Objective. Acute myocardial infarction-related cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) is often accompanied by tachycardia, which, in turn, increases myocardial oxygen consumption and hinders the use of ventricular assist devices, such as intra-aortic balloon pump. Evidence suggests that ivabradine may reduce heart rate (HR) without affecting other hemodynamic parameters. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of ivabradine on reducing HR and changes in other hemodynamic parameters such as cardiac index (CI), in patients with AMI-CS and tachycardia. Materials and methods. A single-center, open label, randomized clinical trial included patients diagnosed with AMI-CS and tachycardia with >100 beats per minute (BPM). Heart rate, cardiac index, and other hemodynamic parameters measured by pulmonary flotation catheter were compared at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after randomization. Re...

Objective. To evaluate the predictive ability of traditional risk scores and frailty assessment for 30-day mortality in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Materials and Methods. A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted, including elderly patients (≥75 years old) who underwent cardiac surgery between January 2005 and December 2015. EuroSCORE II, STS (Society of Thoracic Surgeons) score, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and Electronic Frailty Index scores were calculated to assess their predictive ability for 30-day mortality using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and corresponding areas under the curve (AUC). Results. A total of 203 patients were included during the study period, of whom 33% underwent isolated coronary bypass surgery. The overall 30- day mortality rate was 17.6%. Patients who died within the first 30 days exhibited higher scores on Eur...