Proinflammatory cytokines in acute myocardial infarction with and without cardiogenic shock.

Background: Inflammatory response is an important feature of acute coronary syndromes and myocardial infarction (MI). The prognostic value of proinflammatory cytokines in patients with acute MI complicated by cardiogenic shock is unknown.

Methods And Results: In 41 patients admitted with acute MI (age 60 +/- 11 years, six females, 19 Killip class IV) serial plasma concentration of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) were measured.

Admission glucose concentrations independently predict early and late mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated by primary or rescue percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: In patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), increased plasma glucose levels at hospital admission are associated with worse outcome. We aimed to assess the predictive value of admission glucose concentrations on short- and long-term mortality in patients with acute MI undergoing primary or rescue percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: We analyzed the 30-day and long-term (mean follow-up 3.

Respiratory dependent compression of a venous bypass: therapy by stenting.

Although coronary artery bypass surgery has provided major advances in the treatment of coronary artery disease, narrowing of bypass vessels still constitutes a drawback of this therapy. Although this event is most frequently caused by intraluminal processes, obstruction from external structures is extremely rare. We report such a case in which external bypass compression was provoked by deep inspiration causing typical anginal symptoms.

Characteristics of patients with abnormal stress technetium Tc 99m sestamibi SPECT studies without significant coronary artery diameter stenoses.

Background: Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) sestamibi (MIBI) is an excellent tool for detection of coronary artery disease (CAD), preoperative risk assessment, and follow-up management after coronary revascularization. While the sensitivity of MIBI SPECT for detecting CAD has been reported to exceed 90%, the specificity ranges between 53-100%.

Hypothesis: The study was undertaken to assess characteristics of patients with abnormal stress technetium Tc99m sestamibi SPECT (MIBI) studies without significant coronary artery diameter stenoses (< 50%).

Insufficient awareness of endocarditis prophylaxis in patients at risk.

Objective: To determine whether patients at risk for development of infective endocarditis (IE) have adequate knowledge of IE and the need for endocarditis prophylaxis (EP), and to test the impact of reeducation on subsequent knowledge.

Methods: We assessed awareness of IE and EP in 139 patients at risk. To assess their knowledge of IE and EP, patients were asked to complete a questionnaire.

Thyronin treatment in adult and pediatric heart surgery: clinical experience and review of the literature.

Thyroid hormone has multiple direct and indirect effects on the heart and the vasculature. Many signs and symptoms of thyroid dysfunction are manifest by the cardiovascular system. Furthermore, many cardiovascular diseases are adversely affected by the concomitant presence of either hyper- or hypothyroidism: it is still being debated whether these alterations are the consequence of increased cardiac workload alone or are due to the intrinsic properties of thyroid hormone.