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.

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.

[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.

[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.