Circulation
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Is arrhythmia detection by automatic external defibrillator accurate for children?: sensitivity and specificity of an automatic external defibrillator algorithm in 696 pediatric arrhythmias.
Use of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in children aged <8 years is not recommended. The purpose of this study was to develop an ECG database of shockable and nonshockable rhythms from a broad age range of pediatric patients and to test the accuracy of the Agilent Heartstream FR2 Patient Analysis System for sensitivity and specificity. ⋯ There was excellent AED rhythm analysis sensitivity and specificity in all age groups for ventricular fibrillation and nonshockable rhythms. The high specificity and sensitivity indicate that there is a very low risk of an inappropriate shock and that the AED correctly identifies shockable rhythms, making the algorithm both safe and effective for children.
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Review Comparative Study
Sex differences in neurological outcomes and mortality after cardiac surgery: a society of thoracic surgery national database report.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether women undergoing cardiac surgery are more likely to suffer neurological complications than men and whether these complications could explain, at least in part, their higher perioperative mortality. ⋯ Women undergoing cardiac surgery are more likely than men to suffer new perioperative neurological events, and they have higher 30-day mortality when these complications occur. The higher incidence of perioperative neurological complications in women cannot be explained by currently known risk factors.