Examining the Real-Life Journey of Individuals and Families Affected by Single-Ventricle Congenital Heart Disease.

Background The lifetime journey of patients with single-ventricle congenital heart disease is characterized by long-term challenges that are incompletely understood and still unfolding. Health care redesign requires a thorough understanding of this journey to create and implement solutions that improve outcomes. This study maps the lifetime journey of individuals with single-ventricle congenital heart disease and their families, identifies the most meaningful outcomes to them, and defines significant challenges in the journey.

Prevalence of Sodium and Fluid Restriction Recommendations for Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension.

Background: Patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) are often afflicted with the consequences of right heart failure including volume overload. Counseling to assist the patient in the dietary restriction of sodium and fluid may be underutilized.

Methods: Consecutive patients seen in the PH Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Florida from June to November 2013.

Predictors of survival, neurologic death, local failure, and distant failure after gamma knife radiosurgery for melanoma brain metastases.

Objective: This study sought to assess clinical outcomes in patients receiving gamma knife radiosurgery (GK) for treatment of brain metastases from melanoma and evaluate for potential predictive factors.

Methods: We reviewed 188 GK procedures in 129 consecutive patients that were treated for brain metastases from melanoma. The population consisted of 84 males and 45 females with a median age of 57 years.