Stress cardiomyopathy: clinical and ventriculographic characteristics in 107 North American subjects.

Background: Stress cardiomyopathy (SCM) is a newly described reversible cardiomyopathy of largely unclear etiology. We studied SCM in a large cohort to gain further insights.

Methods: We retrospectively identified 114 cases of SCM from among 12,150 consecutive North American patients diagnosed as Troponin-positive acute coronary syndrome, from January 2000 through December 2007, at two 24-h coronary angioplasty-capable centers.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use in elderly patients hospitalized with heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Purpose: Although angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are recommended for all patients with systolic heart failure, prior studies suggest that elderly cohorts are less likely to receive such therapy. The purpose of this study was to determine the age dependence of adherence to guideline-based medical care in hospitalized heart failure patients.

Methods: We performed a multicenter observational cohort study including 613 patients admitted to participating hospitals with a primary diagnosis of heart failure with ejection fraction < or =40%.

Warfarin-induced skin necrosis and venous limb gangrene in the setting of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Background: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a common, often catastrophic, syndrome that produces the most hypercoagulable of states. Emerging therapeutic strategies use alternative anticoagulants; warfarin's place is being reexamined. Early in the course of warfarin therapy, there may be net procoagulant effects because of the inhibition of protein C.