Earliest Bedside Assessment of Hemodynamic Parameters and Cardiac Biomarkers: Their Role as Predictors of Adverse Outcome in Patients with Septic Shock.

Background: Early assessment and aggressive hemodynamic treatment have been shown to increase the survival of patients in septic shock. Current and past sepsis guidelines recommend a resuscitation protocol including central venous pressure (CVP), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), urine output and central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) for resuscitation within the first six hours. Currently, the established severity score systems like APACHE II score, SOFA score or SAPS II score predict the outcome of critically ill patients on the bases of variables obtained only after the first 24 hours.

Radiofrequency ablation of a left lateral atrioventricular accessory pathway in a 13-year-old boy with a criss-cross heart guided by nonfluoroscopic imaging.

We present the first description of successful radiofrequency (RF) ablation of a bidirectional atrioventricular accessory pathway (AP) guided by nonfluoroscopic mapping with use of three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging integrated into the Nav-X system (MRI/Nav-X fusion) in a 13-year-old boy with remote surgical palliation for cyanotic criss-cross heart with atrioventricular discordance, double-outlet right ventricle, and a large ventricular septal defect. Due to complex anatomy, a unique finding was that the eliminated left lateral AP electrically connected the left atrium to the antero-superior morphologic right ventricle prior to ablation.

Segment-orientated analysis of two-dimensional strain and strain rate as assessed by velocity vector imaging in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Aims: Strain rate imaging techniques have been proposed for the detection of ischemic or viable myocardium in coronary artery disease, which is still a challenge in clinical cardiology. This retrospective comparative study analyzed regional left ventricular function and scaring with two-dimensional strain (2DS) in the first 4 to 10 days after acute anterior myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods And Results: The study population consisted of 32 AMI patients with an LAD occlusion and successful reperfusion.

The first three-dimensional visualization of a thrombus in transit trapped between the leads of a permanent dual-chamber pacemaker: a case report.

Introduction: Two-dimensional echocardiography is a useful tool in diagnosing cardiac masses. However, the three-dimensional offline reconstruction technique of transesophageal echocardiography might be superior to two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in providing additional information of structural details.

Case Presentation: We report the case of a 76-year-old Caucasian man with a permanent dual-chamber pacemaker and a worm-like right-heart thrombus in transit.

New-onset versus chronic atrial fibrillation in acute myocardial infarction: differences in short- and long-term follow-up.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs commonly in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and has been established as a marker of adverse prognosis. There are only few clinical trials that investigate differences between new-onset and chronic AF in AMI. We hypothesize that chronic AF is associated with an increased rate of adverse short- and long-term outcomes.

Contrast medium induced nephropathy in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome: differences in STEMI and NSTEMI.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence, clinical predictors, and outcome of patients developing contrast medium induced nephropathy (CIN) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Background: CIN is associated with significant higher morbidity and mortality after coronary intervention. Recently it was shown, that patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction have a significant higher risk of developing CIN.

[Inhibition of the muscarinic potassium current by KB130015, a new antiarrhythmic agent to treat atrial fibrillation].

Background And Purpose: Vagus-induced atrial fibrillation is of particular clinical interest. The muscarinic potassium current I(K(ACh)) mediates the induction of vagus-induced atrial fibrillation. Selective inhibition of I(K(ACh)) seems to be an option to treat atrial fibrillation.

[Vascular complications of percutaneous transradial coronary angiography and coronary intervention].

Background And Purpose: Vascular complications following transradial coronary angiography and coronary intervention could severely compromise perfusion of the hand. Drastic complications after cannulation of the radial artery (ischemia of the hand with occlusion of the digital arteries) are published only in brief reports. This study investigates whether percutaneous transradial artery coronary angiography/intervention results in vascular complications.

[Perspectives and limitations in the treatment of vagus-induced atrial fibrillation. Insights from cellular pharmacology].

Background And Purpose: Pharmacological treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) is limited by induction of malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Developing new drugs, a promising strategy is a more specific treatment of the atria. Muscarinic potassium current (IK[ACh]) is predominantly expressed in supraventricular tissue and mediates the induction of vagus-induced AF.