BACKGROUND Past studies have clearly established that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) contribute to adverse myocardial remodeling with ischemia and reperfusion. However, these studies measured MMP levels in extracted samples, and therefore whether and to what degree actual changes in interstitial MMP activity occur within the human myocardium in the context of ischemia/reperfusion remained unk...

BACKGROUND Three-fourths of cardiac arrest survivors die before hospital discharge or suffer significant neurological injury. Except for therapeutic hypothermia and revascularization, no novel therapies have been developed that improve survival or cardiac and neurological function after resuscitation. Nitrite (NO(2)(-)) increases cellular resilience to focal ischemia/reperfusion injury in multi...

Little is known about the prophylactic use of recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) in patients undergoing surgery for a bleeding aorta employing cardiopulmonary bypass. We report the successful use of rFVIIa in a patient undergoing hypothermic circulatory arrest and prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass for repair of a DeBakey type III aortic dissection.

TWO cases of ventricular fibrillation (VF) under general anesthesia during noncardiac surgery are presented. Although both patients were refractory to conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), they were rescued using a percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) system without any complications. We emphasize the importance of emergency extracorporeal circulation with PCPS as a life-savi...

OBJECTIVE Pulseless electrical activity (PEA) during cardiac arrest portends a poor prognosis. There is a paucity of data in the use of thrombolytic therapy in PEA and cardiopulmonary arrest due to confirmed pulmonary embolism (PE). We evaluated the outcome of low-dose systemic thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in patients presenting with PEA due to PE. METHODS During a 34-...

Patients with pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) often decompensate suddenly, and once hemodynamic compromise has developed, mortality is extremely high. Currently, thrombolytic therapy for PE is still controversial. We retrospectively evaluated 34 patients with PE between January 2010 and December 2013 in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Medical Park Samsun Hospital, Samsun, Turkey. The demog...

BACKGROUND The main causes of cardiopulmonary arrest are endemic, and require constant medical improvement on cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques. Training and continued education are essential to skilled management of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the physicians' theoretical knowledge on diagnosis and treatment of cardiopulmonary arrest. METHODS...

OBJECTIVE To measure end-tidal carbon dioxide pressure (PetCO2) in preset interval in order to evaluate the efficiency of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed on patients in cardiopulmonary arrest, evaluate the validity of PetCO2 in predicting the mortality and finally assess the PetCO2 levels of the patients in cardiopulmonary arrest based on the initial presenting rhythm. METHODS T...

Aortic false aneurysm is a rare complication of surgery of the aorta that can occur several months to years after the initial operation. We reviewed our results with false aneurysm repair using deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest. Three patients were reoperated for false aneurysm of the ascending aorta. Femorofemoral cardiopulmonary bypass with a heparinized system was used in all patients....

OBJECTIVE To evaluate clinical and evolutive characteristics of patients admitted in an intensive care unit after cardiopulmonary resuscitation, identifying prognostic survival factors. METHODS A retrospective study of 136 patients admitted between 1995 and 1999 to an intensive care unit, evaluating clinical conditions, mechanisms and causes of cardiopulmonary arrest, and their relation to ho...