Search

Brugada syndrome (BrS), early repolarization syndrome (ERS), and idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (iVF) have long been considered primary electrical disorders associated with malignant ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. However, recent studies have revealed the presence of subtle microstructural abnormalities of the extracellular matrix in some cases of BrS, ERS, and iVF, particularly within right ventricular subepicardial myocardium. Substrate-based ablation within this region has been shown to ameliorate the electrocardiographic phenotype and to reduce arrhythmia frequency in BrS. Patients with ERS and iVF may also exhibit low-voltage and fractionated electrograms in the ventricular subepicardial myocardium, which can be treated with ablation. A significant proportion of patients with BrS and ERS, as well as some iVF survivors, harbor pathogenic variants in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene, SCN5A , but the majority of genetic susceptibility of these disorders is likely to be polygenic. Here, we postulate that BrS, ERS, and iVF may form part of a spectrum of subtle subepicardial cardiomyopathy. We propose that impaired sodium current, along with genetic and environmental susceptibility, precipitates a reduction in epicardial conduction reserve, facilitating current-to-load mismatch at sites of structural discontinuity, giving rise to electrocardiographic changes and the arrhythmogenic substrate.

Contains fulltext : 291566.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) BACKGROUND: The constraints in the management of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) during the COVID-19 pandemic have been suggested to have severely impacted mortality levels. The aim of the current analysis is to evaluate the age-related effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mechanical reperfusion and 30-day mortality for STEMI within the registry ISACS-STEMI COVID-19. METHODS: This retrospective multicenter registry was performed in high-volume PPCI centers on four continents and included STEMI patients undergoing PPCI in March-June 2019 and 2020. Patients were divided according to age (< or ≥75 years). The main outcomes were the incidence and timing of PPCI, (ischemia time longer than 12 h and door-to-balloon longer than 30 min), and in-hospital or 30-day mortality. RESULTS: We included 16,683 patients undergoing PPCI in 109 centers. In 2020, during the pandemic, there was a significant reduction in PPCI as compared to 2019 (IRR 0.843 (95%-CI: 0.825-0.861, p < 0.0001). We found a significant age-related reduction (7%, p = 0.015), with a larger effect on elderly than on younger patients. Furthermore, we observed significantly higher 30-day mortality during the pandemic period, especially among the elderly (13.6% vs. 17.9%, adjusted HR (95% CI) = 1.55 [1.24-1.93], p < 0.001) as compared to younger patients (4.8% vs. 5.7%; adjusted HR (95% CI) = 1.25 [1.05-1.49], p = 0.013), as a potential consequence of the significantly longer ischemia time observed during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the treatment of patients with STEMI, with a 16% reduction in PPCI procedures, with a larger reduction and a longer delay to treatment among elderly patients, which may have contributed to increase in-hospital and 30-day mortality during the pandemic.

There are numerous causes for ST-segment elevation on ECG, the tumoral invasion of the heart being a rarer one. Because the management will differ one should always keep in mind the presence of such entity. Here we report a case of persistent ST-segment elevation due to a metastatic cardiac tumor. (C) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Background Myocarditis is an uncommon, potentially life-threatening disease that presents with a wide range of symptoms. In acute myocarditis, chest pain (CP) may mimic typical angina and also be associated with electrocardiographic changes, including an elevation of the ST-segment. A large percentage (20–56%) of myxomas are found incidentally. Case summary A 62-year-old female presenting with sudden onset CP and infero-lateral ST-elevation in the electrocardiogram. The diagnosis of ST-elevation myocardial infarction was presumed and administered tenecteplase. The patient was immediately transported to a percutaneous coronary intervention centre. She complained of intermittent diplopia during transport and referred constitutional symptoms for the past 2 weeks. Coronary angiography showed normal arteries. The echocardiogram revealed moderate to severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction due to large areas of akinesia sparing most of the basal segments, and a mobile mass inside the left atrium attached to the septum. The cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) suggested the diagnosis of myocarditis with concomitant left atrial myxoma. The patient underwent resection of the myxoma. Neurological evaluation was performed due to mild vertigo while walking and diplopia in extreme eye movements. The head magnetic resonance imaging identified multiple infracentimetric lesions throughout the cerebral parenchyma compatible with an embolization process caused by fragments of the tumour. Discussion Myocarditis can have various presentations may mimic acute myocardial infarction and CMR is critical to establish the diagnosis. Myxoma with embolic complications requires emergent surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case reported in the applicable literature of a myxoma diagnosed during a myocarditis episode.

Central obesity is directly associated with insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and inflammation, which lead to atherosclerotic vascular disease [1]. There is a positive association of central obesity, as well as a negative association of overall obesity, with higher mortality in acute coronary syndrome, as body mass index (BMI) does not adequately discriminate the difference between body fat and lean muscle mass [2]. The newest obesity parameter, the relative fat mass index (RFMI), was more accurate for body fat-defined obesity and more accurate than BMI for those with a high body fat percentage [3].

Chylothorax is an uncommon complication of thoracic surgery and, to our knowledge, has never been documented as a cause of dynamic ST‐segment elevation (STE). A 63‐year‐old woman with history of right pneumonectomy presented with chest pain and regional STE on 12‐lead electrocardiogram (ECG). Normal troponin‐I and a computed tomography (CT) scan showing a large right hemithoracic fluid collection indicated the unique cause of STE, which resolved after thoracentesis, was pericardial inflammation and cardiac compression from chylothorax. This case emphasizes nuances of ECG interpretation in the context of regional STE and explores the pathophysiology that links chylothorax with acute pericarditis.

Corresponding Author

Background Abnormal cardiac repolarization is observed in patients with epilepsy and can be associated with sudden death. We investigated whether structural brain abnormalities are correlated with abnormal cardiac repolarizations in patients with seizure or epilepsy. Methods and Results We retrospectively analyzed and compared 12‐lead ECG parameters following seizures between patients with and without structural brain abnormalities. A total of 96 patients were included: 33 women (17 with and 16 without brain abnormality) and 63 men (44 with and 19 without brain abnormality). Brain abnormalities included past stroke, chronic hematoma, remote bleeding, tumor, trauma, and postsurgical state. ECG parameters were comparable for heart rate, PR interval, and QRS duration between groups. In contrast, corrected QT intervals evaluated by Fridericia, Framingham, and Bazett formulas were prolonged in patients with brain abnormality compared with those without (women: Fridericia [normal versus abnormal], 397.4±32.7 versus 470.9±48.9; P =0.002; Framingham, 351.0±40.1 versus 406.2±46.1; P =0.002; Bazett, 423.8±38.3 versus 507.7±56.6; P P P P peak −T end intervals were comparable between groups. We also observed abnormal ST‐segment elevation in 5 patients. Importantly, no patients showed fatal arrhythmias during or after seizures. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that brain abnormalities can be associated with abnormal cardiac repolarization after seizures, which might be a manifestation of electrophysiological remodeling in the brain.

Myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) is a potentially multipathogenic syndrome that affects a subgroup of patients who present with acute myocardial infarction yet have no significant coronary artery disease on angiography. We herein describe a 71-year-old man with typical angina who showed inferior ST-segment elevation on electrocardiography and an increased troponin-I level. Emergency coronary angiography showed no angiographic stenosis. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) with two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI) were performed after coronary angiography. Good consistency was observed between the CMR findings and MCE with 2D-STI findings in identifying the potential causes of MINOCA. We explored an imaging method that is potentially more effective and accurate than CMR, namely MCE combined with 2D-STI, to identify myocardial abnormalities when angiography reveals no obstruction. This application of MCE with 2D-STI may optimize timely treatment. MINOCA has various causes, and the patient in this case was discharged with aspirin, verapamil, and atorvastatin on the presumption that the infarct had arisen from either plaque disruption or coronary spasm. In this study, we analyzed the etiology, clinical diagnosis, and treatment of MINOCA with reference to the relevant literature.

The lecture is devoted to the choice of tactics and the rules of reperfusion therapy for ST-elevated myocardial infarction. Since the time of reperfusion is crucial for the survival of these patients and the preservation of a viable myocardium, proper organization of care and strict adherence to the guidelines for drug-induced and non-drug interventions is necessary. The lecture substantiates the tactics of pharmaco-invasive intervention, the choice of thrombolytic agent, provides data on indications and contraindications for thrombolytic therapy, dosing regimen of thrombolytic drugs, other antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs required for reperfusion. Knowledge of current guidelines should help reduce ischemia time and cases of unjustified refusal to effective interventions.

Introduction A spontaneous type I electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern and/or unheralded syncope are conventionally used as risk markers for primary prevention of sudden cardiac arrest/death (SCA/SCD) in Brugada syndrome (BrS). In this study, we determine the prevalence of conventional and newer markers of risk in those with and without previous aborted SCA events. Methods All patients with BrS were identified at our institute. History of symptoms was obtained from medical tests or from interviews. Other markers of risk were also obtained, such as presence of (1) spontaneous type I pattern, (2) fractionated QRS (fQRS), (3) early repolarization (ER) pattern, (4) late potentials on signal‐averaged ECG (SAECG), and (5) response to programmed electrical stimulation. Results In 133 patients with Bars, 10 (7%) patients (mean age = 39 ± 11 years; nine males) were identified with a previous ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia episode (n = 8) or requiring cardio‐pulmonary resuscitation (n = 2). None of these patients had a prior history of syncope before their SCA event. Only two (20%) patients reported a history of palpitations or dizziness. None had apneic breathing and three (30%) patients had a family history of SCA. From their ECGs, a spontaneous pattern was only found in one (10%) of these patients. Further, 10% of patients had fQRS, 17% had late potentials on SAECG, 20% had deep S waves in lead I, and 10% had an ER pattern in the peripheral leads. No significant differences were observed in the non‐SCA group. Conclusion The majority of BrS patients with previous aborted SCA events did not have a spontaneous type I and/or prior history of syncope. Conventional and newer markers of risk appear to only have limited ability to predict SCA.

Introduction Spontaneous recanalization of the infarct-related artery (IRA) in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) before primary angioplasty (PCI) improves clinical outcomes. Aim To investigate the impact of ST-segment re-elevation (reSTE) following PCI in patent IRA on left ventricular (LV) function recovery and remodeling. Material and methods Of 155 STEMI patients with patent IRA, 19 (12.3%) patients with TIMI-2 (T2Res) and 85 (54.8%) with TIMI-3 (T3Res) had further STE resolution following PCI, 20 (12.9%) with TIMI-3 did not require PCI (T3noPCI) and 31 (20.0%) with TIMI-2/3 had reSTE of ≥ 1 mm following PCI as compared with pre-PCI recordings (T23reSTE). LV ejection fraction (LVEF, %) and LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indexes (LVEDVI, LVESVI, ml/m2) were measured by echocardiography 2 days and 6 months following PCI. Results In 6-month observation the improvement of LVEF in T3Res (by 3.9 ±5.1%) and in T3noPCI (by 5.7 ±6.1%) patients was higher as compared with T23reSTE (0.2 ±7.0%, p < 0.05 versus both). LVEDVI increased in T23reSTE patients by 6.6 ±12.6 ml/m2, but decreased in T3Res by 3.8 ±9.7 ml/m2 and in T3noPCI by 2.4 ±6.2 ml/m2 (for both p < 0.05 vs. T23reSTE). LVESVI increased in T23reSTE patients (by 3.8 ±10.8 ml/m2), did not change in T2Res (by 0.1 ±9.0 ml/m2), but decreased in T3Res (by 4.2 ±7.2 ml/m2, p < 0.05 vs. T23reSTE) and in T3noPCI patients (by 4.7 ±7.7 ml/m2, p < 0.05 vs. T23reSTE). ReSTE was an independent predictor of LVEF, LVEDVI and LVESVI changes (p < 0.001 for all). Conclusions ReSTE following PCI in a patent IRA is associated with a lack of improvement of LV contractility and subsequent LV remodeling.

AIMS Patients surviving an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are at risk of developing symptomatic heart failure (HF) or premature death. We hypothesized that sacubitril/valsartan, effective in the treatment of chronic HF, prevents development of HF and reduces cardiovascular death following high-risk AMI compared to a proven angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. This paper describes the study design and baseline characteristics of patients enrolled in the Prospective ARNI vs. ACE inhibitor trial to DetermIne Superiority in reducing heart failure Events after Myocardial Infarction (PARADISE-MI) trial. METHODS AND RESULTS PARADISE-MI, a multinational (41 countries), double-blind, active-controlled trial, randomized patients within 0.5-7 days of presentation with index AMI to sacubitril/valsartan or ramipril. Transient pulmonary congestion and/or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤40% and at least one additional factor augmenting risk of HF or death (age ≥70 years, estimated glomerular filtration rate

In COVID‐19 patients who develop sudden ST elevations it is necessary to consider cardiac causes other than myocardial infarction, such as coronary vasospasm.

Background While it is understood that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is primarily complicated by respiratory failure, more data are emerging on the cardiovascular complications of this disease. A subset of COVID-19 patients present with ST-elevations on electrocardiogram (ECG) yet normal coronary angiography, a presentation that can fit criteria for myocardial infarction with no obstructive coronary atherosclerosis (MINOCA). There is little known about non-coronary myocardial injury observed in patients with COVID-19, and we present a case that should encourage further conversation and study of this clinical challenge. Case summary An 86-year-old man presented to our institution with acute hypoxic respiratory failure and an ECG showing anteroseptal ST-segment elevation concerning for myocardial infarction. Mechanic ventilation was initiated prior to presentation, and emergent transthoracic echocardiography reported an ejection fraction of 50–55%, with no significant regional wall motion abnormalities. Next, emergent coronary angiography was performed, and no significant coronary artery disease was detected. The patient tested positive for COVID-19. Despite supportive management in the intensive care unit, the patient passed away. Discussion We present a case of COVID-19 that is likely associated with MINOCA. It is crucial to understand that in COVID-19 patients with signs of myocardial infarction, not all myocardial injury is due to obstructive coronary artery disease. In the case of COVID-19 pathophysiology, it is important to consider the cardiovascular effects of hypoxic respiratory failure, potential myocarditis, and significant systemic inflammation. Continued surveillance and research on the cardiovascular complications of COVID-19 is essential to further elucidate management and prognosis.

Although atherosclerosis remains the major cause of acute coronary syndrome, there are many other etiologies that should be taken into account, especially in young patients with no atherosclerotic risk factors. Coronary involvement is extremely rare in patients with Behçet's disease, notably in young patients. In addition, acute inferior myocardial infarction revealing Behçet's disease has rarely been reported. Through this article, we report a case of Behçet's disease with arterial involvement diagnosed after myocardial infarction resulting from thrombosis of the right coronary artery in a 50-year-old woman with no specific medical history.

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention is considered the "gold standard" for coronary reperfusion. However, when not available, the drug-invasive strategy is an alternative method and the electrocardiogram (ECG) has been used to identify reperfusion success.Our study aimed to assess ST-Segment changes in post-thrombolysis and their power to predict recanalization and using the angiographic scores TIMI-flow and Myocardial Blush Grade (MBG) as an ideal reperfusion criterion.2,215 patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) undergoing fibrinolysis [(Tenecteplase)-TNK] and referred to coronary angiography within 24 h post-fibrinolysis or immediately referred to rescue therapy were studied. The ECG was performed pre- and 60 min-post-TNK. The patients were categorized into 2 groups: those with ideal reperfusion (TIMI-3 and MBG-3) and those with inadequate reperfusion (TIMI and MBG3). The ECG reperfusion criterion was defined by the reduction of the ST-Segment50%. A p-value0.05 was considered for the analyses, with bicaudal tests.The ECG reperfusion criterion showed a positive predictive value of 56%; negative predictive value of 66%; sensitivity of 79%; and specificity of 40%. There was a weak positive correlation between ST-Segment reduction and ideal reperfusion angiographic data (r = 0.21; p0.001) and low diagnostic accuracy, with an AUC of 0.60 (95%CI: 0.57-0.62).The ST-Segment reduction was not able to accurately identify patients with adequate angiographic reperfusion. Therefore, even patients with apparently successful reperfusion should be referred to angiography soon, to ensure adequate macro and microvascular coronary flow.A intervenção coronária percutânea primária é considerada o “padrão-ouro” para reperfusão coronária. Entretanto, quando não disponível, a estratégia fármaco-invasiva é método alternativo, e o eletrocardiograma (ECG) tem sido utilizado para identificar sucesso na reperfusão.Nosso estudo teve como objetivo examinar alterações no segmento-ST pós-lise e seu poder de prever a recanalização, usando os escores angiográficos TIMI e blush miocárdio (MBG) como critério de reperfusão ideal.Foram estudados 2.215 pacientes com infarto agudo do miocárdio com supra-ST submetidos à fibrinólise [(Tenecteplase)-TNK] e encaminhados para angiografia coronária em até 24 h pós-fibrinólise ou imediatamente encaminhados à terapia de resgate. O ECG foi realizado pré-TNK e 60 min-pós. Os pacientes foram categorizados em dois grupos: aqueles com reperfusão ideal (TIMI-3 e MBG-3) e aqueles com reperfusão inadequada (fluxo TIMI3). Foi definido o critério de reperfusão do ECG pela redução do segmento ST50%. Consideramos p-valor0,05 para as análises, com testes bicaudais.O critério de reperfusão pelo ECG apresentou valor preditivo positivo de 56%; valor preditivo negativo de 66%; sensibilidade de 79%; e especificidade de 40%. Houve fraca correlação positiva entre a redução do segmento-ST e os dados angiográficos de reperfusão ideal (r = 0,21; p0,001) e baixa precisão diagnóstica, com AUC de 0,60 (IC-95%; 0,57-0,62).Em nossos resultados, a redução do segmento-ST não conseguiu identificar com precisão os pacientes com reperfusão angiográfica apropriada. Portanto, mesmo pacientes com reperfusão aparentemente bem-sucedida devem ser encaminhados à angiografia brevemente, a fim de garantir fluxo coronário macro e microvascular adequados.

Background Comorbidity is common and has a substantial negative impact on the prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Whilst receipt of guideline-indicated treatment for AMI is associated with improved prognosis, the extent to which comorbidities influence treatment provision its efficacy is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the association between treatment provision for AMI and survival for seven common comorbidities. Methods We used data of 693,388 AMI patients recorded in the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP), 2003–2013. We investigated the association between comorbidities and receipt of optimal care for AMI (receipt of all eligible guideline-indicated treatments), and the effect of receipt of optimal care for comorbid AMI patients on long-term survival using flexible parametric survival models. Results A total of 412,809 [59.5%] patients with AMI had at least one comorbidity, including hypertension (302,388 [48.7%]), diabetes (122,228 [19.4%]), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, 89,221 [14.9%]), cerebrovascular disease (51,883 [8.6%]), chronic heart failure (33,813 [5.6%]), chronic renal failure (31,029 [5.0%]) and peripheral vascular disease (27,627 [4.6%]). Receipt of optimal care was associated with greatest survival benefit for patients without comorbidities (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.51–0.56) followed by patients with hypertension (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.58–0.62), diabetes (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.80–0.87), peripheral vascular disease (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.79–0.91), renal failure (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.84–0.94) and COPD (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.87–0.94). For patients with heart failure and cerebrovascular disease, optimal care for AMI was not associated with improved survival. Conclusions Overall, guideline-indicated care was associated with improved long-term survival. However, this was not the case in AMI patients with concomitant heart failure or cerebrovascular disease. There is therefore a need for novel treatments to improve outcomes for AMI patients with pre-existing heart failure or cerebrovascular disease.

We describe a case of coronary artery embolism leading to an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in which the diagnosis was achieved with utilisation of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The patient was otherwise well prior to this episode. Emergency diagnostic coronary angiography revealed patent arteries with TIMI 3 flow. Subsequent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated myocardial infarction and focal microvascular obstruction in the infarcted territory. This report describes an uncommon case presentation, highlights areas for improvement in diagnostic criteria, and briefly discusses the currently available data regarding coronary artery embolism. LEARNING POINTS: Coronary artery embolism is uncommon but it is important to accurately diagnose it given the associated poor prognosis. Currently proposed scoring systems for the diagnosis of coronary artery embolism do not include the use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to identify intra-coronary emboli. Consideration should be given to including cardiac magnetic resonance imaging for the detection of intra-coronary emboli as an alternative to angiography in scoring criteria used to diagnose coronary artery embolism.

Objective To determine the relation between age and troponin level and its prognostic implication. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Five cardiovascular centres in the UK National Institute for Health Research Health Informatics Collaborative (UK-NIHR HIC). Participants 257 948 consecutive patients undergoing troponin testing for any clinical reason between 2010 and 2017. Main outcome measure All cause mortality. Results 257 948 patients had troponin measured during the study period. Analyses on troponin were performed using the peak troponin level, which was the highest troponin level measured during the patient’s hospital stay. Troponin levels were standardised as a multiple of each laboratory’s 99th centile of the upper limit of normal (ULN). During a median follow-up of 1198 days (interquartile range 514-1866 days), 55 850 (21.7%) deaths occurred. A positive troponin result (that is, higher than the upper limit of normal) signified a 3.2 higher mortality hazard (95% confidence interval 3.1 to 3.2) over three years. Mortality varied noticeably with age, with a hazard ratio of 10.6 (8.5 to 13.3) in 18-29 year olds and 1.5 (1.4 to 1.6) in those older than 90. A positive troponin result was associated with an approximately 15 percentage points higher absolute three year mortality across all age groups. The excess mortality with a positive troponin result was heavily concentrated in the first few weeks. Results were analysed using multivariable adjusted restricted cubic spline Cox regression. A direct relation was seen between troponin level and mortality in patients without acute coronary syndrome (ACS, n=120 049), whereas an inverted U shaped relation was found in patients with ACS (n=14 468), with a paradoxical decline in mortality at peak troponin levels >70×ULN. In the group with ACS, the inverted U shaped relation persisted after multivariable adjustment in those who were managed invasively; however, a direct positive relation was found between troponin level and mortality in patients managed non-invasively. Conclusions A positive troponin result was associated with a clinically important increased mortality, regardless of age, even if the level was only slightly above normal. The excess mortality with a raised troponin was heavily concentrated in the first few weeks. Study registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03507309 .

Ischemic heart disease is a dynamic process of atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries or functional alterations of coronary circulation that can be modified by lifestyle, pharmacological therapies, and revascularization. Such treatment may result in disease stabilization or regression. New terminology describes clinical presentations of Ischemic heart disease categorized as either acute coronary syndrome or chronic coronary syndrome. The reduction in prevalence of obstructive coronary artery disease in a symptomatic population causes a lower pretest probability and clinical likelihood of disease, influencing the diagnostic work-up. Noninvasive functional or anatomic imaging for myocardial ischemia is recommended as the initial test to diagnose coronary artery disease in symptomatic patients, where obstructive disease cannot be excluded by clinical assessment alone. Coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography has advanced and is first line in suitable patients, due to high rule-out power and further qualification of the diagnosis by functional assessment using noninvasive nuclear or magnetic resonance technology or CT-based fractional flow reserve (FFR-CT). Optimal medical treatment remains paramount, while FFR-guided myocardial revascularization in patients that are not responsive to antianginal treatment provides further symptom relieve as well as prognostic impact on prevention of spontaneous myocardial infarction.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Clustering of traditional atherosclerotic and non-traditional risk factors drive the excess rates of coronary and non-coronary CVD in this population. The incidence, severity and mortality of coronary artery disease (CAD) as well as the number of complications of its therapy is higher in dialysis patients than in non-chronic kidney disease patients. Given the lack of randomized clinical trial evidence in this population, current practice is informed by observational data with a significant potential for bias. Furthermore, guidelines lack any recommendation for these patients or extrapolate them from trials performed in non-dialysis patients. Patients with ESRD are more likely to be asymptomatic, posing a challenge to the correct identification of CAD, which is essential for appropriate risk stratification and management. This may lead to “therapeutic nihilism”, which has been associated with worse outcomes. Here, the ERA-EDTA EUDIAL Working Group reviews the diagnostic work-up and therapy of chronic coronary syndromes, unstable angina/non-ST elevation and ST-elevation myocardial infarction in dialysis patients, outlining unclear issues and controversies, discussing recent evidence, and proposing management strategies. Indications of antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapies, percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting are discussed. The issue of the interaction between dialysis session and myocardial damage is also addressed.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a poorly recognized heart disease that was initially regarded as a benign condition. Recently, it has been shown that TTS may be associated with severe clinical complications including death and that its prevalence is probably underestimated. Since current guidelines on TTS are lacking, it appears timely and important to provide an expert consensus statement on TTS. The clinical expert consensus document part I summarizes the current state of knowledge on clinical presentation and characteristics of TTS and agrees on controversies surrounding TTS such as nomenclature, different TTS types, role of coronary artery disease, and etiology. This consensus also proposes new diagnostic criteria based on current knowledge to improve diagnostic accuracy. ispartof: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL vol:39 issue:22 pages:2032-2046 ispartof: location:England status: published

The ESC Guidelines represent the views of the ESC and were produced after careful consideration of the scientific and medical knowledge and the evidence available at the time of their publication. The ESC is not responsible in the event of any contradiction, discrepancy and/or ambiguity between the ESC Guidelines and any other official recommendations or guidelines issued by the relevant public health authorities, in particular in relation to good use of healthcare or therapeutic strategies. Health professionals are encouraged to take the ESC Guidelines fully into account when exercising their clinical judgment, as well as in the determination and the implementation of preventive, diagnostic or therapeutic medical strategies; however, the ESC Guidelines do not override, in any way whatsoever, the individual responsibility of health professionals to make appropriate and accurate decisions in consideration of each patient's health condition and in consultation with that patient and, where appropriate and/or necessary, the patient's caregiver. Nor do the ESC Guidelines exempt health professionals from taking into full and careful consideration the relevant official updated recommendations or guidelines issued by the competent public health authorities, in order to manage each patient's case in light of the scientifically accepted data pursuant to their respective ethical and professional obligations. It is also the health professional's responsibility to verify the applicable rules and regulations relating to drugs and medical devices at the time of prescription.

Background It remains unclear whether radial access (RA), compared with femoral access (FA), mitigates the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI). Objectives The authors assessed the incidence of AKI in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) enrolled in the MATRIX-Access (Minimizing Adverse Haemorrhagic Events by Transradial Access Site and Systemic Implementation of Angiox) trial. Methods Among 8,404 patients, 194 (2.3%) were excluded due to missing creatinine values, no or an incomplete coronary angiogram, or previous dialysis. The primary AKI-MATRIX endpoint was AKI, defined as an absolute (>0.5 mg/dl) or a relative (>25%) increase in serum creatinine (sCr). Results AKI occurred in 634 patients (15.4%) with RA and 712 patients (17.4%) with FA (odds ratio [OR]: 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77 to 0.98; p = 0.0181). A >25% sCr increase was noted in 633 patients (15.4%) with RA and 710 patients (17.3%) with FA (OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.77 to 0.98; p = 0.0195), whereas a >0.5 mg/dl absolute sCr increase occurred in 175 patients (4.3%) with RA versus 223 patients (5.4%) with FA (OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.63 to 0.95; p = 0.0131). By implementing the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria, AKI was 3-fold less prevalent and trended lower with RA (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.70 to 1.03; p = 0.090), with stage 3 AKI occurring in 28 patients (0.68%) with RA versus 46 patients (1.12%) with FA (p = 0.0367). Post-intervention dialysis was needed in 6 patients (0.15%) with RA and 14 patients (0.34%) with FA (p = 0.0814). Stratified analyses suggested greater benefit with RA than FA in patients at greater risk for AKI. Conclusions In ACS patients who underwent invasive management, RA was associated with a reduced risk of AKI compared with FA. (Minimizing Adverse Haemorrhagic Events by TRansradial Access Site and Systemic Implementation of angioX [MATRIX]; NCT01433627 )

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and abnormal glucose metabolism are associated with cardiovascular (CV) disease. We investigated the prevalence and prognostic importance of dysglycaemia in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in the PLATelet inhibition and patient Outcomes (PLATO) trial. Diabetes was defined as known diabetes or HbA1c ≥ 6.5% or non-fasting glucose ≥ 11.1 mmol/L on admission, prediabetes as HbA1c ≥ 5.7% but

Background: Registry-based randomized clinical trials have emerged as useful tools to provide evidence on the comparative efficacy and safety of different therapeutic strategies. However, it remains unknown whether the results of registry-based randomized clinical trials have a sizable impact on daily clinical practice. We sought, therefore, to describe the temporal trends in thrombus aspiration (TA) use in Sweden before, during, and after dissemination of the TASTE trial (Thrombus Aspiration in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Scandinavia) results. Methods and Results: From January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2017, we included all consecutive patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous revascularization in Sweden. All patients were registered in the Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry. A total of 55 809 ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction patients were included. TA use in Sweden substantially decreased after dissemination of TASTE results (from 39.8% to 11.8% during and after TASTE, respectively). Substantial variability in TA use across treating centers was observed before TASTE (TA use ranging from 0% to 70%), but after TASTE both the interhospital variability and the frequency of TA use were markedly reduced. A constant shift in medical practice was seen about 4 months after dissemination of the TASTE trial results. Time trends for all-cause mortality and definite stent thrombosis at 30 days were not associated with variations in TA use ( P values >0.05 using the Granger test). Conclusions: In Sweden, the results of the TASTE trial were impactful in daily clinical practice and led to a relevant decrease in TA use in ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction patients undergoing percutaneous revascularization.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is establishing as the last remaining revascularization option in an increasing number of patients affected by complex coronary artery disease not suitable for surgery. Over the past decade, percutaneous left ventricular assist device (pLVAD) has increasingly replaced intra-aortic balloon pump to provide hemodynamic support during such non-emergent complex high-risk indicated procedures (CHIP) averting the risk of circulatory collapse and of adverse events in long lasting and/or complicated procedures. This review article aims to report the key factors to define CHIP, to summarize the available pLVAD which have CEmark for temporarymechanical LV support and to discuss the rationale of their use in this subset of patients. Based on the expertise of the Italian Society of Interventional Cardiologyworking group, with the endorsement fromSpanish and Portuguese Society of Interventional Cardiologyworking groups, it will provide several practical suggestions in regards to the use of pLVAD in different clinical CHIP scenarios. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Endorsed by: Research and Practical Council of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

Background Ischemic heart disease is a major cause of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The role of immediate coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after restoration of spontaneous circulation following cardiac arrest in the absence of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains debated.Hypothesis We hypothesize that immediate CAG and PCI, if indicated, will improve 90-day survival in post cardiac arrest patients without signs of STEMI.Design In a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trial, 552 post cardiac arrest patients with restoration of spontaneous circulation and without signs of STEMI will be randomized in a 1:1 fashion to immediate CAG and PCI (within 2 hours) versus initial deferral with CAG and PCI after neurological recovery. The primary end point of the study is 90-day survival. The secondary end points will include 90-day survival with good cerebral performance or minor/moderate disability, myocardial injury, duration of inotropic support, occurrence of acute kidney injury, need for renal replacement therapy, time to targeted temperature control, neurological status at intensive care unit discharge, markers of shock, recurrence of ventricular tachycardia, duration of mechanical ventilation, and reasons for discontinuation of treatment.Summary The COACT trial is a multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical study that will evaluate the effect of an immediate invasive coronary strategy in post cardiac arrest patients without STEMI on 90-day survival.

We report a case of a young woman with no cardiac history who presented with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and ST-segment elevation on the electrocardiogram. The cardiac arrest initially was suspected to be secondary to coronary artery disease. Further history was taken from a relative who said that the patient had a severe headache before the cardiac arrest. It was subsequenly found on computed tomography of the head that the patient had infratentorial subarachnoid hemorrhage and diffurse brain edema. The management of course was totally different from what was contemplated initially. This case illustrates that ST-segment elevation can be caused by other conditions besides on occlusive thrombus in the coronary arteries.

Echocardiography is an imaging technique of paramount importance for the management of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. In particular, this technique may be useful for diagnosis and is essential for prognosis and to guide drug therapy. The role in the recognition of mechanical complications and in the identification and management of other complications such as pericarditis and left ventricular thrombosis is also crucial. Finally, echocardiography offers important information for the prediction of the arrhythmic risk and the study of left ventricular remodeling. In recent years, speckle-tracking echocardiography has been added to conventional echocardiographic techniques, showing additional value for diagnostic and prognostic indications, but further confirmations are needed.

The emergency management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) involves treatment with dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Pain is generally treated with opiates, which may delay gastric transit and reduce DAPT absorption. We sought to assess the effect of morphine on reperfusion, infarct size and thrombotic status in 300 patients presenting for PPCI. Morphine was given in a non-randomized fashion as required by emergency teams en route to the heart attack centre. All patients received DAPT and PPCI according to standard care, with optional glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor (GPI) use. Patients were assessed for ST-segment resolution, coronary flow, thrombotic status and peak troponin. Patients receiving morphine (n = 218; 72.7%) experienced less spontaneous ST-segment resolution pre-PPCI, lower rate of TIMI 2/3 flow in the infarct-related artery pre-PPCI and higher peak troponin level post-PPCI (median [interquartile range]; 1,906 [1,002–4,398] vs. 1,268 [249–2,920] ng/L; p = 0.016) than those who did not. Patients receiving morphine exhibited significantly enhanced platelet reactivity and impaired endogenous fibrinolysis on arrival, compared with no-morphine patients. Morphine administration was an independent predictor of failure of spontaneous ST-segment resolution after adjustment for other variables (odds ratio: 0.26; confidence interval: 0.08–0.84; p = 0.025). Among patients receiving GPI, there was no difference in pre-PPCI flow or peak troponin according to morphine use, suggesting that the adverse effects of morphine relate to delayed DAPT absorption, which may be overcome by GPI. Our hypothesis-generating data suggest that morphine use in STEMI is associated with enhanced platelet reactivity, reduced spontaneous myocardial reperfusion (pre-PPCI) and larger infarct size, and these adverse effects may be influenced by GPI use. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02562690.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a recognized cardiac syndrome that mimics acute coronary syndrome, without occlusion of the coronary artery. This syndrome is usually triggered by emotional or physical stress. Acute infection as a trigger condition is rarely reported. We report a case of an elderly woman who experienced chest pains with ST-segment elevation on electrocardiography, and who was later confirmed to have this cardiac syndrome by cardiac catheterization in coexistence with shock status related to suspected acute infection.

Aims To investigate the application of the European Society of Cardiology Acute Cardiovascular Care Association quality indicators (QI) for acute myocardial infarction for the study of hospital performance and 30-day mortality. Methods and results National cohort study (n = 118,075 patients, n = 211 hospitals, MINAP registry), 2012-13. Overall, 16 of the 20 QIs could be calculated. Eleven QIs had a significant inverse association with GRACE risk adjusted 30-day mortality (all P < 0.005). The association with the greatest magnitude was high attainment of the composite opportunity-based QI (80-100\%) vs. zero attainment (odds ratio 0.04, 95\% confidence interval 0.04-0.05, P < 0.001), increasing attainment from low (0.42, 0.37-0.49, P < 0.001) to intermediate (0.15, 0.13-0.16, P < 0.001) was significantly associated with a reduced risk of 30-day mortality. A 1\% increase in attainment of this QI was associated with a 3\% reduction in 30-day mortality (0.97, 0.97-0.97, P < 0.001). The QI with the widest hospital variation was 0fondaparinux received among NSTEMI0 (interquartile range 84.7\%) and least variation 0centre organisation0 (0.0\%), with seven QIs depicting minimal variation (< 11\%). GRACE risk score adjusted 30-day mortality varied by hospital (median 6.7\%, interquartile range 5.4-7.9\%). Conclusions Eleven QIs were significantly inversely associated with 30-day mortality. Increasing patient attainment of the composite quality indicator was the most powerful predictor; a 1\% increase in attainment represented a 3\% decrease in 30day standardised mortality. The ESC QIs for acute myocardial infarction are applicable in a large health system and have the potential to improve care and reduce unwarranted variation in death from acute myocardial infarction. TBD and MH were funded by the British Heart Foundation (Project Grant PG/13/81/30474) as a research assistant and research fellow, respectively. Sí

Brugada syndrome is a genetically determined familial disease with autosomal dominant transmission and variable penetrance, conferring a predisposition to sudden cardiac death due to ventricular arrhythmias. The syndrome is characterized by a typical electrocardiographic pattern in the right precordial leads. This article will focus on the new electrocardiographic features recently agreed on by expert consensus helping to identify this infequent electrocardiographic pattern.

Although ST-segment elevation in precordial leads is a characteristic of anterior left ventricular infarction (LVI), it may also be observed in patients with proximal right coronary occlusion. An isolated right ventricular infarction (RVI) accounts for only 3 % of all myocardial infarctions (MI) [1]; in these cases, the ST-segment elevation in the precordial leads V1–V3 also may occur in the absence of inferior electrocardiographic changes [2], whereas the combination of RVI with inferior LVI suppresses ST-segment elevation in the precordial leads and yields an STsegment elevation in leads DII, DIII, and aVF [3]. Although certain electrocardiographic features have been suggested to help differentiate ST-segment elevation secondary to isolated RVI from LVI [3], it may be impossible to make a differential diagnosis on the basis of electrocardiography alone because these features are not pathognomonic. Furthermore, when a patient is admitted for typical chest pain, slight ST-segment elevation in leads V1–V3 and significant increase of cardiac troponin but with normal coronary main vessels at the coronary angiography, the diagnosis of a RVI is challenging; taking into account the multiple causes of myocardial injury and treatment consequences, there is great clinical need to clarify the underlying reason for cardiac troponin release. Although some studies report that echocardiography is a valuable clinical tool for the evaluation of global RV function [4], geometric assumptions in modeling the complex RV shape restricts the ability of this technique in accurate and precise quantification of RV function; furthermore, RV function assessment can be difficult in patients with poor acoustic window or when minor alterations of RV function are present. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) provides a comprehensive, multifaceted view of the heart and can be useful to characterize an infarct site and size accurately [5]. CMR in this particular setting can confirm the presence of a minor RVI and aid to exclude other potential causes of troponin rise with normal coronary main vessels at the coronary angiography, such as embolic myocardial infarction or myocarditis [6]. Acute MI treatment [7–10] and traditional predictors of long-term mortality after acute MI are well characterized [11–14] but with introduction of CMR, new predictors of cardiovascular events are emerging [15, 16] and the evaluation of RV function using CMR can improve risk stratification and potentially refine patient management after MI [17]. Moreover, the extent of myocardial scar characterized by CMR is significantly associated with the occurrence of spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias [18]. There have been few reports of anterior ST-segment elevation caused by isolated RVI due to right ventricle branch occlusion [19–21]. Occlusion of the conus branch has been described essentially as a complication of coronary angioplasty or during cardiac surgery [19–21]. Only one report described a spontaneous RVI with culprit lesion in the conus branch [22]. Assessment of isolated RVI due to a critical stenosis of the conus branch by magnetic resonance is never been reported.

Brugada syndrome is a rare cardiac arrhythmia disorder, causally related to SCN5A mutations in around 20% of cases. Through a genome-wide association study of 312 individuals with Brugada syndrome and 1,115 controls, we detected 2 significant association signals at the SCN10A locus (rs10428132) and near the HEY2 gene (rs9388451). Independent replication confirmed both signals (meta-analyses: rs10428132, P = 1.0 × 10(-68); rs9388451, P = 5.1 × 10(-17)) and identified one additional signal in SCN5A (at 3p21; rs11708996, P = 1.0 × 10(-14)). The cumulative effect of the three loci on disease susceptibility was unexpectedly large (Ptrend = 6.1 × 10(-81)). The association signals at SCN5A-SCN10A demonstrate that genetic polymorphisms modulating cardiac conduction can also influence susceptibility to cardiac arrhythmia. The implication of association with HEY2, supported by new evidence that Hey2 regulates cardiac electrical activity, shows that Brugada syndrome may originate from altered transcriptional programming during cardiac development. Altogether, our findings indicate that common genetic variation can have a strong impact on the predisposition to rare diseases.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this report is to provide insight into real-world healthcare resource use (HCRU) during the critical management of patients surviving acute coronary syndromes (ACS), using data from EPICOR (long-tErm follow-up of antithrombotic management Patterns In acute CORonary syndrome patients) (NCT01171404). METHODS: EPICOR was a prospective, multinational, observational study that enrolled 10 568 ACS survivors from 555 hospitals in 20 countries in Europe and Latin America, between September 2010 and March 2011. HCRU was evaluated in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or non-ST-segment elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS), with or without a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Multivariable analysis was performed to determine factors that affected resource use. RESULTS: Before hospitalisation, more patients with STEMI than with NSTE-ACS had their first ECG (44.1% vs 36.4%, p

Introduction Transseptal puncture is a commonly used method which we can see being applied nowadays predominantly in electrophysiological studies. This interventional method has been very successful at experienced electrophysiological laboratories and has a low risk of potential complications. One of the described complications is emergence of hypotension or bradycardia or transient ST segment elevation on the basis of parasympathetic activation or air embolism into the coronary artery. Patient, methods In the case history we present a substantial response in the context of transseptal puncture during electrophysiological examination with pulmonary vein isolation in a patient with persistent atrial fibrillation. This patient subsequently developed bradycardia and there was no response to atropine so he needed temporary cardiac pacing. Furthermore, a stenocardia was observed, as well as ECG elevations of ST segment in II, III and aVF leads and even in the chest leads, and also a severe hypotension with the need for catecholamine support. Echocardiography examination excluded pericardial effusion, and urgent coronary angiography showed normal findings on coronary arteries. Problems gradually subsided and further course did not require pacing and catecholamine support, and subsequently the performance was completed without any other problems. Discussion and conclusion Literature describes individual cases with signs of ischemia in the inferior wall after the transseptal puncture. It has always been a temporary complication, and often with a decline of problems after intravenous administration of calcium channel blockers or nitrate. It was therefore suspected that this is a transient coronary artery spasm due to irritation of the autonomic nervous system with vagus nerve activation. Prompt administration of atropine, and if the problems persist also administration of norepinephrine, leads to a decline of problems. It becomes apparent that the need for timely treatment of this complication is necessary. After remission of symptoms and at the exclusion of other possible complications it is possible to finish the electrophysiological study.

Item does not contain fulltext AIMS: To evaluate the impact of longer duration of pre-hospital initiated antiplatelet and antithrombotic therapy on outcome in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS AND RESULTS: In this sub-analysis of the Ongoing Tirofiban in Myocardial Evaluation (On-TIME) 2 trial, we studied, in 1,370 patients, the effect of pre-treatment time (time from administering study medication to time of angiography) on complete ST-segment resolution (STR), initial patency and 30-day mortality. Study medication consisted of high dose tirofiban (HDT) or control (placebo or no HDT) on top of high dose clopidogrel, aspirin and unfractionated heparin. Median pre-treatment time was 55 min (44-70). Longer pre-treatment was associated with longer transportation times, longer in-hospital delay, longer total ischaemic time (all p

Aims: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a widely practised therapeutic procedure to treat ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEM l). However, a significant proportion of patients undergoing primary PCI suffers from adverse events, such as incomplete myocardial reperfusion. It is currently unknown to which degree these adverse events are operator related. Methods and results: We investigated inter-operator variation using objective safety and efficacy endpoints during primary PCI for STEM I. All PCIs were performed by six experienced interventional cardiologists as part of a randomised single centre trial. The primary endpoint of this study was optimal myocardial reperfusion (myocardial blush grade 3 [MBG]). All 1,071 patients enrolled in the Thrombus Aspiration during Percutaneous coronary intervention in Acute myocardial infarction Study (TAPAS) were included in this analysis. In the six operator groups, the rate of the primary endpoint MBG 3 ranged between 29.2% and 55.5%. The variable for operators remained significantly associated with MBG 3 after adjustment for baseline and procedural differences. There were no statistical differences observed with regard to safety endpoints. Conclusions: This study illustrates the observation that even in a controlled setting significant inter-operator variation may exist in the efficacy of primary PCI. This study supports the routine collection of high-quality datasets to evaluate and improve individual operator competence and skills.

Objectives The goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and the clinical significance of ST-segment elevation during recovery from exercise testing. Background During recovery from exercise testing, ST-segment elevation is reported in some patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS). Methods Treadmill exercise testing was conducted for 93 patients (91 men), 46 ± 14 years of age, with BrS (22 documented ventricular fibrillation, 35 syncope alone, and 36 asymptomatic); and for 102 healthy control subjects (97 men), 46 ± 17 years of age. Patients were routinely followed up. The clinical end point was defined as the occurrence of sudden cardiac death, ventricular fibrillation, or sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Results Augmentation of ST-segment elevation ≥0.05 mV in V 1 to V 3 leads compared with baseline was observed at early recovery (1 to 4 min at recovery) in 34 BrS patients (37% [group 1]), but was not observed in the remaining 59 BrS patients (63% [group 2]) or in the 102 control subjects. During 76 ± 38 months of follow-up, ventricular fibrillation occurred more frequently in group 1 (15 of 34, 44%) than in group 2 (10 of 59, 17%; p = 0.004). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that in addition to previous episodes of ventricular fibrillation (p = 0.005), augmentation of ST-segment elevation at early recovery was a significant and independent predictor for cardiac events (p = 0.007), especially among patients with history of syncope alone (6 of 12 [50%] in group 1 vs. 3 of 23 [13%] in group 2) and among asymptomatic patients (3 of 15 [20%] in group 1 vs. 0 of 21 [0%] in group 2). Conclusions Augmentation of ST-segment elevation during recovery from exercise testing was specific in patients with BrS, and can be a predictor of poor prognosis, especially for patients with syncope alone and for asymptomatic patients.

Background Both Q waves and T-wave inversion (TWI) in the presenting ECG are associated with a progressed stage of myocardial infarction, possibly with less potential for myocardial salvage with reperfusion therapy. Combining the diagnostic information from the Q- and T-wave analyses could improve the prognostic work-up in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Methods We sought to determine the prognostic impact of Q waves and TWI in the admission ECG on patient outcome in STEMI. We formed four groups according to the presence of Q waves and/or TWI (Q+TWI+; Q-TWI+; Q+TWI-; Q-TWI-). We studied 627 all-comers with STEMI derived from two patient cohorts. Results The patients with Q+TWI+ had the highest and those with Q-TWI- the lowest 30-day and one-year mortality. One-year mortality was similar between Q-TWI+ and Q+TWI-. The survival analysis showed higher early mortality in Q+TWI- but the higher late mortality in Q-TWI+ compensated for the difference at 1 year. The highest peak troponin level was found in the patients with Q+TWI-. Conclusion Q waves and TWI predict adverse outcome, especially if both ECG features are present. Q waves and TWI predict similar one-year mortality. Extending the ECG analysis in STEMI patients to include both Q waves and TWI improves risk stratification.

Background: CD163 is a scavenger receptor for the uptake of haptoglobin-hemoglobin (Hpt-Hb) complexes. The Hpt-Hb complexes are being formed in the plaque in response to intraplaque hemorrhage, a hallmark of atherosclerotic plaque instability. We therefore investigated whether soluble CD163 (sCD163) was elevated in patients with an acute coronary syndrome.Methods: All subjects presenting with chest pain suggestive of myocardial ischemia referred to either the emergency department or the coronary care unit were included in a prospective follow-up study. Plasma was collected and frozen at -80 degrees C until assayed. sCD163 was measured using a commercially available Elisa assay.Results: Of 526 included chest pain patients, the final diagnosis was non-cardiac chest pain in 244 (46%) patients, non-STEMI in 67 (13%), and STEMI in 215 (41%). The non-STEMI patients were older, used more medication, had undergone more often coronary interventions, but did not differ with respect to risk factors, except for a higher incidence in dyslipidemia. Unexpectedly, sCD163 did not differentiate between patients with non-STEMI or STEMI and the non-cardiac chest pain patients (2.09 +/- 0.76 versus 2.24 +/- 0.86).Conclusion: Although ACS is characterized by intraplaque hemorrhage, the amount of intraplaque Hb release seems not to be substantial enough to result in a measurable difference in sCD163. (C) 2009 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aspirin is the cornerstone of treatment in patients with coronary artery disease. However, several studies investigating the in vitro response of platelets to the administration of aspirin showed this response to be variable, with some patients exhibiting non-responsiveness or resistance. Aspirin resistance may be categorised as either 'laboratory' or 'clinical'. Laboratory aspirin resistance is defined as the failure of aspirin to inhibit the production of thromboxane A(2) (TxA(2)) by platelets or to inhibit platelet activation that depends on TxA(2) production. Clinical aspirin resistance is defined as the failure to prevent the occurrence of atherothrombotic ischaemic episodes in patients to whom it is administered. So far, there is no generally accepted method for the ex vivo evaluation of platelet activation or for assessing the degree of platelet activation following aspirin administration and data concerning the clinical impact of aspirin resistance are conflicting. For these reasons it is not possible to suggest specific guidelines for the treatment of patients who show high levels of platelet activation or a low level of platelet inhibition after treatment with aspirin. The aim of this review is to present data from laboratory and clinical studies that are related to resistance to aspirin, and to discuss the possible causes, the clinical significance, and the ways of managing such resistance at a clinical level. Curr Pharm Des

Background.Primary coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial infarction should be performed as quickly as possible, with a door-toballoon time of less then 90 minutes. However, in daily practice this cannot always be achieved. Prehospital diagnosis of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is of major importance in reducing time to treatment, in particular when patients can be transported directly to a centre with interventional capacities. Objectives.The aim of the current study was to evaluate the time from prehospital diagnosis of STEMI to balloon inflation and identify factors related to treatment delay in patients directly referred to the catheterisation laboratory of the University Medical Centre of Groningen. Methods.A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to collect data on patients treated with primary PCI after prehospital diagnosis of STEMI. Results.Median prehospital diagnosis-to-balloon time was 64 minutes for patients directly admitted to the catheterisation laboratory and 75 minutes for patients initially admitted to the coronary care unit. A delay longer than 90 minutes was observed in 18 patients. Higher age was associated with longer delay times (p=0.041). Long delays were not associated with diabetes (p=0.293), time from symptom onset to prehospital diagnosis (p=0.87) or time of day (p=0.09). Initial unavailability of the catheterisation laboratory due to running procedures contributed to longer delay times in ten cases. Conclusion.Prehospital diagnosis of STEMI and direct referral to a catheterisation laboratory for primary PCI allows a prehospital diagnosis-toballoon time of less than 90 minutes in 82% of patients. Older patients are at risk of longer delays. (Neth Heart J 2008;16:5-9.)

A 35-year-old man experienced chest pain and a subsequent syncope attack at during the night. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was documented, which was successfully defibrillated. The ST-segment of his 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) showed day-by-day variation, sometimes showing spontaneous coved-type elevation in V1 and V2. He was diagnosed as having Brugada syndrome, and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator was implanted. A coronary angiography was performed. During the procedure, the catheter was selectively inserted to the right ventricular (RV) branch of the right coronary artery (RCA) whereupon the ST-segment in V1 and V2 elevated rapidly, manifesting a coved-type Brugada ECG. The main RCA angiogram revealed the conus branch running to the RV outflow tract area, indicating that the ST-segment elevation was due to ischemia of the RV outflow tract area by transient occlusion of conus branch. The findings indicate that some patients with Brugada syndrome are specifically sensitive to ischemia in the RV outflow tract area, leading to manifestation of the ST-segment elevation in precordial ECG leads.

Contemporary medicine is shifting towards person rather than disease-oriented care.1 With increasing life expectancy and the ageing of baby boomers, the proportion over 60 years is growing faster than the overall population, with worldwide estimates reaching 2 billion by 2050 (http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/worldageing19502050).2 In parallel, acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and atrial fibrillation (AF)—the most frequent indications for dual platelet inhibition or anticoagulation—occur mostly in older patients.2–6 There is general agreement that people ≥75 years can be defined ‘elderly’; however, cutoffs as low as 65 years have been applied to important clinical datasets and risk scores.3,7–10 Moreover, ageing is a continuous process and life-span expansion is deflating (http://www.nber.org/papers/w18407). For these reasons, a threshold to define ‘elderly’ has been intentionally avoided in this document. Of note, over one third of patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction (MI) and two thirds dying from MI are over 75 years, but

Background and purpose Early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction is based on 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG), however this interpretation could be difficult in patients with ventricular-paced rhythm. Subject We describe the clinical case of a 44-year-old man already implanted with a dual-chamber closed loop stimulation (CLS) pacemaker (PM) and admitted to our department with an ECG showing ST elevation in the inferior leads. All examinations were negative and showed no abnormalities. After CLS-PM was reprogrammed in order to allow the appearance of spontaneous atrioventricular conduction, we found a complete normalization of ST segment. Conclusion After a careful analysis of admission ECG, ST elevation was interpreted as ventricular fusion due to the presence of a ventricular pacing artifact and the QRS complex being a hybrid of spontaneous and totally paced beats. Intermittent ST elevation, evident only during ventricular fusion should suggest secondary ventricular repolarization and not myocardial injury.