Cardiology Commons^™

Catecholamine Interactions With The Cardiac Ryanodine Receptor, Robert Carl Klipp

Dissertations and Theses

The cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) is a Ca²⁺ ion channel found in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), an intracellular membranous Ca²⁺ storage system. It is well known that a destabilization of RyR2 can lead to a Ca²⁺ flux out of the SR, which results in an overload of intracellular Ca²⁺; this can also lead to arrhythmias and heart failure. The catecholamines play a large role in the regulation of RyR2; stimulation of the Beta-adrenergic receptor on the cell membrane can lead to a hyperphosphorylation of RyR2, making it more leaky to Ca²⁺. We have …

The Effect Of Heart Failure Education On Reducing Readmissions, Mayola Lara Villarruel

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Management of heart failure is a significant financial challenge for the health care industry, costing approximately $33.2 billion annually. Common reasons for preventable heart failure readmissions include inadequate discharge education and lack of self-care and health management activities. Education at discharge is a vital component of improving heart failure outcomes. Following a review of the literature, high quality evidence supports that heart failure education should focus on medication adherence, sodium and fluid restriction, daily weights, activity tolerance, identification of deteriorating signs and symptoms of heart failure, and smoking cessation. The purpose of this EBP project was to reduce heart failure …

Molecular Mechanisms Related To Endotoxemia In Primary Human Cardiomyocytes In Culture, Atijah J. Collins

PCOM Biomedical Studies Student Scholarship

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States and has been for the past 80 years. Development of novel therapeutic agents to address the large number of CVD deaths requires an in depth understanding of the structural and functional properties of human cardiomyocytes. Over the last few years we have been developing an in vitro paradigm to assess molecular cardiodynamics in Primary Human Cardiomyocyte in culture (PHCC). We tested the hypothesis whether endotoxemia would exhibit a marked decrease in contractile proteins and cause apoptosis in PHCC. In the current series of experiments, we induced endotoxemia …

Is Dabigatran Superior To Warfarin In Treating Patients With Atrial Fibrillation?, Kelly Higgins

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not Dabigatran is superior to Warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary studies published in 2007, 2009, and 2010.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized control trials found using Cochrane Database.

OUTCOME(S) MEASURED: Outcomes measured were presence or absence of stroke or systolic embolism and intracranial hemorrhage. The absence of these events preserved neurologic function in patients with atrial fibrillation.

RESULTS: In both VKA-naïve and VKA-experienced patients, Dabigatran 150 mg was superior to Warfarin in both the prevention of stroke …

Is Electrical Muscle Stimulation Effective In The Progression Of Oral Feeding, For Patients With Dysphagia, Caused By A Stroke?, Kristen Iaconelli

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not electrical muscle stimulation is effective in the progression of oral feeding, for patients with dysphagia, caused by a stroke.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of 3 randomized controlled trials, published between 2008-2009.

DATA SOURCES: All 3 randomized controlled trials were found using the Cochrane database.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: All 3 studies measured subjective swallowing function pre- and post-treatment, however, each trial differed in the way they measured this. Permsirivanich et al used a functional oral intake scale (FOIS), or a 7-point scale reflecting the patient’s report of …