Journal of cardiovascular and thoracic research 

About: Journal of cardiovascular and thoracic research is an academic journal published by Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Medicine & Internal medicine. It has an ISSN identifier of 2008-5117. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 540 publications have been published receiving 4145 citations.

The predictive Value of Total Neutrophil Count and Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio in Predicting In-hospital Mortality and Complications after STEMI.

Abstract: Introduction: Leukocytosis, predominantly neutrophilia, has previously been described following ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) The exact contribution of this phenomenon to the clinical outcome of STEMI is yet to be shown We examined cellular inflammatory response to STEMI in the blood and its association with in-hospital mortality and/or adverse clinical eventsMethods: In this cross-sectional study, 404 patients who were admitted with the diagnosis of acute STEMI at Madani Heart Hospital from March 2010 to March 2012 were studied The complete blood cell count (CBC) was obtained from all patientswithin12-24 hours of the onset of symptoms Total leukocytes were counted and differential count was obtained for neutrophils, lymphocytes and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were evaluated Association of cellular response with the incidence of post-MI mortality/complications was assessed by multiple logistic regression analysesResults: In-hospital mortality and post-STEMI complication rate were 37% and 436%, respectively Higher age (P=004), female gender (0002), lower ejection fraction (P<0001) and absolute neutrophil count (P=004) were predictors of mortality Pump failure in the form of acute pulmonary edema or cardiogenic shock occurred in 35 (89%) of patients Higher leukocyte (P<003) and neutrophil counts (P<003) and higher NLR (P=001) were predictors of failure The frequency of ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VT/VF) at the first day was associated with higher neutrophil count (P<0001) and higher NLR level (P<0001) In multivariate analysis neutrophil count was an independent predictor of mortality (OR=294; 11-84, P=004), and neutrophil count [OR=11, CI (101-120), P=002], female gender [OR=234, CI (102-488), P=004] and diabetes [OR=252, CI (121-52), P=0003] were independent predictors of heart failureConclusion: A single CBC analysis may help to identify STEMI patients at risk for mortality and heart failure, and total neutrophil count is the most valuable in predicting both

Comparison of the Spo2/Fio2 Ratio and the Pao2/Fio2 Ratio in Patients With Acute Lung Injury or Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Abstract: Introduction: Diagnostic criteria for acute lung injury (ALI) and Acute RespiratoryDistress syndrome (ARDS) includes acute onset of disease, chest radiographdemonstrating bilateral pulmonary infiltrates, lack of significant left ventriculardysfunction and Pao2/Fio2 (PF) ratio ≤300 for ALI or ≤200 for ARDS. Recent criteriarequire invasive arterial sampling. The pulse oximetric saturation Spo2/Fio2 (SF) ratiomay be a reliable non-invasive alternative to the PF ratio.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 70 patients with ALI or ARDSwho were admitted in Tabriz children’s hospital pediatrics intensive care unit (PICU).Spo2, Fio2, Pao2, charted within 5 minutes of each other and calculated SF and PFwere recorded to determine the relationship between SF and PF ratio. SF values wereexamined as a substitute of PF ratio for diagnosis ARDS and ALI.Results: The relationship between SF and PF ratio was described by the followingregression equation: SF=57+0.61 PF (P<0.001). SF ratios of 181 and 235 correspondedof PF ratio 300 and 200. The SF cutoff of 235 had 57% sensitivity and 100% specificityfor diagnosis of ALI. The SF cutoff of 181 had 71% sensitivity and 82% specificity fordiagnosis of ARDS.Conclusion: SF ratio is a reliable noninvasive surrogate for PF ratio to identify childrenwith ALI or ARDS with the advantage of replacing invasive arterial blood sampling bynon-invasive pulse oximetry.

Quality of life in cardiovascular patients in iran and factors affecting it: a systematic review.

Abstract: Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are always one of the major causes of mortality in the world affecting all aspects of patients’ lives. Therefore, this study was conducted to summarize and provide a clear view of quality of life in these patients in Iran through a systematic review on the results of previously conducted studies. Methods: In a systematic review, required information was collected by searching keywords of Iran, quality of life, heart failure, cardiac, heart, and their Persian equivalents in databases of Science Direct, Pubmed, IRAN doc, SID, Medlib and Magiran. The selected time period for searching articles was since 2000 to 2012. Inclusion criteria were: releasing of article during 2000 to 2012, articles reporting patients’ quality of life in any domains of heart diseases, and articles published in Persian and English. Extracted results first were summarized in Extraction Table, and then analyzed manually. Results: Finally 18 of 1592 found articles were included in the study. A total of 3,797 cardiac patients' quality of life was measured using six different tools, the most important one of which was SF36 questionnaire. Among eight dimensions of SF36 questionnaire, the highest mean was for social role functioning with average score of 58.37 and the lowest for physical limitation (physical role functioning) with score of 42.95. Overall, mean of eight dimensions was 53.19. Among 4 general domains of quality of life, physical activity had the lowest average of 43.63 and average of general dimensions of quality of life was 47.65. The most important factors affecting quality of life were sex, age, education, marital status, occupational status, suffering duration, number of hospitalizations etc. Conclusion: The results of the studies showed relatively low quality of life of cardiovascular patients in general. Therefore, according to the introduced effective factors in this study, it is necessary to consider regular programs for improving quality of life in these patients and providing suitable and qualitative services. A B S T R A C T A R T I C L E I N F O

The effect of dairy consumption on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases: A meta-analysis of prospective studies

Abstract: Introduction: There is no global consensus on the relationship of dairy products with cardiovascular diseases. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the consumption of dairy products on cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: Important electronic databases such as the Scopus, Science Direct, and PubMed were evaluated up to September 2014. All prospective cohort studies that evaluated the relationship between dairy products consumption and cardiovascular diseases were included regardless of their publication date and language. The study participants were evaluated regardless of age, sex, and ethnicity. The STROBE checklist was used to assess quality of the study. Two investigators separately selected the studies and extracted the data. The designated effects were risk ratio (RR) and hazard ratio (HR). The random effect model was used to combine the results. Results: Meta-analysis was performed on 27 studies. There were 8648 cases of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), 11806 cases of CHD, and 29300 cases of stroke. An inverse association was found between total dairy intake and CVD (RR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.81-0.99) and stroke (RR=0.88, 95% CI: 0.82-0.95) while no association was observed between total dairy intake and CHD. The total diary intake was associated with decreased mortality of stroke (RR=0.80, 95% CI: 0.76-0.83) although it had no association with its incidence (RR=0.96, 95% CI: 0.88-1.04). Conclusion: This is the first meta-analysis of the relationship of total dairy intake with CVD. This study showed an inverse relationship between total dairy intake and CVD while no relationship was found for CHD. Considering the limited number of studies in this regard, more studies are required to investigate the effect of different factors on the association of dairy intake and CVD.

Vocal cord paralysis and its etiologies: a prospective study.

Abstract: Introduction: Vocal cord paralysis is a common symptom of numerous diseases and it may be due to neurogenic or mechanical fixation of the cords. Paralysis of the vocal cords is just a symptom of underlying disease in some cases; so, clinical diagnosis of the underlying cause leading to paralysis of the vocal cords is important. This study evaluates the causes of vocal cord paralysis.Methods: In a prospective study, 45 patients with paralyzed vocal cord diagnosis were examined by tests such as examination of the pharynx, larynx, esophagus, thyroid, cervical, lung, and mediastinum, brain and heart by diagnostic imaging to investigate the cause vocal cord paralysis. The study was ended by diagnosing the reason of vocal cord paralysis at each stage of the examination and the clinical studies.Results: The mean duration of symptoms was 18.95±6.50 months. The reason for referral was phonation changes (97.8%) and aspiration (37.8%) in the subjects. There was bilateral paralysis in 6.82%, left paralysis in 56.82% and right in 63.36% of subjects. The type of vocal cord placement was midline in 52.8%, paramedian in 44.4% and lateral in 2.8% of the subjects. The causes of vocal cords paralysis were idiopathic paralysis (31.11%), tumors (31.11%), surgery (28.89%), trauma, brain problems, systemic disease and other causes (2.2%).Conclusion: An integrated diagnostic and treatment program is necessary for patients with vocal cord paralysis. Possibility of malignancy should be excluded before marking idiopathic reason to vocal cord paralysis.