Publications by authors named "M Sean McMurtry"

A prolonged QT interval on the electrocardiogram is associated with an increased risk of the torsades de pointes form of ventricular arrhythmia resulting in syncope, sudden cardiac arrest or death, or misdiagnosis as a seizure disorder. The cause of QT prolongation can be congenital and inherited as an autosomal dominant variant, or it can be transient and acquired, often because of QT-prolonging drugs or electrolyte abnormalities. Automated measurement of the QT interval can be inaccurate, especially when the baseline electrocardiogram is abnormal, and manual verification is recommended.

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Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prognostic relevance, clinical characteristics, and 30-day outcomes associated with myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) in major general surgery patients.

Background: MINS has been independently associated with 30-day mortality after noncardiac surgery. The characteristics and prognostic importance of MINS in major general surgical patients have not been described.

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Patients with widespread atherosclerosis such as peripheral artery disease (PAD) have a high risk of cardiovascular and limb symptoms and complications, which affects their quality of life and longevity. Over the past 2 decades there have been substantial advances in diagnostics, pharmacotherapy, and interventions including endovascular and open surgical to aid in the management of PAD patients. To summarize the evidence regarding approaches to diagnosis, risk stratification, medical and intervention treatments for patients with PAD, guided by the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework, evidence was synthesized, and assessed for quality, and recommendations provided-categorized as weak or strong for each prespecified research question.

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Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in men and women worldwide, and its prevalence is increasing. Management of AF is guided by evidence-based clinical practice guidelines which provide recommendations based on available evidence. The extent of sex-specific data in the AF literature used to provide guideline recommendations has not been investigated.

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Background: Several specialties treat thoracic aortic disease, resulting in multiple patient care pathways. This study aimed to characterize these varied care models to guide health policy.

Methods: A 57-question e-survey was sent to staff cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, interventional radiologists, and vascular surgeons at 7 Canadian medical societies.

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