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In pectus excavatum, three-dimensional (3D) surface imaging provides an accurate and radiation-free alternative to computed tomography (CT) to determine severity. Yet, it does not allow for cardiac evaluation since 3D imaging solely captures the chest wall surface. The objective was to develop a 3D image-based prediction model for cardiac compression in patients evaluated for pectus excavatum. A prospective cohort study was conducted including consecutive patients referred for pectus excavatum who received a thoracic CT. Additionally, 3D images were acquired. The external pectus depth, its length, craniocaudal position, cranial slope, asymmetry, anteroposterior distance and chest width were calculated from 3D images. Together with baseline patient characteristics they were submitted to forward multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors for cardiac compression. Cardiac compression on CT was used as reference. The model's performance was depicted by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. Internal validation was performed using bootstrapping. Sixty-one patients were included of whom 41 had cardiac compression on CT. A combination of the 3D image derived external pectus depth and external anteroposterior distance was identified as predictive for cardiac compression, yielding an AUROC of 0.935 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.878-0.992) with an optimism of 0.006. In a second model for males alone, solely the external pectus depth was identified as predictor, yielding an AUROC of 0.947 (95% CI: 0.892-1.000) with an optimism of 0.0002. We have developed two 3D image-based prediction models for cardiac compression in patients evaluated for pectus excavatum which provide an outstanding discriminatory performance between the presence and absence of cardiac compression with negligible optimism.

Chest wall malformations include excavated deformities or pectus excavatum (PEX) and carinated deformities or pectus carinatum (PC). These deformities can be mixed defects and they may also be a part of a congenital syndrome such as the Currarino Silverman syndrome. The development in the field of chest wall malformations has been steep in the three last decades and both adult and pediatric surgeons have become specialized in the subject pushing even forward the baggage of knowledge. We aim to introduce the reader in the different aspects related to pectus deformities.

Introduction: Cardiac compression is a cumbersome procedure. The American Heart Association suggests switching of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) provider every 2 min to prevent any decrease in resuscitation quality. High quality CPR is associated with improved outcomes. Previous studies have highlighted the difficulties in providing high quality CPR particularly while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of personal protective equipment (PPE) use on CPR quality in prehospital cardiac arrest situations. Methods: In this prospective simulation study, we compared the cardiac compression qualities and fatigue rates among prehospital health care professionals (HCPs) who were or were not using PPE. Results: A total of 76 prehospital HCPs comprising 38 compression teams participated in this study. The mean compression rate was 117.71 ± 8.27/min without PPE and 115.58 ± 9.02/min with PPE (p = 0.191). Overall compression score was 86.95 ± 4.39 without PPE and 61.89 ± 14.43 with PPE (p

Cardiac compression in pectus excavatum remains difficult to evaluate. We describe the findings with intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography during pectus excavatum correction in pediatric patients.We studied right heart changes during surgical correction of pectus excavatum by transesophageal echocardiograph. Four-D echo was associated to assess morphology of the tricuspid annulus.Twenty patients were included, mean age 13.5 (+/- 2.9). Mean preoperative Haller Index was 6.3 (+/- 2.63) and mean Correction Index 47.63% (+/- 12.4%). Preoperative transthoracic echocardiography at rest showed mild right heart compression in 6. Correction was gained by Nuss technique in 19, and Taulinoplasty in one. Initial transesophageal echocardiography showed compression of the right heart and deformation of the tricuspid annulus in all. During the sternal elevation, diameters of right atrium, ventricle and tricuspid annulus significantly improved: mean augmentation of right ventricle was 5.78 mm (+/- 3.56 p 0.05), right atrium 6.64 mm (+/- 5.55 p 0.05) and tricuspid annulus 6.02 mm (+/- 3.29 p 0.05). The morphology of the tricuspid annulus in 4D normalized.Preoperative transthoracic echocardiography at rest underestimates right chamber compression in pediatric patients with pectus excavatum. Surgical correction improves diameters of the right ventricle, right atrium and tricuspid annulus and normalizes the morphology of the tricuspid annulus (4D).Level III.

Pectus excavatum is a common chest wall deformity with inward deviation of sternum and accompanying ribs. The depression can cause symptomatic cardiac compression, although the cardiopulmonary impact remains controversial. We present 2 cases of cardiac transplantation followed by modified minimally invasive pectus excavatum repair due to the hemodynamic consequences of the pectus deformity.

The role of sternal torsion (ST) in patients with pectus excavatum (PEX) is unknown. We evaluated the relationship between ST and both chest malformation and cardiac compression (CC) indexes.We included consecutive patients with PEX who underwent chest computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to define surgical candidacy. Malformation indexes included the Haller index (HI), correction index (CI), and ST. CC and the tricuspid to mitral annulus width ratio were evaluated using CMR.One-hundred and sixteen patients were included, with a mean HI of 5.8 ± 3.6 and a mean CI of 35.8 ± 18.0%. ST was significantly related to malformation indexes, being patients with absence of ST those showing the lowest HI (p = 0.048) and CI (p = 0.002). Right-sided ST was significantly related to the CC classification (p = 0.0001), and the tricuspid/mitral annulus width ratio was significantly lower among these patients (absence 0.98 ± 0.15, left-sided 0.91 ± 0.10, right-sided 0.80 ± 0.15, p 0.0001). A significant inverse relationship between ST degrees and the tricuspid/mitral ratio was also identified (r = -0.47, p 0.0001).We identified a significant relationship between ST and both chest malformation and CC indexes; the absence of ST being identified as a marker of an overall more benign phenotype.Study of diagnostic test.Level II.

Background Life-threatening arrhythmias have been reported in patients with severe pectus excavatum in absence of other cardiac abnormalities. Literature is scarce regarding diagnosis, cause and management of this problem, particularly regarding the question as to whether the placement of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is necessary. Case summary A 19-year-old male patient with severe pectus excavatum was scheduled for elective surgical correction. During forward bending for epidural catheter placement, syncope and ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurred resulting in cardiac arrest. After successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation, extensive analysis was performed and showed no cause for VF other than cardiac compression (particularly of the left atrium, right atrium, and ventricle to a lesser degree) due to severe pectus excavatum. Postponed correction by modified Ravitch was performed without ICD placement, with an uneventful post-operative recovery. Eighteen months after surgery, the patient remains well. Upon specific request, he did remember dizzy spells when tying shoelaces. He always considered this unremarkable. Discussion In severe pectus excavatum with cardiac compression, forward bending can decrease central venous return and cardiac output, causing hypotension, arrhythmia, and cardiac arrest. In absence of structural or electric abnormalities, cardiac compression by severe pectus excavatum was considered a reversible cause of VF and ICD placement unnecessary. Patients with cardiac compression due to severe pectus excavatum may report pre-existing postural symptoms upon specific request. When these postural symptoms are present, extreme and prolonged forward bending postures should be avoided.

On radiographic imaging, the finding of a right-sided heart location can be due to multiple etiologies and may be congenital or acquired. We present the case of a 71-year-old male with a self-reported past medical history of hiatal hernia and previously diagnosed dextrocardia. The patient experienced cardiovascular intervention following an ST-elevation myocardial infarction. In the cardiac workup, a low-voltage normal electrocardiogram confirmed dextroposition of the heart due to significant herniation of gastric contents into the thoracic cavity. This gentleman had presumably been diagnosed with dextrocardia, a right-left reversal of heart anatomy and electrophysiology, based on imaging and incomplete workup. Dextroposition refers to a rightward shift of the mediastinum with no changes in orientation of cardiac anatomy, and therefore unchanged directional orientation of conduction. This is an important distinction from dextrocardia, a mirror-image reversal of the cardiac chambers and heart location in the chest wall, such as that due to congenital ciliary dysfunction. A sliding hernia is an uncommon cause of the rightward mediastinal shift, with few such cases documented in the literature, and cardiovascular manifestations of hiatal hernias are discussed. This case exemplifies the role of an electrocardiogram in distinguishing between dextrocardia and dextroposition for accurate diagnosis and management.

Cardiac tamponade is a rare complication that occurs during hemihepatectomy. This particular complication has a high degree of mortality and morbidity. A 51-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for surgical treatment of a malignant liver tumor. During surgery, she developed sudden hemodynamic instability and signs suggesting cardiac tamponade, which was confirmed via transthoracic echocardiogram. Cardiac compression and creation of a pericardial window resulted in immediate hemodynamic improvement. At completion of surgery, a repeated transthoracic echocardiogram showed no pericardial effusion. Early ultrasound-assisted diagnosis and treatment of cardiac tamponade are crucial. Although cardiac tamponade rarely occurs during hemihepatectomy, medics should be aware of this possibility to ensure prompt diagnosis. Our findings strongly support the use of early cardiac compression in cardiac arrest during surgery with echocardiography for prompt and accurate diagnosis of cardiac tamponade. Additionally, our findings will hopefully make anesthesiologists aware of the need to maintain a high index of suspicion for cardiac tamponade with sudden hypotension and a large reduction in differential pressure, and encourage early use of echocardiography and timely cardiac compression.

BACKGROUND In children with pectus excavatum, the posteriorly depressed sternum compresses and displaces the heart. However, the currently recommended compression site and depth for cardiopulmonary resuscitation have not been studied in this population. AIM This retrospective study investigated the location of the center of ventricles with the largest cross-sectional area to determine the optimal site and depth for chest compressions in pediatric pectus excavatum patients. METHODS Chest computed tomography images of 94 pediatric pectus excavatum patients before and after correction surgery were compared with normal patients. The caudal displacement of the ventricles was calculated by dividing the length of sternum by the length from the suprasternal notch to the transverse level of the largest cross-sectional area of the ventricles. The proportional leftward deviation of the center of the ventricles from the midline versus transverse diameter of the thorax was calculated. The remaining internal thickness was calculated at the midline assuming the recommended compression depth of one-third of the anterior to posterior diameter. RESULTS Compared with the normal population (mean = 81% [SD = 10.3%]), pediatric pectus excavatum patients showed caudal displacement of ventricles before (98.2% [15.1%], 95% CI of mean difference; 13.7%-20.5%, P

To improve the biocompatibility of ventricular assist devices (VADs), the possible approaches are mimicking the blood flow pattern in the left ventricle or assisting the diseased heart without blood contacts. Currently VADs are driven by electromagnetic motors which are suitable working at high rotation speed with maximum efficiency, resulting in compact, fully implantable VADs with continuous blood flow. These VADs provide meaningful increases in survival, functional capacity, and quality of life. Implantation volumes continue to grow, but severe adverse complications remain to be overcome before VADs will be considered as the therapy of choice for all patients with advanced heart failure. Most of severe adverse complications are associated with high shear stresses in the blood flow and asynchronization with the native heart. To reduce these severe adverse complications, this chapter explores the feasibility of VADs to mimic the blood flow pattern in the left ventricle driven by ultrasonic motors, which are characterized light weight, small size, fast response with mechanical time constant less than 1 ms, high torque density, accurate speed and position control, and unaffected by the magnetic field. The VADs actuated by ultrasonic motors have the potential to be small size, and improved biocompatibility with actuate synchronization and favorable blood flow pattern. This chapter also introduces the preogress in the development of direct cardiac compression devices.

Resume Introduction La maladie hydatique cardiaque est rare et touche 0,5 a 2 % des patients atteints d’hydatidose. L’hydatidose intrapericardique isolee est quant a elle extremement rare. Observation Nous rapportons le cas d’une jeune femme souffrant de compression cardiaque due a de multiples kystes hydatiques primaires intrapericardiques. Depuis un an, elle presentait une alteration progressive de l’etat general, une dyspnee, des sueurs et une perte de poids de 8 kg. Un elargissement du mediastin etait visible sur la radiographie du thorax. La tomodensitometrie, l’echocardiographie et l’IRM dynamique montraient des kystes mediastinaux multiples avec un effet de masse sur le cœur et le tronc de l’artere pulmonaire. La taille de l’artere pulmonaire principale etait reduite a 5 mm de diametre et la veine pulmonaire superieure droite etait presque obliteree par des kystes posterieurs. Les fractions d’ejection ventriculaire droite et gauche etaient estimees a 34 %. Une resection complete par sternotomie des kystes a ete effectuee. L’intervention chirurgicale fut difficile techniquement, en raison d’un processus inflammatoire local majeur. Les resultats postoperatoires apres un episode initial d’embolie pulmonaire localisee etaient finalement satisfaisants. Conclusion L’hydatidose peut entrainer une atteinte cardiaque severe. Ces formes rares de maladie hydatique doivent etre connues, meme dans les regions non endemiques, par les chirurgiens en raison de l’importance des flux migratoires actuels.

Proper methods for euthanasia are critical for research with birds. Training in these methods is generally required by institutional animal care and use committees for any research that involves handling of birds, even if the intent is for birds to be released into the wild. Rapid cardiac compression (RCC) remains a preferred method for quick euthanasia in field settings but has not been described adequately in the literature. We describe proper application of RCC for euthanasia of small birds. We also provide external cues for a bird as it progresses toward death as well as other considerations when using RCC. Note that RCC is also known as “thoracic compression,” but that term is not biologically accurate and should be abandoned.

Large hiatal hernia (HH) can cause extensive posterior cardiac compression, including frequent compression of the basal inferior left ventricular (LV) wall, with such changes resolving post HH repair. We present the first case of ventricular tachycardia (VT) associated with HH-induced compression.

Commonly reported complications of hepatic cysts are spontaneous hemorrhage, rupture into the peritoneal cavity, infection and compression of the biliary tree however cardiac complications are not commonly reported. We are presenting a case of a large liver cyst presenting with right atrial and ventricular inflow tract impingement resulting in cardiac symptoms. A 68 year-old Hispanic female presented with one month of fatigue and shortness of breath after household work and walking less than one block, right upper quadrant pain and weight loss. She had history of multiple hepatic cysts for more than 12 years, well-controlled diabetes and hypertension. Examination of the heart revealed tachycardia with regular heart sounds. There were no murmurs. She had tenderness in her right upper quadrant on palpation and an enlarged smooth liver. Rest of physical examination was unremarkable. CT scan of the abdomen showed multiple non-enhancing liver cysts in both lobes, with the largest measuring 12 x 15 x 17 cm which was significantly increased from her baseline of 7 x 8 x 10 cm in 2003. Echocardiogram showed normal left ventricular ejection fraction, grade 1 diastolic dysfunction and a hepatic cyst impinging RA and RV inflow tract. She had successful laparoscopic enucleation of liver cyst and subsequent relief from tachycardia, fatigue and shortness of breath. In conclusion, this case illustrates that hepatic cysts may become symptomatic after remaining quiescent for an extended period. They may present with unusual symptoms and clinicians should be mindful of rare complications, such as in this case.

Desmoid tumors are very rare soft tissue neoplasia that are slow growing and locally aggressive. They grow anywhere in the body and are rarely develop in the breast . Histopathologic examination confirms diagnosis. Recurrence rate is very high even after complete resection. We report the management of a rare case of rapidly growing breast desmoid with intra-thoracic involvement causing cardiac compression.

WstępCelem pracy była prospektywna ocena jakości kompresji klatki piersiowej podczas symulacji ciągłego masażu serca na manekinie w czasie rzeczywistym, wykonywanego przez czynnych zawodowo ratowników medycznych, z uwzględnieniem ich BMI.Materiał i metodyBadanie przeprowadzono w grupie 17 ratowników medycznych oraz 21 studentów kierunku ratownictwo medyczne i wykładowców uczelni. Podczas próby każdy badany wykonywał nieprzerywany masaż zewnętrzny serca na manekinie do osiągnięcia punktu końcowego, jakim był czas 15 minut lub odmowa dalszego wykonywania zadania.WynikiŚrednia głębokość wykonywanych uciśnięć zmniejszała się istotnie od pierwszej (40,66, SE ± 0,80 mm) do czwartej minuty badania, osiągając wartość 38,21 SE ± 0,95 mm. Średnia częstość uciśnięć klatki piersiowej istotnie różniła się od szóstej minuty (123,69 SE ± 2,55/min) w stosunku do wartości wyjściowych (120,97 SE ± 2,83/min). W dziesiątej minucie średnie wartości głębokości uciśnięć oraz częstości masażu klatki piersiowej osiągnęły odpowiednio 36,62 SE ± 1,04 mm oraz 128,06 SE ± 2,43/min. Istotnym czynnikiem wpływającym na głębokość kompresji klatki piersiowej była przynależność do grupy czynnych zawodowo ratowników medycznych. Średnia głębokość ucisku w całym badanym przedziale czasowym w grupie nie-profesjonalistów wynosiła 36,03 SE ± 1,22 mm, podczas gdy w grupie profesjonalistów – 40,06 SE ± 1,37 mm. Drugim istotnym czynnikiem różnicującymi zakres głębokości kompresji klatki piersiowej był czas oraz BMI ratownika. U osób z BMI > 25 jedynym różnicującym punktem czasowym był początek badania, w którym średnia głębokość ucisku wynosiła 41,97 SE ± 1,12 mm.WnioskiMasa ciała ratownika jest istotnym czynnikiem wpływającym na uzyskanie głębszej kompresji klatki pier-siowej. Profesjonalni ratownicy są w stanie prowadzić skutecznie ciągłą kompresję klatki piersiowej w dłuższym czasie, osiągając zadowalające ugięcie oraz częstotliwość jej kompresji.

We describe a case of a 43-year old woman with Marfan’s syndrome, tricuspid valve regurgitation and severe pectus excavatum who required an aortic root replacement and valvuloplasty for an ascending aortic aneurism with aortic valve regurgitation and tricuspid valve regurgitation. There was a severe angulation of the sternum which was close to 1.5 cm to the column vertebrae. Such cases are quite rare and always a challenge for surgeons to achieve adequate exposure of the heart and prevent excessive cardiac compression. We present our access, a safe and efficient exposure of the heart in order to achieve the best outcome.

Background Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) can be a life-threatening condition. However, identification of patients with ACS can be challenging, especially among women, and clinical presentation can often overlap with other medical entities. Case summary A 61-year-old woman with a history of stable bronchial asthma presented with worsening dyspnoea for spiroergometry. During bicycle exercise testing, she developed acute chest pain and her electrocardiogram showed significant ST-segment elevations. High-sensitivity cardiac troponin was elevated and a coronary angiography was performed showing normal coronary arteries. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed no signs of myocardial infarction, myocarditis or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy but the incidental finding of a giant hiatal hernia impeding the filling of the left atrium. The giant hernia was surgically corrected, and the patient’s exertional dyspnoea fully relieved during follow-up. Discussion Hiatal hernia might compress cardiac structures, cause exertional dyspnoea and mimic ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Objectives The aim of this study was to test the applicability of haptic feedback using a smartwatch to the delivery of cardiac compression (CC) by professional healthcare providers. Methods A prospective, randomized, controlled, case-crossover, standardized simulation study of 20 medical professionals was conducted. The participants were randomly assigned into haptic-first and non-haptic-first groups. The primary outcome was an adequate rate of 100-120/min of CC. The secondary outcome was a comparison of CC rate and adequate duration between the good and bad performance groups. Results The mean interval between CCs and the number of haptic and non-haptic feedback-assisted CCs with an adequate duration were insignificant. In the subgroup analysis, both the good and bad performance groups showed a significant difference in the mean CC interval between the haptic and non-haptic feedback-assisted CC groups-good: haptic feedback-assisted (0.57-0.06) vs. non-haptic feedback-assisted (0.54-0.03), p < 0.001; bad: haptic feedback-assisted (0.57-0.07) vs. non-haptic feedback-assisted (0.58-0.18), p = 0.005-and the adequate chest compression number showed significant differences- good: haptic feedback-assisted (1,597/75.1%) vs. non-haptic feedback-assisted (1,951/92.2%), p < 0.001; bad: haptic feedbackassisted (1,341/63.5%) vs. non-haptic feedback-assisted (523/25.4%), p < 0.001. Conclusions A smartwatch cardiopulmonary resuscitation feedback system could not improve rescuers' CC rate. According to our subgroup analysis, participants might be aided by the device to increase the percentage of adequate compressions after one minute.

Objective: Concerns for iatrogenic injuries associated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation led us to investigate the extent and the pattern of chest compression-related injuries in patients subjected to either mechanical and/or manual cardiac compression. Method: In a retrospective study, we performed a manual review of all prehospital discharge reports, in-hospital records, and autopsy reports for evidence of injuries related to chest compression. We included all patients receiving physician-administrated treatment for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the Region of Southern Denmark from 2015 to 2017. Results: Eighty four patients undergoing manual and mechanical chest compression and 353 patients with manual chest compression only were included. Unadjusted, mechanical chest compression as an adjunct was associated with a higher risk of injuries than manual chest compression (P

The study was undertaken to investigate the change of cardiac com-pression force relative to levels of information provision using compo-nents of ground reaction force. Male participants of 20s–30s (n=10) who was not trained on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and used an automated external defibrillator carried out CPR using manikin on ground reaction force plate. All executed 30 times the CPR according to the levels (1-time viewing, repeated viewing, and basic life support edu-cation) of information provision and then total sample of 300 times of ground reaction force data was utilized for the analysis. Rather basic life support condition than 1-time viewing and repeated viewing in ve-locity of CPR showed better pattern, and executed within 15.09 sec of total elapsed time. Also rather basic life support condition than 1-time viewing and repeated viewing in vertical compression force during re-lease phase showed better relax-ability. Rather basic life support con-dition than 1-time viewing and repeated viewing in ground reaction force of anterior-posterior direction during contraction phase was in-significant, and reduced compression force toward the oblique direc-tion. Therefore CPR training should be provided as part of cardiac and exercise rehabilitation programs in range of limited scope. It is neces-sary to include not only definite information but also a practice course of CPR to enhance the survival rate of the cardiac arrested regardless of progressive and scientific growth of CPR fields.