Microembolic signal counts increase during hyperbaric exposure in patients with prosthetic heart valves

• Published in: The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery Vol. 122; no. 6; pp. 1142 - 1146
• Main Authors: Baumgartner, R.W., Frick, A., Kremer, C., Oechslin, E., Russi, E., Turina, J., Georgiadis, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Elsevier Inc 01.12.2001; AATS/WTSA; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aortic Valve; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical Medicine; Female; Heart Valve Prosthesis; Humans; Hyperbaric Oxygenation; Intracranial Embolism - diagnostic imaging; Klinisk medicin; Male; Medical and Health Sciences; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Middle Aged; Middle Cerebral Artery - diagnostic imaging; Mitral Valve; Neurologi; Neurology; Observer Variation; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the heart; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial; Sonography; Doppler ultrasound study; Human; Hyperbarism; Pathophysiology; Prosthesis; Middle cerebral artery; Exploration; Medical screening; Heart valve; Microembolism; Transcranial route; Etiology; Surgery; Comparative study; Monitoring

Background: Patients with prosthetic heart valves have an increased risk of thromboembolic events, and transcranial Doppler sonography reveals microembolic signals. Whereas microembolic signals were initially assumed to be of particulate matter, recent studies suggest that they are partially gaseous...