Unusual operation for tetralogy of Fallot
A 21-year-old woman presented with recurrent palpitations in the setting of previously documented Tetralogy of Fallot. Primary repair had been performed at the age of 9 years, with requirement for…
Obstructive cardiac tumour perfused by large vascular network from right coronary artery
A 64-year-old female patient was seen in the outpatient clinic with complaints of breathlessness on exertion. She had no history of syncopal attacks. Auscultation of the heart disclosed an opening…
Pathophysiology of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn: Impact of the perinatal environment
Summary The main cause of pulmonary hypertension in newborn babies results from the failure of the pulmonary circulation to dilate at birth, termed ‘persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn’ (PPHN)….
Symptom-to-needle times in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: Shortest route to a primary coronary intervention facility
Summary Background Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the preferred management for patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) if performed in a timely manner by experienced providers. Patients…
Impact of multivessel disease on myocardial perfusion and survival among patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors
Summary Background Although primary angioplasty achieves thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) 3 flow in most patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, epicardial recanalization does not guarantee optimal perfusion in a large…
Clinical impact of the implantable loop recorder in patients with isolated syncope, bundle branch block and negative workup: A randomized multicentre prospective study
Summary Background Few studies have compared conventional testing with prolonged monitoring using an implantable loop recorder (ILR) following the first syncope episode in patients with bundle branch block (BBB) and…
Intracoronary administration of darbepoetin-alpha at onset of reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction: Results of the randomized Intra-Co-EpoMI trial
Summary Background Several trials investigating erythropoietin as a novel cytoprotective agent in myocardial infarction (MI) failed to translate promising preclinical results into the clinical setting. These trials could have missed…
Modelling of blood pressure outcomes in patients with and without established cardiovascular or renal disease following treatment with valsartan (the PREVIEW study)
Summary Background Hypertensive patients with established cardiovascular or renal disease (ECVRD) have an added 10-year risk of cardiovascular events, classified by the European Society of Hypertension/European Society of Cardiology as…
Renal denervation: A plea for wisdom
Introduction The ‘tranquil’ world of hypertension has been disturbed by the emergence of a new interventional approach to hypertension management, namely renal denervation (RDN). Currently, RDN is only indicated for…
