Improving the management of patients with chronic cardiac and respiratory diseases by extending pulse-oximeter uses: the dynamic pulse-oximetry.

Respiratory and cardio-vascular chronic diseases are among the most common noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide, accounting for a large portion of health-care costs in terms of mortality and disability. Their prevalence is expected to rise further in the coming years as the population ages. The current model of care for diagnosing and monitoring NCDs is out of date because it results in late medical interventions and/or an unfavourable cost-effectiveness balance based on reported symptoms and subsequent inpatient tests and treatments.

Assessment of dyssynchrony in patients with severe heart failure by nuclear imaging: paradise lost and regained or lost and gone forever?

Cardiac resynchronization therapy, based on biventricular and/or left ventricular preexcitation, is a recently introduced therapeutic option for patients with severe heart failure and intraventricular conduction disturbances. The invasive nature and expense of resynchronization therapy has highlighted the need to prospectively identify optimal candidates, because of the poor correlation of QRS duration with patient response. Scintigraphy and positron emission tomography made it possible the research investigation of the pathophysiological consequences of cardiac conduction disturbances on myocardial contraction, metabolism, and perfusion.

The beneficial effect of revascularization on jeopardized myocardium: reverse remodeling and improved long-term prognosis.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of viability/ischemia before revascularization on improvement in systolic performance, reverse remodeling, symptoms and long-term prognosis post-revascularization.

Methods: Fifty patients underwent thallium-201 imaging before revascularization to assess stress-induced ischemia and viability ('jeopardized myocardium'). Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF), LV end-systolic volume index (LVESVI) and LV end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI) were determined before and 3 months post-revascularization.