Low Risk of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy With Contemporary Management Strategies Implemented in Non-Referral Regional Community-Based Practices.

Major advances in diagnosis and treatment have emerged for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), largely in major tertiary referral centers dedicated to this disease. Whether these therapeutic benefits are confined to patients in such highly selected cohorts, or can be implemented effectively in independent regional or community-based populations is not generally appreciated. We assessed management and clinical outcomes in a non-referral HCM center (n = 214 patients) in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Surgical treatment of an amniotic fluid embolism with cardiopulmonary collapse.

Amniotic fluid embolism is a rare but devastating condition associated with a very high rate of morbidity and mortality. The treatment has traditionally been aggressive supportive care. We report a case of a term pregnant woman with complete cardiovascular collapse secondary to a paradoxical amniotic fluid embolism.

Impact of aprotinin on adverse clinical outcomes and mortality up to 12 years in a registry of 3,337 patients.

Background: Recent studies have suggested increased renal complications and long-term mortality with aprotinin use in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients. However, these studies have been criticized for including multiple centers and different dosing strategies. We analyzed prospectively collected registry data from a single center hospital utilizing a full-dose aprotinin regimen to evaluate if aprotinin was associated with increased mortality and adverse outcomes compared with Amicar.

Impact of saphenous vein graft radiographic markers on clinical events and angiographic parameters.

Background: Use of saphenous vein graft (SVG) radiographic markers has been associated with shorter cardiac catheterization procedure times and reduced contrast agent volume for postoperative coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) catheterizations. Use of such markers is varied and often operator-dependent, as the effect of SVG markers has not been fully evaluated. The goal of the present analysis was to evaluate the association of SVG markers with clinical outcomes and graft patency.

Is chronic airway obstruction from cotton dust exposure reversible?

Background: Exposure to cotton dust is known to cause chronic airway obstruction, but there is little information on whether the obstructive impairment is reversible after the exposure stops.

Methods: Longitudinal changes in lung function were evaluated among 429 cotton textile workers and 449 silk workers in Shanghai, China, beginning in 1981. Both active and retired workers were tested every 4 to 6 years for 15 years.

Personal exposures to inorganic and organic dust in manual harvest of California citrus and table grapes.

The aim of this study was to determine characteristics of personal exposure to inorganic and organic dust during manual harvest operations of California citrus and table grapes. Personal exposures to inhalable dust and respirable dust were measured five times over a 4-month period of harvesting season. We analyzed components of the dust samples for mineralogy, respirable quartz, endotoxin, and total and culturable microorganisms.

Comparative analysis of risk-adjusted bypass surgery stratification models in a community hospital.

Background: Quality improvement in health care, which relies on appropriate strategies to evaluate and compare provider performance, has spawned the propagation of many public report cards or provider profiles for cardiac surgery. These risk-adjusted prediction models allow for the computation of a provider's expected outcome event rate compared with observed outcome events. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy and reliability of 5 risk-adjusted predictive models for mortality in an independent population of patients in a community hospital who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Off the shelf or recalibrate? customizing a risk index for assessing mortality.

Background: Public "report cards" for cardiac surgery have been freely available from a variety of sources. These risk-adjusted indices serve as a means of benchmarking outcomes performances, allowing comparisons of outcomes between surgical programs, and quantifying quality improvement programs. We examined two alternative strategies for using previously developed risk-adjusted mortality models in a community hospital: (1) using the model "off the shelf" (OTS) and (2) recalibrating the existing model (RM) to fit the institution-specific population.