A cooperative care model: cardiologists and hospitalists reduce length of stay in a chest pain observation unit.

Chest pain observation units are increasingly used to evaluate patients at low risk for cardiovascular events and are commonly staffed by cardiologists. The role of hospitalists in this setting has not been described. We assessed emergency department (ED) length of stay before and after adding hospitalists to the care team among 493 patients.

Physician awareness of the cardiac effects of methadone: results of a national survey.

Background: Levacetylmethadol was withdrawn from the U.S. market as a treatment for opioid-dependent patients in 2003 due to QT prolongation, leaving methadone as the primary therapy for over 200,000 individuals.

Trends in anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation in the U.S.: an analysis of the national ambulatory medical care survey database.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to track trends in the use of anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation (AF) over the past decade and identify predictors of use.

Background: Atrial fibrillation is common and associated with significant morbidity. Previous studies suggest underuse of anticoagulant therapy in patients with AF.

Paradoxical decrease in blood pressure after relief of cardiac tamponade: the role of sympathetic activity.

Background: In contrast to patients who develop acute cardiac tamponade after penetrating trauma, tamponade in medical patients may be accompanied by normal or even elevated systolic blood pressure. This has been attributed to heightened sympathetic nervous system activity.

Case Report: We present a case of a medical patient with simultaneous hypertension and cardiac tamponade whose blood pressure fell dramatically after pericardiocentesis.

Cocaine-related torsade de pointes in a methadone maintenance patient.

A patient maintained on methadone for opioid-dependency developed recurrent syncope. Episodes occurred within hours after using cocaine, and were initially presumed secondary to seizure disorder. However, the patient subsequently suffered a cardiac arrest, and polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (torsade de pointes) was documented.