The Effect of Admission During the Weekend On In-Hospital Outcomes for Patients With Peripartum Cardiomyopathy.

Background Previous studies have shown that patients with heart failure (HF) and cardiogenic shock (CS) have worse outcomes when admitted over the weekend. Since peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a cause of CS and persisting HF, it is reasonable to extrapolate that admission over the weekend would also have deleterious effects on PPCM outcomes. However, the impact of weekend admission has not been specifically evaluated in patients with PPCM.

Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Inotrope-Dependent Heart Failure Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcomes after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in inotrope-dependent patients with heart failure (HF) to ascertain the viability of CRT in these patients.

Background: During the last decade, significant numbers of trials have demonstrated the beneficial effect of CRT in the treatment of patients with HF and systolic dysfunction, prolonged QRS complex duration, and New York Heart Association functional class III or IV. However, it is currently undetermined whether CRT may benefit patients who require inotropic support.