) and its impact on survival after aortic valve replacement have not been clearly defined. Historically, the presence of PPM was identified from postoperative echocardiograms or preoperative manufacturer-provided charts, resulting in wide discrepancies. The 2009 American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) guidelines proposed an algorithmic approach to calculate PPM.

Quantitative assessment of in-stent dimensions: a comparison of 64 and 16 detector multislice computed tomography to intravascular ultrasound.

Objectives: To determine the utility of multislice computed tomography (MSCT) technology to evaluate coronary stent luminal diameter.

Background: Stent metal induced "blooming" artifact makes quantitative coronary angiography by MSCT difficult. There is a paucity of data on the efficacy of using 64 and 16 detector MSCT in evaluating coronary stents.