The first six-month clinical outcomes and risk factors associated with high on-treatment platelet reactivity of clopidogrel in patients undergoing coronary interventions.

Objective: This study attempted to fill the gaps in evidence related to response to clopidogrel treatment in the Turkish population. The study aimed to determine the prevalence, associated risk factors, and clinical outcomes of high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) of clopidogrel in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in a tertiary cardiovascular hospital in Turkey.

Methods: In this prospective studied a total of 1.

Comparison of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement to Improve Quality of Life in Patients >70 Years of Age with Severe Aortic Stenosis.

Objective: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation has recently been used in the treatment of severe aortic valve stenosis, particularly in patients with high mortality and morbidity rates for open surgery. The purpose of this study was to compare quality of life in patients over 70 years of age undergoing surgical or transcatheter aortic valve implantation, before the procedure and in the early post-procedural period.

Methods: Seventy-nine patients were included in the study, 38 (48.

A Retained Bullet in Pericardial Sac: Penetrating Gunshot Injury of the Heart.

Penetrating cardiac trauma is rarely seen but when present there is a short time lag to keep the patients alive. Cardiac gunshot injuries are exceptional and it occurs mostly during interpersonal disagreements casualties or a mistakenly fired gun nowadays. Here we present a case of cardiac gunshot injury from the war of Kobani, Syria.

Higher CHADS-VASc Score Is Associated With Increased Mortality in Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

Background: CHADS-VASc score has been validated in risk prediction for stroke and thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Association of CHADS-VASc score with higher risk of venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism (PE) has also been shown. In this study, we investigated the long-term prognostic value of CHADS-VASc score in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE).

A case of Mobitz type II atrioventricular block due to Nerium oleander poisoning successfully managed with digoxin-specific Fab antibody fragments.

Nerium oleander is a popular ornamental plant grown in many tropical and subtropical countries and in the Mediterranean region. It is dangerous because it has been shown to contain several types of cardiac glycosides, and hence can cause cardiac arrhythmias resembling digoxin in their toxicologic manifestations. We report a patient presenting to our hospital with Mobitz type II atrioventricular block after drinking herbal tea prepared from oleander leaves.

Serum uric acid level predicts new-onset atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass graft operation.

Objective: To investigate the association between serum uric acid levels and the risk of incident atrial fibrillation in patients after coronary artery bypass graft (cABG) operation.

Patients And Methods: A total of 174 patients undergoing nonemergency coronary artery bypass graft operation were included in the study. Patients with previous atrial arrhythmia or requiring concomitant valve surgery were excluded.

A case report of coronary artery aneurysm in a patient with Behçet's disease.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystem vasculitis that may involve vessels of all sizes. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) due to secondary involvement of BD is rare and its management less clear. In this case, a 29-year-old man admitted to the emergency room with ongoing chest pain was interned to the coronary care unit with a diagnosis of ACS.

Red blood cell distribution width is associated with early failure of arteriovenous fistula for haemodialysis access.

This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) for early failure of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) for haemodialysis access. The hospital records of those patients who underwent primary AVF creation procedures for haemodialysis between December 2010 and September 2013 were included for retrospective analysis. Of 313 patients, 195 (62%) were male and 118 (38%) were female.

Ventilator-associated pneumonias in a cardiothoracic surgery centre postoperative intensive care unit.

Cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) were investigated in a cardiothoracic surgery postoperative intensive care unit between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 1999. A total of 1716 patients who had undergone cardiothoracic operations and admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) were included in the study. Patient- and laboratory-based prospective surveillance of VAP was done along with other hospital-acquired infections.