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Latest Articles
The European Society of Cardiology Education Committee aims to promote excellent National Society projects to a European audience. The European Society of Cardiology in association with the British Cardiovascular Society and BMJ Publishing is delighted to offer its members free access to Education in Heart, a continuing professional development programme for established and trainee cardiologists. The programme covers the full ESC Core Curriculum and is accredited by the European Board for Accreditation in Cardiology (EBAC).
The editorial board of Education in Heart is led by Dr Peter Mills and is supported by an international group of subspecialty section editors. All articles are written by a leading international specialist. Education in Heart is published in Heart the official journal of the British Cardiac Society. It comprises three state-of-the-art educational articles in each monthly issue of the journal and these are accompanied by 6 multiple choice questions for online assessment. This service will provide ESC members with access to all future and past Education in Heart articles. Over 200 articles are presently available and each article is accredited for 1 hour of CME credit by EBAC if you correctly answer the accompanying multiple choice questions on BMJ Learning (requires one-time registration on BMJ Learning).
The Heart website is hosted by HighWire press which offers the following sophisticated functionality:
- Articles can be grouped by topic (following the ESC core curriculum)
- Many cited references link directly to the full text of that article (free access)
- Users can be alerted as new articles are published
- RSS functionality
- Searches and articles can be saved in personalised folders
The latest articles accredited by EBAC are listed below (September/October 2008):
Cell therapy for ischaemic heart disease
Saskia L M A Beeres, Douwe E Atsma, Jan van Ramshorst, Martin J Schalij, and Jeroen J Bax
Heart 2008; 94: 1214-1226. doi:10.1136/hrt.2008.149476
This paper aims to provide an overview of the basic principles of cardiac cell therapy. First, the potential mechanisms through which cell therapy may improve cardiac performance and the different cell populations that have been tested in preclinical studies are discussed. Thereafter, the different routes of cell delivery are reviewed, along with the results of the currently available clinical studies investigating the safety, feasibility and efficacy of cardiac cell therapy for patients with IHD.
Transposition of the great arteries: from fetus to adult
Jon Skinner, Tim Hornung, and Elizabeth Rumball
Heart 2008; 94: 1227-1235. doi:10.1136/hrt.2006.104737
This article provides a review of trends in modern practice in the management and outcome of transposition of the great arteries (TGA) from fetal until adult life. It focuses on simple transposition (isolated ventriculo-arterial discordance or D-TGA) with some references to transposition with a ventricular septal defect (VSD).
Intraoperative echocardiography
Donald C Oxorn
Heart 2008; 94: 1236-1243. doi:10.1136/hrt.2008.148510
Intraoperative TOE has improved monitoring capability, and allowed the results of complex operations to be assessed while still in the OR. The practitioner must be erudite, not only in his knowledge of echocardiography, but in the appreciation of the unique haemodynamic milieu that is the cardiac OR. Techniques in development include the use of tissue Doppler imaging to aid in the quantification of ventricular function, and "real time" three dimensional TOE to better define the complex anatomy that is often present in modern surgical practice.
The universal definition of myocardial infarction: a consensus document
Joseph S Alpert, Kristian Thygesen, Allan Jaffe, and Harvey D White
Heart 2008; 94: 1335-1341. doi:10.1136/hrt.2008.151233
In medicine, as in all human communication, clear definitions are essential. The history of medicine is filled with examples of communication failures that result when poor definitions of specific disease entities are used. Accurate, clear definitions of a disease entity enable clinicians to communicate among themselves, to study the disease, and ultimately to explain to patients the specific condition from which the patient suffers. A clinical scientist’s diagnostic criteria must also be accurate and reproducible so that similar patients with the disease are studied and entered into clinical trials. When accurate, reproducible definitions of a specific disease entity are used, results from one clinical trial can be compared with the results from other trials, and clinicians can communicate accurately among themselves concerning a specific disease.
Treatment of atrial fibrillation
Y Blaauw and H J G M Crijns
Heart 2008; 94: 1342-1349. doi:10.1136/hrt.2005.079020
In recent years, the results of large clinical trials have had a major impact on the contemporary management of AF. In addition, novel AF ablation techniques have significantly expanded our treatment arsenal. Despite these developments, management of AF in the individual patient often remains troublesome. In this article we aim to provided an overview of the modern treatment strategies for AF.
Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum: from fetus to adult
Elliot A Shinebourne, Michael L Rigby, and Julene S Carvalho
Heart 2008; 94: 1350-1357. doi:10.1136/hrt.2006.108936
Fetal diagnosis facilitates optimal management at birth but has resulted in a reduced live born incidence because of elective termination of pregnancy. Management strategies for PAIVS continue to evolve and must include assessment of the coronary circulation. Whether, when feasible, a biventricular repair is always preferable to a total cavopulmonary connection in the long term will only be known with follow up into adult life.