Characterisation of parathyroid hormone concentration in extremely preterm or very low birthweight infants in routine clinical screening for metabolic bone disease: A service evaluation cohort study.

Aim: To characterise parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations in infants at high risk for metabolic bone disease, in order to assist clinical decisions around the use of PTH for screening.

Methods: Infants born under 28 weeks' postmenstrual age or with birthweight under 1.5 kg in a tertiary neonatal unit in the UK were included.

Impact on daily clinical practice of the latest evidence on percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale after cryptogenic stroke: a single-center experience.

Introduction And Objectives: At the end of 2017, three clinical trials demonstrated that, in selected patients, percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) after cryptogenic stroke (CS) reduces the risk of recurrence. Our aim was to determine the impact of these findings on routine clinical practice in a tertiary hospital.

Methods: Patients with CS and percutaneous closure of PFO during 2001-2020 were included.

Updating national diagnostic reference levels for interventional cardiology and methodological aspects.

The aim of this study is to propose national diagnostic reference levels (DRL) for updating in the field of interventional cardiology and to include technical details to help plan optimization. Medical physics experts and interventional cardiologists from 14 hospitals provided patient dose indicators from coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary interventions. Information about X-ray system dose settings and image quality was also provided.

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.

Detection of spleen, kidney and liver infarcts by abdominal computed tomography does not affect the outcome in patients with left-side infective endocarditis.

Extra-cardiac abdominal complications are common in left-side infective endocarditis (LS-IE). The aim of this work was to study whether patients with LS-IE presenting splenic, renal, or liver (SRL) involvement seen in abdominal computed tomography (CT) had different clinical features, therapeutic plans, and outcome than those without these findings on CT.From January 2008 to April 2010, multidisciplinary teams have prospectively collected all consecutive cases of IE, diagnosed according to the Duke criteria, in which abdominal CT was performed.

Valve surgery in active infective endocarditis: a simple score to predict in-hospital prognosis.

Aims: Surgery for infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with high mortality. Our objectives were to describe the experience with surgical treatment for IE in Spain, and to identify predictors of in-hospital mortality.

Methods: Prospective cohort of 1000 consecutive patients with IE.

[Transcatheter aortic valve implantation: results of a new therapeutic option for high surgical risk aortic stenosis].

Introduction: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and unacceptably high surgical risk.

Methods: We present our first two years' experience with TAVI. A total of 76 AS patients were evaluated for TAVI and 23 of them underwent a TAVI procedure.

Percutaneous PFO closure using the Premere device occluder: initial experience.

Introduction: Most data on percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) relate to devices not specifically designed for this pathology.

Objective: Our aim in this article is to share our initial experience with the Premere PFO closure system.

Methods: In our hospital 14 consecutive patients presenting cryptogenic stroke underwent percutaneous closure using this device.

Three-dimensional echocardiographic assessment of left atrial size and function and the normal range of asynchrony in healthy individuals.

Left atrial size and function are very important prognostic factors. Our aim was to evaluate left atrial size, function and mechanical synchrony using three-dimensional echocardiography in order to establish normal reference values. The study involved 63 healthy individuals enrolled at two hospitals.

Rupture of a thoracic aorta pseudoaneurysm: rare presentation and role of real-time 3D transoesophageal echocardiography.

A 59-year-old man presented with cardiogenic shock caused by acute right ventricular failure due to extrinsic compression of the right coronary artery by a thoracic aorta pseudoaneurysm. Angiography and real-time 3D transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) were performed and enough diagnostic accuracy was achieved to operate on the patient without further image techniques and consequent delay. Three-dimensional TEE is a new technology that combines high-quality anatomic and colour Doppler information with bedside performance, essential in emergent clinical scenarios.

Long-term outcome of infective endocarditis in non-intravenous drug users.

Objective: To describe postdischarge survival rates and late complications in non-intravenous drug users (non-IVDUs) after treatment of infective endocarditis (IE).

Patients And Methods: This prospective study consists of consecutive cases of IE in non-IVDUs seen between January 1, 1994, and August 31, 2005. Patient treatment (ie, pharmaceutical and/or surgical) and cardiac valve involved in infection (ie, aortic and/or mitral; whether valve was native or prosthetic) were recorded.

Etiology and short-term prognosis of severe mitral regurgitation.

Purpose: To describe the etiology and to document the course of severe mitral regurgitation (MR).

Methods: Prospective registry of 272 patients diagnosed with chronic severe MR in an echocardiographic study.

Results: Mean age was 70.

Transcatheter closure of postinfarction ventricular septal rupture with the Amplatzer occluder.

Ventricular septal rupture is an infrequent, but usually lethal, complication after myocardial infarction that typically occurs in elderly patients. Percutaneous closure of this complication has been performed in some cases with variable results. We report on the case of a 77-year-old female with a postinfarction ventricular septal rupture who underwent percutaneous closure using an Amplatzer device.

Radial versus longitudinal myocardial deformation from gray-scale echocardiography.

The objectives of this work are to evaluate a novel non-Doppler-based echocardiographic method that makes it possible to simultaneously obtain the radial and longitudinal components of myocardial velocity (V) and strain (S), and to assess whether left ventricular fiber architecture affects the net function of the myocardium. Previous reports state that differences in the estimation of regional function between septum and lateral walls can be related to the anatomic disposition of myocardial fibers. In this work we measure and compare in 21 healthy volunteers longitudinal and radial peak systolic velocity V (V(long), V(rad): cm/s), peak systolic strain S (S(long), S(rad): %) and time-to-peak S and V (T-Smax, T-V(max): ms) at the midsegments of the septal and lateral walls.

[Influence of gender on the etiology of mitral regurgitation].

Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of the different causes of severe mitral regurgitation and the influence of gender on that prevalence. We performed a prospective study of 272 consecutive patients with severe mitral regurgitation that had been detected echocardiographically. Their mean age was 70.

Doppler Tissue Imaging positive preejection velocity wave is a sign of non-transmural necrosis: comparison with delayed-enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance.

Aims: Our purpose was to test the hypothesis that Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI)-derived positive preejection velocity (PPV) is associated with transmural extent of necrosis in delayed-enhancement cardio-magnetic resonance (DE-CMR) in patients with reperfused myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods And Results: Longitudinal myocardial velocities were recorded by TDI in 24 patients with MI reperfused with primary angioplasty, using an Acuson-Sequoia equipment. The same day a CMR study was performed, including cine images in short axis and long axis views and DE images in the same views using a 3D-T1-Turbo-field-echo sequence, 15 min after administration of gadodiamide.

[Agreement between centers on the interpretation of exercise echocardiography].

Introduction And Objectives: A low-to-moderate level of agreement on the interpretation of dobutamine echocardiography has been reported, but there are no similar findings on exercise echocardiography. The objectives of this study were to assess the level of agreement between centers on the use of exercise echocardiography and to evaluate the accuracy of the technique when used in a blinded manner.

Patients And Method: Six institutions with experience in exercise echocardiography each sent 25 study results to the other centers.

A noninvasive method for assessing impaired diastolic suction in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Diastolic suction is a major determinant of early left ventricular filling in animal experiments. However, suction remains incompletely characterized in the clinical setting.

Methods And Results: First, we validated a method for measuring the spatio-temporal distributions of diastolic intraventricular pressure gradients and differences (DIVPDs) by digital processing color Doppler M-mode recordings.

Doppler-derived ejection intraventricular pressure gradients provide a reliable assessment of left ventricular systolic chamber function.

Background: Ejection intraventricular pressure gradients are caused by the systolic force developed by the left ventricle (LV). By postprocessing color Doppler M-mode (CDMM) images, we can measure noninvasively the ejection intraventricular pressure difference (EIVPD) between the LV apex and the outflow tract. This study was designed to assess the value of Doppler-derived EIVPDs as noninvasive indices of systolic chamber function.

Age-related intramyocardial patterns in healthy subjects evaluated with Doppler tissue imaging.

Background: The aim of this study is to analyse spatial distribution of myocardial velocities (MV) and myocardial velocity gradient (MVG) with color M-mode Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) and to analyse the influence of age in such parameters.

Methods And Results: A prospective study including 66 healthy volunteers was carried out with color M-mode DTI. Postprocessing of images was performed using proprietary software allowing the division of the myocardial wall into subendocardium, mesocardium and subepicardium.

Estimation of the end of ejection in aortic stenosis: an unreported source of error in the invasive assessment of severity.

Background: All indices of aortic stenosis (AS) rely on measurements of mean transvalvular pressure gradient (DeltaP) and flow rate. Because the gradient is reversed during late ejection, the late systolic left ventricular (LV)-aortic pressure crossover may be an erroneous landmark of end-ejection. The aortic incisura should be a better reference to calculate indices of AS invasively.