Adverse effects associated with transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a meta-analysis of contemporary studies.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as an important treatment for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who are at high operative risk, but accurate estimates of serious adverse effects in contemporary practice are not available.

Purpose: To quantify the adverse effects associated with TAVI, and to evaluate whether the type of transcatheter valve and the route of valve implantation are associated with differences in adverse outcomes.

Data Source: PubMed to 5 May 2012.

Decision support needs of patients choosing between unicompartmental and total knee arthroplasty for advanced medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee.

Patients with isolated medial knee osteoarthritis are often candidates for both unicompartmental knee arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty and must choose between these 2 options. We interviewed 20 such patients to describe their decision support needs and 14 knee arthroplasty surgeons to describe their requirements in supporting patients' decision making. Patients and surgeons both desired active patient participation in the decision.

Can left ventricular end-diastolic volumes be estimated with prospective ECG-gated CT coronary angiography?

Background: With the goal of minimizing patient radiation exposure, many centres have adopted prospective ECG-gated computed tomographic coronary angiography. Since image acquisition occurs only during ventricular diastasis, the ability to measure left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) and LV volumes has been lost. Given that LV volumes have prognostic value, the ability to estimate LV end diastolic volume (EDV) may be clinically desirable.

Inspiratory resistance, cerebral blood flow velocity, and symptoms of acute hypotension.

Introduction: Symptoms of orthostatic intolerance, e.g., following prolonged bed rest and microgravity exposure, are associated with reductions in cerebral blood flow.

Cerebral blood flow response and its association with symptoms during orthostatic hypotension.

Introduction: The preservation of cerebral blood flow with orthostatic hypotension (e.g., following prolonged bed rest or microgravity exposure) is vital for the attenuation of symptoms and the maintenance of consciousness.