Early effects of low versus high dose atorvastatin treatment on coagulation and inflammation parameters in patients with acute coronary syndromes

Intractable heart failure may require Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) techniques for rescue therapy. Nevertheless, in many small to middle-sized centers in Europe, this valuable resource is not available. In our University pediatric intensive care unit 0.9% of 1360 open-heart surgical patients required mechanical assistance over the latest 9 years with a survival rate of 69.2% and low residual morbidity. This favorable overall outcome suggests that regardless of the program size, it is possible to ensure the availability of efficient mechanical assistance that appears to be fundamental in a center performing surgery for complex congenital or acquired cardiac diseases.     

Framing health literacy: A comparative analysis of national action plans

Population and individual deficits in health literacy, and their associated negative health outcomes, have received growing attention in the political arena in recent years. In order to respond to the problem, several governments have adopted national action plans, which outline strategies to improve health literacy. Drawing on the action plans of the USA, Australia, Scotland, and Wales and applying Entman’s concept of framing, this paper analyses how health literacy debates are framed within the political arena as well as the factors that influence framing. Analysing data from policy documents and in-depth expert interviews, this paper identifies relevant frames developed to (i) define the problem of limited health literacy, (ii) provide causal explanations, (iii) rationalise why health literacy requires political action, and (iv) present solutions. The findings indicate that the malleability of the concept allows that a diversity of frames and solutions are promoted, yet risks that debates remain vague. Health literacy seems to have been successfully used to instigate political debates about health system reforms, patient empowerment, and shared decision making. The analysis suggests that health literacy might, if applied strategically, help to focus policy debates on key public health problems and the development of systemic solutions.     

Abdominal obesity is an independent risk factor for increased carotid intima- media thickness in obese children

We aimed in this study to investigate carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in obese children and evaluate the relationship of IMT to various cardiovascular risk factors. One-hundred four obese children (9.3 +/- 2.5 years) and 30 healthy age-matched control subjects were enrolled in the study. All children were assessed for fasting levels of glucose, insulin, lipid profile, skinfold thickness (SFT), waist circumference (WC), and blood pressure (BP). Insulin resistance was estimated by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index. Carotid IMT measurements and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were diagnosed with ultrasonographic findings. IMT was significantly higher in obese children compared to controls (0.49 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.40 +/- 0.02 mm, p < 0.001). Significant positive correlations were found between increased carotid IMT and body fat percentage (BFP), body mass index (BMI), age, height, systolic BP, WC, SFT, triglyceride and insulin levels, and insulin resistance index. In a linear logistic regression analysis, the only parameter affecting the increase in carotid IMT was WC (beta: 0.589, p < 0.001). Furthermore, IMT was increased significantly in obese children with NAFLD when compared to obese children without NAFLD (0.54 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.48 +/- 0.05 mm, p < 0.001). Children with abdominal obesity are at increased risk for atherosclerosis, and WC can be used to determine the atherosclerosis risk in obese children.     

Rapid assessment of communication consistency: sentiment analysis of public health briefings during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundA key component of the initial public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic involved the use of mass media briefings led by public health officials to communicate updates during a time of great uncertainty and rapidly changing information. This study aims to examine the consistency of communications expressed during the public health briefings to generate novel insights about the type, direction, and strength of public health messages. The data source included 131 readily accessible public health briefings alongside the provincial and national new confirmed case counts during the first two waves of rapidly increasing cases during the pandemic in Alberta, Canada. We employed sentiment analysis as a text mining technique to explore the types and frequency of words in public health briefings conveying positive and negative sentiments. Using statistical analyses and data visualizations, we examined how public health messaging shifted with case trends.ResultsOur findings indicate consistent public health messaging in terms of sentiments regardless of case count fluctuations, an association of specific words with conveying positive and negative sentiments, and a focus on particular message patterns at different points during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionOur findings demonstrate the practical implications and methodological advantages of using sentiment analysis as a data analytics tool for rapidly and objectively assessing the consistency of health communications during a public health crisis.     

A rare complication of pericardiocentesis: Pneumopericardium

Pneumopericardium is the presence of air in the pericardial sac. Pneumopericardium after pericardiocentesis has been rarely reported in the literature. In the present case, we report a patient who presented with tamponade physiology during COVID-19 and developed pneumopericardium after emergency pericardiocentesis. Immediate recognition and treatment are crucial and chest x-ray, thorax computerized tomography, and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) are used for diagnosis.     

Myocardial performance index and cardiovascular diseases

The Myocardial Performance Index (MPI), also known as the Tei Index, is a measure of the overall performance of the heart that takes into account both systolic and diastolic function. It is a non-invasive echocardiographic index that provides information about the efficiency of the heart's pumping action. The MPI is a useful tool for evaluating cardiac function in various clinical conditions, such as heart failure, myocardial infarction, and cardiomyopathy. A higher MPI value indicates poorer cardiac function, while a lower MPI value indicates better cardiac function. This review will give a summary of the relevant MPI literature, provide a methodology and technical aspects, and make research recommendations.