Assessment of LVEF using a new 16-segment wall motion score in echocardiography.

Background: Simpson biplane method and 3D by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), radionuclide angiography (RNA) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) are the most accepted techniques for left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) assessment. Wall motion score index (WMSI) by TTE is an accepted complement. However, the conversion from WMSI to LVEF is obtained through a regression equation, which may limit its use.

A Case of Severe Late Transcatheter Heart Valve Thrombosis with Successful Response to Anticoagulation.

• A case of very severe transcatheter heart valve thrombosis is described. • The patient was treated with warfarin with success. • The first line of treatment of transcatheter heart valve thrombosis is anticoagulation.

Traumatic brain injury is not associated with significant myocardial dysfunction: an observational pilot study.

Background: Myocardial dysfunction has been well described with catastrophic neurological events, such as subarachnoid hemorrhage and brain death. There is very limited data describing myocardial function in the context of traumatic brain injury (TBI), as no prospective study has yet examined this association. The objective of our study was to evaluate cardiac function using echocardiography in patients with clinically important TBI.

Left ventricular ejection fraction assessment by non-cardiologists from transverse views using a simplified wall motion score index.

For the non-cardiologist emergency physician and intensivist, performing an accurate estimation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is essential for the management of critically ill patients, such as patients presenting with shock, severe respiratory distress or chest pain. Our objective was to develop a semi-quantitative method to improve visual LVEF evaluation. A group of 12 sets of transthoracic echocardiograms with LVEF in the range of 18-64% were interpreted by 17 experienced observers (PRO) and 103 untrained observers or novices (NOV), without previous training in echocardiography.

Safety and effectiveness of enoxaparin following fibrinolytic therapy: Results of the Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI)-QUEBEC registry.

Background: Previous randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses demonstrated the superior efficacy of enoxaparin (ENOX) over unfractionated heparin (UFH) in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The external validity of randomized controlled trials may be limited by selective inclusion of patients who are younger and healthier than the 'real-life' population.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of ENOX compared with UFH in unselected STEMI patients.