Heart Failure

• An 86 y.o. female is admitted for elective total knee replacement surgery. Her past medical history includes hypertension and supraventricular arrhythmia. At the age of 82, she had a posterior myocardial infarction, resulting in New York Heart Association II functional status. She had no history of cerebrovascular accidents, and cardiopulmonary examination was normal, BP 160/90 mmHg, HR 84 bpm. Post-operatively she is admitted to ICU...
• A 30-year-old man is returned to the ICU from the operating theatre following replacement of his aortic arch and aortic valve. He is known to have Marfan's syndrome. He is cool to touch and has a pansystolic murmur best heard at the apex of the heart...