Early heart rate variability evaluation enables to predict ICU patients' outcome.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a mean to evaluate cardiac effects of autonomic nervous system activity, and a relation between HRV and outcome has been proposed in various types of patients. We attempted to evaluate the best determinants of such variation in survival prediction using a physiological data-warehousing program. Plethysmogram tracings (PPG) were recorded at 75 Hz from the standard monitoring system, for a 2 h period, during the 24 h following ICU admission.

Predictors of residual pulmonary vascular obstruction after pulmonary embolism: Results from a prospective cohort study.

Background: We aimed to determine the prevalence of residual pulmonary vascular obstruction (RPVO) after symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE) and to identify risk factors for RPVO.

Methods: On the basis of a prospective cohort of patients with a documented symptomatic venous thromboembolism, we included patients who had an acute PE and underwent a ventilation/perfusion lung scan at 3 to 24 months during the follow-up after PE. RPVO score was assessed for each patient.