Clinical implications of the CKD epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation compared with the modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) study equation for the estimation of renal dysfunction in patients with cardiovascular disease.

The CKD-EPI equation is more accurate than the MDRD equation in the general population. We performed this study to establish whether chronic kidney disease (CKD) is commonly recognized by clinicians and whether the CKD-EPI equation improves prognosis estimation in patients with chronic cardiovascular disease (CVD). We analyzed data on 12394 CVD patients consecutively examined at the Cardiovascular Center of Trieste (Italy) between November 2009 and October 2013.

Implanting cardiac rhythm devices during uninterrupted warfarin therapy: a prospective, single center experience.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to assess the safety of cardiac rhythm device implantation during uninterrupted oral anticoagulant therapy.

Methods: Patients at high thromboembolic risk (venous thromboembolism <3 months, nonvalvular atrial fibrillation with CHADS2 score >2, valvular atrial fibrillation, prosthetic heart valves) underwent procedures during uninterrupted warfarin (on warfarin group) and were compared to low-risk patients who underwent procedures after warfarin withdrawal (off warfarin group). Primary endpoint was a composite of hematoma requiring warfarin interruption, reoperation, or blood transfusion; death; hemothorax; and tamponade.

Usefulness of dipyridamole stress echocardiography for predicting graft patency after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Noninvasive techniques often provide controversial results in patients who have coronary artery bypass grafts (CABGs). Vasodilator stress echocardiography allows semi-simultaneous imaging of CABG flow and segmental left ventricular wall motion. To assess the comparative and additive value of regional flow and function for noninvasive evaluation of graft patency status, we evaluated 110 consecutive patients who underwent CABG and who were scheduled for coronary angiography.

Estimating mean pulmonary wedge pressure in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation from transthoracic Doppler indexes of mitral and pulmonary venous flow velocity.

Objectives: We sought to obtain a noninvasive estimation of mean pulmonary wedge pressure (MPWP) in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (AF).

Background: It has previously been demonstrated that MPWP can be reliably estimated from Doppler indexes of mitral and pulmonary venous flow (PVF) in patients with sinus rhythm. Doppler estimation of MPWP has not been validated in patients with AF.

Estimation of left ventricular diastolic pressures from precordial pulsed-Doppler analysis of pulmonary venous and mitral flow.

Because analysis of pulmonary venous flow (PVF) will be extensively used in comprehensive Doppler assessment of left ventricular diastolic function, this study was designed to (1) evaluate the feasibility of PVF measurement in 116 consecutive patients with various cardiac abnormalities by using precordial pulsed Doppler echocardiography; (2) Estimate mean pulmonary capillary pressure (MPCP) and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) from Doppler variables of PVF and mitral inflow; and (3) evaluate the influence of clinical and hemodynamic variables on PVF Doppler patterns. We adequately recorded anterograde PVF in 96 (82.7%) patients and retrograde PVF in 45 (38.