Diffuse precordial ST-segment elevation in inferior-right myocardial infarction

A right ventricular (RV) myocardial infarction (MI) may yield precordial ST-segment elevation (STE). Accordingly, combined inferior and precordial STE may be produced during an inferior-RV MI. Such an electrocardiographic picture may be mistakenly regarded as showing wrapped left anterior descending artery (LADA) occlusion or double vessel occlusion. We present a patient with inferior-RV MI and STE in the inferior, all precordial and right chest leads, in whom the diffuse precordial STE was probably mistakenly regarded as showing anterior MI. However, the STE resolution in V1-V2 and late R’ wave in V1, which were combined with a recanalized RV branch, favored the RV origin of this STE. Furthermore, the LADA was patent when V3-V6 showed severe ischemia, while its lesion was angiographically stable. Thus its simultaneous occlusion was unlikely. The late R’ wave in V1 indicates RV transmural conduction delay;as highlighted herein, it is diagnostic of a RV myocardial infarction. (Cardiol J 2010; 17, 6: 628-631

Preliminary results of the study MEETinCY

Background: Even though heart failure (HF) management programmes have been improved and proved their efficient, no such proramme has been offered untilrecently in Cyprus. Since 2008 MEETinCY research programme is the first one in Cyprus and it is also a nurse-led management programme for HF patients in Cyprus.Purpose: To determine the effect of a structured educational intervention and / ortelephone follow-up programme for patients with HF.Methods: The present study is a randomized control trial with various interventions and longitudinal monitoring. As a part of the larger MEETinCY research project, sam-pling was extracted from the parent sample, which was conducted between April2014 and June 2014, using the electronic medical records of patients of five government hospitals. Total acute events of HF decompensation including their clinicaland demographic characteristics were recorded in 12 and 24 weeks post discharge.Additional information to support the existence or not of decompensation, if needed,was provided by patients and their relatives, through telephone calls. Events were classified as decompensation of pre-existing HF, or decompensation from othercauses.Results: A number of 195 Cypriot HF patients, who received educational inter-vention and / or telephone follow up calls. were recruited. A reduction of instantrisk of HF decompensation at 3 months in 51% [HR: 0,49 (95CI: 0,27-0,88](p = 0,001), was found in the group of telephone follow up, compared to con-trol group. There was no difference between groups regarding the occurrenceof death [Control n = 1 (1,8%) vs Intervention n = 2 (2,2%) p = 1], the total vis-its to emergency department (p = 0,52), the total readmissions (p = 0,52), and thecumulative events (visits & readmissions) (p = 0,79). No statistically significant dif-ference was found in the mean hospital length of stay [Control 6,17 ± 8,2 vs Inter-vention 6,54 ± 9,5 (p = 0.874)]. Unfortunately, t he promising results of the beneficial effect of the i ntervention in disease-free survival time for the first 3 monthsafter randomization and perspective monitoring, does not appear to be maintainedfor long.Conclusions: The present study results showed that advanced nurses in HF whoapply structured educational programmes combined with telephone follow up, canenhance the outcome of patients with HF

The Ledra Palace project: Using emerging technologies to communicate exhibition content - Evaluation of results

During the past couple of decades, museums resort to using innovative technological solutions in their permanent collections or temporary exhibitions aiming to enhance visitor experience. In the current study, we tested three emerging technologies (i.e., Interactive Book, Interactive Table, Immersive Virtual Reality) that were created to show in a museum exhibition, content related to ‘difficult heritage’ and ‘difficult history’. In a questionnaire administrated at the end of the exhibition, visitors were first asked to evaluate whether the content of the exhibition was better communicated through these interactive technologies than through non-technological (conventional) installations, and then to assess the usability of these technologies. Results revealed that technological installations were as engaging and successful in the presentation and communication of the content of the exhibition as the non-technological installations. Finally, with respect to the usability of the above three technological installations, results were remarkably high (Mdn: 87), with all visitors reporting a clear preference for the immersive virtual reality installation. Studies such as the current one support that interactive technologies should not aim to substitute conventional installations but instead, to complement them to enhance visitor experience and provide alternativ

Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire

PURPOSE: One of the major challenges for health care professionals in heart failure (HF) management is to maintain and/or improve HF patient health-related quality of life. The Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) is one of the most comprehensive and widely used tools for measuring health-related quality of life among patients with HF. The aim of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the tool. METHODS: The MLHFQ was administered among 128 Greek-Cypriot HF patients to assess the internal consistency, content validity, and contrast validity of its Greek version. Exploratory factor analysis was undertaken to establish its construct validity. RESULTS: The factor analysis in this study provided support for a 3-factor solution explaining 64.15% of the variance (physical, emotional, and social subscales). The internal consistency for the Greek version of the MLHFQ total scale (0.95) and subscales (0.80-0.94) were found to be high. The contrast validity of the Greek version of the MLHFQ was explored through cumulative MLHFQ scores and comparisons that were able to distinguish among all different levels of HF severity, as defined by the New York Heart Association functional class grouping. CONCLUSION: This study provides support for the reliability and validity of the Greek version of the MLHFQ

Improved indoor air quality during desert dust storms: The impact of the MEDEA exposure-reduction strategies

Desert dust storms (DDS) are natural events that impact not only populations close to the emission sources but also populations many kilometers away. Countries located across the main dust sources, including countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, are highly affected by DDS. In addition, climate change is expanding arid areas exacerbating DDS events. Currently, there are no intervention measures with proven, quantified exposure reduction to desert dust particles. As part of the wider "MEDEA" project, co-funded by LIFE 2016 Programme, we examined the effectiveness of an indoor exposure-reduction intervention (i.e., decrease home ventilation during DDS events and continuous use of air purifier during DDS and non-DDS days) across homes and/or classrooms of schoolchildren with asthma and adults with atrial fibrillation in Cyprus and Crete-Greece. Participants were randomized to a control or intervention groups, including an indoor intervention group with exposure reduction measures and the use of air purifiers. Particle sampling, PM10 and PM2.5, was conducted in participants' homes and/or classrooms, between 2019 and 2022, during DDS-free weeks and during DDS days for as long as the event lasted. In indoor and outdoor PM10 and PM2.5 samples, mass and content in main and trace elements was determined. Indoor PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations, adjusting for premise type and dust conditions, were significantly lower in the indoor intervention group compared to the control group (PM2.5-intervention/PM2.5-control = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.47, 0.70; PM10-intervention/PM10-control = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.71). In addition, the PM2.5 and PM10 particles of outdoor origin were significantly lower in the intervention vs. the control group (PM2.5 infiltration intervention-to-control ratio: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.42, 0.58; PM10 infiltration intervention-to-control ratio: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.52, 0.89). Our findings suggest that the use of air purifiers alongside decreased ventilation measures is an effective protective measure that reduces significantly indoor exposure to particles during DDS and non-DDS in high-risk population groups