Length of Stay, Mortality, Cost, and Perceptions of Care Associated With Transition From an Open to Closed Staffing Model in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.

Background: Organizational models in the intensive care unit (ICU) have classically been described as either closed or open, depending on the presence or absence of a dedicated ICU team. Although a closed model has been shown to improve patient outcomes in medical and surgical ICUs, the merits of various care models have not been previously explored in the cardiac ICU (CICU) setting.

Methods: From November 2012 to March 2014, data were prospectively collected on all admissions before and after transition from an open to closed CICU at our institution.

Safety of reduced anti-thrombotic strategies in HeartMate II patients: A one-year analysis of the US-TRACE Study.

Background: Patients with bleeding complications during left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support often require a reduction in the recommended warfarin plus aspirin regimen. To characterize those who can be safely managed with a reduced anti-thrombotic strategy, the TRACE (STudy of Reduced Anti-Coagulation/Anti-platelEt Therapy in Patients with the HeartMate II LVAS) study was initiated in the United States (U.S.

Delirium is a robust predictor of morbidity and mortality among critically ill patients treated in the cardiac intensive care unit.

Background: Delirium is common in the medical and surgical intensive care unit (ICU), and its association with morbidity and mortality is well described. Despite emerging data, which have highlighted a growing critical care burden in the contemporary cardiac ICU (CICU), much less is known about delirium in this specialized setting.

Methods And Results: Records for consecutive CICU patients aged ≥18 years who were admitted to our academic, tertiary care institution from December 2012 to March 2014 for a primary cardiovascular diagnosis were reviewed.

Putting class IIb recommendations to the test: the influence of unwitnessed and Non-VT/VF arrests on resource consumption and outcomes in therapeutic hypothermia and targeted temperature management.

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) and targeted temperature management improve neurologic recovery, and survival for patients resuscitated from witnessed out-of-hospital ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) cardiac arrest. The American Heart Association recently gave a class IIb recommendation for the use of TH for non-VT/VF and unwitnessed arrests. We explored changes in baseline characteristics, resource use, and outcomes after expanding indications for TH at our institution based on these guidelines.

Epidemiology, management, and outcomes of sustained ventricular arrhythmias after continuous-flow left ventricular assist device implantation.

Background: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are pivotal treatment options for patients with end-stage heart failure. Despite robust left ventricular unloading, the right ventricle remains unsupported and susceptible to hemodynamic perturbations from ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). Little is known about the epidemiology, management, resource use, and outcomes of sustained VAs in continuous-flow LVAD patients.

Primary prevention of heart failure: an update.

Purpose Of Review: The prevalence of heart failure is increasing world-wide. Primary prevention is essential. There are no trials targeting primary prevention.