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An 83-year-old woman with long-standing atrial fibrillation who had previously undergone atrioventricular nodal ablation and pacemaker placement presented with symptoms of progressive heart failure. Physical examination was notable for elevated jugular venous pressure, precordial lift, a grade 2/6 holosystolic murmur at the sternal border and apex, hepatomegaly, ascites, and severe lower-extremity edema. Laboratory evaluation revealed a creatinine level of 1.4 mg per deciliter (124 µmol per liter), an albumin level of 3.6 g per deciliter, and a brain natriuretic peptide level of 526 pg per milliliter (normal range, 0 to 100 pg per milliliter); liver function was normal. Chest radiography . . . [Full Text of this Article] |