Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Dec 2023
ReviewUltrasound utilization for implantation of cardiac implantable electronic devices.
Ultrasound (US) guidance for implantation of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) is currently not routine practice. This article sought to review published data on the use of ultrasound in each of the major surgical steps involved in implantation of CIEDs, including achieving anesthesia, obtaining venous access and implantation of leads. A literature review was performed, revealing a total of 20 peer-reviewed studies that assessed US guidance for CIED implantation; 3 of these were randomized trials while the remainder were mostly feasibility studies. The available data suggest that ultrasound can be useful in guiding implantation of CIEDs, with a trend towards less complication rates; however, more high-quality studies that compare US guidance to traditional techniques in CIED implantation are required.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Dec 2023
Observational StudyFrailty as a predictor of mortality and readmission rate in secondary mitral regurgitation.
Selection in patients with functional mitral regurgitation (MR) to identify responders to interventions is challenging. In these patients, frailty might be used as a multidimensional parameter to summarize the resilience to stressors. Our objective was to evaluate frailty as a predictor of outcome in patients with moderate to severe secondary MR. ⋯ For older, medically treated patients with moderate to severe secondary mitral regurgitation, frailty is an independent predictor for the occurrence of death and heart failure-related readmission within 1 year and outperformed the EuroSCORE2. Frailty should be assessed routinely in patients with heart failure to guide clinical decision making for mitral valve interventions or conservative treatment.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Dec 2023
Integrating avatar technology into a telemedicine application in heart failure patients : A pilot study.
Heart failure is a severe condition and telemedicine can improve the care of heart failure. Many patients are unable to use telemedicine applications due to visual impairment and limited health-related literacy. Avatar technology might help to overcome these limitations. ⋯ A nurse look-a-like avatar integrated into a telemedicine application was positively assessed by heart failure patients. Future studies are warranted to clarify the role of avatar technology in telemedicine.