Efficacy of Precordial Percussion Pacing Assessed in a Cardiac Standstill Microminipig Model.

Background: Potential cardiovascular benefits of precordial percussion pacing (PPP) during cardiac standstill are unknown.

Methods and results: A cardiac standstill model in amicrominipigwas created by inducing complete atrioventricular block with a catheter ablation technique (n=7). Next, the efficacy of cardiopulmonary resuscitation by standard chest compressions (S-CPR), PPP and ventricular electrical pacing in this model were analyzed in series (n=4).

Impedance Threshold Device Combined With High-Quality Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Improves Survival With Favorable Neurological Function After Witnessed Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

Background: The quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has been recently shown to affect clinical outcome. The Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC) Prehospital Resuscitation Impedance Valve and Early Versus Delayed Analysis (PRIMED) trial showed no differences in outcomes with an active vs. sham impedance threshold device (ITD), a CPR adjunct that enhances circulation.

Early Cerebral Circulation Disturbance in Patients Suffering from Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): A Xenon CT and Perfusion CT Study.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is widely known to cause dynamic changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF). Ischemia is a common and deleterious secondary injury following TBI. Detecting early ischemia in TBI patients is important to prevent further advancement and deterioration of the brain tissue.

Investigation and treatment of pulmonary embolism as a potential etiology may be important to improve post-resuscitation prognosis in non-shockable out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest: report on an analysis of the SOS-KANTO 2012 study.

Background: The prognosis of non-shockable out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is worse than that of shockable out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We investigated the associations between the etiology and prognosis of non-shockable out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients who experienced the return of spontaneous circulation after arriving at hospital.

Methods And Results: All subjects were extracted from the SOS-KANTO 2012 study population.

Early cerebral circulation disturbance in patients suffering from different types of severe traumatic brain injury: a xenon CT and perfusion CT study.

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is widely known to cause dynamic changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF). In particular, secondary brain insults have been reported to decrease CBF. The purpose of this study was to clarify the cerebral circulation in different types of TBI.

A Phase II study of polyclonal anti-TNF-α (AZD9773) in Japanese patients with severe sepsis and/or septic shock.

Because tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) induces many of the pathophysiological signs and symptoms observed in sepsis, it is a potential therapeutic target for treatment. The primary objective of this study was to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of single and multiple intravenous (i.v.

Replacement of dynamic cultured biograft improves damaged heart function-comparative study of static cultured biografts-.

Purpose: To determine whether a dynamic cultured biograft can positively affect the function of the damaged heart.

Methods: We ligated the coronary artery (LAD) of rats to generate a model of myocardial infarction (MI) and then implanted them with the following grafts comprising vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) derived from the rat aorta and seeded onto biodegradable patches (patch replacement therapy; (PRTx)): control without PRTx, PRTx without seeded cells, PRTx with static cultured VSMCs, PRTx with dynamic cultured VSMCs and sham-operated. Cultured VSMCs were labeled with PKH26 for identification after implantation, and the centre of the MI site was excised and replaced with an implanted biograft.

The study of systemic general circulation disturbance during the initiation of therapeutic hypothermia: Pit fall of hypothermia.

Aims: Neurointensive care has reduced the mortality and improved the outcome of patients for severe brain damage, over recent decades, and made it possible to perform this therapy in safety. However, we have to understand the complications of this therapy well. The purpose of our study was to determine the systemic circulation disturbance during the initiation of therapeutic hypothermia by using this continuous neurointensive monitoring system.

Early cerebral circulatory disturbance in patients suffering subarachnoid hemorrhage prior to the delayed cerebral vasospasm stage: xenon computed tomography and perfusion computed tomography study.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) causes dynamic changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF), and results in delayed ischemia due to vasospasm, and early perfusion deficits before delayed cerebral vasospasm (CVS). The present study examined the severity of cerebral circulatory disturbance during the early phase before delayed CVS and whether it can be used to predict patient outcome. A total of 94 patients with SAH underwent simultaneous xenon computed tomography (CT) and perfusion CT to evaluate cerebral circulation on Days 1-3.

Bidirectional Glenn procedure for an infected modified Blalock-Taussig shunt.

A 1-month-old girl underwent right modified Blalock-Taussig shunt (mBTS) for pulmonary atresia with hypoplastic right ventricle. Five months after palliation, she suffered from sepsis and progressive desaturation following otitis media. Computed tomography and angiography revealed a pseudoaneurysm surrounding the mBTS graft.

Fontan conversion with novel direct ablation after childbirth: report of a case.

A 38-year-old woman underwent atriopulmonary Fontan surgery at age 18 years and subsequently successfully delivered a girl by cesarean section at age 34. Her condition later deteriorated due to atrial tachyarrhythmia and progressed to New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV heart failure. Her treatment, at age 36, comprised total cavopulmonary connection conversion, direct right atrial ablation with bipolar radiofrequency devices, the creation of an atrial septal defect, and placement of a dual-chamber permanent pacemaker.

Optimal culture conditions for constructing durable biografts for repairing the impaired heart--dynamic cell culture with pre-seeding.

Background: Tissue engineering with cell seeded biodegradable material has attracted attention as a novel means of treating the severely impaired heart. Here, we consider optimal preparation of a durable biograft using dynamic and static cultures.

Methods: Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) derived from the rat aorta were seeded onto biodegradable material P (LA/CL) (poly-L-lactide-ε-caprolactone copolymer) and cultured as follows: a) Static culture (n = 11), b) dynamic culture (n = 12), c) 0 h pre-seeding (n = 12), d) 24 h pre-seeding (n = 5) and e) 1 week pre-seeding (n = 12).

Successful surgical repair of an infectious thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysm accompanied by aortobronchopulmonary fistula and advanced hepatic dysfunction without assisted circulation.

The patient was a 59-year-old female. Because of massive hemoptysis, she was brought to our emergency center by ambulance. Thoracic computed tomography led to a diagnosis of an infectious thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysm accompanied by an aortobronchopulmonary fistula.

[Effects on proliferation ability of vascular smooth muscle cells by static and/or dynamic cell culture: utility of pre-seeding technique for dynamic cell culture].

Objectives: Conventional biomaterials are not viable, do not grow, and do not provide contractile effects in cardiac tissue. Foreign synthetic material may become thrombogenic or infected. The most recent cardiac constructs consist of biodegradable material which has the potential to solve these problems.

The variations in the immunologic features and interleukin-6 levels for the surgical treatment of cardiac myxomas.

Purpose: In this study, we propose the existence of a relationship between cardiac myxomas and the immunologic features or interleukin-6 (IL-6), while also considering the optimal treatment of cardiac myxoma, especially "familial myxoma."

Methods: In a 19-year period at our hospital, 20 patients underwent 21 operations for cardiac myxomas. The immunologic features and the IL-6 levels were measured pre-operatively in 13 cases and post-operatively in 10 cases.

Intravascular ultrasound imaging for detection of pseudoaneurysm with aortobronchopulmonary fistula after graft replacement of descending aorta.

A 63-year-old man had undergone graft replacement of the descending aorta due to dissection of aortic aneurysm nine years before and closure of an aortobronchopulmonary fistula two years before. He was admitted to our hospital because of massive hemoptysis. Angiography and chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a pseudoaneurysm on the proximal end caused by graft detachment.