Evaluation of a portable assembly catheter simulator using a 3D-printed heart model for percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy in developing countries: Catheter simulator for PTMC.

Aims: We developed a catheter simulator for percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) based on the data from a patient with mitral valve stenosis. The simulator has the following characteristics: 1) the simulator is portable and easy to assemble and disassemble, 2) the cardiac portion is created using a 3D-printer, based on patient computed tomography data, 3) the simulator uses a foot-operated water pump to create pulsatile flow, and 4) the fossa ovalis in the atrial septum of the heart model is made of a thin polyurethane membrane and is interchangeable. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of this novel simulator for training in PTMC using the Inoue balloon in developing countries.

May Measurement Month 2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Kenya.

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is the leading cause of global mortality, but control rates remain poor because most patients, especially in Africa, are unaware. May Measurement Month (MMM) is an annual global BP screening campaign that was initiated by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) in 2017 to raise awareness of raised BP. Following participation in 2017 and 2018, Kenya participated again in 2019 and the results are reported here.

May Measurement Month 2018: an analysis of blood pressure screening from Kenya.

Hypertension (HTN) is highly prevalent and the leading cardiovascular risk factor for death globally. A large proportion of individuals with high blood pressure (BP) are unaware leading to under treatment and poor control. To address this, the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) initiated a global mass screening campaign, the May Measurement Month 2017 (MMM17), in which Kenya participated.

The INVICTUS rheumatic heart disease research program: Rationale, design and baseline characteristics of a randomized trial of rivaroxaban compared to vitamin K antagonists in rheumatic valvular disease and atrial fibrillation.

Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a neglected disease affecting 33 million people, mainly in low and middle income countries. Yet very few large trials or registries have been conducted in this population. The INVICTUS program of research in RHD consists of a randomized-controlled trial (RCT) of 4500 patients comparing rivaroxaban with vitamin K antagonists (VKA) in patients with RHD and atrial fibrillation (AF), a registry of 17,000 patients to document the contemporary clinical course of patients with RHD, including a focused sub-study on pregnant women with RHD within the registry.

May Measurement Month 2017: the results of blood pressure screening of 14 845 individuals in Kenya-Sub-Saharan Africa.

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a growing burden worldwide leading to over 10 million deaths each year. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension. In Kenya, 24.