Elective Direct Current Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation: Silent Brain Infarction and Health-Related Quality of Life.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) increases the risk for stroke, dementia, and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQL). Elective direct current cardioversion (ECV) is often used to restore sinus rhythm but is associated with thromboembolism. While larger strokes usually produce symptoms, subclinical ones may go unrecognized and may cause cognitive and functional decline over time.

Vasculitis distribution and clinical characteristics in giant cell arteritis: a retrospective study using the new 2022 ACR/EULAR classification criteria.

Introduction: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common vasculitis of the elderly. In recent years, advanced imaging has to a certain extent replaced temporal artery biopsy (TAB) to aid diagnosis in many institutions and helped to identify three major phenotypes of GCA, namely, cranial GCA (c-GCA), large-vessel non-cranial GCA (LV-GCA), and a combination of these two patterns called mixed-GCA, which all show different clinical patterns. Recent 2022 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) classification criteria respect the changing conception and clinical practice during the last two decades.

Recurrent pericarditis.

Pericarditis is an important differential diagnosis in patients with chest pain. The two most common causes in the developed world are idiopathic pericarditis and inflammation following cardiac surgery or myocardial infarction. Recurrence of pericarditis affects up to 30 % of patients, half of whom experience multiple episodes, and approximately 10 % develop steroid-dependent and colchicine-refractory pericarditis.

Game-based e-learning is more effective than a conventional instructional method: a randomized controlled trial with third-year medical students.

Background: When compared with more traditional instructional methods, Game-based e-learning (GbEl) promises a higher motivation of learners by presenting contents in an interactive, rule-based and competitive way. Most recent systematic reviews and meta-analysis of studies on Game-based learning and GbEl in the medical professions have shown limited effects of these instructional methods.

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness on the learning outcome of a Game-based e-learning (GbEl) instruction with a conventional script-based instruction in the teaching of phase contrast microscopy urinalysis under routine training conditions of undergraduate medical students.

Group cohesion and working alliance: prediction of treatment outcome in cardiac patients receiving cognitive behavioral group psychotherapy.

Background: Various definitions of both group cohesion and working alliance are used in theories on group psychotherapy, making the study of their relative contribution to the treatment outcome difficult. In this study, two different, nonoverlapping questionnaires were used to explore the relationship between group cohesion, working alliance and treatment outcome in a time-limited, structured cognitive behavioral group psychotherapy aiming at the reduction of coronary risk factors.

Methods: After having undergone percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, 42 patients were treated with the aim to reduce exhaustion, anxiety, hostility and depression.