Search

Background Intravenous (IV) prostacyclin analogues infusion and balloon atrial septostomy (BAS) are two important treatment options for managing advanced right heart failure in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). References and protocols are rare for dose titrations and transitions between subcutaneous and IV prostacyclin in functional Class IV IPAH patients. Balloon atrial septostomy is rarely done in very few expert centres. Case summary A young female with IPAH who had received maximal medication including subcutaneous prostacyclin analogues injection was admitted due to advanced right heart failure. She received ascites drainage twice. Later, we directly switched the administration route of prostacyclin from subcutaneous to IV at a ratio of 1:1 instantly. Such rapid conversion led her into a state of profound hypotension and drowsy consciousness, which was resolved after escalating IV inotropics and reducing prostacyclin dosage. Five days later, she received BAS under the guidance of intracardiac echocardiography. Her urine output increased and dyspnoea improved gradually. Six months later, clinical worsening happened again with increase of ascites and dyspnoea. She underwent 2nd and 3rd session of graded BAS with relief of symptoms again. She received permanent transition to IV prostacyclin analogues infusions via a peripherally inserted central catheter after three sessions of BAS. Discussion Balloon atrial septostomy is effective in stabilizing the critical right heart failure in IPAH patients but should be intended as a bridge to lung transplant procedure. Transition from subcutaneous to IV prostacyclin is helpful but needs to be titrated in proper aliquots and time intervals to avoid abrupt haemodynamic changes.

Rationale: Oral treprostinil improves exercise capacity in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), but the effect on clinical outcomes was unknown.\ud \ud Objectives: To evaluate the effect of oral treprostinil compared with placebo on time to first adjudicated clinical worsening event in participants with PAH who recently began approved oral monotherapy.\ud \ud Methods: In this event-driven, double-blind study, we randomly allocated 690 participants (1:1 ratio) with PAH to receive placebo or oral treprostinil extended-release tablets three times daily. Eligible participants were using approved oral monotherapy for over 30 days before randomization and had a 6-minute-walk distance 150 m or greater. The primary endpoint was the time to first adjudicated clinical worsening event: death; hospitalization due to worsening PAH; initiation of inhaled or parenteral prostacyclin therapy; disease progression; or unsatisfactory long-term clinical response.\ud \ud Measurements and Main Results: Clinical worsening occurred in 26% of the oral treprostinil group compared with 36% of placebo participants (hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.56–0.97; P = 0.028). Key measures of disease status, including functional class, Borg dyspnea score, and N-terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide, all favored oral treprostinil treatment at Week 24 and beyond. A noninvasive risk stratification analysis demonstrated that oral treprostinil–assigned participants had a substantially higher mortality risk at baseline but achieved a lower risk profile from Study Weeks 12–60. The most common adverse events in the oral treprostinil group were headache, diarrhea, flushing, nausea, and vomiting.\ud \ud Conclusions: In participants with PAH, addition of oral treprostinil to approved oral monotherapy reduced the risk of clinical worsening.\ud \ud Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01560624).

Background: GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic t...

Despite growing evidence that an educational anaesthesia video can effectively reduce perioperative anxiety, the ideal medium for addressing perioperative anxiety is unclear.The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of viewing an anaesthetic patient information video on anxiety levels in patients scheduled to undergo surgery.A randomised controlled trial.Pingtung Christian Hospital (PTCH), Taiwan.One hundred patients were randomised to either an experimental group (n = 50) or a control group (n = 50).At the preoperative clinic, the experimental group watched the an 8 minute educational anaesthetic video, whereas the control group received a standard 8-min verbal briefing on anaesthesia after preoperative assessment.The Chinese version of the Spielberger state trait anxiety inventory, which included a state scale (STAI-S) and a trait scale (STAI-T), was performed in the preoperative clinic (T1) before anaesthetic preassessment, at the preoperative holding area just before surgery (T2) and again on the third day after surgery (T3). Scores for overall satisfaction with medical care were obtained on the third day after surgery. For two time interval comparisons, effect size was used to standardise the extent of change as measured by STAI-S.After the educational intervention, state anxiety was lower in the experimental group than in the control group at both T2 (42.9 ± 6.5 vs. 45.0 ± 12.7) and T3 (40.2 ± 5.3 vs. 48.8 ± 8.5). Compared with control group, the experimental group had a larger effect size at T2 and T3 (-0.65 and -0.36, respectively). Overall satisfaction was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (P 0.05).Perioperative anxiety was significantly reduced and overall patient satisfaction increased after viewing a preoperative educational anaesthesia video compared with a standard verbal briefing on anaesthesia.

Accidental bone fractures are a major cause of premature disabilities and death. Whether atrial fibrillation (AF) treated with or without antithrombotics correlates with occurrence of such events remains under-investigated.Patients ≥18 years with newly diagnosed AF between 2005 and 2009 without previous cancers or traffic injury were identified from the "Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005" (1 million beneficiaries) of Taiwan's National Health Research Institutes and served as the AF group. A fourfold number of age-, gender-, and comorbidity-matched patients but without AF served as the non-AF controls. Patients were followed, and cumulative incidence of hospitalization-requiring bone fractures was compared between groups. Predictors of accidental bone fractures were determined by Cox regression analysis.Within a mean follow-up of 3.6 years, bone fractures, especially those involving neck/trunk and lower limbs, were significantly more frequent in patients with AF (N=6925) than in those without (N=27,700) (7.0 vs. 3.8 per 1000 person-years, log-rank p=0.001, adjusted HR=1.85, 95% CI=1.50-2.30, p0.001). Cox models identified female gender, previous stroke, and CHA2DS2-VASc score≧1 as risk factors for bone fractures in AF patients, whereas oral anticoagulants (HR=0.62, 95% CI=0.35-0.91, p=0.034), especially when used in patients with CHA2DS2-VASc score≧1 but not antiplatelet therapy (p=0.39) as negative predictors.Patients with AF are more vulnerable to non-traffic-, non-cancer-related bone fractures especially when with specified characteristics. For those with higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores, the use of anticoagulant but not antiplatelet agents could be associated with lower risk of such events.

A young female patient was referred for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Catheterization revealed a large sinus venosus interatrial communication (SVIAC), partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) 15 Wood units, and bidirectional shunting. She was then put on target medication for PAH. Two years later, she had angina and underwent computed tomography examination, which showed pulmonary arterial aneurysm compressing the left main coronary. Coronary stenting was performed, which successfully relieved the compression and angina. Meanwhile, PVR lowered to 3.5 Wood units after medical therapy. Surgical correction for SVIAC and PAPVR was done successfully 5 years after diagnosis.

Traffic accidents account substantially for premature disability and deaths in the modern world. Whether atrial fibrillation complicates the outcome of traffic injury remains under-investigated.From 1998 to 2010, all inpatient records stored in the Taiwan National Health Insurance database were screened. Those related with traffic accidents were aggregated to individuals and enrolled. The medical expenses and hospital outcomes were compared between patients with atrial fibrillation (AF group) and either the rest patients (No-AF group) or the propensity-matched patients without atrial fibrillation (No-AF-matched group). Prognostic predictive variables for adverse in-hospital events were further identified by multivariate regression analysis.Within the 13-year time span, of the 776,620 individuals ever admitted for traffic accidents, there were 1233 patients with AF. Compared with No-AF and No-AF-matched groups respectively, AF patients stayed longer in hospital (10.9 ± 10.6 vs. 6.8 ± 7.2 and vs. 8.2 ± 8.7 days, both p0.001), more often required surgical operations (73.2% vs. 69.5%, p = 0.006 and vs. 68.9%, p = 0.021), and consumed larger medical expenses (US$ 2384 ± 3174 vs. 1246 ± 2024, or 91.3% higher; and vs. 1406 ± 2172, or 69.6% higher, both p0.001), yet developed more postoperative complications (8.8% vs. 1.2% and vs. 3.2%, both p0.001) and deaths (2.5% vs. 0.9%, p0.001 and vs. 1.6%, p = 0.015). Identified by regression analysis, CHA2DS2-VASC score and representative demographic/injury-related variables predict in-hospital adverse events in these AF group patients.For patients suffering traffic accidents, those with AF consume more surgical resources and medical expenses yet end up with poorer hospital outcome, especially those with higher CHA2DS2-VASC scores and other relevant variables.

Rationale: Few studies had reported syndromes that include patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) with Eisenmenger syndrome and congenital deafness clustered in male siblings without facial, skeletal, or mental abnormalities. Patient concerns: Two brothers, who were deaf and had PDA with Eisenmenger complex, were first seen at our Cardiology clinic at the ages of 25 and 41, respectively. They presented with progressive dyspnea on exertion. Upon physical examination, both brothers had clubbing and/or cyanotic toes, normal fingers, and without facial, skeletal, ophthalmological, or mental abnormalities. Diagnoses and interventions: Echocardiography and multidetector computed tomography revealed large PDAs in both brothers. Cardiac catheterization showed bidirectional shunting via the PDA. Outcomes and lessons: Familial clustering of Eisenmenger PDA and congenital deafness is rare. Further studies are warranted to define possible genetic links.

This paper incorporates principal component analysis (PCA) with support vector machine-particle swarm optimization (SVM-PSO) for developing real-time face recognition systems. The integrated scheme aims to adopt the SVM-PSO method to improve the validity of PCA based image recognition systems on dynamically visual perception. The face recognition for most human-robot interaction applications is accomplished by PCA based method because of its dimensionality reduction. However, PCA based systems are only suitable for processing the faces with the same face expressions and/or under the same view directions. Since the facial feature selection process can be considered as a problem of global combinatorial optimization in machine learning, the SVM-PSO is usually used as an optimal classifier of the system. In this paper, the PSO is used to implement a feature selection, and the SVMs serve as fitness functions of the PSO for classification problems. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method simplifies features effectively and obtains higher classification accuracy.

Diarrhea with secondary decompensation is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in captive young rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) colonies. Approximately 25% of diarrhea cases with secondary decompensation are considered to be idiopathic chronic diarrhea. The purpose of this study was to investigate the suspected but not systematically examined association between rotavirus infection and diarrhea with secondary decompensation among young rhesus macaques at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC). Blood and stool samples were collected from 89 randomly selected young animals (age range: 6 months to 1.5 years) and were tested for the presence of rotavirus antibody, and rotavirus antigen, respectively, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA’s). Test and clinical data were analyzed using Fisher’s exact tests and multivariate logistic regression model. Our analysis indicates that rotavirus is endemic among young outdoor-housed rhesus macaques at the CNPRC. Although the relationship between detectable rotavirus antigen in stool and symptomatic diarrhea with secondary decompensation was not significant, there was a significant association between rotavirus seropositivity and a history of diarrhea with secondary decompensation within the past 6 months. While our cross-sectional and case-control study suggests an association between rotavirus infection and diarrhea with secondary decompensation among captive rhesus macaques, more extensive longitudinal studies on larger cohorts and with more intensive sample collection are needed to confirm these findings.

We compared midterm prognostic predictors of peripheral artery disease (PAD) with or without diabetes mellitus (DM) presenting with critical lower limb ischemia (CLI). A total of 172 patients with PAD (109 DM; 63 non-DM) were enrolled. The major adverse events (MAEs) were death or amputation. The diabetic group had a higher MAE rate (39% vs 22%, P = .042) with a mean follow-up duration of 30 ± 19 months. In a multivariate binary logistic regression analysis, revascularization (odds ratio = 0.289, P = .006) and higher serum cholesterol (odds ratio=0.988, P = .027) predicted a lower MAE rate in the DM group. In contrast, the presence of severe chronic kidney disease (stage 4 or 5, odds ratio = 5.238, P = .025) was a positive predictor of MAEs in the nondiabetic group. In conclusion, the prognostic predictors of MAE in diabetic and nondiabetic patients with PAD and CLI were different.

Tracheal intubation of anaesthetised rats for laboratory experiments remains an essential yet challenging procedure.We aimed to investigate whether tracheal intubation can be safely and securely accomplished in laboratory rats employing only handy instruments and with minimal experience.The feasibility and safety of a modified orotracheal intubation method was evaluated in rats undergoing open-chest surgery as part of another research protocol, and compared with an existing technique.The study was carried out in a tertiary medical centre-affiliated animal laboratory.Eighty-five rats weighing 250 to 350 g anaesthetised with intraperitoneal pentobarbital (60 mg kg(-1)).Orotracheal intubation was performed on 35 animals (group Jou) using a previously reported technique and then on another 50 rats (group New) using the modified method employing a 3-ml syringe-derived intubation wedge, a 0.025-inch guidewire and a 16-gauge 45-mm-long intravenous catheter.The time for completion, the number of attempts and the incidence of difficulties and complications were recorded. The intubated tracheas were subsequently examined macroscopically and microscopically to determine position of the intubation catheter and the integrity of epithelial lining.Compared with the previous technique, the new method was completed more rapidly (1 ± 0.2 vs. 5 ± 2.4 min; P0.001), more smoothly (difficulties encountered in 8 vs. 74%; P0.001), with greater overall success (100 vs. 86%; P=0.022) and with fewer attempts [1 (1 to 1) vs. 2 (2 to 4); P0.001) for the new and Jou techniques, respectively, and with a lower incidence of procedure-related complications. Postmortem analysis confirmed there was no microscopic injury to the tracheal epithelial lining with the new technique in contrast to 57% in those using the Jou technique (P0.001).Tracheal intubation for laboratory rats can be securely and safely completed with the modified method employing a short learning curve and easily available devices.

Aim: Information regarding the effects of omega-3 fatty acid on hypertriglyceridemic patients in Chinese is still limited. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of Omacor®, a prescription ethyl-ester omega-3 fatty acid for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia, administered at doses of 2 g/day and 4 g/day to Taiwanese hypertriglyceridemic patients. Methods: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study in adults with hypertriglyceridemia was conducted. After a five-week diet lead in period patients with triglycerides = 200–1000 mg/dL were randomized to receive Omacor®, a concentrated preparation of omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in a dose of 1 g twice daily (2 g Omacor ®), 2 g twice daily (4 g Omacor®) or placebo, for eight weeks. The primary endpoint was the percentage change in triglyceride serum levels from baseline to the end of treatment. Results: A total of 253 Taiwanese patients were randomized, of which 65.6% (166) were men. At the end of the treatment, the percentage change in triglyceride serum levels in both the Omacor® 4 g/day (−32.1%) and 2 g/day (−29.7%) groups was larger than in the placebo group (−5.4%) (p < 0.001). The incidence of drug-related adverse events was as follows: 0.0%, 1.2%, and 0.0% in Omacor ® 4 g/day, Omacor® 2 g/day, and placebo groups, respectively. No drug-related serious adverse events were reported during the study. Conclusions: Omacor® may be a feasible option to treat hypertriglyceridemia in Taiwanese patients.

Whether patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and liver disease are also prone to cerebrovascular events and respond similarly favorably to antithrombotic therapy remains under-investigated.Patients ≥18years with newly-diagnosed AF in the period 2005 to 2009 were scrutinized from the "Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005" (1 million beneficiaries) of Taiwan's National Health Insurance Institute. Patients were categorized into the Liver (N=433) or the Non-liver (N=3490) cohort according to whether they had a diagnosis of advanced liver disease. Patients were then followed to determine cumulative incidence of hospitalization-requiring cerebrovascular events, preventive effects of antithrombotics, and predictors of cerebrovascular events by Cox regression analysis.Within a mean follow-up of 3.3±1.4years, ischemic stroke (89.2 vs. 50.3 per 1000 person-years, adjusted HR 1.502, 95% CI 1.207-1.868, p0.001) and overall cerebrovascular events (102.3 vs. 56.4 per 1000 person-years, adjusted HR 1.535, 95% CI 1.251-1.883, p0.001) occurred significantly more often in the Liver than in the Non-liver cohort. Cox models identified aging (≥65years), DM, and CHA2DS-VASc score≥2 points as risk factors for overall cerebrovascular events in the Liver cohort, whereas antiplatelet agents (HR 0.932, 95% CI 0.128-6.803, p=NS) and vit-K antagonistic anticoagulants (HR 1.087, 95% CI 0.150-7.862, p=NS) showed no correlation.AF patients comorbid with advanced liver disease are more vulnerable to ischemic and therein overall cerebrovascular events, especially in those with old age, DM, or high CHA2DS-VASc scores. This propensity to cerebrovascular events, however, can't be altered by antithrombotic therapy.

Background Tracheal intubation of laboratory mice remains essential yet challenging for most researchers. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this procedure can be more efficiently and safely accomplished by a novel method using slim and torqueable guidewires to guide access to the trachea. Methods This study was carried out in an animal laboratory affiliated to a tertiary medical center. Mice weighing 22 to 28 g were subjected to various open-chest experiments after being anesthetized with intraperitoneal ketamine (100 mg/kg) and lidocaine hydrochloride (10 mg/kg). The oropharyngeal cavity was opened with angled tissue forceps, and the trachea was transilluminated using an external light. The vocal cords were then crossed using either the Conventional method with a 38-mm-long, end-blunted stiff needle as a guide for insertion of a 22-gauge, 25-mm-long intravenous catheter into the trachea, or the Modified method utilizing using a 0.014-inch-thin torqueable wire as the guide to introduce an identical tube over it into the trachea. The epithelial integrity of the trachea was later examined histologically when the animals were sacrificed either immediately after the surgery or at 28 days post-surgery, depending on the corresponding research protocols. Results Orotracheal intubation was successfully completed in all mice using either the Conventional (N = 42) or the Modified method (N = 50). With the Modified method, intubation took less time (1.73 vs. 2.17 min, Modified vs. Conventional, p

Background Propofol is an anesthetic with pluripotent cytoprotective properties against various extrinsic insults. This study was designed to examine whether this agent could also ameliorate the infamous toxicity of doxorubicin, a widely-used chemotherapeutic agent against a variety of cancer diseases, on myocardial cells. Methods Cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were administrated with vehicle, doxorubicin (1 μM), propofol (1 μM), or propofol plus doxorubicin (given 1 h post propofol). After 24 h, cells were harvested and specific analyses regarding oxidative/nitrative stress and cellular apoptosis were conducted. Results Trypan blue exclusion and MTT assays disclosed that viability of cardiomyocytes was significantly reduced by doxorubicin. Contents of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species were increased and antioxidant enzymes SOD1, SOD2, and GPx were decreased in these doxorubicin-treated cells. Mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity and membrane potential were also depressed, along with activation of key effectors downstream of mitochondrion-dependent apoptotic signaling. Besides, abundance of p53 was elevated and cleavage of PKC-δ was induced in these myocardial cells. In contrast, all of the above oxidative, nitrative and pro-apoptotic events could be suppressed by propofol pretreatment. Conclusions Propofol could extensively counteract oxidative/nitrative and multiple apoptotic effects of doxorubicin in the heart; hence, this anesthetic may serve as an adjuvant agent to assuage the untoward cardiac effects of doxorubicin in clinical application.

The study objectives were to evaluate outcomes in patients who have received dry needling treatments and to identify predictors of pain and disability.The study was a prospective cohort follow-up design.The study was conducted at the Pain Clinic at Pingtung Christian Hospital, Taiwan.Ninety-two (92) patients sick-listed for 3 months or longer for myofascial pain syndrome.From February to October 2008, participants were treated at the pain clinic with dry needling of trigger points and muscle stretches of the involved muscles.Data were collected by self-administered questionnaires to assess changes in pain intensity and pain interference. Data collection was performed at baseline and after 2, 4, and 8 weeks. Sociodemographic variables, symptom characteristics, and baseline outcome measures were analyzed using generalized estimating equation methodology.The proposed dry-needling protocol reduced pain intensity and pain interference. Long duration of pain symptoms, high pain intensity, poor quality of sleep, and repetitive stress were associated with poor outcomes.Dry needling is an effective treatment for reducing pain and pain interference. However, long pain duration, high pain intensity, poor quality of sleep, and repetitive stress are associated with poor outcomes. Treatment outcome depends not only on the dry needling protocol, but also on disease characteristics and patient demographic profile.

Background Percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) is an effective treatment for mitral stenosis, but transseptal puncture carries a certain risk of complications. Our previous report has shown the effectiveness of phase-array intracardiac echocardiography (ICE)-guided transseptal puncture in patients with dilated left atrium undergoing PTMC. However, there are few reports comparing the new-generation mechanical versus phase-array ICE-guided transseptal puncture in PTMC. Methods Between March 2007 and March 2008, 6 consecutive patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis with dilated left atrium (range, 4.1–6.1 cm) underwent transseptal puncture by mechanical ICE guidance in PTMC by the same experienced operator. The procedural, echocardiographic and clinical results were retrospectively retrieved and analyzed. In addition, phase-array ICE-guided transseptal cases ( n = 7), which included consecutive cases from May to December 2008, were compared. Results All 6 patients could have fossa ovalis visualized by ICE, and none of them had false transseptal puncture. Mechanical ICE provided a panoramic wider view of the interatrium septum, and offered better knowledge of the needle's geographic contact to the fossa ovalis than did the phase-array system. The fluoroscopic time of PTMC in the mechanical ICE-guided group (37 ± 9 minutes, n = 6) was similar ( p = 0.465) to that of phase-array guidance (31 ± 15 minutes, n = 7). Conclusion Mechanical ICE is effective in guiding transseptal puncture in PTMC.

The coexistence of idiopathic pulmonary artery hypertension with pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) is challenging because although the PAVM causes hypoxia and polycythemia with potential thrombotic complications, closing the PAVM increases pulmonary artery pressure. We report on a lady with PAVM and idiopathic pulmonary artery hypertension who, within 2 years of diagnosis, had an ischemic stroke, PAVM enlargement from 20 × 20 × 30 mm to 30x × 40 × 40 mm and oximetry decrease to 90%. Transcatheter occlusion of PAVM with a vascular plug was successful. A year later, she had no flow via the PAVM and systemic oximetry improved to 97%, but pulmonary vascular resistance increased to 1.5-fold of baseline.

The purpose was to compare the findings of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) in prosthetic valve disorders using the operative findings as a gold standard. In a 3-year period, we prospectively enrolled 25 patients with 31 prosthetic heart valves. MDCT and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) were done to evaluate pannus formation, prosthetic valve dysfunction, suture loosening (paravalvular leak) and pseudoaneurysm formation. Patients indicated for surgery received an operation within 1 week. The MDCT findings were compared with the operative findings. One patient with a Björk-Shiley valve could not be evaluated by MDCT due to a severe beam-hardening artifact; thus, the exclusion rate for MDCT was 3.2% (1/31). Prosthetic valve disorders were suspected in 12 patients by either MDCT or TTE. Six patients received an operation that included three redo aortic valve replacements, two redo mitral replacements and one Amplatzer ductal occluder occlusion of a mitral paravalvular leak. The concordance of MDCT for diagnosing and localizing prosthetic valve disorders and the surgical findings was 100%. Except for images impaired by severe beam-hardening artifacts, MDCT provides excellent delineation of prosthetic valve disorders.

This paper presents the application of a hybrid controller to the optimization of the movement of a mobile robot. Through hybrid controller processes, the optimal angle and velocity of a robot moving in a work space was determined. More effective movement resulted from these hybrid controller processes. The experimental scenarios involved a five-versus-five soccer game and a MATLAB simulation, where the proposed system dynamically assigned the robot to the target position. The hybrid controller was able to choose a better position according to the circumstances encountered. The hybrid controller that is proposed includes a support vector machine and a fuzzy logic controller. We used the method of generalized predictive control to predict the target position, and the support vector machine to determine the optimal angle and velocity required for the mobile robot to reach the goal. First, we used the generalized predictive control to predict the target position. Then, the support vector machine is used to classify the angle that must be followed by the mobile robot to reach the goal. Next, a fuzzy logic controller is designed to determine the velocity of the left and right wheels of the mobile robot. Thus generated, the velocity was optimized according to the measures obtained by the support vector machine. Finally, based on the optimal velocity of robot, the output membership function was modified. Consequently, the proposed hybrid controller allowed the robot to reach the goal quickly and effectively.

PROBLEM: In many resource-poor countries that are scaling up antiretroviral therapy (ART), 5-25% of patients are reported as "lost to follow-up". This figure is 9% in Malawi. There is no published information about the true outcome status of these patients. APPROACH: In four facilities in northern Malawi, ART registers and master cards were used to identify patients who had not attended the facility for 3 months or more and were thus registered as "lost to follow-up". Clinic staff attempted to trace these patients and ascertain their true outcome status. LOCAL SETTING: Of 253 patients identified as "lost to follow-up", 127 (50%) were dead, 58% of these having died within 3 months of their last clinic visit. Of the 58 patients (23%) found to be alive, 21 were still receiving ART and 37 had stopped treatment (high transport costs being the main reason for 13 patients). Sixty-eight patients (27%) could not be traced, most commonly because of an incorrect address in the register. Fewer patients were alive and more patients could not be traced from the central hospital compared with the peripheral hospitals. RELEVANT CHANGES:Better documentation of patients’ addresses and prompt follow-up of patients who are late for their appointments are required. LESSONS LEARNED: ART clinics in resource-poor countries should ensure that patients’ addresses are correct and comprehensive. Clinics should also undertake contact tracing as soon as possible in the event of non-attendance, consider facilitating access to ART clinics and take loss to follow-up into consideration when assessing death rates.

Background Whether and how mitral regurgitation impacts perioperative outcome of noncardiac surgery remains unclear. Methods From November 1999 to August 2004, all patients undergoing noncardiac operations and ever examined by echocardiography within prior 12 months were screened. Those with moderate-severe or severe mitral regurgitation were enrolled provided they were not already trachea-intubated and the surgery was not performed under local anesthesia. The perioperative outcomes of these patients were analyzed, and related prognostic predictors were investigated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 84 patients (43 men, mean age of 66 years, low surgical risk in 28 and intermediate in 56) complying with the inclusion criteria were included. Their surgery was complicated by frequent (31%) yet minor intraoperative adverse events of controllable hypotension and bradycardia. In contrast, the postoperative outcomes were seriously complicated with high morbidity (27.4%, mostly pulmonary edema and prolonged tracheal intubation) and mortality (11.9%). Atrial fibrillation was identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis as the predictor of inhospital death (OD 11.579, P = .003), whereas surgical risk level (OD 5.118, P = .021), left ventricular ejection fraction (OD 0.958, P = .026), and atrial fibrillation (OD 3.058, P = .045), as independent predictors of postoperative morbidity. Conclusions Under current anesthetic management, patients with advanced mitral regurgitation could go through fairly safe intraoperative course of noncardiac surgery despite minor complications. Their postoperative outcome was, however, complicated by extraordinarily high morbidity and mortality, especially in those with preexisting atrial fibrillation, higher surgical risk level, and lower left ventricular ejection fraction.

Background Cardiac syndrome X (CSX) is characterized by angina pectoris but with patent coronary arteries. Our previous study showed that CSX subjects had decreased serum adiponectin but higher leptin and insulin resistance (IR). However, few studies have investigated circulating adipokines and IR in subjects with combined metabolic syndrome X (MetX) and CSX. Methods Fifty-nine subjects with CSX were retrospectively enrolled from our cardiac catheterization patient databank. Fifty-four subjects with valvular heart disease or arrhythmia and with normal coronary angiograms were recruited as the non-CSX comparison group. The study subjects were reclassified according to the presence or absence of MetX. Circulating adipokines and degree of IR were measured. Results Subjects with combined MetX and CSX had a significantly higher HOMA-IR, a higher circulating leptin level (median 8.7 vs. 3.3 ng/mL, p

Background Traffic accidents account for a substantial proportion of premature disabilities and deaths. Whether atrial fibrillation (AF) provokes while antithrombotics prevent from such events remains un-investigated. Methods All patients ≥40years with newly diagnosed AF in 2005 were scrutinized from the "Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005" (1 million beneficiaries) of Taiwan's National Health Insurance Institute as the AF group. Four-fold number of age-, gender-, and comorbidity-matched patients but without AF served as the Non-AF controls. Patients were followed till occurrence of hospitalization-requiring traffic injury, death, withdrawal from insurance, or the end of 2010. Cumulative incidence of traffic accidents was compared between groups, and predictors and preventive role of antithrombotics for these accidents were identified by Cox regression analysis. Results Within a mean follow-up of 4.3years, traffic injury occurred significantly more often in patients with AF (N=1724) than those without it (N=6896) (5.4 vs. 4.9 per 1000 person-years, log-rank p=0.012, HR 1.110, 95% CI 1.013–1.572). Cox models identified age ≧65years, hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke, liver cirrhosis and CHADS2VASC score≧1 as risk factors for traffic injury in AF patients, whereas oral anticoagulants (HR 0.576, 95% CI 0.285–0.791, p=0.002) used in patients with CHADS2VASC score ≧1 but not antiplatelet therapy (p=0.197) as negative predictors. Conclusion Patients with AF are more vulnerable to traffic accidents especially when with higher CHADS2VASC scores and other comorbidities. This tendency to traffic accidents, however, could be ameliorated by oral anticoagulation in specialized cases but not by antiplatelet therapy.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease but with significant morbidity and high mortality. There is no specific way to diagnose PAH. Thus, an easy used with good sensitivity and specificity biomarker of PAH is highly desirable to aid in the screening, diagnosis, and follow-up. Caveolin-1 (Cav1) is the structural protein of caveolae and is highly expressed in type I pneumocytes. Lungs tissues from idiopathic PAH (IPAH) patients showed decreased expression of Cav1 in vascular endothelial cells. Therefore, we developed a direct sandwich immunoassay for the determination of Cav1 in IAPH patient’s serum. The result disclosed serum Cav1 level was significantly lower in IPAH than control groups. Using serum Cav1, 17.17 pg/mL as a cutoff value, the sensitivity was 0.59 and the specificity was 1.0. There were two major findings in our results. First, serum Cav1 might be a novel biomarker in the diagnosis of IPAH with fare sensitivity and good specificity. Second, Cav1 might be used to make differential diagnosis between COPD-PH and IPAH group.

Optimal endovascular therapy for isolated superior mesenteric artery (SMA) dissection remains undetermined. Here, we report a 56-year-old male with ischemic bowel syndrome caused by such a serious vascular disease. He was treated with endovascular true lumen stenting yet got aggravated in bowel ischemia from unexpected jail of major intestinal branches perfused by the false lumen, requiring subsequent complex rewiring and dilatation procedures to resolve at the cost of excessive fluoroscopic and contrast medium exposure. Thus, when treating patients with isolated SMA dissection with a functioning false lumen, true lumen stenting may inadvertently compromise crucial intestinal branches and should not be indiscriminately considered as the prime therapeutic option.

the drug. Therefore, one should always have in mind that during treatment of systemic inflammatory, neoplastic or hematological diseases with monoclonal antibodies the production of anti-drug antibodies is a reality. These antibodies can cause hypersensitivity reactions, worsen overt or incipient heart failure [11] and induce myocardial infarction manifesting as Kounis syndrome [3]. The authors of this manuscript have certified that they comply with the Principles of Ethical Publishing in the International Journal of Cardiology.

A 58-year-old man with acute type B aortic dissection presented with right lower limb cyanosis, mesenteric ischemia, and acute renal failure. He was treated with extraanatomic right axillofemoral bypass surgery alone, recovered completely from renal, mesenteric, and lower extremity malperfusion shortly thereafter, and lived free of symptoms for the following year. Follow-up computed tomography angiograms documented adequate expansion of the true aortic lumen and good perfusion of visceral organs. Thus, managing such patients with coexisting visceral and extremity malperfusion may be accomplished with axillofemoral bypass exclusively, which can relieve ischemia of upstream abdominal organs and downstream lower extremities effectively and durably.

Eosinophilic myocarditis is recognized by severe heart failure and marked eosinophilia infiltration resulting from different etiologies. Acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis, the initial presentation of the disease, is rare and often fatal, with unique echocardiographic pictures, and followed by endocardial thrombosis and chronic endomyocardial fibrosis. We report a young female with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who presented fever and acute heart failure syndrome. The echocardiography showed severe left ventricle diastolic dysfunction with preserved ejection fraction. Systemic eosinophilia and the unique echocardiographic images made the diagnosis of acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis. The patient survived after intensive cytotoxic chemotherapy including high-dose steroid.

Whether angiographic coronary severity really predicts future major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) is uncertain. Few studies have compared the efficacy of SYNTAX, Gensini and Jeopardy scores in predicting MACE in stable CAD.We collected data of MACE, including all-cause mortality, all strokes, new myocardial infarction and unplanned repeat revascularization, in subjects with stable CAD from our catheterization databank. Coronary severity was graded with SYNTAX, Gensini and Jeopardy scoring systems.During a median follow-up period of 42months, 39 out of the 181 subjects developed at least 1 MACE. Those with MACE had a significantly higher baseline high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (p=0.025). Multivariate analysis showed that coronary severity score, hs-CRP and diabetes mellitus were significant predictors for MACE. Kaplan-Meier estimates showed a significant difference in MACE-free rates between SYNTAX binary scores (≥15 vs.15, p=0.043), Gensini binary scores (≥36 vs.36, p=0.048) and Jeopardy binary scores (≥4 vs.4, p=0.001).Coronary severity score, hs-CRP and diabetes mellitus independently predicted MACE in patients with stable CAD. The Jeopardy score is simple to calculate and as effective for predicting MACE in stable CAD as the complex SYNTAX score.

Background Whether serum triglyceride level correlates with clinical outcomes of patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) remains unclear. Methods From June 2008 to February 2012, all patients with STEMI who were treated with pPCI in this tertiary referral hospital and then had fasting lipid profiles measured within 24 hours were included and dichotomized into lower- (≦150 mg/dl) and higher-triglyceridemic (>150 mg/dl) groups. Baseline characteristics, in-hospital outcomes, and late major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were compared in-between. Independent predictors for in-hospital death and late adverse events were identified by multivariate logistic and Cox regression analyses. Results A total of 247 patients were enrolled, including 163 lower-triglyceridemic and 84 higher-triglyceridemic subjects. The angiographic characteristics, pPCI results and in-hospital outcomes were similar between the two groups. However, multivariate logistic analysis identified triglyceride level as a negative predictor for in-hospital death (OR 0.963, 95% CI 0.931-0.995, p = 0.023). At follow-up for a mean period of 1.23 to 1.40 years, compared with the high-triglyceridemic group, low-triglyceridemic patients had fewer cumulative incidences of target vessel revascularization (TVR) (21.7% vs. 9.5%, p = 0.011) and overall MACE (26.1% vs. 11.9%, p = 0.0137). Cox regression analysis confirmed serum triglyceride as a negative predictor for TVR and overall MACE. Conclusions Serum triglyceride level inversely correlates with in-hospital death and late outcomes in patients with STEMI treated with pPCI. Thus, when managing such patients, a high serum triglyceride level can be regarded as a benign factor but not a target for aggressive therapy.

This aim of this study was to correlate heart rate variability (HRV) parameters to pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) in patients with purely idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH).HRV is decreased in patients with PAH. Whether HRV indices can be used to assess PAP in IPAH patients remains unclear.HRV parameters obtained by 24-h ECG were evaluated in 26 IPAH patients and 51 controls.Time-domain HRV parameters (SDNN, p 0.0001; SDANN, p 0.0001; RMSSD, p = 0.006) were lower in IPAH patients. Frequency-domain indices (high-frequency power, HFP, p = 0.001; low-frequency power, LFP, p = 0.003; total power, TP, p = 0.001) were also decreased in IPAH patients. In IPAH patients, RMSSD (p = 0.001), HFP (p = 0.015), and LFP (p = 0.027) were significantly correlated with PAP. IPAH patients had longer QTc intervals (p 0.0001) and more premature ventricular contractions (p 0.0001) than controls.IPAH is associated with autonomic dysfunction. RMSSD, HFP, and LFP may be used as a supplemental tool to assess PAP in IPAH patients. IPAH patients with autonomic dysfunction are at high risk for ventricular arrhythmia.

The use of SPECT phase analysis to optimize left-ventricular (LV) lead positions for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) was performed at baseline, but CRT works as simultaneous right ventricular (RV) and LV pacing. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of RV apical (RVA) pacing on optimal LV lead positions measured by SPECT phase analysis.This study prospectively enrolled 46 patients. Two SPECT myocardial perfusion scans were acquired under sinus rhythm with complete left bundle branch block and RVA pacing, respectively, following a single injection of (99m)Tc-sestamibi. LV dyssynchrony parameters and optimal LV lead positions were measured by the phase analysis technique and then compared between the two scans.The LV dyssynchrony parameters were significantly larger with RVA pacing than with sinus rhythm (p ~0.01). In 39 of the 46 patients, the optimal LV lead positions were the same between RVA pacing and sinus rhythm (kappa = 0.861). In 6 of the remaining 7 patients, the optimal LV lead positions were along the same radial direction, but RVA pacing shifted the optimal LV lead positions toward the base.The optimal LV lead positions measured by SPECT phase analysis were consistent, no matter whether the SPECT images were acquired under sinus rhythm or RVA pacing. In some patients, RVA pacing shifted the optimal LV lead positions toward the base. This study supports the use of baseline SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging to optimize LV lead positions to increase CRT efficacy.

Coronary artery aneurysm is a rare disorder, characterized by abnormal dilatation of a localized portion or diffuse segments of the coronary artery. We studied clinical demographics, catheterization findings, and clinical outcomes in an Asian patient cohort with documented coronary artery aneurysms. Compared to a Caucasian adult population, our patient cohort had a lower incidence of coronary artery aneurysm (0.25% vs. 2.6%), and more patients with nonobstructive coronary artery aneurysms (70%); age, gender, and coronary distribution were comparable. The initial presentation of myocardial infarction occurred in five patients (5/17, 30%) with nonobstructive coronary artery aneurysms; however, none who were receiving preventive medications consisting of anticoagulant and antiplatelet agents subsequently developed myocardial infarction. We conclude that the incidence of coronary artery aneurysms with or without associated significant coronary stenosis seems to be lower in the Asian population. In contrast, the incidence of nonobstructive coronary artery aneurysms is considerably high and should not be thought of as a relatively benign disease entity if not treated with preventive medications. Rheumatoid arthritis-related vasculitis might be a cause of coronary artery aneurysm. Surgical intervention is based on the severity of coronary artery stenosis. The result of medical treatment has been compatible with long-term survival. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 48:31-38, 1999.

A 63-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to a grade III systolic murmur over the pulmonary area. A chest x-ray ([Figure 1A][1]) showed cardiomegaly with abnormal vascular shadow over the left atrium area. Transthoracic echocardiography showed coronary artery drainage into pulmonary

Background Iso-osmolar iodixanol was shown to least affect very-short-term renal function. However, its short- and long-term renal effects after cardiovascular catheterizations in severe renal insufficiency remain unknown. Methods Patients undergoing elective cardiovascular catheterizations and having pre-procedural serum creatinine (Scr) ≥2.5mg/dl were prospectively studied. The results were compared to those of historical controls who received iopromide. Results The iodixanol group included 27 patients, aged 73±1years, and the case-matched control group consisted of another 27 patients, aged 71±1years. The baseline Scr were 3.0±0.3 and 3.0±0.2mg/dl respectively. Although the Scr at 3months was similar, the Scr at 6months was lower in the iodixanol group (2.7±0.3 vs 4.2±0.5mg/dl, p =0.017). The absolute and percentage increments in Scr at 3months (0.0±0.2 vs 0.6±0.2mg/dl, p =0.014, and 1±4% vs 24±6%, p =0.003, respectively) and 6months (−0.3±0.2 vs 1.3±0.4mg/dl, p =0.001, and −10±5% vs 47±12%, p Conclusions Iodixanol better preserves short- and long-term renal outcomes in patients with severe baseline renal insufficiency.

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a very high risk cardiovascular disease population and should be treated aggressively. We investigated lipid management in CKD patients with atherosclerosis in Taiwan. Methods: 3057 patients were enrolled in a multi-center study (T-SPARCLE). Lipid goal are defined as total cholesterol (TC) < 160mg/dl, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) 40 mg/dl in men, HDL > 50 mg/dl in women, non-HDL cholesterol < 130mg/dl, and triglyceride < 150 mg/dl. Results: Compared with those without CKD (n=2239), patients with CKD (n=818) had more co-morbidities (hypertension, glucose intolerance, stroke and heart failure) and lower HDL but higher triglyceride levels. Overall 2168 (70.5%) patients received lipid-lowering agents. There was similar equivalent statin potency between CKD and non-CKD groups. The goal attainment is lower in HDL and TG in the CKD group as compared with non-CKD subjects (47.1 vs. 51.9% and 63.2 vs. 68.9% respectively, both p < 0.02). Analysis of sex and CKD interaction on goals attainment showed female CKD subjects had lower non-HDL and TG goals attainment compared with non-CKD males (both p < 0.019). Conclusion: Although presenting with more comorbidities, the CKD population had suboptimal lipid goal attainment rate as compared with the non-CKD population. Further efforts may be required for better lipid control especially on the female CKD subjects.

Robot-assisted coronary artery bypass grafting requires continuous one-lung ventilation (OLV) to evacuate the thoracic cavity. Whether this ventilatory mode subjects patients to serious hypoxemia remains underinvestigated.From 2005 to 2010, all patients receiving robot-assisted coronary artery bypass graft surgery using OLV with active capnothorax for internal mammary artery harvesting and then passive pneumothorax for minithoracotomy direct-vision coronary bypass graft surgery were included. Patients' variables of oxygenation were monitored and compared throughout the whole surgical period. Persistent oxygen desaturation (arterial oxygen pressure70 mm Hg) refractory to primary managements was defined as a hypoxemic event, and predictors of such events were identified by multivariate regression analysis.A total of 255 consecutive patients were enrolled. Average oxygen saturation decreased modestly during the first stage of OLV with active capnothorax, causing hypoxemic events in 9 patients (4.3%) leading to death in 2 (0.8%), whereas it dropped drastically in the second stage of OLV with passive pneumothorax, resulting in hypoxemic events in 32 patients (12.6%) and death in 1 (0.4%). Multivariate regression analysis identified high pulmonary vascular resistance and low left ventricular ejection fraction as predictors of hypoxemia during internal mammary artery takedown, whereas prolonged procedure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were identified as predictors during minithoracotomy bypass grafting.Robot-assisted two-stage coronary artery bypass surgery employing OLV could be complicated by serious hypoxemia especially at the minithoracotomy grafting stage and in patients with specific risk factors. Thus, when managing such patients, invasive monitoring and aggressive treatment of arterial desaturation are mandatory to ensure the patient's safety and procedural smoothness.

The combination of low rather than high dose of dextromethorphan (DXM) with amlodipine (AM) could improve blood pressure (BP) reduction in hypertensive animals. The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of different doses of DXM combined with standard AM treatment in clinical hypertension. This was a prospective, 14-week, dose-escalation, multicenter study. After 2-week run-in period with AM 5 mg/day, hypertensive patients who got the BP goal of 140/90 mmHg kept receiving AM monotherapy for another 12 weeks. The nonresponders, while kept on AM 5 mg/day, received additional DXM treatment for 3 sequential dose-titrated periods with initially 2.5 mg/day, followed by 7.5 mg/day, and finally 30 mg/day. Each period was for 4 weeks. The patients at BP goal after each treatment period were defined as the responders and kept on the same combination till the end of the study. The responder rate of each treatment period was recorded. The changes of BP and serum antioxidant/endothelial markers between week 14 and week 2 were evaluated. Of the 103 patients initially enrolled, 89 entered the treatment period. In the 78 patients completing the study, 31 (40%) at BP goal after 2-week AM run-in kept on AM monotherapy (DXM0). The addition of 2.5 (DXM2.5) and 7.5 mg/day (DXM7.5) of DXM enabled BP goal achievement in 22 (47%) nonresponders to AM monotherapy including 16 (29%) with DXM2.5 and 6 (18%) with DXM7.5. Only 4 patients (16%) reached BP goal with the combination of DXM 30 mg/day (DXM30). Overall, 73% of the 78 patients reached BP goal at the end of the 14-week study. Mean systolic BP was reduced by 7.9% ± 7.0% with DXM2.5 (P

Statin has potential protective effects against atrial fibrillation. Clinically, there is a need to predict the atrial fibrillation protective effects in statin-treated patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate if cardiovascular co-morbidities or cumulative defined daily doses (cDDDs) of statin use could predict statin efficacy in atrial fibrillation prevention.Patients aged ≥ 50 years were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Medical records of 171,885 patients were used in this study, and 40,001 (23.3%) of the patients received statin therapy (≥ 28 cDDDs). Risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation in statin users and non-users (28 cDDDs) was estimated.During the 9-year follow-up period, 6049 patients experienced new-onset atrial fibrillation. Overall, statin therapy reduced the risk of atrial fibrillation by 28% (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.72; 95% CI 0.68 to 0.77). There was a dose-response relationship between statin use and the risk of atrial fibrillation. The adjusted HRs for atrial fibrillation were 1.04, 0.85, and 0.50 when cDDDs ranged from 28 to 90, 91 to 365, and more than 365, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that statin use was more beneficial in patients with higher CHADS2 and CHA2DS2VASc scores than those with a score of 0 (P value for interaction0.001). The therapy provided no obvious beneficial effect in those with a CHADS2 score of 0, a CHA2DS2VASc score of 0, or cDDDs less than 91.Statin therapy reduces the risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation in a dose-dependent manner, and is beneficial in patients with cardiovascular co-morbidities.

A 64 year-old male presented with a five month history of effort angina. Non-invasive studies demonstrated preserved left ventricular function and a modest stress-induced myocardial perfusion defect at the anterior wall. Coronary angiography revealed occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery with its distal segment well supplied by collaterals branching from a left circumflex-to-main pulmonary artery fistula. The occluded left anterior descending coronary artery was recanalised by percutaneous interventions, the collaterals vanished immediately, and the patient lived free of symptoms for the following five months.

OBJECTIVE. Pulmonary hypertension is a challenge for imagers and clinicians, with a variety of possible underlying causes, each with its own specific treatment. Although the diagnosis is based on physiologic measurements, ECG-gated MDCT can play a vital role in elucidating underlying cardiac, vascular, and pulmonary causes. CONCLUSION. A revised system for pulmonary hypertension, the Dana Point classification, can provide a template for review of the myriad causes of this complex condition.

Late-onset proximal coronary artery stenosis caused by preceding percutaneous catheterisation procedures remains under-surveyed.From 1993, all patients undergoing percutaneous coronary procedures and a second session within 3 years were included except those ever treated by coronary bypass surgery or chest radiotherapy during this 3-year period. Emergence of a new lesion or worsening of an initially insignificant lesion to50% of diameter stenosis at the never-treated ostial/proximal coronary segment on the follow-up angiogram was defined as late coronary stenosis caused by the previous catheterisation procedure and was analysed.From January 1993 to December 2005, 3240 patients who underwent 5025 procedures met the inclusion criteria. Of them, 23 patients experienced an event of late coronary artery stenosis (overall incidence 0.46%), and interventional procedures, specifically shaped catheters (Voda, XB, Amplatz Left) and atherosclerosis vulnerability correlated with risks of adverse events. Most of these events could be managed by contemporary medical, interventional, or surgical strategies, yet hazards of mortality and long-term restenosis still existed from this catheter-induced complication.Percutaneous catheterisation procedures could be complicated by late proximal coronary artery stenosis. Thus, when conducting these procedures, operators should select and manipulate catheters with caution, especially in patients with susceptible clinical characteristics.

The objective of this study was to evaluate a program for managing myofascial pain syndrome (MPS).The study design was a randomized controlled trial.The setting was the pain clinic of an academic hospital in Taiwan.Sixty-two (62) patients with a 3-month or longer history of MPS who were treated at this institution from July to November 2007 were included in the study.The participants were randomized to an experimental group (n = 32) or a control group (n = 30). Both groups underwent trigger-point dry needling and muscle-stretch exercise regimen for passively stretching the affected muscles to their normal lengths; the experimental group then watched an 8-minute multimedia instructional video about MPS with supplemental handouts.The Brief Pain Inventory-Taiwan was administered at baseline and 1 month thereafter. The effect size model was used to measure the effects of Brief Pain Inventory-Taiwan. Bootstrap estimation was used to derive 95% confidence intervals for group differences.Compared to the control group, the experimental group had significantly less interference of pain, lower intensity of present pain, and least pain (p0.05). Multiple regression analysis of patients with shoulder pain revealed significantly improved pain intensity and interference of pain (p0.05).The findings emphasize the importance of including patient education programs in MPS intervention.

Coronary artery disease can now be treated with drugs or with surgery. In some patients with advanced disease, low cardiac output may develop after coronary bypass graft surgery (CABG). Appropriate measures are often required to ensure adequate perfusion of vital organs in such patients. Of the invasive measures for support of low cardiac output, intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) is most widely used. In common practice, fluoroscopy or radiography is used for guiding the insertion of the IABP catheter to the correct position. However, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) can also be used and is more convenient.