Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Nephrol 2019 Apr 20. Epub 2019 Apr 20.

Department of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation, St Bortolo Hospital, International Renal Research Institute Vicenza, Via Rodolfi, 37, 36100, Vicenza, Italy.

Background: Cardiorenal syndrome type 1 (CRS type 1) is characterized by a rapid worsening of cardiac function leading to acute kidney injury. In this study, we evaluate the role of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and various inflammatory markers in the developing acute kidney injury (AKI) in acute heart failure (AHF) patients.

Methods: We enrolled 31 AHF patients and 20 CRS type 1 (the cause of AKI was presumed to be related to cardiac dysfunction) and 17 healthy volunteers without AHF, AKI or CKD, as control group (CTR). Read More

Life Sci 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, China. Electronic address:

Aims: Improvements in cancer treatment have significantly extended the lifespan of patients. However, due to the adverse effects of cancer treatment, cancer survivors are at increased risk of cardiovascular complications. Doxorubicin is a widely used spectrum antitumor drug, but the life-threatening side-effect of cardiotoxicity limits its clinical application. Read More

Ann Burns Fire Disasters 2018 Dec;31(4):313-321

Gyeonggi-do Fire Service Academy, South Korea.

Firefighting is an extreme occupation with a risk of cardiovascular disease and sudden cardiac death due to strenuous physical exertion and psychological stress during fire suppression activity. This study aimed to investigate the vital signs (hemodynamic status) and biomarkers related to cardiac disease during live firefighting activity. In this pilot case-controlled study, seven firefighting training instructors performed a live-fire simulation for 40 min in a multi-storey training tower at the Gyenoggi-do Fire Service Academy Institute. Read More

Acute Med Surg 2019 Apr 10;6(2):192-196. Epub 2019 Feb 10.

The Emergency and Critical Care Center Mie University Hospital Tsu Mie Japan.

Case: Fulminant myocarditis (FM) and septic cardiomyopathy (SC) are two different disease entities, and distinction between them is important. A 34-year-old man had refractory shock, multiple organ failure, and elevation of cardiogenic markers. Echocardiogram showed tachycardia with extended ST elevation, and a rapid test for influenza A virus was positive. Read More

Emergencias 2019 Abr;31(2):79-85

Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III, Madrid, España.

Objectives: Gastrointestinal bleeding, one of the main reasons for emergency department visits, is associated with significant mortality, complications, and high health care spending. Studies have shown the usefulness of hemodynamic monitoring by ultrasound of the inferior vena cava (IVC), imaging of systolic obstruction of the left ventricle (the kissing sign), changes in cardiac output, or surrogates for cardiac output such as the left ventricular velocity time integral before and after a passive leg raise. There is currently no evidence for applying this approach to evaluating hypovolemia due to gastrointestinal bleeding. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Apr 4;9(1):5609. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.

Long follow up is needed in prospective cohort study evaluation of plasma biomarkers for incident peripheral arterial disease (PAD) Middle-aged PAD-free individuals from the cardiovascular cohort of the Malmö Diet and Cancer study (n = 5550; 1991-94) were followed prospectively for a median time of 23.4 years. The plasma biomarkers lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA) activity and mass, proneurotensin, and CRP, were studied in relation to incidence of PAD until December 31, 2016. Read More

Mol Med Rep 2019 Apr 3. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

Department of Emergency, China‑Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130033, P.R. China.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is associated with a high risk of mortality and is a major global health concern. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of (3R)‑5,6,7‑trihydroxy‑3‑isopropyl‑3‑methylisochroman‑1‑one (TIM) against MI induced by isoproterenol (ISO) in a rat model and the underlying mechanisms. Wistar rats were assigned to 4 groups (n=10): The control group received saline treatment; the ISO group received an intraperitoneal injection of ISO (100 mg/kg); and the TIM (low) and TIM (high) groups received an intraperitoneal injection of ISO, plus a 1 and 2 mg/kg dose of TIM orally, respectively. Read More

Chin J Physiol 2019 Jan-Feb;62(1):11-16

Department of Physiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tîrgu Mureş; Center for Advanced Medical and Pharmaceutical Research Tîrgu Mureş, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania.

The pathophysiology of coronary artery disease (CAD) includes low-grade chronic inflammation. At its turn, inflammation is known to promote myocardial structural remodeling and to increase vulnerability to atrial arrhythmias. Meanwhile, the impact of chronic inflammation on the electrophysiological properties of the atria remains unknown. Read More

Curr Cardiol Rev 2019 Mar 26. Epub 2019 Mar 26.

Department of Internal Medicine- Cardiology, Craiova University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Craiova 200349. Romania.

Natriuretic peptides, produced by cardiac myocytes, are regulators of the intravascular volume and blood pressure, also having neuroendocrine, metabolic and growth controlling effects. In heart failure, their synthesis increases exponentially as part of the neuroendocrine activation, but their beneficial effects are diminished. The paper reviews relevant data about their role as diagnosis and prognosis markers in heart failure, the hemodynamic and clinical benefits of their use as therapy in heart failure, together with the main adverse effects, information useful in daily clinical practice. Read More

Cells Tissues Organs 2019 Mar 15:1-10. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Division of Surgery, University Emergency Hospital Bucharest, Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.

Telocytes (TCs) are a controversial cell type characterized by the presence of a particular kind of prolongations, known as telopodes, which are long, thin, and moniliform. A number of attempts has been made to establish the molecular phenotype of cardiac TCs (i.e. Read More

Eur J Heart Fail 2019 Apr 12;21(4):402-424. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Cardiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.

Ventricular-arterial coupling (VAC) plays a major role in the physiology of cardiac and aortic mechanics, as well as in the pathophysiology of cardiac disease. VAC assessment possesses independent diagnostic and prognostic value and may be used to refine riskstratification and monitor therapeutic interventions. Traditionally, VAC is assessed by the non-invasive measurement of the ratio of arterial (Ea) to ventricular end-systolic elastance (Ees). Read More

Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care 2019 Mar 11:2048872618814700. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

4 Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Background:: While preclinical studies suggest that mitochondria play a pivotal role in ischaemia-reperfusion injury, the knowledge of mitochondrial function in human out-of-hospital cardiac arrest remains scarce. The present study sought to compare oxidative phosphorylation capacity in skeletal muscle biopsies from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients to healthy controls.

Methods:: This was a substudy of a randomised trial comparing targeted temperature management at 33°C versus 36°C for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. Read More

Resuscitation 2019 Mar 2;138:74-81. Epub 2019 Mar 2.

Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Texas Southwesterm Medical Center (UTSW), 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, USA.

Background And Aim: Unsuccessful defibrillation shocks adversely affect survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Ventricular fibrillation (VF) waveform analysis is the tool-of-choice for the non-invasive prediction of shock success, but surrogate markers of perfusion like end-tidal CO (EtCO) could improve the prediction. The aim of this study was to evaluate EtCO as predictor of shock success, both individually and in combination with VF-waveform analysis. Read More

Lancet Neurol 2019 Mar 12;18(3):248-258. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Centre for Prevention of Stroke and Dementia, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital and University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Background: Risk of dementia after stroke is a major concern for patients and carers. Reliable data for risk of dementia, particularly after transient ischaemic attack or minor stroke, are scarce. We studied the risks of, and risk factors for, dementia before and after transient ischaemic attack and stroke. Read More

J Thromb Haemost 2019 Feb 19. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Essentials Platelets in trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) are impaired, but the mechanism is not known. We performed comprehensive longitudinal platelet function testing in trauma patient samples. Platelets in TIC are widely impaired early after injury, but platelet activatability is intact. Read More

Ann Hematol 2019 Apr 20;98(4):841-849. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1620, New York, NY, 10029-6574, USA.

Inhaled mometasone was shown to improve pain scores and decrease soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM) concentration in a randomized controlled trial of nonasthmatic patients with sickle cell disease. We sought to explore potential changes in systemic inflammation as a mechanism underlying this effect. Serum samples from 41 trial participants (15 placebo- and 26 mometasone-treated) were analyzed using a 92 inflammatory marker panel at baseline and after 8 weeks of mometasone therapy. Read More

Clin Exp Emerg Med 2019 Mar 20;6(1):9-18. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

Department of Emergency Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Objective: Despite increased survival in patients with cardiac arrest, it remains difficult to determine patient prognosis at the early stage. This study evaluated the prognosis of cardiac arrest patients using brain injury, inflammation, cardiovascular ischemic events, and coagulation/fibrinolysis markers collected 24, 48, and 72 hours after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).

Methods: From January 2011 to December 2016, we retrospectively observed patients who underwent therapeutic hypothermia. Read More

J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Division of Trauma, Critical Care, Emergency Surgery, and Burns, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona.

Introduction: Frailty is a geriatric syndrome characterized by decreased physiological reserves, increased inflammation, and decreased anabolic-endocrine response. The biomarkers associated with frailty are poorly understood in trauma. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between frailty and immune: IL-1β, IL-6, IL-2Rα, TNF-α and endocrine biomarkers: Insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1), and growth hormone(GH) in trauma patients. Read More

Crit Pathw Cardiol 2019 03;18(1):5-9

Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.

Background: Patients from racial and ethnic minority groups presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with chest pain experience lower odds of receiving stress testing compared with nonminorities. Studies have demonstrated that care pathways administered within the ED can reduce health disparities, but this has yet to be studied as a strategy to increase stress testing equity.

Methods: A secondary analysis from 3 randomized clinical trials involving ED patients with acute chest pain was performed to determine whether a care pathway, ACES (Accelerated Chest pain Evaluation with Stress imaging), reduces the racial disparity in index visit cardiac testing between African American (AA) and White patients. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Feb;98(6):e14496

Department of Traumatology, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, South Korea.

This study aimed to determine whether the combination of procalcitonin (PCT) and S100B improves prognostic performance compared to either alone in cardiac arrest (CA) patients treated with targeted temperature management (TTM).We performed a prospective cohort study of CA patients treated with TTM. PCT and S100B levels were obtained at 0, 24, 48, and 72 hours after return of spontaneous circulation. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Feb;98(6):e14371

Department of Emergency, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang 222006, China.

This study aimed to explore the risk factors for acute myocardial injury (AMI) caused by acute organophosphorus pesticide poisoning (AOPP).The clinical data of 98 patients, who were treated in our hospital due to oral AOPP from April 2013 to April 2017, were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into two groups: AMI group and control group. Read More

J BUON 2018 12;23(7):122-131

Emergency County Hospital for Children, Pediatric Clinic no 2, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Purpose: To describe the high-risk profile group, susceptible to develop anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy in children with acute leukemia.

Methods: The study involved 35 pediatric patients diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic (ALL) or acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), from March 2014 to December 2016. Serologic markers used for the analysis of cardiac dysfunction were troponin T, NT-proBNP and PCRhs. Read More

BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2019 Jan 24;19(1):26. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.

Background: The aim of our study was the identification of genetic variants associated with postoperative complications after cardiac surgery.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, double-blind, multicenter, randomized trial (RIPHeart). We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 1170 patients of both genders (871 males, 299 females) from the RIPHeart-Study cohort. Read More

PLoS One 2019 16;14(1):e0210666. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care I, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania.

Aim: The aim of our study was to evaluate the potential role of resistin in estimating the 30 days prognosis in patients with hypoxic-ischemic organ injury who survived after a cardiac arrest (CA).

Materials And Methods: The study included 40 patients resuscitated after a non-traumatic out-of-hospital CA admitted in Emergency Department (ED). All patients were followed for 30 days after CA or until death. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2019 Mar 2;279:155-161. Epub 2019 Jan 2.

Department of Internal Medicine (Section of Nephrology), New Haven, CT, United States of America.

Aims: We explored the relationship between inflammation, renalase an anti-inflammatory protein, and acute chest pain with coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD).

Methods And Results: We used cardiac Rb-82 PET/CT imaging to diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD/CALC) (defect or coronary calcification) and CMD (depressed coronary flow reserve without CAD) in patients with chest pain in an emergency department (ED). Blood samples were collected pre-imaging within 24 h of ED presentation and were analyzed for renalase and inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein, interleukins, interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, and metalloproteinases. Read More

Front Physiol 2018 14;9:1794. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States.

Although cell survival post-transplantation is very low, emerging evidence using stem cell therapy for myocardial repair points toward a primary role of paracrine signaling mechanisms as the basis for improved cardiac function, decreased fibrosis, and increased angiogenesis. Recent studies have demonstrated that extracellular vesicles (EVs) such as exosomes secreted by stem cells stimulate angiogenesis, provide cytoprotection, and modulate apoptosis. However, the angiogenic potential of EVs secreted from human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM), a terminally differentiated cell type, has not been elucidated yet. Read More

Pediatr Crit Care Med 2019 Jan;20(1):38-46

Center for Policy and Research in Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR.

Objectives: Heart rate variability is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. After brain death, this autonomic control stops, and heart rate variability is significantly decreased. However, it is unknown if early changes in heart rate variability are predictive of progression to brain death. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2018 Nov;7(21):e010283

1 Department of Emergency Medicine Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou China.

Background After cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the protective effects of therapeutic hypothermia induced by conventional cooling are limited. Recently, esophageal cooling ( EC ) has been shown to be an effective, easily performed approach to induce therapeutic hypothermia. In this study we investigated the efficacy of EC and its effects on early markers of postresuscitation cardiac and neurological injury in a porcine model of cardiac arrest. Read More

Dis Markers 2018 22;2018:5607932. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, China.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of early catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) in severe burn injury patients induced by a massive aluminum dust explosion.

Methods: Sixty-eight severe burn injury patients experienced a massive dust explosion in Kunshan were included in this study. Patients received central venous catheter placement, arterial catheterization to monitor blood pressure and PiCCO cardiac monitoring, tracheostomy, mechanical ventilation, analgesics and sedation treatment, and fluid resuscitation. Read More

J Adv Pract Oncol 2018 Mar 1;9(2):216-221. Epub 2018 Mar 1.

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

RS, a 36-year-old female, presented to the emergency department (ED) of a large academic medical center upon the advice of her primary care provider because of 3 weeks of progressive mental status changes, weakness, and decreased oral intake. According to her husband, RS was diagnosed with stage IIIA large cell lung cancer 8 months earlier and was treated with concurrent chemotherapy (carboplatin, pemetrexed, and bevacizumab) and radiation therapy that was completed 4 months prior to admission. No other specific information about her treatment or outside health records was available. Read More

Clin Cardiol 2019 Feb 7;42(2):277-284. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Department of Medicine, Ronald Reagan-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.

Background: Real-world data on the clinical outcomes of heart failure (HF) across the spectrum of ejection fraction (EF) and the prognostic value of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) have not been well examined.

Hypothesis: The real-world association between the clinical outcomes of HF and EF or BNP levels may differ across different EF or BNP values.

Methods: The Optum Integrated Claims-Clinical data (07/2009-09/2016) was used to identify adult patients with ≥1 HF diagnosis during hospitalization or emergency room visit. Read More

Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2019 Mar;46(3):216-225

Department of Emergency Medicine, Harbor-UCLA, Torrance, California.

Early, non-clinical studies support the use of hydroxocobalamin to treat sepsis-induced hypotension, but there is no translational, large animal model. The objective of this study was to compare survival in a sepsis model where large swine had endotoxaemia induced with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and were treated with intravenous hydroxocobalamin (HOC), noradrenaline (NA), or saline. Thirty swine (45-55 kg) were anaesthetized, intubated, and instrumented with continuous femoral and pulmonary artery pressure monitoring. Read More

Dis Markers 2018 12;2018:9136971. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

2nd Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.

Background: Clinical short-term risk stratification is a recommended approach in patients with chest pain and possible acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to further improve high safety of biomarker-based rule-out algorithms. The study aim was to assess clinical performance of baseline concentrations of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-TnT) and copeptin and the modified HEART score (mHS) in early presenters to the emergency department with chest pain.

Methods: This cohort study included patients with chest pain with onset maximum of 6 h before admission and no persistent ST-segment elevation on electrocardiogram. Read More

J Cell Biochem 2019 Apr 9;120(4):4863-4871. Epub 2018 Dec 9.

Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Experimenter Center, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Beijing, China.

Introduction: Sepsis can result in acute lung injury. LL-37 is a small cationic host defense peptide involved in anti-inflammatory. In the current study, it was hypothesized that antimicrobial peptide LL-37 could play a protective role in attenuating the progression of sepsis-induced acute lung injury. Read More

ESC Heart Fail 2019 02 26;6(1):202-207. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Aims: Dyspnoea is common in heart failure (HF) but non-specific. Lung ultrasound (LUS) could represent a non-invasive tool to detect subclinical pulmonary congestion in patients with undifferentiated dyspnoea.

Methods And Results: We assessed the feasibility of an abbreviated LUS protocol (eight and two zones) in a prospective pilot study of 25 ambulatory patients with undifferentiated dyspnoea undergoing clinically indicated invasive cardiopulmonary exercise testing (iCPET) at rest (LUS 1) and after peak exercise (LUS 2). Read More

ESC Heart Fail 2019 02 24;6(1):98-102. Epub 2018 Nov 24.

Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Helsinki and Department of Emergency Medicine and Services, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.

Aims: The role of microRNAs has not been studied in cardiogenic shock. We examined the potential role of miR-423-5p level to predict mortality and associations of miR-423-5p with prognostic markers in cardiogenic shock.

Methods And Results: We conducted a prospective multinational observational study enrolling consecutive cardiogenic shock patients. Read More

Heart Lung 2019 Mar - Apr;48(2):126-130. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Department of Emergency Medicine, UMPC University of Pittsburgh, USA.

Objective: Ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI) in cardiac arrest patients after return to spontaneous circulation causes dysfunctions in multiple organs. Kidney injury is generally transient but in some patients persists and contributes both to mortality and increased resource utilisation. Ongoing shock may compound renal injury from IRI, resulting in persistent dysfunction. Read More

Br J Surg 2018 08 6;105(9):1135-1144. Epub 2018 Apr 6.

Vascular Surgery Research Group, Imperial College London, London, UK.

Background: The aim of this study was to develop a 48-h mortality risk score, which included morphology data, for patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm presenting to an emergency department, and to assess its predictive accuracy and clinical effectiveness in triaging patients to immediate aneurysm repair, transfer or palliative care.

Methods: Data from patients in the IMPROVE (Immediate Management of the Patient With Ruptured Aneurysm: Open Versus Endovascular Repair) randomized trial were used to develop the risk score. Variables considered included age, sex, haemodynamic markers and aortic morphology. Read More

Intensive Care Med 2018 Dec 15;44(12):2091-2101. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Department of Intensive Care, North Karelia Central Hospital, Joensuu, Finland.

Purpose: We aimed to determine the feasibility of targeting low-normal or high-normal mean arterial pressure (MAP) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and its effect on markers of neurological injury.

Methods: In the Carbon dioxide, Oxygen and Mean arterial pressure After Cardiac Arrest and REsuscitation (COMACARE) trial, we used a 2 factorial design to randomly assign patients after OHCA and resuscitation to low-normal or high-normal levels of arterial carbon dioxide tension, to normoxia or moderate hyperoxia, and to low-normal or high-normal MAP. In this paper we report the results of the low-normal (65-75 mmHg) vs. Read More

Intensive Care Med 2018 Dec 14;44(12):2112-2121. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.

Purpose: We assessed the effects of targeting low-normal or high-normal arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO) and normoxia or moderate hyperoxia after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) on markers of cerebral and cardiac injury.

Methods: Using a 2 factorial design, we randomly assigned 123 patients resuscitated from OHCA to low-normal (4.5-4. Read More

Clin Cardiol 2019 Jan 17;42(1):5-12. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK.

Background: In ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI), current oral P2Y12 platelet inhibitors do not provide maximal platelet inhibition at the time of reperfusion. Furthermore, administration of cangrelor prior to reperfusion has been shown in pre-clinical studies to reduce myocardial infarct (MI) size. Therefore, we hypothesize that cangrelor administered prior to reperfusion in STEMI patients will reduce the incidence of microvascular obstruction (MVO) and limit MI size in STEMI patients treated with PPCI. Read More

Dis Markers 2018 10;2018:3406028. Epub 2018 Oct 10.

Internal Medicine Department, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among both women and men, but there is still a great percentage of misdiagnosis and lack of clearly defined criteria. Advances in biomolecular science have proven the crucial role of inflammation and, more importantly, the role of adipokines in mediating all stages of coronary artery disease. It has also been suggested that regional fat deposits, more precisely from thoracic region, have a major influence on the development of coronary artery disease by creating a local proatherogenic environment. Read More

Adv Exp Med Biol 2018;1088:73-92

Division of Cell and Molecular Biology and Histology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.

Muscle atrophy typically is a direct effect of protein degradation induced by a diversity of pathophysiologic states such as disuse, immobilization, denervation, aging, sepsis, cachexia, glucocorticoid treatment, hereditary muscular disorders, cancer, diabetes and obesity, kidney and heart failure, and others. Muscle atrophy is defined by changes in the muscles, consisting in shrinkage of myofibers, changes in the types of fiber and myosin isoforms, and a net loss of cytoplasm, organelles and overall a protein loss. Although in the literature there are extensive studies in a range of animal models, the paucity of human data is a reality. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2018 Dec 14;122(12):2086-2094. Epub 2018 Sep 14.

Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon. Electronic address:

Failure to achieve euvolemia before discharge in patients admitted with acute heart failure (HF) syndromes has gained attention as a marker for increased readmission risk. This study assessed whether variations in discharge documentation practices reflected the readmission risk of patients admitted for decompensated HF. This was a retrospective cohort study of 100 adult patients discharged from an admission for an acute HF syndrome from May 2014 to June 2015. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2018 Sep;7(18):e009111

1 Department of Emergency Qilu Hospital Shandong University Jinan China.

Background Stress-induced cell premature senescence participates in a variety of tissue and organ remodeling by secreting such proteins as proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. However, the role of cardiomyocyte senescence in heart remodeling after acute myocardial infarction has not been thoroughly elucidated to date. Therefore, we sought to clarify the impact of premature myocardial senescence on postinfarction heart function. Read More

In Vivo 2018 Nov-Dec;32(6):1599-1607

Neurology, Department of Neuroscience - Municipal Emergency Hospital, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania.

Aim To assess the onset of early left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function impairment and the subclinical atherosclerosis following chemotherapy in patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Materials And Methods: Thirty patients diagnosed with AML with no cardiac history, having LV ejection fraction (LVEF) >50%, were evaluated at baseline and 6 months after starting four cycles of chemotherapy. We measured LV function, global longitudinal strain and subclinical atherosclerosis markers: intima-media thickness (IMT), arterial stiffness aortic pulse wave velocity (PWVAo) and ankle-brachial index (ABI). Read More

Pediatr Emerg Care 2018 Oct 17. Epub 2018 Oct 17.

From the Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.

Objective: Children are presented with an unknown intoxication at emergency department (ED) after carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Although CO poisoning is well defined in the adult literature, little information exists regarding CO poisoning in childhood, especially in infants. The only diagnostic test for CO poisoning is elevation of the carboxyhemoglobin level in the blood. Read More

Acta Clin Belg 2018 Oct 16:1-3. Epub 2018 Oct 16.

a Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine , Mugla Sitki Kocman University , Muğla , Turkey.

Objectives: Allergic myocardial infarction, known as Kounis syndrome, is an acute myocardial infarction after an allergic reaction to food, drugs, or insect stings, etc. Kounis syndrome can also be caused by all kinds of seafood, such as finned fish, molluscan shellfish, cephalopods, and crustacean shellfish.

Methods: Herein, we report a case of a 67-year-old man, with hypertension, referred for itchiness, facial rash, chest pain, and palpitations developed after consumption of blue crab. Read More

Acad Emerg Med 2018 Oct 12. Epub 2018 Oct 12.

Department of Critical Care, Department of Anesthesia, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ontario.

Background: Acute aortic syndrome (AAS) is a time-sensitive and difficult-to-diagnose aortic emergency. The American Heart Association (AHA) proposed the acute aortic dissection detection risk score (ADD-RS) as a means to reduce miss rate and improve time to diagnosis. Previous validation studies were performed in a high prevalence population of patients. Read More