Cardiac Ultrasonography in the critical care setting: a practical approach to asses cardiac function and preload for the "non-cardiologist".

Cardiac ultrasonography has become an indispensible tool in the management of hemodynamically unstable critically ill patients. Some consider it as the modern stethoscope. Echocardiography is non-invasive and safe while the modern portable devices allow to be used at the bedside in order to provide fast, specific and vital information regarding the hemodynamic status, as well as the function, structure and anatomy of the heart.

Influence of ionic and non-ionic radiographic contrast media on leukocyte adhesion molecules.

Background: Many papers have focused on the importance of granulocytes in the process of reperfusion and ischemia. Most of the clinical studies measured several parameters of this process during and after coronary angiography, without taking into account the effect of the radiographic contrast media (RCM) used during this procedure.

Materials And Methods: We performed a randomized patient study (n = 37) to evaluate the effect of ionic and non-ionic RCM on granulocyte adhesion during coronary angiography.