Normality index of ventricular contraction based on a statistical model from FADS.

Radionuclide-based imaging is an alternative to evaluate ventricular function and synchrony and may be used as a tool for the identification of patients that could benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). In a previous work, we used Factor Analysis of Dynamic Structures (FADS) to analyze the contribution and spatial distribution of the 3 most significant factors (3-MSF) present in a dynamic series of equilibrium radionuclide angiography images. In this work, a probability density function model of the 3-MSF extracted from FADS for a control group is presented; also an index, based on the likelihood between the control group's contraction model and a sample of normal subjects is proposed.

Cardiovascular medicine at face value: a qualitative pilot study on clinical axiology.

Introduction: Cardiology is characterized by its state-of-the-art biomedical technology and the predominance of Evidence-Based Medicine. This predominance makes it difficult for healthcare professionals to deal with the ethical dilemmas that emerge in this subspecialty. This paper is a first endeavor to empirically investigate the axiological foundations of the healthcare professionals in a cardiology hospital.

[Cost-effectiveness of stress-only myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging].

Unlabelled: Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging is widely used for diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD). However, SPECT costs, imaging time, and radiation exposure, limit SPECT indications.

Objective: Determine whether a stress-only SPECT imaging would be enough to obtain a diagnosis of CAD improving nuclear laboratory efficiency.

[Importance of the heart-brain binomial in the management of congenital heart disease].

A case of a two month infant with complex congenital heart disease (aortic coarctation with ventricular septal defect) associated to a cellular brain migration failure is presented. The management strategy consisted on the correction of congenital heart disease by means of a two-stage surgery without a further preoperative evaluation of the neurological status. The patient developed several perioperative complications such as two episodes of cardiac arrest, reconnection to cardiopulmonary bypass, cardiac tamponade, chilothorax and septic shock.

Evaluation of ventricular synchrony with equilibrium radionuclide angiography: assessment of variability and accuracy.

Background And Aims: Equilibrium radionuclide angiography (ERNA) has become an established method for assessing cardiac function. However, limited data are available to evaluate ventricular synchrony with ERNA. The aim of this study was to assess the variability and accuracy of ERNA to evaluate ventricular synchrony by means of phase images in healthy individuals and to compare them with a group of subjects with left bundle-branch block (interventricular dyssynchrony, LBBB) and with a group of patients with nonischemic, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (inter- and intraventricular dyssynchrony).