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Over the last twenty years, the proportion of cardiac-arrest victims in whom pulseless electric activity (PEA) is identified rather than asystole or ventricular fibrillation as the initial ECG finding has been increasing.
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Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a major complication of dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and clopidogrel.
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New high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays detect blood levels in many patients with chronic heart failure or ischemic heart disease who do not meet clinical criteria for myocardial infarction.
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Post-pericardiotomy syndrome (PPS) is relatively common after cardiac surgery, and can result in life-threatening events, such as cardiac tamponade, increased length of stay, readmission to hospital, and significant patient discomfort.
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The relationship between blood pressure and cardiovascular events remains controversial, especially in patients with coronary artery disease who may need increased pressures to have adequate myocardial perfusion.
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Although a routine part of the patient’s medical history, little is known about the value of family history in predicting coronary artery disease (CAD) events in otherwise low-risk patients.
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Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is an invasive technique for determination of the physiologic significance of an intermediate coronary lesion. Multiple studies have demonstrated the ability of FFR to guide revascularization decisions.
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Small handheld ultrasound units are being deployed in emergency departments and other sites to aide in point-of-care cardiac diagnosis.
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Progressive, compensatory left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in aortic stenosis (AS) ultimately leads to myocardial injury, fibrosis, and LV dysfunction.