Cardiogenic shock following myocardial infarction remains a significant clinical challenge. Newly reported 30-day mortality rates remain in the 40% range and are not affected by the use of intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (1). Few cardiac conditions are more deadly. The major exception is patients who suffer cardiac arrest with their ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and, ...

Pheochromocytoma crisis typically presents as paroxysmal episodes of headache, tachycardia, diaphoresis or hypertension. We describe an uncommon case of recurrent non-hypertensive heart failure with systolic dysfunction in a young female due to pheochromocytoma compression. It presented as acute pulmonary oedema while straining during pregnancy and later on as cardiogenic shock after a recreati...

Shock is a complex physiological syndrome. If it is not detected and treated promptly, it can lead to death. This article reviews and summarises the latest findings, treatment and nursing and medical interventions for three of the most common forms of shock, namely, hypovolaemic, cardiogenic and septic shock.

OBJECTIVES We sought to analyze clinical, angiographic, and outcome correlates of hemodynamic parameters in cardiogenic shock. BACKGROUND The significance of right heart catheterization in critically ill patients is controversial, despite the prognostic importance of the derived measurements. Cardiac power is a novel hemodynamic parameter. METHODS A total of 541 patients with cardiogenic sh...

OBJECTIVE Cardiogenic shock is associated with mortality rates up to 70%, even if patients are treated with intensive care support or thrombolytic therapy. Early coronary revascularisation can be life-saving but it is oftentimes not available at the hospital to which the patient was initially taken. Up to now, transferring patients in a state of severe cardiogenic shock and/or cardiopulmonary r...

INTRODUCTION A large, randomised trial (IABP-SHOCK II) confirmed no benefit of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) on clinical outcomes of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock. However, the 'sickest' patients are often excluded from randomised clinical trials, so it is difficult to generalise expected outcomes from randomized clinical tr...

INTRODUCTION Cardiogenic shock is the main cause of death in patients hospitalized due to an acute myocardial infarction. Mild hypothermia reduces metabolism and could offer protective effects for this condition. The aim of our study was to investigate if mild therapeutic hypothermia would improve outcome and hemodynamic parameters in an ischemic cardiogenic shock pig model. METHODS Twenty-fi...