Hypertension is a common problem, and population data suggest its incidence is increasing globally. One billion individuals worldwide now have hypertension. Nearly one in three US adults has hypertension. Compared with two-thirds in the past decade, currently half of these…
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined by an elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) of >20 mm Hg and may be precapillary or postcapillary in etiology. Precapillary PH is further characterized by an elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) of ≥3 Wood…
Key concepts in the management of a critically ill patient with valvular heart disease are the use of echocardiography to provide an accurate diagnosis of disease severity and the appropriate use of invasive hemodynamic monitoring to optimize loading conditions. Physical…
Etiology and classification of pericardial disease The spectrum of pericardial diseases consists of congenital defects, pericarditis (dry, effusive, effusive-constrictive, or constrictive), neoplasms, and cysts. The etiologic classification comprises infectious pericarditis, pericarditis in systemic autoimmune diseases, type 2 (auto) immune process,…
Myocarditis Myocarditis is defined as inflammation of heart muscle. Many different etiologic agents have been implicated in this disease, but viral infections are the most common cause. Myocarditis can be associated with autoimmune and other systemic diseases and can be…
Conduction disturbances Patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) frequently have conduction disturbances because of their acute medical condition or underlying risk factors. The clinical manifestation varies broadly from asymptomatic to life-threatening events. Locating and understanding the conduction disturbances…
Cardiac arrhythmias are common in critically ill patients and a frequent reason for hospital admission to areas with capability for continuous electrocardiographic monitoring and personnel trained in their recognition and management (e.g., intensive care units [ICUs] and telemetry units). Arrhythmias…
Classification and epidemiology Supraventricular arrhythmias include rhythms arising from the sinus node and the adjacent atrial tissue (inappropriate sinus tachycardia, sinoatrial reentry tachycardia), both the right and left atria (atrial tachycardia, flutter, and fibrillation), the atrioventricular (AV) node (AV nodal…
Definition and clinical manifestations Acute coronary syndromes are a family of disorders that share similar pathogenic mechanisms and represent different points along a common continuum. They include ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non–ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS), and…
Introduction Metabolism in almost all living organisms is energized by the chemical reduction of oxygen (O 2 ). As such, provision of O 2 to tissues is of central importance for living beings, especially in the high O 2 consumption…