The transition in care from surgeon to NP in the vascular surgery unit of our hospital facilitated the comparison of both groups.\n\nMethods: A prospective study was undertaken to analyze the effect of NPs on QoL, anxiety,

and depressive symptom scores. Two groups were analyzed: a group of patients treated by a vascular surgeon alone (surgeon group) and a group of patients treated by a NP supervised by a vascular surgeon (NP group). Patients completed the short version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQOL-BREF), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) questionnaires both before and after intervention.\n\nResults: Two hundred fourteen patients were included in our study. Within groups, there was a significant PD0332991 increase in physical QoL, with 5.2 points in the surgeon group and 4.4 points in the NP group. There was a significant decrease in anxiety scores (-3.8 points in the surgeon group and -5.4 points in the NP group). Selleckchem AZD6244 No differences were found for depressive symptoms. Between groups, no differences were found.\n\nConclusions: The same improvements were found for QoL and anxiety scores in both groups. Vascular NPs are therefore competent to explain procedures and guide patients

through vascular interventions.”
“We describe a case with pacemaker implantation for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)

in a patient with complex congenital LDN-193189 nmr heart disease, facilitated by cardiac computed tomography (CT) and coronary sinus (CS) venography. A 37-year-old male presented with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries and mesocardia, along with a history of two open heart surgeries (closure of atrial septal defects and a ventricular septal defect, and pulmonary valvectomy at age 7; mechanical tricuspid valve replacement at age 13). He showed symptoms of progressive heart failure (NYHA class III) with significant impairment of the systemic right ventricular function. He also developed permanent atrial fibrillation with a junctional rhythm at a rate of 45 beats per minute. Biventricular pacing without an atrial lead was considered to be the best option available. CRT implantation was facilitated by proper identification of CS anatomy utilizing cardiac CT and CS venography and was performed without any complications. At follow up, a postero-anterior chest X-ray showed the final position of the right-sided ventricular (left ventricular morphology) lead pointing to the apex and the left ventricular lead at the posterolateral aspect of the systemic ventricle (right ventricular morphology).”
“Environmental temperature variation can influence physiology, biogeography, and life history, with large consequences for ecology, evolution, and the impacts of climate change.