Articles Related to Echocardiography

In the past decade, finite element modeling of complete heart valves has greatly aided evaluation of heart valve surgery, design of bioprosthetic valve replacements, and general understanding of healthy and abnormal cardiac function. Such a model must be based on an accurate description of the mechanical behavior of the valve material. It is essential to calculate velocity/displacement, geometrical indices and strain rate/strain at a component level that is to work at the cellular level.

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Cocaine has acute and chronic effects on health as well as addiction and dependence and places a significant burden on healthcare systems. After cannabis, it is the most frequently used illicit drug worldwide. It is estimated that between 14 and 21 million people use the drug each year [1]. Its main adverse effects occur in the cardiovascular system. Cocaine causes sympathomimetic actions such as tachycardia, hypertension and coronary artery constriction due to enhancement of release of catecholamines. It enhances thrombus formation by activating platelets and potentiating thromboxane production [2]. The consequences of these effects include chest pain, myocardial infarction, aortic dissection, coronary artery aneurysm, myocarditis, cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias. Our case demonstrates a young patient who had a delayed presentation of a myocardial infarction, in the setting of recent cocaine use that was complicated by an apical thrombus which resulted in distal emboli to his superior mesenteric artery and left renal artery. It highlights the fact that in a young patient with no other risk factors how complications may arise, even weeks after cocaine use.

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Preeclampsia is clinically defined by hypertension and proteinuria, with or without pathologic edema that occurs after 20 weeks’ gestation, but can also present up to 4-6 weeks post-partum. Worldwide, incidence of preeclampsia is 5-14 percent of all pregnancies, while severe preeclampsia can develop to about 25 percent of all cases of preeclampsia.

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An Egyptian male adolescent 12 years old presented with fever, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting for 3 days. He had convulsion on admission. Physical examination revealed positive meningeal signs.

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Opinion is divided as to the changes in ventricular function brought about by exercise, with few studies on water-based exercise programmes for heart-failure patients. This study investigates whether following a partial water-based exercise programme could lead to an earlier improvement in ventricular function in heart-failure patients compared with a land-based exercise programme.

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Cardiopulmonary interaction plays an essential role in critically ill pediatric patients. Accurate assessment of cardiac output and myocardial function has been considered vital in the successful treatment of any such patients. There are several techniques for monitoring cardiac output in seriously ill patients. The use of transpulmonary thermodilution technique for cardiac output measurements via in-dwelling pulmonary arterial catheter is considered one of the most reliable methods of hemodynamic monitoring in paediatric patients.

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We report the case of a 74 year old female who presented with imaging concerning for an intramural hematoma of the ascending aorta. Despite multiple imaging modalities consistent with intramural hematoma, operative findings confirmed a peri-aortic lymphoma or what was once lymphoma.

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Causes for syncope are multifaceted. Hormonal etiology, specifically hypothyroidism, is associated with cardiac arrhythmias. Sinus bradycardia, low voltage, nonspecific T-wave changes and dissociative atrioventricular (AV) abnormalities are some of descriptive electrocardiographic features.

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