The assessment of reliability and validity of the Thai Versions of the Thirst Distress Scale for patients with Heart Failure and the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire in heart failure patients.

Background: Heart failure (HF) patients can experience poor appetite and intense thirst. The Thirst Distress Scale for HF (TDS-HF) and the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ) are tools used to assess these symptoms. However, these questionnaires are not currently available in Thai.

Utilizing a registry for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction from a tertiary care hospital in Thailand: opportunities to improve the quality of care.

Background: Treatment of acute coronary syndrome requires a reliable measurement of quality for ensuring evidence-based care. Clinical registries have been used to support quality improvement activities in some countries, but there are few data concerning their implementation in developing countries. In 2008, a multidisciplinary Siriraj ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) registry team was formed with the intention to improve the process of care.

Benefit of post PCI medical checklist to improve adhering with best practice guidelines in the patients with coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of medical and health education checklist according to ACC/AHA guidelines for improving compliance in the patients with coronary heart disease who underwent percutanoeus coronary intervention (PCI).

Material And Method: This study was a prospective cohort study between control group (historical coronary artery disease (CAD) cases who underwent PCI between October 2008 and May 2009) and a case group (CAD cases who underwent PCI between May 2009 and January 2010) at Her Majesty Cardiac Center floor 8th and Cardiac Care Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University. In the control group, basic care proceed.

Use of saline flush to prevent filter clotting in continuous renal replacement therapy without anticoagulant.

Objective: This study aims to compare filter life between saline flushed and non-saline flushed strategies in critically ill patients at high risk of bleeding who are undergoing CRRT without anticoagulation.

Material And Method: A cohort of 121 critically ill patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring CRRT in the medical intensive care unit (ICU) and cardiac care unit (CCU) of a tertiary care academic center were included. 78 of them used saline flushed through CRRT circuit.