Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Tissue Characterization in Ischemic Cardiomyopathy.

Ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) is one of the most common causes of congestive heart failure. In patients with ICM, tissue characterization with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) allows for evaluation of myocardial abnormalities in acute and chronic settings. Myocardial edema, microvascular obstruction (MVO), intracardiac thrombus, intramyocardial hemorrhage, and late gadolinium enhancement of the myocardium are easily depicted using standard CMR sequences.

The role of levosimendan in acute heart failure complicating acute coronary syndrome: A review and expert consensus opinion.

Acute heart failure and/or cardiogenic shock are frequently triggered by ischemic coronary events. Yet, there is a paucity of randomized data on the management of patients with heart failure complicating acute coronary syndrome, as acute coronary syndrome and cardiogenic shock have frequently been defined as exclusion criteria in trials and registries. As a consequence, guideline recommendations are mostly driven by observational studies, even though these patients have a particularly poor prognosis compared to heart failure patients without signs of coronary artery disease.

Significance of consecutive international normalized ratio (INR) outcomes using statistical control rules in long-term anticoagulated patients. Optimization of laboratory monitoring and interpretation of borderline measurements.

Analysis of serial measurements is needed to elaborate observations in all fields of medical research. In the present study, retrospective data of anticoagulated patients were used to calculate a mean of observations and control limits, X+/-1sigma and X+/-2sigma (mean+/-standard deviation). During 18 months of coagulation monitoring, 45 patients without major oral anticoagulant therapy complications, with more international normalized ratio (INR) determinations in the therapeutic range and with a normal distribution of INR values according to the Kurtosis coefficient, were selected.