The Functional Significance of Paradoxical Low-Gradient Aortic Valve Stenosis: Hemodynamic Findings During Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to determine the functional impact of paradoxical low-gradient aortic stenosis (PLGAS) and clarify whether the relevance of the valvular obstruction is related to baseline flow.

Background: Establishing the significance of PLGAS is particularly challenging.

Methods: Twenty symptomatic patients (77 ± 6 years of age; 17 female subjects) with PLGAS (mean gradient 28 ± 6 mm Hg; aortic valve area 0.

Lung inflammatory pattern and antibiotic treatment in pneumonia.

Background: In community-acquired pneumonia host inflammatory response against the causative microorganism is necessary for infection resolution. However an excessive response can have deleterious effects. In addition to antimicrobial effects, macrolide antibiotics are known to possess immunomodulatory properties.

Quality-of-Life assessment in malignant pleural effusion treated with indwelling pleural catheter: a prospective study.

Background: Malignant pleural effusion is a clinical problem that impairs Quality of Life in patients with advanced malignancies. An indwelling pleural catheter is an alternative treatment to palliate some of the symptoms.

Aim: To evaluate the Quality of Life of outpatients with malignant pleural effusion who were treated with an indwelling pleural catheter.

[Use of indwelling pleural catheter in the outpatient management of recurrent malignant pleural effusion].

Background And Objective: To analyse the effectiveness and safety of the indwelling pleural catheter in the management of recurrent malignant pleural effusion.

Patients And Methods: A prospective multicentre study was performed in 63 consecutive outpatients from four Spanish hospitals. A total of 43 men and 20 women were included, with a median age of 67 years.

Biliary complications after liver transplantation from maastricht category-2 non-heart-beating donors.

Background: There are unresolved issues regarding the security of liver transplantation with non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs). Recently, an increased incidence of biliary complications, mainly intrahepatic ischemic-type biliary strictures, has been described after controlled NHBDs.

Methods: We studied the incidence and risk factors for biliary complications among uncontrolled NHBDs recipients compared with a large population of HBD recipients.