Increasing organ donation after cardiac death in trauma patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Bellal; Khalil, Mazhar; Pandit, Viraj; Orouji Jokar, Tahereh; Cheaito, Ali; Kulvatunyou, Narong; Tang, Andrew; O'Keeffe, Terence; Vercruysse, Gary; Green, Donald J; Friese, Randall S; Rhee, Peter

2015-09-01

Organ donation after cardiac death (DCD) is not optimal but still remains a valuable source of organ donation in trauma donors. The aim of this study was to assess national trends in DCD from trauma patients. A 12-year (2002 to 2013) retrospective analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing database was performed. Outcome measures were the following: proportion of DCD donors over the years and number and type of solid organs donated. DCD resulted in procurement of 16,248 solid organs from 8,724 donors. The number of organs donated per donor remained unchanged over the study period (P = .1). DCD increased significantly from 3.1% in 2002 to 14.6% in 2013 (P = .001). There was a significant increase in the proportion of kidney (2002: 3.4% vs 2013: 16.3%, P = .001) and liver (2002: 1.6% vs 2013: 5%, P = .041) donation among DCD donors over the study period. DCD from trauma donors provides a significant source of solid organs. The proportion of DCD donors increased significantly over the last 12 years. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hypokalemia and sudden cardiac death

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjeldsen, Keld

2010-01-01

Worldwide, approximately three million people suffer sudden cardiac death annually. These deaths often emerge from a complex interplay of substrates and triggers. Disturbed potassium homeostasis among heart cells is an example of such a trigger. Thus, hypokalemia and, also, more transient...... of fatal arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death a patient is, the more attention should be given to the potassium homeostasis....

Can tricuspid annuloplasty of the donor heart reduce valve insufficiency following cardiac transplantation with bicaval anastomosis?

Science.gov (United States)

Fiorelli, Alfredo I; Oliveira, José L; Santos, Ronaldo H B; Coelho, Guilherme B; Oliveira, Adriana S; Lourenço-Filho, Domingos D; Lapenna, Gisele; Dias, Ricardo R; Bacal, Fernando; Bocchi, Edimar A; Stolf, Noedir A G

2010-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of tricuspid valve insufficiency after orthotopic cardiac transplantation with bicaval anastomosis and prophylactic donor heart annuloplasty. At present, our cardiac transplantation experience includes 478 cases. After January 2002, we included 30 consecutive patients in this study who had undergone orthotopic cardiac transplantation and survived >6 months. The patients were divided into 2 groups: group I, 15 patients who underwent transplantation with prophylactic tricuspid annuloplasty on the donor heart with the De Vega technique; and group II, 15 patients who underwent transplantation without this procedure. Their preoperative clinical characteristics were the same. During the late postoperative follow-up, the degree of tricuspid insufficiency was evaluated by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography and assessed according to the Simpson scale: 0, absent; 1, mild; 2, moderate; and 3, severe. Hemodynamic parameters were evaluated invasively by means of a Swan-Ganz catheter during routine endomyocardial biopsies. The mean follow-up time was 26.9 +/- 5.4 months (range, 12-36 months). In group I, 1 patient (6.6%) died from infection in the 18th month after the operation; the death was not related to the annuloplasty. In group II, 1 death (6.6%) occurred after 10 months because of rejection (P > .05). After the 24-month follow-up, the mean degree of tricuspid insufficiency was 0.4 +/- 0.5 in group I and 1.7 +/- 0.9 in group II (P tricuspid annuloplasty on the donor heart was able to reduce significantly the degree of valvular insufficiency, even in cardiac transplantation with bicaval anastomosis; however, it did not modify significantly the hemodynamic performance of the allograft during the investigation period. It is very important to extend the observation period and casuistics to verify other benefits that this technique may offer.

Electrocardiographic Characteristics of Potential Organ Donors and Associations with Cardiac Allograft Utilization

Science.gov (United States)

Khush, Kiran K.; Menza, Rebecca; Nguyen, John; Goldstein, Benjamin A.; Zaroff, Jonathan G.; Drew, Barbara J.

2012-01-01

Background Current regulations require that all cardiac allograft offers for transplantation must include an interpreted 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). However, little is known about the expected ECG findings in potential organ donors, or the clinical significance of any identified abnormalities in terms of cardiac allograft function and suitability for transplantation. Methods and Results A single experienced reviewer interpreted the first ECG obtained after brainstem herniation in 980 potential organ donors managed by the California Transplant Donor Network from 2002-2007. ECG abnormalities were summarized, and associations between specific ECG findings and cardiac allograft utilization for transplantation were studied. ECG abnormalities were present in 51% of all cases reviewed. The most common abnormalities included voltage criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), prolongation of the corrected QT interval (QTc), and repolarization changes (ST/T wave abnormalities). Fifty seven percent of potential cardiac allografts in this cohort were accepted for transplantation. LVH on ECG was a strong predictor of allograft non-utilization. No significant associations were seen between QTc prolongation, repolarization changes and allograft utilization for transplantation, after adjusting for donor clinical variables and echocardiographic findings. Conclusions We have performed the first comprehensive study of ECG findings in potential donors for cardiac transplantation. Many of the common ECG abnormalities seen in organ donors may result from the heightened state of sympathetic activation that occurs after brainstem herniation, and are not associated with allograft utilization for transplantation. PMID:22615333

A computer case definition for sudden cardiac death.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Cecilia P; Murray, Katherine T; Stein, C Michael; Hall, Kathi; Ray, Wayne A

2010-06-01

To facilitate studies of medications and sudden cardiac death, we developed and validated a computer case definition for these deaths. The study of community dwelling Tennessee Medicaid enrollees 30-74 years of age utilized a linked database with Medicaid inpatient/outpatient files, state death certificate files, and a state 'all-payers' hospital discharge file. The computerized case definition was developed from a retrospective cohort study of sudden cardiac deaths occurring between 1990 and 1993. Medical records for 926 potential cases had been adjudicated for this study to determine if they met the clinical definition for sudden cardiac death occurring in the community and were likely to be due to ventricular tachyarrhythmias. The computerized case definition included deaths with (1) no evidence of a terminal hospital admission/nursing home stay in any of the data sources; (2) an underlying cause of death code consistent with sudden cardiac death; and (3) no terminal procedures inconsistent with unresuscitated cardiac arrest. This definition was validated in an independent sample of 174 adjudicated deaths occurring between 1994 and 2005. The positive predictive value of the computer case definition was 86.0% in the development sample and 86.8% in the validation sample. The positive predictive value did not vary materially for deaths coded according to the ICO-9 (1994-1998, positive predictive value = 85.1%) or ICD-10 (1999-2005, 87.4%) systems. A computerized Medicaid database, linked with death certificate files and a state hospital discharge database, can be used for a computer case definition of sudden cardiac death. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sudden Cardiac Death in Children. Part 1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ye.V. Pshenichnaya

2013-02-01

Full Text Available This article presents the prevalence, terminology, classification of sudden cardiac death. A description of congenital structural heart diseases associated with a risk of sudden cardiac death is given. The issues of etiology and pathogenesis of life-threatening conditions are described in detail.

Sudden cardiac death in athletes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio Camilo Pellegrino dos Santos

2012-11-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The most accepted definition of sudden cardiac death nowadays is an unexplained death occurred suddenly within one hour of symptom onset. If it was not witnessed, individuals need to had been observed for at least 24 hours before the event and should be discarded the possibility of non cardiac causes of sudden death, pulmonary embolism or extensive malignancy. The term athlete refers to individuals of any age who participate in collective or individual regular physical activity, as well as physical training program for regular competitions. The sudden death of a young athlete, whether amateur or professional, especially during competitions, is always dramatic, with strong negative social impact and in the media. The fact that sports are recommended as a formula for longevity and quality of life makes these events a cause for concern in sports and society in general.

Athletes at Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death

Science.gov (United States)

Subasic, Kim

2010-01-01

High school athletes represent the largest group of individuals affected by sudden cardiac death, with an estimated incidence of once or twice per week. Structural cardiovascular abnormalities are the most frequent cause of sudden cardiac death. Athletes participating in basketball, football, track, soccer, baseball, and swimming were found to…

Sudden Cardiac Death in Children. Part 2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ye.V. Pshenichnaya

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the dysplastic changes in musculo-valve structures of the heart, arrhythmias and conduction disorders, associated with a risk of sudden cardiac death. The diagnostic criteria for sudden cardiac death, the events of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, prevention of life-threatening conditions in children are provided.

Cannabis, possible cardiac deaths and the coroner in Ireland.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Tormey, W P

2012-01-10

BACKGROUND: The elevated risk of triggering a myocardial infarction by smoking cannabis is limited to the first 2 h after smoking. AIM: To examine the possible role of cannabis in cardiac deaths. CASES AND RESULTS: From 3,193 coroners\\' cases over 2 years, there were 13 cases where the clinical information was compatible with a primary cardiac cause of death. An inquest was held in three cases. Myocardial infarction was the primary cause of death in 54%. Other causes were sudden adult death syndrome, sudden death in epilepsy, and poisoning by alcohol and diazepam. Cannabis was mentioned once only on a death certificate, but not as a cause of death. Blood delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol-carboxylic acid was recorded in one case and in no case was plasma tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) measured. CONCLUSIONS: To attribute sudden cardiac death to cannabis, plasma THC should be measured in the toxicology screen in coroners\\' cases where urine cannabinoids are positive. A positive urine cannabinoids immunoassay alone is insufficient evidence in the linkage of acute cardiac death and cannabis.

Cannabis, possible cardiac deaths and the coroner in Ireland.

Science.gov (United States)

Tormey, W P

2012-12-01

The elevated risk of triggering a myocardial infarction by smoking cannabis is limited to the first 2 h after smoking. To examine the possible role of cannabis in cardiac deaths. CASES AND RESULTS: From 3,193 coroners' cases over 2 years, there were 13 cases where the clinical information was compatible with a primary cardiac cause of death. An inquest was held in three cases. Myocardial infarction was the primary cause of death in 54%. Other causes were sudden adult death syndrome, sudden death in epilepsy, and poisoning by alcohol and diazepam. Cannabis was mentioned once only on a death certificate, but not as a cause of death. Blood delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol-carboxylic acid was recorded in one case and in no case was plasma tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) measured. To attribute sudden cardiac death to cannabis, plasma THC should be measured in the toxicology screen in coroners' cases where urine cannabinoids are positive. A positive urine cannabinoids immunoassay alone is insufficient evidence in the linkage of acute cardiac death and cannabis.

Donor-derived aspergillosis from use of a solid organ recipient as a multiorgan donor.

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, N J; Weisser, M; Fehr, T; Wüthrich, R P; Müllhaupt, B; Lehmann, R; Imhof, A; Aubert, J-D; Genoni, M; Kunz, R; Weber, M; Steiger, J

2010-02-01

The growing need for organs and the scarcity of donors has resulted in an increased use of extended criteria donors. We report a case where a recipient of a cardiac graft was used as an organ donor. Death of the recipient occurred 9 days after transplantation and was attributed to presumed cerebral hemorrhage, which post mortem was diagnosed as invasive aspergillosis of the brain. One recipient of a kidney transplant lost the graft due to infection with Aspergillus fumigatus, whereas prompt initiation of therapy successfully prevented disseminated aspergillosis in the other recipients. Despite the pressure to extend the use of organs by lowering the acceptance criteria, organs should only be accepted if the cause of death of the donors is unequivocally explained.

Supravalvular aortic stenosis with sudden cardiac death

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pradeep Vaideeswar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Sudden cardiac death (SCD most commonly results from previously undiagnosed congenital, acquired, or hereditary cardiac diseases. Congenital aortic valvular, subvalvular, and supravalvular disease with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction is an important preventable cause of sudden death. This report documents sudden death presumably due to acute myocardial ischemia in a young male with an undiagnosed supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS due to a rare association of isolation of coronary sinuses of Valsalva. Congenital supravalvular pulmonary stenosis and mitral valvular dysplasia were also present.

Sudden Cardiac Death

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Risgaard, Bjarke; Winkel, Bo Gregers; Jabbari, Reza

2017-01-01

Objectives This study sought to describe the use of pharmacotherapy in a nationwide cohort of young patients with sudden cardiac death (SCD). Background Several drugs have been associated with an increased risk of SCD and sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS). It remains unclear how...... pharmacotherapy may contribute to the overall burden of SCD in the general population. Methods This was a nationwide study that included all deaths that occurred between 2000 and 2009 and between 2007 and 2009 in people age 1 to 35 years and 36 to 49 years, respectively. Two physicians identified all SCDs through...... review of death certificates. Autopsy reports were collected. Pharmacotherapy prescribed within 90 days before SCD was identified in the Danish Registry of Medicinal Product Statistics. Results We identified 1,363 SCDs; median age was 38 years (interquartile range: 29 to 45 years), and 72% (n = 975) were men...

The Impact of Total Ischemic Time, Donor Age and the Pathway of Donor Death on Graft Outcomes After Deceased Donor Kidney Transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Germaine; Teixeira-Pinto, Armando; Chapman, Jeremy R; Craig, Jonathan C; Pleass, Henry; McDonald, Stephen; Lim, Wai H

2017-06-01

Prolonged ischemia is a known risk factor for delayed graft function (DGF) and its interaction with donor characteristics, the pathways of donor death, and graft outcomes may have important implications for allocation policies. Using data from the Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant registry (1994-2013), we examined the relationship between total ischemic time with graft outcomes among recipients who received their first deceased donor kidney transplants. Total ischemic time (in hours) was defined as the time of the donor renal artery interruption or aortic clamp, until the time of release of the clamp on the renal artery in the recipient. A total of 7542 recipients were followed up over a median follow-up time of 5.3 years (interquartile range of 8.2 years). Of these, 1823 (24.6%) experienced DGF and 2553 (33.9%) experienced allograft loss. Recipients with total ischemic time of 14 hours or longer experienced an increased odd of DGF compared with those with total ischemic time less than 14 hours. This effect was most marked among those with older donors (P value for interaction = 0.01). There was a significant interaction between total ischemic time, donor age, and graft loss (P value for interaction = 0.03). There was on average, a 9% increase in the overall risk of graft loss per hour increase in the total ischemic time (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.18; P = 0.02) in recipients with older donation after circulatory death grafts. There is a clinically important interaction between donor age, the pathway of donor death, and total ischemic time on graft outcomes, such that the duration of ischemic time has the greatest impact on graft survival in recipients with older donation after circulatory death kidneys.

Cardiac symptoms before sudden cardiac death caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lynge, Thomas Hadberg; Risgaard, Bjarke; Jabbari, Reza

2016-01-01

AIMS: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a frequent cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) among the young (SCDY). The aim of this study was to characterize symptoms before SCDY due to HCM. METHODS AND RESULTS: Through review of all death certificates, we identified all SCDs in Danes aged 1-35 years...... in 2000-2009. Nationwide we included all deaths (n = 8756) and identified 431 autopsied SCDYs. All available records from hospitals and general practitioners were retrieved. To compare symptoms, we included a control groups consisting of traffic accident victims (n = 74). In the 10-year study period, 431...... autopsied SCDY cases were reviewed and 38 cases (9%) were included, of which 22 (58%) had morphologic findings diagnostic of HCM and 16 (42%) had findings suggestive, but not diagnostic, of HCM ('possible HCM'). Cardiac symptoms >1 h prior to death were reported in 21 (55%) of cases, and 16 (42%) sought...

Cardiac Channelopathies and Sudden Death: Recent Clinical and Genetic Advances

OpenAIRE

Fernández Falgueras, Anna; Sarquella Brugada, Georgia; Brugada Terradellas, Josep; Brugada, Ramon; Campuzano Larrea, Oscar

2017-01-01

Sudden cardiac death poses a unique challenge to clinicians because it may be the only symptom of an inherited heart condition. Indeed, inherited heart diseases can cause sudden cardiac death in older and younger individuals. Two groups of familial diseases are responsible for sudden cardiac death: cardiomyopathies (mainly hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy) and channelopathies (mainly long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, short QT syndrome, a...

Sudden cardiac death in adults: causes, incidence and interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Wendy Marina

Many nurses will be familiar with the unexpected death of an adult patient following a sudden, life-threatening cardiac event. It is a situation that demands sensitive nursing care and skilled interventions to provide a foundation for recovery and promote healthy bereavement. This article examines the causes and incidence of sudden cardiac death in adults. Possible reactions of those who are suddenly bereaved are described and immediate care interventions aimed at dealing with the grief process are discussed. The article concludes by identifying ways in which the incidence of sudden cardiac death may be reduced.

Donor Lung Procurement by Surgical Fellow with an Expectation of High Rate of Lung Utilisation.

Science.gov (United States)

Smail, Hassiba; Saxena, Pankaj; Wallinder, Andreas; Lin, Enjarn; Snell, Gregory I; Hobson, Jamie; Zimmet, Adam D; Marasco, Silvana F; McGiffin, David C

2017-12-22

There is an ever increasing demand for donor lungs in patients waiting for transplantation. Lungs of many potential donors will be rejected if the standard criteria for donor assessment are followed. We have expanded our donor lung pool by accepting marginal donors and establishing a donation after circulatory death program. We have achieved comparable results using marginal donors and accepting donor lungs following donation after circulatory death. We present our assessment and technical guidelines on lung procurement taking into consideration an increasingly complex cohort of lung donors. These guidelines form the basis of the lung procurement training program involving surgical Fellows at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Copyright © 2017 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Short-term outcomes of lung transplant recipients using organs from brain death donors].

Science.gov (United States)

He, W X; Jiang, C; Liu, X G; Huang, W; Chen, C; Jiang, L; Yang, B; Wu, K; Chen, Q K; Yang, Y; Yu, Y M; Jiang, G N

2016-12-01

Objective: To assess short-term outcomes after lung transplantation with organs procured following brain death. Methods: Between April 2015 and July 2016, all 17 recipients after lung transplantation using organs from brain death donors (DBD) at Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine were enrolled in this study. All patients were male, aging (60±7) years, including 11 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 5 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, 1 silicosis. Seventeen donors were 16 males and 1 female, with 10 traumatic brain injury, 5 cerebrovascular accident and 2 sudden cardiac death. Of 17 recipients receiving DBD lung transplant, 16 were single lung transplant. Data were collected including intubation duration of mechanical ventilation, hospital length of stay, incidence of pulmonary infection bronchus anastomosis complications, primary graft dysfunction (PGD), and acute rejection, bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) as well as mortality of 90-day after lung transplantation. Results: Median duration of intubation were 2 (2) days ( M ( Q R )) in recipients after lung transplantation. The incidence of pulmonary infection and bronchus anastomosis complications were 15/17 and 5/17, respectively. Median length of stay in hospital were 56 (19) days. The ratio of readmission 1 month after discharge were 10/17. Mortality of 90-day post-transplant were 2/17. The incidence of PGD and BOS were 1/17 and 2/17, respectively. Conclusion: Recipients with DBD lung transplantation have an acceptable survival during short-term follow-up, but with higher incidences of complications related to infection post-transplantation.

External validation of prediction models for time to death in potential donors after circulatory death

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kotsopoulos, A.M.M.; Böing-Messing, F.; Jansen, N.E.; Vos, P.; Abdo, W.F.

2018-01-01

Predicting time to death in controlled donation after circulatory death (cDCD) donors following withdrawal of life‐sustaining treatment (WLST) is important but poses a major challenge. The aim of this study is to determine factors predicting time to circulatory death within 60 minutes after WSLT and

Comparison of outcomes of kidney transplantation from donation after brain death, donation after circulatory death, and donation after brain death followed by circulatory death donors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Guodong; Wang, Chang; Ko, Dicken Shiu-Chung; Qiu, Jiang; Yuan, Xiaopeng; Han, Ming; Wang, Changxi; He, Xiaoshun; Chen, Lizhong

2017-11-01

There are three categories of deceased donors of kidney transplantation in China, donation after brain death (DBD), donation after circulatory death (DCD), and donation after brain death followed by circulatory death (DBCD) donors. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of kidney transplantation from these three categories of deceased donors. We retrospectively reviewed 469 recipients who received deceased kidney transplantation in our hospital from February 2007 to June 2015. The recipients were divided into three groups according to the source of their donor kidneys: DBD, DCD, or DBCD. The primary endpoints were delayed graft function (DGF), graft loss, and patient death. The warm ischemia time was much longer in DCD group compared to DBCD group (18.4 minutes vs 12.9 minutes, P < .001). DGF rate was higher in DCD group than in DBD and DBCD groups (22.5% vs 10.2% and 13.8%, respectively, P = .021). Urinary leakage was much higher in DCD group (P = .049). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that 1-, 2-, and 3-year patient survivals were all comparable among the three groups. DBCD kidney transplantation has lower incidences of DGF and urinary leakage than DCD kidney transplant. However, the overall patient and graft survival were comparable among DBD, DCD, and DBCD kidney transplantation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sudden cardiac death in children (1-18 years)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winkel, Bo Gregers; Risgaard, Bjarke; Sadjadieh, Golnaz

2014-01-01

AIMS: Hitherto, sudden cardiac death in children (SCDc)-defined as sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the 1-18 years old-has been incompletely described in the general population. Knowledge on incidence rates, causes of death and symptoms prior to death is sparse and has been affected by reporting...... and referral bias. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a nationwide setting all deaths in children aged 1-18 years in Denmark in 2000-06 were included. To chart causes of death and incidence rates, death certificates and autopsy reports were collected and read. By additional use of the extensive healthcare registries...... in Denmark, we were also able to investigate prior disease and symptoms. During the 7-year study period there was an average of 1.11 million persons aged 1-18 years. There were a total of 1504 deaths (214 deaths per year) from 7.78 million person-years. A total of 114 (7.5%) were sudden and unexpected...

Death, resurrection, and rebirth: observations in cardiac surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Blacher, R S

1983-01-01

The fantasy of life after death is universal, and every culture attempts to deal with concepts of resurrection and rebirth. In the past, these fantasies have dealt with religious and symbolic meanings, but cardiac resuscitation and cardiac surgery have introduced a new dimension: the patients' concept that they die in reality and are reborn or resurrected. This study, which was based on pre- and postoperative psychiatric interviews with cardiac patients, has focused on the problems such patients face. Their defensive immortality-formations appear to confirm Freud's speculations in Thoughts for the Times on War and Death concerning the human being's difficulty in accepting death as an end to life. Case history vignettes were presented, showing how these fantasies of death and resurrection can influence patients' ability to undergo necessary surgery. It was suggested that the idea of rebirth indicates starting life anew without blemish, whereas resurrection fantasies involve having another chance to live but with the same defective body.

The outcomes of simultaneous liver and kidney transplantation using donation after cardiac death organs.

Science.gov (United States)

Alhamad, Tarek; Spatz, Christin; Uemura, Tadahiro; Lehman, Eric; Farooq, Umar

2014-12-15

There has been a remarkable increase in simultaneous liver and kidney transplantations (SLK). As organ demand has increased, so has the use of donation after cardiac death (DCD). However, little is known about the outcomes of DCD in SLK. We performed a retrospective analysis using the United Network for Organ Sharing database to compare the outcomes of DCD SLK to donation after brain death (DBD) and determine the impact of donor and recipient factors on allograft and patient survival. Between 2002 and 2011, a total of 3,026 subjects received SLK from DBD and 98 from DCD. Kidney, liver, and patient survival from DCD donors were inferior to DBD at 1, 3, and 5 years (P=0.0056, P=0.0035, and P=0.0205, respectively). With the use of the Cox model, DCD was a significant risk factor for kidney and liver allograft failure and patient mortality. Recipient factors that were associated with worse allograft and patient outcomes included black race, diabetes, being on a ventilator, hospitalization, delayed graft function, hepatocellular carcinoma, and intensive care unit stay. Older age of the donor was also associated with worse outcomes. Despite the decreased allograft and patient survival compared with DBD, DCD SLK provides an acceptable option for SLK, with a survival probability of more than 50% at 5 years.

Cardiac Channelopathies and Sudden Death: Recent Clinical and Genetic Advances.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Falgueras, Anna; Sarquella-Brugada, Georgia; Brugada, Josep; Brugada, Ramon; Campuzano, Oscar

2017-01-29

Sudden cardiac death poses a unique challenge to clinicians because it may be the only symptom of an inherited heart condition. Indeed, inherited heart diseases can cause sudden cardiac death in older and younger individuals. Two groups of familial diseases are responsible for sudden cardiac death: cardiomyopathies (mainly hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy) and channelopathies (mainly long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, short QT syndrome, and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia). This review focuses on cardiac channelopathies, which are characterized by lethal arrhythmias in the structurally normal heart, incomplete penetrance, and variable expressivity. Arrhythmias in these diseases result from pathogenic variants in genes encoding cardiac ion channels or associated proteins. Due to a lack of gross structural changes in the heart, channelopathies are often considered as potential causes of death in otherwise unexplained forensic autopsies. The asymptomatic nature of channelopathies is cause for concern in family members who may be carrying genetic risk factors, making the identification of these genetic factors of significant clinical importance.

Haloperidol and sudden cardiac death in dementia: autopsy findings in psychiatric inpatients.

Science.gov (United States)

Ifteni, Petru; Grudnikoff, Eugene; Koppel, Jeremy; Kremen, Neil; Correll, Christoph U; Kane, John M; Manu, Peter

2015-12-01

Treatment with haloperidol has been shown, in studies using death certificates and prescription files, to be associated with an excess of sudden cardiac deaths, and regulatory warnings highlight this risk in patients with dementia. We used autopsy findings to determine whether the rate of sudden cardiac death is greater in cases of unexpected deaths of patients with dementia treated with haloperidol. From 1989 through 2013, 1219 patients with a primary diagnosis of dementia with behavioral disturbance were admitted to a psychiatric hospital, and 65 (5.3%) died suddenly. Sixty-five patients (5.3%) died unexpectedly. Complete post-mortem examinations after the sudden death were performed in 55 (84.6%) patients. Twenty-seven of the autopsied cases (49.1%) had been treated with haloperidol orally (2.2 mg ± 2.1 mg/day), the only antipsychotic used in this cohort. Univariable comparisons and multivariable regression analyses compared the groups of patients with or without sudden cardiac death. The leading causes of death were sudden cardiac death (32.7%), myocardial infarction (25.5% of patients), pneumonia (23.6%), and stroke (10.9%). Patients with sudden cardiac death and those with anatomically established cause of death were similar regarding the use of haloperidol (p = 0.5). Sudden cardiac death patients were more likely to suffer from Alzheimer's dementia (p = 0.027) and to have a past history of heart disease (p = 0.0094), and less likely to have been treated with a mood stabilizer (p = 0.024), but none of these variables were independent predictors of sudden cardiac death. Autopsy data suggest that oral haloperidol is not associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac death in psychiatric inpatients with dementia. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Spectrum of Epidemiology Underlying Sudden Cardiac Death

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, Meiso; Shimizu, Wataru; Albert, Christine M.

2015-01-01

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) from cardiac arrest is a major international public health problem accounting for an estimated 15–20% of all deaths. Although resuscitation rates are generally improving throughout the world, the majority of individuals who suffer a sudden cardiac arrest will not survive. SCD most often develops in older adults with acquired structural heart disease, but it also rarely occurs in the young, where it is more commonly due to inherited disorders. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is known to be the most common pathology underlying SCD, followed by cardiomyopathies, inherited arrhythmia syndromes, and valvular heart disease. Over the past three decades, declines in SCD rates have not been as steep as for other causes of CHD deaths, and there is a growing fraction of SCDs not due to CHD and/or ventricular arrhythmias, particularly among certain subsets of the population. The growing heterogeneity of the pathologies and mechanisms underlying SCD present major challenges for SCD prevention, which are magnified further by a frequent lack of recognition of the underlying cardiac condition prior to death. Multifaceted preventative approaches, which address risk factors in seemingly low risk and known high-risk populations will be required to decrease the burden of SCD. In this Compendium, we review the wide-ranging spectrum of epidemiology underlying SCD within both the general population and in high-risk subsets with established cardiac disease placing an emphasis on recent global trends, remaining uncertainties, and potential targeted preventive strategies. PMID:26044246

Effect of donor age on long-term survival following cardiac transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Topkara, Veli K; Cheema, Faisal H; Kesavaramanujam, Satish; Mercando, Michelle L; Forster, Catherine S; Argenziano, Michael; Esrig, Barry C; Oz, Mehmet C; Naka, Yoshifumi

2006-01-01

The current shortage of donor hearts has forced the criteria of organ procurement to be extended, leading to increased use of older donor hearts to bridge the gap between demand and availability. Our objective was to analyze the effect of donor age on outcomes after cardiac transplantation. We retrospectively studied 864 patients who underwent cardiac transplantation at New York Presbyterian Hospital - Columbia University between 1992 and 2002. Patients were divided into two groups; donor age or =40 years (Group B, n = 264). Characteristics including gender, body mass index, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) status were significantly different between the two donor age groups. Race, CMV status, toxoplasmosis status, left ventricular assist device prior to transplant, diabetes mellitus, and retransplantation were similar in both the recipient groups, while age, gender, and BMI were different. Early mortality was lower in Group A, 5%, versus 9.5% in Group B. Multivariate analysis revealed recipient female gender (odd ratio (OR) = 1.71), retransplantation (OR = 1.63), and increased donor age (OR = 1.02) as significant predictors of poor survival in the recipient population. Actuarial survival at 1 year (86.7% vs 81%), 5 years (75% vs 65%), and 10 years (56% vs 42%) was significantly different as well with a log rank p = 0.002. These findings suggest that increased donor age is an independent predictor of long-term survival. However, the shortage of organs makes it difficult to follow strict guidelines when placing hearts; therefore, decisions need to be made on a relative basis.

Targeting the Innate Immune Response to Improve Cardiac Graft Recovery after Heart Transplantation: Implications for the Donation after Cardiac Death

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefano Toldo

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Heart transplantation (HTx is the ultimate treatment for end-stage heart failure. The number of patients on waiting lists for heart transplants, however, is much higher than the number of available organs. The shortage of donor hearts is a serious concern since the population affected by heart failure is constantly increasing. Furthermore, the long-term success of HTx poses some challenges despite the improvement in the management of the short-term complications and in the methods to limit graft rejection. Myocardial injury occurs during transplantation. Injury initiated in the donor as result of brain or cardiac death is exacerbated by organ procurement and storage, and is ultimately amplified by reperfusion injury at the time of transplantation. The innate immune system is a mechanism of first-line defense against pathogens and cell injury. Innate immunity is activated during myocardial injury and produces deleterious effects on the heart structure and function. Here, we briefly discuss the role of the innate immunity in the initiation of myocardial injury, with particular focus on the Toll-like receptors and inflammasome, and how to potentially expand the donor population by targeting the innate immune response.

Energy status of pig donor organs after ischemia is independent of donor type.

Science.gov (United States)

Stadlbauer, Vanessa; Stiegler, Philipp; Taeubl, Philipp; Sereinigg, Michael; Puntschart, Andreas; Bradatsch, Andrea; Curcic, Pero; Seifert-Held, Thomas; Zmugg, Gerda; Stojakovic, Tatjana; Leopold, Barbara; Blattl, Daniela; Horki, Vera; Mayrhauser, Ursula; Wiederstein-Grasser, Iris; Leber, Bettina; Jürgens, Günther; Tscheliessnigg, Karlheinz; Hallström, Seth

2013-04-01

Literature is controversial whether organs from living donors have a better graft function than brain dead (BD) and non-heart-beating donor organs. Success of transplantation has been correlated with high-energy phosphate (HEP) contents of the graft. HEP contents in heart, liver, kidney, and pancreas from living, BD, and donation after cardiac death in a pig model (n=6 per donor type) were evaluated systematically. BD was induced under general anesthesia by inflating a balloon in the epidural space. Ten hours after confirmation, organs were retrieved. Cardiac arrest was induced by 9V direct current. After 10min of ventricular fibrillation without cardiac output, mechanical and medical reanimation was performed for 30min before organ retrieval. In living donors, organs were explanted immediately. Freeze-clamped biopsies were taken before perfusion with Celsior solution (heart) or University of Wisconsin solution (abdominal organs) in BD and living donors or with Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutaric solution (all organs) in non-heart-beating donors, after perfusion, and after cold ischemia (4h for heart, 6h for liver and pancreas, and 12h for kidney). HEPs (adenosine triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate, adenosine monophosphate, and phosphocreatine), xanthine, and hypoxanthine were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Energy charge and adenosine triphosphate-to-adenosine diphosphate ratio were calculated. After ischemia, organs from different donor types showed no difference in energy status. In all organs, a decrease of HEP and an increase in hypoxanthine contents were observed during perfusion and ischemia, irrespective of the donor type. Organs from BD or non-heart-beating donors do not differ from living donor organs in their energy status after average tolerable ischemia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

47. A cardiac center experience with Brugada syndrome who survived sudden cardiac death

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I. Suliman

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Brugada syndrome is a heritable arrhythmia syndrome that is characterized by an electrocardiographic pattern consisting of coved-type ST-segment elevation (2 mm followed by a negative T wave in the right precordial leads, V1 through V3 (often referred to as type 1 Brugada electrocardiographic pattern, here we describe 3 cases of Brugada who survived sudden cardiac death (SCD cardiac center experience with survived Brugada syndrome patients – case series. First Case: The Father 45 years old male, presented in 2005 after involvement in unprovoked motor vehicle accident, the patient was the driver who lost consciousness and rushed to the hospital. On arrival to our ER and putting the patient on the bed, the ER doctor observed a brief episode of VF on the monitor. The patient was taken to the catheterization Lab , his coronaries were normal. The diagnosis of Brugada was established and the patient received a defibrillator. At That Time all family members were screened and were negative. Second Case: The Son of the first patient 5 years later his 23 years old male rushed to our ER after he lost consciousness, he was passenger in the car of his friend. Third Case: The pilot A military pilot aged a male 35 years old was in very good health when he lost consciousness and brought to the hospital after resuscitation in 2005. He had full invasive cardiac evaluation, subsequently he received a defibrillator in the same admission period, till 2015 he is doing fine. Brugada syndrome is associated with high tendency for sudden cardiac death. In our three cases the first clinical presentation was survived sudden cardiac death (SCD and all three male patients survived. We did not encounter a female patient who survived sudden cardiac death.

Liver transplantation using organs from deceased organ donors: a single organ transplant center experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Ming; Guo, Zhi-Yong; Zhao, Qiang; Wang, Xiao-Ping; Yuan, Xiao-Peng; Jiao, Xing-Yuan; Yang, Chun-Hua; Wang, Dong-Ping; Ju, Wei-Qiang; Wu, Lin-Wei; Hu, An-Bin; Tai, Qiang; Ma, Yi; Zhu, Xiao-Feng; He, Xiao-Shun

2014-08-01

In 2011, a pilot program for deceased organ donation was initiated in China. We describe the first successful series of liver transplants in the pilot program. From July 2011 to August 2012, our center performed 26 liver transplants from a pool of 29 deceased donors. All organ donation and allograft procurement were conducted according to the national protocol. The clinical data of donors and recipients were collected and summarized retrospectively. Among the 29 donors, 24 were China Category II donors (organ donation after cardiac death), and five were China Category III donors (organ donation after brain death followed by cardiac death). The recipients were mainly the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The one-year patient survival rate was 80.8% with a median follow-up of 422 (2-696) days. Among the five mortalities during the follow-up, three died of tumor recurrence. In terms of post-transplant complications, 9 recipients (34.6%) experienced early allograft dysfunction, 1 (3.8%) had non-anastomotic biliary stricture, and 1 (3.8%) was complicated with hepatic arterial thrombosis. None of these complications resulted in patient death. Notably, primary non-function was not observed in any of the grafts. With careful donor selection, liver transplant from deceased donors can be performed safely and plays a critical role in overcoming the extreme organ shortage in China.

Population-based studies of antithyroid drugs and sudden cardiac death

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C. van Noord (Charlotte); M.C.J.M. Sturkenboom (Miriam); S.M.J.M. Straus (Sabine); A. Hofman (Albert); J.C.M. Witteman (Jacqueline); B.H.Ch. Stricker (Bruno)

2009-01-01

textabstractWHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • Thyroid hormone free T4 is associated with QTc-interval prolongation, which is a risk factor for sudden cardiac death. • The association between hyperthyroidism and ventricular arrhythmias or sudden cardiac death has been reported in several

Post-mortem toxicology in young sudden cardiac death victims

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjune, Thea; Risgaard, Bjarke; Kruckow, Line

2017-01-01

Aims: Several drugs increase the risk of ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death (SCD). We aimed to investigate in detail the toxicological findings of all young SCD throughout Denmark. Methods and results: Deaths in persons aged 1-49 years were included over a 10-year period. Death...... certificates and autopsy reports were retrieved and read to identify cases of sudden death and establish cause of death. All medico-legal autopsied SCD were included and toxicological reports collected. Positive toxicology was defined as the presence of any substance (licit and/or illicit). All toxicological...... findings had previously been evaluated not to have caused the death (i.e. lethal concentrations were excluded). We identified 620 medico-legal autopsied cases of SCD, of which 77% (n = 477) were toxicologically investigated post-mortem, and 57% (n = 270) had a positive toxicology profile. Sudden cardiac...

Long-term outcomes of clinical transplantation of pancreatic islets with uncontrolled donors after cardiac death: a multicenter experience in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Anazawa, T; Saito, T; Goto, M; Kenmochi, T; Uemoto, S; Itoh, T; Yasunami, Y; Kenjo, A; Kimura, T; Ise, K; Tsuchiya, T; Gotoh, M

2014-01-01

Pancreatic islet transplantation has emerged as an effective treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus, but its use is limited due to an insufficient supply of cadaveric pancreata. In Japan, uncontrolled donors after cardiac death (DCD) are not deemed to be suitable for whole-organ pancreatic transplantation, and can provide a source of pancreas for islet transplantation. However, the long-term outcomes and utility of uncontrolled DCD in the clinical setting remain controversial. Here, we summarize the long-term outcomes of islet transplantation employing uncontrolled DCD as reported to the Japan Islet Transplantation Registry. Sixty-four isolations and 34 transplantations of pancreatic islets were conducted in 18 subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus under the cover of immunosuppression with basiliximab, sirolimus, and tacrolimus. All donors were uncontrolled DCD at the time of harvesting. The mean follow-up time was 76 months. Of the 18 recipients, 8, 4, and 6 recipients received 1, 2, and 3 islet infusions, respectively. Overall graft survivals (defined as a C-peptide level ≥0.3 ng/mL) were 72.2%, 44.4%, and 22.2% at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively, whereas the corresponding graft survivals after multiple infusions were 90.0%, 70.0%, and 30.0%, respectively. Three of these recipients achieved insulin independence in 14, 79, and 215 days. HbA1c levels and the requirement of exogenous insulin were improved before loss of graft function. All recipients became free of severe hypoglycemia unawareness, however, at least 5 of 14 patients who had graft failure experienced recurrence of severe hypoglycemia after the loss of graft function. Islet transplantation from DCD can relieve glucose instability and problems with hypoglycemia when the graft is functioning. However, islets from uncontrolled DCD may be associated with reduced long-term graft survival. Further improvements in the clinical outcome by modification of islet isolation/transplantation protocols are

Guidelines for autopsy investigation of sudden cardiac death

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Basso, Cristina; Burke, Margaret; Fornes, Paul; Gallagher, Patrick J.; de Gouveia, Rosa Henriques; Sheppard, Mary; Thiene, Gaetano; van der Wal, Allard

2010-01-01

Although sudden cardiac death is one of the most important mode of death in Western Countries, pathologists and public health physicians have not given this problem the attention it deserves. New methods of preventing potentially fatal arrhythmias have been developed, and the accurate diagnosis of

Guidelines for autopsy investigation of sudden cardiac death

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Basso, C.; Burke, M.; Fornes, P.; Gallagher, P. J.; de Gouveia, R. H.; Sheppard, M.; Thiene, G.; van der Wal, A.

2010-01-01

Although sudden cardiac death is one of the most important mode of death in Western Countries, pathologists and public health physicians have not given this problem the attention it deserves. New methods of preventing potentially fatal arrhythmias have been developed and the accurate diagnosis of

Guidelines for autopsy investigation of sudden cardiac death

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Basso, Cristina; Burke, Margaret; Fornes, Paul; Gallagher, Patrick J.; de Gouveia, Rosa Henriques; Sheppard, Mary; Thiene, Gaetano; van der Wal, Allard

2008-01-01

Although sudden cardiac death is one of the most important mode of death in Western Countries, pathologists and public health physicians have not given this problem the attention it deserves. New methods of preventing potentially fatal arrhythmias have been developed, and the accurate diagnosis of

Organismal death, the dead-donor rule and the ethics of vital organ procurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Symons, Xavier; Chua, Reginald Mary

2018-06-19

Several bioethicists have recently discussed the complexity of defining human death, and considered in particular how our definition of death affects our understanding of the ethics of vital organ procurement. In this brief paper, we challenge the mainstream medical definition of human death-namely, that death is equivalent to total brain failure-and argue with Nair-Collins and Miller that integrated biological functions can continue even after total brain failure has occurred. We discuss the implications of Nair-Collins and Miller's argument and suggest that it may be necessary to look for alternative biological markers that reliably indicate the death of a human being. We reject the suggestion that we should abandon the dead-donor criteria for organ donation. Rather than weaken the ethical standards for vital organ procurement, it may be necessary to make them more demanding. The aim of this paper is not to justify the dead donor rule. Rather, we aim to explore the perspective of those who agree with critiques of the whole brain and cardiopulmonary definitions of death but yet disagree with the proposal that we should abandon the dead-donor rule. We will consider what those who want to retain the dead-donor rule must argue in light of Nair-Collins and Miller's critique. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Sudden cardiac death and coronary disease in the young

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zachariasardóttir, Sára; Risgaard, Bjarke; Ågesen, Frederik Nybye

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Sudden cardiac death caused by coronary artery disease (CAD-SCD) is the most frequent cause of SCD in persons ..., CAD-SCD victims aged 36-49years had more severe atherosclerosis in all coronary arteries, more multi-vessel disease (29% vs. 15%, p=0.049) and less commonly (38% vs. 54%, p=0.039) acute coronary occlusion than victims ... to death. CONCLUSION: This nationwide study found several differences in the pathologic lesions of the heart in victims aged 18-35 and 36-49years, which might be associated with different disease progression leading to death in these age groups. We also report a high frequency of cardiac symptoms prior...

Relationship between coronary atherosclerosis and 'sudden cardiac death'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundholm, C.E.; Sundbom, L.; Lundholm, L.

1989-01-01

Coronary arteriosclerosis in mini-pigs was produced by combination of hypercholesterolemia and twofold X irradiation of the cardiac region. 15-21 weeks following irradiation 40% of the adult animals and 58% of the juvenils died of 'sudden cardiac death'. The mortality rate decreased significantly after application of the calcium-channel blocking agent nifedipine

Imaging spectrum of sudden athlete cardiac death

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arrigan, M.T., E-mail: martinarrigan@gmail.co [Department of Radiology, Adelaide and Meath Hospital incorporating the National Children' s Hospital, Dublin (Ireland); Killeen, R.P. [Department of Radiology, Adelaide and Meath Hospital incorporating the National Children' s Hospital, Dublin (Ireland); Dodd, J.D. [Department of Radiology, St Vincent' s University Hospital, Dublin (Ireland); Torreggiani, W.C. [Department of Radiology, Adelaide and Meath Hospital incorporating the National Children' s Hospital, Dublin (Ireland)

2011-03-15

Sudden athlete death (SAD) is a widely publicized and increasingly reported phenomenon. For many, the athlete population epitomize human physical endeavour and achievement and their unexpected death comes with a significant emotional impact on the public. Sudden deaths within this group are often without prior warning. Preceding symptoms of exertional syncope and chest pain do, however, occur and warrant investigation. Similarly, a positive family history of sudden death in a young person or a known family history of a condition associated with SAD necessitates further tests. Screening programmes aimed at detecting those at risk individuals also exist with the aim of reducing fatalities. In this paper we review the topic of SAD and discuss the epidemiology, aetiology, and clinical presentations. We then proceed to discuss each underlying cause, in turn discussing the pathophysiology of each condition. This is followed by a discussion of useful imaging methods with an emphasis on cardiac magnetic resonance and cardiac computed tomography and how these address the various issues raised by the pathophysiology of each entity. We conclude by proposing imaging algorithms for the investigation of patients considered at risk for these conditions and discuss the various issues raised in screening.

Imaging spectrum of sudden athlete cardiac death

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arrigan, M.T.; Killeen, R.P.; Dodd, J.D.; Torreggiani, W.C.

2011-01-01

Sudden athlete death (SAD) is a widely publicized and increasingly reported phenomenon. For many, the athlete population epitomize human physical endeavour and achievement and their unexpected death comes with a significant emotional impact on the public. Sudden deaths within this group are often without prior warning. Preceding symptoms of exertional syncope and chest pain do, however, occur and warrant investigation. Similarly, a positive family history of sudden death in a young person or a known family history of a condition associated with SAD necessitates further tests. Screening programmes aimed at detecting those at risk individuals also exist with the aim of reducing fatalities. In this paper we review the topic of SAD and discuss the epidemiology, aetiology, and clinical presentations. We then proceed to discuss each underlying cause, in turn discussing the pathophysiology of each condition. This is followed by a discussion of useful imaging methods with an emphasis on cardiac magnetic resonance and cardiac computed tomography and how these address the various issues raised by the pathophysiology of each entity. We conclude by proposing imaging algorithms for the investigation of patients considered at risk for these conditions and discuss the various issues raised in screening.

Imaging spectrum of sudden athlete cardiac death.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Arrigan, M T

2012-02-01

Sudden athlete death (SAD) is a widely publicized and increasingly reported phenomenon. For many, the athlete population epitomize human physical endeavour and achievement and their unexpected death comes with a significant emotional impact on the public. Sudden deaths within this group are often without prior warning. Preceding symptoms of exertional syncope and chest pain do, however, occur and warrant investigation. Similarly, a positive family history of sudden death in a young person or a known family history of a condition associated with SAD necessitates further tests. Screening programmes aimed at detecting those at risk individuals also exist with the aim of reducing fatalities. In this paper we review the topic of SAD and discuss the epidemiology, aetiology, and clinical presentations. We then proceed to discuss each underlying cause, in turn discussing the pathophysiology of each condition. This is followed by a discussion of useful imaging methods with an emphasis on cardiac magnetic resonance and cardiac computed tomography and how these address the various issues raised by the pathophysiology of each entity. We conclude by proposing imaging algorithms for the investigation of patients considered at risk for these conditions and discuss the various issues raised in screening.

Sudden cardiac death in children and adolescents (excluding Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gajewski Kelly

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Sudden death in the young is rare. About 25% of cases occur during sports. Most young people with sudden cardiac death (SCD have underlying heart disease, with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and coronary artery anomalies being commonest in most series. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia and long QT syndrome are the most common primary arrhythmic causes of SCD. It is estimated that early cardiopulmonary resuscitation and widespread availability of automatic external defibrillators could prevent about a quarter of pediatric sudden deaths.

Cardiac muscarinic receptor overexpression in sudden infant death syndrome.

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Angelo Livolsi

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS remains the leading cause of death among infants less than 1 year of age. Disturbed expression of some neurotransmitters and their receptors has been shown in the central nervous system of SIDS victims but no biological abnormality of the peripheral vago-cardiac system has been demonstrated to date. The present study aimed to seek vago-cardiac abnormalities in SIDS victims. The cardiac level of expression of muscarinic receptors, as well as acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity were investigated. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Left ventricular samples and blood samples were obtained from autopsies of SIDS and children deceased from non cardiac causes. Binding experiments performed with [(3H]NMS, a selective muscarinic ligand, in cardiac membrane preparations showed that the density of cardiac muscarinic receptors was increased as shown by a more than doubled B(max value in SIDS (n = 9 SIDS versus 8 controls. On average, the erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity was also significantly increased (n = 9 SIDS versus 11 controls. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, it has been shown for the first time that cardiac muscarinic receptor overexpression is associated with SIDS. The increase of acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity appears as a possible regulatory mechanism.

Strategy for clinical evaluation and screening of sudden cardiac death relatives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ferrero-Miliani, Laura; Holst, Anders Gaarsdal; Pehrson, Steen

2010-01-01

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) may be the first and final manifestation of several heart diseases. In the young, SCD is often caused by a hereditary cardiac disease. As the most frequently seen inherited cardiac diseases have an autosomal-dominant pattern of inheritance, half of the first......-degree relatives are at risk of having or developing the same disease. Therefore, screening of these high-risk relatives is a rational approach to reduce the incidence of SCD. To offer family screening and counseling, the cause of death should be carefully established. Autopsy is only performed in a limited number...... a limited number of inherited cardiac diseases associated with SCD are without any structural changes. In other cases, the autopsy may reveal noncardiac causes of death, which is also important for reassuring the relatives. However, in cases with no autopsy or negative findings, thorough clinical...

Suicidal hanging donors for lung transplantation

Science.gov (United States)

Ananiadou, Olga; Schmack, Bastian; Zych, Bartlomiej; Sabashnikov, Anton; Garcia-Saez, Diana; Mohite, Prashant; Weymann, Alexander; Mansur, Ashham; Zeriouh, Mohamed; Marczin, Nandor; De Robertis, Fabio; Simon, Andre Rüdiger; Popov, Aron-Frederik

2018-01-01

Abstract In the context of limited donor pool in cardiothoracic transplantation, utilization of organs from high risk donors, such as suicidal hanging donors, while ensuring safety, is under consideration. We sought to evaluate the outcomes of lung transplantations (LTx) that use organs from this group. Between January 2011 and December 2015, 265 LTx were performed at our center. Twenty-two recipients received lungs from donors after suicidal hanging (group 1). The remaining 243 transplantations were used as a control (group 2). Analysis of recipient and donor characteristics as well as outcomes was performed. No statistically significant difference was found in the donor characteristics between analyzed groups, except for higher incidence of cardiac arrest, younger age and smoking history of hanging donors (P donor cause of death is not associated with poor mid-term survival or chronic lung allograft dysfunction following transplantation. These results encourage assessment of lungs from hanging donors, and their consideration for transplantation. PMID:29620623

Sudden cardiac death in athletes and its preventive strategies: review article

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farzin Halabchi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Sudden cardiac death in sport, although rare, but is a tragic event, attracting the media and public attention. Sport and exercise may act as a trigger for sudden cardiac death. Risk of sudden death in young athletes with cardiovascular disease is 2.5 times more frequent than non-athlete individuals. More than 90% of cases of sudden death occur during or immediately after training or competition. Incidence of sudden cardiac death in any population, including athletes, is related to multiple factors such as gender, age, race, nationality, diagnostic screening methods and preventive measures for sudden cardiac death. Otherwise, incidence rate of sudden cardiac death is linked to the used definition and method of diagnosis. Different cardiovascular disorders may result in death of young athletes and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, congenital coronary anomalies, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia and aortic rupture are among the most common causes. Marfan syndrome, dilated cardiomyopathy, viral myocarditis, Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW syndrome, congenital long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome and commotio cordis are reported as other etiologies. In older athletes (more than 35 years, ischemic coronary heart disease is responsible for majority of the cases similar to the general population. Because the outcome of sudden cardiac arrest in sports is very poor except in few cases, proper national strategies are needed to diminish the burden of sudden death in young athletes. It seems that there are two main strategies to achieve this goal: A Primary prevention with use of purposeful pre-participation evaluation programs. This evaluation should focuss on the proper history and physical examination. Nevertheless, there is significant debate between American and European countries regarding the use of paraclinical investigations (especially ECG. American heart association does not recommend ECG as an essential part of evaluation. In contrast, European

The Metabolic Syndrome and Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, Paul L; Al-Khalidi, Hussein R; Friedman, Daniel J; Mulder, Hillary; Kucharska-Newton, Anna; Rosamond, Wayne R; Lopes, Renato D; Gersh, Bernard J; Mark, Daniel B; Curtis, Lesley H; Post, Wendy S; Prineas, Ronald J; Sotoodehnia, Nona; Al-Khatib, Sana M

2017-08-23

Prior studies have demonstrated a link between the metabolic syndrome and increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Whether the metabolic syndrome is associated with sudden cardiac death is uncertain. We characterized the relationship between sudden cardiac death and metabolic syndrome status among participants of the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) Study (1987-2012) free of prevalent coronary heart disease or heart failure. Among 13 168 participants, 357 (2.7%) sudden cardiac deaths occurred during a median follow-up of 23.6 years. Participants with the metabolic syndrome (n=4444) had a higher cumulative incidence of sudden cardiac death than those without it (n=8724) (4.1% versus 2.3%, P metabolic syndrome, the metabolic syndrome was independently associated with sudden cardiac death (hazard ratio, 1.70, 95% confidence interval, 1.37-2.12, P metabolic syndrome criteria components. The risk of sudden cardiac death varied according to the number of metabolic syndrome components (hazard ratio 1.31 per additional component of the metabolic syndrome, 95% confidence interval, 1.19-1.44, P metabolic syndrome was associated with a significantly increased risk of sudden cardiac death irrespective of sex or race. The risk of sudden cardiac death was proportional to the number of metabolic syndrome components. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Causes and prevention of sudden cardiac death in the elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

Tung, Patricia; Albert, Christine M

2013-03-01

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major cause of mortality in elderly individuals owing to a high prevalence of coronary heart disease, systolic dysfunction, and congestive heart failure (CHF). Although the incidence of SCD increases with age, the proportion of cardiac deaths that are sudden decreases owing to high numbers of other cardiac causes of death in elderly individuals. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy has been demonstrated to improve survival and prevent SCD in selected patients with systolic dysfunction and CHF. However, ICD therapy in elderly patients might not be effective because of a greater rate of pulseless electrical activity underlying SCD and other competing nonarrhythmic causes of death in this population. Although under-represented in randomized trials of ICD use, elderly patients comprise a substantial proportion of the population that qualifies for and receives an ICD for primary prevention under current guidelines. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), which has been demonstrated to reduce mortality in selected populations with heart failure, is also more commonly used in this group of patients than in younger individuals. In this Review, we examine the causes of SCD in elderly individuals, and discuss the existing evidence for effectiveness of ICD therapy and CRT in this growing population.

Late Causes of Death After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: A 60-Year Population-Based Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Raissadati, Alireza; Nieminen, Heta; Haukka, Jari; Sairanen, Heikki; Jokinen, Eero

2016-08-02

Comprehensive information regarding causes of late post-operative death following pediatric congenital cardiac surgery is lacking. The study sought to analyze late causes of death after congenital cardiac surgery by era and defect severity. We obtained data from a nationwide pediatric cardiac surgery database and Finnish population registry regarding patients who underwent cardiac surgery at Causes of death were determined using International Classification of Diseases diagnostic codes. Deaths among the study population were compared to a matched control population. Overall, 10,964 patients underwent 14,079 operations, with 98% follow-up. Early mortality (death rates correlated with defect severity. Heart failure was the most common mode of CHD-related death, but decreased after surgeries performed between 1990 and 2009. Sudden death after surgery for atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, and transposition of the great arteries decreased to zero following operations from 1990 to 2009. Deaths from neoplasms, respiratory, neurological, and infectious disease were significantly more common among study patients than controls. Pneumonia caused the majority of non-CHD-related deaths among the study population. CHD-related deaths have decreased markedly but remain a challenge after surgery for severe cardiac defects. Premature deaths are generally more common among patients than the control population, warranting long-term follow-up after congenital cardiac surgery. Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Early declaration of death by neurologic criteria results in greater organ donor potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Resnick, Shelby; Seamon, Mark J; Holena, Daniel; Pascual, Jose; Reilly, Patrick M; Martin, Niels D

2017-10-01

Aggressive management of patients prior to and after determination of death by neurologic criteria (DNC) is necessary to optimize organ recovery, transplantation, and increase the number of organs transplanted per donor (OTPD). The effects of time management are understudied but potentially pivotal component. The objective of this study was to analyze specific time points (time to DNC, time to procurement) and the time intervals between them to better characterize the optimal timeline of organ donation. Using data over a 5-year time period (2011-2015) from the largest US OPO, all patients with catastrophic brain injury and donated transplantable organs were retrospectively reviewed. Active smokers were excluded. Maximum donor potential was seven organs (heart, lungs [2], kidneys [2], liver, and pancreas). Time from admission to declaration of DNC and donation was calculated. Mean time points stratified by specific organ procurement rates and overall OTPD were compared using unpaired t-test. Of 1719 Declaration of Death by Neurologic Criteria organ donors, 381 were secondary to head trauma. Smokers and organs recovered but not transplanted were excluded leaving 297 patients. Males comprised 78.8%, the mean age was 36.0 (±16.8) years, and 87.6% were treated at a trauma center. Higher donor potential (>4 OTPD) was associated with shorter average times from admission to brain death; 66.6 versus 82.2 hours, P = 0.04. Lung donors were also associated with shorter average times from admission to brain death; 61.6 versus 83.6 hours, P = 0.004. The time interval from DNC to donation varied minimally among groups and did not affect donation rates. A shorter time interval between admission and declaration of DNC was associated with increased OTPD, especially lungs. Further research to identify what role timing plays in the management of the potential organ donor and how that relates to donor management goals is needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights

Measuring Critical Care Providers' Attitudes About Controlled Donation After Circulatory Death.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigue, James R; Luskin, Richard; Nelson, Helen; Glazier, Alexandra; Henderson, Galen V; Delmonico, Francis L

2018-06-01

Unfavorable attitudes and insufficient knowledge about donation after cardiac death among critical care providers can have important consequences for the appropriate identification of potential donors, consistent implementation of donation after cardiac death policies, and relative strength of support for this type of donation. The lack of reliable and valid assessment measures has hampered research to capture providers' attitudes. Design and Research Aims: Using stakeholder engagement and an iterative process, we developed a questionnaire to measure attitudes of donation after cardiac death in critical care providers (n = 112) and examined its psychometric properties. Exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency, and validity analyses were conducted to examine the measure. A 34-item questionnaire consisting of 4 factors (Personal Comfort, Process Satisfaction, Family Comfort, and System Trust) provided the most parsimonious fit. Internal consistency was acceptable for each of the subscales and the total questionnaire (Cronbach α > .70). A strong association between more favorable attitudes overall and knowledge ( r = .43, P donation after cardiac death ( P donation after cardiac death.

Prolonged QTc interval and risk of sudden cardiac death in a population of older adults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Straus, Sabine M J M; Kors, Jan A; De Bruin, Marie L

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate whether prolongation of the heart rate-corrected QT (QTc) interval is a risk factor for sudden cardiac death in the general population. BACKGROUND: In developed countries, sudden cardiac death is a major cause of cardiovascular mortality. Prolongation...... of the QTc interval has been associated with ventricular arrhythmias, but in most population-based studies no consistent association was found between QTc prolongation and total or cardiovascular mortality. Only very few of these studies specifically addressed sudden cardiac death. METHODS: This study......). The association between a prolonged QTc interval and sudden cardiac death was estimated using Cox proportional hazards analysis. RESULTS: During an average follow-up period of 6.7 years (standard deviation, 2.3 years) 125 patients died of sudden cardiac death. An abnormally prolonged QTc interval (>450 ms in men...

Ethical dilemma of recovering organs before donor death.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalid, Umair; Khalil, Sarwat

2011-08-01

Organ transplant has had a momentous effect in improving global health over the years. However, there exists a sizeable discrepancy between the supply and demand of organs, especially in developing countries, where lack of expertise, financial constraints, and inadequate transplant facilities have been obstacles. According to current practice, donors must be dead before unpaired vital organs can be recovered. Equal health warrants needs-based health care for everyone. Recovering viable organs from donors while they are alive, but with death inevitable, may be significant to persons on waiting lists. Future policies in organ transplantation must be made after thorough consideration of all aspects of donation and dealing with the inequalities of health care. These pose a challenge for medicolegal and ethical organizations.

Congenital and hereditary causes of sudden cardiac death in young adults: diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and risk stratification.

Science.gov (United States)

Stojanovska, Jadranka; Garg, Anubhav; Patel, Smita; Melville, David M; Kazerooni, Ella A; Mueller, Gisela C

2013-01-01

Sudden cardiac death is defined as death from unexpected circulatory arrest-usually a result of cardiac arrhythmia-that occurs within 1 hour of the onset of symptoms. Proper and timely identification of individuals at risk for sudden cardiac death and the diagnosis of its predisposing conditions are vital. A careful history and physical examination, in addition to electrocardiography and cardiac imaging, are essential to identify conditions associated with sudden cardiac death. Among young adults (18-35 years), sudden cardiac death most commonly results from a previously undiagnosed congenital or hereditary condition, such as coronary artery anomalies and inherited cardiomyopathies (eg, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy [ARVC], dilated cardiomyopathy, and noncompaction cardiomyopathy). Overall, the most common causes of sudden cardiac death in young adults are, in descending order of frequency, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, coronary artery anomalies with an interarterial or intramural course, and ARVC. Often, sudden cardiac death is precipitated by ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation and may be prevented with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Risk stratification to determine the need for an ICD is challenging and involves imaging, particularly echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Coronary artery anomalies, a diverse group of congenital disorders with a variable manifestation, may be depicted at coronary computed tomographic angiography or MR angiography. A thorough understanding of clinical risk stratification, imaging features, and complementary diagnostic tools for the evaluation of cardiac disorders that may lead to sudden cardiac death is essential to effectively use imaging to guide diagnosis and therapy.

Survival and sudden cardiac death after septal ablation for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Morten Kvistholm; Havndrup, Ole; Hassager, Christian

2011-01-01

Reports of long-term survival and the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) after percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) are sparse.......Reports of long-term survival and the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) after percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) are sparse....

Hypothermic Oxygenated Machine Perfusion in Porcine Donation After Circulatory Determination of Death Liver Transplant

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fondevila, Constantino; Hessheimer, Amelia J.; Maathuis, Mark-Hugo J.; Munoz, Javier; Taura, Pilar; Calatayud, David; Leuvenink, Henri; Rimola, Antoni; Garcia-Valdecasas, Juan C.; Ploeg, Rutger J.

2012-01-01

Background. Livers from donation after circulatory determination-of-death (DCD) donors suffer ischemic injury during a preextraction period of cardiac arrest and are infrequently used for transplantation; they have the potential, however, to considerably expand the donor pool. We aimed to determine

Systematic review of the incidence of sudden cardiac death in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Melissa H; Fonarow, Gregg C; Peterson, Eric D; Curtis, Anne B; Hernandez, Adrian F; Sanders, Gillian D; Thomas, Kevin L; Hayes, David L; Al-Khatib, Sana M

2011-02-15

The need for consistent and current data describing the true incidence of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and/or sudden cardiac death (SCD) was highlighted during the most recent Sudden Cardiac Arrest Thought Leadership Alliance's (SCATLA) Think Tank meeting of national experts with broad representation of key stakeholders, including thought leaders and representatives from the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and the Heart Rhythm Society. As such, to evaluate the true magnitude of this public health problem, we performed a systematic literature search in MEDLINE using the MeSH headings, "death, sudden" OR the terms "sudden cardiac death" OR "sudden cardiac arrest" OR "cardiac arrest" OR "cardiac death" OR "sudden death" OR "arrhythmic death." Study selection criteria included peer-reviewed publications of primary data used to estimate SCD incidence in the U.S. We used Web of Science's Cited Reference Search to evaluate the impact of each primary estimate on the medical literature by determining the number of times each "primary source" has been cited. The estimated U.S. annual incidence of SCD varied widely from 180,000 to >450,000 among 6 included studies. These different estimates were in part due to different data sources (with data age ranging from 1980 to 2007), definitions of SCD, case ascertainment criteria, methods of estimation/extrapolation, and sources of case ascertainment. The true incidence of SCA and/or SCD in the U.S. remains unclear, with a wide range in the available estimates that are badly dated. As reliable estimates of SCD incidence are important for improving risk stratification and prevention, future efforts are clearly needed to establish uniform definitions of SCA and SCD and then to prospectively and precisely capture cases of SCA and SCD in the overall U.S. population. Copyright © 2011 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Left ventricular cardiac myxoma and sudden death in a dog

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Nijs, M.I.; Vink, Aryan; Bergmann, W.; Szatmári, V.

2016-01-01

Background: Myxoma is a very rare benign cardiac tumor in dogs. This is the first description of a cardiac myxoma originating from the left ventricular outflow tract, presumably causing sudden death. Case presentation: A previously healthy 12-year-old male West Highland white terrier was found dead

Left ventricular cardiac myxoma and sudden death in a dog

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Nijs, Maria Irene; Vink, Aryan; Bergmann, Wilhelmina; Szatmári, Viktor

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Myxoma is a very rare benign cardiac tumor in dogs. This is the first description of a cardiac myxoma originating from the left ventricular outflow tract, presumably causing sudden death. CASE PRESENTATION: A previously healthy 12-year-old male West Highland white terrier was found dead

Death and Cardiac Arrest in U.S. Triathlon Participants, 1985 to 2016: A Case Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Kevin M; Creswell, Lawrence L; Haas, Tammy S; Thomas, Taylor; Tung, Monica; Isaacson, Erin; Garberich, Ross F; Maron, Barry J

2017-10-17

Reports of race-related triathlon fatalities have raised questions regarding athlete safety. To describe death and cardiac arrest among triathlon participants. Case series. United States. Participants in U.S. triathlon races from 1985 to 2016. Data on deaths and cardiac arrests were assembled from such sources as the U.S. National Registry of Sudden Death in Athletes (which uses news media, Internet searches, LexisNexis archival databases, and news clipping services) and USA Triathlon (USAT) records. Incidence of death or cardiac arrest in USAT-sanctioned races from 2006 to 2016 was calculated. A total of 135 sudden deaths, resuscitated cardiac arrests, and trauma-related deaths were compiled; mean (±SE) age of victims was 46.7 ± 12.4 years, and 85% were male. Most sudden deaths and cardiac arrests occurred in the swim segment (n = 90); the others occurred during bicycling (n = 7), running (n = 15), and postrace recovery (n = 8). Fifteen trauma-related deaths occurred during the bike segment. Incidence of death or cardiac arrest among USAT participants (n = 4 776 443) was 1.74 per 100 000 (2.40 in men and 0.74 in women per 100 000; P < 0.001). In men, risk increased substantially with age and was much greater for those aged 60 years and older (18.6 per 100 000 participants). Death or cardiac arrest risk was similar for short, intermediate, and long races (1.61 vs. 1.41 vs. 1.92 per 100 000 participants). At autopsy, 27 of 61 decedents (44%) had clinically relevant cardiovascular abnormalities, most frequently atherosclerotic coronary disease or cardiomyopathy. Case identification may be incomplete and may underestimate events, particularly in the early study period. In addition, prerace medical history is unknown in most cases. Deaths and cardiac arrests during the triathlon are not rare; most have occurred in middle-aged and older men. Most sudden deaths in triathletes happened during the swim segment, and clinically silent cardiovascular disease

Factors affecting the serological testing of cadaveric donor cornea.

Science.gov (United States)

Raj, Anuradha; Mittal, Garima; Bahadur, Harsh

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the serological profile of the eye donors and to study the influence of various factors on serological test results. A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted, and data of 509 donors were reviewed from the records of eye bank from December 2012 to June 2017. Various details of donors analyzed included the age, sex of the donor, cause of death, source of tissue, time since blood collection after death, macroscopic appearance of blood sample, and details of discarded tissues. Serological examination of blood was performed for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus (HCV), venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL), and serology reports reactive or nonreactive were analyzed. Among the 509 donors, 295 (58%) were male, and 420 (82.50%) belonged to age group ≥60 years. Most donors (354, 69.5%) died due to cardiac arrest. Macroscopically, sera were normal in the majority of 488 (95.9%) cases. Among 509 donors, 475 (93.3%) were nonreactive, 12 (2.4%) donors were found to be reactive to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and 1 (0.2%) was reactive to HCV, but no donor serology was reactive to HIV or VDRL. Twenty-one (4.12%) donors' sera were not fit for serological testing. Among all donors, 475 (93.32%) donors were accepted and 34 (6.67%) were rejected or discarded on the basis of serological testing. Cause of death and macroscopic aspect of sera influenced the serological results in a highly significant manner (P = 0.00). Acceptance or rejection of the donor was significantly influenced by the serological results of the donor (P = 0.00). The seroprevalence among eye donor for HBsAg and HCV was 12 (2.4%) and 1 (0.2%), respectively. Factors such as cause of death and macroscopic aspect of sera influence the serological results. Time since blood collection or sampling will not show any impact on viral serological results if postmortem sampling will be done in donor cornea.

Factors affecting the serological testing of cadaveric donor cornea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anuradha Raj

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the serological profile of the eye donors and to study the influence of various factors on serological test results. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted, and data of 509 donors were reviewed from the records of eye bank from December 2012 to June 2017. Various details of donors analyzed included the age, sex of the donor, cause of death, source of tissue, time since blood collection after death, macroscopic appearance of blood sample, and details of discarded tissues. Serological examination of blood was performed for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus (HCV, venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL, and serology reports reactive or nonreactive were analyzed. Results: Among the 509 donors, 295 (58% were male, and 420 (82.50% belonged to age group ≥60 years. Most donors (354, 69.5% died due to cardiac arrest. Macroscopically, sera were normal in the majority of 488 (95.9% cases. Among 509 donors, 475 (93.3% were nonreactive, 12 (2.4% donors were found to be reactive to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg, and 1 (0.2% was reactive to HCV, but no donor serology was reactive to HIV or VDRL. Twenty-one (4.12% donors' sera were not fit for serological testing. Among all donors, 475 (93.32% donors were accepted and 34 (6.67% were rejected or discarded on the basis of serological testing. Cause of death and macroscopic aspect of sera influenced the serological results in a highly significant manner (P = 0.00. Acceptance or rejection of the donor was significantly influenced by the serological results of the donor (P = 0.00. Conclusion: The seroprevalence among eye donor for HBsAg and HCV was 12 (2.4% and 1 (0.2%, respectively. Factors such as cause of death and macroscopic aspect of sera influence the serological results. Time since blood collection or sampling will not show any impact on viral serological results if postmortem sampling

Nationwide study of sudden cardiac death in persons aged 1-35 years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winkel, Bo Gregers; Holst, Anders Gaarsdal; Theilade, Juliane

2011-01-01

Aims The aim of this investigation was to study the incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in persons aged 1-35 years in a nationwide setting (5.38 million people) by systematic evaluation of all deaths. Methods and results All deaths in persons aged 1-35 years in Denmark in 2000-06 were included....... Death certificates were read independently by two physicians. The National Patient Registry was used to retrieve information on prior medical history. All autopsy reports were read and the cause of death was revised based on autopsy findings. We identified 625 cases of sudden unexpected death (10......% of all deaths), of which 156 (25%) were not autopsied. Of the 469 autopsied cases, 314 (67%) were SCD. The most common cardiac cause of death was ischaemic heart disease (13%); 29% of autopsied sudden unexpected death cases were unexplained. In 45% of SCD cases, the death was witnessed; 34% died during...

Rationale and design of the Pan-African Sudden Cardiac Death survey

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bonny, Aimé; Ngantcha, Marcus; Amougou, Sylvie Ndongo

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: The estimated rate of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in Western countries ranges from 300,000 to 400,000 annually, which represents 0.36 to 1.28 per 1 000 inhabitants in Europe and the United States. The burden of SCD in Africa is unknown. Our aim is to assess the epidemiology of SCD...... of districts of interest will be checked for past medical history, circumstances of death, and autopsy report (if possible). We will also analyse the employment of resuscitation attempts during the time frame of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in various patient populations throughout African countries. CONCLUSION...... in Africa. METHODS: The Pan-Africa SCD study is a prospective, multicentre, community-based registry monitoring all cases of cardiac arrest occurring in victims over 15 years old. We will use the definition of SCD as 'witnessed natural death occurring within one hour of the onset of symptoms...

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for the Support of a Potential Organ Donor with a Fatal Brain Injury before Brain Death Determination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sung Wook Chang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The shortage of available organ donors is a significant problem and various efforts have been made to avoid the loss of organ donors. Among these, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO has been introduced to help support and manage potential donors. Many traumatic brain injury patients have healthy organs that might be eligible for donation for transplantation. However, the condition of a donor with a fatal brain injury may rapidly deteriorate prior to brain death determination; this frequently results in the loss of eligible donors. Here, we report the use of venoarterial ECMO to support a potential donor with a fatal brain injury before brain death determination, and thereby preserve donor organs. The patient successfully donated his liver and kidneys after brain death determination.

Outcome of organs procured from donors on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support: an analysis of kidney and liver allograft data.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Timothy; Bodzin, Adam S; Hirose, Hitoshi; West, Sharon; Hasz, Richard; Maley, Warren R; Cavarocchi, Nicholas C

2014-07-01

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation has become rescue therapy for adults with overwhelming cardiac and/or respiratory failure. Not all patients are saved, creating a new cohort of potential organ donors. This study examines the outcomes of liver and kidney allografts procured from donors on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). A retrospective review was conducted through the local organ procurement organization. Donors on ECMO prior to notification were classified into donation after brain death (DBD) and donation after cardiac death (DCD). We compared short-term outcome data against published standards. Between 1995 and 2012, 97 organs were procured from 41 donors supported on ECMO. There were 68 kidneys donated, 51 were transplanted and 17 discarded. Excluding extended criteria donors, 29 DBD and 13 DCD kidneys were transplanted from donors supported on ECMO. Delayed graft function occurred in 34% of DBD kidneys and 38% of DCD kidneys. Kidney allograft survival at one yr was 93%. Twenty-four livers were procured, nine discarded, and 15 transplanted. Ninety-three percent of liver transplant recipients were alive with graft function at one yr. Donation after brain death kidneys procured from donors on ECMO perform similarly to non-ECMO organs with regard to delayed graft function (DGF), one-yr graft survival and function. Livers from ECMO donors have a higher discard rate than non-ECMO donors, but function similarly at six months and one yr. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pretransplant portal venous administration of donor antigen and portal venous allograft drainage synergistically prolong rat cardiac allograft survival

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamei, T.; Callery, M.P.; Flye, M.W.

1990-01-01

The effect of antigen given through the portal vein (PV) before transplantation or continuous drainage of a graft into the PV results in moderate prolongation of allograft survival. This study examines these treatment modalities further. Pretransplant donor antigen as 25 x 10(6) ultraviolet B-irradiated (12,000 joules/m2) donor spleen cells was given 7 days before heart transplantation through either the PV or systemic venous (IV) routes. On day 0, Lewis-to-Buffalo rat cardiac allografts were drained either into the PV or IV. Pretransplant PV donor antigen administration (p less than 0.005), but not by IV administration, significantly prolonged cardiac allograft survival across the strong RT 1 rat histoincompatibility barrier. Similarly PV, but not IV, drainage of the graft prolonged graft survival (p less than 0.005). Pretransplant IV antigen administration had no additive effect on PV drainage graft survival. In contrast, when pretransplant PV donor antigen was combined with PV drainage, 11 of 14 allografts (p less than 0.001) continued to function, free of rejection, after 150 days. Therefore for rat cardiac transplants a clearly synergistic graft-prolonging effect results when pretransplant PV donor antigen is combined with PV drainage of the allografts. These data clarify the potent tolerogenic effects of alloantigen not only administered into the PV but also continuously shed intraportally so that it is first processed by the liver

Antipsychotics and the risk of sudden cardiac death

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Straus, S.M.J.M.; Bleumink, G.S.; Dieleman, J.P.; van der Lei, J.; 't Jong, G.W.; Kingma, J. Herre; Sturkenboom, M.C J M; Stricker, B.H C

2004-01-01

Background Antipsychotics have been associated with prolongation of the corrected QT interval and sudden cardiac death. Only a few epidemiological studies have investigated this association. We performed a case-control study to investigate the association between use of antipsychotics and sudden

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Mimicking Acute Anterior Myocardial Infarction Associated with Sudden Cardiac Death

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Daralammouri

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common genetic disease of the heart. We report a rare case of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy mimicking an acute anterior myocardial infarction associated with sudden cardiac death. The patient presented with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction and significant elevation of cardiac enzymes. Cardiac catheterization showed some atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, without significant stenosis. Echocardiography showed left ventricular hypertrophy with a left ventricular outflow tract obstruction; the pressure gradient at rest was 20 mmHg and became severe with the Valsalva maneuver (100 mmHg. There was no family history of sudden cardiac death. Six days later, the patient suffered a syncope on his way to magnetic resonance imaging. He was successfully resuscitated by ventricular fibrillation.

Febrile seizures prior to sudden cardiac death

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stampe, Niels Kjær; Glinge, Charlotte; Jabbari, Reza

2018-01-01

Aims: Febrile seizure (FS) is a common disorder affecting 2-5% of children up to 5 years of age. The aim of this study was to determine whether FS in early childhood are over-represented in young adults dying from sudden cardiac death (SCD). Methods and results: We included all deaths (n = 4595...... with FS was sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (5/8; 62.5%). Conclusion: In conclusion, this study demonstrates a significantly two-fold increase in the frequency of FS prior to death in young SCD cases compared with the two control groups, suggesting that FS could potentially contribute in a risk......) nationwide and through review of all death certificates, we identified 245 SCD in Danes aged 1-30 years in 2000-09. Through the usage of nationwide registries, we identified all persons admitted with first FS among SCD cases (14/245; 5.7%) and in the corresponding living Danish population (71 027/2 369 785...

Mutations in calmodulin cause ventricular tachycardia and sudden cardiac death

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nyegaard, Mette; Overgaard, Michael Toft; Sondergaard, M.T.

2012-01-01

a substantial part of sudden cardiac deaths in young individuals. Mutations in RYR2, encoding the cardiac sarcoplasmic calcium channel, have been identified as causative in approximately half of all dominantly inherited CPVT cases. Applying a genome-wide linkage analysis in a large Swedish family with a severe......Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a devastating inherited disorder characterized by episodic syncope and/or sudden cardiac arrest during exercise or acute emotion in individuals without structural cardiac abnormalities. Although rare, CPVT is suspected to cause...... calmodulin-binding-domain peptide at low calcium concentrations. We conclude that calmodulin mutations can cause severe cardiac arrhythmia and that the calmodulin genes are candidates for genetic screening of individual cases and families with idiopathic ventricular tachycardia and unexplained sudden cardiac...

Pharmacists' guide to the management of organ donors after brain death.

Science.gov (United States)

Korte, Catherine; Garber, Jennifer L; Descourouez, Jillian L; Richards, Katelyn R; Hardinger, Karen

2016-11-15

This article reviews organ donor pathophysiology as it relates to medication use with the goal of maximizing the successful procurement and transplantation of donor organs. The number of patients requiring organ transplantation continues to grow, yet organ donation rates remain flat, making it critical to appropriately manage each organ donor in order to ensure viability of all transplantable organs. The care given to one organ donor is tantamount to the care of several transplant recipients. Aggressive donor management ensures that the largest number of organs can be successfully procured and improves the organs' overall quality. Hospital pharmacists are responsible for processing orders and preparing the medications outlined in donor management algorithms developed by their respective medical systems. It is important that pharmacists understand the details of the medications used in these protocols in order to critically evaluate each medication order and appropriately manage the donor. Typical medications used in organ donors after brain death include medications for blood pressure management and fluid resuscitation, medications necessary for electrolyte management, blood products, vasopressors, hormone replacement therapy, antiinfectives, anticoagulants, paralytics, and organ preservation solutions. It is essential to provide optimal pharmacotherapy for each organ donor to ensure organ recovery and donation. Typical medications used in organ donors include agents for blood pressure management and fluid resuscitation, medications necessary for electrolyte management, blood products, vasopressors, hormone replacement therapy, antiinfectives, anticoagulants, paralytics, and organ preservation solutions. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Familial Atrial Septal Defect and Sudden Cardiac Death

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellesøe, Sabrina Gade; Johansen, Morten Munk; Bjerre, Jesper Vandborg

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Atrial septal defect (ASD) is the second most common congenital heart defect (CHD) and is observed in families as an autosomal dominant trait as well as in nonfamilial CHD. Mutations in the NKX2-5 gene, located on chromosome 5, are associated with ASD, often combined with conduction...... disturbances, cardiomyopathies, complex CHD, and sudden cardiac death as well. Here, we show that NKX2-5 mutations primarily occur in ASD patients with conduction disturbances and heritable ASD. Furthermore, these families are at increased risk of sudden cardiac death. RESULTS: We screened 39 probands...... with familial CHD for mutations in NKX2-5 and discovered a novel mutation in one family (2.5%) with ASD and atrioventricular block. A review of the literature revealed 59 different NKX2-5 mutations in 202 patients. Mutations were significantly more common in familial cases compared to nonfamilial cases (P = 7...

Contribution of inherited heart disease to sudden cardiac death in childhood

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hofman, Nynke; Tan, Hanno L.; Clur, Sally-Ann; Alders, Mariel; van Langen, Irene M.; Wilde, Arthur A. M.

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND. In children aged 1 to 18 years, the causes of sudden cardiac death may remain unresolved when autopsy results are negative. Because inherited cardiac diseases are likely, cardiologic and genetic investigations of relatives may still yield the diagnosis in these cases. Moreover, these

NORMOTHERMIC EXTRACORPOREAL PERFUSION IN SITU IN DECEASED ORGAN DONORS WITH IRREVERSIBLE CARDIAC ARREST AND ONE HOUR OF ASYSTOLE. 5-YEAR OUTCOMES OF KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. E. Skvortsov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. The global shortage of deceased organ donors caused increasing interest to the transplant program based on the use of organs from the donors with sudden irreversible cardiac arrest, or asystolic donors (DCD. Ischemia-reperfusion injury as a result of cardiac arrest remains a key problem that limits the use of organs from DCD. Our clinical study was intended to determine the acceptability of renal transplants derived from the DCD using extracorporeal perfusion in situ after 60 minutes of asystole. Materials and methods. In 2009–2014, St. Petersburg Organ Procurement Organization (OPO obtained kidneys from 29 DCD with critically expanded warm ischemic time (WIT. The design of this study was approved by the Scientifi c Board and Ethics Committee of the State Research Institute for Emergency Medicine (Decision 7/0615/09. Initially, no one of died patients was considered as potential organ donors. In case of failed advanced CPR the death of a patient was declared initiating the protocol of subnormothermic extracorporeal abdominal perfusion with ECMO, thrombolytics (strepokinase 1.5 mln U, and LD. The procedures were established by the authorized OPO team which arrived with perfusion equipment in 30–40 minutes after declaration of donors’ death. Mean WIT was 58.1 (19.39 minutes (Mean (SD. Resuscitated grafts were transplanted into 58 recipients. The outcomes of transplantation of resuscitated kidneys were compared to those of 112 KTx from 115 brain death donors (BDDs. Results. Immediate functioning of kidney grafts was observed in 28 (48.3% of 58 recipients. There were 4 cases of primary graft non-function. By the end of the fi rst post-transplant year there was an acute rejection rate of 12.1% (9 episodes of rejection in the DCD group vs. 23.2% (26 episodes of rejection in the BDD group (p < 0.05. The actuarial 5-year graft survival rate was 82.8% (n = 48 in DCD group, and 87.5% (n = 98 in BDD group (p > 0.05. Creatinine levels at the end

Arguments against promoting organ transplants from brain-dead donors, and views of contemporary Japanese on life and death.

Science.gov (United States)

Asai, Atsushi; Kadooka, Yasuhiro; Aizawa, Kuniko

2012-05-01

As of 2009, the number of donors in Japan is the lowest among developed countries. On July 13, 2009, Japan's Organ Transplant Law was revised for the first time in 12 years. The revised and old laws differ greatly on four primary points: the definition of death, age requirements for donors, requirements for brain-death determination and organ extraction, and the appropriateness of priority transplants for relatives. In the four months of deliberations in the National Diet before the new law was established, various arguments regarding brain death and organ transplantation were offered. An amazing variety of opinions continue to be offered, even after more than 40 years have elapsed since the first heart organ transplant in Japan. Some are of the opinion that with the passage of the revised law, Japan will finally become capable of performing transplants according to global standards. Contrarily, there are assertions that organ transplants from brain-dead donors are unacceptable because they result in organs being taken from living human beings. Considering the current conditions, we will organize and introduce the arguments for and against organ transplants from brain-dead donors in contemporary Japan. Subsequently, we will discuss the primary arguments against organ transplants from brain-dead donors from the perspective of contemporary Japanese views on life and death. After introducing the recent view that brain death should not be regarded as equivalent to the death of a human being, we would like to probe the deeply-rooted views on life and death upon which it is based. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Donations After Circulatory Death in Liver Transplant.

Science.gov (United States)

Eren, Emre A; Latchana, Nicholas; Beal, Eliza; Hayes, Don; Whitson, Bryan; Black, Sylvester M

2016-10-01

The supply of liver grafts for treatment of end-stage liver disease continues to fall short of ongoing demands. Currently, most liver transplants originate from donations after brain death. Enhanced utilization of the present resources is prudent to address the needs of the population. Donation after circulatory or cardiac death is a mechanism whereby the availability of organs can be expanded. Donations after circulatory death pose unique challenges given their exposure to warm ischemia. Technical principles of donations after circulatory death procurement and pertinent studies investigating patient outcomes, graft outcomes, and complications are highlighted in this review. We also review associated risk factors to suggest potential avenues to achieve improved outcomes and reduced complications. Future considerations and alternative techniques of organ preservation are discussed, which may suggest novel strategies to enhance preservation and donor expansion through the use of marginal donors. Ultimately, without effective measures to bolster organ supply, donations after circulatory death should remain a consideration; however, an understanding of inherent risks and limitations is necessary.

Alcohol, cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death.

Science.gov (United States)

Kupari, M; Koskinen, P

1998-01-01

Studies in experimental animals have shown varying and apparently opposite effects of alcohol on cardiac rhythm and conduction. Given acutely to non-alcoholic animals, ethanol may even have anti-arrhythmic properties whereas chronic administration clearly increases the animals' susceptibility to cardiac arrhythmias. Chronic heavy alcohol use has been incriminated in the genesis of cardiac arrhythmias in humans. The evidence has come from clinical observations, retrospective case-control studies, controlled studies of consecutive admissions for arrhythmias, and prospective epidemiological investigations. Furthermore, electrophysiological studies have shown that acute alcohol administration facilitates the induction of tachyarrhythmias in selected heavy drinkers. The role of alcohol appears particularly conspicuous in idiopathic atrial fibrillation. Occasionally, ventricular tachyarrhythmias have also been provoked by alcohol intake. Several lines of evidence suggest that heavy drinking increases the risk of sudden cardiac death with fatal arrhythmia as the most likely mechanism. According to epidemiological studies this effect appears most prominent in middle-aged men and is only partly explained by confounding traits such as smoking and social class. The basic arrhythmogenic effects of alcohol are still insufficiently delineated. Subclinical heart muscle injury from chronic heavy use may be instrumental in producing patchy delays in conduction. The hyperadrenergic state of drinking and withdrawal may also contribute, as may electrolyte abnormalities, impaired vagal heart rate control, repolarization abnormalities with prolonged QT intervals and worsening of myocardial ischaemia or sleep apnoea. Most of what we know about alcohol and arrhythmias relates to heavy drinking. The effect of social drinking on clinical arrhythmias in non-alcoholic cardiac patients needs to be addressed further.

Law enforcement duties and sudden cardiac death among police officers in United States: case distribution study.

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Varvarigou, Vasileia; Farioli, Andrea; Korre, Maria; Sato, Sho; Dahabreh, Issa J; Kales, Stefanos N

2014-11-18

To assess the association between risk of sudden cardiac death and stressful law enforcement duties compared with routine/non-emergency duties. Case distribution study (case series with survey information on referent exposures). United States law enforcement. Summaries of deaths of over 4500 US police officers provided by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and the Officer Down Memorial Page from 1984 to 2010. Observed and expected sudden cardiac death counts and relative risks for sudden cardiac death events during specific strenuous duties versus routine/non-emergency activities. Independent estimates of the proportion of time that police officers spend across various law enforcement duties obtained from surveys of police chiefs and front line officers. Impact of varying exposure assessments, covariates, and missing cases in sensitivity and stability analyses. 441 sudden cardiac deaths were observed during the study period. Sudden cardiac death was associated with restraints/altercations (25%, n=108), physical training (20%, n=88), pursuits of suspects (12%, n=53), medical/rescue operations (8%, n=34), routine duties (23%, n=101), and other activities (11%, n=57). Compared with routine/non-emergency activities, the risk of sudden cardiac death was 34-69 times higher during restraints/altercations, 32-51 times higher during pursuits, 20-23 times higher during physical training, and 6-9 times higher during medical/rescue operations. Results were robust to all sensitivity and stability analyses. Stressful law enforcement duties are associated with a risk of sudden cardiac death that is markedly higher than the risk during routine/non-emergency duties. Restraints/altercations and pursuits are associated with the greatest risk. Our findings have public health implications and suggest that primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention efforts are needed among law enforcement officers. © Varvarigou et al 2014.

Thyroid gland and cerebella lesions: New risk factors for sudden cardiac death in schizophrenia?

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Scorza, Fulvio A; Cavalheiro, Esper A; de Albuquerque, Marly; de Albuquerque, Juliana; Cysneiros, Roberta M; Terra, Vera C; Arida, Ricardo M

2011-02-01

People with schizophrenia show a two to threefold increased risk to die prematurely than those without schizophrenia. Patients' life style, suicide, premature development of cardiovascular disease, high prevalence of metabolic syndrome and sudden cardiac death are well-known causes of the excess mortality. The exact pathophysiological cause of sudden death in schizophrenia is unknown, but it is likely that cardiac arrhythmia and respiratory abnormalities play potential role. Some antipsychotics may be associated with cardiovascular adverse events (e.g., QT interval prolongation) and lesions in specific brain regions, such as cerebella may be associated with respiratory abnormalities, suggesting that metabolic and brain dysfunction could lead to sudden cardiac death in patients with schizophrenia. However, exact knowledge regarding the association of these findings and schizophrenia is lacking. As subclinical hyperthyroidism has been linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cerebella progressive atrophy has been observed in patients with schizophrenia, we propose in this paper that subclinical thyroid dysfunction and cerebella volume loss could be considered as new risk factor for sudden cardiac death in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predictive Value of Beat-to-Beat QT Variability Index across the Continuum of Left Ventricular Dysfunction: Competing Risks of Non-cardiac or Cardiovascular Death, and Sudden or Non-Sudden Cardiac Death

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Tereshchenko, Larisa G.; Cygankiewicz, Iwona; McNitt, Scott; Vazquez, Rafael; Bayes-Genis, Antoni; Han, Lichy; Sur, Sanjoli; Couderc, Jean-Philippe; Berger, Ronald D.; de Luna, Antoni Bayes; Zareba, Wojciech

2012-01-01

Background The goal of this study was to determine the predictive value of beat-to-beat QT variability in heart failure (HF) patients across the continuum of left ventricular dysfunction. Methods and Results Beat-to-beat QT variability index (QTVI), heart rate variance (LogHRV), normalized QT variance (QTVN), and coherence between heart rate variability and QT variability have been measured at rest during sinus rhythm in 533 participants of the Muerte Subita en Insuficiencia Cardiaca (MUSIC) HF study (mean age 63.1±11.7; males 70.6%; LVEF >35% in 254 [48%]) and in 181 healthy participants from the Intercity Digital Electrocardiogram Alliance (IDEAL) database. During a median of 3.7 years of follow-up, 116 patients died, 52 from sudden cardiac death (SCD). In multivariate competing risk analyses, the highest QTVI quartile was associated with cardiovascular death [hazard ratio (HR) 1.67(95%CI 1.14-2.47), P=0.009] and in particular with non-sudden cardiac death [HR 2.91(1.69-5.01), P<0.001]. Elevated QTVI separated 97.5% of healthy individuals from subjects at risk for cardiovascular [HR 1.57(1.04-2.35), P=0.031], and non-sudden cardiac death in multivariate competing risk model [HR 2.58(1.13-3.78), P=0.001]. No interaction between QTVI and LVEF was found. QTVI predicted neither non-cardiac death (P=0.546) nor SCD (P=0.945). Decreased heart rate variability (HRV) rather than increased QT variability was the reason for increased QTVI in this study. Conclusions Increased QTVI due to depressed HRV predicts cardiovascular mortality and non-sudden cardiac death, but neither SCD nor excracardiac mortality in HF across the continuum of left ventricular dysfunction. Abnormally augmented QTVI separates 97.5% of healthy individuals from HF patients at risk. PMID:22730411

Recent advances in understanding and prevention of sudden cardiac death [version 1; referees: 2 approved

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Jamie I. Vandenberg

2017-08-01

Full Text Available There have been tremendous advances in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease over the last 50 years. Nevertheless, it remains the number one cause of death. About half of heart-related deaths occur suddenly, and in about half of these cases the person was unaware that they had underlying heart disease. Genetic heart disease accounts for only approximately 2% of sudden cardiac deaths, but as it typically occurs in younger people it has been a particular focus of activity in our quest to not only understand the underlying mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmogenesis but also develop better strategies for earlier detection and prevention. In this brief review, we will highlight trends in the recent literature focused on sudden cardiac death in genetic heart diseases and how these studies are contributing to a broader understanding of sudden death in the community.

JS-K, a GST-activated nitric oxide donor prodrug, enhances chemo-sensitivity in renal carcinoma cells and prevents cardiac myocytes toxicity induced by Doxorubicin.

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Qiu, Mingning; Ke, Longzhi; Zhang, Sai; Zeng, Xin; Fang, Zesong; Liu, Jianjun

2017-08-01

Doxorubicin, a highly effective and widely used anthracycline antibiotic in multiple chemotherapy regimens, has been limited by its cardiotoxicity. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of nitric oxide donor prodrug JS-K on proliferation and apoptosis in renal carcinoma cells and cardiac myocytes toxicity induced by Doxorubicin and to explore possible p53-related mechanism in renal carcinoma cells. The effect of JS-K on anti-cancer activity of Doxorubicin was investigated in renal carcinoma cells via detecting cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, cell death and apoptosis and expressions of apoptotic-related proteins. Effect of p53 on the combination of JS-K and Doxorubicin was determined using p53 inhibitor Pifithrin-α and p53 activator III. Furthermore, the effect of JS-K on cardiac myocytes toxicity of Doxorubicin was investigated in H9c2 (2-1) cardiac myocytes via measuring cell growth, cell death and apoptosis, expressions of proteins involved in apoptosis and intracellular reactive oxygen species. We demonstrated that JS-K could increase Doxorubicin-induced renal carcinoma cell growth suppression and apoptosis and could increase expressions of proteins that are involved in apoptosis. Additionally, Pifithrin-α reversed the promoting effect of JS-K on Doxorubicin-induced renal carcinoma cell apoptosis; conversely, the p53 activator III exacerbated the promoting effect of JS-K on Doxorubicin-induced renal carcinoma cell apoptosis. Furthermore, JS-K protected H9c2 (2-1) cardiac myocytes against Doxorubicin-induced toxicity and decreased Doxorubicin-induced reactive oxygen species production. JS-K enhances the anti-cancer activity of Doxorubicin in renal carcinoma cells by upregulating p53 expression and prevents cardiac myocytes toxicity of Doxorubicin by decreasing oxidative stress.

Circulating endothelial progenitor cell numbers are not associated with donor organ age or allograft vasculopathy in cardiac transplant recipients.

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Thomas, H E; Parry, G; Dark, J H; Arthur, H M; Keavney, B D

2009-02-01

Increasing age is associated with reduced numbers of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). It is unclear whether this relates to depletion or impairment of bone marrow progenitors, or to deficient mobilization signals from aging tissues. In cardiac transplant patients, one previous study has reported an association between circulating EPCs and the risk of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). We investigated whether increased donor heart age, a strong risk factor for CAV, was associated with reduced circulating EPC numbers in a group of cardiac transplant recipients matched for factors which influence EPC numbers, but with maximally discordant donor heart ages. We identified 32 patient pairs, matched for factors known to influence EPC numbers, but who had discordant donor heart ages by at least 20 years. EPCs were quantified using flow cytometry for absolute counts of cells expressing all the combinations of CD45, CD34, CD133 and the kinase domain receptor (KDR). There were no significant differences in the numbers of circulating EPCs between patients with old or young donor heart age. There was no association between the presence of CAV and circulating EPC numbers. We suggest that the increased susceptibility to CAV of older donor hearts is not mediated via circulating EPCs. Our results are consistent with the theory that the normal age-related decline in EPC numbers relates to bone marrow aging rather than failure of target tissues to induce EPC mobilization.

Pupil diameter for confirmation of brain death in adult organ donors in Japan.

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Sagishima, Katsuyuki; Kinoshita, Yoshihiro

2017-01-01

The criteria for brain death in Japan include a bilateral pupil diameter of ≥4 mm. We evaluated the appropriateness of a 4-mm pupil diameter in adult brain-dead donors in Japan. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 148 consecutive adult brain-dead donors with an average age of 46 years. All records were anonymously registered to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare before 2001) from the various designated emergency institutes that performed organ donation under brain death from 1999 to 2012 in Japan. All donors had a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3, absence of all seven brain stem reflexes, an isoelectric electroencephalogram for >30 min, and apnea as tested by the standard method. All of these examinations were repeated approximately 6 h later for confirmation. The pupil diameter (average ± standard deviation) was 6.1 ± 1.1 mm at the first assessment and 6.4 ± 1.1 mm approximately 6 h later. The 95% probability distribution as calculated by statistical analysis was 3.93-8.30 mm in the left eye and 3.88-8.28 mm in the right eye in the first assessment, and 4.25-8.58 mm in the left eye and 4.32-8.43 mm in the right eye approximately 6 h later. Despite the various original causes of brain death, we conclude that a pupil diameter of ≥4 mm is a reasonable criterion for brain death in adults.

Donor Preconditioning After the Onset of Brain Death With Dopamine Derivate n-Octanoyl Dopamine Improves Early Posttransplant Graft Function in the Rat.

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Li, S; Korkmaz-Icöz, S; Radovits, T; Ruppert, M; Spindler, R; Loganathan, S; Hegedűs, P; Brlecic, P; Theisinger, B; Theisinger, S; Höger, S; Brune, M; Lasitschka, F; Karck, M; Yard, B; Szabó, G

2017-07-01

Heart transplantation is the therapy of choice for end-stage heart failure. However, hemodynamic instability, which has been demonstrated in brain-dead donors (BDD), could also affect the posttransplant graft function. We tested the hypothesis that treatment of the BDD with the dopamine derivate n-octanoyl-dopamine (NOD) improves donor cardiac and graft function after transplantation. Donor rats were given a continuous intravenous infusion of either NOD (0.882 mg/kg/h, BDD+NOD, n = 6) or a physiological saline vehicle (BDD, n = 9) for 5 h after the induction of brain death by inflation of a subdural balloon catheter. Controls were sham-operated (n = 9). In BDD, decreased left-ventricular contractility (ejection fraction; maximum rate of rise of left-ventricular pressure; preload recruitable stroke work), relaxation (maximum rate of fall of left-ventricular pressure; Tau), and increased end-diastolic stiffness were significantly improved after the NOD treatment. Following the transplantation, the NOD-treatment of BDD improved impaired systolic function and ventricular relaxation. Additionally, after transplantation increased interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor TNF-α, NF-kappaB-p65, and nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB-p105 gene expression, and increased caspase-3, TNF-α and NF-kappaB protein expression could be significantly downregulated by the NOD treatment compared to BDD. BDD postconditioning with NOD through downregulation of the pro-apoptotic factor caspase-3, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and NF-kappaB may protect the heart against the myocardial injuries associated with brain death and ischemia/reperfusion. © 2017 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

How the 2008 stock market crash and seasons affect total and cardiac deaths in Los Angeles County.

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Schwartz, Bryan Glen; Pezzullo, John Christopher; McDonald, Scott Andrew; Poole, William Kenneth; Kloner, Robert Alan

2012-05-15

Various stressors trigger cardiac death. The objective was to investigate a possible relation between a stock market crash and cardiac death in a large population within the United States. We obtained daily stock market data (Dow Jones Industrial Average Index), death certificate data for daily deaths in Los Angeles County (LA), and annual LA population estimates for 2005 through 2008. The 4 years death rate curves (2005 through 2008) were averaged into a single curve to illustrate annual trends. Data were "deseasonalized" by subtracting from the daily observed value the average value for that day of year. There was marked seasonal variation in total and cardiac death rates. Even in the mild LA climate, death rates were higher in winter versus summer including total death (+17%), circulatory death (+24%), coronary heart disease death (+28%), and myocardial infarction death (+38%) rates (p stock market crash in October 2008 did not affect death rates in LA. Death rates remained at or below seasonal averages during the stock market crash. In conclusion, after correcting for seasonal variation, the stock market crash in October 2008 was not associated with an increase in total or cardiac death in LA. Annual coronary heart disease death rates continue to decrease. However, seasonal variation (specifically winter) remains a trigger for death and coronary heart disease death even in LA where winters are mild. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The most common cause of sudden cardiac death in athletes

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Topalović Nikola

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The positive impact of exercise on cardiovascular health is well known. Athletes, who are constantly physically active, are considered to be the healthiest members of our society. That is why their sudden death, during the training or competition, attracts the attention of the general public. Rarely, tragic events of sudden cardiac death (SCD are the reason for questioning if by many positive there are also negative impact of physical exercise. The first case of SCD is recorded as far back as the year 490 BC, when the Greek soldier Pheidippides died after he conveyed news of the great victory of the Greeks over the Persians. Risk of SCD is recognized in the middle of the twentieth century. In our region, discussion about this issue began after the World Basketball Championship, which was held in Ljubljana in 1970, because of the sudden death of the national team member Trajko Rajkovic. One of the important goals of modern sports medicine is to reduce the risk of SCD in athletes to 'inevitable rarity'. Definition of SCD is considered to be any unexpected death due to sudden cardiac arrest. Pedo (Pedoe has divided all causes of SCD in the sport into three categories: Commotio cordis (agitation of the heart, which results from blunt impact to the athletes chest with consequent fatal disorder of heart rhythm; SCD of athletes under the age of 35 because of structural, congenital and inflammatory heart disease, which includes hypertrophic cardiomyopathy as the most important cause of sudden cardiac death, congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, myocarditis and other; SCD of athletes older than 35 years which is most common due coronary artery disease - atherosclerosis (the dominant risk in the marathon and half-marathon. .

How France launched its donation after cardiac death program.

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Antoine, C; Mourey, F; Prada-Bordenave, E

2014-02-01

On the basis of the literature and results presented at the 6th International Conference, donation after cardio-circulatory death provides a significant, practical, additional high quality source of transplantable organs. The vast majority of DCD are 'controlled' Maastricht category III donors. In 2010, the parliamentary information mission on the revision of the bioethics laws invited the Intensive Care Societies to debate and to make recommendations to implement controlled donation after circulatory death. They came to the conclusion that such retrieval is possible in France and insisted on the medical criteria that frame it: the writing of the medical procedures, the ethical aspects and the delay. The major recommendations of the ethics committees were firstly, The WLST decision is independent of the possibility of organ donation; secondly, the strict respect of "The dead donor and organ transplantation rule" and the updated national guidance for the WLST; thirdly, the drafting of a nationally agreed protocol defining the mandatory conditions to determine death and to perform procurement and transplantation. Organ donation after WLST will be authorised only in pilot centres with a locally agreed WLST policy including external second opinion and written transcript of the WLST decision, experienced intensive care staff, a local organ procurement coordination team familiar with DBD and DCD protocols and only in hospitals authorised for organ procurement. It is important to have an optimal and standardized national guidance to limit the known risk factors of graft failure (donor and recipient choice, warm and cold ischemia time), to increase acceptance by medical community and civil society and to improve results and allow more powerful analysis. Copyright © 2013 Société française d’anesthésie et de réanimation (Sfar). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Management to optimize organ procurement in brain dead donors.

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Mascia, L; Mastromauro, I; Viberti, S; Vincenzi, M; Zanello, M

2009-03-01

The demand for donor organs continues to exceed the number of organs available for transplantation. Many reasons may account for this discrepancy, such as the lack of consent, the absence of an experienced coordinator team able to solve logistical problems, the use of strict donor criteria, and suboptimal, unstandardized critical care management of potential organ donors. This has resulted in efforts to improve the medical care delivered to potential organ donors, so as to reduce organ shortages, improve organ procurement, and promote graft survival. The physiological changes that follow brain death entail a high incidence of complications jeopardizing potentially transplantable organs. Adverse events include cardiovascular changes, endocrine and metabolic disturbances, and disruption of internal homeostasis. Brain death also upregulates the release of pro-inflammatory molecules. Recent findings support the hypothesis that a preclinical lung injury characterized by an enhanced inflammatory response is present in potential donors and may predispose recipients to an adverse clinical prognosis following lung transplantation. In clinical practice, hypotension, diabetes insipidus, relative hypothermia, and natremia are more common than disseminated intravascular coagulation, cardiac arrhythmias, pulmonary oedema, acute lung injury, and metabolic acidosis. Strategies for the management of organ donors exist and consist of the normalization of donor physiology. Management has been complicated by the recent use of ''marginal'' donors and donors of advanced age or with ''extended'' criteria. Current guidelines suggest that the priority of critical care management for potential organ donors should be shifted from a ''cerebral protective'' strategy to a multimodal strategy aimed to preserve peripheral organ function.

The molecular autopsy: an indispensable step following sudden cardiac death in the young?

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Boczek, Nicole J.; Tester, David J.; Ackerman, Michael J.

2013-01-01

Annually thousands of sudden deaths involving young individuals (autopsy. In fact, epidemiological studies have estimated that over half of sudden deaths involving previously healthy young individuals have no morphological abnormalities identifiable at autopsy. Cardiac channelopathies associated with structurally normal hearts such as long QT syndrome (LQTS), catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), and Brugada syndrome (BrS), leave no evidence to be found at autopsy, leaving investigators to only speculate that a lethal arrhythmia might lie at the heart of a sudden unexplained death (SUD). In cases of autopsy-negative SUD, continued investigation, through the use of a cardiological and genetic evaluation of first- or second-degree relatives and/or a molecular autopsy, may pinpoint the underlying mechanism attributing to the sudden death and allow for the identification of living family members with the pathogenic substrate that renders them vulnerable to an increased risk for cardiac events, including sudden death. PMID:22993115

Effect of organ donation after circulatory determination of death on number of organ transplants from donors with neurologic determination of death

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Rao, Vivek; Dhanani, Sonny; MacLean, Janet; Payne, Clare; Paltser, Elizabeth; Humar, Atul; Zaltzman, Jeffrey

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: To increase the available pool of organ donors, Ontario introduced donation after circulatory determination of death (DCD) in 2006. Other jurisdictions have reported a decrease in donations involving neurologic determination of death (NDD) after implementation of DCD, with a drop in organ yield and quality. In this study, we examined the effect of DCD on overall transplant activity in Ontario. METHODS: We examined deceased donor and organ transplant activity during 3 distinct 4-year eras: pre-DCD (2002/03 to 2005/06), early DCD (2006/07 to 2009/10) and recent DCD (2010/11 to 2013/14). We compared these donor groups by categorical characteristics. RESULTS: Donation increased by 57%, from 578 donors in the pre-DCD era to 905 donors in the recent DCD era, with a 21% proportion (190/905) of DCD donors in the recent DCD era. However, overall NDD donation also increased. The mean length of hospital stay before declaration for NDD was 2.7 days versus 6.0 days before withdrawal of life support and subsequent asystole in cases of DCD. The average organ yield was 3.73 with NDD donation versus 2.58 with DCD (p organs from DCD donors were successfully transplanted. From the pre-DCD era to the recent DCD era, transplant activity in each era increased for all solid-organ recipients, including heart (from 158 to 216), kidney (from 821 to 1321), liver (from 477 to 657) and lung (from 160 to 305). INTERPRETATION: Implementation of DCD in Ontario led to increased transplant activity for all solid-organ recipients. There was no evidence that the use of DCD was pre-empting potential NDD donation. In contrast to groups receiving other organs, heart transplant candidates have not yet benefited from DCD. PMID:28947546

Syncope and the risk of sudden cardiac death: Evaluation, management, and prevention

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Ryan J. Koene, MD

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Syncope is a clinical syndrome defined as a relatively brief self-limited transient loss of consciousness (TLOC caused by a period of inadequate cerebral nutrient flow. Most often the trigger is an abrupt drop of systemic blood pressure. True syncope must be distinguished from other common non-syncope conditions in which real or apparent TLOC may occur such as seizures, concussions, or accidental falls. The causes of syncope are diverse, but in most instances, are relatively benign (e.g., reflex and orthostatic faints with the main risks being accidents and/or injury. However, in some instances, syncope may be due to more worrisome conditions (particularly those associated with cardiac structural disease or channelopathies; in such circumstances, syncope may be an indicator of increased morbidity and mortality risk, including sudden cardiac death (SCD. Establishing an accurate basis for the etiology of syncope is crucial in order to initiate effective therapy. In this review, we focus primarily on the causes of syncope that are associated with increased SCD risk (i.e., sudden arrhythmic cardiac death, and the management of these patients. In addition, we discuss the limitations of our understanding of SCD in relation to syncope, and propose future studies that may ultimately address how to improve outcomes of syncope patients and reduce SCD risk. Keywords: Syncope, Sudden cardiac death, Risk assessment

Coronary atherosclerosis in sudden cardiac death: An autopsy study

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Sudha M

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Background: The incidence of ischemic heart disease (IHD has markedly increased in India over the past few years. Considering the variations in racial, dietary and lifestyle patterns in our population, it is essential to study the biology of coronary atherosclerosis in our patients. Vulnerable plaques have a large number of foam cells, extracellular lipid, thin fibrous caps and clusters of inflammatory cells and are more prone to rupture. These plaques are nourished by the microvessels arising from the vasa vasorum of the blood vessels and by lumen-derived microvessels through the fibrous cap. This autopsy study was designed to analyse the coronary arterial tree in cases of sudden cardiac death, classify coronary atherosclerotic plaques and to assess the factors contributing to vulnerability of the plaques including inflammation, calcification and microvascular density. Materials and Methods: Seven cases of sudden cardiac death were included in the study. The hearts were perfusion-fixed and the coronary arteries along with their main branches were dissected and studied. The location of the plaques, type of plaques, presence of inflammation and calcification were assessed. The cap thickness and microvessel density per 1000um 2 were assessed. The statistical significance was estimated. Results and Conclusions: Extensive high-grade coronary atherosclerotic disease was seen in all sudden cardiac death cases. Majority of the plaques were vulnerable. High-grade inflammation was seen in most of the vulnerable and ruptured plaques. All the ruptured plaques were uncalcified indicating that calcification probably stabilizes the plaques and protects against rupture. Increased microvessel density was noted in ruptured plaques compared to vulnerable plaques. However, it was not statistically significant.

Genetic testing to predict sudden cardiac death: current perspectives and future goals

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Silvia G. Priori

2014-01-01

Full Text Available It is known that monogenic traits may predispose young and otherwise healthy individuals to die suddenly. Diseases such as Long QT Syndrome, Brugada Syndrome and Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy are well known causes of arrhythmic death in young individuals. For several years the concept of “genetic predisposition” to sudden cardiac death has been limited to these uncommon diseases. In the last few years clinical data have supported the view that risk of dying suddenly may cluster in families, supporting the hypothesis of a genetic component for sudden cardiac death. In this review I will try to provide an overview of current knowledge about genetics of sudden death. I will approach this topic by discussing first where we stand in the use of genetics for risk stratification and therapy selection in monogenic diseases and I will then move to discuss the contribution of genetics to patient profiling in acquired cardiovascular diseases.

Sudden cardiac death with triple pathologies: A case report

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R. Razuin

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Sudden cardiac death in young adults may be associated with rare cardiomyopathies such as left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC and arrhythmogenic right ventricular (ARVC cardiomyopathies. LVNC is characterised by hypertrabeculations and deep recesses of the left ventricle. ARVC presents with thin myocardium as a result of extensive fibro-fatty infiltrations. In both conditions, death may be due to arrhythmia, thromboembolic events or heart failure. We report a case of a 21-year old athletic young man who collapsed at the futsal court right after the game. He was resuscitated but expired at the hospital after a brief admission. A week earlier, he had a similar episode of syncope and revived through cardio-pulmonary resuscitation at the site. Post mortem examination showed extensive acute myocardial infarction (AMI involving the papillary muscles and the left ventricular wall. Features of LVNC were also observed. On top of that, the right ventricle showed patchy thin myocardium as the wall was largely comprised of fat. Histology examination confirmed the presence of AMI and massive fibro-fatty infiltrations of the right ventricle. This unfortunate young man had co-existing cardiomyopathies which is rare indeed. As he succumbed to AMI, this mechanism of death is also uncommonly associated with neither LVNC nor ARVC. In conclusion, young and physically active individuals may not be spared of sudden cardiac death. Mild and non-specific symptoms should not be taken lightly as it may be the subtle signs of cardiomyopathies.

Sudden cardiac death and acute pathology of coronary arteries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dantzig, J. M.; Becker, A. E.

1986-01-01

The pathology of sudden cardiac death still is a matter of controversy, particularly with respect to the state of the coronary arteries. A recent study has shown a high incidence of acute lesions and suggests a causal relationship. The present study has been designed to verify whether or not acute

Complement mediated renal inflammation induced by donor brain death : role of renal C5a-C5aR interaction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Werkhoven, M. B.; Damman, J.; van Dijk, M. C. R. F.; Daha, M. R.; de Jong, I. J.; Leliveld, A.; Krikke, C.; Leuvenink, H. G.; van Goor, H.; van Son, W. J.; Olinga, P.; Hillebrands, J. -L.; Seelen, M. A. J.

Kidneys retrieved from brain-dead donors have impaired allograft function after transplantation compared to kidneys from living donors. Donor brain death (BD) triggers inflammatory responses, including both systemic and local complement activation. The mechanism by which systemic activated

Resource utilization associated with procurement of transplantable organs from donors that do not meet OPTN eligible death criteria.

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DuBay, Derek A; Redden, David T; Bryant, Mary K; Dorn, David P; Fouad, Mona N; Gray, Stephen H; White, Jared A; Locke, Jayme E; Meeks, Christopher B; Taylor, Garry C; Kilgore, Meredith L; Eckhoff, Devin E

2014-05-27

The strategy of evaluating every donation opportunity warrants an investigation into the financial feasibility of this practice. The purpose of this investigation is to measure resource utilization required for procurement of transplantable organs in an organ procurement organization (OPO). Donors were stratified into those that met OPTN-defined eligible death criteria (ED donors, n=589) and those that did not (NED donors, n=703). Variable direct costs and time utilization by OPO staff for organ procurement were measured and amortized per organ transplanted using permutation methods and statistical bootstrapping/resampling approaches. More organs per donor were procured (3.66±1.2 vs. 2.34±0.8, Pdonors compared with NED donors. The variable direct costs were significantly lower in the NED donors ($29,879.4±11590.1 vs. $19,019.6±7599.60, Porgan transplanted were significantly higher in the NED donors ($8,414.5±138.29 vs. $9,272.04±344.56, Pdonors where thoracic organ procurement occurred were 67% more expensive than in abdominal-only organ procurement. The total time allocated per donor was significantly shorter in the NED donors (91.2±44.9 hr vs. 86.8±78.6 hr, P=0.01). In contrast, the amortized time per organ transplanted was significantly longer in the NED donors (23.1±0.8 hr vs. 36.9±3.2 hr, Porgan transplanted is significantly higher in donors that do not meet the eligible death criteria.

Association between abnormal myocardial fatty acid metabolism and cardiac-derived death among patients undergoing hemodialysis: results from a cohort study in Japan.

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Moroi, Masao; Tamaki, Nagara; Nishimura, Masato; Haze, Kazuo; Nishimura, Tsunehiko; Kusano, Eiji; Akiba, Takashi; Sugimoto, Tokuichiro; Hase, Hiroki; Hara, Kazuhiro; Nakata, Tomoaki; Kumita, Shinichiro; Nagai, Yoji; Hashimoto, Akiyoshi; Momose, Mitsuru; Miyakoda, Keiko; Hasebe, Naoyuki; Kikuchi, Kenjiro

2013-03-01

Detecting myocardial ischemia in hemodialysis patients is crucial given the high incidence of silent ischemia and the high cardiovascular mortality rates. Abnormal myocardial fatty acid metabolism as determined by imaging with (123)I-labeled BMIPP (β-methyl iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid) might be associated with cardiac-derived death in hemodialysis patients. Prospective observational study. Asymptomatic hemodialysis patients with one or more cardiovascular risk factors, but without known coronary artery disease, were followed up for 3 years at 48 Japanese hospitals (406 men, 271 women; mean age, 64 years). Baseline BMIPP summed scores semiquantified using a 17-segment 5-point system (normal, 0; absent, 4). Cardiac-derived death, including cardiac and sudden death. HRs were estimated using a Cox model for associations between BMIPP summed scores and cardiac-derived death, adjusting for potential confounders of age, sex, body mass index, dialysis duration, and cardiovascular risk factors. Rates of all-cause mortality and cardiac-derived death were 18.5% and 6.8%, respectively. Cardiac-derived death (acute myocardial infarction [n = 10], congestive heart failure [n = 13], arrhythmia [n = 2], valvular heart disease [n = 1], and sudden death [n = 20]) accounted for 36.8% of all-cause deaths. Cardiac-derived death (n = 46) was associated with age, history of heart failure, and BMIPP summed scores of 4 or higher (HR, 2.9; P death-free survival rates were 95.7%, 90.6%, and 78.8% when BMIPP summed scores were 3 or lower, 4-8, and 9 or higher, respectively. BMIPP summed score also was a predictor of all-cause death (HR, 1.6; P = 0.009). Sudden death of unknown cause was considered to have been cardiac derived, although a coronary origin was not confirmed. Abnormal myocardial fatty acid metabolism is associated with cardiac-derived death in hemodialysis patients. BMIPP single-proton emission computed tomography appears clinically useful for predicting cardiac-derived death

Cause of Sudden Cardiac Deaths on Autopsy Findings; a Four-Year Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinesh Rao

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD has been steadily increasing all over the world. While knowing the cause of SCD is one of the favorites of the physicians involved with these cases, it is very difficult and challenging task for the forensic physician. The present report is a prospective study regarding cause of SCDs on autopsy examination in four-year period, Bangalore, India. Methods: The present prospective study is based on autopsy observations, carried out for four-year period from 2008 to 2011, and analyzed for cause of SCDs. The cases were chosen as per the definition of sudden death and autopsied. The material was divided into natural and unnatural groups. Finally, on histopathology, gross examination, hospital details, circumstantial, and police reports the cause of death was inferred. Results: A total of 2449 autopsy was conducted of which 204 cases were due to SCD. The highest SCDs were reported in 50-60 years age group (62.24%; n-127, followed closely by the age group 60-69 (28.43%; n-58. Male to female ratio was around 10:1. The maximum number of deaths (n=78 was within few hours (6 hours after the onset of signs and symptoms. In 24 (11.8% cases major narrowing was noted in both the main coronaries, in 87 (42.6% cases in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD, and in 18 (51.5% cases in the right coronary artery (RCA. The major cardiac pathology resulting in sudden death was coronary artery disease (n-116; 56.86% and myocardial infarction (n-104; 50.9%. most of the SCDs occurred in the place of residence (n-80; 39.2% followed closely by death in hospital (n-49; 24.01%. Conclusion: Coronary occlusion was the major contributory cause of sudden death with cardiac origin and the highest number of deaths were reported in the age 50-59 years with male to female ratio of 10:1. 

Does Traumatic Donor Cause of Death Influence Outcome after Lung Transplantation? A Single-Centre Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pilarczyk, Kevin; Heckmann, Jens; Carstens, Henning; Lubarski, Jura; Jakob, Heinz; Pizanis, Nikolaus; Kamler, Markus

2017-08-01

Background  Owing to the shortage of donor organs in lung transplantation (LuTX), liberalization of donor selection criteria has been proposed. However, some studies suggested that donor traumatic brain damage might influence posttransplantation allograft function. This article aimed to investigate the association of donor cause of death (DCD) and outcome after LuTX. Methods  A retrospective analysis of 186 consecutive double LuTXs at our institution from January 2000 to December 2008 was performed. DCD was categorized into traumatic brain injury (TBI) and nontraumatic brain injury (NTBI). In addition, NTBI was sub classified as spontaneous intracerebral bleeding (B), hypoxic brain damage (H), and intracerebral neoplasia (N). Results  DCD was classified as TBI in 50 patients (26.9%) and NTBI in 136 patients (73.1%): B in 112 patients (60.2%), H in 21 patients (11.3%), and N in 3 patients (1.6%). Young male donors predominated in group TBI (mean age 36.0 ± 14.5 vs. 42.8 ± 10.7, p  donor ventilation time, or paO 2 /FiO 2 before harvesting. TBI donors received significantly more blood (3.4 ± 3.8 vs. 1.8 ± 1.9, p  = 0.03). A chest trauma was evident only in group T ( n  = 7 [3.7%] vs. 0 [0%], p  donor death did not affect the following indices of graft function: length of postoperative ventilation, paO 2 /FiO 2 ratio up to 48 hours, and lung function up to 36 months. One- and three-year survival was comparable with 84.4 and 70.4% for TBI donors versus 89.4% and 69.2% for NTBI donors. Five-year survival tended to be lower in the TBI group but did not reach statistical significance (43.4 vs. 53.9%). Conclusion  This study indicates that traumatic DCD does not affect outcome after LuTX. These results can be achieved with an ideal donor management combined with an individual case-to-case evaluation by an experienced LuTX surgeon. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Imminent brain death : point of departure for potential heart-beating organ donor recognition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Groot, Yorick J.; Jansen, Nichon E.; Bakker, Jan; Kuiper, Michael A.; Aerdts, Stan; Maas, Andrew I. R.; Wijdicks, Eelco F. M.; van Leiden, Hendrik A.; Hoitsma, Andries J.; Kremer, Berry H. P. H.; Kompanje, Erwin J. O.

There is, in European countries that conduct medical chart review of intensive care unit (ICU) deaths, no consensus on uniform criteria for defining a potential organ donor. Although the term is increasingly being used in recent literature, it is seldom defined in detail. We searched for criteria

Imminent brain death: Point of departure for potential heart-beating organ donor recognition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Y.J. de Groot (Yorick); N.E. Jansen (Nichon); J. Bakker (Jan); M.A. Kuiper (Michael); S. Aerdts (Stan); A.I.R. Maas (Andrew); E.F.M. Wijdicks (Eelco); H.A. van Leiden (Hendrik); A.J. Hoitsma (Andries); H.P.H. Kremer (Berry); E.J.O. Kompanje (Erwin)

2010-01-01

textabstractPurpose: There is, in European countries that conduct medical chart review of intensive care unit (ICU) deaths, no consensus on uniform criteria for defining a potential organ donor. Although the term is increasingly being used in recent literature, it is seldom defined in detail. We

Imminent brain death: point of departure for potential heart-beating organ donor recognition.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groot, Y.J. de; Jansen, N.E.; Bakker, J.; Kuiper, M.A.; Aerdts, S.; Maas, A.I.; Wijdicks, E.F.; Leiden, H.A. van; Hoitsma, A.J.; Kremer, H.P.H.; Kompanje, E.J.

2010-01-01

PURPOSE: There is, in European countries that conduct medical chart review of intensive care unit (ICU) deaths, no consensus on uniform criteria for defining a potential organ donor. Although the term is increasingly being used in recent literature, it is seldom defined in detail. We searched for

Prevention of sudden cardiac death in young athletes: controversies and conundrums.

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Rowland, Thomas

2011-01-01

Strategies for preventing sudden cardiac death in young athletes are predicated on the assumption that: (1) these events reflect pre-existing, clinically silent heart disease, and (2) means for detecting these abnormalities on the pre-participation evaluation are both feasible and accurate. Recent controversy has surrounded both of these presumptions. Some evidence suggests that the myocardial hypertrophy accompanying sports training itself might serve as a substrate for fatal arrhythmias. As well, vigorous debate has arisen over the optimal content of the pre-participation evaluation, particularly regarding the inclusion of routine screening electrocardiograms. As the rarity of these fatal events does not lend itself to an experimental approach, such disagreements are not easily resolved. Consequently, it is expected that decisions regarding approaches to prevention of sudden death in athletes will be dictated largely by region-specific financial, political, and cultural factors. This chapter examines the aetiologies of sudden cardiac death in young athletes as well as the controversies surrounding the prevention of these tragedies. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Hypothesis: holiday sudden cardiac death: food and alcohol inhibition of SULT1A enzymes as a precipitant.

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Eagle, Ken

2012-10-01

Sudden cardiac death is a significant health issue, causing millions of deaths worldwide annually. Studies have found that the likelihood of such death is higher in winter. Further studies identified that the highest likelihood occurs on Christmas Day and New Years Day, but not the interim period. Thanksgiving, Independence Day and the Islamic holiday Eid Al-Fitr also show significant increases in the rate of cardiac events or death. A number of mechanisms have been proposed, but none have satisfactorily explained the evidence. This article reviews the data supporting the existence of a holiday cardiac death phenomenon, the involvement of catecholamines and the normal modes of human catecholamine deactivation. Further evidence is reviewed that supports a hypothesized mechanism whereby critical SULT1A catecholamine deactivation enzymes can in some patients be inhibited by naturally-occurring phenols and polyphenols in foods and alcohols. If deactivation is inhibited by holiday consumption excesses, holiday stress or excitement could lead to a buildup of catecholamines that can cause fatal arrhythmias. Awareness of this mechanism could reduce deaths, both through doctor/patient education leading to a moderation in consumption and through the potential identification of patients with a predisposition to SULT1A inhibition. This hypothesis also raises parallels between sudden cardiac death in adults and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The possible involvement of SULT1A inhibition in SIDS is discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hypothesis Holiday sudden cardiac death: food and alcohol inhibition of SULT1A enzymes as a precipitant

Science.gov (United States)

Eagle, Ken

2012-01-01

Sudden cardiac death is a significant health issue, causing millions of deaths worldwide annually. Studies have found that the likelihood of such death is higher in winter. Further studies identified that the highest likelihood occurs on Christmas Day and New Years Day, but not the interim period. Thanksgiving, Independence Day and the Islamic holiday Eid Al-Fitr also show significant increases in the rate of cardiac events or death. A number of mechanisms have been proposed, but none have satisfactorily explained the evidence. This article reviews the data supporting the existence of a holiday cardiac death phenomenon, the involvement of catecholamines and the normal modes of human catecholamine deactivation. Further evidence is reviewed that supports a hypothesized mechanism whereby critical SULT1A catecholamine deactivation enzymes can in some patients be inhibited by naturally-occurring phenols and polyphenols in foods and alcohols. If deactivation is inhibited by holiday consumption excesses, holiday stress or excitement could lead to a buildup of catecholamines that can cause fatal arrhythmias. Awareness of this mechanism could reduce deaths, both through doctor/patient education leading to a moderation in consumption and through the potential identification of patients with a predisposition to SULT1A inhibition. This hypothesis also raises parallels between sudden cardiac death in adults and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The possible involvement of SULT1A inhibition in SIDS is discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:22678655

Estimating the Number of Organ Donors in Australian Hospitals—Implications for Monitoring Organ Donation Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Pilcher, David; Gladkis, Laura; Arcia, Byron; Bailey, Michael; Cook, David; Cass, Yael; Opdam, Helen

2015-01-01

Background The Australian DonateLife Audit captures information on all deaths which occur in emergency departments, intensive care units and in those recently discharged from intensive care unit. This information provides the opportunity to estimate the number of donors expected, given present consent rates and contemporary donation practices. This may then allow benchmarking of performance between hospitals and jurisdictions. Our aim was to develop a method to estimate the number of donors using data from the DonateLife Audit on the basis of baseline patient characteristics alone. Methods All intubated patient deaths at contributing hospitals were analyzed. Univariate comparisons of donors to nondonors were performed. A logistic regression model was developed to estimate expected donor numbers from data collected between July 2012 and December 2013. This was validated using data from January to April 2014. Results Between July 2012 and April 2014, 6861 intubated patient deaths at 68 hospitals were listed on the DonateLife Audit of whom 553 (8.1%) were organ donors. Factors independently associated with organ donation included age, brain death, neurological diagnoses, chest x-ray findings, PaO2/FiO2, creatinine, alanine transaminase, cancer, cardiac arrest, chronic heart disease, and peripheral vascular disease. A highly discriminatory (area under the receiver operatory characteristic, 0.940 [95% confidence interval, 0.924-0.957]) and well-calibrated prediction model was developed which accurately estimated donor numbers. Three hospitals appeared to have higher numbers of actual donors than expected. Conclusions It is possible to estimate the expected number of organ donors. This may assist benchmarking of donation outcomes and interpretation of changes in donation rates over time. PMID:25919766

A pilot programme of organ donation after cardiac death in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jiefu; Millis, J Michael; Mao, Yilei; Millis, M Andrew; Sang, Xinting; Zhong, Shouxian

2012-03-03

China's aims are to develop an ethical and sustainable organ transplantation system for the Chinese people and to be accepted as a responsible member of the international transplantation community. In 2007, China implemented the Regulation on Human Organ Transplantation, which was the first step towards the establishment of a voluntary organ donation system. Although progress has been made, several ethical and legal issues associated with transplantation in China remain, including the use of organs from executed prisoners, organ scarcity, the illegal organ trade, and transplantation tourism. In this Health Policy article we outline the standards used to define cardiac death in China and a legal and procedural framework for an organ donation system based on voluntary donation after cardiac death that adheres to both China's social and cultural principles and international transplantation standards. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brain stem death as the vital determinant for resumption of spontaneous circulation after cardiac arrest in rats.

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Alice Y W Chang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Spontaneous circulation returns to less than half of adult cardiac arrest victims who received in-hospital resuscitation. One clue for this disheartening outcome arises from the prognosis that asystole invariably takes place, after a time lag, on diagnosis of brain stem death. The designation of brain stem death as the point of no return further suggests that permanent impairment of the brain stem cardiovascular regulatory machinery precedes death. It follows that a crucial determinant for successful revival of an arrested heart is that spontaneous circulation must resume before brain stem death commences. Here, we evaluated the hypothesis that maintained functional integrity of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM, a neural substrate that is intimately related to brain stem death and central circulatory regulation, holds the key to the vital time-window between cardiac arrest and resumption of spontaneous circulation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: An animal model of brain stem death employing the pesticide mevinphos as the experimental insult in Sprague-Dawley rats was used. Intravenous administration of lethal doses of mevinphos elicited an abrupt cardiac arrest, accompanied by elevated systemic arterial pressure and anoxia, augmented neuronal excitability and enhanced microvascular perfusion in RVLM. This period represents the vital time-window between cardiac arrest and resumption of spontaneous circulation in our experimental model. Animals with restored spontaneous circulation exhibited maintained neuronal functionality in RVLM beyond this critical time-window, alongside resumption of baseline tissue oxygen and enhancement of local blood flow. Intriguingly, animals that subsequently died manifested sustained anoxia, diminished local blood flow, depressed mitochondrial electron transport activities and reduced ATP production, leading to necrotic cell death in RVLM. That amelioration of mitochondrial dysfunction and

Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Primary Relatives of Sudden Cardiac Death Victims

Science.gov (United States)

1991-01-01

hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension as risk factors in relatives of sudden death victims. The sample for both studies will be the same. 5 Chapter II The...provided most of the research information on SCD. Pathology of Sudden Cardiac Death There appear to be several different pathologic scenarios which render a...had severe two or three vessel disease. By comparison, 100 age matched controls who died of other causes, had a combined 27% incidence of two and

[Sudden Cardiac Death of Young Persons: Risk Factors, Causes, Morphological Equivalents].

Science.gov (United States)

Shilova, M A; Mamedov, M N

2015-01-01

The article contains literature review on the problem of causes of sudden cardiac death (SCD) among young people as well as results of author's own retrospective study of deaths of persons before 39 years based on forensic autopsies performed during 10 year period. The study of structure and dynamics of causes of death, its risk factors and the role of connective tissue dysplasia in development of terminal symptomocomlexes allowed to establish that main mechanism of SCD in young people was arrhythmogenic developing as a response to provoking factors--physical effort, psychoemotional stress, consumption of light alcoholic beverages.

Medico-legal perspectives on sudden cardiac death in young athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliva, Antonio; Grassi, Vincenzo M; Campuzano, Oscar; Brion, Maria; Arena, Vincenzo; Partemi, Sara; Coll, Monica; Pascali, Vincenzo L; Brugada, Josep; Carracedo, Angel; Brugada, Ramon

2017-03-01

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in a young athlete represents a dramatic event, and an increasing number of medico-legal cases have addressed this topic. In addition to representing an ethical and medico-legal responsibility, prevention of SCD is directly correlated with accurate eligibility/disqualification decisions, with an inappropriate pronouncement in either direction potentially leading to legal controversy. This review summarizes the common causes of SCD in young athletes, divided into structural (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, congenital coronary artery anomalies, etc.), electrical (Brugada, congenital LQT, Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome, etc.), and acquired cardiac abnormalities (myocarditis, etc.). In addition, the roles of hereditary cardiac anomalies in SCD in athletes and the effects of a positive result on them and their families are discussed. The medico-legal relevance of pre-participation screening is analyzed, and recommendations from the American Heart Association and European Society of Cardiology are compared. Finally, the main issues concerning the differentiation between physiologic cardiac adaptation in athletes and pathologic findings and, thereby, definition of the so-called gray zone, which is based on exact knowledge of the mechanism of cardiac remodeling including structural or functional adaptions, will be addressed.

A cause of Sudden Cardiac Deaths on Autopsy Findings; a Four-Year Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Dinesh; Sood, Divya; Pathak, P; Dongre, Sudhir D

2014-01-01

Incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) has been steadily increasing all over the world. While knowing the cause of SCD is one of the favorites of the physicians involved with these cases, it is very difficult and challenging task for the forensic physician. The present report is a prospective study regarding cause of SCDs on autopsy examination in four-year period, Bangalore, India. The present prospective study is based on autopsy observations, carried out for four-year period from 2008 to 2011, and analyzed for cause of SCDs. The cases were chosen as per the definition of sudden death and autopsied. The material was divided into natural and unnatural groups. Finally, on histopathology, gross examination, hospital details, circumstantial, and police reports the cause of death was inferred. A total of 2449 autopsy was conducted of which 204 cases were due to SCD. The highest SCDs were reported in 50-60 years age group (62.24%; n-127), followed closely by the age group 60-69 (28.43%; n-58). Male to female ratio was around 10:1. The maximum number of deaths (n=78) was within few hours (6 hours) after the onset of signs and symptoms. In 24 (11.8%) cases major narrowing was noted in both the main coronaries, in 87 (42.6%) cases in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), and in 18 (51.5%) cases in the right coronary artery (RCA). The major cardiac pathology resulting in sudden death was coronary artery disease (n-116; 56.86%) and myocardial infarction (n-104; 50.9%). most of the SCDs occurred in the place of residence (n-80; 39.2%) followed closely by death in hospital (n-49; 24.01%). Coronary occlusion was the major contributory cause of sudden death with cardiac origin and the highest number of deaths were reported in the age 50-59 years with male to female ratio of 10:1.

Heart transplantation from older donors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. N. Poptsov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the current situation of the shortage of suitable donor organs, heart transplantation from older donors is one of the ways to increase the performance of more heart transplants, particularly, in patients with urgent need of transplantation. While planning a heart transplantation from older donor one should consider increased risk of early cardiac allograft dysfunction, preexisting coronary artery disease, accelerated transplant vasculopathy which may adversely affect early and long-term survival of recipients. Subject to careful selection of donor–recipient pairs, effective prevention and treatment of early cardiac allograft dysfunction, pre-existing atherosclerosis and transplant vasculopathy the early and long-term survival of heart transplant recipients from older donors is comparable to heart transplantation from young donors.

Analyses of cardiac blood cells and serum proteins with regard to cause of death in forensic autopsy cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Quan, Li; Ishikawa, Takaki; Michiue, Tomomi; Li, Dong-Ri; Zhao, Dong; Yoshida, Chiemi; Chen, Jian-Hua; Komatsu, Ayumi; Azuma, Yoko; Sakoda, Shigeki; Zhu, Bao-Li; Maeda, Hitoshi

2009-04-01

To investigate hematological and serum protein profiles of cadaveric heart blood with regard to the cause of death, serial forensic autopsy cases (n=308, >18 years of age, within 48 h postmortem) were examined. Red blood cells (Rbc), hemoglobin (Hb), platelets (Plt), white blood cells (Wbc), total protein (TP) and albumin (Alb) were examined in bilateral cardiac blood. Blood cell counts, collected after turning the bodies at autopsy, approximated to the clinical values. Postmortem changes were not significant for these markers. In non-head blunt injury cases, Rbc counts, Hb, TP and Alb levels in bilateral cardiac blood were lower in subacute deaths (survival time, 1-12 h) than in acute deaths (survival time hematology analyzer than by using a blood smear test, suggesting Rbc fragmentation caused by deep burns, while increases in Wbc count and decreases in Alb levels were seen for subacute deaths. For asphyxiation, Rbc count, Hb, TP and Alb levels in bilateral cardiac blood were higher than other groups, and TP and Alb levels in the right cardiac blood were higher for hanging than for strangulation. These findings suggest that analyses of blood cells and proteins are useful for investigating the cause of death.

Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Adults With Previous Hospital-Based Psychiatric Inpatient and Outpatient Treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Risgaard, Bjarke; Waagstein, Kristine; Winkel, Bo Gregers

2015-01-01

Introduction: Psychiatric patients have premature mortality compared to the general population. The incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in psychiatric patients is unknown in a nationwide setting. The aim of this study was to compare nationwide SCD incidence rates in young individuals with and......Introduction: Psychiatric patients have premature mortality compared to the general population. The incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in psychiatric patients is unknown in a nationwide setting. The aim of this study was to compare nationwide SCD incidence rates in young individuals...

Cardiomyopathies as a Cause of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD in Egypt: Recognition and Preventive Strategies Needed

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Nora Fnon

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This study aimed at evaluating the epidemiological characteristics and pathological features of different types of cardiomyopathies in Egypt, highlighting the role of the forensic pathologist in identifying cases of cardiomyopathies and initiating for their families a possible genetic study aiming at prevention of sudden death. All cases with sudden cardiac death (SCD due to cardiomyopathies during the period from the beginning of January 2010 until the end of December 2014 (5 years were included in this study. All hearts underwent detailed gross and histological examination. Circumstances of death, medical history, and post-mortem pathological findings were thoroughly  investigated. Out of 535 cases of sudden cardiac death, there were 22 cases (4.1% diagnosed as having cardiomyopathies; sudden death was their first presentation. Eighteen cases (81.8% were male, with the 4th decade (11 cases, 50% being the most affected age; severe physical activity and exertion were evident in death circumstances of 14 cases (63.6%; pathological evaluation revealed that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was the most frequent type, being diagnosed in 10 cases (45%. Cardiomyopathies are an infrequent cause of sudden cardiac death. Most deaths are in children and adults, so cases are of high social impact that demands multidisciplinary research and resources. In all cases of SCD, forensic autopsy should be done. Forensic study is the key to identifying an affected family and the starting point regarding assessing them.

Sudden cardiac death in the young

Science.gov (United States)

Ackerman, Michael; Atkins, Dianne L; Triedman, John K

2016-01-01

Although the occurrence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in a young person is a rare event, it is traumatic and often widely publicized. In recent years, SCD in this population has been increasingly seen as a public health and safety issue. This review presents current knowledge relevant to the epidemiology of SCD and to strategies for prevention, resuscitation and identification of those at greatest risk. Areas of active research and controversy include the development of best practices in screening, risk stratification approaches and post-mortem evaluation, and identification of modifiable barriers to providing better outcomes after resuscitation of young SCD victims. Institution of a national registry of SCD in the young will provide data that will help to answer these questions. PMID:26951821

The price of donation after cardiac death in liver transplantation : a prospective cost-effectiveness study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Hilst, Christian S.; IJtsma, Alexander J. C.; Bottema, Jan T.; van Hoek, Bart; Dubbeld, Jeroen; Metselaar, Herold J.; Kazemier, Geert; van den Berg, Aad P.; Porte, Robert J.; Slooff, Maarten J. H.

This study aims to perform a detailed prospective observational multicenter cost-effectiveness study by comparing liver transplantations with Donation after Brain Death (DBD) and Donation after Cardiac Death (DCD) grafts. All liver transplantations in the three Dutch liver transplant centers between

Sudden Cardiac Death of a Body Packer Due to Cocaine Cardiotoxicity

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Parthasarathi Pramanik

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article presents a case of sudden cardiac death due to the effects of cocaine concealed in the body of a male drug smuggler in his 40s, a so-called body packer. A total of 57 body packets filled with cocaine powder were discovered in his body cavities. The detailed autopsy examination, including histopathology and toxicology findings, is discussed with the aim of describing the mechanism of cocaine intoxication in the body packer and an analysis of cocaine-induced cardiotoxicity and sudden death.

Regional perfusion by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation of abdominal organs from donors after circulatory death: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapey, Iestyn M; Muiesan, Paolo

2013-12-01

Organs from donors after circulatory death (DCDs) are particularly susceptible to the effects of warm ischemia injury. Regional perfusion (RP) by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly being advocated as a useful remedy to the effects of ischemia/reperfusion injury, and it has been reported to enable the transplantation of organs from donors previously deemed unsuitable. The MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched, and articles published between 1997 and 2013 were obtained. A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Two hundred ten articles were identified, and 11 were eligible for inclusion. Four hundred eighty-two kidneys and 79 livers were transplanted from regional perfusion-supported donor after circulatory death (RP-DCD) sources. One-year graft survival was lower with uncontrolled RP-DCD liver transplantation, whereas 1-year patient survival was similar. Primary nonfunction and ischemic cholangiopathy were significantly more frequent with RP-DCDs versus donors after brain death (DBDs), but there was no difference in postoperative mortality between the 2 groups. The 1-year patient and graft survival rates for RP-DCD kidney transplantation were better than the rates with standard DCDs and were comparable to, if not better than, the rates with DBDs. At experienced centers, delayed graft function (DGF) for kidney transplantation from RP-DCDs was much less frequent in comparison with all other donor types. In conclusion, RP aids the recovery of DCD organs from ischemic injury and enables transplantation with acceptable survival. RP may help to increase the donor pool, but its benefits must still be balanced with the recognition of significantly higher rates of complications in liver transplantation. In kidney transplantation, significant reductions in DGF can be obtained with RP, and there are potentially important implications for long

Long-term results after lung transplantation using organs from circulatory death donors: a propensity score-matched analysis†.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabashnikov, Anton; Patil, Nikhil P; Popov, Aron-Frederik; Soresi, Simona; Zych, Bartlomiej; Weymann, Alexander; Mohite, Prashant N; García Sáez, Diana; Zeriouh, Mohamed; Wahlers, Thorsten; Choi, Yeong-Hoon; Wippermann, Jens; Wittwer, Thorsten; De Robertis, Fabio; Bahrami, Toufan; Amrani, Mohamed; Simon, André R

2016-01-01

Due to organ shortage in lung transplantation (LTx), donation after circulatory death (DCD) has been implemented in several countries, contributing to an increasing number of organs transplanted. We sought to assess long-term outcomes after LTx with organs procured following circulatory death in comparison with those obtained from donors after brain death (DBD). Between January 2007 and November 2013, 302 LTxs were performed in our institution, whereby 60 (19.9%) organs were retrieved from DCD donors. We performed propensity score matching (DCD:DBD = 1:2) based on preoperative donor and recipient factors that were significantly different in univariate analysis. After propensity matching, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of demographics and preoperative donor and recipient characteristics. There were no significant differences regarding intraoperative variables and total ischaemic time. Patients from the DCD group had significantly higher incidence of primary graft dysfunction grade 3 at the end of the procedure (P = 0.014), and significantly lower pO2/FiO2 ratio during the first 24 h after the procedure (P = 0.018). There was a trend towards higher incidence of the need for postoperative extracorporeal life support in the DCD group. Other postoperative characteristics were comparable. While the overall cumulative survival was not significantly different, the DCD group had significantly poorer results in terms of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS)-free survival in the long-term follow-up. Long-term results after LTx with organs procured following DCD are in general comparable with those obtained after DBD LTx. However, patients transplanted using organs from DCD donors have a predisposition for development of BOS in the longer follow-up. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Incidence and etiology of sports-related sudden cardiac death in Denmark--implications for preparticipation screening

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holst, Anders Gaarsdal; Winkel, Bo Gregers; Theilade, Juliane

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: Studies on incidences of sports-related sudden cardiac death (SrSCD) are few and data are needed for the discussion of preparticipation screening for cardiac disease. OBJECTIVE: We sought to chart the incidence and etiology of SrSCD in the young in Denmark (population 5.4 million...

Sudden cardiac death in young athletes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Östman-Smith I

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Ingegerd Östman-SmithDivision of Paediatric Cardiology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, SwedenAbstract: Athletic activity is associated with an increased risk of sudden death for individuals with some congenital or acquired heart disorders. This review considers in particular the causes of death affecting athletes below 35 years of age. In this age group the largest proportion of deaths are caused by diseases with autosomal dominant inheritance such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, long QT-syndrome, and Marfan’s syndrome. A policy of early cascade-screening of all first-degree relatives of patients with these disorders will therefore detect a substantial number of individuals at risk. A strictly regulated system with preparticipation screening of all athletes following a protocol pioneered in Italy, including school-age children, can also detect cases caused by sporadic new mutations and has been shown to reduce excess mortality among athletes substantially. Recommendations for screening procedure are reviewed. It is concluded that ECG screening ought to be part of preparticipation screening, but using criteria that do not cause too many false positives among athletes. One such suggested protocol will show positive in approximately 5% of screened individuals, among whom many will be screened for these diseases. On this point further research is needed to define what kind of false-positive and false-negative rate these new criteria result in. A less formal system based on cascade-screening of relatives, education of coaches about suspicious symptoms, and preparticipation questionnaires used by athletic clubs, has been associated over time with a sizeable reduction in sudden cardiac deaths among Swedish athletes, and thus appears to be worth implementing even for junior athletes not recommended for formal preparticipation screening. It is strongly argued

Ebstein’s Anomaly, Left Ventricular Noncompaction, and Sudden Cardiac Death

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael McGee

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Ebstein’s anomaly is a congenital disorder characterized by apical displacement of the septal leaflet of the tricuspid valve. Ebstein’s anomaly may be seen in association with other cardiac conditions, including patent foramen ovale, atrial septal defect, and left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC. LVNC is characterized by increased trabeculation within the left ventricular apex. Echocardiography is often used to diagnose LVNC; however, magnetic resonance (MR imaging offers superior characterization of the myocardium. We report a case of sudden cardiac death in a patient with Ebstein’s anomaly with unrecognized LVNC noted on post mortem examination with screening documenting the presence of LVNC in one of the patient’s twin sons.

Alternative research funding to improve clinical outcomes: model of prediction and prevention of sudden cardiac death.

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Myerburg, Robert J; Ullmann, Steven G

2015-04-01

Although identification and management of cardiovascular risk markers have provided important population risk insights and public health benefits, individual risk prediction remains challenging. Using sudden cardiac death risk as a base case, the complex epidemiology of sudden cardiac death risk and the substantial new funding required to study individual risk are explored. Complex epidemiology derives from the multiple subgroups having different denominators and risk profiles, while funding limitations emerge from saturation of conventional sources of research funding without foreseeable opportunities for increases. A resolution to this problem would have to emerge from new sources of funding targeted to individual risk prediction. In this analysis, we explore the possibility of a research funding strategy that would offer business incentives to the insurance industries, while providing support for unresolved research goals. The model is developed for the case of sudden cardiac death risk, but the concept is applicable to other areas of the medical enterprise. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Analysis of Pre-participation Screening Protocols for Football Players in Europe, USA, and Libya: Possible Implications for Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death

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Salaheddin Sharif

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of death in sport participants and may result from undiagnosed cardiac diseases. It has been universally agreed upon that pre-participation screening can identify those athletes at risk of sudden cardiac death, and yet, there is no commonly accepted protocol to screen athletes. Although the European Society of Cardiology (ESC and the American Heart Association (AHA recommend the routine screening of athletes to prevent sudden death, there is significant disagreement regarding the guidelines of the protocols. The American Heart Association protocol includes a detailed medical history and a physical examination, whereas the European Society of Cardiology protocol includes 12-lead electrocardiography with a detailed medical history and a physical examination. The cost benefit of using electrocardiography is debatable, particularly if the screening is used to prevent sudden death associated with uncommon diseases. The Libyan Football Federation established a new seasonal pre-competition medical assessment protocol for Libyan football athletes during the 2013-2014 season, which includes a medical history, physical examination, 12 lead electrocardiography, echocardiography, and blood test. Regardless of cost and differences in protocol, there is a significant value in pre-participation screening for athletes in order to decrease the incidence of sudden cardiac death, and this report examines some of these different protocols as well as their potential for identifying athletes at risk for sudden cardiac death.

Predicting acute cardiac rejection from donor heart and pre-transplant recipient blood gene expression.

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Hollander, Zsuzsanna; Chen, Virginia; Sidhu, Keerat; Lin, David; Ng, Raymond T; Balshaw, Robert; Cohen-Freue, Gabriela V; Ignaszewski, Andrew; Imai, Carol; Kaan, Annemarie; Tebbutt, Scott J; Wilson-McManus, Janet E; McMaster, Robert W; Keown, Paul A; McManus, Bruce M

2013-02-01

Acute rejection in cardiac transplant patients remains a contributory factor to limited survival of implanted hearts. Currently, there are no biomarkers in clinical use that can predict, at the time of transplantation, the likelihood of post-transplant acute cellular rejection. Such a development would be of great value in personalizing immunosuppressive treatment. Recipient age, donor age, cold ischemic time, warm ischemic time, panel-reactive antibody, gender mismatch, blood type mismatch and human leukocyte antigens (HLA-A, -B and -DR) mismatch between recipients and donors were tested in 53 heart transplant patients for their power to predict post-transplant acute cellular rejection. Donor transplant biopsy and recipient pre-transplant blood were also examined for the presence of genomic biomarkers in 7 rejection and 11 non-rejection patients, using non-targeted data mining techniques. The biomarker based on the 8 clinical variables had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.53. The pre-transplant recipient blood gene-based panel did not yield better performance, but the donor heart tissue gene-based panel had an AUC = 0.78. A combination of 25 probe sets from the transplant donor biopsy and 18 probe sets from the pre-transplant recipient whole blood had an AUC = 0.90. Biologic pathways implicated include VEGF- and EGFR-signaling, and MAPK. Based on this study, the best predictive biomarker panel contains genes from recipient whole blood and donor myocardial tissue. This panel provides clinically relevant prediction power and, if validated, may personalize immunosuppressive treatment and rejection monitoring. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Screening and risk evaluation for sudden cardiac death in ischaemic and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Proclemer, Alessandro; Lewalter, Thorsten; Bongiorni, Maria Grazia

2013-01-01

The purpose of this EHRA survey was to examine the current clinical practice of screening and risk evaluation for sudden cardiac death in ischaemic and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy with a focus on selection of candidates for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy, timing of ICD...... implantation, and use of non-invasive and invasive diagnostic tests across Europe. A systematic screening programme for sudden cardiac death existed in 19 out of 31 centres (61.3%). Implantation of ICDs according to the inclusion criteria of MADIT-II and SCD-HeFT trials was reported in 30 and 29% of centres......, respectively, followed by MADIT-CRT (18%), COMPANION (16%), and combined MADIT and MUSTT (7%) indications. In patients with severe renal impairment, ICD implantation for primary prevention of sudden death was always avoided in 8 centres (33.3%), was not used only if creatinine level was >2.5 mg/dL in 10...

Identifying potential functional impact of mutations and polymorphisms: Linking heart failure, increased risk of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BENOIT eJAGU

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Researchers and clinicians have discovered several important concepts regarding the mechanisms responsible for increased risk of arrhythmias, heart failure and sudden cardiac death. One major step in defining the molecular basis of normal and abnormal cardiac electrical behaviour has been the identification of single mutations that greatly increase the risk for arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death by changing channel-gating characteristics. Indeed, mutations in several genes encoding ion channels, such as SCN5A, which encodes the major cardiac Na+ channel, have emerged as the basis for a variety of inherited cardiac arrhythmias such as long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, progressive cardiac conduction disorder, sinus node dysfunction or sudden infant death syndrome. In addition, genes encoding ion channel accessory proteins, like anchoring or chaperone proteins, which modify the expression, the regulation of endocytosis and the degradation of ion channel α-subunits have also been reported as susceptibility genes for arrhythmic syndromes. The regulation of ion channel protein expression also depends on a fine-tuned balance among different other mechanisms, such as gene transcription, RNA processing, post-transcriptional control of gene expression by miRNA, protein synthesis, assembly and post-translational modification and trafficking.

Phenotype-driven molecular autopsy for sudden cardiac death.

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Cann, F; Corbett, M; O'Sullivan, D; Tennant, S; Hailey, H; Grieve, J H K; Broadhurst, P; Rankin, R; Dean, J C S

2017-01-01

A phenotype-driven approach to molecular autopsy based in a multidisciplinary team comprising clinical and laboratory genetics, forensic medicine and cardiology is described. Over a 13 year period, molecular autopsy was undertaken in 96 sudden cardiac death cases. A total of 46 cases aged 1-40 years had normal hearts and suspected arrhythmic death. Seven (15%) had likely pathogenic variants in ion channelopathy genes [KCNQ1 (1), KCNH2 (4), SCN5A (1), RyR2(1)]. Fifty cases aged between 2 and 67 had a cardiomyopathy. Twenty-five had arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), 10 dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and 15 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Likely pathogenic variants were found in three ARVC cases (12%) in PKP2, DSC2 or DSP, two DCM cases (20%) in MYH7, and four HCM cases (27%) in MYBPC3 (3) or MYH7 (1). Uptake of cascade screening in relatives was higher when a molecular diagnosis was made at autopsy. In three families, variants previously published as pathogenic were detected, but clinical investigation revealed no abnormalities in carrier relatives. With a conservative approach to defining pathogenicity of sequence variants incorporating family phenotype information and population genomic data, a molecular diagnosis was made in 15% of sudden arrhythmic deaths and 18% of cardiomyopathy deaths. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death in Olmsted County, Minnesota, before and after smoke-free workplace laws.

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Hurt, Richard D; Weston, Susan A; Ebbert, Jon O; McNallan, Sheila M; Croghan, Ivana T; Schroeder, Darrell R; Roger, Véronique L

2012-11-26

Reductions in admissions for myocardial infarction (MI) have been reported in locales where smoke-free workplace laws have been implemented, but no study has assessed sudden cardiac death in that setting. In 2002, a smoke-free restaurant ordinance was implemented in Olmsted County, Minnesota, and in 2007, all workplaces, including bars, became smoke free. To evaluate the population impact of smoke-free laws, we measured, through the Rochester Epidemiology Project, the incidence of MI and sudden cardiac death in Olmsted County during the 18-month period before and after implementation of each smoke-free ordinance. All MIs were continuously abstracted and validated, using rigorous standardized criteria relying on biomarkers, cardiac pain, and Minnesota coding of the electrocardiogram. Sudden cardiac death was defined as out-of-hospital deaths associated with coronary disease. Comparing the 18 months before implementation of the smoke-free restaurant ordinance with the 18 months after implementation of the smoke-free workplace law, the incidence of MI declined by 33% (P trends in other risk factors do not appear explanatory, smoke-free workplace laws seem to be ecologically related to these favorable trends. Secondhand smoke exposure should be considered a modifiable risk factor for MI. All people should avoid secondhand smoke to the extent possible, and people with coronary heart disease should have no exposure to secondhand smoke.

Use of Cardiac Injury Markers in the Postmortem Diagnosis of Sudden Cardiac Death.

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Carvajal-Zarrabal, Octavio; Hayward-Jones, Patricia M; Nolasco-Hipolito, Cirilo; Barradas-Dermitz, Dulce Ma; Calderón-Garcidueñas, Ana Laura; López-Amador, Noé

2017-09-01

In the daily practice of forensic pathology, sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a diagnostic challenge. Our aim was to determine the usefulness of blood biomarkers [creatine kinase CK-MB, myoglobin, troponins I and T (cTn-I and T), and lactate dehydrogenase] measured by immunoassay technique, in the postmortem diagnosis of SCD. Two groups were compared, 20 corpses with SCD and 8 controls. Statistical significance was determined by variance analysis procedures, with a post hoc Tukey multiple range test for comparison of means (p < 0.05). SCD cases showed significantly higher levels (p < 0.05) of cTn-T and cTn-I compared to the control group. Although only cases within the first 8 h of postmortem interval were included, and the control group consisted mainly of violent death cases, our results suggest that blood troponin levels may be useful to support a diagnosis of SCD. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Use and Outcomes of Kidneys from Donation after Circulatory Death Donors in the United States.

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Gill, John; Rose, Caren; Lesage, Julie; Joffres, Yayuk; Gill, Jagbir; O'Connor, Kevin

2017-12-01

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors are an important source of kidneys for transplantation, but DCD donor transplantation is less common in the United States than in other countries. In this study of national data obtained between 2008 and 2015, recovery of DCD kidneys varied substantially among the country's 58 donor service areas, and 25% of DCD kidneys were recovered in only four donor service areas. Overall, 20% of recovered DCD kidneys were discarded, varying from 3% to 33% among donor service areas. Compared with kidneys from neurologically brain dead (NBD) donors, DCD kidneys had a higher adjusted odds ratio of discard that varied from 1.25 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.16 to 1.34) in kidneys with total donor warm ischemic time (WIT) of 10-26 minutes to 2.67 (95% CI, 2.34 to 3.04) in kidneys with total donor WIT >48 minutes. Among the 12,831 DCD kidneys transplanted, kidneys with WIT≤48 minutes had survival similar to that of NBD kidneys. DCD kidneys with WIT>48 minutes had a higher risk of allograft failure (hazard ratio, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.41), but this risk was limited to kidneys with cold ischemia time (CIT) >12 hours. We conclude that donor service area-level variation in the recovery and discard of DCD kidneys is large. Additional national data collection is needed to understand the potential to increase DCD donor transplantation in the United States. Strategies to minimize cold ischemic injury may safely allow increased use of DCD kidneys with WIT>48 minutes. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Nephrology.

Nonlinear dynamics, fractals, cardiac physiology and sudden death

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Goldberger, Ary L.

1987-01-01

The authors propose a diametrically opposite viewpoint to the generally accepted tendency of equating healthy function with order and disease with chaos. With regard to the question of sudden cardiac death and chaos, it is suggested that certain features of dynamical chaos related to fractal structure and fractal dynamics may be important organizing principles in normal physiology and that certain pathologies, including ventricular fibrillation, represent a class of 'pathological periodicities'. Some laboratory work bearing on the relation of nonlinear analysis to physiological and pathophysiological data is briefly reviewed, with tentative theories and models described in reference to the mechanism of ventricular fibrillation.

Utilization of organs from donors after circulatory death for vascularized pancreas and islet of Langerhans transplantation : recommendations from an expert group

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berney, Thierry; Boffa, Catherine; Augustine, Titus; Badet, Lionel; de Koning, Eelco; Pratschke, Johann; Socci, Carlo; Friend, Peter

2015-01-01

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors are increasingly being used as a source of pancreas allografts for vascularized organ and islet transplantation. We provide practice guidelines aiming to increase DCD pancreas utilization. We review risk assessment and donor selection criteria. We report

Tobacco smoking and the risk of sudden cardiac death: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies.

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Aune, Dagfinn; Schlesinger, Sabrina; Norat, Teresa; Riboli, Elio

2018-06-01

Smoking is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease including coronary heart disease and stroke, however, data regarding smoking and sudden cardiac death have not been summarized in a meta-analysis previously. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify this association. We searched the PubMed and Embase databases for studies of smoking and sudden cardiac death up to July 20th 2017. Prospective studies were included if they reported adjusted relative risk (RR) estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for smoking and sudden cardiac death. Summary RRs were estimated by use of a random effects model. Twelve prospective studies were included. The summary RR was 3.06 (95% CI 2.46-3.82, I 2  = 41%, p heterogeneity  = 0.12, n = 7) for current smokers and 1.38 (95% CI 1.20-1.60, I 2  = 0%, p heterogeneity  = 0.55, n = 7) for former smokers compared to never smokers. For four studies using non-current (never + former) smokers as the reference category the summary RR among current smokers was 2.08 (95% CI 1.70-2.53, I 2  = 18%, p heterogeneity  = 0.30). The results persisted in most of the subgroup analyses. There was no evidence of publication bias. These results confirm that smoking increases the risk of sudden cardiac death. Any further studies should investigate in more detail the effects of duration of smoking, number of cigarettes per day, pack-years, and time since quitting smoking and sudden cardiac death.

Pancreas transplantation with grafts from donors deceased after circulatory death (DCD) : 5 years single center experience

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kopp, Wouter H; Lam, Hwai-Ding; Schaapherder, Alexander F M; Huurman, Volkert A L; van der Boog, Paul; de Koning, Eelco; de Fijter, Johan W; Baranski, Andrzej; Braat, Andries E

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Donation after circulatory death (DCD) pancreas transplantation has been shown to be an additional way to deal with donor organ shortages. The results of 5-year DCD pancreas transplantation are presented. METHODS: A retrospective, single center analysis (2011 - 2015) was performed to

Experiences, considerations and emotions relating to cardiogenetic evaluation in relatives of young sudden cardiac death victims

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Werf, Christian; Onderwater, Astrid T.; van Langen, Irene M.; Smets, Ellen M. A.

2014-01-01

Relatives of young sudden cardiac death (SCD) victims are at increased risk of carrying a potentially fatal inherited cardiac disease. Hence, it is recommended to perform an autopsy on the victim and to refer his or her relatives to a cardiogenetics clinic for a full evaluation to identify those at

SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH AND THE USE OF IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER-DEFIBRILLATORS IN PEDIATRIC-PATIENTS

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SILKA, MJ; KRON, J; DUNNIGAN, A; DICK, M; BINKBOELKENS, M; ERICKSON, CC; JEDEIKIN, R; WETZEL, GT; VANHARE, GF; CAMPBELL, R; WALSH, E; SAUL, JP; SCHAFFER, MS; KARPAWICH, P; VOGEL, RL; BENSON, DW; DEAL, B; SCAGLIOTTI, D; STERBA, R; HORDOF, AJ; KRONGRAD, E; KANTER, RJ; EPSTEIN, M; COHEN, M; BEDER, S; HAMILTON, R; FOURNIER, A; HUBBARD, J; CHRISTIANSEN, JL; JENNINGS, J; VILLAFANE, J; PORTER, CBJ; CASE, C; GILLETTE, PC; BELAND, M; KUGLER, JD; OCONNOR, BK; ALLENDER, H; HERNDON, SP; SMITH, RT; BURTON, D; KURER, CC; BYRUM, C; GUAM, WE; FRIEDMAN, R; PERRY, JC; SCOTT, W; MEHTA, AV; PICKHOFF, AS; FISH, F; YEAGER, S; KAWABORI, [No Value; TRIPPLE, M; ROSENFELD, LE

Background. During the past decade. the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) has emerged as the primary therapeutic option for survivors of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Investigation of the clinical efficacy of these devices has primarily assessed outcome in adults with coronary artery

Effect of Changes in Physical Activity on Risk for Cardiac Death in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease.

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Lahtinen, Minna; Toukola, Tomi; Junttila, M Juhani; Piira, Olli-Pekka; Lepojärvi, Samuli; Kääriäinen, Maria; Huikuri, Heikki V; Tulppo, Mikko P; Kiviniemi, Antti M

2018-01-15

Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is associated with longevity in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, less is known about prognostic significance of longitudinally assessed LTPA in patients with stable CAD. The present study assessed the relationship between changes in LTPA and cardiac mortality in patients with CAD. Patients with angiographically documented CAD (n = 1,746) underwent clinical examination and echocardiography at the baseline. Lifestyle factors, including LTPA (inactive, irregularly active, active, highly active), were surveyed at baseline and after 2 years' follow-up. Thereafter, the patients entered the follow-up (median: 4.5 years; first to third quartile: 3.4 to 5.8 years) during which cardiac deaths were registered (n = 68, 3.9%). The patients who remained inactive (n = 114, 18 events, 16%) and became inactive (n = 228, 18 events, 8%) had 7.6- (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.2 to 13.6) and 3.7-fold (95% CI 2.1 to 6.7) univariate risk for cardiac death compared with those who remained at least irregularly active (n = 1,351, 30 events, 2%), respectively. After adjustment for age, gender, body mass index, diabetes, previous myocardial infarction, left ventricular ejection fraction, angina pectoris grading, cardiovascular event during initial 2-year follow-up, smoking and alcohol consumption, the patients who remained inactive and became inactive still had 4.9- (95% CI 2.4 to 9.8, p active. In conclusion, LTPA has important prognostic value for cardiac death in patients with stable CAD. Even minor changes in LTPA over 2 years were related to the subsequent risk for cardiac death. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in sudden cardiac death in the young-a nationwide study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winkel, Bo Gregers; Risgaard, Bjarke; Bjune, Thea

2017-01-01

Background: Hitherto, sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the young has been described with no distinction between genders. SCD occurs more often in men (SCDm) than women (SCDw), but this disparity is not understood and has not been investigated systematically in a nationwide setting. Our objective......=0.02) and died less often in a public place (16 vs. 26%, p=0.01). Age at death, ratios of autopsies and sudden unexplained deaths, and comorbidities, did not differ. Causes of SCD were largely comparable between genders. The incidence rate of SCDw was half of that of SCDm (1.8 vs. 3.6 per 100...... was to report gender differences in SCD in the young in a nationwide (Denmark) setting. Methods: All deaths in persons aged 1-35 years nationwide in Denmark between 2000 and 2009 were included. Death certificates and autopsy reports were obtained. The extensive health care registries in Denmark were used...

Utilization of organs from donors after circulatory death for vascularized pancreas and islet of Langerhans transplantation: recommendations from an expert group.

Science.gov (United States)

Berney, Thierry; Boffa, Catherine; Augustine, Titus; Badet, Lionel; de Koning, Eelco; Pratschke, Johann; Socci, Carlo; Friend, Peter

2016-07-01

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors are increasingly being used as a source of pancreas allografts for vascularized organ and islet transplantation. We provide practice guidelines aiming to increase DCD pancreas utilization. We review risk assessment and donor selection criteria. We report suggested factors in donor and recipient clinical management and provide an overview of the activities and outcomes of vascularized pancreas and islet transplantation. © 2015 Steunstichting ESOT.

Preventing tomorrow's sudden cardiac death today: part I: Current data on risk stratification for sudden cardiac death.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Khatib, Sana M; Sanders, Gillian D; Bigger, J Thomas; Buxton, Alfred E; Califf, Robert M; Carlson, Mark; Curtis, Anne; Curtis, Jeptha; Fain, Eric; Gersh, Bernard J; Gold, Michael R; Haghighi-Mood, Ali; Hammill, Stephen C; Healey, Jeff; Hlatky, Mark; Hohnloser, Stefan; Kim, Raymond J; Lee, Kerry; Mark, Daniel; Mianulli, Marcus; Mitchell, Brent; Prystowsky, Eric N; Smith, Joseph; Steinhaus, David; Zareba, Wojciech

2007-06-01

Accurate and timely prediction of sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a necessary prerequisite for effective prevention and therapy. Although the largest number of SCD events occurs in patients without overt heart disease, there are currently no tests that are of proven predictive value in this population. Efforts in risk stratification for SCD have focused primarily on predicting SCD in patients with known structural heart disease. Despite the ubiquity of tests that have been purported to predict SCD vulnerability in such patients, there is little consensus on which test, in addition to the left ventricular ejection fraction, should be used to determine which patients will benefit from an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. On July 20 and 21, 2006, a group of experts representing clinical cardiology, cardiac electrophysiology, biostatistics, economics, and health policy were joined by representatives of the US Food and Drug administration, Centers for Medicare Services, Agency for Health Research and Quality, the Heart Rhythm Society, and the device and pharmaceutical industry for a round table meeting to review current data on strategies of risk stratification for SCD, to explore methods to translate these strategies into practice and policy, and to identify areas that need to be addressed by future research studies. The meeting was organized by the Duke Center for the Prevention of SCD at the Duke Clinical Research Institute and was funded by industry participants. This article summarizes the presentations and discussions that occurred at that meeting.

Suicidal hanging donors for lung transplantation: Is this chapter still closed? Midterm experience from a single center in United Kingdom.

Science.gov (United States)

Ananiadou, Olga; Schmack, Bastian; Zych, Bartlomiej; Sabashnikov, Anton; Garcia-Saez, Diana; Mohite, Prashant; Weymann, Alexander; Mansur, Ashham; Zeriouh, Mohamed; Marczin, Nandor; De Robertis, Fabio; Simon, Andre Rüdiger; Popov, Aron-Frederik

2018-04-01

In the context of limited donor pool in cardiothoracic transplantation, utilization of organs from high risk donors, such as suicidal hanging donors, while ensuring safety, is under consideration. We sought to evaluate the outcomes of lung transplantations (LTx) that use organs from this group.Between January 2011 and December 2015, 265 LTx were performed at our center. Twenty-two recipients received lungs from donors after suicidal hanging (group 1). The remaining 243 transplantations were used as a control (group 2). Analysis of recipient and donor characteristics as well as outcomes was performed.No statistically significant difference was found in the donor characteristics between analyzed groups, except for higher incidence of cardiac arrest, younger age and smoking history of hanging donors (P donor cause of death is not associated with poor mid-term survival or chronic lung allograft dysfunction following transplantation. These results encourage assessment of lungs from hanging donors, and their consideration for transplantation.

Pulmonary and cardiac pathology in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).

Science.gov (United States)

Nascimento, Fábio A; Tseng, Zian H; Palmiere, Cristian; Maleszewski, Joseph J; Shiomi, Takayuki; McCrillis, Aileen; Devinsky, Orrin

2017-08-01

To review studies on structural pulmonary and cardiac changes in SUDEP cases as well as studies showing pulmonary or cardiac structural changes in living epilepsy patients. We conducted electronic literature searches using the PubMed database for articles published in English, regardless of publication year, that included data on cardiac and/or pulmonary structural abnormalities in SUDEP cases or in living epilepsy patients during the postictal period. Fourteen postmortem studies reported pulmonary findings in SUDEP cases. Two focused mainly on assessing lung weights in SUDEP cases versus controls; no group difference was found. The other 12 reported descriptive autopsy findings. Among all SUDEP cases with available descriptive postmortem pulmonary examination, 72% had pulmonary changes, most often pulmonary edema/congestion, and, less frequently, intraalveolar hemorrhage. Eleven studies reported on cardiac pathology in SUDEP. Cardiac abnormalities were found in approximately one-fourth of cases. The most common findings were myocyte hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis of various degrees. Among living epilepsy patients, postictal pulmonary pathology was the most commonly reported pulmonary abnormality and the most common postictal cardiac abnormality was transient left ventricular dysfunction - Takotsubo or neurogenic stunned myocardium. Cardiac and pulmonary pathological abnormalities are frequent among SUDEP cases, most commonly pulmonary edema/congestion and focal interstitial myocardial fibrosis. Most findings are not quantified, with subjective elements and undefined interobserver reliability, and lack of controls such as matched epilepsy patients who died from other causes. Further, studies have not systematically evaluated potential confounding factors, including postmortem interval to autopsy, paramedic resuscitation and IV fluids administration, underlying heart/lung disease, and risk factors for cardiac or pulmonary disease. Prospective studies with

Risk and Protective Factors for Sudden Cardiac Death During Leisure Activities in the Mountains: An Update.

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Burtscher, Martin

2017-08-01

Annually, more than 100 million tourists with widely varying health and fitness status are attracted by the mountainous areas around the world. Whereas mountaineering activities may contribute to the well established beneficial effects of regular exercise, for certain individuals these activities are also associated with a relatively high risk of death. This manuscript presents an updated overview of risk and protective factors for sudden cardiac death during leisure activities in the mountains. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) has been proven to be the most frequent cause of non traumatic death in males aged over 34 years, e.g. during mountain hiking, cross country skiing or downhill skiing. Risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and, in particular, prior myocardial infarction, are the most important risk factors for SCD, predominantly relevant in downhill skiers. The unusual physical exertion on the first day at altitude, the late morning hours and the prolonged abstinence from food and fluid intake during exercise at altitude are most important triggers. Acute hypoxia may represent a trigger for SCD on the one hand but might also evoke beneficial effects by preconditioning on the other hand. The identification of high-risk subjects and SCD triggers, evidence-based therapy of treatable risk factors, the appropriate individual preparation by physical training, and considering behavioural aspects, especially at the beginning of the physically active altitude sojourn will help to prevent SCD and increase the health benefits generated by mountaineering activities. Copyright © 2017 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of imaging in evaluation of sudden cardiac death risk in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

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Geske, Jeffrey B; Ommen, Steve R

2015-09-01

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common heritable cardiomyopathy and is associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD) - an uncommon but devastating clinical outcome. This review is designed to assess the role of imaging in established risk factor assessment and its role in emerging SCD risk stratification. Recent publications have highlighted the crucial role of imaging in HCM SCD risk stratification. Left ventricular hypertrophy assessment remains the key imaging determinant of risk. Data continue to emerge on the role of systolic dysfunction, apical aneurysms, left atrial enlargement and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction as markers of risk. Quantitative assessment of delayed myocardial enhancement and T1 mapping on cardiac MRI continue to evolve. Recent multicenter trials have allowed multivariate SCD risk assessment in large HCM cohorts. Given aggregate risk with presence of multiple risk factors, a single parameter should not be used in isolation to determine implantable cardiac defibrillator candidacy. Use of all available imaging data, including cardiac magnetic resonance tissue characterization, allows a comprehensive approach to SCD stratification and implantable cardiac defibrillator decision-making.

Factors influencing the virological testing of cornea donors.

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Röck, Tobias; Beck, Robert; Jürgens, Stefan; Bartz-Schmidt, Karl Ulrich; Bramkamp, Matthias; Thaler, Sebastian; Röck, Daniel

2017-11-01

To assess the influence of donor, environment, and logistical factors on the results of virological testing of blood samples from cornea donors.Data from 670 consecutive cornea donors were analyzed retrospectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the influence of different factors on the results of virological testing of blood samples from cornea donors.The mean annual rate of donors with serology-reactive or not evaluable result was 14.8% (99 of 670) (range 11.9%-16.9%). The cause of donor death by cancer increased the risk of serology-reactive or not evaluable result (P = .0300). Prolonged time between death and post mortem blood removal was associated with a higher rate of serology-reactive or not evaluable result (P donors, sex, and donor age had no significant impact on the results of virological testing of blood samples from cornea donors.The cause of donor death by cancer and a prolonged time between death and post mortem blood removal seem to be mainly responsible for serology-reactive or not evaluable result of blood samples from cornea donors. The percentage of discarded corneas caused by serology-reactive or not evaluable result may be reduced by shortening the period of time between death and post mortem blood removal. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology of sudden cardiac death in Cameroon: the first population-based cohort survey in sub-Saharan Africa.

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Bonny, Aimé; Tibazarwa, Kemi; Mbouh, Samuel; Wa, Jonas; Fonga, Réné; Saka, Cecile; Ngantcha, Marcus

2017-08-01

Incidence estimates of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are unknown. Over 12 months, the household administrative office and health community committee within neighbourhoods in two health areas of Douala, Cameroon, registered all deaths among 86 188 inhabitants aged >18 years. As part of an extended multi-source surveillance system, the Emergency Medical Service (EMS), local medical examiners and district hospital mortuaries were also surveyed. Whereas two physicians investigated every natural death, two cardiologists reviewed all unexpected natural deaths. There were 288 all-cause deaths and 27 (9.4%) were SCD. The crude incidence rate was 31.3 [95% confidence interval (CI): 20.3-40.6]/100 000 person-years. The age-standardized rate by the African standard population was 33.6 (95% CI: 22.4-44.9)/100 000 person-years. Death occurred at night in 37% of cases, including 11% of patients who died while asleep. Out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest occurred in 63% of cases, 55.5% of which occurred at home. Of the 88.9% cases of witnessed cardiac arrest, 63% occurred in the presence of a family member and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was attempted only in 3.7%. The burden of SCD in this African population is heavy with distinct characteristics, whereas awareness of SCD and prompt resuscitation efforts appear suboptimal. Larger epidemiological studies are required in SSA in order to implement preventive measures, especially in women and young people. © The Author 2017; Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association

Guidelines for autopsy investigation of sudden cardiac death: 2017 update from the Association for European Cardiovascular Pathology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Basso, Cristina; Aguilera, Beatriz; Banner, Jytte; Cohle, Stephan; d'Amati, Giulia; de Gouveia, Rosa Henriques; di Gioia, Cira; Fabre, Aurelie; Gallagher, Patrick J.; Leone, Ornella; Lucena, Joaquin; Mitrofanova, Lubov; Molina, Pilar; Parsons, Sarah; Rizzo, Stefania; Sheppard, Mary N.; Mier, Maria Paz Suárez; Kim Suvarna, S.; Thiene, Gaetano; van der Wal, Allard; Vink, Aryan; Michaud, Katarzyna

2017-01-01

Although sudden cardiac death (SCD) is one of the most important modes of death in Western countries, pathologists and public health physicians have not given this problem the attention it deserves. New methods of preventing potentially fatal arrhythmias have been developed and the accurate

Postmortem mRNA expression patterns in left ventricular myocardial tissues and their implications for forensic diagnosis of sudden cardiac death.

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Son, Gi Hoon; Park, Seong Hwan; Kim, Yunmi; Kim, Ji Yeon; Kim, Jin Wook; Chung, Sooyoung; Kim, Yu-Hoon; Kim, Hyun; Hwang, Juck-Joon; Seo, Joong-Seok

2014-03-01

Sudden cardiac death (SCD), which is primarily caused by lethal heart disorders resulting in structural and arrhythmogenic abnormalities, is one of the prevalent modes of death in most developed countries. Myocardial ischemia, mainly due to coronary artery disease, is the most common type of heart disease leading to SCD. However, postmortem diagnosis of SCD is frequently complicated by obscure histological evidence. Here, we show that certain mRNA species, namely those encoding hemoglobin A1/2 and B (Hba1/2 and Hbb, respectively) as well as pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (Pdk4), exhibit distinct postmortem expression patterns in the left ventricular free wall of SCD subjects when compared with their expression patterns in the corresponding tissues from control subjects with non-cardiac causes of death. Hba1/2 and Hbb mRNA expression levels were higher in ischemic SCD cases with acute myocardial infarction or ischemic heart disease without recent infarction, and even in cardiac death subjects without apparent pathological signs of heart injuries, than control subjects. By contrast, Pdk4 mRNA was expressed at lower levels in SCD subjects. In conclusion, we found that altered myocardial Hba1/2, Hbb, and Pdk4 mRNA expression patterns can be employed as molecular signatures of fatal cardiac dysfunction to forensically implicate SCD as the primary cause of death.

Review of randomized clinical trials of donor management and organ preservation in deceased donors: opportunities and issues.

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Dikdan, George S; Mora-Esteves, Cesar; Koneru, Baburao

2012-09-15

Given the static number of deceased donors, improvements in donor management and organ preservation to increase the number and quality of organs transplanted per donor are more pressing. Because controlled trials provide the best evidence, we conducted a review of English-language literature of trials in donor management and organ preservation to provide a compendium and to promote additional discussion and studies. Eighty-seven reports were retrieved: 13 on hemodynamic and fluid management, 7 on immunosuppressants, 12 on preconditioning, 34 on preservation fluids, and 21 on pulsatile perfusion. Sixteen studies are ongoing. Although hormonal therapy is used widely, additional studies are needed to determine the benefit of thyroid hormone and insulin replacement and to optimize steroid regimens. Dopamine's success in reducing kidney delayed graft function highlights the opportunity for additional preconditioning trials of remote ischemia, gases, opioids, and others. More rapid progress requires addressing unique barriers in consent and research approval, legal constraints precluding research in cardiac death donors, and streamlining collaboration of multiple stakeholders. With little interest from industry, federal funding needs to be increased. While the University of Wisconsin solution still reigns supreme, several promising preservative solutions and additives with not only biophysical but also pharmacological effects are on the cusp of phase 1 to 2 trials. After nearly three decades of uncertainty, the recent success of a European trial has reenergized the topic not only of machine preservation of the kidney but also of other organs evident by trials in progress. However, the costs of such technical innovations merit the burden of rigorous proof from controlled trials.

Cardiac Glycoside Glucoevatromonoside Induces Cancer Type-Specific Cell Death

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Naira F. Z. Schneider

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Cardiac glycosides (CGs are natural compounds used traditionally to treat congestive heart diseases. Recent investigations repositioned CGs as potential anticancer agents. To discover novel cytotoxic CG scaffolds, we selected the cardenolide glucoevatromonoside (GEV out of 46 CGs for its low nanomolar anti-lung cancer activity. GEV presented reduced toxicity toward non-cancerous cell types (lung MRC-5 and PBMC and high-affinity binding to the Na+/K+-ATPase α subunit, assessed by computational docking. GEV-induced cell death was caspase-independent, as investigated by a multiparametric approach, and culminates in severe morphological alterations in A549 cells, monitored by transmission electron microscopy, live cell imaging and flow cytometry. This non-canonical cell death was not preceded or accompanied by exacerbation of autophagy. In the presence of GEV, markers of autophagic flux (e.g. LC3I-II conversion were impacted, even in presence of bafilomycin A1. Cell death induction remained unaffected by calpain, cathepsin, parthanatos, or necroptosis inhibitors. Interestingly, GEV triggered caspase-dependent apoptosis in U937 acute myeloid leukemia cells, witnessing cancer-type specific cell death induction. Differential cell cycle modulation by this CG led to a G2/M arrest, cyclin B1 and p53 downregulation in A549, but not in U937 cells. We further extended the anti-cancer potential of GEV to 3D cell culture using clonogenic and spheroid formation assays and validated our findings in vivo by zebrafish xenografts. Altogether, GEV shows an interesting anticancer profile with the ability to exert cytotoxic effects via induction of different cell death modalities.

The Doppler echocardiographic myocardial performance index predicts left-ventricular dilation and cardiac death after myocardial infarction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, J E; Søndergaard, E; Poulsen, S H

2001-01-01

To investigate the value of the Doppler-derived myocardial performance index to predict early left-ventricular (LV) dilation and cardiac death after a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI), Doppler echocardiography was performed within 24 h of hospital admission, on day 5, 1 and 3 months after...... AMI in 125 consecutive patients. The index measured on day 1 correlated well with the change in end-diastolic volume index observed from day 1 to 3 months following AMI (r = 0.66, p 0.0001). One-year survival in patients with Doppler index index > or = 0......, we conclude that the Doppler echocardiographic myocardial performance index is a predictor of LV dilation and cardiac death after a first AMI....

Anesthesia Management of Organ Donors.

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Xia, Victor W; Braunfeld, Michelle

2017-09-01

The shortage of suitable organs is the biggest obstacle for transplants. At present, most organs for transplant in the United States are from donation after neurologic determination of death (brain death). Potential organs for transplant need to maintain their viability during a series of insults, including the original disease, physiologic derangements during the dying process, ischemia, and reperfusion. Proper donor management before, during, and after procurement has potential to increase the number and quality of organs from donors. Anesthesiologists need to understand the physiologic derangements associated with brain death and the updated donor management during the periprocurement period. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevention of sudden cardiac death in athletes, sportspersons and marathoners in India

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Amit Vora

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The annual incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD in athletes is significantly lower than the general population. However, when SCD occurs in an athlete during sporting event or training, it sends shockwaves in the society and raises questions about cardiovascular effects of sports and exercise. This document reviews the causes and mechanism of SCD in sports and exercise in young and older athletes. In the Indian context, we suggest a ‘pre-participation screening’ of young and older athletes and consider a ‘supervised, graded exercise regime’ for the uninitiated, older sports participant. Finally, the document proposes medical infrastructure required to successfully revive a victim of sudden cardiac arrest during a sporting event.

Next generation sequencing for molecular confirmation of hereditary sudden cardiac death syndromes.

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Márquez, Manlio F; Cruz-Robles, David; Ines-Real, Selene; Vargas-Alarcón, Gilberto; Cárdenas, Manuel

2015-01-01

Hereditary sudden cardiac death syndromes comprise a wide range of diseases resulting from alteration in cardiac ion channels. Genes involved in these syndromes represent diverse mutations that cause the altered encoding of the diverse proteins constituting these channels, thus affecting directly the currents of the corresponding ions. In the present article we will briefly review how to arrive to a clinical diagnosis and we will present the results of molecular genetic studies made in Mexican subjects attending the SCD Syndromes Clinic of the National Institute of Cardiology of Mexico City. Copyright © 2014 Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez. Published by Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Non-potassium sparing diuretics and sudden cardiac death in hypertensive patients : a pharmacoepidemiologic approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.W. Hoes (Arno)

1992-01-01

textabstractThe studies described in this thesis focus on the possible relationship between the use of non-potassium sparing diuretics and the occurrence of sudden cardiac death in hypertensive patients. To study this potential adverse drug reaction several methods were applied, including

Dual kidney transplants from adult marginal donors successfully expand the limited deceased donor organ pool.

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Stratta, Robert J; Farney, Alan C; Orlando, Giuseppe; Farooq, Umar; Al-Shraideh, Yousef; Palanisamy, Amudha; Reeves-Daniel, Amber; Doares, William; Kaczmorski, Scott; Gautreaux, Michael D; Iskandar, Samy S; Hairston, Gloria; Brim, Elizabeth; Mangus, Margaret; El-Hennawy, Hany; Khan, Muhammad; Rogers, Jeffrey

2016-04-01

The need to expand the organ donor pool remains a formidable challenge in kidney transplantation (KT). The use of expanded criteria donors (ECDs) represents one approach, but kidney discard rates are high because of concerns regarding overall quality. Dual KT (DKT) may reduce organ discard and optimize the use of kidneys from marginal donors. We conducted a single-center retrospective review of outcomes in adult recipients of DKTs from adult marginal deceased donors (DD) defined by limited renal functional capacity. If the calculated creatinine clearance in an adult DD was DKT. Over 11.5 yr, 72 DKTS were performed including 45 from ECDs, 17 from donation after cardiac death (DCD) donors, and 10 from standard criteria donors (SCD). Mean adult DD and recipient ages were both 60 yr, including 29 DDs and 26 recipients ≥65 yr of age. Mean pre-DKT waiting and dialysis vintage times were 12 months and 25 months, respectively. Actual patient and graft survival rates were 84.7% and 70.8%, respectively, with a mean follow-up of 58 months. One yr and death-censored graft survival rates were 90% and 80%, respectively. Outcomes did not differ by DD category, recipient age, or presence of delayed graft function (DGF). Eleven patients died at a mean of 32 months post-DKT (eight with functioning grafts) and 13 other patients experienced graft losses at a mean of 33 months. The incidence of DGF was 25%; there were two cases (2.8%) of primary non-function. Mean length of initial hospital stay was 7.2 d. Mean serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rate levels at 12 and 24 months were 1.5 and 53 and 1.5 mg/dL and 51 mL/min/1.73 m(2) , respectively. DKT graft survival and function were superior to concurrent single ECD and similar to concurrent SCD KTs. Two patients underwent successful kidney retransplantation, so the dialysis-free rate in surviving patients was 87%. The proportion of total renal function transplanted from adult DD to DKT recipients was 77% compared to 56% for

Investigation of oxyhemoglobin and carboxyhemoglobin ratios in right and left cardiac blood for diagnosis of fatal hypothermia and death by fire.

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Kanto-Nishimaki, Yuko; Saito, Haruka; Watanabe-Aoyagi, Miwako; Toda, Ritsuko; Iwadate, Kimiharu

2014-11-01

Few large-scale investigations have looked at the oxyhemoglobin ratio (%O2-Hb) or the carboxyhemoglobin ratio (%CO-Hb) in fatal hypothermia and death by fire as applicable to forensic medicine. We therefore retrospectively examined right and left cardiac blood samples for both %O2-Hb and %CO-Hb in 690 forensic autopsy cases. We therefore sought to establish reference values for the above forensic diagnoses, to compare %O2-Hb in fatal hypothermia with or without cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and to compare the relationship between %CO-Hb and smoking history. All %O2-Hb and %CO-Hb data were obtained during or immediately after autopsies using a portable CO-oximeter. Death by carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication and death by fire were excluded from the analysis involving smoking history. In fatal hypothermia, %O2-Hb in the left cardiac blood was significantly higher than that in the right cardiac blood, providing important evidence for fatal hypothermia. Furthermore, %O2-Hb in the left cardiac blood increases with CPR but that in the right cardiac blood increases in parallel. No correlation was observed between rectal temperature and %O2-Hb in the right and left cardiac blood, indicating that it is unlikely that postmortem cooling increases %O2-Hb in cardiac blood. %CO-Hb in smokers was significantly higher than that in non-smokers, although the number of cigarettes smoked did not appear to be significant. When assessing death by fire, we identified that %CO-Hb of >10% was a reliable marker of antemortem CO inhalation, regardless of smoking history. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Five-Year Follow-Up on Transplanted Organs From Donors After Brain Death After Acute Stroke.

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Spatenkova, Vera; Pokorna, Eva; Suchomel, Petr

2017-08-01

Efficient intensive care donor management can help alleviate the shortage of organs for transplant. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of management of donors after brain death from our neurointensive care unit. We conducted a prospective observational 5-year follow-up on 29 transplanted organs from 14 brain-dead donors after acute stroke (7 subarachnoid and 4 intracerebral hemorrhages, 3 ischemic strokes). Mean age of donors was 56.2 ± 8.70 years, and mean number of days of artificial ventilation was 5.0 ± 3.84. We transplanted 27 kidneys and 2 livers to 29 patients with mean age of 55.3 ± 9.76 years. No hearts or lungs were transplanted from these donors. Of the 27 patients who underwent kidney transplant, 21 patients (78%) lived 5 years; of those, 17 patients (63%) had functional grafts. One patient (4%) had a primary afunctional graft, and 3 patients (11%) had graft rejection (at 3, 15, and 41 mo). Six patients (22%) died after kidney transplant, with 1 patient in this group having a functional graft, 1 patient having a primary afunctional graft, and 4 patients (15%) having graft rejection (at 1, 12, 44, and 56 mo). The 2 patients with liver transplants lived 5 years with functional grafts. The 5-year follow-up showed that organs from 14 brain-dead donors improved and saved 19 lives, with 17 patients receiving kidney transplants and 2 patients receiving liver transplants. Another 7 patients had only partially improved quality of life.

The profile of potential organ and tissue donors.

Science.gov (United States)

Moraes, Edvaldo Leal de; Silva, Leonardo Borges de Barros E; Moraes, Tatiana Cristine de; Paixão, Nair Cordeiro dos Santos da; Izumi, Nelly Miyuki Shinohara; Guarino, Aparecida de Jesus

2009-01-01

This study aimed to characterize donors according to gender, age group, cause of brain death; quantify donors with hypernatremia, hyperpotassemia and hypopotassemia; and get to know which organs were the most used in transplantations. This quantitative, descriptive, exploratory and retrospective study was performed at the Organ Procurement Organization of the University of São Paulo Medical School Hospital das Clínicas. Data from the medical records of 187 potential donors were analyzed. Cerebrovascular accidents represented 53.48% of all brain death causes, sodium and potassium disorders occurred in 82.36% of cases and 45.46% of the potential donors were between 41 and 60 years old. The results evidenced that natural death causes exceeded traumatic deaths, and that most donors presented sodium and potassium alterations, likely associated to inappropriate maintenance.

Sudden death as presenting symptom caused by cardiac primary multicentric left ventricle rhabdomyoma, in an 11-month-old baby. An immunohistochemical study

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Neri Margherita

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract This case report describes a sudden cardiac death in an apparent healthy 11-month-old infant caused by a multifocal cardiac rhabdomyoma. Parents reported that a few days before the child had fallen to the ground getting a little superficial injury to the scalp. The authors hypothesize that it may have been a transient loss of consciousness episode caused by the cardiac tumour. After the gross examination, histological investigation supported by immunohistochemical analysis using antibody anti- Myoglobin, Actin, Vimentin, Desmin, CD34, S-100, Ki-67 was carried out for the diagnosis. Death was attributed to a multifocal cardiac rhabdomyoma, a benign tumour of striated muscle, which has been completely asymptomatic. In particular, one mass filled the entire posterior wall of the left ventricle. The insidious development of benign cardiac tumours also in infants and children is outlined, focusing on the responsible mechanisms of sudden death in such cases and providing a reference for additional study on these subjects. Virtual slides The virtual slide(s for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/7163626988365078

Recruitment of aged donor heart with pharmacological stress echo. A case report

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Bombardini Tonino

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The heart transplant is a treatment of the heart failure, which is not responding to medications, and its efficiency is already proved: unfortunately, organ donation is a limiting step of this life-saving procedure. To counteract heart donor shortage, we should screen aged potential donor hearts for initial cardiomyopathy and functionally significant coronary artery disease. Donors with a history of cardiac disease are generally excluded. Coronary angiography is recommended for most male donors older than 45 years and female donors older than 50 years to evaluate coronary artery stenoses. A simpler way to screen aged potential donor hearts for initial cardiomyopathy and functionally significant coronary artery disease should be stress echocardiography. Case report A marginal donor (A 57 year old woman meeting legal requirements for brain death underwent a transesophageal (TE Dipyridamole stress echo (6 minutes accelerated protocol to rule out moderate or severe heart and coronary artery disease. Wall motion was normal at baseline and at peak stress (WMSI = 1 at baseline and peak stress, without signs of stress inducible ischemia. The pressure/volume ratio was 9.6 mmHg/ml/m2 at baseline, increasing to 14 mmHg/ml/m2 at peak stress, demonstrating absence of latent myocardial dysfunction. The marginal donor heart was transplanted to a recipient "marginal" for co-morbidity ( a 63 year old man with multiple myeloma and cardiac amyloidosis , chronic severe heart failure, NYHA class IV. Postoperative treatment and early immunosuppressant regimen were performed according to standard protocols. The transplanted heart was assessed normal for dimensions and ventricular function at transthoracic (TT echocardiography on post-transplant day 7. Coronary artery disease was ruled out at coronary angiography one month after transplant; left ventriculography showed normal global and segmental LV function of the transplanted heart. Conclusion For

Sudden cardiac death in multiple sclerosis caused by active demyelination of the medulla oblongata

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hengstman, G.J.D.; Kusters, B.

2011-01-01

Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction is not uncommon in multiple sclerosis (MS) and is related to the involvement of the vegetative areas of cardiac innervations in the medulla oblongata. It has been suggested that this may contribute to the occurrence of sudden death in MS. In this case report, we

Cardiac retransplantation is an efficacious therapy for primary cardiac allograft failure

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Acker Michael A

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although orthotopic heart transplantation has been an effective treatment for end-stage heart failure, the incidence of allograft failure has increased, necessitating treatment options. Cardiac retransplantation remains the only viable long-term solution for end-stage cardiac allograft failure. Given the limited number of available donor hearts, the long term results of this treatment option need to be evaluated. Methods 709 heart transplants were performed over a 20 year period at our institution. Repeat cardiac transplantation was performed in 15 patients (2.1%. A retrospective analysis was performed to determine the efficacy of cardiac retransplantation. Variables investigated included: 1 yr and 5 yr survival, length of hospitalization, post-operative complications, allograft failure, recipient and donor demographics, renal function, allograft ischemic time, UNOS listing status, blood group, allograft rejection, and hemodynamic function. Results Etiology of primary graft failure included transplant arteriopathy (n = 10, acute rejection (n = 3, hyperacute rejection (n = 1, and a post-transplant diagnosis of metastatic melanoma in the donor (n = 1. Mean age at retransplantation was 45.5 ± 9.7 years. 1 and 5 year survival for retransplantation were 86.6% and 71.4% respectively, as compared to 90.9% and 79.1% for primary transplantation. Mean ejection fraction was 67.3 ± 12.2% at a mean follow-up of 32.6 ± 18.5 mos post-retransplant; follow-up biopsy demonstrated either ISHLT grade 1A or 0 rejection (77.5 ± 95.7 mos post-transplant. Conclusion Cardiac retransplantation is an efficacious treatment strategy for cardiac allograft failure.

Sudden Cardiac Death in Brazil: A Community-Based Autopsy Series (2006-2010

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Maria Fernanda Braggion-Santos

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Sudden cardiac death (SCD is a sudden unexpected event, from a cardiac cause, that occurs in less than one hour after the symptoms onset, in a person without any previous condition that would seem fatal or who was seen without any symptoms 24 hours before found dead. Although it is a relatively frequent event, there are only few reliable data in underdeveloped countries. Objective: We aimed to describe the features of SCD in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil (600,000 residents according to Coroners’ Office autopsy reports. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 4501 autopsy reports between 2006 and 2010, to identify cases of SCD. Specific cause of death as well as demographic information, date, location and time of the event, comorbidities and whether cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR was attempted were collected. Results: We identified 899 cases of SCD (20%; the rate was 30/100000 residents per year. The vast majority of cases of SCD involved a coronary artery disease (CAD (64% and occurred in men (67%, between the 6th and the 7th decades of life. Most events occurred during the morning in the home setting (53.3% and CPR was attempted in almost half of victims (49.7%. The most prevalent comorbidity was systemic hypertension (57.3%. Chagas’ disease was present in 49 cases (5.5%. Conclusion: The majority of victims of SCD were men, in their sixties and seventies and the main cause of death was CAD. Chagas’ disease, an important public health problem in Latin America, was found in about 5.5% of the cases.

Predischarge maximal exercise test identifies risk for cardiac death in patients with acute myocardial infarction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, J R; Mickley, H; Damsgaard, E M

1990-01-01

A maximal exercise test was performed in 54 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) before discharge and in 49 age-matched control subjects. The long-term prognosis was assessed after an average follow-up of 7.6 years in AMI patients and 5.8 years in control subjects. The maximal work...... capacity and systolic blood pressure increase in AMI patients was 59% that of control subjects (p less than 0.001). Seventeen AMI patients had significant ST-segment shifts, 13 with ST depression and 4 with ST elevation. In AMI patients experiencing a cardiac death during follow-up the maximal work...... were of no significant value. In this study maximal work capacity turned out to be the best single exercise variable for identifying groups of AMI patients with very low and relative high risk of cardiac death. When all 3 exercise variables were combined, the predischarge maximal exercise test...

Protection of adult rat cardiac myocytes from ischemic cell death: role of caveolar microdomains and delta-opioid receptors.

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Patel, Hemal H; Head, Brian P; Petersen, Heidi N; Niesman, Ingrid R; Huang, Diane; Gross, Garrett J; Insel, Paul A; Roth, David M

2006-07-01

The role of caveolae, membrane microenvironments enriched in signaling molecules, in myocardial ischemia is poorly defined. In the current study, we used cardiac myocytes prepared from adult rats to test the hypothesis that opioid receptors (OR), which are capable of producing cardiac protection in vivo, promote cardiac protection in cardiac myocytes in a caveolae-dependent manner. We determined protein expression and localization of delta-OR (DOR) using coimmunohistochemistry, caveolar fractionation, and immunoprecipitations. DOR colocalized in fractions with caveolin-3 (Cav-3), a structural component of caveolae in muscle cells, and could be immunoprecipitated by a Cav-3 antibody. Immunohistochemistry confirmed plasma membrane colocalization of DOR with Cav-3. Cardiac myocytes were subjected to simulated ischemia (2 h) or an ischemic preconditioning (IPC) protocol (10 min ischemia, 30 min recovery, 2 h ischemia) in the presence and absence of methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MbetaCD, 2 mM), which binds cholesterol and disrupts caveolae. We also assessed the cardiac protective effects of SNC-121 (SNC), a selective DOR agonist, on cardiac myocytes with or without MbetaCD and MbetaCD preloaded with cholesterol. Ischemia, simulated by mineral oil layering to inhibit gas exchange, promoted cardiac myocyte cell death (trypan blue staining), a response blunted by SNC (37 +/- 3 vs. 59 +/- 3% dead cells in the presence and absence of 1 muM SNC, respectively, P protective effects of IPC or SNC, resulting in cell death comparable to that of the ischemic group. By contrast, SNC-induced protection was not abrogated in cells incubated with cholesterol-saturated MbetaCD, which maintained caveolae structure and function. These findings suggest a key role for caveolae, perhaps through enrichment of signaling molecules, in contributing to protection of cardiac myocytes from ischemic damage.

Human amyloidogenic light chain proteins result in cardiac dysfunction, cell death, and early mortality in zebrafish.

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Mishra, Shikha; Guan, Jian; Plovie, Eva; Seldin, David C; Connors, Lawreen H; Merlini, Giampaolo; Falk, Rodney H; MacRae, Calum A; Liao, Ronglih

2013-07-01

Systemic amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is associated with rapidly progressive and fatal cardiomyopathy resulting from the direct cardiotoxic effects of circulating AL light chain (AL-LC) proteins and the indirect effects of AL fibril tissue infiltration. Cardiac amyloidosis is resistant to standard heart failure therapies, and, to date, there are limited treatment options for these patients. The mechanisms underlying the development of cardiac amyloidosis and AL-LC cardiotoxicity are largely unknown, and their study has been limited by the lack of a suitable in vivo model system. Here, we establish an in vivo zebrafish model of human AL-LC-induced cardiotoxicity. AL-LC isolated from AL cardiomyopathy patients or control nonamyloidogenic LC protein isolated from multiple myeloma patients (Con-LC) was directly injected into the circulation of zebrafish at 48 h postfertilization. AL-LC injection resulted in impaired cardiac function, pericardial edema, and increased cell death relative to Con-LC, culminating in compromised survival with 100% mortality within 2 wk, independent of AL fibril deposition. Prior work has implicated noncanonical p38 MAPK activation in the pathogenesis of AL-LC-induced cardiotoxicity, and p38 MAPK inhibition via SB-203580 rescued AL-LC-induced cardiac dysfunction and cell death and attenuated mortality in zebrafish. This in vivo zebrafish model of AL-LC cardiotoxicity demonstrates that antagonism of p38 MAPK within the AL-LC cardiotoxic signaling response may serve to improve cardiac function and mortality in AL cardiomyopathy. Furthermore, this in vivo model system will allow for further study of the molecular underpinnings of AL cardiotoxicity and identification of novel therapeutic strategies.

Association of US State Implementation of Newborn Screening Policies for Critical Congenital Heart Disease With Early Infant Cardiac Deaths.

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Abouk, Rahi; Grosse, Scott D; Ailes, Elizabeth C; Oster, Matthew E

2017-12-05

In 2011, critical congenital heart disease was added to the US Recommended Uniform Screening Panel for newborns, but whether state implementation of screening policies has been associated with infant death rates is unknown. To assess whether there was an association between implementation of state newborn screening policies for critical congenital heart disease and infant death rates. Observational study with group-level analyses. A difference-in-differences analysis was conducted using the National Center for Health Statistics' period linked birth/infant death data set files for 2007-2013 for 26 546 503 US births through June 30, 2013, aggregated by month and state of birth. State policies were classified as mandatory or nonmandatory (including voluntary policies and mandates that were not yet implemented). As of June 1, 2013, 8 states had implemented mandatory screening policies, 5 states had voluntary screening policies, and 9 states had adopted but not yet implemented mandates. Numbers of early infant deaths (between 24 hours and 6 months of age) coded for critical congenital heart disease or other/unspecified congenital cardiac causes for each state-month birth cohort. Between 2007 and 2013, there were 2734 deaths due to critical congenital heart disease and 3967 deaths due to other/unspecified causes. Critical congenital heart disease death rates in states with mandatory screening policies were 8.0 (95% CI, 5.4-10.6) per 100 000 births (n = 37) in 2007 and 6.4 (95% CI, 2.9-9.9) per 100 000 births (n = 13) in 2013 (for births by the end of July); for other/unspecified cardiac causes, death rates were 11.7 (95% CI, 8.6-14.8) per 100 000 births in 2007 (n = 54) and 10.3 (95% CI, 5.9-14.8) per 100 000 births (n = 21) in 2013. Early infant deaths from critical congenital heart disease through December 31, 2013, decreased by 33.4% (95% CI, 10.6%-50.3%), with an absolute decline of 3.9 (95% CI, 3.6-4.1) deaths per 100 000 births after

Ex vivo lung perfusion with adenosine A2A receptor agonist allows prolonged cold preservation of lungs donated after cardiac death.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Cynthia E; Pope, Nicolas H; Charles, Eric J; Huerter, Mary E; Sharma, Ashish K; Salmon, Morgan D; Carter, Benjamin T; Stoler, Mark H; Lau, Christine L; Laubach, Victor E; Kron, Irving L

2016-02-01

Ex vivo lung perfusion has been successful in the assessment of marginal donor lungs, including donation after cardiac death (DCD) donor lungs. Ex vivo lung perfusion also represents a unique platform for targeted drug delivery. We sought to determine whether ischemia-reperfusion injury would be decreased after transplantation of DCD donor lungs subjected to prolonged cold preservation and treated with an adenosine A2A receptor agonist during ex vivo lung perfusion. Porcine DCD donor lungs were preserved at 4°C for 12 hours and underwent ex vivo lung perfusion for 4 hours. Left lungs were then transplanted and reperfused for 4 hours. Three groups (n = 4/group) were randomized according to treatment with the adenosine A2A receptor agonist ATL-1223 or the dimethyl sulfoxide vehicle: Infusion of dimethyl sulfoxide during ex vivo lung perfusion and reperfusion (DMSO), infusion of ATL-1223 during ex vivo lung perfusion and dimethyl sulfoxide during reperfusion (ATL-E), and infusion of ATL-1223 during ex vivo lung perfusion and reperfusion (ATL-E/R). Final Pao2/Fio2 ratios (arterial oxygen partial pressure/fraction of inspired oxygen) were determined from samples obtained from the left superior and inferior pulmonary veins. Final Pao2/Fio2 ratios in the ATL-E/R group (430.1 ± 26.4 mm Hg) were similar to final Pao2/Fio2 ratios in the ATL-E group (413.6 ± 18.8 mm Hg), but both treated groups had significantly higher final Pao2/Fio2 ratios compared with the dimethyl sulfoxide group (84.8 ± 17.7 mm Hg). Low oxygenation gradients during ex vivo lung perfusion did not preclude superior oxygenation capacity during reperfusion. After prolonged cold preservation, treatment of DCD donor lungs with an adenosine A2A receptor agonist during ex vivo lung perfusion enabled Pao2/Fio2 ratios greater than 400 mm Hg after transplantation in a preclinical porcine model. Pulmonary function during ex vivo lung perfusion was not predictive of outcomes after transplantation. Copyright �

Family-based cardiac screening in relatives of victims of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

McGorrian, Catherine

2013-02-03

AIMS: Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) occurs when a person suffers a sudden, unexpected death, with no cause found at postmortem examination. We aimed to describe the cardiac screening outcomes in a population of relatives of SADS victimsMETHODS AND RESULTS: Prospective and retrospective cohort study of consecutive families attending the Family Heart Screening clinic at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, from January 2007 to September 2011. Family members of SADS victims underwent a standard screening protocol. Adjunct clinical and postmortem information was sought on the proband. Families who had an existing diagnosis, or where the proband had epilepsy, were excluded. Of 115 families identified, 73 were found to fit inclusion criteria and were retained for analysis, with data available on 262 relatives. Over half of the screened family members were female, and the mean age was 38.6 years (standard deviation 15.6). In 22 of 73 families (30%), and 36 of 262 family members (13.7%), a potentially inheritable cause of SADS was detected. Of the population screened, 32 patients (12.2%) were treated with medication, and 5 (1.9%) have received implantable cardiac defibrillators. Of the five families with long QT syndrome (LQTS) who had a pathogenic gene mutation identified, three carried two such mutations.CONCLUSION: In keeping with international estimates, 30% of families of SADS victims were found to have a potentially inherited cardiac disease. The most common positive finding was LQTS. Advances in postmortem standards and genetic studies may assist in achieving more diagnoses in these families.

Regression of electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy during antihypertensive therapy and reduction in sudden cardiac death: the LIFE Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wachtell, Kristian; Okin, Peter M; Olsen, Michael H

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) occurs more often in patients with ECG left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. However, whether LV hypertrophy regression is associated with a reduced risk of SCD remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Losartan Intervention for End Point Reduction in Hypertens......BACKGROUND: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) occurs more often in patients with ECG left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. However, whether LV hypertrophy regression is associated with a reduced risk of SCD remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Losartan Intervention for End Point Reduction...... risk of SCD independently of treatment modality, blood pressure reduction, prevalent coronary heart disease, and other cardiovascular risk factors in hypertensive patients with LV hypertrophy. Udgivelsesdato: 2007-Aug-14...

Incidence and other epidemiological characteristics of sudden cardiac death in northwest Greece.

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Goudevenos, J A; Papadimitriou, E D; Papathanasiou, A; Makis, A C; Pappas, K; Sideris, D A

1995-03-24

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) has not been investigated separately in Greece. The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiological characteristics of people dying suddenly out of hospital in an area of Greece. In 1990, a population based study was started to detect the cases of people dying suddenly out of hospital (Greece (Ioannina area: 160,000 inhabitants). During a 3.5 year period, 283 potential cases aged 30-70 years were identified by monitoring the mortality in the emergency rooms of the two hospitals of the area, the coroner's office and the death certificates from the Government Department of Statistics. The diagnosis of SCD was established in 223 (183 men, 40 women; mean ages 59 and 61 years respectively) after visiting and interviewing the relatives and/or the family doctors within 12 days (range 1-28) after the death. SCD in the study accounts for 50% of all cardiovascular deaths and is the most common cause of death after neoplasia. The most common place of death was home (151 cases, 68%), and in 174 cases (78%) deaths occurred while the patients were relaxing or during routine activities. Prodromal symptoms were reported in 57 cases (26%). The time of day of death showed a circadian variation, with a peak in the late morning from 9:00 to 12:00. Ninety four (42%) had a prior history of heart disease. One hundred and ninety one cases (86%) occurred in the subgroup of age 50-70 years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Contribution of serum FGF21 level to the identification of left ventricular systolic dysfunction and cardiac death.

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Shen, Yun; Zhang, Xueli; Pan, Xiaoping; Xu, Yiting; Xiong, Qin; Lu, Zhigang; Ma, Xiaojing; Bao, Yuqian; Jia, Weiping

2017-08-18

The relationship between fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and cardiovascular disease has been well established in recent studies. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between FGF21 and left ventricular systolic dysfunction and cardiac death. Two-dimensional echocardiography was used to measure the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) to estimate left ventricular systolic function. The optimal cutoff of FGF21 for identifying left ventricular systolic dysfunction at baseline was analyzed via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The identification of different serum levels of FGF21 and their association with cardiac death was analyzed via Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Serum FGF21 level was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit, and serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) level was determined by a chemiluminescent immunoassay. A total of 253 patients were recruited for this study at baseline. Patients were excluded if they lacked echocardiography or laboratory measurement data, and there were 218 patients enrolled in the final analysis. The average age was 66.32 ± 10.10 years. The optimal cutoff values of FGF21 and NT-pro-BNP for identifying left ventricular systolic dysfunction at baseline were 321.5 pg/mL and 131.3 ng/L, respectively, determined separately via ROC analysis. The areas under the curves were non-significant among FGF21, NT-pro-BNP and FGF21 + NT-pro-BNP as determined by pairwise comparisons. Both a higher serum level of FGF21 and a higher serum level of NT-pro-BNP were independent risk factors for left ventricular systolic dysfunction at baseline (odd ratio (OR) 3.138 [1.037-9.500], P = 0.043, OR 9.207 [2.036-41.643], P = 0.004, separately). Further Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated an association between both a higher serum level of FGF21 and a higher serum level of NT-pro-BNP with cardiac death in 5 years [RR 5.000 (1.326-18.861), P = 0.026; RR 9.643 (2

The dead donor rule and the concept of death: severing the ties that bind them.

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Koppelman, Elysa R

2003-01-01

One goal of the transplant community is to seek ways to increase the number of people who are willing and able to donate organs. People in states between life and death are often medically excellent candidates for donating organs. Yet public policy surrounding organ procurement is a delicate matter. While there is the utilitarian goal of increasing organ supply, there is also the deontologic concern about respect for persons. Public policy must properly mediate between these two concerns. Currently the dead donor (dd) rule is appealed to as an attempt at such mediation. I argue that given the lack of consensus on a definition of death, the dd rule is no longer successful at mediating utilitarian and deontologic concerns. I suggest instead that focusing on a particular person's history can be successful.

Association of Peak Changes in Plasma Cystatin C and Creatinine With Death After Cardiac Operations.

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Park, Meyeon; Shlipak, Michael G; Thiessen-Philbrook, Heather; Garg, Amit X; Koyner, Jay L; Coca, Steven G; Parikh, Chirag R

2016-04-01

Acute kidney injury is a risk factor for death in cardiac surgical patients. Plasma cystatin C and creatinine have different temporal profiles in the postoperative setting, but the associations of simultaneous changes in both filtration markers compared with change in only one marker with prognosis after hospital discharge are not well described. This is a longitudinal study of 1,199 high-risk adult cardiac surgical patients in the TRIBE-AKI (Translational Research Investigating Biomarker Endpoints for Acute Kidney Injury) Consortium who survived hospitalization. We examined in-hospital peak changes of cystatin C and creatinine in the 3 days after cardiac operations. We evaluated associations of these filtration markers with death, adjusting for demographics, operative characteristics, medical comorbidities, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, preoperative urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio, and site. During the first 3 days of hospitalization, nearly twice as many patients had a 25% or higher rise in creatinine (30%) compared with a 25% or higher peak rise in cystatin C (15%). The risk of death was higher in those with elevations in cystatin C (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4 to 2.37) or creatinine (adjusted HR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.32 to 2.72) compared with patients who experienced a postoperative decrease in either filtration marker. Patients who had simultaneous elevations of 25% or higher in cystatin C and creatinine were at similar adjusted risk for 3-year mortality (HR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.03 to 3.1) as those with a 25% or higher increase in cystatin C alone (HR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.09 to 4.47). Elevations in creatinine postoperatively are more common than elevations in cystatin C. However, elevations in cystatin C appeared to be associated with a higher risk of death after hospital discharge. Copyright © 2016 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-organ donors' attitudes toward incentives.

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Tumin, Makmor; Noh, Abdillah; Chong, Chin-Sieng; Lim, Soo-Kun; Abdullah, Nawi; Ng, Kok-Peng

2013-01-01

Malaysians indicating that they did not intend to become organ donors upon their death were surveyed regarding interest in non-fungible financial incentives to be granted to surviving family members. Among the 730 (56% of the total sample of 1311) indicating unwillingness to be donors, 29.6% (216/730) subsequently indicated that they would be willing donors if the government introduced policies that, upon their death, "rewarded your (their) family with incentives for your (their) deeds." Among the 69% (504/730) who insisted that they would not become organ donor even with incentive, nearly 80% (404/501) of them were able to identify relevant incentives they thought should be provided by the state to those who make organ donations upon death. The majority of both groups preferred the state provide medical benefits to a surviving family member, suggesting this may be an attractive policy option for the state to raise the deceased organ donation pool. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Suggested cut-off values for vitamin D as a risk marker for total and cardiac death in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome

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Patrycja Anna Naesgaard

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Several studies have demonstrated an association between low vitamin D levels and cardiovascular risk. Vitamin D cut off levels are still under debate. Objectives: To assess two cut-off levels, 40 nmol/L and 70 nmol/L, respectively, for vitamin D measured as 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OHD] in chest pain patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome.Methods: We investigated 1853 patients from coastal-Norway and inland Northern-Argentina. A similar database was used for pooling of data. 2-year follow-up data including all-cause mortality, cardiac death and sudden cardiac death in the total patient population were analyzed, applying univariate and multivariable analysis. Results: 255 patients with known vitamin D concentrations died. In the multivariable analysis, there was a decrease in total mortality above a cut-off level of 40 nmol/L and a decrease in cardiac death above a cut-off level of 70 nmol/L, [HRs of 0.66 (95% CI, 0.50 – 0.88, p = 0.004 and 0.46 (95% CI, 0.22 – 0.94, p = 0.034, respectively].Conclusion: Vitamin D cut-off levels of 40 nmol/L and 70 nmol/L, were related to total mortality and cardiac death, respectively.

The impact of meeting donor management goals on the number of organs transplanted per donor: results from the United Network for Organ Sharing Region 5 prospective donor management goals study.

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Malinoski, Darren J; Patel, Madhukar S; Daly, Michael C; Oley-Graybill, Chrystal; Salim, Ali

2012-10-01

Many organ procurement organizations have implemented critical care end points as donor management goals in efforts to increase organs transplanted per donor after neurologic determination of death. Although retrospective studies have demonstrated an association between meeting donor management goals and organ yield, prospective studies are lacking. In June 2008, nine donor management goals were prospectively implemented as a checklist and every donor after neurologic determination of death was managed to meet them. The donor management goals represented normal cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, and endocrine end points. Data were collected for 7 months. Donor management goals "met" was defined a priori as achieving any seven of the nine donor management goals, and this was recorded at the time of consent, 12-18 hrs later, and prior to organ recovery. The primary outcome measure was ≥4 organs transplanted per donor, and binary logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of this outcome with a porgan procurement organizations in the five Southwestern United States (United Network for Organ Sharing Region 5). All standard criteria donors after neurologic determination of deaths. Prospective implementation of a donor management goal checklist. There were 380 standard criteria donors with 3.6±1.7 organs transplanted per donor. Fifteen percent had donor management goals met at the time of consent, 33% at 12-18 hrs, and 38% prior to organ recovery. Forty-eight percent had ≥4 organs transplanted per donor. Donors with ≥4 organs transplanted per donor had significantly more individual donor management goals met at all three time points. Independent predictors of ≥4 organs transplanted per donor were age (odds ratio=0.95 per year), final creatinine (odds ratio=0.75 per 1-unit increase), donor management goals "met" at consent (odds ratio=2.03), donor management goals "met" prior to organ recovery (odds ratio=2.34), and a change in the number of

Sudden Cardiac Death During Sports Activities in the General Population.

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Narayanan, Kumar; Bougouin, Wulfran; Sharifzadehgan, Ardalan; Waldmann, Victor; Karam, Nicole; Marijon, Eloi; Jouven, Xavier

2017-12-01

Regular exercise reduces cardiovascular and overall mortality. Participation in sports is an important determinant of cardiovascular health and fitness. Regular sports activity is associated with a smaller risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, there is a small risk of sports-related SCD. Sports-related SCD accounts for approximately 5% of total SCD. SCD among athletes comprises only a fraction of all sports-related SCD. Sport-related SCD has a male predominance and an average age of affliction of 45 to 50 years. Survival is better than for other SCD. This review summarizes links between sports and SCD and discusses current knowledge and controversies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interaction between dietary marine-derived n-3 fatty acids intake and J-point elevation on the risk of cardiac death: a 24-year follow-up of Japanese men.

Science.gov (United States)

Hisamatsu, Takashi; Miura, Katsuyuki; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Yamamoto, Takashi; Fujiyoshi, Akira; Miyagawa, Naoko; Kadota, Aya; Takashima, Naoyuki; Okuda, Nagako; Matsumura, Yasuhiro; Yoshita, Katsushi; Kita, Yoshikuni; Murakami, Yoshitaka; Nakamura, Yasuyuki; Okamura, Tomonori; Horie, Minoru; Okayama, Akira; Ueshima, Hirotsugu

2013-07-01

Higher marine-derived n-3 fatty acids (MDn3FAs) intake reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death via antiarrhythmic effects. The article evaluates whether MDn3FAs intake attenuates the increased risk of cardiac death associated with J-point elevation (JPE), characterised by an elevation of QRS-ST junction (J-point) ≥0.1 mV on electrocardiography. A prospective population-based cohort study. The National Survey on Circulatory Disorders and the National Nutrition Survey of Japan. A total of 4348 community-dwelling men (mean age 49.3 years), without cardiovascular diseases at baseline, from randomly selected areas across Japan. Cardiac death (200 men) during the 24-year follow-up. Dietary MDn3FAs intake was assessed using a dietary method to estimate individual intake of household-based weighed food records for 3 days. Cox models were used to calculate HRs and 95% CIs adjusted for possible confounding factors. JPE was present in 340 participants (7.8%). The median daily intake of MDn3FAs was 0.35%kcal (0.92 g/day). The risk of cardiac death was significantly higher in participants with JPE than in those without JPE in the low intake group (death was statistically significant (p=0.006). The increased risk of cardiac death associated with JPE may be attenuated by higher dietary MDn3FAs intake.

Potential brain death organ donors - challenges and prospects: A single center retrospective review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yousef Al-Maslamani

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Organ donation after brain death (BD is a major source for obtaining transplantable organs for patients with end-stage organ disease (ESOD. This retrospective, descriptive study was carried out on all potential BD patients admitted in different intensive care units (ICUs of the Hamad medical Corporation (HMC, Doha, Qatar during a period from January 2011 to April 2012. Our aim was to evaluate various demographic criteria and challenges of organ donation among potential BD organ donors and plan a strategy to improve the rate of organ donation in Qatar. Various aspects of BD patients in the ICUs and their possible effects on organ donation were studied. The time intervals analyzed to determine the possible causes of delay of organ retrieval were: time of diagnosing fixed dilated pupils in the ICU, to performing the first BD test, then to the second BD test, to family approach, to organ retrieval and/or circulatory death (CD without organ retrieval. There were a total of 116 potential BD organ donors of whom 96 (82.75% were males and 20 (17.25% were females. Brain hemorrhage and head injury contributed to 37 (31.9% and 32 (27.6% BD cases, respectively. Time interval between diagnosing fixed dilated pupil and performing the first test of BD was delayed >24 h in 79% of the cases and between the first and second BD tests was >6 h in 70.8% of the cases. This delay is not compatible with the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC policy for BD diagnosis and resulted in a low number of organs retrieved. BD organ donation, a potential source for organs to save patients with ESOD has several pitfalls and every effort should be made to increase the awareness of the public as well as medical personnel to optimize donation efficacy.

Crosstalk between complement and Toll-like receptor activation in relation to donor brain death and renal ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Damman, Jeffrey; Daha, Mohamed R; van Son, Willem J; Leuvenink, Henri G; Ploeg, Rutger J; Seelen, Marc A

2011-04-01

Two central pathways of innate immunity, complement and Toll-like receptors (TLRs), play an important role in the pathogenesis of renal injury inherent to kidney transplantation. Recent findings indicate close crosstalk between complement and TLR signaling pathways. It is suggested that mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) might be the key molecules linking both the complement and TLR pathways together. Complement and TLRs are important mediators of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Besides IRI, complement C3 can also be upregulated and activated in the kidney before transplantation as a direct result of brain death (BD) in the donor. This local upregulation and activation of complement in the donor kidney has been proven to be detrimental for renal allograft outcome. Also TLR4 and several of its major ligands are upregulated by donor BD compared to living donors. Important and in line with the observations above, kidney transplant recipients have a benefit when receiving a kidney from a TLR4 Asp299Gly/Thr399Ile genotypic donor. The role of complement and TLRs and crosstalk between these two innate immune systems in relation to renal injury during donor BD and ischemia-reperfusion are focus of this review. Future strategies to target complement and TLR activation in kidney transplantation are considered. ©2011 The Authors Journal compilation©2011 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Transplantation of Hearts Donated after Circulatory Death

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Christopher W. White

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Cardiac transplantation has become limited by a critical shortage of suitable organs from brain-dead donors. Reports describing the successful clinical transplantation of hearts donated after circulatory death (DCD have recently emerged. Hearts from DCD donors suffer significant ischemic injury prior to organ procurement; therefore, the traditional approach to the transplantation of hearts from brain-dead donors is not applicable to the DCD context. Advances in our understanding of ischemic post-conditioning have facilitated the development of DCD heart resuscitation strategies that can be used to minimize ischemia-reperfusion injury at the time of organ procurement. The availability of a clinically approved ex situ heart perfusion device now allows DCD heart preservation in a normothermic beating state and minimizes exposure to incremental cold ischemia. This technology also facilitates assessments of organ viability to be undertaken prior to transplantation, thereby minimizing the risk of primary graft dysfunction. The application of a tailored approach to DCD heart transplantation that focuses on organ resuscitation at the time of procurement, ex situ preservation, and pre-transplant assessments of organ viability has facilitated the successful clinical application of DCD heart transplantation. The transplantation of hearts from DCD donors is now a clinical reality. Investigating ways to optimize the resuscitation, preservation, evaluation, and long-term outcomes is vital to ensure a broader application of DCD heart transplantation in the future.

Pathological links between stroke and cardiac arrest

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Shaila Ghanekar; Sydney Corey; Trenton Lippert; Cesar V.Borlongan

2017-01-01

There may be a pathological connection between cardiac failure and ischemic stroke.In this article we describe pertinent research that demonstrates subsequent death of cardiac and neural myocytes in the post ischemic stroke brain.Current stroke therapy overlooks the connection between cardiac and cerebrovascular events and fails to address the shared risk factors.Current pre-clinical stroke investigations have provided evidence that suggests the presence of an indirect cell death pathway in which toxic molecules emanate from the stroke brain and trigger cardiac cell death.On the other hand,other studies highlight the presence of a reverse cell death cascade in which toxic molecules from the heart,following cardiac arrest,travel to the brain and induce ischemic cell death.Further examination of these putative cell death pathways between ischemic stroke and cardiac arrest will prompt the advancement of innovative treatments specifically targeting both diseases,leading to ameliorated clinical results of patients diagnosed with heart failure and ischemic stroke.

Next-generation sequencing of 34 genes in sudden unexplained death victims in forensics and in patients with channelopathic cardiac diseases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertz, Christin Løth; Christiansen, Sofie Lindgren; Ferrero-Miliani, Laura

2015-01-01

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is responsible for a large proportion of sudden deaths in young individuals. In forensic medicine, many cases remain unexplained after routine postmortem autopsy and conventional investigations. These cases are called sudden unexplained deaths (SUD). Genetic testing has...... been suggested useful in forensic medicine, although in general with a significantly lower success rate compared to the clinical setting. The purpose of the study was to estimate the frequency of pathogenic variants in the genes most frequently associated with SCD in SUD cases and compare the frequency...... to that in patients with inherited cardiac channelopathies. Fifteen forensic SUD cases and 29 patients with channelopathies were investigated. DNA from 34 of the genes most frequently associated with SCD were captured using NimbleGen SeqCap EZ library build and were sequenced with next-generation sequencing (NGS...

Risk factors for biliary complications after liver transplantation from donation after cardiac death

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LYU Guoyue

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Liver transplantation has become the effective therapeutic method for end-stage liver disease, but the incidence of biliary complications after liver transplantation remains high. With an increasing number of liver transplantation procedures from donation after cardiac death (DCD, it is necessary to investigate the risk factors for biliary complications after liver transplantation from DCD and enhance our understanding of such risk factors in order to reduce biliary complications after liver transplantation from DCD.

The 40 donors per million population plan: an action plan for improvement of organ donation and transplantation in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Matesanz, R; Marazuela, R; Domínguez-Gil, B; Coll, E; Mahillo, B; de la Rosa, G

2009-10-01

Spain has been showing the highest rate of deceased donor organ recovery in the world for a whole country, namely, 33-35 donors per million population (pmp) during the last years. This activity is attributed to the so-called Spanish Model of organ donation, an integrated approach to improve organ donation since the start of the Organización Nacional de Trasplantes (ONT) in 1989. However, in 2007 there were 7/17 regions with >40 donors pmp and a marked regional variability. Thus, ONT has set a large-scale, comprehensive strategy to achieve a substantial improvement in donation and transplantation in Spain in the coming years: The 40 Donors pmp Plan. The overall objective is to increase the average rate of deceased donors to 40 pmp between 2008 and 2010. The areas of improvement, specific objectives, and actions have come from deep reflection on the data and the material generated from multidisciplinary discussions and open consultation with the donation and transplantation community. Detection and management of brain-dead donors, with 4 specific subareas: access to intensive care units, new forms of hospital management, foreigners and ethnic minorities, and evaluation/maintenance of thoracic organ donors. Expanded criteria donors, with 3 subareas: aging, donors with positive tests to certain viral serologies, and donors with rare diseases. Special surgical techniques. Donation after cardiac death.

Reduced size liver transplantation from a donor supported by a Berlin Heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Misra, M V; Smithers, C J; Krawczuk, L E; Jenkins, R L; Linden, B C; Weldon, C B; Kim, H B

2009-11-01

Patients on cardiac assist devices are often considered to be high-risk solid organ donors. We report the first case of a reduced size liver transplant performed using the left lateral segment of a pediatric donor whose cardiac function was supported by a Berlin Heart. The recipient was a 22-day-old boy with neonatal hemochromatosis who developed fulminant liver failure shortly after birth. The transplant was complicated by mild delayed graft function, which required delayed biliary reconstruction and abdominal wall closure, as well as a bile leak. However, the graft function improved quickly over the first week and the patient was discharged home with normal liver function 8 weeks after transplant. The presence of a cardiac assist device should not be considered an absolute contraindication for abdominal organ donation. Normal organ procurement procedures may require alteration due to the unusual technical obstacles that are encountered when the donor has a cardiac assist device.

Are drowned donors marginal donors? A single pediatric center experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumm, Kayla R; Galván, N Thao N; Koohmaraie, Sarah; Rana, Abbas; Kueht, Michael; Baugh, Katherine; Hao, Liu; Yoeli, Dor; Cotton, Ronald; O'Mahony, Christine A; Goss, John A

2017-09-01

Drowning, a common cause of death in the pediatric population, is a potentially large donor pool for OLT. Anecdotally, transplant centers have deemed these organs high risk over concerns for infection and graft dysfunction. We theorized drowned donor liver allografts do not portend worse outcomes and therefore should not be excluded from the donation pool. We reviewed our single-center experience of pediatric OLTs between 1988 and 2015 and identified 33 drowned donor recipients. These OLTs were matched 1:2 to head trauma donor OLTs from our center. A chart review assessed postoperative peak AST and ALT, incidence of HAT, graft and recipient survival. Recipient survival at one year between patients with drowned donor vs head trauma donor allografts was not statistically significant (94% vs 97%, P=.63). HAT incidence was 6.1% in the drowned donor group vs 7.6% in the control group (P=.78). Mean postoperative peak AST and ALT was 683 U/L and 450 U/L for drowned donors vs 1119 U/L and 828 U/L in the matched cohort. These results suggest drowned donor liver allografts do not portend worse outcomes in comparison with those procured from head trauma donors. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Thromboembolism and bleeding risk scores and predictors of cardiac death in a population with atrial fibrillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Rose Mary Ferreira Lisboa da; Silva, Pollyana Ardavicius E; Lima, Marcos Correia; Sant'Anna, Lívia Tanure; Silva, Túlio Corrêa; Moreira, Pedro Henrique Vilela; Gandra, Robert Moreira; Cavalcanti, Túlio Ramos; Mourão, Plínio Henrique Vaz

2017-07-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia, with risk of systemic embolism and death. It presents rheumatic etiology in up to 32% of developing countries, whose anticoagulation and evolution data are scarce. to determine the predictors of cardiac death considering the clinical profile, thromboembolism and bleeding scores of patients with AF of a single center, with high prevalence of rheumatic heart disease. 302 patients with AF were studied, mean age 58.1 years; 161 women; 96 pts with rheumatic etiology. Patients underwent clinical and laboratory evaluation, measurement of risk scores and the mean follow-up of 12.8 months. 174 were using warfarin. The averages of the HAS-BLED and ATRIA scores were 1.4 and 1.2, respectively. Percent time in therapeutic range of international normalized ratio was 45.8%. Thirty patients (9.9%) had cardiac death and 41 had some type of bleeding due to warfarin. By univariate analysis, there was statistical significance between cardiac death and permanent AF, blood pressure, systolic dysfunction, R2CHADS2, CCS, EHRA and HAS-BLED. There was no association with valvular AF. By multivariate analysis, systemic arterial and pulmonary artery pressures, classification CCS and systolic dysfunction showed statistical significance. There was no association between cardiac death and valvular AF. Independent predictors of cardiac death were low measures of blood pressure, higher score CCS classification and the presence of systolic ventricular dysfunction. A fibrilação atrial (FA) é uma arritmia comum, com risco de embolia sistêmica e morte. Apresenta etiologia reumática em até 32% dos países em desenvolvimento, cujos dados de anticoagulação e evolução são escassos. Verificar as variáveis preditoras de morte cardíaca (MC) conforme o perfil clínico, os escores de tromboembolismo e de sangramento dos pacientes com FA de uma única instituição universitária, com alta prevalência de cardiopatia reumática. Foram estudados 302

Predictors of Sudden Cardiac Death in Doberman Pinschers with Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Klüser, L; Holler, P J; Simak, J; Tater, G; Smets, P; Rügamer, D; Küchenhoff, H; Wess, G

2016-05-01

Doberman Pinschers with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are at high risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Risk factors for SCD are poorly defined. To assess cardiac biomarkers, Holter-ECG, echocardiographic variables and canine characteristics in a group of Doberman Pinschers with DCM dying of SCD and in a DCM control group to identify factors predicting SCD. A longitudinal prospective study was performed in 95 Doberman Pinschers with DCM. Forty-one dogs died within 3 months after the last cardiac examination (SCD-group) and were compared to 54 Doberman Pinschers with DCM surviving 1 year after inclusion. Holter-ECG, echocardiography, measurement of N-terminal prohormone of brain-natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) concentrations were recorded for all dogs. Volume overload of the left ventricle (left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV/BSA) > 91.3 mL/m²) was the single best variable to predict SCD. The probability of SCD increases 8.5-fold (CI0.95  = 0.8-35.3) for every 50 mL/m²-unit increment in LVEDV/BSA. Ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV/BSA) and NT-proBNP were highly correlated with LVEDV/BSA (r = -0.63, 0.96, 0.86, respectively). Generated conditional inference trees (CTREEs) revealed that the presence of ventricular tachycardia (VT), increased concentration of cTnI, and the fastest rate (FR) of ventricular premature complexes (VPC) ≥260 beats per minute (bpm) are additional important variables to predict SCD. Conditional inference trees provided in this study might be useful for risk assessment of SCD in Doberman Pinschers with DCM. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

A statistical approach to evaluate the performance of cardiac biomarkers in predicting death due to acute myocardial infarction: time-dependent ROC curve

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Karaismailoğlu, Eda; Dikmen, Zeliha Günnur; Akbıyık, Filiz; Karaağaoğlu, Ahmet Ergun

2018-04-30

Background/aim: Myoglobin, cardiac troponin T, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB) are frequently used biomarkers for evaluating risk of patients admitted to an emergency department with chest pain. Recently, time- dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis has been used to evaluate the predictive power of biomarkers where disease status can change over time. We aimed to determine the best set of biomarkers that estimate cardiac death during follow-up time. We also obtained optimal cut-off values of these biomarkers, which differentiates between patients with and without risk of death. A web tool was developed to estimate time intervals in risk. Materials and methods: A total of 410 patients admitted to the emergency department with chest pain and shortness of breath were included. Cox regression analysis was used to determine an optimal set of biomarkers that can be used for estimating cardiac death and to combine the significant biomarkers. Time-dependent ROC analysis was performed for evaluating performances of significant biomarkers and a combined biomarker during 240 h. The bootstrap method was used to compare statistical significance and the Youden index was used to determine optimal cut-off values. Results : Myoglobin and BNP were significant by multivariate Cox regression analysis. Areas under the time-dependent ROC curves of myoglobin and BNP were about 0.80 during 240 h, and that of the combined biomarker (myoglobin + BNP) increased to 0.90 during the first 180 h. Conclusion: Although myoglobin is not clinically specific to a cardiac event, in our study both myoglobin and BNP were found to be statistically significant for estimating cardiac death. Using this combined biomarker may increase the power of prediction. Our web tool can be useful for evaluating the risk status of new patients and helping clinicians in making decisions.

Etiology of Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Death in US Competitive Athletes: A 2-Year Prospective Surveillance Study.

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Peterson, Danielle F; Siebert, David M; Kucera, Kristen L; Thomas, Leah Cox; Maleszewski, Joseph J; Lopez-Anderson, Martha; Suchsland, Monica Z; Harmon, Kimberly G; Drezner, Jonathan A

2018-04-09

To determine the etiology of sudden cardiac arrest and death (SCA/D) in competitive athletes through a prospective national surveillance program. Sudden cardiac arrest and death cases in middle school, high school, college, and professional athletes were identified from July 2014 to June 2016 through traditional and social media searches, reporting to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, communication with state and national high school associations, review of the Parent Heart Watch database, and search of student-athlete deaths on the NCAA Resolutions List. Autopsy reports and medical records were reviewed by a multidisciplinary panel to determine the underlying cause. US competitive athletes with SCA/D. Etiology of SCA/D. A total of 179 cases of SCA/D were identified (74 arrests with survival, 105 deaths): average age 16.6 years (range 11-29), 149 (83.2%) men, 94 (52.5%) whites, and 54 (30.2%) African American. One hundred seventeen (65.4%) had an adjudicated diagnosis, including 83 deaths and 34 survivors. The most common etiologies included hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (19, 16.2%), coronary artery anomalies (16, 13.7%), idiopathic left ventricular hypertrophy/possible cardiomyopathy (13, 11.1%), autopsy-negative sudden unexplained death (8, 6.8%), Wolff-Parkinson-White (8, 6.8%), and long QT syndrome (7, 6.0%). Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was more common in male basketball (23.3%), football (25%), and African American athletes (30.3%). An estimated 56.4% of cases would likely demonstrate abnormalities on an electrocardiogram. The etiology of SCA/D in competitive athletes involves a wide range of clinical disorders. More robust reporting mechanisms, standardized autopsy protocols, and accurate etiology data are needed to better inform prevention strategies.

Cardiac asystole following cannabis (marijuana) usage--additional mechanism for sudden death?

Science.gov (United States)

Menahem, Samuel

2013-12-10

A 21 year old university student previously operated during infancy for an unobstructed total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage with an excellent result, was noted on a routine follow up 24 h Holter monitor to have multiple pauses related to cardiac asystole, the longest lasting 5.8 s and temporally related to marijuana inhalation. A repeat Holter was normal following a two week cessation of marijuana usage and again when carried out 3 months later. The documented periods of asystole may be a precursor of sudden death seen in addicts even without evidence of ischaemic heart disease. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sport and sudden death in children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. M. Makarov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents data on contemporary views of the prevalence, causes, circumstances of sudden cardiac death, and its prevention measures in children and adolescents during sports activity. It notes a difficulty in defining the epidemiology of the above condition because the data are primarily based upon mass media news coverage. The incidence of sudden cardiac death is approximately 1 per 100,000 young athletes; more than 90% boys die. The sports, during which sudden cardiac death often occurs, include (both American and European football, basketball, and hockey. Sudden cardiac death due to cоmmоtio cordis (life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias resulting from a blow with a blunt instrument to the area of the heart during the vulnerable phase of the cardiac cycle is considered separately. Children who die suddenly during sports are frequently detected to have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or myocarditis; but no changes are found in more than 50% of cases at autopsy, which is suggestive of primary arrhythmogenic death. The basis for prevention is the early detection of diseases that can cause sudden death during sports, regular examination, knowledge of ECG characteristics in athletes, and first aid techniques, including the use of automated external defibrillators.

QT prolongation and sudden cardiac death risk in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Salma I; Ackerman, Michael J; Shamoun, Fadi E; Geske, Jeffrey B; Ommen, Steve R; Love, William T; Cha, Stephen S; Bos, Johan M; Lester, Steven J

2018-03-07

Risk assessment for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remains complex. The goal of this study was to assess electrocardiogram (ECG)-derived risk factors on SCD in a large HCM population Methods: Retrospective review of adults with HCM evaluated at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN from 1 December 2002 to 31 December 2012 was performed. Data inclusive of ECG and 24-hour ambulatory Holter monitor were assessed. SCD events were documented by ventricular fibrillation (VF) noted on implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), or appropriate VT or VF-terminating ICD shock. Overall, 1615 patients (mean age 53.7 ± 15.2 years; 943 males, 58.4%) were assessed, with mean follow-up 2.46 years and 110 SCD events. Via logistic regression (n = 820), the odds of SCD increased with increasing number of conventional risk factors. With one risk factor the OR was 4.88 (p  450 to this logistic regression model had OR 1.722 (p = .04, CI 1.01-2.937) to predict SCD. QTc ≥ 450 was a significant predictor for death (HR 1.88, p = .021, CI 1.10-3.20). There was no correlation between sinus bradycardia, sinus tachycardia, first degree AV block, atrial fibrillation, left bundle branch block, right bundle branch block, premature atrial complexes, premature ventricular complexes, supraventricular tachycardia, PR interval, QRS interval and SCD. Prolonged QTc was a risk factor for SCD and death even when controlling for typical risk factors.

Sudden cardiac death in hemodialysis patients: an in-depth review.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Darren; Roberts, Paul R; New, David I; Kalra, Philip A

2011-06-01

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the leading cause of death in hemodialysis patients, accounting for death in up to one-quarter of this population. Unlike in the general population, coronary artery disease and heart failure often are not the underlying pathologic processes for SCD; accordingly, current risk stratification tools are inadequate when assessing these patients. Factors assuming greater importance in hemodialysis patients may include left ventricular hypertrophy, electrolyte shift, and vascular calcification. Knowledge regarding SCD in hemodialysis patients is insufficient, in part reflecting the lack of an agreed-on definition of SCD in this population, although epidemiologic studies suggest the most common times for SCD to occur are toward the end of the long 72-hour weekend interval between dialysis sessions and in the 12 hours immediately after hemodialysis. Accordingly, it is hypothesized that the dialysis procedure itself may have important implications for SCD. Supporting this is recognition that hemodialysis is associated with both ventricular arrhythmias and dynamic electrocardiographic changes. Importantly, echocardiography and electrocardiography may show changes that are modifiable by alterations to dialysis prescription. The most effective preventative strategy in the general population, implanted cardioverter-defibrillator devices, are less effective in the presence of chronic kidney disease and have not been studied adequately in dialysis patients. Last, many dialysis patients experience SCD despite not fulfilling current criteria for implantation, making appropriate allocation of defibrillators uncertain. Copyright © 2011 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparing Outcomes of Donation After Cardiac Death Versus Donation After Brain Death in Liver Transplant Recipients with Hepatitis C: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malcolm Wells

2014-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation (LT using organs donated after cardiac death (DCD is increasing due, in large part, to a shortage of organs. The outcome of using DCD organs in recipients with hepatits C virus (HCV infection remains unclear due to the limited experience and number of publications addressing this issue.

Pseudonormal and restrictive filling patterns predict left ventricular dilation and cardiac death after a first myocardial infarction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, J E; Søndergaard, E; Poulsen, S H

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess the prognostic value of left ventricular (LV) filling patterns, as determined by mitral E-wave deceleration time (DT) and color M-mode flow propagation velocity (Vp), on cardiac death and serial changes in LV volumes after a first myocardial infarction (MI). BACKGR...

Cardiac troponin-I on diagnosis predicts early death and refractoriness in acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Experience of the French Thrombotic Microangiopathies Reference Center.

Science.gov (United States)

Benhamou, Y; Boelle, P-Y; Baudin, B; Ederhy, S; Gras, J; Galicier, L; Azoulay, E; Provôt, F; Maury, E; Pène, F; Mira, J-P; Wynckel, A; Presne, C; Poullin, P; Halimi, J-M; Delmas, Y; Kanouni, T; Seguin, A; Mousson, C; Servais, A; Bordessoule, D; Perez, P; Hamidou, M; Cohen, A; Veyradier, A; Coppo, P

2015-02-01

Cardiac involvement is a major cause of mortality in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). However, diagnosis remains underestimated and delayed, owing to subclinical injuries. Cardiac troponin-I measurement (cTnI) on admission could improve the early diagnosis of cardiac involvement and have prognostic value. To assess the predictive value of cTnI in patients with TTP for death or refractoriness. The study involved a prospective cohort of adult TTP patients with acquired severe ADAMTS-13 deficiency ( 0.1 μg L(-1) ) was present in 78 patients (59%), of whom 46 (59%) had no clinical cardiac involvement. The main outcomes were death (25%) and refractoriness (17%). Age (P = 0.02) and cTnI level (P = 0.002) showed the greatest impact on survival. A cTnI level of > 0.25 μg L(-1) was the only independent factor in predicting death (odds ratio [OR] 2.87; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-7.22; P = 0.024) and/or refractoriness (OR 3.03; 95% CI 1.27-7.3; P = 0.01). A CTnI level of > 0.25 μg L(-1) at presentation in patients with TTP appears to be an independent factor associated with a three-fold increase in the risk of death or refractoriness. Therefore, cTnI level should be considered as a prognostic indicator in patients diagnosed with TTP. © 2014 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

Protocolo gerenciado de tratamento do potencial doador falecido reduz incidência de parada cardíaca antes do explante dos órgãos A managed protocol for treatment of deceased potential donors reduces the incidence of cardiac arrest before organ explant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glauco Adrieno Westphal

2012-12-01

death confirmatory test and end of the process, adherence to bundles of maintenance care essential measures, losses due to cardiac arrest, family refusal, contraindications, and the conversion rate of potential into actual donors. Student's t- and chi-square tests were used, and p-value < 0.05 was considered to be significant. RESULTS: A total of 42 potential donors were identified (18 in Phase 1 and 24 in Phase 2. The time interval between the first clinical assessment and the recovery decreased in Phase 2 (Phase 1: 35.0±15.5 hours versus Phase 2: 24.6±6.2 hours; p = 0.023. Adherence increased to 10 out of the 19 essential items of maintenance care, and losses due to cardiac arrest also decreased in Phase 2 (Phase 1: 27.8 versus 0% in Phase 2; p = 0.006, while the convertion rate increased (Phase 1: 44.4 versus 75% in Phase 2; p = 0.044. The losses due to family refusal and medical contraindication did not vary. CONCLUSION: The adoption of a managed protocol focused on the application of essential measures for the care of potential deceased donors might reduce the loss of potential donors due to cardiac arrest.

Circadian variation in unexpected postoperative death

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosenberg, J; Pedersen, M H; Ramsing, T

1992-01-01

Unexpected deaths still occur following major surgical procedures. The cause is often unknown but may be cardiac or thromboembolic in nature. Postoperative ischaemia, infarction and sudden cardiac death may be triggered by episodic or constant arterial hypoxaemia, which increases during the night...... deaths occurred at night-time. These results suggest a need for further studies of sleep- and respiration-related effects on postoperative nocturnal cardiac function. The efficacy of monitoring during this apparent high-risk period should be evaluated....

Higher refusal rates for organ donation among older potential donors in the Netherlands: impact of the donor register and relatives.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leiden, H.A. van; Jansen, N.E.; Haase-Kromwijk, B.J.; Hoitsma, A.J.

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: The availability of donor organs is considerably reduced by relatives refusing donation after death. There is no previous large-scale evaluation of the influence of the Donor Register (DR) consultation and the potential donor's age on this refusal in The Netherlands. METHODS: This study

Genetic investigations of sudden unexpected deaths in infancy using next-generation sequencing of 100 genes associated with cardiac diseases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertz, Christin Loeth; Christiansen, Sofie Lindgren; Larsen, Maiken Kudahl

2016-01-01

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the most frequent manner of post-perinatal death among infants. One of the suggested causes of the syndrome is inherited cardiac diseases, mainly channelopathies, that can trigger arrhythmias and sudden death. The purpose of this study was to investigate cases...... frequency, in one or more of the genes screened. The possible effects of the variants were not verified with family or functional studies. Eight (17%) of the SUDI cases had variants in genes affecting ion channel functions. The remaining eight cases had variants in genes associated with cardiomyopathies...

Utility of the exercise electrocardiogram testing in sudden cardiac death risk stratification.

Science.gov (United States)

Refaat, Marwan M; Hotait, Mostafa; Tseng, Zian H

2014-07-01

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains a major public health problem. Current established criteria identifying those at risk of sudden arrhythmic death, and likely to benefit from implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), are neither sensitive nor specific. Exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) testing was traditionally used for information concerning patients' symptoms, exercise capacity, cardiovascular function, myocardial ischemia detection, and hemodynamic responses during activity in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We conducted a systematic review of MEDLINE on the utility of exercise ECG testing in SCD risk stratification. Exercise testing can unmask suspected primary electrical diseases in certain patients (catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia or concealed long QT syndrome) and can be effectively utilized to risk stratify patients at an increased (such as early repolarization syndrome and Brugada syndrome) or decreased risk of SCD, such as the loss of preexcitation on exercise testing in asymptomatic Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Exercise ECG testing helps in SCD risk stratification in patients with and without arrhythmogenic hereditary syndromes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Early Echocardiographic Deformation Analysis for the Prediction of Sudden Cardiac Death and Life-Threatening Arrhythmias After Myocardial Infarction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ersbøll, Mads; Valeur, Nana; Andersen, Mads Jønsson

2013-01-01

This study sought to hypothesize that global longitudinal strain (GLS) as a measure of infarct size, and mechanical dispersion (MD) as a measure of myocardial deformation heterogeneity, would be of incremental importance for the prediction of sudden cardiac death (SCD) or malignant ventricular...

Incidence and distribution of transplantable organs from donors after circulatory determination of death in U.S. intensive care units.

Science.gov (United States)

Halpern, Scott D; Hasz, Richard D; Abt, Peter L

2013-04-01

All U.S. acute care hospitals must maintain protocols for recovering organs from donors after circulatory determination of death (DCDD), but the numbers, types, and whereabouts of available organs are unknown. To assess the maximal potential supply and distribution of DCDD organs in U.S. intensive care units. We conducted a population-based cohort study among a randomly selected sample of 50 acute care hospitals in the highest-volume donor service area in the United States. We identified all potentially eligible donors dying within 90 minutes of the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. Using prespecified criteria, potential donors were categorized as optimal, suboptimal, or ineligible to donate their lungs, kidneys, pancreas, or liver. If only optimal DCDD organs were used, the deceased donor supplies of these organs could increase by up to 22.7, 8.9, 7.4, and 3.3%, respectively. If optimal and suboptimal DCDD organs were used, the corresponding supply increases could be up to 50.0, 19.7, 18.5, and 10.9%. Three-quarters of DCDD organs could be recovered from the 17.2% of hospitals with the highest annual donor volumes-typically those with trauma centers and more than 20 intensive care unit beds. Universal identification and referral of DCDD could increase the supply of transplantable lungs by up to one-half, and would not increase any other organ supply by more than one-fifth. The marked clustering of DCDD among a small number of identifiable hospitals could guide targeted interventions to improve DCDD identification, referral, and management.

Expanding the donor lung pool: how many donations after circulatory death organs are we missing?

Science.gov (United States)

Chancellor, William Zachary; Charles, Eric J; Mehaffey, James Hunter; Hawkins, Robert B; Foster, Carrie A; Sharma, Ashish K; Laubach, Victor E; Kron, Irving L; Tribble, Curtis G

2018-03-01

The number of patients with end-stage pulmonary disease awaiting lung transplantation is at an all-time high, while the supply of available organs remains stagnant. Utilizing donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors may help to address the supply-demand mismatch. The objective of this study is to determine the potential donor pool expansion with increased procurement of DCD organs from patients who die at hospitals. The charts of all patients who died at a single, rural, quaternary-care institution between August 2014 and June 2015 were reviewed for lung transplant candidacy. Inclusion criteria were age 65 y (n = 497, 58%). Those without cancer totaled 778 (90.8%) and 512 (59%) did not have lung pathology. This leaves 85 patients qualifying for DCD lung donation (pediatric n = 10, young n = 75, and old n = 0). Potential donors were significantly more likely to have clear chest X-rays (24.3% versus 10.0%, P < 0.0001) and higher mean PaO2/FiO2 (342.1 versus 197.9, P < 0.0001) compared with ineligible patients. A significant number of DCD lungs are available every year from patients who die within hospitals. We estimate the use of suitable DCD lungs could potentially result in a significant increase in the number of lungs available for transplantation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Utility of heart rate turbulence and T-Wave alternans to assess risk for Re-admission and cardiac death in hospitalized heart failure patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Shinya; Yoshihisa, Akiomi; Sato, Yu; Sato, Takamasa; Kamioka, Masashi; Kaneshiro, Takashi; Oikawa, Masayoshi; Kobayashi, Atsushi; Suzuki, Hitoshi; Ishida, Takafumi; Takeishi, Yasuchika

2018-05-18

Heart failure (HF) patients have a higher risk of recurrent HF and cardiac death, and electrical remodeling is considered to be an important factor for HF progression. The present study aimed to validate the utility of electrocardiogram and Holter monitoring for the risk stratification of HF patients. Our study comprised 215 patients (144 males, mean age 62 years) who had been hospitalized due to acute decompensated HF. Electrocardiogram (QRS duration and QTc interval) and 24-hour Holter monitoring (heart rate variability, heart rate turbulence and T-wave alternans [TWA]) were performed in stable condition before discharge. The clinical characteristics and outcomes were then investigated. During a median follow-up period of 2.7 years, there were 83 (38.6%) cardiac events (re-hospitalization due to worsening HF [n = 51] or cardiac death [n = 32]). The patients with cardiac events had a lower turbulence slope (TS) and higher TWA compared to those without cardiac events (TS, 3.0±5.5 ms/RR vs. 5.3±5.6 ms/RR, P = 0.001; TWA, 66.1±19.6 μV vs. 54.7±15.1 μV, P < 0.001). Univariable analysis showed that TS, TWA, QRS duration, and QTc interval were associated with cardiac events (P = 0.004, P < 0.001, P = 0.037 and P = 0.024, respectively), while the multivariable analysis after the adjustment of multiple confounders showed that TS and TWA were independent predictive factors of cardiac events with a hazard ratio of 0.936 and 1.015 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.860-0.974, P = 0.006; and 95% CI: 1.003-1.027, p = 0.016), respectively. The measurement of TS and TWA is useful for assessing risk for re-hospitalization and cardiac death in HF patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Sports-related sudden cardiac death in a competitive and a noncompetitive athlete population aged 12 to 49 years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Risgaard, Bjarke; Winkel, Bo Gregers; Jabbari, Reza

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Preparticipation screening programs have been suggested to reduce the numbers of sports-related sudden cardiac deaths (SrSCD). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize all SrSCD aged 12-49 years and to address the difference in incidence rates between...

Projections in donor organs available for liver transplantation in the United States: 2014-2025.

Science.gov (United States)

Parikh, Neehar D; Hutton, David; Marrero, Wesley; Sanghani, Kunal; Xu, Yongcai; Lavieri, Mariel

2015-06-01

With the aging US population, demographic shifts, and obesity epidemic, there is potential for further exacerbation of the current liver donor shortage. We aimed to project the availability of liver grafts in the United States. We performed a secondary analysis of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database of all adult donors from 2000 to 2012 and calculated the total number of donors available and transplanted donor livers stratified by age, race, and body mass index (BMI) group per year. We used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention historical data to stratify the general population by age, sex, race, and BMI. We then used US population age and race projections provided by the US Census Bureau and the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service and made national and regional projections of available donors and donor liver utilization from 2014 to 2025. We performed sensitivity analyses and varied the rate of the rise in obesity, proportion of Hispanics, population growth, liver utilization rate, and donation after cardiac death (DCD) utilization. The projected adult population growth in the United States from 2014 to 2025 will be 7.1%. However, we project that there will be a 6.1% increase in the number of used liver grafts. There is marked regional heterogeneity in liver donor growth. Projections were significantly affected by changes in BMI, DCD utilization, and liver utilization rates but not by changes in the Hispanic proportion of the US population or changes in the overall population growth. Overall population growth will outpace the growth of available donor organs and thus potentially exacerbate the existing liver graft shortage. The projected growth in organs is highly heterogeneous across different United Network for Organ Sharing regions. Focused strategies to increase the liver donor pool are warranted. © 2015 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Pediatric Donation After Circulatory Determination of Death: A Scoping Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Matthew J; Hornby, Laura; Witteman, William; Shemie, Sam D

2016-03-01

Although pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death is increasing in frequency, there are no national or international donation after circulatory determination of death guidelines specific to pediatrics. This scoping review was performed to map the pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death literature, identify pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death knowledge gaps, and inform the development of national or regional pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death guidelines. Terms related to pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death were searched in Embase and MEDLINE, as well as the non-MEDLINE sources in PubMed from 1980 to May 2014. Seven thousand five hundred ninety-seven references were discovered and 85 retained for analysis. All references addressing pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death were considered. Exclusion criteria were articles that did not address pediatric patients, animal or laboratory studies, surgical techniques, and local pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death protocols. Narrative reviews and opinion articles were the most frequently discovered reference (25/85) and the few discovered studies were observational or qualitative and almost exclusively retrospective. Retained references were divided into themes and analyzed using qualitative methodology. The main discovered themes were 1) studies estimating the number of potential pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death donors and their impact on donation; 2) ethical issues in pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death; 3) physiology of the dying process after withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy; 4) cardiac pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death; and 5) neonatal pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death. Donor estimates suggest that pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death will

Sudden cardiac death

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hougen, H P; Valenzuela, Antonio Jesus Sanchez; Lachica, E

1992-01-01

case was inconclusive. After studying the circumstances of death, the number of discrepancies were reduced to 20, so that concordance was reached in 86% of all the cases. The results show that the combination of different methods leads to a diagnosis of myocardial infarction in far more cases than...

Machine Perfusion Versus Cold Storage for the Preservation of Kidneys Donated After Cardiac Death A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jochmans, Ina; Moers, Cyril; Smits, Jacqueline M.; Leuvenink, Henri G. D.; Treckmann, Juergen; Paul, Andreas; Rahmel, Axel; Squifflet, Jean-Paul; van Heurn, Ernest; Monbaliu, Diethard; Ploeg, Rutger J.; Pirenne, Jacques

2010-01-01

Objective: Hypothermic machine perfusion may improve outcome after transplantation of kidneys donated after cardiac death (DCD), but no sufficiently powered prospective studies have been reported. Because organ shortage has led to an increased use of DCD kidneys, we aimed to compare hypothermic

Presumed consent for organ preservation in uncontrolled donation after cardiac death in the United States: a public policy with serious consequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rady Mohamed Y

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Organ donation after cessation of circulation and respiration, both controlled and uncontrolled, has been proposed by the Institute of Medicine as a way to increase opportunities for organ procurement. Despite claims to the contrary, both forms of controlled and uncontrolled donation after cardiac death raise significant ethical and legal issues. Identified causes for concern include absence of agreement on criteria for the declaration of death, nonexistence of universal guidelines for duration before stopping resuscitation efforts and techniques, and assumption of presumed intent to donate for the purpose of initiating temporary organ-preservation interventions when no expressed consent to donate is present. From a legal point of view, not having scientifically valid criteria of cessation of circulation and respiration for declaring death could lead to a conclusion that organ procurement itself is the proximate cause of death. Although the revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 2006 provides broad immunity to those involved in organ-procurement activities, courts have yet to provide an opinion on whether persons can be held liable for injuries arising from the determination of death itself. Preserving organs in uncontrolled donation after cardiac death requires the administration of life-support systems such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. These life-support systems can lead to return of signs of life that, in turn, have to be deliberately suppressed by the administration of pharmacological agents. Finally, allowing temporary organ-preservation interventions without expressed consent is inherently a violation of the principle of respect for a person's autonomy. Proponents of organ donation from uncontrolled donation after cardiac death, on the other hand, claim that these nonconsensual interventions enhance respect for autonomy by allowing people, through surrogate decision making, to execute their right to donate organs

Presumed consent for organ preservation in uncontrolled donation after cardiac death in the United States: a public policy with serious consequences

Science.gov (United States)

Verheijde, Joseph L; Rady, Mohamed Y; McGregor, Joan

2009-01-01

Organ donation after cessation of circulation and respiration, both controlled and uncontrolled, has been proposed by the Institute of Medicine as a way to increase opportunities for organ procurement. Despite claims to the contrary, both forms of controlled and uncontrolled donation after cardiac death raise significant ethical and legal issues. Identified causes for concern include absence of agreement on criteria for the declaration of death, nonexistence of universal guidelines for duration before stopping resuscitation efforts and techniques, and assumption of presumed intent to donate for the purpose of initiating temporary organ-preservation interventions when no expressed consent to donate is present. From a legal point of view, not having scientifically valid criteria of cessation of circulation and respiration for declaring death could lead to a conclusion that organ procurement itself is the proximate cause of death. Although the revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 2006 provides broad immunity to those involved in organ-procurement activities, courts have yet to provide an opinion on whether persons can be held liable for injuries arising from the determination of death itself. Preserving organs in uncontrolled donation after cardiac death requires the administration of life-support systems such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. These life-support systems can lead to return of signs of life that, in turn, have to be deliberately suppressed by the administration of pharmacological agents. Finally, allowing temporary organ-preservation interventions without expressed consent is inherently a violation of the principle of respect for a person's autonomy. Proponents of organ donation from uncontrolled donation after cardiac death, on the other hand, claim that these nonconsensual interventions enhance respect for autonomy by allowing people, through surrogate decision making, to execute their right to donate organs. However, the lack of transparency

Signal Transduction Pathways Involved in Brain Death-Induced Renal Injury

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouma, H. R.; Ploeg, R. J.; Schuurs, T. A.

Kidneys derived from brain death organ donors show an inferior survival when compared to kidneys derived from living donors. Brain death is known to induce organ injury by evoking an inflammatory response in the donor. Neuronal injury triggers an inflammatory response in the brain, leading to

Causes of death in patients with chronic sarcoidosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xiaowen; Carmona, Eva M; Yi, Eunhee S; Pellikka, Patricia A; Ryu, Jay

2016-10-07

Sarcoidosis is a multi-system, granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology that is associated with a variable prognosis and sometimes results in death. There are conflicting reports regarding the causes of death in patients with sarcoidosis. Forty-four consecutive patients with sarcoidosis who underwent an autopsy (35 patients) or died at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN, USA) over a 20-yr period, from January 1, 1994 to December 31, 2013 were analyzed. The median age at death was 63 years (range, 33-94 years) and there were 22 (50%) women. Sarcoidosis had not been clinically diagnosed in 16 (36%) patients before death. Fifteen deaths (34%) were related to sarcoidosis and included seven deaths (16%) from cardiac sarcoidosis and four deaths (9%) from progressive pulmonary sarcoidosis. Other sarcoidosis-related causes of death included advanced hepatic sarcoidosis (5%) and opportunistic infections (5%) related to immunosuppressive therapy for treating sarcoidosis. Among seven patients dying from cardiac sarcoidosis, three had been diagnosed with sarcoidosis during life and cardiac involvement was known in two of them. Six of seven deaths from cardiac sarcoidosis occurred in the autopsied cohort while all four deaths from pulmonary sarcoidosis occurred in those not autopsied. In the majority of patients dying with sarcoidosis the cause of death is unrelated to sarcoidosis. Cardiac involvement is the most common cause of sarcoidosis-related deaths in patients subjected to postmortem examination and was usually undiagnosed during life. The cause distribution of death in patients with sarcoidosis differed depending on whether autopsy was performed.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells as Anti-Inflammatory and Regenerative Mediators for Donor Kidneys During Normothermic Machine Perfusion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sierra-Parraga, Jesus Maria; Eijken, Marco; Hunter, James; Moers, Cyril; Leuvenink, Henri; Moller, Bjarne; Ploeg, Rutger J.; Baan, Carla C.; Jespersen, Bente; Hoogduijn, Martin J.

2017-01-01

There is great demand for transplant kidneys for the treatment of end-stage kidney disease patients. To expand the donor pool, organs from older and comorbid brain death donors, so-called expanded criteria donors (ECD), as well as donation after circulatory death donors, are considered for

Blood donation and blood donor mortality after adjustment for a healthy donor effect

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ullum, Henrik; Rostgaard, Klaus; Kamper-Jørgensen, Mads

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that blood donors experience lower mortality than the general population. While this may suggest a beneficial effect of blood donation, it may also reflect the selection of healthy persons into the donor population. To overcome this bias, we...... investigated the relation between blood donation frequency and mortality within a large cohort of blood donors. In addition, our analyses also took into consideration the effects of presumed health differences linked to donation behavior. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Using the Scandinavian Donation...... and mortality. The magnitude of the association was reduced after adjustment for an estimate of self-selection in the donor population. Our observations indicate that repeated blood donation is not associated with premature death, but cannot be interpreted as conclusive evidence of a beneficial health effect....

Direct Cardiac Reprogramming: Advances in Cardiac Regeneration

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Olivia Chen

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Heart disease is one of the lead causes of death worldwide. Many forms of heart disease, including myocardial infarction and pressure-loading cardiomyopathies, result in irreversible cardiomyocyte death. Activated fibroblasts respond to cardiac injury by forming scar tissue, but ultimately this response fails to restore cardiac function. Unfortunately, the human heart has little regenerative ability and long-term outcomes following acute coronary events often include chronic and end-stage heart failure. Building upon years of research aimed at restoring functional cardiomyocytes, recent advances have been made in the direct reprogramming of fibroblasts toward a cardiomyocyte cell fate both in vitro and in vivo. Several experiments show functional improvements in mouse models of myocardial infarction following in situ generation of cardiomyocyte-like cells from endogenous fibroblasts. Though many of these studies are in an early stage, this nascent technology holds promise for future applications in regenerative medicine. In this review, we discuss the history, progress, methods, challenges, and future directions of direct cardiac reprogramming.

Improving the Outcomes of Organs Obtained From Controlled Donation After Circulatory Death Donors Using Abdominal Normothermic Regional Perfusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Miñambres, E; Suberviola, B; Dominguez-Gil, B; Rodrigo, E; Ruiz-San Millan, J C; Rodríguez-San Juan, J C; Ballesteros, M A

2017-08-01

The use of donation after circulatory death (DCD) has increased significantly during the past decade. However, warm ischemia results in a greater risk for transplantation. Indeed, controlled DCD (cDCD) was associated with inferior outcomes compared with donation after brain death. The use of abdominal normothermic regional perfusion (nRP) to restore blood flow before organ recovery in cDCD has been proposed as better than rapid recovery to reverse the effect of ischemia and improve recipients' outcome. Here, the first Spanish series using abdominal nRP as an in situ conditioning method is reported. A specific methodology to avoid restoring circulation to the brain after death determination is described. Twenty-seven cDCD donors underwent abdominal nRP during at least 60 min. Thirty-seven kidneys, 11 livers, six bilateral lungs, and one pancreas were transplanted. The 1-year death-censored kidney survival was 91%, and delayed graft function rate was 27%. The 1-year liver survival rate was 90.1% with no cases of ischemic cholangiopathy. Transplanted lungs and pancreas exhibited primary function. The use of nRP may represent an advance to increase the number and quality of grafts in cDCD. Poor results in cDCD livers could be reversed with nRP. Concerns about restoring brain circulation after death are easily solved. © 2017 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Role of inflammatory cells and adenosine in lung ischemia reoxygenation injury using a model of lung donation after cardiac death.

Science.gov (United States)

Smail, Hassiba; Baste, Jean-Marc; Gay, Arnaud; Begueret, Hugues; Noël, Romain; Morin, Jean-Paul; Litzler, Pierre-Yves

2016-04-01

The objective of this study is to analyze the role of inflammation in the lung ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury and determine the protective role of adenosine in an in vitro lung transplantation model. We used a hybrid model of lung donor after cardiac death, with warm ischemia in corpo of varying duration (2 h, 4 h) followed by in vitro lung slices culture for reoxygenation (1 h, 4 h and 24 h), in the presence or not of lymphocytes and of adenosine. To quantify the inflammatory lesions, we performed TNFα, IL2 assays, and histological analysis. In this model of a nonblood perfused system, the addition of lymphocytes during reoxygenation lead to higher rates of TNFα and IL2 after 4 h than after 2 h of warm ischemia (P < .05). These levels increased with the duration of reoxygenation and were maximum at 24 h (P < .05). In the presence of adenosine TNFα and IL2 decreased. After 2 h of warm ischemia, we observed a significant inflammatory infiltration, alveolar thickening and a necrosis of the bronchiolar cells. After 4 h of warm ischemia, alveolar cells necrosis was associated. This model showed that lymphocytes increased the inflammatory response and the histological lesions after 4 h of warm ischemia and that adenosine could have an anti-inflammatory role with potential reconditioning action when used in the pneumoplegia solution.

Human technology after cardiac epigenesis. Artificial heart versus cardiac transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Losman, J G

1977-09-24

Cardiovascular disease is the chief cause of death in technologically advanced countries and accounts for more than 50% of all deaths in the USA. For a patient with end-stage cardiac failure the only treatment presently available is organ replacement, either by transplantation or by the use of a mechanical heart. Transplantation has demonstrated its value: survival of more than 8 years and restoration of a normal quality of life to patients who were in end-stage cardiac decompensation. However, the prospect of routine clinical application of an artificial heart remains distant. The development of a totally implantable artificial heart still presents a series of challenging engineering problems with regard to strict constraints of size, weight, blood-material compatibility, adaptability of output to demand, efficiency and reliability of the power supply, and safety if nuclear fuel is used. The totally artificial heart is presently not an alternative to the cardiac allograft, but could provide short-term support for patients awaiting cardiac transplantation.

Deceased donor renal transplantation: A single center experience

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N Gopalakrishnan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Deceased donor renal transplantation (DDRT constitutes less than 5% of all kidney transplantats in India. A retrospective analysis of 173 deceased donor renal transplants performed in a public funded government hospital was done. Mean age of the recipients was 36 years (male:female ratio 2.4:1, and that of the donors was 32.3 years (male:female ratio 6:1. The cold ischemic time was 340 ± 170 minutes. Mean follow-up period was 36 months. Forty one patients died, 75% of them in the first post – transplant year. Sepsis and cardiovascular disease were the most common causes of death. Twenty two percent had acute rejection. There was no significant difference in the incidence in the rate of acute rejection, bacterial, fungal infections and death rate between the cohorts of induction and non induction immunosuppression. The patient and death censored graft survival at 1 year were 80 and 82.6% and at 5 years were 76 and 80% respectively.

Assessment of potential heart donors: A statement from the French heart transplant community.

Science.gov (United States)

Dorent, Richard; Gandjbakhch, Estelle; Goéminne, Céline; Ivanes, Fabrice; Sebbag, Laurent; Bauer, Fabrice; Epailly, Eric; Boissonnat, Pascale; Nubret, Karine; Amour, Julien; Vermes, Emmanuelle; Ou, Phalla; Guendouz, Soulef; Chevalier, Philippe; Lebreton, Guillaume; Flecher, Erwan; Obadia, Jean-François; Logeart, Damien; de Groote, Pascal

2018-02-01

Assessment of potential donors is an essential part of heart transplantation. Despite the shortage of donor hearts, donor heart procurement from brain-dead organ donors remains low in France, which may be explained by the increasing proportion of high-risk donors, as well as the mismatch between donor assessment and the transplant team's expectations. Improving donor and donor heart assessment is essential to improve the low utilization rate of available donor hearts without increasing post-transplant recipient mortality. This document provides information to practitioners involved in brain-dead donor management, evaluation and selection, concerning the place of medical history, electrocardiography, cardiac imaging, biomarkers and haemodynamic and arrhythmia assessment in the characterization of potential heart donors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Dynamic renal scintigraphic estimation of deceased donor kidneys in a rat model

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Huseyin Aydin Mitil

2017-01-01

Full Text Available At present a large number of the renal transplantations are being performed from the deceased donors. The success of these transplantations depends on the viability of the deceased donor kidneys. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of scintigraphic estimation of function of deceased donor kidneys by comparing the histopathologic and scintigraphic findings. Ten rats were included in the study (2–3 months old, 250–300 g, all male. Control scintigraphy was performed to all the rats by injection of 37 MBq Tc-99m DTPA from the tail vein in a dynamic manner. Brain death of the rats was achieved by inflation of a Fogartys catheter in the cranial cavity. Immediately, after brain death confirmation, dynamic renal scintigraphy was performed with the same parameters of control scintigraphy. In the comparison of scintigraphies obtained in the before and just after brain death period, there was impairment of tubular functions, concentration and excretion functions in the postbrain death period. In the immediate postbrain death period, there was a significant elevation in the glomerular filtration rate and time to maximum concentration values. In the histopathological evaluation of the kidney samples in the postbrain death period, there were definitive findings of tubular impairment. Dynamic renal scintigraphy also demonstrated definite impairment of tubular system and tubular functions in the deceased donor kidneys. This could explain the reason of the increased frequency of acute tubular necrosis seen among deceased donor kidneys.

Asymptomatic Ventricular Pre-excitation: Between Sudden Cardiac Death and Catheter Ablation.

Science.gov (United States)

Brugada, Josep; Keegan, Roberto

2018-03-01

Debate about the best clinical approach to the management of asymptomatic patients with ventricular pre-excitation and advice on whether or not to invasively stratify and ablate is on-going. Weak evidence about the real risk of sudden cardiac death and the potential benefit of catheter ablation has probably prevented the clarification of action in this not infrequent and sometimes conflicting clinical situation. After analysing all available data, real evidence-based medicine could be the alternative strategy for managing this group of patients. According to recent surveys, most electrophysiologists invasively stratify. Based on all accepted risk factors - younger age, male, associated structural heart disease, posteroseptal localisation, ability of the accessory pathway to conduct anterogradely at short intervals of ≤250 milliseconds and inducibility of sustained atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia and/or atrial fibrillation - a shared decisionmaking process on catheter ablation is proposed.

Cardiovascular causes of maternal sudden death. Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome is leading cause in UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Krexi, Dimitra; Sheppard, Mary N

2017-05-01

This study aims to determine the causes of sudden cardiac death during pregnancy and in the postpartum period and patients' characteristics. There are few studies in the literature. Eighty cases of sudden unexpected death due to cardiac causes in relation to pregnancy and postpartum period in a database of 4678 patients were found and examined macroscopically and microscopically. The mean age was 30±7 years with a range from 16 to 43 years. About 30% were 35 years old or older; 50% of deaths occurred during pregnancy and 50% during the postpartum period. About 59.18% were obese or overweight where body mass index data were available. The leading causes of death were sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) (53.75%) and cardiomyopathies (13.80%). Other causes include dissection of aorta or its branches (8.75%), congenital heart disease (2.50%) and valvular disease (3.75%). This study highlights sudden cardiac death in pregnancy or in the postpartum period, which is mainly due to SADS with underlying channelopathies and cardiomyopathy. We wish to raise awareness of these frequently under-recognised entities in maternal deaths and the need of cardiological screening of the family as a result of the diagnosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of a quality improvement project on deceased organ donor management

Science.gov (United States)

Olmos, Andrea; Feiner, John; Hirose, Ryutaro; Swain, Sharon; Blasi, Annabel; Roberts, John P.; Niemann, Claus U.

2017-01-01

Context Donors showed poor glucose control in the period between declaration of brain death and organ recovery. The level of hyperglycemia in the donors was associated with a decline in terminal renal function. Objective To determine whether implementation of a quality improvement project improved glucose control and preserved renal function in deceased organ donors. Methods Data collected retrospectively included demographics, medical history, mechanism of death, laboratory values, and data from the United Network for Organ Sharing. Results After implementation of the quality improvement project, deceased donors had significantly lower mean glucose concentrations (mean [SD], 162 [44] vs 212 [42] mg/dL; P donor cohorts from before and after the quality improvement project were analyzed together, mean glucose concentration remained a significant predictor of terminal creatinine level (P donors indicated that higher terminal creatinine level was associated with delayed graft function in recipients (P donor glucose homeostasis, and the data confirm that poor glucose homeostasis is associated with worsening terminal renal function. PMID:26645930

MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE AND SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH: WHO IS IN THE RISK GROUP?

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O. E. Shirobokikh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Mitral valve prolapse (MVP is a congenital heart disease, fairly widespread in the population (2-8%. It rarely has complications, but they are serious and include sudden cardiac death (SCD, risk of which rises twofold from 0.2-0.4% cases by MVP. Most deaths are observed among young healthy women. This work is a review of literature dedicated to connection between MVP and SCD designed to explore possible predicts of SCD within patients suffering from MVP and to determine the subset of patients. A conclusion has been made that the connection between MVP and SCD is realized through life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias (VT, VF. The most common site of arrhythmias origin is the inferobasal left ventricular wall. A high-risk subset of patients is determined as young adult women with a midsystolic click at auscultation, bileaflet involvement of the mitral valve, T-wave abnormalities on inferior leads (II, III, aVF and frequent complex ventricular ectopic activity. Such patients require more intensive disease management of ventricular arrhythmias including consideration of surgical treatment.

Discrete event simulation model of sudden cardiac death predicts high impact of preventive interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Andreev, Victor P; Head, Trajen; Johnson, Neil; Deo, Sapna K; Daunert, Sylvia; Goldschmidt-Clermont, Pascal J

2013-01-01

Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) is responsible for at least 180,000 deaths a year and incurs an average cost of $286 billion annually in the United States alone. Herein, we present a novel discrete event simulation model of SCD, which quantifies the chains of events associated with the formation, growth, and rupture of atheroma plaques, and the subsequent formation of clots, thrombosis and on-set of arrhythmias within a population. The predictions generated by the model are in good agreement both with results obtained from pathological examinations on the frequencies of three major types of atheroma, and with epidemiological data on the prevalence and risk of SCD. These model predictions allow for identification of interventions and importantly for the optimal time of intervention leading to high potential impact on SCD risk reduction (up to 8-fold reduction in the number of SCDs in the population) as well as the increase in life expectancy.

Cardiac tamponade: contrast reflux as an indicator of cardiac chamber equalization

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Nauta Foeke Jacob

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Traumatic hemopericardium remains a rare entity; it does however commonly cause cardiac tamponade which remains a major cause of death in traumatic blunt cardiac injury. Objectives We present a case of blunt chest trauma complicated by cardiac tamponade causing cardiac chamber equalization revealed by reflux of contrast. Case report A 29-year-old unidentified male suffered blunt chest trauma in a motor vehicle collision. Computed tomography (CT demonstrated a periaortic hematoma and hemopericardium. Significant contrast reflux was seen in the inferior vena cava and hepatic veins suggesting a change in cardiac chamber pressures. After intensive treatment including cardiac massage this patient expired of cardiac arrest. Conclusion Reflux of contrast on CT imaging can be an indicator of traumatic cardiac tamponade.

Stem cell death and survival in heart regeneration and repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelwahid, Eltyeb; Kalvelyte, Audrone; Stulpinas, Aurimas; de Carvalho, Katherine Athayde Teixeira; Guarita-Souza, Luiz Cesar; Foldes, Gabor

2016-03-01

Cardiovascular diseases are major causes of mortality and morbidity. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis disrupts cardiac function and leads to cardiac decompensation and terminal heart failure. Delineating the regulatory signaling pathways that orchestrate cell survival in the heart has significant therapeutic implications. Cardiac tissue has limited capacity to regenerate and repair. Stem cell therapy is a successful approach for repairing and regenerating ischemic cardiac tissue; however, transplanted cells display very high death percentage, a problem that affects success of tissue regeneration. Stem cells display multipotency or pluripotency and undergo self-renewal, however these events are negatively influenced by upregulation of cell death machinery that induces the significant decrease in survival and differentiation signals upon cardiovascular injury. While efforts to identify cell types and molecular pathways that promote cardiac tissue regeneration have been productive, studies that focus on blocking the extensive cell death after transplantation are limited. The control of cell death includes multiple networks rather than one crucial pathway, which underlies the challenge of identifying the interaction between various cellular and biochemical components. This review is aimed at exploiting the molecular mechanisms by which stem cells resist death signals to develop into mature and healthy cardiac cells. Specifically, we focus on a number of factors that control death and survival of stem cells upon transplantation and ultimately affect cardiac regeneration. We also discuss potential survival enhancing strategies and how they could be meaningful in the design of targeted therapies that improve cardiac function.

BNP predicts chemotherapy-related cardiotoxicity and death

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skovgaard, Dorthe; Hasbak, Philip; Kjaer, Andreas

2014-01-01

ventriculography (MUGA) or echocardiography. However, the plasma cardiac biomarker B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been suggested for early identification of cardiac dysfunction. The aim of the study was to compare LVEF obtained by MUGA and plasma BNP as predictors of developing congestive heart failure (CHF...... death. In multivariate Cox analysis both BNP and LVEF were independent predictors of CHF while age remained the only independent predictor of overall death. CONCLUSION: In cancer patients treated with cardiotoxic chemotherapy both BNP and LVEF can significantly predict subsequent hospitalization...... with CHF. In addition, BNP and not LVEF has a prognostic value in detecting overall death. This prospective study based on the hitherto largest study population supports BNP as a clinical relevant method for monitoring chemotherapy-related cardiac failure and death....

Effect of ultraviolet-B-irradiated donor-specific blood transfusions and peritransplant immunosuppression with cyclosporine on rat cardiac allograft survival

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oluwole, S.F.; Lau, H.T.; Reemtsma, K.; Hardy, M.A.

1988-01-01

We have previously demonstrated that pretreatment of ACI recipients with ultraviolet-irradiated donor-specific blood transfusion (UV-DST) leads to permanent cardiac allograft survival without further host immunosuppression (ACI rats are weak responders to Lewis lymphocytes in mixed-lymphocyte reaction). This study examines the effect of UV-DST and the timing of transfusions on ACI cardiac allograft survival in Lewis recipients with and without the addition of peritransplant cyclosporine (CsA) (20 mg/kg i.m.) given on days 0, +1, and +2 in relation to the time of transplantation. The mean survival time (MST) of ACI cardiac allografts in Lewis recipients was significantly increased to 33.6 +/- 5.7 days (P less than 0.001) by CsA treatment alone as compared to 6.5 +/- 0.5 days survival in control. When DST was given on day -3 combined with CsA, graft survival was increased to 42.0 +/- 9.3 days (P less than 0.01), as compared to 5.8 +/- 1.3 days when DST alone was used. When DST was irradiated with ultraviolet B (UV-DST) and administered on day -3 combined with peritransplant CsA, the MST was increased to 68.83 +/- 16.1 days as compared to an MST of 10.0 +/- 1.0 days in controls treated with UV-DST alone. When UV-DST was given on day -7 and combined with peritransplant CsA immunosuppression, the results were similar. However, when UV-DST was peritransplant CsA course, 4 of 6 recipients maintained their ACI heart allografts indefinitely (greater than 300 days) in contrast to the effect of UV-DST alone (MST of 13.5 days). Third-party (W/F) UV-irradiated blood transfusions were ineffective in prolonging ACI cardiac allografts in Lewis rats, regardless of whether the transfusions were given alone or in combination with peritransplant immunosuppression with CsA

Asymptomatic Ventricular Pre-excitation: Between Sudden Cardiac Death and Catheter Ablation

Science.gov (United States)

Brugada, Josep

2018-01-01

Debate about the best clinical approach to the management of asymptomatic patients with ventricular pre-excitation and advice on whether or not to invasively stratify and ablate is on-going. Weak evidence about the real risk of sudden cardiac death and the potential benefit of catheter ablation has probably prevented the clarification of action in this not infrequent and sometimes conflicting clinical situation. After analysing all available data, real evidence-based medicine could be the alternative strategy for managing this group of patients. According to recent surveys, most electrophysiologists invasively stratify. Based on all accepted risk factors – younger age, male, associated structural heart disease, posteroseptal localisation, ability of the accessory pathway to conduct anterogradely at short intervals of ≤250 milliseconds and inducibility of sustained atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia and/or atrial fibrillation – a shared decisionmaking process on catheter ablation is proposed. PMID:29636970

Deceased donor skin allograft banking: Response and utilization

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Gore Madhuri

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Background: In the absence of xenograft and biosynthetic skin substitutes, deceased donor skin allografts is a feasible option for saving life of patient with extensive burn injury in our country. Aims: The first deceased donor skin allograft bank in India became functional at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal (LTM medical college and hospital on 24 th April 2000. The response of Indian society to this new concept of skin donation after death and the pattern of utilization of banked allografts from 2000 to 2010 has been presented in this study. Settings and Design: This allograft skin bank was established by the department of surgery. The departments of surgery and microbiology share the responsibility of smooth functioning of the bank. Materials and Methods: The response in terms of number of donations and the profile of donors was analyzed from records. Pattern and outcome of allograft utilization was studied from specially designed forms. Results: During these ten years, 262 deceased donor skin allograft donations were received. The response showed significant improvement after counselling was extended to the community. Majority of the donors were above 70 years of age and procurement was done at home for most. Skin allografts from 249 donors were used for 165 patients in ten years. The outcome was encouraging with seven deaths in 151 recipients with burn injuries. Conclusions: Our experience shows that the Indian society is ready to accept the concept of skin donation after death. Use of skin allografts is life saving for large burns. We need to prepare guidelines for the establishment of more skin banks in the country.

A Unique Case of Cardiac Arrest following K2 Abuse

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Saif Ibrahim

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Sudden cardiac death (SCD accounts for up to 450,000 deaths every year in the United States (Zipes et al. (2006. Most cases of sudden cardiac death occur in subjects with no prior history of heart disease (Myerburg et al. (1998. The incidence of sudden death in a general population has been shown to increase contemporaneously with substance abuse (Phillips et al. (1999. The causative association of sudden death with cocaine, methadone, and volatile agents is well established (Adgey et al. (1995 and Isner et al. (1986. We describe a case of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest temporally related to abuse of the synthetic cannabinoid street drug known as K2. To our knowledge, there are no previously documented cases of sudden cardiac death associated with synthetic cannabinoids although they have been linked to myocardial infarction in teenagers despite normal coronary angiography (Mir et al. (2011.

Prognostic factors for death and survival with or without complications in cardiac arrest patients receiving CPR within 24 hours of anesthesia for emergency surgery

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Siriphuwanun V

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Visith Siriphuwanun,1 Yodying Punjasawadwong,1 Worawut Lapisatepun,1 Somrat Charuluxananan,2 Ketchada Uerpairojkit2 1Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand Purpose: To determine prognostic factors for death and survival with or without complications in cardiac arrest patients who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR within 24 hours of receiving anesthesia for emergency surgery. Patients and methods: A retrospective cohort study approved by the Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai University Hospital Ethical Committee. Data used were taken from records of 751 cardiac arrest patients who received their first CPR within 24 hours of anesthesia for emergency surgery between January 1, 2003 and October 31, 2011. The reviewed data included patient characteristics, surgical procedures, American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA physical status classification, anesthesia information, the timing of cardiac arrest, CPR details, and outcomes at 24 hours after CPR. Univariate and polytomous logistic regression analyses were used to determine prognostic factors associated with the outcome variable. P-values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The outcomes at 24 hours were death (638/751, 85.0%, survival with complications (73/751, 9.7%, and survival without complications (40/751, 5.3%. The prognostic factors associated with death were: age between 13–34 years (OR =3.08, 95% CI =1.03–9.19; ASA physical status three and higher (OR =6.60, 95% CI =2.17–20.13; precardiopulmonary comorbidity (OR =3.28, 95% CI =1.09–9.90; the condition of patients who were on mechanical ventilation prior to receiving anesthesia (OR =4.11, 95% CI =1.17–14.38; surgery in the upper abdominal site (OR =14.64, 95% CI =2.83–75.82; shock prior to cardiac arrest (OR =6.24, 95% CI =2.53–15

Influence of postmortem time on the outcome of blood cultures among cadaveric tissue donors.

Science.gov (United States)

Saegeman, V; Verhaegen, J; Lismont, D; Verduyckt, B; De Rijdt, T; Ectors, N

2009-02-01

Tissue banks provide tissues of human cadaver donors for transplantation. The maximal time limit for tissue retrieval has been set at 24 h postmortem. This study aimed at evaluating the evidence for this limit from a microbiological point of view. The delay of growth in postmortem blood cultures, the identification of the species isolated and clinical/environmental factors were investigated among 100 potential tissue donors. No significant difference was found in the rate of donors with grown blood cultures within (25/65=38%) compared with after (24/65=37%) 24 h of death. Coagulase-negative staphylococci and gastro-intestinal microorganisms were isolated within and after 24 h of death. Two factors--antimicrobial therapy and "delay before body cooling"--were significantly inversely related with donors' blood culture results. From a microbiological point of view, there is no evidence for avoiding tissue retrieval among donors after 24 h of death.

Ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death in Fabry disease: a systematic review of risk factors in clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Baig, Shanat; Edward, Nicky C; Kotecha, Dipak; Liu, Boyang; Nordin, Sabrina; Kozor, Rebecca; Moon, James C; Geberhiwot, Tarekegn; Steeds, Richard P

2017-10-17

Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficiency of α-galactosidase A enzyme. Cardiovascular (CV) disease is a common cause of mortality in FD, in particular as a result of heart failure and arrhythmia, with a significant proportion of events categorized as sudden. There are no clear models for risk prediction in FD. This systematic review aims to identify the risk factors for ventricular arrhythmia (VA) and sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) in FD. A systematic search was performed following PRISMA guidelines of EMBASE, Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane from inception to August 2016, focusing on identification of risk factors for the development of VA or SCD. Thirteen studies were included in the review (n = 4185 patients) from 1189 articles, with follow-up of 1.2-10 years. Weighted average age was 37.6 years, and 50% were male. Death from any cause was reported in 8.3%. Of these, 75% was due to CV problems, with the majority being SCD events (62% of reported deaths). Ventricular tachycardia was reported in 7 studies, with an average prevalence of 15.3%. Risk factors associated with SCD events were age, male gender, left ventricular hypertrophy, late gadolinium enhancement on CV magnetic resonance imaging, and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. Although a multi-system disease, FD is a predominantly cardiac disease from a mortality perspective, with death mainly from SCD events. Limited evidence highlights the importance of clinical and imaging risk factors that could contribute to improved decision-making in the management of FD. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2017. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Left Ventricular Aneurysm: Sudden Unexpected Deaths in a 29-Year-Old Man.

Science.gov (United States)

Srettabunjong, Supawon

2018-05-01

Left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) is an abnormal dilated heart structure, either congenital or acquired. LVA is a rare cardiac condition with no symptoms in most cases, thus occasionally diagnosed during investigations of other diseases. Its association with certain cardiac complications and sudden cardiac deaths has been reported. However, its role as a cause of sudden unexpected death is rare. The author reported a sudden cardiac death in a 29-year-old man with LVA. Without a significant coronary artery disease and known etiologies of LVA, such an abnormal heart structure in the present case was considered congenital LVA. As no other possible mechanisms of death could be identified other than LVA with its associated pathologic lesions, mural thrombi, and dilated cardiomegaly, his death was attributable to fatal cardiac arrhythmia (most commonly ventricular tachycardia) secondary to LVA. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Transfer of residents to hospital prior to cardiac death: the influence of nursing home quality and ownership type.

Science.gov (United States)

Anic, Gabriella M; Pathak, Elizabeth Barnett; Tanner, Jean Paul; Casper, Michele L; Branch, Laurence G

2014-01-01

We hypothesised that among nursing home decedents, nursing home for-profit status and poor quality-of-care ratings, as well as patient characteristics, would lower the likelihood of transfer to hospital prior to heart disease death. Using death certificates from a large metropolitan area (Tampa Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area) for 1998-2002, we geocoded residential street addresses of heart disease decedents to identify 2172 persons who resided in nursing homes (n=131) at the time of death. We analysed decedent place of death as an indicator of transfer prior to death. Multilevel logistic regression modelling was used for analysis. Cause of death and decedent characteristics were obtained from death certificates. Nursing home characteristics, including state inspector ratings for multiple time points, were obtained from Florida's Agency for Healthcare Administration. Nursing home for-profit status, level of nursing care and quality-of-care ratings were not associated with the likelihood of transfer to hospital prior to heart disease death. Nursing homes >5 miles from a hospital were more likely to transfer decedents, compared with facilities located close to a hospital. Significant predictors of no transfer for nursing home residents were being white, female, older, less educated and widowed/unmarried. In this study population, contrary to our hypotheses, sociodemographic characteristics of nursing home decedents were more important predictors of no transfer prior to cardiac death than quality rankings or for-profit status of nursing homes.

Stretching the Limits of Renal Transplantation in Elderly Recipients of Grafts from Elderly Deceased Donors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peters-Sengers, H.; Berger, S.P.; Heemskerk, M.B.; Arashi, D. Al; Heide, J.J. van der; Hemke, A.C.; Berge, I.J. Ten; Idu, M.M.; Betjes, M.G.; Zuilen, A.D. van; Hilbrands, L.B.; Vries, A.P. de; Nurmohamed, A.S.; Christiaans, M.H.; Heurn, L.W. van; Fijter, J.W. de; Bemelman, F.J.

2017-01-01

An increasing number of elderly patients (>/=65 years) receive a donor kidney from elderly donors after brain death (DBD) or after circulatory death (DCD). These organs are allocated within the Eurotransplant Senior Program, but outcomes must be evaluated. From the Dutch Organ Transplantation

Stretching the Limits of Renal Transplantation in Elderly Recipients of Grafts from Elderly Deceased Donors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peters-Sengers, Hessel; Berger, Stefan P; Heemskerk, Martin B A; Al Arashi, Doaa; Homan van der Heide, Jaap J; Hemke, Aline C; Ten Berge, Ineke J M; Idu, Mirza M; Betjes, Michiel G H; van Zuilen, Arjan D; Hilbrands, Luuk B; de Vries, Aiko P J; Nurmohamed, Azam S; Christiaans, Maarten H; Ernest van Heurn, L W; de Fijter, Johan W; Bemelman, Frederike J

An increasing number of elderly patients (>= 65 years) receive a donor kidney from elderly donors after brain death (DBD) or after circulatory death (DCD). These organs are allocated within the Eurotransplant Senior Program, but outcomes must be evaluated. From the Dutch Organ Transplantation

Sudden death amongst people practicing competitive sports (Review Article

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bartłomiej Wrzesiński

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Sudden cardiac death is and unexpected cardiac arrest that may occur both during exercise and also an hour after its completion. It most often occurs in young sportsmen under 35 years of age and is usually associated with improperly performed physical activity proceeded by lack of specialized medical examination and research. Natural and cardiac causes are two basic phenomena that lead to cardiac death. As confirmed by Framingham Heart Study, conducted in the eighties of the twentieth century on the population of Americans, natural causes accounted for 13% while cardiac causes accounted for 88% off all. The statistics of the largest centers of sport medicine are presented as follows: Germany – 1 death per 200,000 people practicing sports (total while United States of America – 1 death per 80,000 people per year. The problem of of sudden deaths is and important topic worthy of a broader and more specific analysis. It should be noted that physical exertion is not is not a direct cause of sudden deaths. Currently the most research concerns professional athletes who have extensive support and knowledge about the exercise they perform. The main problem concerning subject of sudden deaths are not diagnosed hearth defects. Additional topic of interest is rarity of medical tests performed by amateur athletes and athletes at the lower levels of competition. Such athletes do not  have as extensive knowledge as their experienced idols, which may bring tragic consequences.

Improving health profile of blood donors as a consequence of transfusion safety efforts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edgren, Gustaf; Tran, Trung Nam; Hjalgrim, Henrik

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND: Transfusion safety rests heavily on the health of blood donors. Although they are perceived as being healthier than average, little is known about their long-term disease patterns and to which extent the blood banks' continuous efforts to optimize donor selection has resulted...... in improvements. Mortality and cancer incidence among blood donors in Sweden and Denmark was investigated. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: All computerized blood bank databases were compiled into one database, which was linked to national population and health data registers. With a retrospective cohort study design, 1......,110,329 blood donors were followed for up to 35 years from first computer-registered blood donation to death, emigration, or December 31, 2002. Standardized mortality and incidence ratios expressed relative risk of death and cancer comparing blood donors to the general population. RESULTS: Blood donors had...

Occlusive Hepatic Artery Thrombus in a Deceased-Donor Liver Procured From a Donor With Blunt Abdominal Trauma Following a Road Traffic Collision Accident.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Niaz; Tahir, Wasif; Haque, Ali; Dar, Faisal; Vilca-Melendez, Hector; Srinavasan, Parthi; Heaton, Nigel

2018-04-09

Here, we describe a case of occlusive hepatic artery thrombus in a liver procured from an 18-year-old deceased donor after circulatory death. The donor had died of multiple trauma following a road traffic collision. Occlusive thrombus was found at the hepatic artery bifurcation during back-table preparation. Consequently, the liver transplant did not proceed. We suggest careful assessment of hepatic arteries of all donor livers before transplant, particularly those from donors who are involved in deceleration injuries. Transplanting such livers may lead to primary nonfunction.

Right ventricular function assessed by 2D strain analysis predicts ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in patients after acute myocardial infarction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Risum, Niels; Valeur, Nana; Søgaard, Peter

2017-01-01

Aims: Left ventricular function is a well-established predictor of malignant ventricular arrhythmias, but little is known about the importance of right ventricular (RV) function. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of RV function for prediction of sudden cardiac death (SCD) or...

Molecular and environmental cues in cardiac differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ramkisoensing, Arti Anushka

2014-01-01

In this thesis molecular and environmental cues in cardiac differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells were investigated. The main conclusions were that the cardiac differentiation potential of human mesenchymal stem cells negatively correlates with donor age. This in its own shows a negative

Public Opinion on Organ Donation After Death and Its Influence on Attitudes Toward Organ Donation.

Science.gov (United States)

Aijing, Luo; Wenzhao, Xie; Wei, Wei; Qiquan, Wan; Xuantong, Deng

2016-08-18

BACKGROUND China officially launched a pilot program of organ donation after cardiac death to overcome the shortage of available organs since 2011. Voluntary organ donation by deceased citizens became the only source of transplant organs beginning January 1, 2015. To investigate public opinions on organ donation by deceased donors, and discuss the effect of these opinions on the willingness and attitude of the public regarding voluntary organ donation. MATERIAL AND METHODS We designed a questionnaire. The survey was conducted from December 2014 to January 2015 in Changsha City, and 417 valid questionnaires were recovered. RESULTS A total of 162 respondents explicitly expressed a willingness to donate organs, and 269 believed that the organ donors' relatives should be compensated. A total of 255 respondents thought it acceptable to complete the donation-consent form when receiving a driver's license. Among the respondents, 65.3% did not agree with the statement "My body is bestowed by my parents, and to donate my body parts would not display filial respect"; 88.9% agreed that "It is necessary to consider the willingness of my family"; 74.4% agreed that "Donated organs have not been fairly and appropriately used; the wealthy and celebrities have been favored"; and 61.4% agreed that "Organ donation laws and regulations are not well developed, and organ donations will result in unnecessary difficulties." More than 80% believed that organ donation and transplantation extend life. CONCLUSIONS Public opinions on organ donation after death are associated with various factors, including traditional values, religious beliefs, compensation mechanisms, donor registration, institutional credibility, and ideals.

Exercising arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in horses: Review of the literature and comparative aspects.

Science.gov (United States)

Navas de Solis, C

2016-07-01

Arrhythmias are common in equine athletes during and immediately after exercise. Many of these rhythm variations are not clinically relevant. In horses, a link between different exercising arrhythmias and poor performance or between exercising arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) is strongly suspected but not fully understood or proven. SCD during races or competitions is rare, but has catastrophic consequences for the safety of the human partner and public perceptions of welfare during equestrian sports. This review summarises current knowledge of equine exercise arrhythmias and their implications in SCD and compares existing principles and recommendations for equine subjects with those for human athletes. © 2016 EVJ Ltd.

Hypertension in standard criteria deceased donors is associated with inferior outcomes following kidney transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Rajinder P; Farney, Alan C; Rogers, Jeffrey; Gautreaux, Michael; Reeves-Daniel, Amber; Hartmann, Erica; Doares, William; Iskandar, Samy; Adams, Patricia; Stratta, Robert J

2011-01-01

Hypertension may be a either a cause or an effect of kidney disease. Although hypertension is an important component of the expanded criteria donor definition, risks of transplanting deceased donor kidneys from hypertensive standard criteria donors (SCD) are less well understood. Retrospective single-center study in all adult patients who received a deceased donor kidney transplant from a SCD to evaluate the role of donor hypertension as a pre-transplant risk factor for death-censored graft loss (DCGL) and renal function. From October 2001 through May 2008, 297 kidney transplants were performed from donation after brain death SCDs. A total of 47 (15.8%) grafts were lost, including 19 (6.4%) deaths with functioning grafts. Univariate analysis of death-censored cases (n = 278) identified history of donor hypertension, cold ischemia time (CIT) >30 h, and African American (AA) recipients as significant pre-transplant risk factors predictive for DCGL at five yr follow-up (mean 38 months, all p hypertension (relative risk 2.2, p = 0.04) to be a significant risk factor for DCGL, whereas CIT >30 h and AA recipient ethnicity showed only trends toward DCGL. Renal function as determined by serum creatinine levels was significantly higher in recipients of hypertensive compared with non-hypertensive SCD kidneys at all time points out to 48 months follow-up and the disparity in renal function increased over time. Transplanting SCD kidneys from hypertensive donors is associated with worse graft function and an increased risk of graft loss. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Two-photon induced collagen cross-linking in bioartificial cardiac tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Kuetemeyer, Kai; Kensah, George; Heidrich, Marko; Meyer, Heiko; Martin, Ulrich; Gruh, Ina; Heisterkamp, Alexander

2011-08-01

Cardiac tissue engineering is a promising strategy for regenerative therapies to overcome the shortage of donor organs for transplantation. Besides contractile function, the stiffness of tissue engineered constructs is crucial to generate transplantable tissue surrogates with sufficient mechanical stability to withstand the high pressure present in the heart. Although several collagen cross-linking techniques have proven to be efficient in stabilizing biomaterials, they cannot be applied to cardiac tissue engineering, as cell death occurs in the treated area. Here, we present a novel method using femtosecond (fs) laser pulses to increase the stiffness of collagen-based tissue constructs without impairing cell viability. Raster scanning of the fs laser beam over riboflavin-treated tissue induced collagen cross-linking by two-photon photosensitized singlet oxygen production. One day post-irradiation, stress-strain measurements revealed increased tissue stiffness by around 40% being dependent on the fibroblast content in the tissue. At the same time, cells remained viable and fully functional as demonstrated by fluorescence imaging of cardiomyocyte mitochondrial activity and preservation of active contraction force. Our results indicate that two-photon induced collagen cross-linking has great potential for studying and improving artificially engineered tissue for regenerative therapies.

Cardiac sympathetic nervous system imaging with (123)I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine: Perspectives from Japan and Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nakajima, K.; Scholte, A.; Nakata, T.; Dimitriu-Leen, A.C.; Chikamori, T.; Vitola, J.V.; Yoshinaga, K.

2017-01-01

Cardiac sympathetic nervous system dysfunction is closely associated with risk of serious cardiac events in patients with heart failure (HF), including HF progression, pump-failure death, and sudden cardiac death by lethal ventricular arrhythmia. For cardiac sympathetic nervous system imaging,

Blow/trauma to the chest and sudden cardiac death: Commotio cordis and contusio cordis are leading causes.

Science.gov (United States)

Krexi, Lydia; Sheppard, Mary N

2018-01-01

Background In forensic practice, a blow to the chest can lead to sudden cardiac death (SCD). Commotio cordis and contusio cordis are leading causes. Methods From a database of 4678 patients who suffered from SCD, we found three patients with commotio cordis and two patients with contusio cordis. All the patients were examined macroscopically and microscopically and had negative toxicology screen. Results The three patients who died due to commotio cordis were young males (16, 23 and 38 years old). The circumstances of death were: a blow to the chest by a football, by a friend during a party and during an assault. The hearts were completely normal at autopsy. The two patients who had contusio cordis were older males (42 and 63 years old). Both patients died during traffic accidents. At autopsy, one had significant contusion over the left ventricle, and the second had contusion over the right ventricle. Conclusion This study indicates that a blow to the chest is very important to document in the circumstances of death, and a detailed history is vital. It raises the left ventricular intra-cavitary pressure, leading to commotio cordis with immediate death with a normal heart. Blunt chest trauma can cause direct myocardial lesions, with acute changes leading to contusio cordis.

Association of Donor Age and Sex With Survival of Patients Receiving Transfusions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edgren, Gustaf; Ullum, Henrik; Rostgaard, Klaus

2017-01-01

Importance: Following animal model data indicating the possible rejuvenating effects of blood from young donors, there have been at least 2 observational studies conducted with humans that have investigated whether donor age affects patient outcomes. Results, however, have been conflicting...... and Denmark who received at least 1 red blood cell transfusion of autologous blood or blood from unknown donors between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2012. Patients were followed up from the first transfusion until death, emigration, or end of follow-up. Data analysis was performed from September 15...... to November 15, 2016. Exposures: The number of transfusions from blood donors of different age and sex. Exposure was treated time dependently throughout follow-up. Main Outcomes and Measures: Hazard ratios (HRs) for death and adjusted cumulative mortality differences, both estimated using Cox proportional...

An International External Validation Study of the 2014 European Society of Cardiology Guideline on Sudden Cardiac Death Prevention in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (Evidence from HCM)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

O'Mahony, Constantinos; Jichi, Fatima; Ommen, Steve R

2018-01-01

Background -Identification of people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) who are at risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and require prophylactic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is challenging. In 2014, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) proposed a new risk stratification meth...

Human body donation in Thailand: Donors at Khon Kaen University.

Science.gov (United States)

Techataweewan, N; Panthongviriyakul, C; Toomsan, Y; Mothong, W; Kanla, P; Chaichun, A; Amarttayakong, P; Tayles, N

2018-03-01

Culture, society and spirituality contribute to variability in the characteristics of human body donors and donation programmes worldwide. The donors and the body donation programme at Khon Kaen University, northeast Thailand, reflect all these aspects of Thailand, including the status accorded to the donors and the ceremonial acknowledgement of the donors and their families. Data from the programme records and from surveys of samples of currently registering donors and recently received donor bodies are analysed to define the characteristics of both registering and received donors, including motivation, demography, socio-economic status, health, and use of the bodies. The body donation programme at Khon Kaen University currently has a very high rate of registration of body donors, with gender and age differences in the patterns of donation. Registrants include more females than males, a long-standing pattern, and are an average age of 50 years. The bodies of 12% of registrants are received after death and include more males than females. Both sexes are of an average age of 69 years. Males had registered their donation eight years prior to death and females ten years prior. Current registrants identified altruistic motives for their decision to donate, although the coincidence of body donation by a highly revered monk with a surge in donations in 2015 suggests that Buddhism plays a primary role in motivation. The opportunity to make merit for donors and their families, and respect shown to donors and the nature of the ceremonies acknowledging the donors and their families, including the use of the Royal Flame at the cremation ceremony, all contribute to decisions to donate. The characteristics of body donors and the body donation programme at Khon Kaen University are reflective of Thai society and the centrality of Buddhism to Thai culture. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

LONG-TERM OUTCOMES OF DECEASED DONOR LIVER TRANSPLANTATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. V. Gautier

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Aim of the study was to evaluate patient and graft survival after liver transplantation (LT and to determine if primary disease diagnosis, early graft dysfunction or other factors affect it. Furthermore, we analyzed the reasonsof short-term and long-term deaths or retransplantations.Materials and methods. 192 LTs from donors with brain death were performed from December 2004 until June 2014. Recipient age varied from 5 to 71 years. Most frequent diagnosis was liver cirrhosis (mainly due to hepatitis C, then hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, liver graft dysfunction, etc.Results and discussion. 1-year patient survival is 89.5%, graft survival is 87.7%, 3-year –87% and 84.6%, respectively, and 5-year – 83.5% and 83.0%, respectively. Early mortality (in fi rst 30 days after transplantation was 8%, long-term mortality – 5.9%. Primary non-function graft (PNF was the reason of 66.7% early deaths. In the long term, infections and oncology were the reasons of death with the same frequency – 36.4%. Early graft dysfunction including primary non-function signifi cantly decreases short term survival (p = 0.0002. Nevertheless, in the majority of cases graft function improves and doesn’t affect survival. Donor factors play role in outcomes: early dysfunction is higher (40.6% in extended criteria donor group than in standard donor group (р = 0.0431. PNF has the same trend – 8.5% and 0.0%, respectively, but without signifi cance (р =0.0835. 5-year survival is remarkably lower in HCC group 40.8% (p = 0.003 than in other groups.Conclusion: survival after liver transplantation in our Center is comparable with the results of the world’s centers.

Follow-Up After Cardiac Surgery Should be Extended to at Least 120 Days When Benchmarking Cardiac Surgery Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Laura S; Sloth, Erik; Hjortdal, Vibeke E; Jakobsen, Carl-Johan

2015-08-01

Short-term (30 days) mortality frequently is used as an outcome measure after cardiac surgery, although it has been proposed that the follow-up period should be extended to 120 days to allow for more accurate benchmarking. The authors aimed to evaluate whether mortality rates 120 days after surgery were comparable to general mortality and to compare causes of death between the cohort and the general population. A multicenter descriptive cohort study using prospectively entered registry data. University hospital. The cohort was obtained from the Western Denmark Heart Registry and matched to the Danish National Hospital Register as well as the Danish Register of Causes of Death. A weighted, age-matched general population consisting of all Danish patients who died within the study period was identified through the central authority on Danish statistics. A total of 11,988 patients (>15 years) who underwent cardiac-surgery at Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense University Hospitals from April 1, 2006 to December 31, 2012 were included. Coronary artery bypass grafting, valve surgery and combinations. Mortality after cardiac surgery matches with mortality in the general population after 140 days. Mortality curves run almost parallel from this point onwards, regardless of The European system for cardiac operative risk evaluation (EuroSCORE) and intervention. The causes of death in the cohort differed statistically significantly from the background population (pbenchmarking cardiac surgery centers. Regardless of preoperative heart function, heart failure was the consistent leading cause of death. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scintigraphic assessment of heterotopic cardiac transplants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, M.A.; Kahn, D.R.

1981-01-01

Patients receiving heterotopic (''piggyback'') cardiac transplants, when the patient's own and transplanted donor hearts are connected in parallel, present special problems in determining their relative contributions to total cardiac function. Three patients who had transplants because of intractable heart failure were studied using first pass and gated equilibrium technetium-99m-labeled blood pool scintigraphy. In one patient, thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scans were obtained. These nuclear cardiology techniques provided anatomic and functional information noninvasively that proved helpful in patient management

Organ donors: deceased or alive? Quo vadis?

Science.gov (United States)

Rozental, R

2006-01-01

Irrespectively of universal shortage of donor organs there is a tendency of increasing the number of transplantations from living and deceased donors. Each of these two methods has positive and negative features. The main obstacles using living donors are health hazard, necessity to solve certain donor's social and psychological problems, possibility of organ trade and moving. The main problems connected with organ retrieval from deceased donors are possible conflicts with public opinion: difficulties in interpretation of brain death, legislation, obtaining of informed consent from donor's relatives, etc. Future progress in organ transplantation may take place through activation of organ retrieval from deceased donors. The most perspective ways are change to presumed consent in all countries, establishing of centralized system of donor detection and registration, intensification of transplant coordination, active contacts with mass-media, etc. It is necessary to increase (enhance) participation of the members of the public in organ donation process, to develop solidarity among the public members and to involve public authorities to deal with this problem. Bioethical standards should be put in accordance with common progress and some ethical traditions should be changed.

Can sudden cardiac death in the young be predicted and prevented? Lessons from autopsy for the emergency physician.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Jennifer L; Chang, Anna Marie; Cesar, Sergi; Sarquella-Brugada, Georgia

2018-06-01

Sudden unexpected death in the young, though rare, is devastating for both the family and the community. Although only 1.3 to 8.5 cases of sudden cardiac death (SCD) occur per 100 000 young people, autopsy is often inconclusive. Many causes of SCD are related to autosomal dominant inherited risk, however; therefore, answers are important for survivors. Causes of autopsy-positive SCD in young patients include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia. Autopsy-negative SCD has been related to inherited arrhythmogenic causes such as long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, Wolff- Parkinson-White syndrome, and idiopathic ventricular fibrillation. The important question for the emergency physician is how SCD can be predicted and prevented in the young so that there is no need for an autopsy.

Left versus right deceased donor renal allograft outcome.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Phelan, Paul J

2009-12-01

It has been suggested that the left kidney is easier to transplant than the right kidney because of the longer length of the left renal vein, facilitating the formation of the venous anastomosis. There are conflicting reports of differing renal allograft outcomes based on the side of donor kidney transplanted (left or right).We sought to determine the effect of side of donor kidney on early and late allograft outcome in our renal transplant population. We performed a retrospective analysis of transplanted left-right deceased donor kidney pairs in Ireland between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2008. We used a time to death-censored graft failure approach for long-term allograft survival and also examined serum creatinine at different time points post-transplantation. All outcomes were included from day of transplant onwards. A total of 646 transplants were performed from 323 donors. The incidence of delayed graft function was 16.1% in both groups and there was no significant difference in acute rejection episodes or serum creatinine from 1 month to 8 years post-transplantation.There were 47 death-censored allograft failures in the left-sided group compared to 57 in the right-sided group (P = 0.24). These observations show no difference in renal transplant outcome between the recipients of left- and right-sided deceased donor kidneys.

Sudden Cardiac Death As a Result of Neglected Hypopituitarism

OpenAIRE

Hajsheikholeslami, Farhad; Yazdani, Shahrooz

2013-01-01

Cardiac involvement infrequently occurs in hypopituitarism, and lethal cardiac arrhythmias are rarely reported. We present a middle age female who died as a consequence of refractory ventricular arrhythmia whose medical history and previous laboratory investigation were consistent with hypopituitarism. We conclude that hypopituitarism may lead to electrocardiographic changes and malignant ventricular arrhythmia and should be included in laboratory investigation and differential diagnosis of p...

Methyl-CpG binding-protein 2 function in cholinergic neurons mediates cardiac arrhythmogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, José A; Ward, Christopher S; Wehrens, Xander H T; Neul, Jeffrey L

2016-11-15

Sudden unexpected death occurs in one quarter of deaths in Rett Syndrome (RTT), a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2). People with RTT show a variety of autonomic nervous system (ANS) abnormalities and mouse models show similar problems including QTc interval prolongation and hypothermia. To explore the role of cardiac problems in sudden death in RTT, we characterized cardiac rhythm in mice lacking Mecp2 function. Male and female mutant mice exhibited spontaneous cardiac rhythm abnormalities including bradycardic events, sinus pauses, atrioventricular block, premature ventricular contractions, non-sustained ventricular arrhythmias, and increased heart rate variability. Death was associated with spontaneous cardiac arrhythmias and complete conduction block. Atropine treatment reduced cardiac arrhythmias in mutant mice, implicating overactive parasympathetic tone. To explore the role of MeCP2 within the parasympathetic neurons, we selectively removed MeCP2 function from cholinergic neurons (MeCP2 ChAT KO), which recapitulated the cardiac rhythm abnormalities, hypothermia, and early death seen in RTT male mice. Conversely, restoring MeCP2 only in cholinergic neurons rescued these phenotypes. Thus, MeCP2 in cholinergic neurons is necessary and sufficient for autonomic cardiac control, thermoregulation, and survival, and targeting the overactive parasympathetic system may be a useful therapeutic strategy to prevent sudden unexpected death in RTT.

Cardiac symptoms before sudden cardiac death caused by coronary artery disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jabbari, Reza; Risgaard, Bjarke; Holst, Anders G

2013-01-01

The aim of this nationwide case-control study was to identify and characterise symptoms before sudden death of young persons who had died due to coronary artery disease (CAD).......The aim of this nationwide case-control study was to identify and characterise symptoms before sudden death of young persons who had died due to coronary artery disease (CAD)....

Death and consciousness--an overview of the mental and cognitive experience of death.

Science.gov (United States)

Parnia, Sam

2014-11-01

Advances in resuscitation science have indicated that, contrary to perception, death by cardiorespiratory criteria can no longer be considered a specific moment but rather a potentially reversible process that occurs after any severe illness or accident causes the heart, lungs, and brain to stop functioning. The resultant loss of vital signs of life (and life processes) is used to declare a specific time of death by physicians globally. When medical attempts are made to reverse this process, it is commonly referred to as cardiac arrest; however, when these attempts do not succeed or when attempts are not made, it is called death by cardiorespiratory criteria. Thus, biologically speaking, cardiac arrest and death by cardiorespiratory criteria are synonymous. While resuscitation science has provided novel opportunities to reverse death by cardiorespiratory criteria and treat the potentially devastating consequences of the resultant postresuscitation syndrome, it has also inadvertently provided intriguing insights into the likely mental and cognitive experience of death. Recollections reported by millions of people in relation to death, so-called out-of-body experiences (OBEs) or near-death experiences (NDEs), are often-discussed phenomena that are frequently considered hallucinatory or illusory in nature; however, objective studies on these experiences are limited. To date, many consistent themes corresponding to the likely experience of death have emerged, and studies have indicated that the scientifically imprecise terms of NDE and OBE may not be sufficient to describe the actual experience of death. While much remains to be discovered, the recalled experience surrounding death merits a genuine scientific investigation without prejudice. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

Sudden cardiac death: the pro-arrhythmic interaction of an acute loading with an underlying substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Sutherland, George R

2017-10-21

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a complex phenomenon, occurring either in apparently normal individuals or in those where there is a recognized underlying cardiac abnormality. In both groups, the lethal arrhythmia has frequently been related to the physiologic trigger of either exercise or stress. Prior research into SCD has focused mainly on a combination of identifying either vulnerable myocardial substrates; pharmacological approaches to altering electrical activation/repolarisation in substrates; or the suppression of induced lethal arrhythmias with implantable defibrillators. However, it has been suggested that in a significant number of cases, the interaction of a transient induced trigger with a pre-existing electrical or mechanical substrate is the basis for the induction of the sustained lethal arrhythmia. In this manuscript we will discuss the precise mechanisms whereby one of such potential physiologic trigger: an acute change in systolic blood pressure, can induce a sequence of alterations in global and local cardiac mechanics which in turn result in regional left ventricular post-systolic deformation which, mediated (through stretch-induced changes in local mechano-electrical coupling) provokes local electrical after-depolarisations which can spill over into complex runs of premature ventricular beats. These local acute pressure/stretch induced runs of ventricular ectopy originate in either basal or apical normal myocardium and, in combination with a co-existing distal pro-arrhymic substrate, can interact to induce a lethal arrhythmia. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2016. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Cardiac sarcoidosis: diagnostics, treatment and follow-up].

Science.gov (United States)

Dudziak, Maria; Jankowska, Hanna; Dorniak, Karolina

2018-03-27

Sarcoidosis is a generalised granulomatous disorder of unknown aetiology. Cardiac involvement may affect conduction system, myocardium, valvular apparatus and pericardium. Clinical spectrum ranges from asymptomatic involvement to sudden cardiac death. Patients with biopsy-proven extracardiac sarcoidosis should be screened for cardiac involvement (standard ECG, 24-hour Holter ECG, echocardiography) and in case of any abnormalities found on these tests, more advanced diagnostic methods should be used. Steroid treatment is still the mainstay of therapy in cardiac sarcoidosis. Several immunosuppresive agents are also effective and used in different combinations with steroids, as well as heart failure treatment (including ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers and diuretics). Advanced heart block requires pacemaker implantation, and implantable cardioverterdefibrillator is an effective treatment in primary and secondary prophylaxis of sudden cardiac death. Heart transplantation is considered in advanced, drug-resistant heart failure or incessant ventricular arrhythmias unresponsive to other forms of therapy. © 2018 MEDPRESS.

UNEXPECTED DONATION AFTER CIRCULATORY DEATH (UDCD) - A GREAT POTENTIAL FOR NEW ORGANS?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Venema, L.; Brat, A.; Bens, B.; Van Der Vliet, D.; Tromp, T.; De Jongh, W.; De Haak-Willems, M. Van; Erasmus, M.; Krikke, C.

The number of patients waiting for a transplant exceeds the number of donor organs suitable for transplantation. Therefore, the search for new organ sources continues. uDCD donors are patients that died as result of an out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). They are scarcely used in the Netherlands

Causes of death in a contemporary adult congenital heart disease cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Christopher; Moore, Benjamin M; Kotchetkova, Irina; Cordina, Rachael L; Celermajer, David S

2018-04-17

The life expectancy of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) has significantly improved with advances in their paediatric medical care. Mortality patterns are changing as a result. Our study aims to describe survival and causes of death in a contemporary cohort of adult patients with CHD. We reviewed 3068 patients in our adult CHD database (age ≥16 years, seen at least once in our centre between 2000 and 2015), and documented the number and causes of death, via Australia's National Death Index. Survival and mortality patterns were analysed by complexity of CHD and by underlying congenital diagnosis. Our cohort comprised 3068 adult patients (53% male). The distribution of patients (per the Bethesda classification) was 47% simple, 34% moderate and 18% complex (1% not classifiable). Over a median follow-up of 6.2 years (IQR 3.5-10.4), 341 patients (11%) died with an incidence of 0.4 deaths/100 patient years (py). Survival was significantly worse with increasing complexity of CHD (pdeaths/100 py with a median age of death 70 years, and in the complex group was 1.0 death/100 py with a median age of death 34 years. Overall, non-cardiac causes of death outnumbered cardiac causes, at 54% and 46%, respectively. The leading single cause of death was heart failure (17%), followed by malignancy (13%). Simple adult CHD patients mostly died due to non-cardiac causes such as malignancy. Perioperative mortality only accounted for 5% of deaths. Premature death is common in adults with CHD. Although heart failure remains the most common cause of death, in the contemporary era in a specialist CHD centre, non-cardiac related deaths outnumber cardiac deaths, particularly in those with simple CHD lesions. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Electrocardiographic Screening for Prolonged QT Interval to Reduce Sudden Cardiac Death in Psychiatric Patients: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

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Antoine Poncet

Full Text Available Sudden cardiac death is a leading cause of mortality in psychiatric patients. Long QT (LQT is common in this population and predisposes to Torsades-de-Pointes (TdP and subsequent mortality.To estimate the cost-effectiveness of electrocardiographic screening to detect LQT in psychiatric inpatients.We built a decision analytic model based on a decision tree to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and utility of LQT screening from a health care perspective. LQT proportion parameters were derived from an in-hospital cross-sectional study. We performed experts' elicitation to estimate the risk of TdP, given extent of QT prolongation. A TdP reduction of 65% after LQT detection was based on positive drug dechallenge rate and through adequate treatment and electrolyte adjustments. The base-case model uncertainty was assessed with one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Finally, the TdP related mortality and TdP avoidance parameters were varied in a two-way sensitivity analysis to assess their effect on the Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER.Costs, Quality Ajusted Life Year (QALY, ICER, and probability of cost effectiveness thresholds ($ 10,000, $25,000, and $50,000 per QALY.In the base-case scenario, the numbers of patients needed to screen were 1128 and 2817 to avoid one TdP and one death, respectively. The ICER of systematic ECG screening was $8644 (95%CI, 3144-82 498 per QALY. The probability of cost-effectiveness was 96% at a willingness-to-pay of $50,000 for one QALY. In sensitivity analyses, results were sensitive to the case-fatality of TdP episodes and to the TdP reduction following the diagnosis of LQT.In psychiatric hospitals, performing systematic ECG screening at admission help reduce the number of sudden cardiac deaths in a cost-effective fashion.

The effect of intermittent atrial tachyarrhythmia on heart failure or death in cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator versus implantable cardioverter-defibrillator patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruwald, Anne-Christine; Pietrasik, Grzegorz; Goldenberg, Ilan

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the effect of both history of intermittent atrial tachyarrhythmias (IAT) and in-trial IAT on the risk of heart failure (HF) or death comparing cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator (CRT-D) to implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD......) treatment in mildly symptomatic HF patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB). BACKGROUND: Limited data exist regarding the benefit of CRT-D in patients with IAT. METHODS: The benefit of CRT-D in reducing the risk of HF/death was evaluated using multivariate Cox models incorporating the presence of......-D versus ICD on the risk of HF/death was not significantly different between LBBB patients with or without history of IAT (HR: 0.50, p = 0.028, and HR: 0.46, p

Allogeneic unresponsiveness to orthotopic cardiac transplants in DL-A-identical radiation chimeras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyd, A.D.; Spencer, F.C.; Hirose, H.; Engelman, R.M.; Cannon, F.D.; Ferrebee, J.W.; Rapaport, F.T.

1975-01-01

Nine Cooperstown beagles of known DL-A genotypes were exposed to supralethal total-body irradiation and received bone-marrow allografts from DL-A-identical donors. Four to 5 months later, the resulting chimeras received orthotopic cardiac allografts from their corresponding donors of marrow. Six chimeras died of operative complications in the immediate postoperative period. The other 3 chimeras survived from 173 to 547 days; 1 dog died at 173 days as a result of right-sided heart failure, secondary to stenosis at the site of the pulmonary artery anastomosis. The other two recipients continue to be active and healthy at 545 and 547 days. The results indicate that dogs can be rendered specifically tolerant to orthotopic cardiac allografts by supralethal total-body irradiation and the transplantation of marrow obtained from the prospective allograft donor

Recommendations for use of marginal donors in heart transplantation: Brazilian Association of Organs Transplantation guideline.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiorelli, A I; Stolf, N A G; Pego-Fernandes, P M; Oliveira Junior, J L; Santos, R H B; Contreras, C A M; Filho, D D L; Dinkhuysen, J J; Moreira, M C V; Mejia, J A C; Castro, M C R

2011-01-01

The high prevalence of heart failure has increased the candidate list for heart transplantation; however, there is a shortage of viable donated organs, which is responsible for the high mortality of patients awaiting a transplantation. Because the marginal donor presents additional risk factors, it is not considered to be an ideal donor. The use of a marginal donor is only justified in situations when the risk of patient death due to heart disease is greater than that offered by the donor. These recommendations sought to expand the supply of donors, consequently increasing the transplant rate. We selected articles based on robust evidence to provide a substratum to develop recommendations for donors who exceed the traditional acceptance criteria. Recipient survival in the immediate postoperative period is intimately linked to allograft quality. Primary allograft failure is responsible for 38% to 40% of immediate deaths after heart transplantation: therefore; marginal donor selection must be more rigorous to not increase the surgical risk. The main donor risk factors with the respective evidence levels are: cancer in the donor (B), female donor (B), donor death due to hemorrhagic stroke (B), donor age above 50 years (relative risk [RR] = 1.5) (B), weight mismatch between donor and recipient 240 minutes (RR = 1.2) (B), left ventricular dysfunction with ejection fraction below 45% (B), and use of high doses of vasoactive drugs (dopamine > 15 mg/kg·min) (B). Factors that impact recipient mortality are: age over 50 years (RR = 1.5); allograft harvest at a distance; adult recipient weighing more than 20% of the donor; high doses of vasoactive drugs (dopamine greater than 15 mg/kg·min) and ischemic time >4 hours. The use of a marginal donor is only justified when it is able to increase life expectancy compared with clinical treatment, albeit the outcomes are interior to those using an ideal donor. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CARDIAC LYMPHOMA IN DOG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. D. Cruz

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Lymphoma is a lymphoid tumor that originates in hematopoietic organs such as lymph node, spleen or liver. In dogs, the overall prevalence of cardiac tumors was estimated to be only 0.19% based on the results of the survey of a large database, and lymphomas accounts for approximately 2% of all cardiac tumors. In general, the involvement of the myocardium is rarely described in canine lymphoma. Currently, there is no evidence of a viral association with primary cardiac lymphoma in dogs, but other types of immunosuppression may contribute to abnormal events, such as involvement primary cardiac. The aim of this study was to analyze a case of sudden death of a bitch, SRD, aged 10, who had the final diagnosis of cardiac lymphoma.

Making an APPropriate Care Program for Indigenous Cardiac Disease: Customization of an Existing Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradford, DanaKai; Hansen, David; Karunanithi, Mohan

2015-01-01

Cardiovascular disease is a major health problem for all Australians and is the leading cause of death in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. In 2010, more then 50% of all heart attack deaths were due to repeated events. Cardiac rehabilitation programs have been proven to be effective in preventing the recurrence of cardiac events and readmission to hospitals. There are however, many barriers to the use of these programs. To address these barriers, CSIRO developed an IT enabled cardiac rehabilitation program delivered by mobile phone through a smartphone app and succesfully trialed it in an urban general population. If these results can be replicated in Indigenous populations, the program has the potential to significantly improve life expectancy and help close the gap in health outcomes. The challenge described in this paper is customizing the existing cardiac health program to make it culturally relevant and suitable for Indigenous Australians living in urban and remote communities.

A case of sudden cardiac death following Domperidone self-medication.

Science.gov (United States)

Fais, Paolo; Vermiglio, Elisa; Laposata, Chiara; Lockwood, Robert; Gottardo, Rossella; De Leo, Domenico

2015-09-01

The phenomenon of sudden cardiac death is usually related to the worsening of existing heart conditions leading to ventricular arrhythmia (VA). One of the well-known triggers of SCD is drug-induced prolongation of the QT interval, such as that caused by Domperidone (D). Despite its risk to prolong the QT interval and associated narrow therapeutic index, D is available as an over-the-counter (OTC) drug in many countries such as Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, China, South Africa, Mexico, New Zealand and Chile to treat gastroesophageal reflux and functional dyspepsia. The present paper reports a case of SCD that occurred some hours after D self-administration in a 47-year-old female subject with mitral valve prolapse, thus, predisposed to both VA and SCD. Despite the risks related to D administration, to the best of our knowledge, this particular issue has not been discussed in the medico-legal literature. For this reason, the forensic implications of D administration are discussed focusing on issues related to the self-administration as an OTC drug (as seen in this case), administration to incapacitated subjects, prescription to patients with contraindications and the off-label drug use of D at high and hazardous concentrations to stimulate lactation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nonischemic Left Ventricular Scar as a Substrate of Life-Threatening Ventricular Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death in Competitive Athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zorzi, Alessandro; Perazzolo Marra, Martina; Rigato, Ilaria; De Lazzari, Manuel; Susana, Angela; Niero, Alice; Pilichou, Kalliopi; Migliore, Federico; Rizzo, Stefania; Giorgi, Benedetta; De Conti, Giorgio; Sarto, Patrizio; Serratosa, Luis; Patrizi, Giampiero; De Maria, Elia; Pelliccia, Antonio; Basso, Cristina; Schiavon, Maurizio; Bauce, Barbara; Iliceto, Sabino; Thiene, Gaetano; Corrado, Domenico

2016-07-01

The clinical profile and arrhythmic outcome of competitive athletes with isolated nonischemic left ventricular (LV) scar as evidenced by contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance remain to be elucidated. We compared 35 athletes (80% men, age: 14-48 years) with ventricular arrhythmias and isolated LV subepicardial/midmyocardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance (group A) with 38 athletes with ventricular arrhythmias and no LGE (group B) and 40 healthy control athletes (group C). A stria LGE pattern with subepicardial/midmyocardial distribution, mostly involving the lateral LV wall, was found in 27 (77%) of group A versus 0 controls (group C; P<0.001), whereas a spotty pattern of LGE localized at the junction of the right ventricle to the septum was respectively observed in 11 (31%) versus 10 (25%; P=0.52). All athletes with stria pattern showed ventricular arrhythmias with a predominant right bundle branch block morphology, 13 of 27 (48%) showed ECG repolarization abnormalities, and 5 of 27 (19%) showed echocardiographic hypokinesis of the lateral LV wall. The majority of athletes with no or spotty LGE pattern had ventricular arrhythmias with a predominant left bundle branch block morphology and no ECG or echocardiographic abnormalities. During a follow-up of 38±25 months, 6 of 27 (22%) athletes with stria pattern experienced malignant arrhythmic events such as appropriate implantable cardiac defibrillator shock (n=4), sustained ventricular tachycardia (n=1), or sudden death (n=1), compared with none of athletes with no or LGE spotty pattern and controls. Isolated nonischemic LV LGE with a stria pattern may be associated with life-threatening arrhythmias and sudden death in the athlete. Because of its subepicardial/midmyocardial location, LV scar is often not detected by echocardiography. © 2016 The Authors.

Profile of effective donors from organ and tissue procurement services

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Simey de Lima Lopes; Ferraz Neto, Jose Ben-Hur de Escobar; Sardinha, Luiz Antonio da Costa; Araujo, Sebastião; Zambelli, Helder Jose Lessa; Boin, Ilka de Fátima Santana Ferreira; Athayde, Maria Valeria de Omena; Montone, Eliete Bombarda Bachega; Panunto, Marcia Raquel

2014-01-01

Objective To characterize the profile of effective organ and tissue donors and to understand which organs and tissues were donated for transplantation. Methods This was a quantitative, descriptive, exploratory, retrospective study that analyzed clinical data from 305 donors between January 2006 to December 2010. The data were then analyzed using descriptive analyses, generating frequency tables, measures of position (mean, minimum and maximum) and measures of dispersion (standard deviation) for data that was social and clinical in nature. Results There was an overall predominance of white (72%) and male (55%) individuals between the ages of 41 and 60 years (44%). The primary cause of brain death was cerebrovascular accident (55%). In the patient history, 31% of the patients were classified as overweight, 27% as hypertensive and only 4.3% as having diabetes mellitus. Vasoactive drugs were used in 92.7% of the donors, and the main drug of choice was noradrenaline (81.6%). Hyperglycemia and hypernatremia were diagnosed in 78% and 71% of the donors, respectively. Conclusion Significant hemodynamic changes were found, and the results indicate that the use of vasoactive drugs was the main strategy used to control these changes. Furthermore, most donors presented with hyperglycemia and hypernatremia, which were frequently reported in association with brain death. The persistent nature of these findings suggests that the organ donors were inadequately maintained. PMID:24770685

Donor conversion and procurement failure: the fate of our potential organ donors.

Science.gov (United States)

Branco, Bernardino C; Inaba, Kenji; Lam, Lydia; Salim, Ali; Barmparas, Galinos; Teixeira, Pedro G R; Talving, Peep; Demetriades, Demetrios

2011-02-01

Donor availability remains the primary limiting factor for organ transplantation today. The purpose of this study was to examine the causes of procurement failure amongst potential organ donors. After Institutional Review Board approval, all surgical intensive care unit (SICU) patients admitted to the LAC+USC Medical Center from 01/2006 to 12/2008 who became potential organ donors were identified. Demographics, clinical data, and procurement data were abstracted. In non-donors, the causes of procurement failure were documented. During the 3-year study period, a total of 254 patients were evaluated for organ donation. Mean age was 44.8±18.7 years; 191 (75.2%) were male, 136 (53.5%) were Hispanic, and 148 (58.3%) were trauma patients. Of the 254 patients, 116 (45.7%) were not eligible for donation: 34 had multi-system organ failure, 24 did not progress to brain death and had support withdrawn, 18 had uncontrolled sepsis, 15 had malignancy, 6 had human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis B or C, and 19 patients had other contraindications to organ donation. Of the remaining 138 eligible patients, 83 (60.2%) did not donate: 56 because the family denied consent, 9 by their own choice. In six, next of kin could not be located, five died because of hemodynamic instability before organ procurement was possible, four had organs that could not be placed, and three had their organs declined by the organ procurement organization. The overall consent rate was 57.5% (n=67). From the 55 donors, 255 organs were procured (yield 4.6 organs/donor). Of all patients screened for organ donation, only a fifth actually donated. Denial of consent was the major potentially preventable cause of procurement failure, whereas hemodynamic instability accounted for only a small percentage of donor losses. With such low conversion rates, the preventable causes of procurement failure warrant further study.

Cardiac channelopathies and sudden infant death syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tfelt-Hansen, Jacob; Winkel, Bo Gregers; Grunnet, Morten

2011-01-01

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is always a devastating and unexpected occurrence. SIDS is the leading cause of death in the first 6 months after birth in the industrialized world. Since the discovery in 1998 of long QT syndrome as an underlying substrate for SIDS, around 10-20% of SIDS cases...

Deceased donor organ transplantation with expanded criteria donors: a single-center experience from India.

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Goplani, K R; Firoz, A; Ramakrishana, P; Shah, P R; Gumber, M R; Patel, H V; Vanikar, A V; Trivedi, H L

2010-01-01

Deceased donor organ transplantation (DDOT) accounts for DKT) and 19 single (SKT). Fourteen donors had hypertension, a cerebrovascular accident as the cause of death, 9 had both, and 4 had diabetes. Mean donor age was 70.3 +/- 8.9 years. Decisions on the procedure were based upon frozen section biopsy in 13 of 21 donors. Mean DKT donor age was 76 +/- 9.7 years versu 64 +/- 5.7 years of SKT donors. The native kidney diseases were chronic glomerulonephritis (n = 14), diabetic nephropathy (n = 7), tubulointerstitial nephritis (n = 4) and polycystic kidney disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, lupus nephritis and patchy cortical necrosis, (n = 1 each). Mean recipient age of DKT versus SKT was 43.5 versus 42.3 years. All recipients received rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin, followed by steroid, mycophenolate mofetil/calcinueurin inhibitor. Over a mean follow-up of 341 days, the mean serum creatinine (SCr) of 25/29 patients was 1.60 mg/dL (range, 1.0-2.6). The mean SCr of SKT patients was 1.59 +/- 0.63 mg/dL and of DKT, 1.62 +/- 0.48 mg/dL. Ten patients had delayed graft function and 11 had biopsy proven acute tubular necrosis. Seven (24%) patients had rejection (grade 3 Banff update '05, type IA; 4, type 2A); 6 responded to antirejection; 1 graft was lost at 7 months due to chronic rejection. Three (10.3%) patients were lost, 1 each due to AMI, sepsis, and CMV disease. In the circumstances of organ shortage, DDOT with expanded criteria donor is a feasible option.

Uptake of donor lymphocytes treated with 8-methoxypsoralen and ultraviolet A light by recipient dendritic cells induces CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and down-regulates cardiac allograft rejection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, De-Hua; Dou, Li-Ping; Wei, Yu-Xiang; Du, Guo-Sheng; Zou, Yi-Ping; Song, Ji-Yong; Zhu, Zhi-Dong; Cai, Ming; Qian, Ye-Yong; Shi, Bing-Yi

2010-01-01

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is an effective immunomodulatory therapy and has been demonstrated to be beneficial for graft-vs-host disease and solid-organ allograft rejection. ECP involves reinfusion of a patient's autologous peripheral blood leukocytes treated ex vivo with 8-methoxypsoralen and UVA light radiation (PUVA). Previous studies focused only on ECP treatment of recipient immune cells. Our study is the first to extend the target of ECP treatment to donor immune cells. The results of in vitro co-culture experiments demonstrate uptake of donor PUVA-treated splenic lymphocytes (PUVA-SPs) by recipient immature dendritic cells (DCs). Phagocytosis of donor PUVA-SPs does not stimulate phenotype maturation of recipient DCs. In the same co-culture system, donor PUVA-SPs enhanced production of interleukin-10 and interferon-γ by recipient DCs and impaired the subsequent capability of recipient DCs to stimulate recipient naive T cells. Phagocytosis of donor PUVA-SP (PUVA-SP DCs) by recipient DCs shifted T-cell responses in favor of T helper 2 cells. Infusion of PUVA-SP DCs inhibited cardiac allograft rejection in an antigen-specific manner and induced CD4 + CD25 high Foxp3 + regulatory T cells. In conclusion, PUVA-SP DCs simultaneously deliver the donor antigen and the regulatory signal to the transplant recipient, and thus can be used to develop a novel DC vaccine for negative immune regulation and immune tolerance induction.

Management of the Potential Organ Donor in the ICU: Society of Critical Care Medicine/American College of Chest Physicians/Association of Organ Procurement Organizations Consensus Statement.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotloff, Robert M; Blosser, Sandralee; Fulda, Gerard J; Malinoski, Darren; Ahya, Vivek N; Angel, Luis; Byrnes, Matthew C; DeVita, Michael A; Grissom, Thomas E; Halpern, Scott D; Nakagawa, Thomas A; Stock, Peter G; Sudan, Debra L; Wood, Kenneth E; Anillo, Sergio J; Bleck, Thomas P; Eidbo, Elling E; Fowler, Richard A; Glazier, Alexandra K; Gries, Cynthia; Hasz, Richard; Herr, Dan; Khan, Akhtar; Landsberg, David; Lebovitz, Daniel J; Levine, Deborah Jo; Mathur, Mudit; Naik, Priyumvada; Niemann, Claus U; Nunley, David R; O'Connor, Kevin J; Pelletier, Shawn J; Rahman, Omar; Ranjan, Dinesh; Salim, Ali; Sawyer, Robert G; Shafer, Teresa; Sonneti, David; Spiro, Peter; Valapour, Maryam; Vikraman-Sushama, Deepak; Whelan, Timothy P M

2015-06-01

This document was developed through the collaborative efforts of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American College of Chest Physicians, and the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations. Under the auspices of these societies, a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional task force was convened, incorporating expertise in critical care medicine, organ donor management, and transplantation. Members of the task force were divided into 13 subcommittees, each focused on one of the following general or organ-specific areas: death determination using neurologic criteria, donation after circulatory death determination, authorization process, general contraindications to donation, hemodynamic management, endocrine dysfunction and hormone replacement therapy, pediatric donor management, cardiac donation, lung donation, liver donation, kidney donation, small bowel donation, and pancreas donation. Subcommittees were charged with generating a series of management-related questions related to their topic. For each question, subcommittees provided a summary of relevant literature and specific recommendations. The specific recommendations were approved by all members of the task force and then assembled into a complete document. Because the available literature was overwhelmingly comprised of observational studies and case series, representing low-quality evidence, a decision was made that the document would assume the form of a consensus statement rather than a formally graded guideline. The goal of this document is to provide critical care practitioners with essential information and practical recommendations related to management of the potential organ donor, based on the available literature and expert consensus.

Myocardial contrast defect associated with thrombotic coronary occlusion: Pre-autopsy diagnosis of a cardiac death with post-mortem CT angiography

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Lee, Heon; Cha, Jang Gyu [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Bucheon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Hye Jin; Lee, Soo Kyoung; Yang, Kyung Moo [Dept. of Forensic Medicine, National Forensic Service, Wonju (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

We report the case of a female who died of suspected acute myocardial infarction. Post-mortem CT angiography (PMCTA) was performed with intravascular contrast infusion before the standard autopsy, and it successfully demonstrated the complete thrombotic occlusion of a coronary artery and also a corresponding perfusion defect on myocardium. We herein describe the PMCTA findings of a cardiac death with special emphasis on the potential benefits of this novel CT technique in forensic practice.

Angiotensin converting enzyme DD genotype is associated with acute coronary syndrome severity and sudden cardiac death in Taiwan: a case-control emergency room study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ying-Hsin; Liu, Jui-Ming; Hsu, Ren-Jun; Hu, Sheng-Chuan; Harn, Horng-Jyh; Chen, Shee-Ping; Jeng, Jing-Ren; Wu, Chieh-Lin; Ho, Jar-Yi; Yu, Cheng-Ping

2012-02-15

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphisms have been associated with acute coronary syndrome (ACS); however, several controversial results have also been found in different studied populations. This hospital-based, emergency room, case-control study in Taiwan retrospectively investigated 111 ACS patients, and 195 non-coronary subjects as a control group, to study the effects of ACE I/D polymorphism in the most urgent ACS patients. ACE I/D polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction-based assays and their associations with ACS risk, severity, and sudden cardiac death were determined. The ACE DD genotype was associated with ACS incidence. The DD genotype was associated with a significant 4-fold higher risk of ACS in multivariate analysis (odds ratio (OR) = 4.295; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.436-12.851, p = 0.009), and a 3.35-fold higher risk of acute myocardial infarction. DD genotype carriers also had more than 3-fold higher risks of stenosis in all the three coronary arteries, left anterior descending artery infarction, and anterior wall infarction. In addition, the DD genotype was also associated with a higher risk of sudden cardiac death (OR = 6.484, 95% CI: 1.036-40.598, p = 0.046). This study demonstrated that the ACE DD genotype is an independent risk factor for ACS, and in particular, for acute myocardial infarction. In addition, the ACE DD genotype is also associated with greater ACS severity and a higher risk of sudden cardiac death. ACE genotyping is recommended for patients with a history of ACS, and more intensive preventive care is suggested for patients with the DD genotype.

Cardiac arrhythmia as initial presentation of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Kleij, FGH; Henselmans, JML; van de Loosdrecht, AA

1999-01-01

Cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death are most frequently caused by preexisting heart disease. Rarely, cardiac arrhythmia is a first symptom of an acute neurological event. We describe a patient with asystole and other cardiac arrhythmias, as initial symptoms of acute aneurysmal subarachnoid

Risk factors and causes of sudden noncardiac death

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Risgaard, Bjarke; Lynge, Thomas Hadberg; Wissenberg, Mads

2015-01-01

was to report the risk factors and causes of SNCD. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, nationwide study including all deaths between 2000 and 2006 of individuals aged 1-35 years and all deaths between 2007 and 2009 of individuals aged 1-49 years. Two physicians identified all sudden death cases through.......3-2.3; OR 3.0, 95% CI 2.0-4.4; and OR 4.3, 95% CI 2.5-7.4, respectively). The most common cause of SNCD was pulmonary disease (n = 115 [40%]). CONCLUSION: Sudden death among individuals aged caused by noncardiac diseases in 28% of cases. Risk factors were female sex, age, and the absence......BACKGROUND: On the performance of an autopsy, sudden deaths may be divided into 2 classifications: (1) sudden cardiac deaths and (2) sudden noncardiac deaths (SNCDs). Families of SNCD victims should not be followed up as a means of searching for cardiac disease. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study...

A Multicenter Study on Long-Term Outcomes After Lung Transplantation Comparing Donation After Circulatory Death and Donation After Brain Death

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Suylen, Vincent; Luijk, B.; Hoek, R A S; van de Graaf, E. A.; Verschuuren, E A; Van De Wauwer, C; Bekkers, J A; Meijer, R C A; van der Bij, W; Erasmus, M E

2017-01-01

The implementation of donation after circulatory death category 3 (DCD3) was one of the attempts to reduce the gap between supply and demand of donor lungs. In the Netherlands, the total number of potential lung donors was greatly increased by the availability of DCD3 lungs in addition to the

Mutations in Genes Encoding Cardiac Ion Channels Previously Associated With Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Are Present With High Frequency in New Exome Data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Charlotte Hartig; Refsgaard, Lena; Nielsen, Jonas B

2013-01-01

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Grand Opportunity (NHLBI GO) Exome Sequencing Project (ESP) provided important knowledge on genetic variation in the background population. Our aim was to identify all variants previously associated with SIDS in ESP to improve the discrimination between plausible......Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of death in the first 6 months after birth in the industrialized world. The genetic contribution to SIDS has been investigated intensively and to date, 14 cardiac channelopathy genes have been associated with SIDS. Newly published data from...

Comparison of seropositivity of human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and syphilis among Hospital Cornea Retrieval Programme-Donors versus voluntary cornea donors at a large eye bank in Eastern India.

Science.gov (United States)

Basak, Soham; Basak, Samar K; Biswas, Bani

2017-11-01

To compare the serology profile of donors from Hospital Cornea Retrieval Programme-donors (HCRP-D) and voluntary cornea donors (VC-D) from a large eye bank in Eastern India. This is a retrospective analysis of donor details from January 2011 to December 2016. Donor demographics, cause of death, and serology reports were compiled. Postmortem blood was tested for human immunodeficiency virus 1 and 2 (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and syphilis using government-approved kits as per the National Programme for Control of Blindness Standards of Eye Banking. Donors for whom serology was not possible were excluded. A total of 4300 of 4353 donors were included of which 74.3% were hospital donors and 25.7% were voluntary donors. A total of 93 (2.2%) donors with 94 seropositive reports were noted: 79 (84.9%) from HCRP-D and 14 (15.1%) from VC-D which was statistically significantly higher (P = 0.02). Among seropositive reports, HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis accounted for 12 (12.8%), 38 (40.4%), 36 (38.3%), and eight (8.5%), respectively. There was no correlation between the cause of death and seropositivity. A statistically significant decreasing trend in seroprevalence among hospital donors was observed over the years (5.3% in 2011 to 1.4% in 2016; P = 0.004). Two (0.47%) of 421 hospital donors with prior negative serology were found to be seropositive. Seropositive rates are significantly higher among hospital donors in spite of medical prescreening compared to nonscreened voluntary donors. Serology should be repeated even when prior reports are available.

Sports-related sudden cardiac deaths in the young population of Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Asatryan, Babken; Vital, Cristina; Kellerhals, Christoph; Medeiros-Domingo, Argelia; Gräni, Christoph; Trachsel, Lukas D; Schmied, Christian M; Saguner, Ardan M; Eser, Prisca; Herzig, David; Bolliger, Stephan; Michaud, Katarzyna; Wilhelm, Matthias

2017-01-01

In Switzerland, ECG screening was first recommended for national squad athletes in 1998. Since 2001 it has become mandatory in selected high-risk professional sports. Its impact on the rates of sports-related sudden cardiac death (SCD) is unknown. We aimed to study the incidence, causes and time trends of sports-related SCD in comparison to SCD unrelated to exercise in Switzerland. We reviewed all forensic reports of SCDs of the German-speaking region of Switzerland in the age group of 10 to 39 years, occurring between 1999 and 2010. Cases were classified into three categories based on whether or not deaths were associated with sports: no sports (NONE), recreational sports (REC), and competitive sports (COMP). Over the 12-year study period, 349 SCD cases were recorded (mean age 30±7 years, 76.5% male); 297 cases were categorized as NONE, 31 as REC, and 21 as COMP. Incidences of SCD per 100,000 person-years [mean (95% CI)] were the lowest in REC [0.43 (0.35-0.56)], followed by COMP [1.19 (0.89-1.60)] and NONE [2.46 (2.27-2.66)]. In all three categories, coronary artery disease (CAD) with or without acute myocardial infarction (MI) was the most common cause of SCD. Three professional athletes were identified in COMP category which all had SCD due to acute MI. There were no time trends, neither in overall, nor in cause-specific incidences of SCD. The incidence of SCD in young individuals in Switzerland is low, both related and unrelated to sports. In regions, like Switzerland, where CAD is the leading cause of SCD associated with competitions, screening for cardiovascular risk factors in addition to the current PPS recommendations might be indicated to improve detection of silent CAD and further decrease the incidence of SCD.

Mitral valve prolapse: an underestimated cause of sudden cardiac death-a current review of the literature.

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Spartalis, Michael; Tzatzaki, Eleni; Spartalis, Eleftherios; Athanasiou, Antonios; Moris, Demetrios; Damaskos, Christos; Garmpis, Nikolaos; Voudris, Vassilis

2017-12-01

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common valve abnormality in general population. Despite the general belief of a benign disorder, several articles since the 1980s report sudden cardiac death (SCD) in MVP patients, with a substantial percentage of asymptomatic young individuals. The problem is to detect those patients at increased risk and implement methods that are suitable to prevent cardiac arrest. This review investigates the correlation between MVP and SCD, the understanding of the pathophysiology, the strategies for detecting those at risk and treatment options. A complete literature survey was performed using PubMed database search to gather available information regarding MVP and SCD. A total of 33 studies met selection criteria for inclusion in the review. MVP is an underrated cause of arrhythmic SCD. The subset of patients with malignant MVP who may be at greater risk for SCD is characterized by young women with bileaflet MVP, biphasic or inverted T waves in the inferior leads, and frequent complex ventricular ectopic activity with documented ventricular bigeminy or ventricular tachycardia (VT) and premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) configurations of outflow tract alternating with fascicular origin or papillary muscle. MVP is a common condition in the general population and is often encountered in asymptomatic individuals. The existing literature continues to generate significant controversy regarding the association of MVP with ventricular arrhythmias and SCD. Early echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) are essential, as is a greater understanding of the potential electrophysiological processes of primary arrhythmogenesis and the evaluation of the genetic substrate.

Polymorphisms in the GNAS Gene as Predictors of Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wieneke, Heinrich; Svendsen, Jesper Hastrup; Lande, Jeffrey

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Population-based studies suggest that genetic factors contribute to sudden cardiac death (SCD). METHODS AND RESULTS: In the first part of the present study (Diagnostic Data Influence on Disease Management and Relation of Genetic Polymorphisms to Ventricular Tachy-arrhythmia in ICD......). In the second part of the study, SNPs significantly associated with VT were further investigated in 1335 subjects from the Oregon SUDS, a community-based study analyzing causes of SCD. In the DISCOVERY trial, genotypes of 2 SNPs in the GNAS gene were nominally significant in the prospective screening......, of which 1 was successfully replicated in a community-based population of SCD cases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of a gene variant identified by ICD VT monitoring as a surrogate parameter for SCD and also confirmed in the general population. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL...

Active Donor Management During the Hospital Phase of Care Is Associated with More Organs Transplanted per Donor.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Madhukar S; De La Cruz, Salvador; Sally, Mitchell B; Groat, Tahnee; Malinoski, Darren J

2017-10-01

Meeting donor management goals when caring for potential organ donors has been associated with more organs transplanted per donor (OTPD). Concern persists, however, as to whether this indicates that younger/healthier donors are more likely to meet donor management goals or whether active management affects outcomes. A prospective observational study of all standard criteria donors was conducted by 10 organ procurement organizations across United Network for Organ Sharing Regions 4, 5, and 6. Donor management goals representing normal critical care end points were measured at 2 time points: when a catastrophic brain injury was recognized and a referral was made to the organ procurement organization by the DH; and after brain death was declared and authorization for organ donation was obtained. Donor management goals Bundle "met" was defined as achieving any 7 of 9 end points. A positive Bundle status change was defined as not meeting the Bundle at referral and subsequently achieving it at authorization. The primary outcomes measure was having ≥4 OTPD. Data were collected for 1,398 standard criteria donors. Of the 1,166 (83%) who did not meet the Bundle at referral, only 254 (22%) had a positive Bundle status change. On adjusted analysis, positive Bundle status change increased the odds of achieving ≥4 OTPD significantly (odds ratio 2.04; 95% CI 1.49 to 2.81; p management goal Bundle status change during donor hospital management is associated with a 2-fold increase in achieving ≥4 OTPD. Active critical care management of the potential organ donor, as evidenced by improvement in routinely measured critical care end points can be a means by which to substantially increase the number of organs available for transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Effect of brain death on gene expression and tissue activation in human donor kidneys

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijboer, WN; Schuurs, TA; van der Hoeven, JAB; Fekken, S; Wiersema-Buist, J; Leuvenink, HGD; Hofker, Hendrik; Homan van der Heide, J; van Son, WJ; Ploeg, RJ

2004-01-01

Background. After kidney transplantation, decreased graft survival is seen in grafts from brain dead (BD) donors compared with living donors. This might result partly from a progressive nonspecific inflammation in the graft. In this study, we focused on the effects of BD on inflammatory response

Effect of brain death on gene expression and tissue activation in human donor kidneys

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijboer, Willemijn N.; Schuurs, Theo A.; van der Hoeven, Joost A. B.; Fekken, Susan; Wiersema-Buist, Janneke; Leuvenink, Henri G. D.; Hofker, Sijbrand; Homan van der Heide, Jaap J.; van Son, Willem J.; Ploeg, Rutger J.

2004-01-01

After kidney transplantation, decreased graft survival is seen in grafts from brain dead (BD) donors compared with living donors. This might result partly from a progressive nonspecific inflammation in the graft. In this study, we focused on the effects of BD on inflammatory response (adhesion

Trends in organ donor management: 2002 to 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Callahan, Devon S; Kim, Dennis; Bricker, Scott; Neville, Angela; Putnam, Brant; Smith, Jennifer; Bongard, Frederic; Plurad, David

2014-10-01

Refinements in donor management have resulted in increased numbers and quality of grafts after neurologic death. We hypothesize that the increased use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been accompanied by improved outcomes over time. Using the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network donor database, all brain-dead donors procured from July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2012 were studied. Hormone replacement therapy was identified by an infusion of thyroid hormone. An expanded criteria donor was defined as age 60 years or older. Incidence of HRT administration and number of donors and organs recovered were calculated. Using the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network thoracic recipient database transplant list, wait times were examined. There were 74,180 brain-dead donors studied. Hormone replacement therapy use increased substantially from 25.6% to 72.3% of donors. However, mean number of organs procured per donor remained static (3.51 to 3.50; p = 0.083), and the rate of high-yield donors decreased (46.4% to 43.1%; p donors decreased (42.1% to 33.9%; p donors (22.1% to 26%). Despite this, there has been an increase in the raw number of donors (20,558 to 24,308; p organs (5,857 to 6,945; p organs per traumatic brain injury donor (4.02 to 4.12; p = 0.002) and a decrease in days on the waiting list (462.2 to 170.4 days; p donors has been accompanied by increased organ availability overall. Potential mechanisms might include successful conversion of previously unacceptable donors and improved recovery in certain subsets of donors. Copyright © 2014 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Small cardiac lesions: fibrosis of papillary muscles and focal cardiac myocytolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steer, A [Hijiyanna Park, Hiroshima JP; Nakashima, N; Kawashima, T; Lee, K K; Danzig, M D; Robertson, T L; Dock, D S

1977-11-01

Three types of small cardiac lesions were described and illustrated: (1) focal type of papillary muscle fibrosis, evidently a healed infarct of the papillary muscle present in 13% of the autopsies, is a histologically characteristic lesion associated with coronary artery disease and healed myocardial infarction; (2) diffuse type of papillary muscle fibrosis, probably an aging change present in almost half of the autopsies, is associated with sclerosis of the arteries in the papillary muscle, is identifiable histologically; and apparently is not associated with any cardiac abnormality; and (3) focal cardiac myocytolysis, a unique histologic lesion, usually multifocal without predilection for any area of the heart, is associated with ischemic heart disease, death due to cancer complicated by non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis and microthrombi in small cardiac arteries as well as with other diseases. Differentiation of the 2 types of papillary muscle fibrosis is important in the study of papillary muscle and mitral valve dysfunction. Focal cardiac myocytolysis may contribute to the fatal extension of myocardial infarcts.

Small cardiac lesions: fibrosis of papillary muscles and focal cardiac myocytolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steer, A; Nakashima, T; Kawashima, T; Lee, K K; Danzig, M D; Robertson, T L; Dock, D S

1977-11-01

Three types of small cardiac lesions were described and illustrated: (1) focal type of papillary muscle fibrosis, evidently a healed infarct of the papillary muscle present in 13% of the autopsies, is a histologically characteristic lesion associated with coronary artery disease and healed myocardial infarction, (2) diffuse type of papillary muscle fibrosis, probably an aging change present in almost half of the autopsies, is associated with sclerosis of the arteries in the papillary muscle, is identifiable histologically, and apparently is not associated with any cardiac abnormality, and (3) focal cardiac myochtolysis, a unique histologic lesion, usually multifocal without predilection for any area of the heart, is associated with ischemic heart disease, death due to cancer complicated by nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis and microthrombi in small cardiac arteries as well as with other diseases. Differentiation of the 2 types of papillary muscle fibrosis is important in the study of papillary muscle and mitral valve dysfunction. Focal cardiac myocytolysis may contribute to the fatal extension of myocardial infarcts.

Islam, brain death, and transplantation: culture, faith, and jurisprudence.

Science.gov (United States)

Arbour, Richard; AlGhamdi, Hanan Mesfer Saad; Peters, Linda

2012-01-01

A significant gap exists between availability of organs for transplant and patients with end-stage organ failure for whom organ transplantation is the last treatment option. Reasons for this mismatch include inadequate approach to potential donor families and donor loss as a result of refractory cardiopulmonary instability during and after brainstem herniation. Other reasons include inadequate cultural competence and sensitivity when communicating with potential donor families. Clinicians may not have an understanding of the cultural and religious perspectives of Muslim families of critically ill patients who may be approached about brain death and organ donation. This review analyzes Islamic cultural and religious perspectives on organ donation, transplantation, and brain death, including faith-based directives from Islamic religious authorities, definitions of death in Islam, and communication strategies when discussing brain death and organ donation with Muslim families. Optimal family care and communication are highlighted using case studies and backgrounds illustrating barriers and approaches with Muslim families in the United States and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that can improve cultural competence and family care as well as increase organ availability within the Muslim population and beyond.

Screening of young competitive athletes for the prevention of sudden cardiac death with a wireless electrocardiographic transmission device: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Jae Hyung; Selen, Mats A; Kocheril, Abraham G

2015-08-11

The 12-lead electrocardiographic screening for the prevention of sudden cardiac death in young competitive athletes is not cost-effective and thus not routinely recommended. We investigate whether a less expensive wireless electrocardiographic transmission device can be used to screen for the prevention of sudden cardiac death in this population. During pre-participation screening, twenty college football players underwent two electrocardiograms: a conventional 12-lead electrocardiogram and a wireless 9-lead electrocardiogram. We compared several electrocardiographic parameters (QRS duration, left ventricular hypertrophy using the Cornell voltage criteria and the Sokolow-Lyon criteria, ST deviation and corrected QT interval) to determine the correlation. The QRS duration, left ventricular hypertrophy using the Cornell voltage criteria and the Sokolow-Lyon criteria and corrected QT interval exhibited significant correlation between the two types of electrocardiograms (correlation coefficient 0.878, 0.630, 0.770 and 0.847, respectively with P values of 0.01, 0.003, 0.01 and 0.01, respectively). ST deviation in V1 was weakly correlated between the two types of electrocardiograms without statistical significance (correlation coefficient 0.360 with a P value of 0.119). Our newly developed wireless 9-lead electrocardiogram demonstrated significant correlations with a conventional 12-lead electrocardiogram in terms of QRS duration, left ventricular hypertrophy and corrected QT interval.

Postmortem ICD interrogation in mode of death classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolaidou, Theodora; Johnson, Miriam J; Ghosh, Justin M; Marincowitz, Carl; Shah, Saumil; Lammiman, Michael J; Schilling, Richard J; Clark, Andrew L

2018-04-01

The definition of sudden death due to arrhythmia relies on the time interval between onset of symptoms and death. However, not all sudden deaths are due to arrhythmia. In patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), postmortem device interrogation may help better distinguish the mode of death compared to a time-based definition alone. This study aims to assess the proportion of "sudden" cardiac deaths in patients with an ICD that have confirmed arrhythmia. We conducted a literature search for studies using postmortem ICD interrogation and a time-based classification of the mode of death. A modified QUADAS-2 checklist was used to assess risk of bias in individual studies. Outcome data were pooled where sufficient data were available. Our search identified 22 studies undertaken between 1982 and 2015 with 23,600 participants. The pooled results (excluding studies with high risk of bias) suggest that ventricular arrhythmias are present at the time of death in 76% of "sudden" deaths (95% confidence interval [CI] 67-85; range 42-88). Postmortem ICD interrogation identifies 24% of "sudden" deaths to be nonarrhythmic. Postmortem device interrogation should be considered in all cases of unexplained sudden cardiac death. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Assessment of cardiac risk before non-cardiac surgery: brain natriuretic peptide in 1590 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Dernellis, J; Panaretou, M

2006-11-01

To evaluate the predictive value of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) for assessment of cardiac risk before non-cardiac surgery. Consecutively treated patients (947 men, 643 women) whose BNP was measured before non-cardiac surgery were studied. Clinical and ECG variables were evaluated to identify predictors of postoperative cardiac events. Events occurred in 6% of patients: 21 cardiac deaths, 20 non-fatal myocardial infarctions, 41 episodes of pulmonary oedema and 14 patients with ventricular tachycardia. All of these patients had raised plasma BNP concentrations (best cut-off point 189 pg/ml). The only independent predictor of postoperative events was BNP (odds ratio 34.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 17.08 to 68.62, p 300 pg/ml); postoperative event rates were 0%, 5%, 12% and 81%, respectively. In this population of patients evaluated before non-cardiac surgery, BNP is an independent predictor of postoperative cardiac events. BNP > 189 pg/ml identified patients at highest risk.

Comparison of seropositivity of human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and syphilis among Hospital Cornea Retrieval Programme-Donors versus voluntary cornea donors at a large eye bank in Eastern India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soham Basak

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To compare the serology profile of donors from Hospital Cornea Retrieval Programme-donors (HCRP-D and voluntary cornea donors (VC-D from a large eye bank in Eastern India. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of donor details from January 2011 to December 2016. Donor demographics, cause of death, and serology reports were compiled. Postmortem blood was tested for human immunodeficiency virus 1 and 2 (HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV, hepatitis C virus (HCV, and syphilis using government-approved kits as per the National Programme for Control of Blindness Standards of Eye Banking. Donors for whom serology was not possible were excluded. Results: A total of 4300 of 4353 donors were included of which 74.3% were hospital donors and 25.7% were voluntary donors. A total of 93 (2.2% donors with 94 seropositive reports were noted: 79 (84.9% from HCRP-D and 14 (15.1% from VC-D which was statistically significantly higher (P = 0.02. Among seropositive reports, HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis accounted for 12 (12.8%, 38 (40.4%, 36 (38.3%, and eight (8.5%, respectively. There was no correlation between the cause of death and seropositivity. A statistically significant decreasing trend in seroprevalence among hospital donors was observed over the years (5.3% in 2011 to 1.4% in 2016; P = 0.004. Two (0.47% of 421 hospital donors with prior negative serology were found to be seropositive. Conclusion: Seropositive rates are significantly higher among hospital donors in spite of medical prescreening compared to nonscreened voluntary donors. Serology should be repeated even when prior reports are available.

Aborted sudden cardiac death in a young male with anomalous left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Han Huang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Anomalous left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA is a rare type of congenital coronary abnormality that may be associated with early infant mortality and sudden adult cardiac death. We report a case regarding a 23-year-old male who collapsed during a marathon race and was resuscitated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Subsequent workups verified the diagnosis of ALCAPA. The patient underwent surgical intervention with obliteration of the ALCAPA orifice and coronary artery bypass grafting with left internal mammary artery to left anterior descending coronary artery. The procedure was done smoothly, and he was discharged uneventfully.

Pattern of perioperative cardiac arrests at University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwari, Y D; Bello, M R; Eni, U E

2010-01-01

Perioperative cardiac arrests and death on the table represent the most serious complications of surgery and anaesthesia. This paper was designed to study their pattern, causes and outcomes following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and intensive care unit (ICU) management in our institution. Three year retrospective review of perioperative cardiac arrests and death on operating table following surgical procedure under anaesthesia. For each cardiac arrest or death on the table the sequence of events leading to the arrest was evaluated using case notes, anaesthetic chart and ICU records. Study variables which include demographic data, ASA score, anaesthetic technique, causes and outcome were analysed and discussed. Fourteen perioperative cardiac arrests were encountered following 4051 anaesthetics administered over the three year study period. Twelve out of the fourteen cardiac arrests occurred following general anaesthesia, while the remaining two occurred following spinal anaesthesia. There was no cardiac arrest following local anaesthesia. Children suffered more cardiac arrest than adults. ASA class III and IV risk status suffered more arrests than ASA I and II. Hypoxia from airway problems was the commonest cause of cardiac arrest followed by septic shock. Monitoring with pulse oximeter was done in only 4 out of the 14 cardiac arrests. Only 2 (14%) out of 14 cardiac arrests recovered to home discharge, one of them with significant neurological deficit. Majority of arrests were due to hypoxia from airway problems that were not detected early There is need to improve on patient monitoring, knowledge of CPR and intensive care so as to improve the outcome of perioperative cardiac arrest.

Clinical Outcomes and Quality of Life in Recipients of Livers Donated after Cardiac Death

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neehar D. Parikh

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Donation after cardiac death (DCD has expanded in the last decade in the US; however, DCD liver utilization has flattened in recent years due to poor outcomes. We examined clinical and quality of life (QOL outcomes of DCD recipients by conducting a retrospective and cross-sectional review of patients from 2003 to 2010. We compared clinical outcomes of DCD recipients (n=60 to those of donation after brain death (DBD liver recipients (n=669 during the same time period. DCD recipients had significantly lower rates of 5-year graft survival (P<0.001 and a trend toward lower rates of 5-year patient survival (P=0.064 when compared to the DBD cohort. In order to examine QOL outcomes in our cohorts, we administered the Short Form Liver Disease Quality of Life questionnaire to 30 DCD and 60 DBD recipients. The DCD recipients reported lower generic and liver-specific QOL. We further stratified the DCD cohort by the presence of ischemic cholangiopathy (IC. Patients with IC reported lower QOL when compared to DBD recipients and those DCD recipients without IC (P<0.05. While the results are consistent with clinical experience, this is the first report of QOL in DCD recipients using standardized measures. These data can be used to guide future comparative effectiveness studies.

Overzealous cardiac massage leading to unintentional infant death.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinani, Fatos; Ymaj, Besim; Vyshka, Gentian

2011-10-16

The case of an 18-month child is presented, with a picture demonstrating the thoracic trauma, caused from a hand pressure movement, perpetrated with an open right palm, in an attempt to perform an external cardiac massage. The child showed continuous episodes of 'crying spells' that the medical staff considered as benign, but an overprotective and mentally unstable mother kept on violently 'resuscitating' her son during such episodes. The last episode was characterised with a strenuous massage of the thoracic wall, causing evident bruises and leading to a cardiac contusion. The mother who perpetrated the trauma was sentenced for manslaughter, after the accidental character of the event, as well as the severity of her family situation and the precarious living environment of a socially abandoned single-acting parent, were all taken into account. The particular psychopathology of the care giver (mother) and the characteristics of the inflicted thoracic blow are described.

[THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF FINDING ORGANS FOR TRANSPLANTATION AMONG NON-HEART BEATING DONORS UNDER UNSUCCESSFUL EXTRACORPOREAL RESUSCITATION (LITERATURE REVIEW)].

Science.gov (United States)

Khodeli, N; Chkhaidze, Z; Partsakhashvili, D; Pilishvili, O; Kordzaia, D

2016-05-01

The number of patients who are in the "Transplant Waiting List" is increasing each year. At the same time, as a result of the significant shortage of donor organs, part of the patients dies without waiting till surgery. According to the Maastricht classification for non-heart beating donors, the patients, who had cardiac arrest outside the hospital (in the uncontrolled by medical staff conditions) should be considered as a potential donors of category II. For these patients, the most effective resuscitation is recommended. The extracorporeal life support (ECLS) considers the connection to a special artificial perfusion system for the restoration of blood circulation out-of-hospital with further transportation to the hospital. If restoration of independent cardiac activity does not occur, in spite of the full range of resuscitative measures, these patients may be regarded as potential donors. The final decision should be received in the hospital, by the council of physicians, lawyers and patient's family members. Until the final decision, the prolongation of ECLS and maintaining adequate systemic and organic circulation is recommended.

Pneumothorax as a Complication of Apnea Testing for Brain Death.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorton, Lauren Elizabeth; Dhar, Rajat; Woodworth, Lindsey; Anand, Nitin J; Hayes, Benjamin; Ramiro, Joanna Isabelle; Kumar, Abhay

2016-10-01

Pneumothorax is an under-recognized complication of apnea testing performed as part of the neurological determination of death. It may result in hemodynamic instability or even cardiac arrest, compromising ability to declare brain death (BD) and viability of organs for transplantation. We report three cases of pneumothorax with apnea testing (PAT) and review the available literature of this phenomenon. Series of three cases supplemented with a systematic review of literature (including discussion of apnea testing in major brain death guidelines). Two patients were diagnosed with PAT due to immediate hemodynamic compromise, while the third was diagnosed many hours after BD. An additional nine cases of PAT were found in the literature. Information regarding oxygen cannula diameter was available for nine patients (range 2.3-5.3 mm), and flow rate was available for ten patients (mean 11 L/min). Pneumothorax was treated to resolution in the majority of patients (n = 8), although only six completed apnea testing following diagnosis/treatment of pneumothorax and only three patients became organ donors afterward. Review of major BD guidelines showed that although use of low oxygen flow rate (usually ≤ 6 L/min) during apnea testing is suggested, the risk of PAT was explicitly mentioned in just one. Development of PAT may adversely affect the process of BD determination and could limit the opportunity for organ donation. Each institution should have preventive measures in place.

Change in donor profile influenced the percentage of organs transplanted from multiple organ donors.

Science.gov (United States)

Meers, C; Van Raemdonck, D; Van Gelder, F; Van Hees, D; Desschans, B; De Roey, J; Vanhaecke, J; Pirenne, J

2009-03-01

We hypothesized that the change in donor profile over the years influenced the percentage of transplantations. We reviewed medical records for all multiple-organ donors (MODs) within our network. The percentage of transplanted organs was compared between 1991-1992 (A) and 2006-2007 (B). In period A, 156 potential MODs were identified compared with 278 in period B. Fifteen potential donors (10%) in period A and 114 (41%) in period B were rejected because they were medically not suitable (40% vs 75%) or there was no family consent (60% vs 25%). Of the remaining effective MODs (141 in period A and 164 in period B), mean (standard deviation = SD) age was 34 (5) years vs 49 (17) years (P organs transplanted in periods A vs B was kidneys, 97% vs 79%; livers, 64% vs 85%; hearts, 60% vs 26%; lungs, 7% vs 35%; and pancreas, 6% vs 13% (P organs (17%), mainly because of medical contraindications. The MOD profile changed to older age, fewer traumatic brain deaths, and longer ventilation time. We transplanted more livers, lungs, and pancreases but fewer kidneys and hearts.

脑死亡无偿器官捐献肝脏移植2例报道%Orthotopic Liver Transplantation from Donor after Brian Death (Report of 2 Cases)

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

周志刚; 李超; 李立; 王胤佳; 董权; 李俊

2012-01-01

Objective To summarize and explore the feasibility of implementing organ donation after brain death for liver transplantation in the clinic. Methods From December 2011 to January 2012, we completed two cases of unpaid organ donation after brain death. All donors were diagnosed as brain death, and maintained with mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drug therapy to guarantee the perfusion of donor organs. All recipients were male, the preoperative diagnosis was hepatitis B cirrhosis, liver decompensation, Child-Pugh class C, MELD score 29 points, and hepatitis B cirrhosis, primary liver cancer, Child-Pugh class C, MELD score 26 points. Results In these two cases, we successfully procured donor's livers, and livers were successfully transplanted into all recipients, and working well during the follow-up period. Conclusion The implementation of liver transplantation using organs from brain death donors can gradually extended in our country, and is important to ease the shortage of organ pool.%目的 总结并探讨脑死亡无偿器官捐献肝脏移植在我国临床实施的可行性.方法 昆明市第一人民医院于2011年12月至2012年1月期间共完成2例脑死亡无偿器官捐献工作.2例供体确诊为脑死亡,应用机械通气、血管活性药物等治疗维持供体器官灌注.受体1男性,术前诊断乙肝后性肝硬化,肝功能失代偿,child-pugh C级,MELD评分29分;受体2男性,术前诊断乙肝后性肝硬化,原发性肝癌,child-pugh C级,MELD评分26分.结果 2例脑死亡供体均顺利无偿捐献肝脏,2例受体均顺利接受肝脏移植手术并康复出院,目前随访移植肝功能良好.结论 脑死亡无偿器官捐献肝脏移植的临床实施顺利,可以在我国逐渐推广实行,对缓解我国目前器官短缺状况起到相当重要的作用.

A novel combination technique of cold crystalloid perfusion but not cold storage facilitates transplantation of canine hearts donated after circulatory death.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenfeldt, Franklin; Ou, Ruchong; Salamonsen, Robert; Marasco, Silvana; Zimmet, Adam; Byrne, Joshua; Cosic, Filip; Saxena, Pankaj; Esmore, Donald

2016-11-01

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) represents a potential new source of hearts to increase the donor pool. We showed previously that DCD hearts in Greyhound dogs could be resuscitated and preserved by continuous cold crystalloid perfusion but not by cold static storage and could demonstrate excellent contractile and metabolic function on an in vitro system. In the current study, we demonstrate that resuscitated DCD hearts are transplantable. Donor Greyhound dogs (n = 12) were divided into perfusion (n = 8) and cold static storage (n = 4) groups. General anesthesia was induced and ventilation ceased for 30 minutes to achieve circulatory death. Donor cardiectomy was performed, and for 4 hours the heart was preserved by controlled reperfusion, followed by continuous cold perfusion with an oxygenated crystalloid perfusate or by static cold storage, after which orthotopic heart transplantation was performed. Recovery was assessed over 4 hours by hemodynamic monitoring. During cold perfusion, hearts showed continuous oxygen consumption and low lactate levels, indicating aerobic metabolism. The 8 dogs in the perfusion group were weaned off bypass, and 4 hours after bypass produced cardiac output of 4.73 ± 0.51 liters/min, left ventricular power of 7.63 ± 1.32 J/s, right ventricular power of 1.40 ± 0.43 J/s, and left ventricular fractional area shortening of 39.1% ± 5.2%, all comparable to pre-transplant values. In the cold storage group, 3 of 4 animals could not be weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass, and the fourth exhibited low-level function. Cold crystalloid perfusion, but not cold static storage, can resuscitate and preserve the DCD donor heart in a canine model of heart transplantation, thus rendering it transplantable. Controlled reperfusion and cold crystalloid perfusion have potential for clinical application in DCD transplantation. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Expanding the pool of kidney donors: use of kidneys with acute renal dysfunction

OpenAIRE

Matos, Ana Cristina Carvalho de; Requião-Moura, Lúcio Roberto; Clarizia, Gabriela; Durão Junior, Marcelino de Souza; Tonato, Eduardo José; Chinen, Rogério; Arruda, Érika Ferraz de; Filiponi, Thiago Corsi; Pires, Luciana Mello de Mello Barros; Bertocchi, Ana Paula Fernandes; Pacheco-Silva, Alvaro

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Given the shortage of organs transplantation, some strategies have been adopted by the transplant community to increase the supply of organs. One strategy is the use of expanded criteria for donors, that is, donors aged >60 years or 50 and 59 years, and meeting two or more of the following criteria: history of hypertension, terminal serum creatinine >1.5mg/dL, and stroke as the donor´s cause of death. In this review, emphasis was placed on the use of donors with acute renal failure, ...

Risk factors for sudden cardiac death among patients with schizophrenia.

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Hou, Ping-Yi; Hung, Galen Chin-Lun; Jhong, Jia-Rong; Tsai, Shang-Ying; Chen, Chiao-Chicy; Kuo, Chian-Jue

2015-10-01

Patients with schizophrenia suffer from excessive premature mortality, and sudden cardiac death (SCD) is receiving growing attention as a potential cause. The present study investigated the incidence of SCD and its risk factors in a large schizophrenia cohort. We enrolled a consecutive series of 8264 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (according to DSM-III-R and DSM-IV criteria) who were admitted to a psychiatric center in northern Taiwan from January 1, 1985 through December 31, 2008. By linking with national mortality database, 64 cases of SCD were identified. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for SCD was estimated. The cases were matched with controls randomly selected using risk-set sampling in a 1:2 ratio. A standardized chart review process was used to collect socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and the prescribed drugs for each study subject. Multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis was used to identify correlates of SCD at the index admission and the latest admission. The SMR for SCD was 4.5. For the clinical profiles at the index admission, physical disease (adjusted risk ratio [aRR]=2.91, Prisk of SCD. Regarding the latest admission, electrocardiographic abnormalities (aRR=5.46, Prisk for SCD. Consistently, aggressive behaviors (aRR=3.26, Prisk as well. Apart from cardiovascular profiles and antipsychotics, physical aggression is a crucial risk factor that deserves ongoing work for clarifying the mechanisms mediating SCD in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of cardiac sympathetic nerve integrity with positron emission tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raffel, David M.; Wieland, Donald M.

2001-01-01

The autonomic nervous system plays a critical role in the regulation of cardiac function. Abnormalities of cardiac innervation have been implicated in the pathophysiology of many heart diseases, including sudden cardiac death and congestive heart failure. In an effort to provide clinicians with the ability to regionally map cardiac innervation, several radiotracers for imaging cardiac sympathetic neurons have been developed. This paper reviews the development of neuronal imaging agents and discusses their emerging role in the noninvasive assessment of cardiac sympathetic innervation

Cigarette smoke causes caspase-independent apoptosis of bronchial epithelial cells from asthmatic donors.

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Fabio Bucchieri

Full Text Available Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated important links between air pollution and asthma. Amongst these pollutants, environmental cigarette smoke is a risk factor both for asthma pathogenesis and exacerbation. As the barrier to the inhaled environment, the bronchial epithelium is a key structure that is exposed to cigarette smoke.Since primary bronchial epithelial cells (PBECs from asthmatic donors are more susceptible to oxidant-induced apoptosis, we hypothesized that they would be susceptible to cigarette smoke-induced cell death.PBECs from normal and asthmatic donors were exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE; cell survival and apoptosis were assessed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and protective effects of antioxidants evaluated. The mechanism of cell death was evaluated using caspase inhibitors and immunofluorescent staining for apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF.Exposure of PBEC cultures to CSE resulted in a dose-dependent increase in cell death. At 20% CSE, PBECs from asthmatic donors exhibited significantly more apoptosis than cells from non-asthmatic controls. Reduced glutathione (GSH, but not ascorbic acid (AA, protected against CSE-induced apoptosis. To investigate mechanisms of CSE-induced apoptosis, caspase-3 or -9 inhibitors were tested, but these failed to prevent apoptosis; in contrast, CSE promoted nuclear translocation of AIF from the mitochondria. GSH reduced the number of nuclear-AIF positive cells whereas AA was ineffective.Our results show that PBECs from asthmatic donors are more susceptible to CSE-induced apoptosis. This response involves AIF, which has been implicated in DNA damage and ROS-mediated cell-death. Epithelial susceptibility to CSE may contribute to the impact of environmental tobacco smoke in asthma.

Noninvasive risk stratification of lethal ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death after myocardial infarction

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Kenji Yodogawa, MD

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Prediction of lethal ventricular arrhythmias leading to sudden cardiac death is one of the most important and challenging problems after myocardial infarction (MI. Identification of MI patients who are prone to ventricular tachyarrhythmias allows for an indication of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement. To date, noninvasive techniques such as microvolt T-wave alternans (MTWA, signal-averaged electrocardiography (SAECG, heart rate variability (HRV, and heart rate turbulence (HRT have been developed for this purpose. MTWA is an indicator of repolarization abnormality and is currently the most promising risk-stratification tool for predicting malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Similarly, late potentials detected by SAECG are indices of depolarization abnormality and are useful in risk stratification. However, the role of SAECG is limited because of its low predictive accuracy. Abnormal HRV and HRT patterns reflect autonomic disturbances, which may increase the risk of lethal ventricular arrhythmias, but the existing evidence is insufficient. Further studies of noninvasive assessment may provide a new insight into risk stratification in post-MI patients.

Donor cornea procurement: six-year review of the role of the eye bank in South Australia.

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Williams, K A; White, M A; Badenoch, P R; Wedding, T R; Alfrich, S J; Sawyer, M A; Noack, L M; Johnstone, E W; Zilm, G; Coster, D J

1990-02-01

The Lions Eye Bank of South Australia was established six years ago and has collected corneas from 790 donors. The consent rate is currently 82% of requests made. Two-thirds of donors have been male, with mean donor age/year varying from 54 to 64 years (range two to 93 years). Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, trauma and haemorrhage account for 80% of all donor deaths. Mean death to enucleation time is five hours. Corneas assessed as being of excellent or very good quality are released preferentially from the bank; those with central endothelial cell counts of less than 1500 cells/mm2 are discarded. Fewer than 1% of donors have returned a positive result for HIV or hepatitis B. Of the 1580 corneas collected by the bank, 863 (55%) have been used for transplantation with a primary non-function rate of 0.46%. The evolving policies, logistics of operation and methodologies employed by the bank are described in detail.

Ugly duckling or Nosferatu? Cardiac injury in endurance sport - screening recommendations.

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Leischik, R; Dworrak, B

2014-01-01

In the beginning sporting activity may be exhausting, but over time, physical activity turns out to have beneficial effects to the body and even extended cycling or running is an emotional and healthy enrichment in life. On the other hand, spectacular sudden deaths during marathon, football and, just recently, in the trend discipline triathlon seem to support the dark side of the sporting activity. Since years there are constantly appearing reports about a potential myocardial injury induced by intensive sporting activities. Cardiac hypertrophy is the heart's response to arterial hypertension and to physical activity, but can be associated with an unfavorable outcome - in worst case for example with sudden death. The question of the right dose of sporting activity, the question how to prevent cardiac death induced by physical activity and the question how to screen the athletes for the possible risk of sudden death or other cardiac complications during sporting activity are those that will be answered by this review article. In this review we summarize recent insights into the problem of endurance sport and possible negative cardiac remodeling as well as the question how to screen the athletes.

Adverse cardiac events in out-patients initiating clozapine treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rohde, C; Polcwiartek, C; Kragholm, K

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Using national Danish registers, we estimated rates of clozapine-associated cardiac adverse events. Rates of undiagnosed myocarditis were estimated by exploring causes of death after clozapine initiation. METHOD: Through nationwide health registers, we identified all out-patients initi......OBJECTIVE: Using national Danish registers, we estimated rates of clozapine-associated cardiac adverse events. Rates of undiagnosed myocarditis were estimated by exploring causes of death after clozapine initiation. METHOD: Through nationwide health registers, we identified all out...... the maximum rate of clozapine-associated fatal myocarditis to 0.28%. CONCLUSION: Cardiac adverse effects in Danish out-patients initiating clozapine treatment are extremely rare and these rates appear to be comparable to those observed for other antipsychotic drugs....

Cellular and molecular studies of the effects of a selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib in the cardiac cell line H9c2 and their correlation with death mechanisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakane, K.K. [Instituto de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Universidade do Vale do Paraíba, São José dos Campos, SP (Brazil); Monteiro, C.J.; Silva, W.; Silva, A.R. [Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG (Brazil); Santos, P.M. [Instituto de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Universidade do Vale do Paraíba, São José dos Campos, SP (Brazil); Lima, K.F. [Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG (Brazil); Moraes, K.C.M. [Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista ‘‘Júlio de Mesquita Filho’’, Rio Claro, SP (Brazil)

2013-11-29

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and evidence indicates a correlation between the inflammatory process and cardiac dysfunction. Selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme are not recommended for long-term use because of potentially severe side effects to the heart. Considering this and the frequent prescribing of commercial celecoxib, the present study analyzed cellular and molecular effects of 1 and 10 µM celecoxib in a cell culture model. After a 24-h incubation, celecoxib reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner as also demonstrated in MTT assays. Furthermore, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the drug modulated the expression level of genes related to death pathways, and Western blot analyses demonstrated a modulatory effect of the drug on COX-2 protein levels in cardiac cells. In addition, the results demonstrated a downregulation of prostaglandin E2 production by the cardiac cells incubated with celecoxib, in a dose-specific manner. These results are consistent with the decrease in cell viability and the presence of necrotic processes shown by Fourier transform infrared analysis, suggesting a direct correlation of prostanoids in cellular homeostasis and survival.

A Multicenter Study on Long-Term Outcomes After Lung Transplantation Comparing Donation After Circulatory Death and Donation After Brain Death.

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van Suylen, V; Luijk, B; Hoek, R A S; van de Graaf, E A; Verschuuren, E A; Van De Wauwer, C; Bekkers, J A; Meijer, R C A; van der Bij, W; Erasmus, M E

2017-10-01

The implementation of donation after circulatory death category 3 (DCD3) was one of the attempts to reduce the gap between supply and demand of donor lungs. In the Netherlands, the total number of potential lung donors was greatly increased by the availability of DCD3 lungs in addition to the initial standard use of donation after brain death (DBD) lungs. From the three lung transplant centers in the Netherlands, 130 DCD3 recipients were one-to-one nearest neighbor propensity score matched with 130 DBD recipients. The primary end points were primary graft dysfunction (PGD), posttransplant lung function, freedom from chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD), and overall survival. PGD did not differ between the groups. Posttransplant lung function was comparable after bilateral lung transplantation, but seemed worse after DCD3 single lung transplantation. The incidence of CLAD (p = 0.17) nor the freedom from CLAD (p = 0.36) nor the overall survival (p = 0.40) were significantly different between both groups. The presented multicenter results are derived from a national context where one third of the lung transplantations are performed with DCD3 lungs. We conclude that the long-term outcome after lung transplantation with DCD3 donors is similar to that of DBD donors and that DCD3 donation can substantially enlarge the donor pool. © 2017 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Symptoms Before Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome: A Nationwide Study Among the Young in Denmark.

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Glinge, Charlotte; Jabbari, Reza; Risgaard, Bjarke; Lynge, Thomas Hadberg; Engstrøm, Thomas; Albert, Christine M; Haunsø, Stig; Winkel, Bo Gregers; Tfelt-Hansen, Jacob

2015-07-01

No studies in an unselected and nationwide setting have characterized the symptoms and medical history of patients with sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS). The aim of this study was to identify and describe the symptoms and medical history of patients before the presentation of SADS. We have previously identified all of the autopsied sudden cardiac deaths (SCD; n = 314) in Danes aged 1-35 years between 2000 and 2006. After comprehensive pathological and toxicological investigation did not reveal a cause of SCD, 136 of the patients were identified as SADS. The National Patient Registry was utilized to obtain information on all in- and outpatient activity in Danish hospitals. All medical records from hospitals and general practitioners, including death certificates and autopsy reports were reviewed. Before death, 48 (35%) SADS patients had cardiac symptoms; among these, 30 (22%) had contacted the healthcare system. Antecedent symptoms (symptoms >24 hours before death) were present in 34 (25%) patients. Prodromal symptoms (symptoms ≤24 hours before death) were present in 23 (17%) patients. Cardiac symptoms included chest pain (n = 16, 12%), dyspnea (n = 18, 13%), palpitations (n = 2, 1%), presyncope/syncope (n = 23, 17%), and aborted SCD (n = 2, 1%). In addition, seizures (n = 25, 18%) were prevalent. In 61 (45%) SADS cases, no previous medical history were recorded. In this unselected, nationwide study of 136 young SADS patients, 35% had experienced cardiac symptoms before death, most commonly presyncope/syncope, but only one out of five had contacted a healthcare provider with cardiac symptoms. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Single versus dual renal transplantation from donors with significant arteriosclerosis on pre-implant biopsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kayler, Liise K; Mohanka, Ravi; Basu, Amit; Shapiro, Ron; Randhawa, Parmjeet S

2009-01-01

Transplantation of kidneys from donor with arteriosclerosis seen on pre-implantation biopsy has not been well studied. We retrospectively evaluated 20 dual kidney transplant (DKT) and 28 single (SKT) kidney transplant recipients with >or=12 months follow-up from donors with moderate arteriosclerosis (>or=25% luminal diameter narrowing). Death censored graft survival was 100% and 79%, respectively (p = 0.0339). DKT recipients had significantly lower mean creatinine levels at one, three, six, and nine months and spent somewhat less time on the waiting list (181 +/- 160 vs. 318 +/- 306 d, p = 0.1429). DKT patients received kidneys from significantly older donors (64 +/- 7 vs. 54 +/- 11 yr; p = 0.0012), proportionately more expanded criteria donors (95% vs. 54%; p = 0.0029), and more donors with hypertension (81% vs. 48%, p = 0.0344) and death related to cerebrovascular accident (100% vs. 71%, p = 0.0143); however, more DKT kidneys underwent machine perfusion (95% vs. 57%, p = 0.0068). Baseline recipient variables were comparable between the two groups including age, race, gender, retransplantation, and HLA mismatch. Pre-implant biopsy was notable for similar frequencies of moderate interstitial fibrosis (10% vs. 14%, respectively) and glomerulosclerosis. Among recipients of deceased-donor kidneys with >25% arteriosclerosis, short-term outcomes after DKT were superior to that of SKT grafts. This approach may help to expand the donor-organ pool while optimizing outcomes.

Are health professionals responsible for the shortage of organs from deceased donors in Malaysia?

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Abidin, Zada L Zainal; Ming, Wee Tong; Loch, Alexander; Hilmi, Ida; Hautmann, Oliver

2013-02-01

The rate of organ donations from deceased donors in Malaysia is among the lowest in the world. This may be because of the passivity among health professionals in approaching families of potential donors. A questionnaire-based study was conducted amongst health professionals in two tertiary hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Four hundred and sixty-two questionnaires were completed. 93.3% of health professionals acknowledged a need for organ transplantation in Malaysia. 47.8% were willing to donate their organs (with ethnic and religious differences). Factors which may be influencing the shortage of organs from deceased donors include: nonrecognition of brainstem death (38.5%), no knowledge on how to contact the Organ Transplant Coordinator (82.3%), and never approaching families of a potential donor (63.9%). There was a general attitude of passivity in approaching families of potential donors and activating transplant teams among many of the health professionals. A misunderstanding of brainstem death and its definition hinder identification of a potential donor. Continuing medical education and highlighting the role of the Organ Transplant Coordinator, as well as increasing awareness of the public through religion and the media were identified as essential in improving the rate of organ donations from deceased donors in Malaysia. © 2012 The Authors Transplant International © 2012 European Society for Organ Transplantation. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The benefits of the Atlas of Human Cardiac Anatomy website for the design of cardiac devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Julianne H; Quill, Jason L; Bateman, Michael G; Eggen, Michael D; Howard, Stephen A; Goff, Ryan P; Howard, Brian T; Quallich, Stephen G; Iaizzo, Paul A

2013-11-01

This paper describes how the Atlas of Human Cardiac Anatomy website can be used to improve cardiac device design throughout the process of development. The Atlas is a free-access website featuring novel images of both functional and fixed human cardiac anatomy from over 250 human heart specimens. This website provides numerous educational tutorials on anatomy, physiology and various imaging modalities. For instance, the 'device tutorial' provides examples of devices that were either present at the time of in vitro reanimation or were subsequently delivered, including leads, catheters, valves, annuloplasty rings and stents. Another section of the website displays 3D models of the vasculature, blood volumes and/or tissue volumes reconstructed from computed tomography and magnetic resonance images of various heart specimens. The website shares library images, video clips and computed tomography and MRI DICOM files in honor of the generous gifts received from donors and their families.

Definition of Sudden Infant Death and Sudden Intrauterine Unexpected Death Syndromes (SIDS and SIUDS with Regard to the Anatomo-Pathological Examination

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Giulia Ottaviani

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Crib death, or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS, is the most frequent form of death in the first year of life, striking one baby in every 1,700–2,000. Yet despite advances in maternal-infant care, sudden intrauterine unexplained/unexpected death syndrome (SIUDS, has a six-eightfold greater incidence than that of SIDS. Frequent congenital abnormalities, likely morphological substrates for SIDS-SIUDS, were detected, mainly represented by alterations of the cardiac conduction system, such as accessory pathways and abnormal resorptive degeneration, and hypoplasia/agenesis of the vital brainstem structures. On the basis of these considerations, the new common definition of the SIDS-SIUDS complex is The sudden death of a fetus after the 25th gestational week or infant under one year of age which is unexpected by history and remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including examination of the death scene, performance of a general autopsy and examination of the fetal adnexa. Therefore, given that the general autopsy does not disclose any cause of death, a more in-depth histopathological analysis of the cardiac conduction system and autonomic nervous system by specialized pathologists will become necessary.

Syncope and sudden death from the emergency physician’s perspective: is there room for new biomarkers?

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Rossella Marino

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Syncope is a transient loss of consciousness due to temporary global cerebral hypoperfusion characterized by rapid onset, short duration, and spontaneous complete recovery. Syncope represents 1-2% of emergency department (ED visits and is coupled with a high risk for mortality, prolonged hospital admission, and immediate false diagnosis. Many patients who present to the ED with aspecific symptoms are mainly hospitalized because of diagnostic uncertainty. It is always very important to immediately distinguish syncope of cardiac and non-cardiac origins. Cardiac syncope has higher risk for mortality especially for sudden cardiac death, while non-cardiac one shows risk of repeated events of syncope with poor quality of life. Sudden cardiac death is defined as rapid and unexpected natural death due to cardiac etiology. Researchers from the GREAT Network hypothesized to evaluate some novel biomarkers in order to test acute cardiac condition that can suggest the presence of heart structural diseases, heart failure, and electrical disorders. The primary objective of this study is to test the diagnostic performance from patient history, clinical judgment, and novel biomarkers in the diagnosis of cardiac syncope in patients admitted to the ED. The trial is designed as a prospective international multicenter observational study accounting for 730 patients aged over 40 admitted to the ED with syncope within the last 12 h. A multimarker approach combining markers of different origin and mode of relapse, should add diagnostic information to correctly identify the cardiac conditions and to therefore be pertinent in the early diagnosis of cardiac syncope and in the prediction of cardiac events including sudden death. Future data should be needed to confirm the hypothesis presented here.

Aborted Sudden Cardiac Death in a Female Patient Presenting with Takotsubo-Like Cardiomyopathy due to Epicardial Coronary Vasospasm

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Sorin Giusca

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is characterized by apical ballooning of the left ventricle (LV in the absence of relevant coronary artery stenosis, which typically occurs in elderly women after emotional stress. Catecholamine cardiotoxicity, metabolic disturbance, and coronary microvascular impairment have previously been proposed as underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms of takotsubo cardiomyopathy, whereas myocardial stunning resulting from epicardial coronary artery vasospasm is not generally accepted as a cause of takotsubo cardiomyopathy. The prognosis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy is generally more favourable compared to myocardial infarction; however, severe complications such as rupture of the LV and life-threatening arrhythmias may occur. Herein, we describe a case of an 84-year-old female, who presented with aborted sudden cardiac death due to ventricular fibrillation. Echocardiography suggested LV apical ballooning with severely impaired LV-function, so that takotsubo cardiomyopathy was suspected. However, coronary angiography revealed epicardial spasm of the left anterior ascending, which resolved after intracoronary injection of 0.2 mg nitroglycerine. Cardiac magnetic resonance exhibited subendocardial late enhancement and echocardiography showed normalization of LV dysfunction during follow-up. The patient was put on conservative treatment with nitrates and calcium inhibitors and ICD implantation were deferred.

Death, organ transplantation and medical practice

Science.gov (United States)

Huddle, Thomas S; Schwartz, Michael A; Bailey, F Amos; Bos, Michael A

2008-01-01

A series of papers in Philosophy, Ethics and Humanities in Medicine (PEHM) have recently disputed whether non-heart beating organ donors are alive and whether non-heart beating organ donation (NHBD) contravenes the dead donor rule. Several authors who argue that NHBD involves harvesting organs from live patients appeal to "strong irreversibility" (death beyond the reach of resuscitative efforts to restore life) as a necessary criterion that patients must meet before physicians can declare them to be dead. Sam Shemie, who defends our current practice of NHBD, holds that in fact physicians consider patients to be dead or not according to physician intention to resuscitate or not. We suggest that criteria for a concept are not necessarily truth conditions for assertions involving the concept. Hence, non-heart beating donors may be declared dead without meeting the criterion of strong irreversibility even though strong irreversibility is implied by the concept of death. Our perception that a concept applies in a given case is determined not by the concept itself but by our necessary skill and judgment when using it. In the case of deciding that a patient is dead, such judgment is learned by physicians as they learn the practice of medicine and may vary according to circumstances. Current practice of NHBD can therefore be defended without abandoning death as an empirical concept, as Shemie appears to do. We conclude that the dead donor rule continues to be viable and ought to be retained so as to guarantee what the public most cares about as regards organ donation: that physicians can be trusted to make determinations of eligibility for organ donation in the interests of patients and not for other purposes such as increasing the availability of organs. PMID:18248665

Role of cardiac biomarkers (troponin I and CK-MB as predictors of quality of life and long-term outcome after cardiac surgery

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Bignami Elena

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Perioperative and postoperative morbidity and mortality associated with cardiac surgery affect both the outcome and quality of life. Markers such as troponin effectively predict short-term outcome. In a prospective cohort study in a University Hospital we assessed the role of cardiac biomarkers, also as predictors of long-term outcome and life quality after cardiac surgery with a three-year follow-up after conventional heart surgery. Patients were interviewed via phone calls with a structured questionnaire examining general health, functional status, activities of daily living, perception of life quality and need for hospital readmission. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis were performed. Out of 252 consecutive patients, 8 (3.2% died at the three years follow up: 7 for cardiac complications and 1 for cancer. Thirty-six patients (13.5% had hospital readmission for cardiac causes (mostly for atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmias (9.3%, but none needed cardiac surgical reintervention; 21 patients (7.9% were hospitalised for non-cardiac causes. No limitation in function activities of daily living was reported by most patients (94%, 92% perceived their general health as excellent, very good or good and none considered it insufficient; 80% were NYHA I, 17% NYHA II, 3% NYHA III and none NYHA IV. Multivariate analysis indicated preoperative treatment with digitalis or nitrates, and postoperative cardiac biomarkers release was independently associated to death. Elevated cardiac biomarker release and length of hospital stay were the only postoperative independent predictors of death in this study.

Biomarkers of myocardial stress and fibrosis as predictors of mode of death in patients with chronic heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Tariq; Fiuzat, Mona; Neely, Benjamin; Neely, Megan L; Pencina, Michael J; Kraus, William E; Zannad, Faiez; Whellan, David J; Donahue, Mark P; Piña, Ileana L; Adams, Kirkwood F; Kitzman, Dalane W; O'Connor, Christopher M; Felker, G Michael

2014-06-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether biomarkers of myocardial stress and fibrosis improve prediction of the mode of death in patients with chronic heart failure. The 2 most common modes of death in patients with chronic heart failure are pump failure and sudden cardiac death. Prediction of the mode of death may facilitate treatment decisions. The relationship between amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), galectin-3, and ST2, biomarkers that reflect different pathogenic pathways in heart failure (myocardial stress and fibrosis), and mode of death is unknown. HF-ACTION (Heart Failure: A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise Training) was a randomized controlled trial of exercise training versus usual care in patients with chronic heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35%). An independent clinical events committee prospectively adjudicated mode of death. NT-proBNP, galectin-3, and ST2 levels were assessed at baseline in 813 subjects. Associations between biomarkers and mode of death were assessed using cause-specific Cox proportional hazards modeling, and interaction testing was used to measure differential associations between biomarkers and pump failure versus sudden cardiac death. Discrimination and risk reclassification metrics were used to assess the added value of galectin-3 and ST2 in predicting mode of death risk beyond a clinical model that included NT-proBNP. After a median follow-up period of 2.5 years, there were 155 deaths: 49 from pump failure, 42 from sudden cardiac death, and 64 from other causes. Elevations in all biomarkers were associated with increased risk for both pump failure and sudden cardiac death in both adjusted and unadjusted analyses. In each case, increases in the biomarker had a stronger association with pump failure than sudden cardiac death, but this relationship was attenuated after adjustment for clinical risk factors. Clinical

Effect of blood transfusion and cyclophosphamide on cardiac allograft survival in sensitized mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lasek, Witold; Sora, Magdalena; Jakobisiak, Marek

1994-01-01

In the H-2-incompatible donor-recipient model in mice (BALB/c → CBA/H), combination of donor-specific blood transfusion (DST) on the day -9 before transplantation with both pre- and post transplant immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide (CY) interacted beneficially to produce significant donor-specific prolongation of cardiac graft survival. However, in recipients presensitized with donor-specific blood on the day -21, combination of DST with pre- and post transplant CY immunosuppression did not act synergistically and graft survival in this group did not differ from that in presentized mice treated with 2 doses of CY alone. (author). 21 refs, 1 fig., 3 tabs

Mortality and risk of cardiac complications among immediate survivors of accidental electric shock

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Steen Møller; Riahi, Sam; Hjortshøj, Søren

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Exposure to electric shock has been associated with an increased risk of developing delayed cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac diseases. We examined whether electric shock patients have an increased risk of developing cardiac disease, cardiac arrhythmias or death compared with the general...... suggest that nearly all patients can be discharged safely from the emergency room after electric shock without further observation.......OBJECTIVE: Exposure to electric shock has been associated with an increased risk of developing delayed cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac diseases. We examined whether electric shock patients have an increased risk of developing cardiac disease, cardiac arrhythmias or death compared with the general...... Danish population. DESIGN: Matched cohort study. SETTING: A nationwide study in Denmark from 1994 to 2011. PARTICIPANTS: We identified 11 462 Danish patients who visited an emergency ward or were admitted to a hospital due to electric shock from 1994 to 2011. Each patient was matched for age and sex...

Time trends in organ donation after neurologic determination of death: a cohort study

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Kramer, Andreas H.; Baht, Ryan; Doig, Christopher J.

2017-01-01

Background: The cause of brain injury may influence the number of organs that can be procured and transplanted with donation following neurologic determination of death. We investigated whether the distribution of causes responsible for neurologic death has changed over time and, if so, whether this has had an impact on organ quality, transplantation rates and recipient outcomes. Methods: We performed a cohort study involving consecutive brain-dead organ donors in southern Alberta between 2003 and 2014. For each donor, we determined last available measures of organ injury and number of organs transplanted, and compared these variables for various causes of neurologic death. We compared trends to national Canadian data for 2000-2013 (2000-2011 for Quebec). Results: There were 226 brain-dead organ donors over the study period, of whom 100 (44.2%) had anoxic brain injury, 63 (27.9%) had stroke, and 51 (22.6%) had traumatic brain injury. The relative proportion of donors with traumatic brain injury decreased over time (> 30% in 2003-2005 v. 6%-23% in 2012-2014) (p = 0.004), whereas that with anoxic brain injury increased (14%-37% v. 46%-80%, respectively) (p organs transplanted per donor was 3.6 with anoxic brain injury versus 4.5 with traumatic brain injury or stroke (p = 0.002). Interpretation: Anoxic brain injury has become a leading cause of organ donation after neurologic determination of death in Canada. Organs from donors with anoxic brain injury have a greater degree of injury, and fewer are transplanted. These findings have implications for availability of organs for transplantation in patients with end-stage organ failure. PMID:28401114

Nuclear cardiac ejection fraction and cardiac index in abdominal aortic surgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiser, W.P.; Thompson, B.W.; Thompson, A.R.; Eason, C.; Read, R.C.

1983-01-01

Since atherosclerotic heart disease results in more than half of the perioperative deaths that follow abdominal aortic surgery, a prospective protocol was designed for preoperative evaluation and intraoperative hemodynamic monitoring. Twenty men who were prepared to undergo elective operation for aortoiliac occlusive disease (12 patients) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (eight patients) were evaluated with a cardiac scan and right heart catheterization. The night prior to operation, each patient received volume loading with crystalloid based upon ventricular performance curves. At the time of the operation, all patients were anesthetized with narcotics and nitrous oxide, and hemodynamic parameters were recorded throughout the operation. Aortic crossclamping resulted in a marked depression in CI in all patients. CI remained depressed after unclamping in the majority of patients. There were two perioperative deaths, both from myocardial infarction or failure. Both patients had ejection fractions less than 30% and initial CIs less than 2 L/M2, while the survivors' mean ejection fraction was 63% +/- 1 and their mean CI was 3.2 L/M2 +/- 0.6. The authors conclude that preoperative evaluation of ejection fraction can select those patients at a high risk of cardiac death from abdominal aortic operation. These patients should receive intensive preoperative monitoring with enhancement of ventricular performance

Uptake of donor lymphocytes treated with 8-methoxypsoralen and ultraviolet A light by recipient dendritic cells induces CD4{sup +}CD25{sup +}Foxp3{sup +} regulatory T cells and down-regulates cardiac allograft rejection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, De-Hua [Organ Transplant Center, Chinese PLA 309th Hospital, No. 17A Hei-Shan-Hu Road, Beijing 100091 (China); Dou, Li-Ping [Department of Hematology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28 Fu-Xing Road, Beijing 100853 (China); Wei, Yu-Xiang; Du, Guo-Sheng; Zou, Yi-Ping; Song, Ji-Yong; Zhu, Zhi-Dong; Cai, Ming; Qian, Ye-Yong [Organ Transplant Center, Chinese PLA 309th Hospital, No. 17A Hei-Shan-Hu Road, Beijing 100091 (China); Shi, Bing-Yi, E-mail: shibingyi@medmail.com.cn [Organ Transplant Center, Chinese PLA 309th Hospital, No. 17A Hei-Shan-Hu Road, Beijing 100091 (China)

2010-05-14

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is an effective immunomodulatory therapy and has been demonstrated to be beneficial for graft-vs-host disease and solid-organ allograft rejection. ECP involves reinfusion of a patient's autologous peripheral blood leukocytes treated ex vivo with 8-methoxypsoralen and UVA light radiation (PUVA). Previous studies focused only on ECP treatment of recipient immune cells. Our study is the first to extend the target of ECP treatment to donor immune cells. The results of in vitro co-culture experiments demonstrate uptake of donor PUVA-treated splenic lymphocytes (PUVA-SPs) by recipient immature dendritic cells (DCs). Phagocytosis of donor PUVA-SPs does not stimulate phenotype maturation of recipient DCs. In the same co-culture system, donor PUVA-SPs enhanced production of interleukin-10 and interferon-{gamma} by recipient DCs and impaired the subsequent capability of recipient DCs to stimulate recipient naive T cells. Phagocytosis of donor PUVA-SP (PUVA-SP DCs) by recipient DCs shifted T-cell responses in favor of T helper 2 cells. Infusion of PUVA-SP DCs inhibited cardiac allograft rejection in an antigen-specific manner and induced CD4{sup +}CD25{sup high}Foxp3{sup +} regulatory T cells. In conclusion, PUVA-SP DCs simultaneously deliver the donor antigen and the regulatory signal to the transplant recipient, and thus can be used to develop a novel DC vaccine for negative immune regulation and immune tolerance induction.

Cardiac changes in anorexia nervosa.

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Spaulding-Barclay, Michael A; Stern, Jessica; Mehler, Philip S

2016-04-01

Introduction Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder, which is associated with many different medical complications as a result of the weight loss and malnutrition that characterise this illness. It has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. A large portion of deaths are attributable to the cardiac abnormalities that ensue as a result of the malnutrition associated with anorexia nervosa. In this review, the cardiac complications of anorexia nervosa will be discussed. A comprehensive literature review on cardiac changes in anorexia nervosa was carried out. There are structural, functional, and rhythm-type changes that occur in patients with anorexia nervosa. These become progressively significant as ongoing weight loss occurs. Cardiac changes are inherent to anorexia nervosa and they become more life-threatening and serious as the anorexia nervosa becomes increasingly severe. Weight restoration and attention to these cardiac changes are crucial for a successful treatment outcome.

The Cultural Meaning of Cardiac Illness and Self-Care Among Lebanese Patients With Coronary Artery Disease.

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Dumit, Nuhad Yazbik; Magilvy, Joan Kathy; Afifi, Rima

2016-07-01

Cardiac disease is the leading cause of death in Lebanon, accounting for 22% to 26% of total deaths in the country. A thorough understanding of perceptions of cardiac illness and related self-care management is critical to the development of secondary prevention programs that are specific to the Lebanese culture. To explore the cultural perceptions of cardiac illness and the associated meaning of self-care among Lebanese patients. Using a qualitative descriptive method, semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 15 Lebanese cardiac patients recruited from a medical center in Beirut, Lebanon. The qualitative descriptive analysis yielded one overarching and two other themes describing perceptions of cardiac illness and self-care within the Lebanese cultural context. The overarching cultural theme was, "Lebanese cardiac patients were unfamiliar with the term concept and meaning of self-care." Lebanese cardiac patients thanked God and accepted their fate (Theme I). The participants considered their cardiac incident a life or death warning (Theme II). Health care providers need to consider patients' cultural perception of illness while planning and evaluating cardiac self-care programs. © The Author(s) 2015.

Application of Massively Parallel Sequencing in the Clinical Diagnostic Testing of Inherited Cardiac Conditions

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Ivone U. S. Leong

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Sudden cardiac death in people between the ages of 1–40 years is a devastating event and is frequently caused by several heritable cardiac disorders. These disorders include cardiac ion channelopathies, such as long QT syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and Brugada syndrome and cardiomyopathies, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Through careful molecular genetic evaluation of DNA from sudden death victims, the causative gene mutation can be uncovered, and the rest of the family can be screened and preventative measures implemented in at-risk individuals. The current screening approach in most diagnostic laboratories uses Sanger-based sequencing; however, this method is time consuming and labour intensive. The development of massively parallel sequencing has made it possible to produce millions of sequence reads simultaneously and is potentially an ideal approach to screen for mutations in genes that are associated with sudden cardiac death. This approach offers mutation screening at reduced cost and turnaround time. Here, we will review the current commercially available enrichment kits, massively parallel sequencing (MPS platforms, downstream data analysis and its application to sudden cardiac death in a diagnostic environment.

OUTCOMES OF LIVER TRANSPLANTATION USING DONATIONS AFTER CIRCULATORY DEATH : A SINGLE-CENTER EXPERIENCE

OpenAIRE

MEURISSE, Nicolas; VANDEN BUSSCHE, S; JOCHMANS, I; FRANCOIS, J; DESSCHANS, B; LALEMAN, W; VAN DER MERWE, S; VAN STEENBERGEN, W; CASSIMAN, D; VERSLYPE, C; AERTS, R; NEVENS, F; PIRENNE, J; MONBALIU, D

2012-01-01

Introduction Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) (LTx) using donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors is increasingly performed, but still considered to risk of poorer outcomes compared with standard donations after brain death (DBD)-OLT. Therefore we reviewed our results of DCD-OLT. Patients and Methods Between 2003 and 2010, we performed 30 DCD-OLT (6% of all OLT). We retrospectively reviewed medical records of donors and recipients after DCD versus DBD-OLT to analyze bil...

Opium decreases the age at myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death: a long- and short-term outcome evaluation.

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Roohafza, Hamidreza; Talaei, Mohammad; Sadeghi, Masoumeh; Haghani, Poone; Shokouh, Pedram; Sarrafzadegan, Nizal

2013-03-01

  Opium dependence is a recognized individual and public health threat, but little is known about its association with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or sudden cardiac death (SCD). In a cross-sectional study followed by a one-year matched longitudinal cohort, all 569 men hospitalized with AMI in all Cardiac Care Units (CCU) of Isfahan, Iran, were recruited in a six-month period. In addition, 123 out-of-hospital deaths were included that were diagnosed as SCD at the same duration. Among those discharged alive, 126 opium dependents were matched with 126 nondependents (mostly nonusers) according to age and smoking status, and were followed for one year. Opium dependence was measured using the ICD10 criteria and Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) questionnaire. The method was validated by morphine blood levels. Biochemical measurements, blood pressure, blood cell counts, anthropometrics, and ejection fraction were measured at baseline and repeated at the end of follow-up.  There were 118 (17.1%) patients with an average of 17.4 ± 10.4 years of abuse who met the criteria for opium dependency. Opium dependence decreased the age at event by 3.6 (95% CI: 1.2 - 6.0) years and was independent of smoking (P = 0.003). In terms of cardiovascular risk factors such as ejection fraction, in addition to post-AMI mortality and morbidity, no significant associations were noted at baseline or after one year of follow-up. The odds ratio of sustained smoking after AMI was 1.92 (95% CI: 1.04 - 3.52) in opium dependents (P = 0.033). Despite public opinion, opium did not improve cardiovascular risk factors, or post-AMI mortality and morbidity. Conversely, there were irrefutable findings regarding the detrimental effects of opium dependence.

Characterization and classification of patients with different levels of cardiac death risk by using Poincaré plot analysis.

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Rodriguez, Javier; Voss, Andreas; Caminal, Pere; Bayes-Genis, Antoni; Giraldo, Beatriz F

2017-07-01

Cardiac death risk is still a big problem by an important part of the population, especially in elderly patients. In this study, we propose to characterize and analyze the cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory systems using the Poincaré plot. A total of 46 cardiomyopathy patients and 36 healthy subjets were analyzed. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was used to stratify patients with low risk (LR: LVEF > 35%, 16 patients), and high risk (HR: LVEF ≤ 35%, 30 patients) of heart attack. RR, SBP and T Tot time series were extracted from the ECG, blood pressure and respiratory flow signals, respectively. Parameters that describe the scatterplott of Poincaré method, related to short- and long-term variabilities, acceleration and deceleration of the dynamic system, and the complex correlation index were extracted. The linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and the support vector machines (SVM) classification methods were used to analyze the results of the extracted parameters. The results showed that cardiac parameters were the best to discriminate between HR and LR groups, especially the complex correlation index (p = 0.009). Analising the interaction, the best result was obtained with the relation between the difference of the standard deviation of the cardiac and respiratory system (p = 0.003). When comparing HR vs LR groups, the best classification was obtained applying SVM method, using an ANOVA kernel, with an accuracy of 98.12%. An accuracy of 97.01% was obtained by comparing patients versus healthy, with a SVM classifier and Laplacian kernel. The morphology of Poincaré plot introduces parameters that allow the characterization of the cardiorespiratory system dynamics.

Causes of Death Following PCI Versus CABG in Complex CAD: 5-Year Follow-Up of SYNTAX.

Science.gov (United States)

Milojevic, Milan; Head, Stuart J; Parasca, Catalina A; Serruys, Patrick W; Mohr, Friedrich W; Morice, Marie-Claude; Mack, Michael J; Ståhle, Elisabeth; Feldman, Ted E; Dawkins, Keith D; Colombo, Antonio; Kappetein, A Pieter; Holmes, David R

2016-01-05

There are no data available on specific causes of death from randomized trials that have compared coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The purpose of this study was to investigate specific causes of death, and its predictors, after revascularization for complex coronary disease in patients. An independent Clinical Events Committee consisting of expert physicians who were blinded to the study treatment subclassified causes of death as cardiovascular (cardiac and vascular), noncardiovascular, or undetermined according to the trial protocol. Cardiac deaths were classified as sudden cardiac, related to myocardial infarction (MI), and other cardiac deaths. In the randomized cohort, there were 97 deaths after CABG and 123 deaths after PCI during a 5-year follow-up. After CABG, 49.4% of deaths were cardiovascular, with the greatest cause being heart failure, arrhythmia, or other causes (24.6%), whereas after PCI, the majority of deaths were cardiovascular (67.5%) and as a result of MI (29.3%). The cumulative incidence rates of all-cause death were not significantly different between CABG and PCI (11.4% vs. 13.9%, respectively; p = 0.10), whereas there were significant differences in terms of cardiovascular (5.8% vs. 9.6%, respectively; p = 0.008) and cardiac death (5.3% vs. 9.0%, respectively; p = 0.003), which were caused primarily by a reduction in MI-related death with CABG compared with PCI (0.4% vs. 4.1%, respectively; p PCI versus CABG was an independent predictor of cardiac death (hazard ratio: 1.55; 95% confidence interval: 1.09 to 2.33; p = 0.045). The difference in MI-related death was seen largely in patients with diabetes, 3-vessel disease, or high SYNTAX (TAXUS Drug-Eluting Stent Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for the Treatment of Narrowed Arteries) trial scores. During a 5-year follow-up, CABG in comparison with PCI was associated with a significantly reduced rate of MI-related death, which was the

Potential donor families' experiences of organ and tissue donation-related communication, processes and outcome.

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Marck, C H; Neate, S L; Skinner, M; Dwyer, B; Hickey, B B; Radford, S T; Weiland, T J; Jelinek, G A

2016-01-01

We aimed to describe the experiences of families of potential organ and tissue donors eligible for donation after circulatory death or brain death. Forty-nine family members of potential donors from four Melbourne hospitals were interviewed to assess their experiences of communication, processes and the outcomes of donation. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Families expressed a range of perspectives on themes of communication, hospital processes and care, the processes of consent and donation and reflected on decisions and outcomes. They expressed satisfaction overall with communication when receiving bad news, discussing death and donation. Honest and frank communication and being kept up-to-date and prepared for potential outcomes were important aspects for families, especially those of post circulatory death donors. Participants reported high levels of trust in healthcare professionals and satisfaction with the level of care received. Many donor families indicated the process was lengthy and stressful, but not significantly enough to adversely affect their satisfaction with the outcome. Both the decision itself and knowing others' lives had been saved provided them with consolation. No consenting families, and only some non-consenting families, regretted their decisions. Many expressed they would benefit from a follow-up opportunity to ask questions and clarify possible misunderstandings. Overall, while experiences varied, Australian families valued frank communication, trusted health professionals, were satisfied with the care their family member received and with donation processes, despite some apparent difficulties. Family satisfaction, infrequently assessed, is an important outcome and these findings may assist education for Australian organ donation professionals.

Blockade of Inflammation and Apoptosis Pathways by siRNA Prolongs Cold Preservation Time and Protects Donor Hearts in a Porcine Model

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Jia Wei

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In donor hearts from mini pigs, overtime cold preservation and ischemia-reperfusion injury cause poor graft quality and impaired heart function. Blockage of complement, apoptosis, and inflammation is considered a strategy for attenuating ischemia-reperfusion injury and protecting cardiac function. Minipig donor hearts were perfused and preserved in Celsior solution or transfection reagent containing Celsior solution with scramble siRNA or siRNAs targeting complement 3, caspase-8, caspase-3, and nuclear factor κB-p65 genes at 4°C and subsequently hemo-reperfused ex vivo (38°C or transplanted into recipients. The protective effect of the siRNA solution was evaluated by measuring cell apoptosis, structural alteration, protein markers for tissue damage and oxidative stress, and cardiac function. We found a reduction in cell apoptosis, myocardial damage, and tissue inflammation by reduced biochemistry and markers and protein expression of proinflammatory cytokines and improvement in cardiac function, as shown by the improved hemodynamic indices in 12-hr-preserved siRNA-treated hearts of both ex vivo and orthotopic transplantation models. These findings demonstrate that blockade of inflammation and apoptosis pathways using siRNA can prolong cold preservation time and better protect donor heart function in cardiac transplantation of large animals, which may be beneficial for human heart preservation.

Predictors of sudden cardiac death in atrial fibrillation: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC study.

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Ryan J Koene

Full Text Available We previously reported that incident atrial fibrillation (AF is associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD in the general population. We now aimed to identify predictors of SCD in persons with AF from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC study, a community-based cohort study. We included all participants who attended visit 1 (1987-89 and had no prior AF (n = 14,836. Incident AF was identified from study electrocardiograms and hospitalization discharge codes through 2012. SCD was physician-adjudicated. We used cause-specific Cox proportional hazards models, followed by stepwise selection (backwards elimination, removing all variables with p>0.10 to identify predictors of SCD in participants with AF. AF occurred in 2321 (15.6% participants (age 45-64 years, 58% male, 18% black. Over a median of 3.3 years, SCD occurred in 110 of those with AF (4.7%. Predictors of SCD in AF included higher age, body mass index (BMI, coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, current smoker, left ventricular hypertrophy, increased heart rate, and decreased albumin. Predictors associated only with SCD and not other cardiovascular (CV death included increased BMI (HR per 5-unit increase, 1.15, 95% CI, 0.97-1.36, p = 0.10, increased heart rate (HR per SD increase, 1.18, 95% CI 0.99-1.41, p = 0.07, and low albumin (HR per SD decrease 1.23, 95% CI 1.02-1.48, p = 0.03. In the ARIC study, predictors of SCD in AF that are not associated with non-sudden CV death included increased BMI, increased heart rate, and low albumin. Further research to confirm these findings in larger community-based cohorts and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms to facilitate prevention is warranted.

Recurrent aborted sudden cardiac death with seizures and rhabdomyolysis due to bulimia-induced hypokalemia: report of one case.

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Finsterer, Josef; Stöllberger, Claudia

2014-06-01

Recurrent vomiting due to bulimia associated with abuse of furosemide and laxatives causing severe hypokalemia may result in recurrent aborted sudden cardiac death (SCD) and seizures. We report a 25-year-old female with a history of bulimia associated with abuse of furosemide and laxatives since the age of 15 years, migraine since puberty, renal abscesses at age 20 y, and rhabdomyolysis of unknown cause at age 24 y. She experienced aborted SCD due to severe hypokalemia with symptomatic seizures at 21 and 25 years of age. Bulimia patients additionally taking laxatives or furosemide are at particular risk of SCD and rhabdomyolysis and require periodic determination of electrolytes, potassium substitution, and adequate psychiatric therapy and surveillance.

Aggravated Cardiac Remodeling post Aortocaval Fistula in Unilateral Nephrectomized Rats.

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Jie Wu

Full Text Available Aortocaval fistula (AV in rat is a unique model of volume-overload congestive heart failure and cardiac hypertrophy. Living donor kidney transplantation is regarded as beneficial to allograft recipients and not particularly detrimental to the donors. Impact of AV on animals with mild renal dysfunction is not fully understood. In this study, we explored the effects of AV in unilateral nephrectomized (UNX rats.Adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD rats were divided into Sham (n = 10, UNX (right kidney remove, n = 10, AV (AV established between the levels of renal arteries and iliac bifurcation, n = 18 and UNX+AV (AV at one week after UNX, n = 22, respectively. Renal outcome was measured by glomerular filtration rate, effective renal plasma flow, fractional excretion of sodium, albuminuria, plasma creatinine, and cystatin C. Focal glomerulosclerosis (FGS incidence was evaluated by renal histology. Cardiac function was measured by echocardiography and hemodynamic measurements.UNX alone induced compensatory left kidney enlargement, increased plasma creatinine and cystatin C levels, and slightly reduced glomerular filtration rate and increased FGS. AV induced significant cardiac enlargement and hypertrophy and reduced cardiac function and increased FGS, these changes were aggravated in UNX+AV rats.Although UNX only induces minor renal dysfunction, additional chronic volume overload placement during the adaptation phase of the remaining kidney is associated with aggravated cardiac dysfunction and remodeling in UNX rats, suggesting special medical care is required for UNX or congenital monokidney subjects in case of chronic volume overload as in the case of pregnancy and hyperthyroidism to prevent further adverse cardiorenal events in these individuals.

Nationwide (Denmark) study of symptoms preceding sudden death due to arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

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Sadjadieh, Golnaz; Jabbari, Reza; Risgaard, Bjarke; Olesen, Morten S; Haunsø, Stig; Tfelt-Hansen, Jacob; Winkel, Bo G

2014-04-01

In this study, we investigated medical history and symptoms before death in all subjects aged 1 to 35 years who died a sudden cardiac death (SCD) from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) in Denmark in the years 2000 to 2006. All deaths (n=6,629) in subjects aged 1 to 35 years in Denmark in the period 2000 to 2006 were included. A total of 16 cases of SCD due to ARVC were identified based on histopathologic examination. Information on medical history was retrieved from The National Patient Registry, general practitioners, and hospitals. Symptoms before death were compared with 2 control groups in the same age group and time interval: one consisting of subjects who died in traffic accidents (n=74) and the other consisting of patients who died a SCD due to coronary artery disease (CAD; n=34). In the case group, 8 of the 16 patients with ARVC experienced antecedent cardiac symptoms and 7 of them sought medical attention. None were diagnosed with ARVC before death. Only 1 patient in the healthy control group and 31 of the 39 patients with CAD experienced cardiac symptoms before death. A total of 6 patients of the 16 with ARVC died during strenuous physical activity and 4 of the deaths were sports-related SCDs. In conclusion, antecedent cardiac symptoms before SCD in the young were seen in 1/2 of the patients who died because of ARVC, and this is significantly higher than in the healthy control group. When considering the ARVC and CAD groups collectively, antecedent cardiac symptoms are seen in the majority. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Total donor ischemic time: relationship to early hemodynamics and intensive care morbidity in pediatric cardiac transplant recipients.

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Rodrigues, Warren; Carr, Michelle; Ridout, Deborah; Carter, Katherine; Hulme, Sara Louise; Simmonds, Jacob; Elliott, Martin; Hoskote, Aparna; Burch, Michael; Brown, Kate L

2011-11-01

Single-center studies have failed to link modest increases in total donor ischemic time to mortality after pediatric orthotopic heart transplant. We aimed to investigate whether prolonged total donor ischemic time is linked to pediatric intensive care morbidity after orthotopic heart transplant. Retrospective cohort review. Tertiary pediatric transplant center in the United Kingdom. Ninety-three pediatric orthotopic heart transplants between 2002 and 2006. Total donor ischemic time was investigated for association with early post-orthotopic heart transplant hemodynamics and intensive care unit morbidities. Of 43 males and 50 females with median age 7.2 (interquartile range 2.2, 13.0) yrs, 62 (68%) had dilated cardiomyopathy, 20 (22%) had congenital heart disease, and nine (10%) had restrictive cardiomyopathy. The mean total donor ischemic time was 225.9 (sd 65.6) mins. In the first 24 hrs after orthotopic heart transplant, age-adjusted mean arterial blood pressure increased (p total donor ischemic time was significantly associated with lower mean arterial blood pressure (p care unit (p = .004), and longer post-orthotopic heart transplant stay in hospital (p = .02). Total donor ischemic time was not related to levels of mean pulmonary arterial pressure (p = .62), left atrial pressure (p = .38), or central venous pressure (p = .76) early after orthotopic heart transplant. Prolonged total donor ischemic time has an adverse effect on the donor organ, contributing to lower mean arterial blood pressure, as well as more prolonged ventilation and intensive care unit and hospital stays post-orthotopic heart transplant, reflecting increased morbidity.

Increased resistin in brain dead organ donors is associated with delayed graft function after kidney transplantation

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Introduction Resistin increases during several inflammatory diseases and after intracerebral bleeding or head trauma. Resistin activates the endothelium and may initiate an inflammatory response. No data are available on resistin in brain dead donors (DBD) that regularly manifest a pronounced inflammatory state. Methods We analyzed plasma resistin in 63 DBDs and correlated results with donor variables and the postoperative course following kidney transplantation using organs from these donors. Endocan and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 were also studied. Twenty-six live kidney donors (LD) and the corresponding kidney transplantations were used as controls. Results DBDs had higher resistin (median/range 30.75 ng/ml, 5.41–173.6) than LD (7.71 ng/ml, 2.41–15.74, p organ retrieval are associated with DGF after kidney transplantation. The resistin increase seems related to the inflammatory state after brain death but not to the cause of death. PMID:24070260

Disrupted day-night pattern of cardiovascular death in obstructive sleep apnea.

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Martins, Emerson Ferreira; Martinez, Denis; da Silva, Fernando A Boeira Sabino; Sezerá, Lauren; da Rosa de Camargo, Rodrigo; Fiori, Cintia Zappe; Fuchs, Flávio Danni; Moraes, Ruy Silveira

2017-10-01

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients who suffer sudden cardiac death die predominantly during the night. We aimed to investigate whether all cardiovascular-related deaths display the same night-time peak as sudden cardiac death. Data from a large cohort of adults who underwent full-night polysomnography between 1985 and 2015 in a university-affiliated sleep clinic were analyzed. Time and cause of death of these patients and of persons from the general population were identified in death certificates from the State Health Secretariat. The day-night pattern of cardiovascular death was compared among groups of non-OSA, OSA (apnea-hypopnea index, AHI ≥5), CPAP users, and persons from the general population. Among 619 certificates, 160 cardiovascular-related deaths were identified. The time of death of the 142 persons with OSA was uniformly distributed over 24 h, with neither an identifiable peak nor a circadian pattern (Rayleigh test; P = 0.8); the same flat distribution was seen in those with purported CPAP use (n = 49). Non-OSA individuals presented a morning peak and a night nadir of deaths, clearer when analyzed in eight-hour intervals. The same pattern was observed in 92 836 certificates from the State general population, with cardiovascular deaths showing the expected morning peak, night nadir, and a significant circadian pattern (Rayleigh test; P < 0.001). In OSA patients, the distribution of cardiovascular-related deaths throughout the 24-h period is virtually flat, in contrast with the described nighttime peak of sudden cardiac death. OSA-related phenomena during nighttime might be blunting the mechanisms, arrhythmic or not, behind the morning peak of cardiovascular-related deaths. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Expanding the cardiac spectrum of Noonan syndrome with RIT1 variant: Left main coronary artery atresia causing sudden death.

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Ramond, Francis; Duband, Sébastien; Croisille, Pierre; Cavé, Hélène; Teyssier, Georges; Adouard, Véronique; Touraine, Renaud

2017-06-01

Noonan syndrome is a well-known genetic condition associating congenital heart defects, short stature, and distinctive facial features. Pulmonary valve stenosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are the most frequent cardiac abnormalities, the latter being associated with a higher mortality. Here we report for the first time, a case of congenital left main coronary artery atresia in a Noonan syndrome associated with RIT1 variant, leading to unrescued sudden death. This case-report supports the already-suspected severity of the RIT1-related Noonan syndrome compared to average Noonan syndrome, and should encourage clinicians to be very cautious with these patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Fetal Primary Cardiac Tumors During Perinatal Period

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Shi-Min Yuan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Fetal primary cardiac tumors are rare, but they may cause complications, which are sometimes life threatening, including arrhythmias, hydrops fetalis, ventricular outflow/inflow obstruction, cardiac failure, and even sudden death. Among fetal primary cardiac tumors, rhabdomyomas are most common, followed by teratomas, fibromas, hemangiomas, and myxomas. Everolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor, has been reported to be an effective drug to cause tumor remission in three neonates with multiple cardiac rhabdomyomas. Neonatal cardiac surgery for the resection of primary cardiac tumors found by fetal echocardiography has been reported sporadically. However, open fetal surgery for pericardial teratoma resection, which was performed successfully via a fetal median sternotomy in one case report, could be a promising intervention to rescue these patients with large pericardial effusions. These recent achievements undoubtedly encourage further development in early management of fetal cardiac tumors. Owing to the rarity of fetal primary cardiac tumors, relevant information in terms of prenatal diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis remains to be clarified.

Determination of Death and the Dead Donor Rule: A Survey of the Current Law on Brain Death

Science.gov (United States)

Nikas, Nikolas T.; Bordlee, Dorinda C.; Moreira, Madeline

2016-01-01

Despite seeming uniformity in the law, end-of-life controversies have highlighted variations among state brain death laws and their interpretation by courts. This article provides a survey of the current legal landscape regarding brain death in the United States, for the purpose of assisting professionals who seek to formulate or assess proposals for changes in current law and hospital policy. As we note, the public is increasingly wary of the role of organ transplantation in determinations of death, and of the variability of brain death diagnosing criteria. We urge that any attempt to alter current state statutes or to adopt a national standard must balance the need for medical accuracy with sound ethical principles which reject the utilitarian use of human beings and are consistent with the dignity of the human person. Only in this way can public trust be rebuilt. PMID:27097648

Discovery and progress of direct cardiac reprogramming.

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Kojima, Hidenori; Ieda, Masaki

2017-06-01

Cardiac disease remains a major cause of death worldwide. Direct cardiac reprogramming has emerged as a promising approach for cardiac regenerative therapy. After the discovery of MyoD, a master regulator for skeletal muscle, other single cardiac reprogramming factors (master regulators) have been sought. Discovery of cardiac reprogramming factors was inspired by the finding that multiple, but not single, transcription factors were needed to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from fibroblasts. We first reported a combination of cardiac-specific transcription factors, Gata4, Mef2c, and Tbx5 (GMT), that could convert mouse fibroblasts into cardiomyocyte-like cells, which were designated as induced cardiomyocyte-like cells (iCMs). Following our first report of cardiac reprogramming, many researchers, including ourselves, demonstrated an improvement in cardiac reprogramming efficiency, in vivo direct cardiac reprogramming for heart regeneration, and cardiac reprogramming in human cells. However, cardiac reprogramming in human cells and adult fibroblasts remains inefficient, and further efforts are needed. We believe that future research elucidating epigenetic barriers and molecular mechanisms of direct cardiac reprogramming will improve the reprogramming efficiency, and that this new technology has great potential for clinical applications.

Risk factors and causes of sudden noncardiac death: A nationwide cohort study in Denmark.

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Risgaard, Bjarke; Lynge, Thomas Hadberg; Wissenberg, Mads; Jabbari, Reza; Glinge, Charlotte; Gislason, Gunnar Hilmar; Haunsø, Stig; Winkel, Bo Gregers; Tfelt-Hansen, Jacob

2015-05-01

On the performance of an autopsy, sudden deaths may be divided into 2 classifications: (1) sudden cardiac deaths and (2) sudden noncardiac deaths (SNCDs). Families of SNCD victims should not be followed up as a means of searching for cardiac disease. The purpose of this study was to report the risk factors and causes of SNCD. We conducted a retrospective, nationwide study including all deaths between 2000 and 2006 of individuals aged 1-35 years and all deaths between 2007 and 2009 of individuals aged 1-49 years. Two physicians identified all sudden death cases through review of death certificates. Autopsy reports were collected. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify both clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with SNCD. We identified 1039 autopsied cases of sudden death, of which 286 (28%) were classified as SNCD. The median age in the SNCD death population was 32 years. Increasing age was inversely associated with SNCD (odds ratio [OR] 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87-0.98). Female sex, in-hospital location, and the absence of cardiac comorbidities were positively associated with SNCD (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.3-2.3; OR 3.0, 95% CI 2.0-4.4; and OR 4.3, 95% CI 2.5-7.4, respectively). The most common cause of SNCD was pulmonary disease (n = 115 [40%]). Sudden death among individuals aged caused by noncardiac diseases in 28% of cases. Risk factors were female sex, age, and the absence of cardiac comorbidities. These data may guide future strategies for the follow-up of family members of nonautopsied sudden death victims, improve risk stratification, and influence public health strategies. Copyright © 2015 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.