Tissue Doppler Imaging (E/e') and Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis.

Objective: Although American and European consensus statements advocate using the ratio of the transmitral E velocity and tissue Doppler early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/e') in the assessment of left-sided heart filling pressures, recent reports have questioned the reliability of this ratio to predict left atrial pressures in a variety of disease states. The authors hypothesized that there is a clinically significant correlation between E/e' and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) in patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Was Mafeisan an Anesthetic in Ancient China?

According to the Chinese historical books, Records of the Three Kingdoms () and Book of the Later Han (), Hua Tuo (, 140 - 208), a Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physician invented Mafeisan, an oral herbal general anesthetic, more than 1800 years ago during Eastern Han Dynasty. However, no written record of ingredients of the original Mafeisan has been found anywhere so far although there have been several similar anesthetic prescriptions published in TCM books later. There has been controversy over the existence of Mafeisan and even Hua Tuo in Chinese literature.

Late Clinical Presentation of Prosthesis-Patient Mismatch Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) is relatively common after aortic valve replacement (AVR) and generally is associated with reduced regression of left ventricular (LV) mass. PPM after valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was reported to be 38%. PPM generally is manifested clinically by dyspnea and echocardiographically by high transvalvular gradients.