Are all ventricular septal defects created equal?

The authors report the occurrence of infective endocarditis in a 32-year-old man with a ventricular septal defect and a left ventricular-to-right-atrial shunt who adhered to the revised 2007 American Heart Association guidelines for infective endocarditis. The patient had received antibiotic prophylaxis prior to multiple previous dental procedures. At a recent dental evaluation for fillings, he was informed that he no longer needed prophylaxis.

Comparison of LVEF obtained with single-plane RAO ventriculography and echocardiography in patients with and without obstructive coronary artery disease.

The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) determined by invasive ventriculography (routine cardiac cath; LV-gram) was compared with that determined by echocardiography in 100 patients scheduled for angiography (86% had LV-gram and 2DE during same hospital admission). Seventy percent of patients had at least single-vessel obstructive coronary artery disease, defined as more than 50% stenosis. By all estimates, the LVEF was higher in patients without coronary artery disease (CAD) compared to patients with CAD.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging investigation of sustained ventricular fibrillation in a swine model--with a focus on the electrical phase.

Objectives: We sought to develop a method to evaluate the rapidly changing cardiac dimensions during sustained ventricular fibrillation (VF). We also present details of our CPR research imaging program to facilitate this avenue of clinically important research.

Background: The changes in cardiac dimensions occurring during the initial critical electrical phase of sustained VF are not entirely known.