background: radiofrequency catheter ablation (rfca) has been introduced as the treatment of choice for supraventricular tachycardia. the aim of this study was to evaluate the success rate as well as procedural and in-hospital complications of rfca for the treatment of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (avnrt).   methods: between march 1995 and february 2009, 544 patients (75.9 % fema...

BACKGROUND Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a common pathophysiological consequence of hypertension. Various voltage (ECG) criteria exist for evaluation of LVH. This study assessed the performance of 4 commonly used ECG criteria in south-western Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional descriptive study of adult hypertensive subjects. Participants were assessed for LVH using 4 EC...

ation in high-risk patients. N Engl J Med 2012;366:1705–1715. 21. Leon MB, Piazza N, Nikolsky E, Blackstone EH, Cutlip DE, Kappetein AP, Krucoff MW, Mack M, Mehran R, Miller C, Morel MA, Petersen J, Popma JJ, Takkenberg JJ, Vahanian A, van Es GA, Vranckx P, Webb JG, Windecker S, Serruys PW. Standardized endpoint definitions for transcatheter aortic valve implantation clinical trials: a consensu...

A quantitative assessment of mitral valve orifice area can be achieved in patients with pure mitral stenosis by cardiac catheterization. In the presence of mitral regurgitation, however, accurate measurement often is impossible because total diastolic flow through the mitral valve frequently is unknow. Using a recently developed real-time, two-dimensional echocardiography system, we are able to...

BACKGROUND Cardiac device-related endocarditis is a very rare clinical manifestation of S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis disease. This pathogen is a common cause of cellulitis. We here report two cases of cardiac device-related endocarditis due to Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis. Blood cultures yielded this pathogen and both patients had recurrent bacteremia. Transthoracic and t...

echocardiography is a non-invasive diagnostic technique which provides information regarding cardiac function and hemodynamics. it is the most frequently used cardiovascular diagnostic test after electrocardiography and chest x-ray. however, in a patient with acute chest pain, transthoracic echocardiography is essential both for diagnosing acute coronary syndrome, zeroing on the evaluation of v...

INTRODUCTION In the emergency setting, focused cardiac ultrasound has become a fundamental tool for diagnostic, initial emergency treatment and triage decisions. A new ultra-miniaturized pocket ultrasound device (PUD) may be suited to this specific setting. Therefore, we aimed to compare the diagnostic ability of an ultra-miniaturized ultrasound device (Vscan™, GE Healthcare, Wauwatosa, WI) and...