Cardiac Guidelines

After successful resuscitation, further treatment has a decisive influence regarding patient outcome. Not only overall survival, but also the neurological outcome that is crucial for patients' quality of life can be positively influenced by optimized post-cardiac arrest treatment. The management of various consequences of post-cardiac arrest syndrome is discussed in the current version of the ERC-guidelines in the chapter "post resuscitation care". A step-by-step approach based on an algorithm provides the necessary structure...

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BACKGROUND: Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) is the most common cause of valvular heart disease worldwide. Undiagnosed or untreated RHD can complicate pregnancy and lead to poor maternal and fetal outcomes and is a significant factor in non-obstetric morbidity. Echocardiography has an emerging role in screening for RHD. We aimed to critically analyse the evidence on the use of echocardiography for screening pregnant women for RHD in high-prevalence areas. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE and Embase to identify the relevant reports...

Background Clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of myocarditis in children can be highly challenging, and results can vary greatly. Research on the precise processes of myocardial injury, including the effects of viral infections and newly identified variables like COVID-19, is still underway. Though treatment approaches, such as immunosuppressive therapy, are still debatable, diagnostic methods such as cardiac MRI and biomarkers show promise in improving diagnostic accuracy. The purpose of this study is to describe the spectrum of pediatric acute myocarditis, assess existing therapy approaches, and develop regional guidelines based on the experience of a tertiary care institution...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cancer therapy-related cardiovascular adverse events (CAEs) in presence of comorbidities, are in the spotlight of the cardio-oncology guidelines. Carfilzomib (Cfz), indicated for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM), presents with serious CAEs. MM is often accompanied with co-existing comorbidities. However, Cfz use in MM patients with cardiometabolic syndrome (CMS) or in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), is questionable. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: ApoE-/- and C57BL6/J male mice received 14 weeks Western Diet (WD) (CMS models)...

BACKGROUND: Over the past four decades, numerous case reports and clinical studies have highlighted the presence of heart disease in individuals with cystic fibrosis. Given the limited information in this field and the imperative to identify early changes during childhood, our study aims to explore cardiac dysfunction in patients with cystic fibrosis using echocardiography. METHODS: In this case-control study, we examined echocardiographic findings from thirty-three patients with cystic fibrosis and sixty healthy children...

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening condition, and early diagnosis and management are critical. There is emerging evidence on the role of advanced imaging modalities including dedicated cardiac computed tomography (CCT), and 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET). The updated 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines have emphasized increased utilization of multimodality imaging in the diagnosis and management of IE. In this review, we elaborate on recent recommendations from the updated 2023 ESC guidelines, with comparisons to the current American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines, focusing on multimodality imaging in IE...

Introduction : Cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a progressive, fatal disease leading to heart failure due to accumulation of amyloid fibrils in the interstitial space and may occur as a hereditary (ATTRv) or wild-type (ATTRwt) form. Guidelines recommend the use of ACE inhibitors (ACEis) and beta-blockers (BBs) as heart failure therapy (HFT) in all patients with symptomatic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, independent of the underlying etiology. However, the prognostic benefit of ACEis and BBs in ATTR has not been elucidated in detail yet...

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is rare among athletes. However, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of SCD among those <35 years of age. Meanwhile, coronary artery disease (CAD) is the primary SCD cause among those ≥35 years of age. CAD-induced plaque ruptures are believed to be a significant cause of cardiovascular diseases in middle-aged individuals who participate in extreme long-distance running activities such as marathons. A total of 1970 articles related to EIH were identified using search terms...

Amyloidosis is a rare infiltrative condition resulting from the extracellular accumulation of amyloid fibrils at the cardiac level. It can be an acquired condition or due to genetic mutations. With the progression of imaging technologies, a non-invasive diagnosis was proposed. In this study, we discuss the role of CMR in cardiac amyloidosis, focusing on the two most common subtypes (AL and ATTR), waiting for evidence-based guidelines to be published.

INTRODUCTION: Myocardial injury is a relatively common complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the incidence and clinical impact of myocardial injury characterised by elevated cardiac troponin (cTn) levels after TBI are still poorly known. The objective of our study is to assess the global incidence of myocardial injury characterised by elevated cTn in adult patients with TBI and its association with in-hospital mortality. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The protocol of our systematic review and meta-analysis is performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols guidelines...

Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) improve clinical outcomes in persons with heart failure (HF). This class of agents has been consistently associated with an increased risk of mycotic genital infections (MGIs), and in some, but not all trials, urinary tract infections (UTIs). Since other medications widely used for cardiac conditions do not cause MGIs and UTIs, cardiologists and their supporting teams will be encountering clinical questions that they previously did not have to address. This review provides clinicians with practical recommendations about SGLT2i use in individuals with HF as related to the associated MGI and possible UTI risk...

This article reviews noteworthy investigations and society recommendations published in 2023 relevant to the care of critically ill cardiothoracic surgical patients. We reviewed 3,214 articles to identify 18 publications that add to the existing literature across a variety of topics including resuscitation, nutrition, antibiotic management, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), neurologic care following cardiac arrest, coagulopathy and transfusion, steroids in pulmonary infections, and updated guidelines in the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)...

Guidelines are important tools to guide the diagnosis and treatment of patients to improve the decision-making process of health professionals. They are periodically updated according to new evidence. Four new Guidelines in 2021, 2022 and 2023 referred to pediatric pacing and defibrillation. There are some relevant changes in permanent pacing. In patients with atrioventricular block, the heart rate limit in which pacemaker implantation is recommended was decreased to reduce too-early device implantation. However, it was underlined that the heart rate criterion is not absolute, as signs or symptoms of hemodynamically not tolerated bradycardia may even occur at higher rates...

This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) in assessing quality of life improvements among patients with heart failure (HF) undergoing various forms of exercise training rehabilitation, including telemedicine and in-person modalities, across all stages of HF, irrespective of ejection fraction (EF) and clinical status. The aim was to collate evidence from studies employing the KCCQ as a measure of quality of life (QoL). A comprehensive search strategy was implemented across PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases, adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, including literature up until October 2023...

BACKGROUND: App-linked real-time feedback-devices for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) aim to improve laypersons' resuscitation quality. Resuscitation guidelines recommend these technologies in training settings. This is the first study comparing resuscitation quality of all App-linked feedback-devices currently on market. METHODS: A prospective randomised simulation study was performed. After standardised instructions, participants performed 2-minutes compression-only CPR on a manikin without feedback (baseline)...

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a neoplastic proliferation of plasma cells in bone marrow. Pharmacotherapy for the management of patients with MM includes drug classes like proteasome inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, immunomodulators, alkylating agents, steroids, etc. We present a case of new-onset heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in a patient with previously normal ejection fraction after treatment with a cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (CyBorD) chemotherapeutic regimen. An echocardiogram done after the completion of nine cycles of chemotherapy in a period of about 4...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, significantly impacting patients' quality of life and increasing the risk of death, stroke, heart failure, and dementia. Over the past two decades, there have been significant breakthroughs in AF risk prediction and screening, stroke prevention, rhythm control, catheter ablation, and integrated management. During this period, the scale, quality, and experience of AF management in China have greatly improved, providing a solid foundation for the development of guidelines for the diagnosis and management of AF...

BACKGROUND: With approximately 11 million strokes occurring annually worldwide, and over 6.5 million deaths annually, stroke has made its place as one of the major killers in the world. Although developing countries make up more than 4/5 of the global stroke burden, well-grounded information on stroke epidemiology remains lacking there. AIMS: This systematic review study aimed to provide a synthesis of studies on the incidence and prevalence of stroke among adults in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), subsequently deduce the associated risk factors and public health implications (mortality rates and economic costs) of the disease on the population of this region...

Electrophysiologic testing with programmed ventricular stimulation (PVS) has been utilized to induce ventricular tachycardia (VT), thereby improving risk stratification for patients with ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathies and determining the effectiveness of antiarrhythmic therapies, especially catheter ablation. A variety of procedural aspects can be modified during PVS in order to alter the sensitivity and specificity of the test including the addition of multiple baseline pacing cycle lengths, extrastimuli, and pacing locations...