Publications by authors named "Efrat M Dray"
: The aim of this study was to evaluate left ventricular mechanical activation pattern by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) as a predictor of response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients with heart failure. : Echocardiography was performed during no pacing, right ventricular pacing (RVP), biventricular pacing (BVP) and multipolar pacing (MPP) immediately after CRT implantation in 16 patients at a single centre. Seven patients were diagnosed as responders and 9 patients as non-responders after 6 months of standard CRT pacing.
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- The Norton score is a scale used to assess frailty, which is linked to complications and mortality in hospitalized patients, especially those undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR).
- In a study of 1,469 patients who underwent AVR between 2004 and 2020, it was found that patients with a low Norton score (<18) had significantly higher in-hospital mortality rates compared to those with a high score (≥18).
- The Norton score effectively predicted both short-term (1-year) and long-term (10-year) mortality, suggesting it should be used as a key risk assessment tool for patients undergoing AVR.
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- This study evaluated the impact of different tricuspid annuloplasty ring types on outcomes for patients undergoing surgery for left-sided valvular diseases, focusing on recurrence of significant tricuspid regurgitation (TR).
- The research included 781 patients, comparing outcomes between those who received flexible bands and those who received rigid rings, with similar rates of early and long-term mortality and minimal differences in reoperation rates.
- The findings indicate that the type of ring used (rigid vs. flexible) does not significantly affect long-term TR recurrence; instead, patient-specific factors and left-sided heart conditions were more predictive of outcomes.
Complementing the physical examination with a point-of-care ultrasound study (POCUS) can improve patient triage. We aimed to study the impact of POCUS on the diagnosis and management of outpatients and hospitalized patients with suspected cardiac disease. In this multicenter study, a pocket-sized device was used to perform POCUS when the diagnosis or patient management was unclear based on anamnesis, physical examination, and basic diagnostic testing.
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