Validation of the Readmission Risk Score in Heart Failure Patients at a Tertiary Hospital.

Background: The Readmission Risk score (RR score) is a software application developed to identify patients at increased risk for readmission. This score was developed to improve on the methodology for 30-day risk-standardized all-cause readmission rates (RSRRs) used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for its quality reporting system. However, the utility of the RR score in clinical practice has not been independently validated.

Effects of antegrade versus integrated blood cardioplegia on left ventricular function evaluated by echocardiographic real-time 3-dimensional speckle tracking.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate left ventricular free wall and interventricular septal function by 2-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography and live/real-time 3-dimensional transthoracic speckle tracking echocardiography before and after on-pump cardiac surgery and to assess the effect of mode of cardioplegia delivery.

Methods: A total of 22 patients were studied 1 day before and 4 to 5 days after surgery. Cold blood cardioplegia was delivered by intermittent antegrade infusion or by the integrated method.

Live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic assessment of ventricular septal volume and mass before and after myectomy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common genetically transmitted cardiomyopathy. In patients resistant to medical management, myectomy is the surgical procedure of choice to reduce the symptoms of left ventricular outflow obstruction. Two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (2DTEE) has become part of the operative procedure by decreasing the incidence of postoperative complications.

Two- and three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography: clinical applications and future directions.

Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D STE) is a novel technique of cardiac imaging for quantifying complex cardiac motion based on frame-to-frame tracking of ultrasonic speckles in gray scale 2D images. Two-dimensional STE is a relatively angle independent technology that can measure global and regional strain, strain rate, displacement, and velocity in longitudinal, radial, and circumferential directions. It can also quantify rotational movements such as rotation, twist, and torsion of the myocardium.

Role of live/real time three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography in pericardial disease.

Despite the high sensitivity of two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2DTTE) in diagnosing pericardial effusion, it has limitations in assessing its size and extent and in evaluating other pericardial pathologies. There are only limited reports so far, but live/real time three-dimensional transthoracic Echocardiography (3DTTE) has shown promise and potential advantages over 2DTTE in certain clinical situations. With its ability to crop and view cardiac structures from any desired angulation it offers incremental value in assessing the anatomy of the pericardium including echo densities within the effusion, fibrinous bands, and loculated effusions.

Live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

Since the advent of matrix array transducer, three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography has come to frequent clinical use. It has significantly enhanced the communication between the operators and cardiac imagers in the operating room as well as in the cardiac interventional labs. This article reviews the history, technological aspects, and the protocol for acquisition and processing of the data sets.

Incremental value of live/real time three-dimensional echocardiography in the diagnosis and evaluation of pericardial cyst.

Pericardial cysts are rare anomalies of the pericardium that are usually asymptomatic and followed by two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography. Here we report a large pericardial cyst that could not be measured accurately by 2D echocardiography but three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography enabled measurements of the cyst that correlated well with computed tomography measurements. In addition, 3D echocardiography demonstrated the mono-trabeculated nature of the cyst further suggesting the incremental value of 3D echocardiography in the evaluation of pericardial cysts.

Incremental value of live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography over the two-dimensional technique in the assessment of aortic aneurysm and dissection.

We compared findings from intraoperative live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) and two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (2DTEE) with surgery in 67 patients having aortic aneurysm and/or aortic dissection. Of these, 20 patients had aortic aneurysm without dissection, 21 aortic aneurysm and dissection, and 26 aortic dissection without aneurysm. 3DTEE diagnosed the type and location of aneurysm correctly in all patients unlike 2DTEE, which missed an aneurysm in one case.

Delineation of the etiology of a mass-like echo density in the left ventricle using three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography.

Live/real time three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (3DTTE) provides an incremental value in the delineation of various cardiac pathologies. In this study, two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2DTTE) of a 56-year-old patient showing a prominent echo density suggestive of a mass in the left ventricle probably attached to the ventricular side of the anterior mitral leaflet, is reported. Systematic cropping of the 3DTTE dataset showed the mass to be a calcified mitral strut chord viewed in cross section.

Incremental role of three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in the assessment of mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa abscess.

We report a case of an elderly patient in whom live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) provided definitive diagnosis of mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa abscess. This could not be done by two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2DTTE) and two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (2DTEE). 3DTEE was also helpful in ruling out associated mitral valve endocarditis, which was initially suspected by 2DTEE leading to a mitral valve sparing surgery.

Incremental value of live/real time three-dimensional over two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in the evaluation of right coronary artery fistula.

We report an adult with a right coronary artery to right atrial fistula in whom live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography with its ability to trace the entire course and obtain en face views of the fistula connections, was able to provide significant incremental information over two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

Pseudoaneurysm of the mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa (MAIVF): A comprehensive review.

Pseudoaneurysm in the region of the fibrous body between the mitral and aortic valve, the mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa (MAIVF), is a rare complication. The authors provide a comprehensive review of all relevant English-language articles published from 1966 to December 2009. Pseudoaneurysm of the MAIVF was identified in 88 patients in the medical literature and one from the authors' institution (total reported cases, 89).

Short-term treatment of actinomycosis: two cases and a review.

Recommendations for prolonged penicillin treatment of actinomycosis date from the early antibiotic era, when patients often presented with neglected, advanced disease and received interrupted therapy at suboptimal dosages. This report describes cases of esophageal and of cervicofacial actinomycosis treated successfully with short-term antibiotic therapy and reviews the literature. Many patients are cured with <6 months of antibiotic therapy.