Heart, lung & circulation
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Heart, lung & circulation · Oct 2014
ReviewThe use of gastrointestinal cocktail for differentiating gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and acute coronary syndrome in the emergency setting: a systematic review.
Differentiating acute chest pain caused by myocardial ischaemia from other, potentially more benign causes of chest pain is a frequent diagnostic challenge faced by Emergency Department (ED) clinicians. Only 30% of patients presenting with chest pain will have a cardiac origin for the pain, and gastro-oesophageal disorders are one of the common sources of non-cardiac chest pain, yet remain clinically difficult to differentiate from cardiac pain. ⋯ Current diagnostic protocols for Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) revolve around early and serial ECG monitoring and cardiac biomarker testing, imaging and careful clinical examination. In patients with chest pain and suspected ACS, the use of a GI cocktail compared with standard diagnostic protocols (serial ECG and biomarkers and provocative testing or imaging) is not proven to improve accuracy of diagnosis, and cannot reliably exclude myocardial ischaemia.
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Heart, lung & circulation · Oct 2014
Case ReportsAwake extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as bridge to recovery after left main coronary artery occlusion: a promising concept of haemodynamic support in cardiogenic shock.
Cardiogenic shock following acute myocardial infarction is associated with high mortality rate. Different management concepts including fluid management, inotropic support, intra aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABP) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) mainly in mechanically ventilated patients have been used as cornerstones of management. ⋯ Few reports suggested that ECMO when performed under circumvention of mechanical ventilation, may offer some survival benefits. We herein present our experience with the use of veno-arterial ECMO as bridge to recovery in an awake and spontaneously breathing patient after left main coronary artery occlusion complicated by cardiogenic shock.
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Heart, lung & circulation · Oct 2014
Case ReportsPost-traumatic injury of the brachiocephalic artery: on-pump beating heart repair.
We report the case of 54 year-old man who presented with an injury of the brachiocephalic artery secondary to a violent blunt chest trauma. The patient underwent urgent open surgical repair. The procedure was achieved on on-pump beating heart approach. The subsequent course was uneventful.
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Heart, lung & circulation · Oct 2014
Normalisation of haemodynamics in patients with end-stage heart failure with continuous-flow left ventricular assist device therapy.
New generation continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) utilise centrifugal pumps. Data concerning their effect on patient haemodynamics, ventricular function and tissue perfusion is limited. We aimed to document these parameters following HeartWare centrifugal continuous-flow LVAD (HVAD) implantation and to assess the impact of post-operative right heart failure (RHF). ⋯ HVAD support improves haemodynamics, LV dimensions and renal function. Following implantation with a centrifugal continuous-flow LVAD, RHF remains a significant risk with a tendency to worse outcomes in the short to medium term.
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Heart, lung & circulation · Oct 2014
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for very high-risk transcatheter aortic valve implantation.
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) can cause profound haemodynamic perturbation in the peri-operative period. Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can be used to provide cardiorespiratory support during this time, either prophylactically or emergently. ⋯ Instituting prophylactic ECMO in selected very high-risk patients may help avoid consequences of intra-operative complications and the need for emergent rescue ECMO.