Using different peer-teaching concepts proved to be effective in teaching basic echocardiography. Gender does not seem to have an impact on effectiveness of the instructional approach. Qualitative analysis revealed limited acceptance of peer teaching and especially of video-based instruction.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an inflammatory cytokine that exerts protective effects during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. We hypothesized that elevated MIF levels in the early postoperative time course might be inversely associated with postoperative organ dysfunction as assessed by the simplified acute physiology score (SAPS) II and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score in patients after cardiac surgery. A total of 52 cardiac surgical patients (mean age [± SD] 67 ± 10 years; EuroScore: 7 [2-11]) were enrolled in this monocenter, prospective observational study. Serum levels of MIF and clinical data were obtained after induction of anesthesia, at admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), 4 h after admission and at the first and second postoperative day. To characterize the magnitude of MIF release, we compared blood levels of samples from cardiac surgical patients with those obtained from healthy volunteers. We assessed patient outcomes using the SAPS II at postoperative d 1 and SOFA score for the first 3 d of the eventual ICU stay. Compared to healthy volunteers, patients had already exhibited elevated MIF levels prior to surgery (64 ± 50 versus 13 ± 17 ng/mL; p < 0.05). At admission to the ICU, MIF levels reached peak values (107 ± 95 ng/mL; p < 0.01 versus baseline) that decreased throughout the observation period and had already reached preoperative values 4 h later. Postoperative MIF values were inversely correlated with SAPS II and SOFA scores during the early postoperative stay. Moreover, MIF values on postoperative d 1 were related to the calculated cardiac power index (r = 0.420, p < 0.05). Elevated postoperative MIF levels are inversely correlated with organ dysfunction in patients after cardiac surgery.

Compared with the literature, even a mild anticoagulation protocol does not increase the risk of thrombotic events, but reduces bleeding events in the use of an HM II LVAD.

IntroductionInhaled nitric oxide (iNO) improves outcomes when given post systemic ischemia/reperfusion injury. iNO given during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may therefore improve return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rates and functional outcome after cardiac arrest (CA).MethodsThirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 10 minutes of CA and at least 3 minutes of CPR. Animals were randomized to receive either 0 (n = 10, Control), 20 (n = 10, 20 ppm), or 40 (n = 10, 40 ppm) ppm iNO during CPR until 30 minutes after ROSC. A neurological deficit score was assessed daily for seven days following the experiment. On day 7, brains, hearts, and blood were sampled for histological and biochemical evaluation.ResultsDuring CPR, 20 ppm iNO significantly increased diastolic arterial pressure (Control: 57 ± 5.04 mmHg; 20 ppm: 71.57 ± 57.3 mmHg, p < 0.046) and decreased time to ROSC (Control: 842 ± 21 s; 20 ppm: 792 ± 5 s, (p = 0.02)).Thirty minutes following ROSC, 20 ppm iNO resulted in an increase in mean arterial pressure (Control: 83 ± 4 mmHg; 20 ppm: 98 ± 4 mmHg, p = 0.035), a less pronounced rise in lactate and inflammatory cytokine levels, and attenuated cardiac damage. Inhalation of NO at 20 ppm improved neurological outcomes in rats 2 to 7 days after CA and CPR. This translated into increases in 7 day survival (Control: 4; 20 ppm: 10; 40 ppm 6, (p ≤ 0.05 20 ppm vs Control and 40 ppm).ConclusionsOur study revealed that breathing NO during CPR markedly improved resuscitation success, 7-day neurological outcomes and survival in a rat model of VF-induced cardiac arrest and CPR. These results support the beneficial effects of NO inhalation after cardiac arrest and CPR.

Objective Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become a therapeutic option for high-risk or nonoperable patients with severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. The best known and most frequently implanted prostheses are the CoreValve and SAPIEN prostheses. We report our experiences and analyze the results of our TAVI program. Methods A total of 357 patients underwent transfemoral (TF) and transapical (TA) TAVI in our center between January 2008 and October 2012. The procedure was performed in 190 patients with CoreValve, in 155 patients with SAPIEN, and in 12 patients with ACURATE TA prostheses. Transfemoral access was used in 190 patients. In 167 patients, TA access was used. The mean age was 80.2 ± 6.4 years. All patients were nonoperable or had a high risk for a conventional aortic valve replacement. The mean logistic EuroSCORE I was 25.92 ± 14.51%. The TF/CoreValve (190 patients) and TA/SAPIEN (155 patients) groups showed significant difference in the patients’ mean age (81.7 ± 6.3 years vs. 79.5 ± 6.6 years, P = 0.002) and in mean logistic EuroSCORE I (22.16 ± 13.05% vs. 31.04 ± 16.40, P < 0.001). Results The overall 30-day mortality (357 patients) was 9.80% (TF, 8.42%; TA, 11.37%); overall 1-year mortality (275 patients), 21.45% (TF, 23.74%; TA, 19.12%); overall 2-year mortality (199 patients), 29.15% (TF, 35.96%; TA, 23.64%); overall 3-year mortality (133 patients), 37.59% (TF, 43.86%; TA, 32.89%); and overall 4-year mortality (38 patients), 39.47% (TF, 45%; TA, 33.33%). The rate of pacemaker implantation after TAVI was significantly higher in the CoreValve group than in the SAPIEN group: 44.74% (85/190 patients) versus 6.45% (10/155 patients), P < 0.001. Stroke rate was higher in the TF-CoreValve group than in the TA-SAPIEN group: 4.21% versus 0.64%, P = 0.045. Conclusions Outcomes after TAVI were, in our population of nonoperable and high-risk patients, encouraging. The differences in midterm outcomes between the TF-CoreValve TAVI and the TA-SAPIEN TAVI were not significant.