Targeted Temperature Management in Cardiac Arrest: An Updated Narrative Review.

The established benefits of cooling along with development of sophisticated methods to safely and precisely induce, maintain, monitor, and reverse hypothermia have led to the development of targeted temperature management (TTM). Early trials in human subjects showed that hypothermia conferred better neurological outcomes when compared to normothermia among survivors of cardiac arrest, leading to guidelines recommending targeted hypothermia in this patient population. Multiple studies have sought to explore and compare the benefit of hypothermia in various subgroups of patients, such as survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest versus in-hospital cardiac arrest, and survivors of an initial shockable versus non-shockable rhythm.

Daratumumab, pomalidomide, and dexamethasone as a bridging therapy to autologous stem cell transplantation in a case of systemic light-chain amyloidosis with advanced cardiac involvement.

Systemic light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare hematologic disorder where proteins infiltrate tissues leading to organ failure and death. Cardiac involvement, present in ∼70% of patients, determines stage and prognosis of the disease, with advanced involvement having a median survival of six months. The treatment of light-chain amyloidosis is directed at recovering organ function with therapeutic strategies following those of multiple myeloma with plasma cell-directed therapies.

Variation of heart transplant rates in the United States during holidays.

Background: Some cardiac transplant programs may upgrade listed patients to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) 1A-status during the holidays. Whether more transplants actually occur during holidays is unknown.

Methods: We assessed rates of single-organ heart transplantation from 2001 to 2010 for recipients age ≥18 yr using the UNOS database.

High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I assay to screen for acute rejection in patients with heart transplant.

Background: A noninvasive biomarker that could accurately diagnose acute rejection (AR) in heart transplant recipients could obviate the need for surveillance endomyocardial biopsies. We assessed the performance metrics of a novel high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (cTnI) assay for this purpose.

Methods And Results: Stored serum samples were retrospectively matched to endomyocardial biopsies in 98 cardiac transplant recipients, who survived ≥3 months after transplant.

Characterization of a novel symptom of advanced heart failure: bendopnea.

Objectives: This study sought to examine the frequency and hemodynamic correlates of shortness of breath when bending forward, a symptom we have termed "bendopnea."

Background: Many heart failure patients describe bendopnea such as when putting on their shoes. This symptom has not previously been characterized.