Emergency Interhospital Transfer of Patients With ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Call 9-1-1-The American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline Program.

The American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline program objectives are to improve the quality of care and outcomes for patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. Every minute of delay in treatment adversely affects 1-year mortality. Transfer of patients safely and timely to hospitals with primary percutaneous coronary intervention capability is needed to improve outcomes.

Systems of Care for ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association.

The introduction of Mission: Lifeline significantly increased timely access to percutaneous coronary intervention for patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In the years since, morbidity and mortality rates have declined, and research has led to significant developments that have broadened our concept of the STEMI system of care. However, significant barriers and opportunities remain.

Serum biomarkers in severe refractory cardiogenic shock.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize levels of serum biomarkers in patients with severe refractory cardiogenic shock (SRCS) and to document temporal changes in these levels during restoration of circulation.

Background: Patients with SRCS have been challenging to study because of their rapidly changing clinical condition while undergoing multiple simultaneous interventions.

Methods: Twenty-one patients with SRCS received circulatory support via a percutaneously implanted ventricular assist device (PVAD).

Venous thromboembolism: annualised United States models for total, hospital-acquired and preventable costs utilising long-term attack rates.

Healthcare reform is upon the United States (US) healthcare system. Prioritisation of preventative efforts will guide necessary transitions within the US healthcare system. While annual deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) costs have recently been defined at the US national level, annual pulmonary embolism (PE) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) costs have not yet been defined.

Bridge to transplantation with the TandemHeart: bending the indications in a chronic aortic dissection patient with postcardiotomy shock.

Herein, we report a successful bridge to heart transplantation by use of the TandemHeart percutaneous ventricular assist device (pVAD) in a chronic aortic dissection patient who was experiencing postcardiotomy shock. The patient had undergone an aortocoronary bypass to treat an acute, extensive myocardial infarction that had resulted from severe stenosis of a Cabrol-like graft to the left main coronary artery. The TandemHeart was used successfully, despite classic contraindications for pVAD support.

Percutaneous ventricular assist device support in a patient with a postinfarction ventricular septal defect.

Complications of acute myocardial infarction have decreased in number and severity due to the application of early thrombolytic coronary revascularization techniques. Nonetheless, the mortality rate associated with these complications remains high. Ventricular septal rupture is one of the complications that can occur after myocardial infarction.

The financial burden of destination left ventricular assist device therapy: who and when?

Heart failure continues to be an economic health care burden of profound proportion. The disease in its end stage has limited therapeutic options. Transplantation is limited by the number of available organs.