Intracoronary near-infrared spectroscopy-role and clinical applications.

Intracoronary near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been developed and validated for the detection of lipid-rich plaque in the coronary arteries. A combined NIRS and intravascular ultrasound catheter is currently in clinical use and has an emerging role in evaluating plaques both before and after percutaneous coronary intervention. NIRS has recently been shown to positively identify both vulnerable patients and vulnerable plaques.

Supporting High-Risk Percutaneous Coronary Interventions With Mechanical Devices.

The use of mechanical circulatory support to maintain appropriate hemodynamics in high risk percutaneous coronary intervention cases is a new frontier. Treatment of cases that were once considered prohibitive may now be possible. Due to a paucity of data, guidelines offer no guidance about the use of mechanical circulatory support in such cases.

Screening for aortic aneurysm after treatment of coarctation.

Isolated coarctation of the aorta (CoA) occurs in 6-8 % of patients with congenital heart disease. After successful relief of obstruction, patients remain at risk for aortic aneurysm formation at the site of the repair. We sought to determine the diagnostic utility of echocardiography compared with advanced arch imaging (AAI) in diagnosing aortic aneurysms in pediatric patients after CoA repair.

Myocardial strain and strain rate in Kawasaki disease.

Aims: We sought to determine whether velocity vector imaging (VVI)-derived left ventricular (LV) myocardial deformation indices could detect subtle myocardial abnormalities in acute Kawasaki disease (KD).

Methods And Results: The study cohort of children with KD was divided by coronary artery dilation (CAD, Z-score >2.5) and/or uncomplicated vs.

Giving birth: the voices of Ghanaian women.

Childbirth is significantly influenced by women's cultural perceptions, beliefs, expectations, fears, and cultural practices. Our purpose in conducting this focused ethnography was to determine the perceptions of Ghanaian childbearing women. Twenty-four mothers who received health care at the Salvation Army Clinic in Wiamoase, Ashanti, Ghana, participated in audiotaped interviews.