Germonpré P, Papadopoulou V, Hemelryck W, Obeid G, Lafère P, Eckersley RJ, Tang M-X, Balestra C. The use of portable 2D echocardiography and ‘frame-based’ bubble counting as a tool to evaluate diving decompression stress. Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. 2014 March;44(1):5-13.) Introduction: ‘Decompression stress’ is commonly evaluated by scoring circulating bubble numbers post dive using Dopple...

Chronic exposure to diesel exhaust particulates (DEP) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in urban residents, predisposing them to the development of several cardiovascular stresses, including myocardial infarctions, arrhythmias, thrombosis, and heart failure. DEP contain a high level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). We hypothesiz...

attempted with BioGlue surgical adhesive (Cryolife International Inc, Kenesaw, GA), which is a polymer of bovine serum albumin and glutaraldehyde that reaches bonding strength within 2 minutes of mixing and application. The patient was placed back onto bypass and cooled, and the heart was perfused with cardioplegic solution. BioGlue was then applied to the external surface of the dehisced margi...

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with many cardiovascular disorders such as heart failure, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and arrhythmia and so on. Of the many associated factors, chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) in particular is the primary player in OSAS. To assess the effects of CIH on cardiac function secondary to OSAS, we established a model to study the effects of C...

Breath-hold diving induces, in marine mammals, a reduction of cardiac output due to a decrease of both heart rate and stroke volume. Cardiovascular changes in humans during breath-hold diving are only partially known due to the technical difficulty of studying fully immersed subjects. Recently, a submersible echocardiograph has been developed, allowing a feasible assessment of cardiac anatomy a...

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is one of the earliest signs for abnormal cardiac function in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). It is important to explore the risk factors that will assist in identifying the severity of the LVDD in this population. We examined the influences of fitness and fatness on the level of left ventricular (LV) impairment in patients with T2DM. Twenty-f...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the reproducibility and the accuracy of pediatric radiologists' assessments of chest radiographs with respect to the presence or absence of heart defects in children with an asymptomatic heart murmur. DESIGN Ninety-eight children, ages 1 month to 15 years (median, 30.1 months), referred for evaluation of a heart murmur were consecutively included. They all had a standar...

To cite: Gajdhar M, Kundal VK, Mathur P, et al. BMJ Case Rep Published online: [please include Day Month Year] doi:10.1136/ bcr-2013-009381 DESCRIPTION A full term male infant was admitted to hospital with evisceration of the abdominal contents through the ventral abdominal wall (figure 1). Examination revealed a skin-lined umbilical ring with eviscerated loops of bowel present within a membran...

BACKGROUND Approximately 8-23% of premature infants develop pulmonary hypertension (PH), and this diagnosis confers a higher possibility of mortality. As a result, professional societies recommend PH screening in premature infants. However, the risk factors for and the outcomes of PH may differ depending on the timing of its diagnosis, and little evidence is available to determine at-risk infan...

To cite: Hernandez GA, Donet JA, Schwartz M, et al. BMJ Case Rep Published online: [please include Day Month Year] doi:10.1136/ bcr-2014-206462 DESCRIPTION A 64-year-old woman with a history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and previous unsuccessful coronary angiography via femoral approach presented to the emergency room with intermittent non-exertional chest discomfort. Physical examination...