Enigma of Sudden Cardiac Death


Book Description

The pathological behavior of a modern man is indebted to the complexity of various environmental encounters acting as unspoken, disconcerting even trivial events of day to day life. Each one of us is exposed to such psychic and socio-cultural strains which are inherent in the particular environments and will sooner or later succumb to the need to fidget and to perform small trivial acts, displaced from usual functional context and injected into quite alien behavior sequences, in an attempt to avoid behavioral stalemates of contradictory urges. It was surprising when somebody had said: such and such garments make me uneasy and sick or I feel completely relaxed with certain blend of Garments. We wanted to make sure, if these influences have lasting maturational influences on the body systems. Because an overload of stress, which may arrive as a big chunk or in a series of small bits, may be a Physical source of insult i.e. accidental trauma, malnutrition, disturbed sleep or Psychological i.e., disturbed family, life, loss of a job, personal insecurity etc. But the more appropriate definition of a stressor is given in the most recent literature. A stressor could be an environmental source, in more scientific words "Extroceptive" i.e., natural calamities, chronic occupational stress, over crowding, territorial conflicts, imposition of stressful behavioral task, etc. This could also be a naturally evoked "Agonistic" behavioral response, such as resulting from confrontation with an attacking animal or an on-rushing car. But the more complex behavioral response of an individual is observed in response to activation of the cutaneous receptors, due to Noxious or Nociceptive Stress. Initially, only painful stimuli were attributed to have such influences. But later scientists used loud noise and noxious cold stimulation and produced similar behavioral responses. Our experience with the Synthetic Blend of Garments showed similar behavioral reactions. We wanted to confirm the local static, thermal and mechanical influences instigated due poor sweat absorption of the Synthetic Blend of Garments could really produce nociceptive type of behavioral responses.




The Brugada Syndrome


Book Description

Until recently, the cellular basis for sudden death, the BrugadaSyndrome, has largely remained an unknown to modernarrhythmologists and cardiologists, particularly in the absence ofany structural heart disease. Detailed observations of age-groups,especially the young, families and populations where sudden deathfrequently occurs, and improved understanding of its contributoryfactors and mechanisms are, however, showing the way forward. This addition to the Clinical Approaches to Tachyarrhythmias(CATA) Series, written by the investigators who discovered andprobed the Brugada Syndrome, discusses the history, etiology,pathology and clinical manifestations of sudden death. Fromdiagnosis, prognosis, to therapeutic approaches using the latest incathater ablation techniques, electrophysiological surgery, andgenetic appraisal, the work is a testimony to the author'sinvestigation. Using clinical cases in Thailand and Laos, theyfurther unravel the syndrome's molecular mechanisms, studyingrelated syndromes, such as the long-QT syndrome, infant death, andarryhthmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. By being informed of the electrophysiological abnormalities thatcontribute to familial and genetic diseases, physicians,cardiologists and all those who care for patients with cardiacarrhythmias will be better able to identify and treat patients inwhom the Brugada Syndrome may strike next.




Heart Rhythm Disorders


Book Description

This engaging book covers a multitude of topics related to heart rhythm disorders (HRDs) and uniquely familiarizes readers with the development of treatment modalities over the past several decades, including the evolution of anti-arrhythmic drugs, pacemakers, defibrillators, and catheter ablation. Organized in ten sections, this title serves as both an archival and a contemporary resource for clinicians. The first section describes the discovery of the circulatory system by William Harvey in 1628 and outlines the development and understanding of HRD since the advent of intra-cardiac electrophysiology. Subsequent sections discuss the historical evolution of abnormal heart rhythms, such as supra and ventricular rhythms and sudden cardiac death, their treatment with drugs, surgery, pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and catheter ablation. Section nine offers a fascinating narration of the clinical evolution of overcoming heart attacks and its impact on HRDs. The final section explores potential new frontiers in HRD and the factors that may contribute to the prospective rise of cardiovascular diseases. A ground-breaking and invaluable addition to the clinical literature, Heart Rhythm Disorders: History, Mechanisms and Management Perspectives details the pervasive nature of cardiovascular diseases in human history, their ramifications, and their projected effects on at-risk demographic populations and human health in general.




Lightning Flowers


Book Description

This "utterly spectacular" book weighs the impact modern medical technology has had on the author's life against the social and environmental costs inevitably incurred by the mining that makes such innovation possible (Rachel Louise Snyder, author of No Visible Bruises). What if a lifesaving medical device causes loss of life along its supply chain? That's the question Katherine E. Standefer finds herself asking one night after being suddenly shocked by her implanted cardiac defibrillator. In this gripping, intimate memoir about health, illness, and the invisible reverberating effects of our medical system, Standefer recounts the astonishing true story of the rare diagnosis that upended her rugged life in the mountains of Wyoming and sent her tumbling into a fraught maze of cardiology units, dramatic surgeries, and slow, painful recoveries. As her life increasingly comes to revolve around the internal defibrillator freshly wired into her heart, she becomes consumed with questions about the supply chain that allows such an ostensibly miraculous device to exist. So she sets out to trace its materials back to their roots. From the sterile labs of a medical device manufacturer in southern California to the tantalum and tin mines seized by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to a nickel and cobalt mine carved out of endemic Madagascar jungle, Lightning Flowers takes us on a global reckoning with the social and environmental costs of a technology that promises to be lifesaving but is, in fact, much more complicated. Deeply personal and sharply reported, Lightning Flowers takes a hard look at technological mythos, healthcare, and our cultural relationship to medical technology, raising important questions about our obligations to one another, and the cost of saving one life.




Sudden Death in Epilepsy


Book Description

Though it is one of the most common causes of death in epilepsy patients, SUDEP is still infrequently and even reluctantly named on autopsy reports. This under-reporting equates to a lack of attention and earnest investigation into the cause, predisposition, and prevention of SUDEP. There is as yet little effort to establish an actionable strategy




Prevent a Second Heart Attack


Book Description

Reverse Your Heart Disease in Just Eight Weeks by Harnessing the Power of the Mediterranean Diet If you’re one of the 13 million Americans who have survived a heart attack or been diagnosed with heart disease, Dr. Janet Bond Brill offers a delicious and foolproof plan that can lower your risk of a second heart attack by up to 70 percent. Inspired by the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, the Prevent a Second Heart Attack Plan is based on satisfaction, rather than deprivation. Backed by cutting edge research, Dr. Brill explains: • Why the Mediterranean diet is the gold standard of heart-healthy eating • How “good carbs” such as oatmeal and popcorn lower bad cholesterol, prevent high blood pressure, and control your weight • The science behind eating fish for heart health • Why having a glass of red wine with dinner is great for your heart—and which wines are the best choices • The easiest, most delicious daily habit that will cut your heart attack risk Packed with every tool you need to eat your way to better heart health--including daily checklists, a complete two-week eating plan, and dozens of mouthwatering recipes to suit every meal, taste, and budget—Prevent a Second Heart Attack provides you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to live long and enjoy the good life, the heart healthy way. JANET BOND BRILL, Ph.D., R.D., LDN, is a diet, nutrition, and fitness expert who has appeared on national television. She is the author of Cholesterol Down: 10 Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol In 4 Weeks Without Prescription Drugs, and specializes in cardiovascular disease prevention. Dr. Brill lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and three children.




The Man Who Touched His Own Heart


Book Description

The secret history of our most vital organ: the human heart. The Man Who Touched His Own Heart tells the raucous, gory, mesmerizing story of the heart, from the first "explorers" who dug up cadavers and plumbed their hearts' chambers, through the first heart surgeries -- which had to be completed in three minutes before death arrived -- to heart transplants and the latest medical efforts to prolong our hearts' lives, almost defying nature in the process. Thought of as the seat of our soul, then as a mysteriously animated object, the heart is still more a mystery than it is understood. Why do most animals only get one billion beats? (And how did modern humans get to over two billion, effectively letting us live out two lives?) Why are sufferers of gingivitis more likely to have heart attacks? Why do we often undergo expensive procedures when cheaper ones are just as effective? What do Da Vinci, Mary Shelley, and contemporary Egyptian archaeologists have in common? And what does it really feel like to touch your own heart, or to have someone else's beating inside your chest? Rob Dunn's fascinating history of our hearts brings us deep inside the science, history, and stories of the four chambers we depend on most.




J Wave Syndromes


Book Description

This book delineates the state of the art of the diagnosis and treatment of J wave syndromes, as well as where future research needs to be directed. It covers basic science, translational and clinical aspects of these syndromes. The authors are leading experts in their respective fields, who have contributed prominently to the literature concerning these topics. J wave syndromes are one of the hottest topics in cardiology today. Cardiac arrhythmias associated with Brugada syndrome (BrS) or an early repolarization (ER) pattern in the inferior or infero-lateral ECG leads are thought to be mechanistically linked to accentuation of transient outward current (Ito)-mediated J waves. Although BrS and ER syndrome (ERS) differ with respect to magnitude and lead location of abnormal J waves, they are thought to represent a continuous spectrum of phenotypic expression termed J wave syndromes. ERS is divided into three subtypes with the most severe, Type 3, displaying an ER pattern globally in the inferior, lateral and right precordial leads. BrS has been linked to mutations in 19 different genes, whereas ERS has been associated with mutations in 7 different genes. There is a great deal of confusion as to how to properly diagnose and treat the J wave syndromes as well as confusion about the underlying mechanisms. The demonstration of successful epicardial ablation of BrS has provided new therapeutic options for the management of this syndrome for which treatment alternatives are currently very limited, particularly in the case of electrical storms caused by otherwise uncontrollable recurrent VT/VF. An early repolarization pattern is observed in 2-5% of the US population. While it is clear that the vast majority of individuals exhibiting an ER pattern are not at risk for sudden cardiac death, the challenge moving forward is to identify those individuals who truly are at risk and to design safe and effective treatments.




The Best American Mystery Stories 2015


Book Description

This anthology of 20 short stories features some of today’s best mystery authors—from Lee Child to Jeffrey Deaver and Joyce Carol Oates. For the 2015 edition of The Best American Mystery Stories, guest editor James Patterson presents twenty tales with all the tension, drama, and visceral emotion of Oscar-worthy cinema. These stories features characters who must make desperate choices: an imaginative bank-robbing couple, a vengeful high school shooter, a lovesick heiress who will do anything for her man, and many others. In one standout entry, Michael Connelly and Dennis Lehane team up to send legendary detective Harry Bosch after a child abductor. The Best American Mystery Stories, 2015 includes Tomiko M. Breland, Brendan DuBois, Janette Turner Hospital, Theresa E. Lehr, Doug Allyn, Andrew Bourelle, Joseph D’Agnese, Scott Grand, John M. Floyd, Steven Heighton, Richard Lange, Theresa E. Lehr, Lee Martin, and others. “These edgy tales strike hard and fast but Leave vivid memories behind.”—Kirkus




Strange Tombs - An Essex Witch Museum Mystery


Book Description

The fourth instalment in Syd Moore's spooktacular witch detective series Halloween in Essex and the Mystery and Suspense creative writing course at old Ratchette Hall is off to a satisfyingly creepy start. But things take a turn for the worse when the course administrator is discovered dead, clutching a marble finger to his chest. For why would anyone, undead or alive, want to kill mild-mannered Graham? Luckily Rosie Strange and Sam Stone are on the case. Soon, however, they are digging up more questions than answers: who are the unearthly howls emanating from neighbouring Witch Wood every night? How has a stone crusader, on display in the church, managed to lose a finger? And, more sinister yet, why is one of the tombs missing a corpse?