Impact of repaired aortic coarctation in left ventricular myocardial work

AimsMyocardial strain analysis enables more precise assessment of cardiac performance but is relatively load dependent. New tools have been developed with afterload adjustment. Our objective was to assess myocardial work (MW) in patients with repaired aortic coarctation (rACo).MethodsProspective study of consecutive patients with rACo who underwent a routine transthoracic echocardiogram in 2018 and 2019 at our center. Patients with significant aortic valve disease, pacemaker, or other congenital heart diseases (except for mild bicuspid aortic valve disease) were excluded. Global longitudinal strain with two dimensional speckle tracking analysis and MW were obtained (GWI:Global Work Index; GCW: Global Constructive Work; GWW: Global Wasted Work; GWE: Global Work Efficiency). Blood pressure was measured in the patient's right arm.ResultsWe included 42 patients in the analysis, mean age of 37±10 years, 38% males. In this group, 52% had hypertension and 64% had a concomitant bicuspid aortic valve. In comparison to previously published reference values, patients with rACo had significantly lower GWI (1807 vs. 1896 mmHg%) and GCW (2173 vs. 2232 mmHg%) (p<0.001), particularly in males. Systolic blood pressure is an independent predictor for GWI (β=0.432) and for GCW (β=0.534) and GLS an independent predictor of all MW parameters (β>0.594). Neither age nor gender were independent predictors.ConclusionsIn patients with rACo, there are some signs of left ventricular dysfunction with a reduction in GCW and GWI and with preserved GWE, despite normal ejection fraction and strain.     

Is routine extubation overnight safe in cardiac surgery patients?

Objectives

Expedient extubation after cardiac surgery has been associated with improved outcomes, leading to postoperative extubation frequently during overnight hours. However, recent evidence in a mixed medical-surgical intensive care unit population demonstrated worse outcomes with overnight extubation. This study investigated the impact of overnight extubation in a statewide, multicenter Society of Thoracic Surgeons database.

Relationship between EMG-detected and ultrasound-detected fasciculations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A prospective cohort study

ObjectivesFasciculation potentials (FP) are an important consideration in the electrophysiological diagnosis of ALS. Muscle ultrasonography (MUS) has a higher sensitivity in detecting fasciculations than electromyography (EMG), while in some cases, it is unable to detect EMG-detected fasciculations. We aimed to investigate the differences of FP between the muscles with and without MUS-detected fasciculations (MUS-fas).MethodsThirty-one consecutive patients with sporadic ALS were prospectively recruited and in those, both needle EMG and MUS were performed. Analyses of the amplitude, duration, and number of phases of EMG-detected FPs were performed for seven muscles per patient, and results were compared between the muscles with and without MUS-fas in the total cohort.ResultsThe mean amplitude and phase number of FP were significantly lower in patients with EMG-detected FP alone (0.39 ± 0.25 mV and 3.21 ± 0.88, respectively) than in those with both FP and MUS-fas (1.22 ± 0.92 mV and 3.74 ± 1.39, respectively; p < 0.0001 and p = 0.017, Welch’s t-test).ConclusionSmall FP may be undetectable with MUS. MUS cannot replace EMG in the diagnostic approach for ALS.SignificanceClinicians should use a combination of EMG and MUS for the detection and quantitative analysis of fasciculation in ALS.     

普萘洛尔联合其他治疗措施治疗婴幼儿血管瘤有效率的网状Meta分析

目的:采用网状Meta分析方法,将普萘洛尔联合其他治疗与各对照治疗措施进行对比。方法:以“普萘洛尔”,“血管瘤”为关键词检索CNKI、VIP、万方数据;以“propranolol”“hemangioma”为关键词检索Cochrane Library、Embase、pubmed。检索期限为建库至2019年6月1日。采用STATA14.0软件Network程序包进行数据分析。结果:共纳入18篇文献,涉及8项治疗措施,共纳入1469例血管瘤患者。网状Meta分析结果显示:4种联合治疗方式与单纯口服普萘洛尔相比疗效均优于单纯口服普萘洛尔治疗。普萘洛尔联合注射平阳霉素、普萘洛尔联合外用噻吗洛尔、普萘洛尔联合敷贴器的有效率均优于对应的注射平阳霉素、外用噻吗洛尔及敷贴器。各治疗措施的有效性排序为:普萘洛尔联合敷贴器>普萘洛尔联合外用噻吗洛尔>普萘洛尔联合口服糖皮质激素>普萘洛尔联合注射平阳霉素>敷贴器照射>外用噻吗洛尔>口服普萘洛尔>注射平阳霉素。结论:对于婴幼儿血管瘤的治疗,普萘洛尔联合治疗措施疗效均优于单纯的口服普萘洛尔治疗,其中普萘洛尔联合敷贴器的疗效最佳。     

Dynamic LVOT Obstruction and Aortic Stenosis in the Same Patient: A Case of Challenging Doppler Hemodynamics

We present a patient with both dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and valvular aortic stenosis. The aortic valve was calcified, and velocities and gradients measured by continuous‐wave Doppler met standard criteria for severe aortic stenosis. The increased subvalvular velocities invalidated assumptions of the simplified Bernoulli equation; correction using the longer form of the Bernoulli equation suggested a lower but still significant gradient. The complex shape of the subvalvular spectral Doppler envelope indicated supranormal systolic function and dynamic left ventricular outflow obstruction. Left heart catheterization with an end‐hole catheter was required to determine the subvalvular and valvular components of the obstruction.     

Outcomes After Aortic Valve Replacement for Asymptomatic Severe Aortic Regurgitation and Normal Ejection Fraction

1. Download : Download high-res image (123KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image