Pneumopericardium with massive pericardial effusion in the setting of tuberculosis constrictive pericarditis: a rare case report.

Constrictive pericarditis is an uncommon complication of acute pericarditis, mainly caused by non-idiopathic sources. Pneumopericardium is the presence of air in the pericardial sac resulting from various procedures and circumstances, including trauma, iatrogenic, non-iatrogenic and natural causes. Here, we report a 16-year-old girl who came to the cardiology outpatient complaining of weakness, abdominal distention and shortness of breath while lying down and exertion.

Effect of hunger strike on electrocardiographic parameters.

Objective: This study is a comparison of the electrocardiogram (ECG) findings of detainees and convicts who participated in a hunger strike recorded at the end of the strike and 2 months later.

Methods: A total of 81 male detainees and convicts (mean age 41±9.4 years) who participated in a hunger strike between September 2012 and November 2012 were included in this study.

The preliminary experience in the emergency department of a newly opened penitentiary institution hospital in Turkey.

Background: Emergency cases become a widespread problem in prisons across Turkey. The opening of a new prison hospital in January 2012 within the catchment of Silivri Penitentiary Institution gave a unique opportunity to treat the inmates quickly.

Aims: The study was to conduct an extensive review for documentation of prisoners' healthcare problems leading to emergency admission following the first year after the opening of Penitentiary Institution Hospital and point to decrease redundant hospital transfers of this individual cohort.

The effect of strict rate control on B-type natriuretic peptide values and echocardiographic parameters in chronic atrial fibrillation.

Background: There have been conflicting results about the role of strict rate control on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (AF). To date, large clinical studies have not shown a net clinical benefit derived from the current trend to specify the target ventricular rate according to the patient's own clinical and laboratory characteristics. Although the existing literature shows no superiority of strict rate control in clinical end points, it is difficult to assess the pure rate effect without commonly coexisting medication side effects which can also influence clinical end points.