Automated carbon dioxide digital angiography for lower-limb arterial disease evaluation: safety assessment and comparison with standard iodinated contrast media angiography.

Introduction: Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been validated as a contrast agent in a large series of studies. A particular advantages of CO2 over iodinated contrast medium (ICM) is the absence of nephrotoxicity and allergic reactions. One of the limitations of CO2 angiography is the difficulty of CO2 manual injection due to its compressibility.

The prognostic role of troponin I elevation after elective percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objectives: To assess the prognostic role of isolated troponin I (TnI) elevation after elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

Background: The prognostic role of minor troponin elevation after PCI is controversial.

Methods: A total of 1532 consecutive patients who underwent elective PCI were included.

Adaptive servo ventilation reduces central sleep apnea in chronic heart failure patients: beneficial effects on autonomic modulation of heart rate.

Aim: Adaptive servo ventilation (ASV) is a method of ventilator support aimed to treat central sleep apnea (CSA). We investigated the effects of an acute use of ASV in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients with CSA and the potential influence on sympathetic nerve activity.

Methods: Patients were studied with ambulatory cardio-respiratory 24 Holter (Somtè) recording of air flow, ECG and oxygen saturation.