Lack of radiological awareness among physicians working in a tertiary-care cardiological centre.

Background: Medical irradiation is the most important artificial source of exposure to ionising radiations in Europe and implies biorisks.

Aim: To assess the level of radiological awareness in a tertiary-care referral centre of adult-pediatric cardiological excellence.

Methods: One hundred physicians (31 women, age=41+/-8 years) were polled with a simple, one-page, multiple choice questionnaire.

Stress echo in chest pain unit: the SPEED trial.

Background: Emergency room (ER) evaluation of patients with acute chest pain and non-diagnostic electrocardiography (ECG) remains a frequent and difficult problem.

Aim: To assess safety and prognostic implications of pharmacological stress echocardiography in the ER chest pain unit (CPU).

Methods: A total of 552 patients (321 males, age 58+/-12.

AMPD1 (C34T) polymorphism and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing myocardial revascularization.

Background: C34T variant of adenosine monophosphate deaminase 1 (AMPD1) gene has been associated with a prolonged survival in heart failure and coronary artery disease, hypothetically linked to an enhanced production of adenosine.

Design: Since adenosine administration is a promising approach for the prevention of the ischemia-reperfusion in myocardial revascularization, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the AMPD1 (-) allele is associated with a favorable prognosis after coronary revascularization. In addition, we assessed the association between AMPD1 polymorphism and plasma adenosine levels.