Association between sepsis survivorship and long-term cardiovascular outcomes in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: We aimed to determine the association between sepsis and long-term cardiovascular events.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of observational studies evaluating post-sepsis cardiovascular outcomes in adult sepsis survivors. MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register and Database of Systematic Reviews were searched from inception until April 21st, 2021.

National Interhospital Transfer for Patients With Acute Cardiovascular Conditions.

Background: Treatment of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in Canada is protocolized, and timely patient transfer can improve outcomes. Population-based processes of care in Canada for other cardiovascular conditions remain less clear. We aimed to describe the interhospital transfer of Canadian patients with acute cardiovascular disease.

The Basics of ARDS Mechanical Ventilatory Care for Cardiovascular Specialists.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has placed pressure on health care systems and intensive care unit capacity worldwide. Respiratory insufficiency is the most common reason for hospital admission in patients with COVID-19. The most severe form of respiratory failure is acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

Patient and Family Engagement in Care in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.

Hospitalization in the cardiac intensive care unit can be a stressful experience for patients and families. Family members often feel overwhelmed by the severity of their loved one's illness, powerless to affect their care, and struggle to comprehend information regarding their loved one's current health status and treatment plan. Consequently, up to half of family members might develop psychological symptoms (depression, generalized anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder) and a syndrome of enduring psychological, cognitive, or emotional disturbances.

Association of Surrogate Decision-making Interventions for Critically Ill Adults With Patient, Family, and Resource Use Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: Physicians often rely on surrogate decision-makers (SDMs) to make important decisions on behalf of critically ill patients during times of incapacity. It is uncertain whether targeted interventions to improve surrogate decision-making in the intensive care unit (ICU) reduce nonbeneficial treatment and improve SDM comprehension, satisfaction, and psychological morbidity.

Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) to determine the association of such interventions with patient- and family-centered outcomes and resource use.

The effect of bromocriptine on left ventricular functional recovery in peripartum cardiomyopathy: insights from the BRO-HF retrospective cohort study.

Aims: Bromocriptine is thought to facilitate left ventricular (LV) recovery in peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) through inhibition of prolactin secretion. However, this potential therapeutic effect remains controversial and was incompletely studied in diverse populations.

Methods And Results: Consecutive women with new-onset PPCM (n = 76) between 1994 and 2015 in Quebec, Canada, were classified according to treatment (n = 8, 11%) vs.

Muscle Mass and Mortality After Cardiac Transplantation.

Background: Frailty assessment is recommended to evaluate the candidacy of adults referred for orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). Psoas muscle area (PMA) is an easily measured biomarker for frailty. There has yet to be a study examining the prognostic impact of PMA in OHT patients.

Understanding the patient perspective on research access to national health records databases for conduct of randomized registry trials.

Background: Use of health administrative databases is proposed for screening and monitoring of participants in randomized registry trials. However, access to these databases raises privacy concerns. We assessed patient's preferences regarding use of personal information to link their research records with national health databases, as part of a hypothetical randomized registry trial.

Systematic review and directors survey of quality indicators for the cardiovascular intensive care unit.

Background: Quality indicators (QIs) are increasingly used in cardiovascular care as measures of performance but there is currently no consensus on indicators for the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CICU).

Methods: We searched Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, and COCHRANE databases from inception until October 2016 and websites for organizations involved in quality measurement for QIs relevant to cardiovascular disease in an intensive or critical care setting. We surveyed 14 expert cardiac intensivist-administrators (7 European; 7 North American) on the importance and relevance of each indicator as a measure of CICU care quality using a scale of 1 (=lowest) to 10 (=highest).

Outcomes of Patient- and Family-Centered Care Interventions in the ICU: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To determine whether patient- and family-centered care interventions in the ICU improve outcomes.

Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library databases from inception until December 1, 2016.

Study Selection: We included articles involving patient- and family-centered care interventions and quantitative, patient- and family-important outcomes in adult ICUs.

Implications of Frailty in Elderly Patients With Electrophysiological Conditions.

A growing number of complex older adults are referred for electrophysiological conditions and age alone is insufficient to guide management decisions such as implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation or atrial fibrillation anticoagulation. The concept of frailty has emerged as a geriatric vital sign to gain insight into physiological reserve and prognostic risk beyond chronological age and comorbidities. To date, a number of published studies have evaluated frailty in patients with electrophysiological conditions.

Therapeutic interventions for frail elderly patients: part II. Ongoing and unpublished randomized trials.

There is increasing momentum to measure frailty in clinical practice given its proven value as a predictor of outcomes, particularly in elderly patients with cardiovascular disease. The number of randomized clinical trials targeting frail older adults has been modest to date. Therefore, we systematically searched the ClinicalTrials.

Therapeutic interventions for frail elderly patients: part I. Published randomized trials.

The body of literature for frailty as a prognostic marker continues to grow, yet the evidence for frailty as a therapeutic target is less well defined. In the setting of cardiovascular disease, the prevalence of frailty is elevated and its impact on mortality and major morbidity is substantial. Therapeutic interventions aimed at improving frailty may impart gains in functional status and survival.