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BACKGROUND: Fragmented QRS (fQRS) is an electrocardiographic parameter, which could be assessed easily and non-invasively using surface electrocardiogram (ECG) and may have significant prognostic value. The present study aimed to evaluate the correlation between left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and fQRS in surface ECG. METHODS: This study was conducted on 186 patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). After primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and transferring the patients to the cardiac care unit (CCU), the patients were examined using echocardiography, and ejection fraction (EF) was assessed using the Simpson's method by a single cardiologist. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software. RESULTS: Among 186 eligible patients, 113 cases showed fQRS in the surface ECG. In total, 84.9% of these patients were men, and 15.1% were women (P < 0.05). No significant correlation was observed between age and fQRS (P > 0.05), as well as coronary artery disease (CAD) severity and fQRS (P > 0.05). On the other hand, a statistically significant, reverse correlation was denoted between EF and fQRS in the surface ECG (P < 0.05). In addition, significant relations were observed between the rate of ST-segment elevation and depression and fQRS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: According to the obtained results, EF significantly decreased in the echocardiography of the patients with STEMI and fQRS in the surface ECG. Considering the cost-efficiency and accessibility of fQRS evaluation, it could be used for the assessment of various parameters in cardiology modalities such as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) and computed tomography (CT). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The National Persian Registry of Cardiovascular Disease (N-PROVE) has been established to provide a comprehensive database of cardiovascular diseases in the Iranian community for further investigations and to develop national guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). As with most clinical registries, a quality control audit is necessary to ensure a comprehensive and accurate registry; the current study aims to assess the validity and quality of the N-PROVE/Angiography/Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) registry. METHODS: The current cross-sectional quality assessment study serves as an example of data quality assessment in N-PROVE on a sample of patients registered in the N-PROVE/Angiography/PCI registry since 2020. Accordingly, data of 194 patients, including comorbidities, angiography, and angioplasty characteristics, were collected from the N-PROVE/Angiography/PCI registry as the main database and reevaluated by a panel consisting of a cardiologist and two coronary intervention fellowships as a test database. RESULTS: The quality control of the population-based healthcare database, the N-PROVE/PCI, revealed that the average error rate in terms of comorbidities, angiography characteristics, angioplasty characteristics, and in total were 3.8%, 2.3%, 3%, and 3.03%, respectively. CONCLUSION: According to the findings of this study, the N-PROVE/PCI registry had an average error of less than 4% in the assessed dimensions, including comorbidities, angiography, and angioplasty characteristics. Therefore, this registry appears valid and may be used for contemporary epidemiological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: A growing body of clinical and laboratory evidence indicates that inflammation plays a crucial role in atherosclerosis. In the present study, we compared the effects of clopidogrel and prasugrel on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: The present randomized, double-blind clinical trial included 120 patients who underwent PCI. Eligible patients were randomly assigned 2:1 to one of the two groups: 80 patients in the first group received clopidogrel (Plavix®; loading dose and maintenance dose of 300 and 75 mg daily, respectively) and 40 patients in the second group received prasugrel (Effient®; loading dose and maintenance dose of 60 and 10 mg, respectively) for 12 weeks. The hs-CRP levels between baseline and 12th week were compared. RESULTS: Of the 120 patients, 69 patients (57.5%) were male. Pretreatment hs-CRP level was statistically comparable in clopidogrel (median, 15.10 mg/dL; interquartile range [IQR], 9.62-23.75 mg/dL) and prasugrel groups (median, 18 mg/dL; IQR, 14.25-22 mg/dL; P = 0.06). Patients taking clopidogrel showed a significant reduction in hs-CRP level compared with the baseline values (P, 0.001). Prasugrel administration also resulted in a significant reduction in hs-CRP level (P, 0.001). A significant 73% overall reduction in the hs-CRP level was seen with prasugrel compared with 39% overall reduction in hs-CRP level with clopidogrel (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Prasugrel seems to be superior to clopidogrel in the reduction of hs-CRP in patients undergoing PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]