scholarly journals 428 The role of virtual visits in COVID-19 cardiovascular patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_G) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Di Iorio ◽  
Mariachiara Mei ◽  
Alessia Bernardini ◽  
Michele Magnocavallo ◽  
Giampaolo Vetta ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims The outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced a reorganization of the healthcare system. In order to prevent potential risk of exposure, virtual visit (VV) has been implemented in the treatment and follow-up of COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of VV in the management of post COVID-19 cardiovascular patients. Methods and results We enrolled all patients with cardiovascular comorbidities tested negative for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and discharged from our Cardiology Department from January 2021 to June 2021. We scheduled a VV after 30 days from discharge to check the clinical status of the patients, optimize therapy, and establish a Follow-up protocol. Blood pressure, arterial oxygen saturation, heart rate and body weight were registered. To evaluate the patients’ satisfaction of VV, a questionnaire was administered. We performed 25 VVs in the study period; the mean age of patients was 67.5 ± 15.6 and male were 15 (65.2%). The mean duration of VV was 25.9 ± 4.6 min. The caregiver had an active role in nine (36%) cases. No urgent/emergent in-person examinations were performed. A high degree of patient satisfaction was reached and VV was preferred to in-person evaluation. Conclusions VV visit was useful to Follow-up post COVID-19 cardiovascular patients. A high degree of patient satisfaction was reached without jeopardizing quality of care.

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_G) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariachiara Mei ◽  
Martina Di Iorio ◽  
Alessia Bernardini ◽  
Michele Magnocavallo ◽  
Giampaolo Vetta ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in-person visits were reduced to prevent potential risk of exposure. Virtual visits (VVs) represent an innovative model to take care of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of VV in the management of CIED patients. Methods and results We performed a prospective study including all CIED patients who received a VV from July 2020 to July 2021. Blood pressure, arterial oxygen saturation, heart rate, and body weight were registered by the patient. Moreover, we sent to the patient a questionnaire to evaluate the patients’ satisfaction about VV. We enrolled 182 patients in the study period. The mean age of patients was 70.2 ± 13.5 years-old and the majority (61.1%) was male. In two cases, VVs were not performed due to technical issues. Overall, 70.9% of patients utilized a smartphone, while 20.1% and 9% used, respectively, a tablet or a personal computer. The mean duration of VV was 27.8 ± 7.8 min. Patients helped by a caregiver were 64 (35.2%). One urgent/emergent in-person visit was performed in a patient with acute heart failure. Overall, VV was preferred to in-person evaluation. Conclusion VV is a safe and feasible approach to follow-up CIED patients. A high degree of patient satisfaction was reached after VV. The use of VV has promising potential and should be implemented beyond COVID-19 period and integrated in the healthcare system as a new model of care.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Ma ◽  
Bing Jie ◽  
Dong Yu ◽  
Ling-Ling Li ◽  
Sen Jiang

Abstract Background The life-threatening haemorrhagic complications of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are extremely rare, and only described in isolated cases. This study was designed to comprehensively investigate management of ruptured PAVMs. Methods We retrospectively assessed clinical and imaging data of ruptured PAVMs to summarize incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes following embolisation between January 2008 and January 2021. Results Eighteen of 406 (4.4%) patients with PAVMs developed haemorrhagic complications. Twelve of 18 patients were clinically diagnosed with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). Haemorrhagic complications occurred with no clear trigger in all cases. Eight of 18 patients (44.4%) were initially misdiagnosed or had undergone early ineffective treatment. 28 lesions were detected, with 89.3% of them located in peripheral lung. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed indirect signs to indicate ruptured PAVMs in all cases. Lower haemoglobin concentrations were associated with the diameter of afferent arteries in the ruptured lesions. Successful embolotherapy was achieved in all cases. After embolotherapy, arterial oxygen saturation improved and bleeding was controlled (P < 0.05). The mean follow-up time was 3.2 ± 2.5 years (range, 7 months to 10 years). Conclusions Life threatening haemorrhagic complications of PAVMs are rare, they usually occur without a trigger and can be easily misdiagnosed. HHT and larger size of afferent arteries are major risk factors of these complications. CTA is a useful tool for diagnosis and therapeutic guidance for ruptured PAVMs. Embolotherapy is an effective therapy for this life-threatening complication.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (B) ◽  
pp. 329-333
Author(s):  
Talat Mohammadi ◽  
Hamidreza Jamilian ◽  
Anita Alaghemand ◽  
Alireza Kamali

AIM: The aim of our study was to determine the effect of adjunctive use of dexmedetomidine and metoral with thiopental on hemodynamic status, agitation, patient satisfaction, and duration of seizure in patients with mood disorders in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). METHODS: This study is a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial. Sixty patients (18–60 years) according to DSM5 criteria had mood disorder and were candidates for ECT. Patients were randomly divided into two groups of 30 each. One group received 5.0 μg/kg dexmedetomidine 10 min before induction of thiopental, and the other group received 5.2 mg intravenous metoprolol immediately before ECT. Patients’ satisfaction, duration of seizure, and arterial oxygen saturation were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age of both groups was approximately 37 years with the majority of men. No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of age and sex, blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), duration of seizure, and arterial oxygen saturation before ECT. The mean BP and HR in the recovery were lower in the dexmedetomidine group than in the metoral group. Arterial oxygen saturation percentage was not significantly different between the two groups. The recovery time in the dexmedetomidine group was longer than the metoral group (p = 0.001). Post-ECT satisfaction was found to be higher in the dexmedetomidine group than in the metoral group and the mean agitation score was found to be higher in the metoral group. CONCLUSION: Both metoral and dexmedetomidine as adjuvants decrease the hyperdynamic responses of patients after ECT, whereas the effect of dexmedetomidine is more than metoral; on the other hand, neither dexmedetomidine nor metoral has any negative effect on seizure duration, but dexmedetomidine significantly prolonged recovery time as compared to metoral.


2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (10) ◽  
pp. 785-789
Author(s):  
Dongqing Wen ◽  
Lei Tu ◽  
Guiyou Wang ◽  
Zhao Gu ◽  
Weiru Shi ◽  
...  

INTRODUCTION: We compared the physiological responses, psychomotor performances, and hypoxia symptoms between 7000 m and 7500 m (23,000 and 24,600 ft) exposure to develop a safer hypoxia training protocol.METHODS: In altitude chamber, 66 male pilots were exposed to 7000 and 7500 m. Heart rate and arterial oxygen saturation were continuously monitored. Psychomotor performance was assessed using the computational task. The hypoxic symptoms were investigated by a questionnaire.RESULTS: The mean duration time of hypoxia was 323.0 56.5 s at 7000 m and 218.2 63.3 s at 7500 m. The 6-min hypoxia training was completed by 57.6% of the pilots and 6.1% of the pilots at 7000 m and at 7500 m, respectively. There were no significant differences in pilots heart rates and psychomotor performance between the two exposures. The Spo2 response at 7500 m was slightly severer than that at 7000 m. During the 7000 m exposure, pilots experienced almost the same symptoms and similar frequency order as those during the 7500 m exposure.CONCLUSIONS: There were concordant symptoms, psychomotor performance, and very similar physiological responses between 7000 m and 7500 m during hypoxia training. The results indicated that 7000-m hypoxia awareness training might be an alternative to 7500-m hypoxia training with lower DCS risk and longer experience time.Wen D, Tu L, Wang G, Gu Z, Shi W, Liu X. Psychophysiological responses of pilots in hypoxia training at 7000 and 7500 m. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(10):785789.


2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murat Ugurlucan ◽  
Eylem Yayla Tuncer ◽  
Fusun Guzelmeric ◽  
Eylul Kafali ◽  
Omer Ali Sayin ◽  
...  

<p><strong>Background</strong>: Although the avoidance of cardiopulmonary bypass during the Fontan procedure has potential advantages, using cardiopulmonary bypass during this procedure has no adverse effects in terms of morbidity and mortality rates. In this study, we assessed the postoperative outcomes of our first 9 patients who have undergone extracardiac Fontan operation by the same surgeon using cardiopulmonary bypass.</p><p><strong>Methods</strong>: Between September 2011 and April 2013,  9 consecutive patients (3 males and 6 females) underwent extra-cardiac Fontan operation. All operations were performed under cardiopulmonary bypass at normothermia by the same surgeon.  The age of patients ranged between 4 and 17 (9.8 ± 4.2) years. Previous operations performed on these patients were modified Blalock-Taussig shunt procedure in 2 patients, bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt operation in 6 patients, and pulmonary arterial banding in 1 patient. Except 2 patients who required intracardiac intervention, cross-clamping was not applied. In all patients, the extracardiac Fontan procedure was carried out by interposing an appropriately sized tube graft between the infe-rior vena cava and right pulmonary artery.</p><p><strong>Results</strong>: The mean intraoperative Fontan pressure and transpulmonary gradient were 12.3 ± 2.5 and 6.9 ± 2.2 mm Hg, respectively. Intraoperative fenestration was not required. There was no mortality and 7 patients were discharged with-out complications. Complications included persistent pleural effusion in 1 patient and a transient neurological event in 1 patient. All patients were weaned off mechanical ventila-tion within 24 hours. The mean arterial oxygen saturation increased from 76.1% ± 5.3% to 93.5% ± 2.2%. All patients were in sinus rhythm postoperatively. Five patients required blood and blood-product transfusions. The mean intensive care unit and hospital stay periods were 2.9 ± 1.7 and 8.2 ±  1.9 days, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusions</strong>: The extracardiac Fontan operation per-formed using cardiopulmonary bypass provides satisfactory results in short-term follow-up and is associated with favor-able postoperative hemodynamics and morbidity rates.</p>


2007 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 290-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Tokmak ◽  
A. Celal Iplikcioglu ◽  
Sirzat Bek ◽  
Cem Atilla Gökduman ◽  
Mustafa Erdal

Object Chronic subdural hematomas (SDHs) are a local inflammatory process that causes the formation of a granulation tissue often referred to as the external or outer membrane. This membrane has abnormally permeable macrocapillaries. Therefore, exudation from the macrocapillaries in the outer membrane of chronic SDH may play an important role in the enlargement of chronic SDH. In this study the authors investigated the role of exudation in chronic SDH. Methods The authors examined 24 patients (16 men and eight women; age range 38–86 years [mean age 61.4 years]) with 27 chronic SDHs. The clinical status of the patients was evaluated according to the classification described by Markwalder. The diagnosis was established on computed tomography (CT) scans in all cases. The authors also used the Nomura Classification for judging the lesion's appearance on CT scans. Immediately after the diagnosis, all patients were administered 20 mCi (740 mBq) technetium-99m human serum albumin. Four hours later, blood and SDH samples were taken and radioactivity levels were measured in each. The ratio of activity of the samples taken from chronic SDH to the radioactivity of blood was determined as a percentage and defined as the exudation rate. On the follow-up CT scan obtained on postoperative Day 20, subdural collections thicker than 5 mm were determined to be a reaccumulation. Results The correlations between the exudation rate and age of the patients, clinical grades, CT appearances, and amount of reaccumulation were investigated. In this series the average exudation rate was 13.24% (range 2.05–28.88%). The mean exudation rates according to the clinical grades assigned to patients were as follows: Grade 0, 8.67 ± 5.64% (three patients); Grade 1, 5.07 ± 1.43% (eight patients); Grade 2, 17.87 ± 3.73% (seven patients); and Grade 3, 19.65 ± 7.67% (six patients). Exudation rates in patients with Grades 2 and 3 were significantly higher than those in Grades 0 and 1 (p < 0.05). The mean exudation rates according to the lesion's appearance on CT scans were found as follows: hypodense appearance, 6.55 ± 4.52% (eight patients); isodense appearance, 11.07 ± 6.32% (five patients); hyperdense appearance, 19.47 ± 13.61% (three patients); and mixed-density appearance, 17.40 ± 5.80% (nine patients). The differences among the groups were significant (p < 0.05). The average exudation rate was statistically higher in the patients with reaccumulation (16.30 ± 8.16%) than that in the patients without reaccumulation (9.96 ± 6.84%) (p < 0.05). Conclusions The exudation rate in chronic SDH is correlated with a higher clinical grade (Markwalder Grade 2 or 3), mixed-density CT appearance, and reaccumulation. Therefore, exudation from macrocapillaries in the outer membrane of chronic SDH probably plays an important role in the pathophysiology and the growth of chronic SDH.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lea Bentur ◽  
Gerard J. Canny ◽  
Michael D. Shields ◽  
Eitan Kerem ◽  
Joseph J. Reisman ◽  
...  

To determine the response to nebulized β2 agonist, 28 children younger than 2 years of age who visited the emergency department during an episode of acute asthma were studied. Each subject had a previous history of recurrent wheezing episodes. They were randomly assigned to receive two administrations of either nebulized albuterol (0.15 mg/kg per dose) or placebo (normal saline) with oxygen, 1 hour apart. After two nebulizations, the albuterol-treated patients had a greater improvement in clinical status (respiratory rate, degree of wheezing and accessory muscle use, total clinical score, and arterial oxygen saturation) than the placebo group. None of the patients in the albuterol group experienced a decrease of arterial oxygen saturation of ≥2%. It is conduded that a trial of nebulized β2 agonists is warranted in the treatment of acute asthma in infants and young children.


2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 442-449
Author(s):  
Rebecca R. Schoen ◽  
Michael W. Nagy ◽  
Andrea L. Porter ◽  
Amanda R. Margolis

Background: For highly stable warfarin patients, limited data exists regarding patient satisfaction on extended international normalized ratio (INR) follow-up intervals and how this population compares with patients on a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC). Objective: To assess the impact on patient satisfaction of extending INR follow-up intervals. Methods: Veterans on stable warfarin doses had extended INR follow-up intervals up to 12 weeks in a single-arm prospective cohort study for 2 years. This analysis included participants who completed at least 2 Duke Anticoagulation Satisfaction Scales (DASS). The primary outcome was the change in the DASS. A focus group described participant experiences. Participant satisfaction was compared to patients on a DOAC. Results: Of the 51 participants, 48 were included in the warfarin extended INR follow-up group. Compared with baseline, the mean DASS score (42.9 ± 12.08) was worse at 24 months (46.82 ± 15.2, P = 0.0266), with a small effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.29). The 8 participants in the focus group were satisfied with the extended INR follow-up interval but would be uncomfortable extending follow-up past 2 to 3 months. The extended INR follow-up interval study had similar DASS scores as the 33 participants included on DOAC therapy (46.8 ± 15.1, P = 0.9970) but may be limited by differing populations using DOACs. Conclusion and Relevance: For patients currently stable on warfarin therapy, extending the INR follow-up interval up to 12 weeks or changing to a DOAC does not appear to improve patient satisfaction.


2007 ◽  
Vol 103 (6) ◽  
pp. 1973-1978 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Koehle ◽  
A. William Sheel ◽  
William K. Milsom ◽  
Donald C. McKenzie

The purpose of this study was to compare chemoresponses following two different intermittent hypoxia (IH) protocols in humans. Ten men underwent two 7-day courses of poikilocapnic IH. The long-duration IH (LDIH) protocol consisted of daily 60-min exposures to normobaric 12% O2. The short-duration IH (SDIH) protocol comprised twelve 5-min bouts of 12% O2, separated by 5-min bouts of room air, daily. Isocapnic hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) was measured daily during the protocol and 1 and 7 days following. Hypercapnic ventilatory response (HCVR) and CO2 threshold and sensitivity (by the modified Read rebreathing technique) were measured on days 1, 8, and 14. Following 7 days of IH, the mean HVR was significantly increased from 0.47 ± 0.07 and 0.47 ± 0.08 to 0.70 ± 0.06 and 0.79 ± 0.06 l·min−1·%SaO2−1 (LDIH and SDIH, respectively), where %SaO2 is percent arterial oxygen saturation. The increase in HVR reached a plateau after the third day. One week post-IH, HVR values were unchanged from baseline. HCVR increased from 3.0 ± 0.4 to 4.0 ± 0.5 l·min−1·mmHg−1. In both the hyperoxic and hypoxic modified Read rebreathing tests, the slope of the CO2/ventilation plot was unchanged by either intervention, but the CO2/ventilation curve shifted to the left following IH. There were no correlations between the changes in response to hypoxia and hypercapnia. There were no significant differences between the two IH protocols for any measures, indicating that comparable changes in chemoreflex control occur with either protocol. These results also suggest that the two methods of measuring CO2 response are not completely concordant and that the changes in CO2 control do not correlate with the increase in the HVR.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 230949902092316
Author(s):  
Deuk-Soo Hwang ◽  
Chan Kang ◽  
Jeong-Kil Lee ◽  
Jae-Young Park ◽  
Long Zheng ◽  
...  

Purpose: We measured the width of the acetabular labra in, and the clinical outcomes of, patients with borderline hip dysplasia (HD) who underwent arthroscopy. Methods: A total of 1436 patients who underwent hip arthroscopy to treat symptomatic, acetabular labral tears were enrolled. From this cohort, we extracted a borderline HD group (162 cases). Lateral labral widths were evaluated using preoperative magnetic resonance imaging scans. Clinical data including the modified Harris hip score (mHHS), non-arthritic hip score (NAHS), hip outcome score–activity of daily living (HOS-ADL) score, visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, and Tönnis grade were collected. In addition, patient satisfaction with arthroscopy outcomes was rated. All complications and reoperations were noted. Results: The mean follow-up time was 87.4 months. The lateral labral width was 7.64 mm in those with normal hips and 7.73 mm in borderline HD patients, respectively ( p = 0.870). The Tönnis grade progressed mildly from 0.46 to 0.76 ( p = 0.227). At the last follow-up, clinical outcome scores (mHHS, NAHS, and HOS-ADL scores) and the VAS score were improved ( p < 0.001). The mean patient satisfaction was scored at 8.2. The reoperation rate was higher in those who underwent labral debridement (25.6%) than labral repair (4.1%). Conclusions: The lateral labral width did not differ significantly between the borderline HD group and the nondysplastic control group. Arthroscopy relieved the symptoms of painful borderline HD and did not accelerate osteoarthritis. Therefore, if such patients do not respond to conservative treatment, hip arthroscopy can be considered for further treatment.


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