Background: The biplane Simpson's method is considered the gold standard to assess and monitor left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) in critically ill patients. Recently, a new semi-automatic technique based on speckle tracking echocardiography called "Auto-EF" has been introduced. We compared LVEF values obtained with biplane Simpson's method and Auto-EF by two groups of operators: trainee echocardiography intensivists and experienced echocardiographers.
Methods: A standard transthoracic echocardiography was performed on 37 patients. According to image quality 29 patients were selected. Each inexperienced and experienced operator executed an off-line analysis using both Simpson's method and Auto-EF. LVEF obtained by the two groups of operators were then compared.
Results: EF values assessed with Simpson's method showed a moderate correlation (r=0.70, P<0.01) between inexperienced and experienced operators. The Bland-Altman analysis showed a mean bias of 0.3% with limits of agreement (LoA) from -24.4 to +25.1%. Values obtained with Auto-EF showed a good correlation (r=0.94, P<0.01) with a mean bias of 0.2% and LoA from -10.1 to +10.4%.
Conclusions: Due to its semiautomatic nature, for inexpert operators Auto-EF seems more reproducible than the traditional Simpson's method for monitoring left ventricular function in critically ill patients.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.23736/S0375-9393.18.12249-8 | DOI Listing |
JACC Adv
December 2024
Department of Medicine (Cardiovascular Division), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Background: Risk stratification for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) remains challenging.
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) on SCD in NICM patients.
Methods: Our study cohort included 173 consecutive patients (age 53 ± 14 years, 73% men) scheduled for primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) implantation who underwent preimplant cardiovascular magnetic resonance.
Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of nonobstetric morbidity and mortality in pregnant women worldwide. Pakistan's high maternal and neonatal mortality rates underscore the need for effective screening protocols to detect cardiovascular diseases during pregnancy.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with structural heart disease among pregnant women without active cardiorespiratory symptoms (no symptoms or symptoms attributed to pregnancy) attending routine antenatal appointments.
Biomed Opt Express
January 2025
Center for Visual Science, The Institute of Optics, Flaum Eye Institute. University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
An intraocular lens (IOL) replaces the natural crystalline lens during cataract surgery, and although the vast majority of implants have simple optics, "advanced technology" IOLs have multifocal and extended depth of focus (EDOF) properties. Optical concepts are evaluated here, with image contrast, focal range, and unwanted visual phenomena being the primary concerns. Visual phenomena with earlier bifocal diffractive lenses led to alternative diffractive designs (trifocals, etc.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Bone Joint Surg Am
November 2024
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Background: Fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine are increasingly common. Although it is known that such fractures may elevate the risk of near-term morbidity, the natural history of patients who sustain such injuries remains poorly described. We sought to characterize the natural history of patients treated for thoracolumbar fractures and to understand clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with survival.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials (Ministry of Education), Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
On the one hand, nature utilizes hierarchical assemblies to create complex biological binding pockets, enabling ultrastrong recognition toward substrates in aqueous solutions. On the other hand, chemists have been fervently pursuing high-affinity recognition by constructing covalently well-preorganized stereoelectronic cavities. The potential of noncovalent assembly, however, for enhancing molecular recognition has long been underestimated.
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