OSPREY 12-month data showed satisfactory outcome of the Misago stent for the treatment of TASC type A and type B SFA lesions and appears to be comparable to recent stent trials. In addition, the lack of difference in outcome among races supports the value of international trials.

SummaryPregnant patients with mechanical valves require anticoagulation. The risk of bleeding and embryopathy associated with oral anticoagulation must be weighed against the risk of valve thrombosis. In the presence of a mechanical valve thrombosis, an appropriate treatment modality must be selected, as it is critical for the health of mother and fetus. In this review, we present a pregnant patient with mechanical valve thrombosis (MVT) who underwent thrombolytic therapy, subsequent anticoagulation according to available guidelines, and delivered a healthy baby at full term.

SummaryBackground: Heart rate (HR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) are currently not considered among common clinical indicators of prognosis in patients referred for heart transplant (Htx). We sought to determine whether an initial hemodynamic profile of HR and SBP could be used to predict outcomes in chronic heart failure patients evaluated for Htx.Methods: We analyzed the medical records of patients evaluated for Htx and obtained demographic and clinical data collected at the initial transplant clinic visit or inpatient encounter. We assigned patients to groups based on their HR and SBP. Groups were compared after follow-up for differences in freedom from death or Htx.Results: From 1999 to 2003, 400 consecutive patients were considered by the local Htx medical review board. The median duration of follow-up was 26 months (interquartile range 1 to 45 months). Patients with initial HR ≥ 90 beats per minute (bpm) and initial SBP <100 mmHg (n = 34) had worse New York Heart Association functional class (p = 0.04), lower cardiac output (p = 0.02), and greater hyponatremia (p < 0.001). These patients were more likely to be hospitalized at the time of referral (p < 0.001) and more likely to have experienced

No abstract