Corresponding Author
This issue of JACC: Case Reports celebrates our patient success stories using guidelines, individualized patient care, and protocols. Learning from success is just as valuable as learning from mishaps. Providing opportunities to celebrate success also reinforces clinical science to achieve successful outcomes. The timing of patient presentation, early recognition of impending crisis, collaboration among all members of the health care system, and having the right tools available make up the recipe for success. Reflecting on what our colleagues have been able to achieve provides an issue of case reports that make us all proud of the profession we have chosen.
Various practice settings have provided excellent cases for this issue that are complex, requiring multiple specialties and cardiovascular team members to collaborate. For example, Dr Mascara and colleagues describe a patients with amniotic fluid emboli immediately after emergency cesarean delivery who required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for circulatory support. A collaboration of cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and obstetricians resulted in a successful recovery. Rapid response by every team member prevented maternal mortality and resulted in full recovery. In addition, support provided to the partner and grandparents during a time that is meant for celebration was invaluable. Congratulations to Dr Masara and colleagues on their success in this otherwise tragic situation.
Another case that required cardiology and hematology collaboration was submitted by Dr Rochlani and colleagues. This case describes a 33-year-old woman who had a history of sickle cell disease and postpartum cardiomyopathy and who presented in cardiogenic shock requiring mechanical circulatory support. The team was successfully able to prepare the patient for cardiac transplantation through presurgical exchange transfusion and avoiding cooling. Congratulations to Rochlani et al on their success in this complex situation.
As we progress throughout our careers, we continue to understand the complexity of the human body as we assist the patient in recovery or coping with illness. We learn from errors and mishaps and often judge our performance on the negative outcomes, but we can also learn from our successes. JACC: Case Reports publishes clinical cases that identify clinical hazards while providing strategies to reduce complications. Thank you to all the authors who submitted cases for this special issue. Without your commitment to providing excellent cases, we could not provide a variety of content for this issue.
Funding Support and Author Disclosures
The author has reported that she has no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.