Percutaneous trans-jugular technique for continuous perioperative monitoring of intra-cardiac and pulmonary artery pressures during cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease.

Objective: To observe the safety of trans-jugular pressure-monitoring catheter insertion at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Methods: The observational study was carried out at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology/National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi, from January 1, 2004 to March 31, 2010. All patients electively scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease who had percutaneous trans-jugular pressure monitoring catheters inserted peri-operatively were included in the study.

School children training for basic life support.

Objective: To determine the background knowledge of high school children on basic life support by calculating the points scored in a MCQ-based test; to evaluate results of teaching basic life support skills to them; and assessing their power of retention by re-testing them on skills and MCQ test after the workshop.

Study Design: Quasi-experimental study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from 1st September to 31st December 2008.

Digoxin as a rescue drug in intra aortic balloon pump and inotrope dependent patients.

Background: In absence of cardiac transplant program in our country, when patients with poor left ventricular (LV) functions undergo coronary revascularisation surgery, they are on one or more inotropic supports with intra aortic balloon pump (IABP) at the time of weaning off from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Post-operatively, due to the poor LV function, many of these patients become dependent on inotropic supports and IABP and eventually have a poor outcome. We used digoxin in these patients as a rescue drug, where more than one attempts to wean them off IABP and inotropic support had failed.