American heart journal
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American heart journal · Sep 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialB-type natriuretic peptide-guided management and outcome in patients with obesity and dyspnea--results from the BASEL study.
Obesity may reduce diagnostic accuracy of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and affect long-term outcome. ⋯ Adjustment of BNP values in the assessment of obese patients presenting with acute dyspnea seems necessary to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient management. Obese patients had half the short- and long-term mortality of nonobese patients, independent of their final discharge diagnosis.
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American heart journal · Sep 2009
ReviewSystematic review of studies of the effect of hyperoxia on coronary blood flow.
International guidelines recommend the routine use of oxygen in the initial treatment of myocardial infarction, yet it is uncertain what effect this might have on physiologic and clinical outcomes. ⋯ Hyperoxia from high-concentration oxygen therapy causes a marked reduction in coronary blood flow and myocardial oxygen consumption. These physiologic effects may have the potential to cause harm and are relevant to the use of high-concentration oxygen therapy in the treatment of cardiac and other disorders.
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American heart journal · Sep 2009
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyEffect of prasugrel versus clopidogrel on outcomes among patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention without stent implantation: a TRial to assess Improvement in Therapeutic Outcomes by optimizing platelet inhibitioN with prasugrel (TRITON)-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) 38 substudy.
Prasugrel led to a significant reduction in ischemic cardiovascular events among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation compared to clopidogrel. Whether this benefit extends to patients undergoing PCI without stent implantation is unknown. ⋯ Among ACS patients who underwent PCI without stent implantation, prasugrel therapy tended to reduce clinical ischemic events and to increase bleeding events to a similar magnitude as among patients who received stents.
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American heart journal · Sep 2009
Comparative StudyWeekend hospital admission and discharge for heart failure: association with quality of care and clinical outcomes.
Although hospital admissions during weekends have been associated with worse quality of care and worse outcomes in some but not all medical conditions, the impact of weekend versus weekday admission and discharge for heart failure (HF) has not been well studied. This study investigates the association of (1) weekend compared to weekday HF admissions and discharges with quality of care and (2) weekend versus weekday HF admissions with length of stay (LOS) and mortality in the hospital. ⋯ Among GWTG-HF hospitals, weekend admission and discharge for HF were associated with similar quality of care in many but not all measures. Risk-adjusted LOS was slightly longer and mortality moderately higher for weekend HF admissions.