Coronary Artery Fistula and Pectus Excavatum Paradox.

Pectus excavatum is the most common congenital chest wall deformity. Its effects on cardiopulmonary function, exercise capacity, and body image are variable across affected patients. Management practices for pectus deformity vary considerably, but most authors agree on the need for surgical correction if pectus index is >3.

Systematic review of β blocker, aspirin, and statin in critically ill patients: importance of severity of illness and cardiac troponin.

Non-cardiac critically ill patients with type II myocardial infarction (MI) have a high risk of mortality. There are no evidence-based interventions to mitigate this risk. We systematically reviewed the literature regarding the use of medications known to reduce mortality in patients with cardiac troponin (cTn) elevation due to type I MI (β blockers, statin, and aspirin) in studies of critically ill patients without Type I MI.

Cardiac autonomic innervation.

The autonomic nervous system plays a key role in regulating changes in the cardiovascular system and its adaptation to various human body functions. The sympathetic arm of the autonomic nervous system is associated with the fight and flight response, while the parasympathetic division is responsible for the restorative effects on heart rate, blood pressure, and contractility. Disorders involving these two divisions can lead to, and are seen as, a manifestation of most common cardiovascular disorders.

Idiopathic Atrial Fibrillation and Coronary Arteriovenous Fistulae: Is There a Link.

Despite being one of the most prevalent cardiac arrhythmias, the cause of atrial fibrillation (AF) in a vast majority of patients remains unknown. There is growing evidence of associated AF in patients diagnosed with coronary arteriovenous fistula. In this discussion, we have included an example of a patient who presented with new-onset AF and was subsequently diagnosed with an anomalous fistula between the right coronary artery and the superior vena cava.

Cardiac Tamponade Physiology Secondary to Tense Ascites.

Cardiac tamponade is a common and often life-threatening process, which is typically associated with a pericardial effusion or, in rare cases, with a large pleural effusion. Theoretically, as reported in only a single prior case, it can be caused by extrinsic compression from tense ascites. We present a case in which dynamic inferior wall collapse was secondary to increased abdominal pressure from tense ascites.

Optimal Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy after Drug-Eluting Stents: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials.

Introduction: The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug-eluting stent implantation (DES) is not certain. The AHA/ACC guidelines recommend 12 months of DAPT based on observational trials. Recently, several large randomized controlled trials (RCT) suggested a noninferiority of shorter duration of DAPT and other trials showed a benefit from extended duration of DAPT after 12 months of DES implantation.