Abstract Background Todays guidelines for advanced CPR emphasize chest compressions with good quality and early defibrillation. Prehospital CPR performed by ambulance crew, an automated external defibrillator (AED) is used. The AED analyzes the heart rhythm and the performer is following the advice to chock the heart or not, given by the AED. During on-going CPR there are sequences when no chest compression is performed known as hands-off time. Hands-off time includes the time for the AED to analyze the heart rhythm and the time when advice is given to the crew.

ABSTRACTBackgroundWhen faced with an unexpected cardiac arrest the ambulance nurse is in responsible for taking advanced actions to create a clear airway. Two accepted methods for this is endotracheal intubation and application of laryngeal mask.AimThe purpose of this study was to examine the use of endotracheal intubation compared to application of the laryngeal mask in unexpected cardiac arrest.MethodLiterature study with quantitative approach. A systematic search of 21 articles comparing the laryngeal mask with the endotracheal intubation has been made using Pub-Med and CINAHL. A quality review according to Forsberg and Wengström has been made.ResultsLaryngeal mask had a higher rate of successful applications compared with endotracheal intubation. Time for applying the laryngeal mask was shorter in seven out of ten of the studied articles.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common heart disease in cats. Maine coon is one of the breeds where the disease is overrepresented. Studies have shown that HCM is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait in Maine Coon cats. This finding has led to cardiac screening using ultrasound in the breed. The results of the screening are used in a national breeding program constructed to reduce the spread and incidence of HCM in Maine Coon cats.

Cardiomyopathy is the most common type of cardiac disease in the cat. Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is comparably uncommon and only a few studies have been conducted in this disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the presence and inheritance pattern of RCM in a family of Birman cats. The family comprised 177 known cats. 107 of these cats were examined by echocardiography, 23 of the cats died/were euthanized and a diagnosis could be established post mortem.

Objective: The out-of-hospital cardiac-arrest incidence in Sweden averages about 10 000 a year. Whether the victim will survive or not is dependent upon rapid actions according to the chain of survival ? early alarm, early CPR, early defibrillation and early medical treatment. While waiting for the ambulance the victim is completely dependent on immediate help from any bystander, because early CPR improves survival rates by two-three folds. Unfortunately not all bystanders start CPR because of different reasons.

Objective: The out-of-hospital cardiac-arrest incidence in Sweden averages about 10 000 a year. Whether the victim will survive or not is dependent upon rapid actions according to the chain of survival ? early alarm, early CPR, early defibrillation and early medical treatment. While waiting for the ambulance the victim is completely dependent on immediate help from any bystander, because early CPR improves survival rates by two-three folds. Unfortunately not all bystanders start CPR because of different reasons.

Chronic valvular disease (CVD) is the most common cardiac disease in dogs, which account for 75% of all the cardiac cases. Cavalier King Charles spaniel (CKCS) is the most affected breed and it´s 13th times more likely that a CKCS, between the age of 7-10 years, will die or be euthanized for cardiac disease, compared with other breeds. The prevalence has been proven to bee independent of coat color and weight but highly dependent on age and gender in CKCS. In 2001 the Swedish Kennelclub and the Special club for cavalier King Charles spaniel created a breeding program against CVD in CKCS. In this program dogs are not allowed to breed until 4 years of age and have to have a heart auscultation without murmurs.

Hydropericardium or pericardial effusion (PE) is the accumulation of fluid in the pericardial sac and is often secondary to pericardial diseases or diseases related to the heart. It is unusual with clinically relevant pericardial diseases in cats but pericardial effusion is the most common one. Since PE causes serious symptoms and may lead to death it is important with a quick diagnosis and treatment. PE can be acute and cause cardiac tamponade, which gives severe clinical signs. Cardiac tamponade needs to be treated immediately or else the cat will die from cardiogenic chock. More common is chronic PE where the fluid accumulates during a longer period of time and the pericardial sac stretches.

Hydropericardium or pericardial effusion (PE) is the accumulation of fluid in the pericardial sac and is often secondary to pericardial diseases or diseases related to the heart. It is unusual with clinically relevant pericardial diseases in cats but pericardial effusion is the most common one. Since PE causes serious symptoms and may lead to death it is important with a quick diagnosis and treatment. PE can be acute and cause cardiac tamponade, which gives severe clinical signs. Cardiac tamponade needs to be treated immediately or else the cat will die from cardiogenic chock. More common is chronic PE where the fluid accumulates during a longer period of time and the pericardial sac stretches.

During the past few years there has been an observed decrease in physical fitness within different patient groups. As a part of the rehabilitating physiotherapy treatment it is important to acknowledge the physical condition of the patient. Physical fitness testing might be difficult due to physical limitations within different patient groups. A broad range of exercise tests is therefore of importance in clinical practice. The aim of this overview was to describe exercise tests used in rehabilitation contexts, and to define areas of use and restrictions.

Background: Myocardial infarction is the most common individual disease among people in the west world. In Sweden there are over 50 000 women and men who get myocardial infarction every year and about 40 % of them dies. Exercise training is one part of cardiac rehabilitation and since 1980 Sweden use the guidelines from that time. Aim: The aim was to review exercise-training modalities in cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction and the physiologic- and psychological effects. Method: Facts were obtained by searching through the database PubMed for articles published from 1994 and ten years forward.

This student report is a literature study about cardiac insufficiency in cats and it is written mainly for veterinary nurses. It is about cats with an underlying heart disease that has led to an incompensated heart failure.It presents a general basis on normal anatomy and physiology, and also how to make the diagnosis, therapy and intensive care.The student report is also about the role of the veterinary nurse during the process of the disease, how to help the veterinarian in the best way, how to handle anesthesia in cats with a heart disease, which factors that can have a significant matter in feeding, and what advices to give to a pet owner with a cat with a incompensated heart failure..

SAMMANFATTNINGNatriuretiska peptider är en är en grupp proteiner som via natriuretiska, diuretiska och vasodilaterande egenskaper reglerar vätskehomeostasen i kroppen (Levin et al, 1998). De frisätts bland annat när hjärtmuskelcellerna utsätts för stress och kan fungera som biomarkör för att utvärdera hjärtsjukdom. Analysering av typ B natriuretic peptide (BNP) i blod kan komma att vara till hjälp för den praktiserande veterinären vid diagnostisering av hjärtsvikt och även vid uppskattning av grad av hjärtsjukdom. Det har även visat sig att BNP kan användas för att uppskatta prognosen hos hundar med kronisk klaffdegeneration (Chetboul et al, 2009; Moonarmart et al, 2010).Kronisk klaffdegeneration är den vanligaste hjärtsjukdomarna hos hund och drabbar fram för allt små till medelstora hundar från medelåldern och uppåt (Kogure, 1980). Atrioventrikulärklaffarna, vanligtvis mitralis, blir nodulärt förtjockade med inlagring av glukosaminoglykaner och fibrosvävnad vilket leder till klaffinsufficiens.

SAMMANFATTNINGNatriuretiska peptider är en är en grupp proteiner som via natriuretiska, diuretiska och vasodilaterande egenskaper reglerar vätskehomeostasen i kroppen (Levin et al, 1998). De frisätts bland annat när hjärtmuskelcellerna utsätts för stress och kan fungera som biomarkör för att utvärdera hjärtsjukdom. Analysering av typ B natriuretic peptide (BNP) i blod kan komma att vara till hjälp för den praktiserande veterinären vid diagnostisering av hjärtsvikt och även vid uppskattning av grad av hjärtsjukdom. Det har även visat sig att BNP kan användas för att uppskatta prognosen hos hundar med kronisk klaffdegeneration (Chetboul et al, 2009; Moonarmart et al, 2010).Kronisk klaffdegeneration är den vanligaste hjärtsjukdomarna hos hund och drabbar fram för allt små till medelstora hundar från medelåldern och uppåt (Kogure, 1980). Atrioventrikulärklaffarna, vanligtvis mitralis, blir nodulärt förtjockade med inlagring av glukosaminoglykaner och fibrosvävnad vilket leder till klaffinsufficiens.

SAMMANFATTNINGNatriuretiska peptider är en är en grupp proteiner som via natriuretiska, diuretiska och vasodilaterande egenskaper reglerar vätskehomeostasen i kroppen (Levin et al, 1998). De frisätts bland annat när hjärtmuskelcellerna utsätts för stress och kan fungera som biomarkör för att utvärdera hjärtsjukdom. Analysering av typ B natriuretic peptide (BNP) i blod kan komma att vara till hjälp för den praktiserande veterinären vid diagnostisering av hjärtsvikt och även vid uppskattning av grad av hjärtsjukdom. Det har även visat sig att BNP kan användas för att uppskatta prognosen hos hundar med kronisk klaffdegeneration (Chetboul et al, 2009; Moonarmart et al, 2010).Kronisk klaffdegeneration är den vanligaste hjärtsjukdomarna hos hund och drabbar fram för allt små till medelstora hundar från medelåldern och uppåt (Kogure, 1980). Atrioventrikulärklaffarna, vanligtvis mitralis, blir nodulärt förtjockade med inlagring av glukosaminoglykaner och fibrosvävnad vilket leder till klaffinsufficiens.