The effect of beta-blocker dosing strategy on regulation of perioperative heart rate and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing vascular surgery: a randomized comparison.

The optimal dosing strategy for perioperative beta-blockers to safely achieve recommended target heart rates (HRs) by current guidelines is not well defined. An HR-titrated perioperative beta-blocker dosing regimen versus a fixed-dose regimen was assessed by clinical outcomes, postoperative heart rate, and beta-blocker-related complications. Patients (n = 64) scheduled to undergo moderate- to high-risk vascular surgery and without contraindications to beta-blockade were randomized to either a fixed-dose or HR-titrated beta-blocker dosing schedule.

First-year results of a community peripheral vascular screening program at an academic community hospital.

Disease associated with the vascular system, including peripheral arterial disease, poses a serious health problem with incidence growing annually. Recognizing this, several health care organizations across the United States have developed programs for public education and community awareness, and for screening individuals at risk for vascular disease. Lehigh Valley Hospital developed and implemented a screening program that evaluated more than 160 individuals during a 12-month period.