Physician satisfaction with health plans: results from a national survey.

Objectives: Physician satisfaction is associated with patient satisfaction, adherence to treatment recommendations, and quality. However, burnout is prevalent, and physician experience with health plans is likely a key contributor. We explored physician satisfaction with health plans and assessed physician and plan characteristics associated with greater satisfaction.

Plasmatic hypercoagulation in patients with breast cancer: role of heme oxygenase-1.

Breast cancer is an important health threat to women worldwide, and is associated with a 9-14% incidence of thrombophilia. Of interest, patients with breast cancer have been noted to have an increase in endogenous carbon monoxide production via upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 activity. Given that it has been demonstrated that carbon monoxide enhances plasmatic coagulation in vitro and in vivo, we sought to determine whether patients with breast cancer had an increase in endogenous carbon monoxide and concurrent plasmatic hypercoagulability.

ST-segment resolution after primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: The association between ST-segment resolution and clinical outcome in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) remains unclear. Recent studies on the association between ST-segment resolution and mortality have given conflicting results. We undertook this study to assess whether ST-segment resolution in electrocardiograms recorded 90-120 min after initiation of PPCI predicts long-term mortality in patients with STEMI.

The deceleration capacity - a new measure of heart rate variability evaluated in patients with schizophrenia and antipsychotic treatment.

Background: Schizophrenia is associated with increased cardiac mortality. A disturbed autonomic modulation of heart rate (HR) has been described in patients with schizophrenia in whom antipsychotic medication may represent an additional cardiac risk. The novel measure deceleration capacity (DC) of heart rate predicts cardiac mortality in patients with cardiovascular illnesses.

Impact of perfusion restoration at epicardial and tissue levels on markers of myocardial necrosis and clinical outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Aims: To assess the impact of reperfusion after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on myocardial salvage and outcome of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods And Results: This study included 1,406 patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI. Blood flow restoration at epicardial and tissue levels was assessed by Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) and myocardial perfusion grade (MPG).