The feasibility, reliability, and incremental value of two-dimensional speckle-tracking for the detection of significant coronary stenosis after treadmill stress echocardiography.

Background: Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) may help detect coronary artery disease (CAD) when combined with dobutamine stress echocardiography. However, few studies have explored STE with exercise stress echocardiography (ESE). We aimed to evaluate the feasibility, reliability, and incremental value of STE combined with treadmill ESE compared to treadmill ESE alone to detect CAD.

Arrhythmic Risk Following Recovery of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Patients with Primary Prevention ICD.

Background: Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) recovers during follow-up in a significant proportion of patients implanted with a cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for primary prevention. Little is known about the midterm arrhythmic risk in this population, particularly in relation to the presence or absence of ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Methods And Results: We retrospectively analyzed 286 patients with an ICD implanted for primary prevention between 2002 and 2010.

Left ventricular ejection fraction assessment by non-cardiologists from transverse views using a simplified wall motion score index.

For the non-cardiologist emergency physician and intensivist, performing an accurate estimation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is essential for the management of critically ill patients, such as patients presenting with shock, severe respiratory distress or chest pain. Our objective was to develop a semi-quantitative method to improve visual LVEF evaluation. A group of 12 sets of transthoracic echocardiograms with LVEF in the range of 18-64% were interpreted by 17 experienced observers (PRO) and 103 untrained observers or novices (NOV), without previous training in echocardiography.

Ventricular septal rupture and right ventricular free wall dissection after inferior myocardial infarction: a case report and review of the literature.

Ventricular septal rupture (VSR) with dissection of the right ventricular free wall is an extremely rare complication after inferior myocardial infarction. Mortality is 100% without surgical treatment. The optimal surgical strategy remains unclear because of the limited number of cases, but repair of VSR alone might be equally effective as repair of VSR and right ventricular free wall reconstruction.