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Abstract Background Cobalt chromium coronary stents are increasingly being used in percutaneous coronary interventions. There are, however, no reliable data about the characteristics of unfolding and visibility of this stent alloy in vivo. The aim of this study is to compare cobalt chromium coronary stents with conventional stainless steel stents using intracoronary ultrasound. Methods Twenty de novo native coronary stenoses ≤ 20 mm in length (target vessel reference diameter ≥ 2.5 and ≤ 4.0 mm) received under sequential intracoronary ultrasound either a cobalt chromium stent (Multi-Link Vision®; n = 10) or a stainless steel stent (Multi-Link Zeta®; n = 10). Results For optimal unfolding, the cobalt chromium stent requires a higher balloon deployment pressure (13.90 ± 2.03 atm) than the stainless steel stent (11.50 ± 2.12 atm). Furthermore, the achieved target vessel diameter of the cobalt chromium stent (Visibility-Index QCA/IVUS Multi-Link Vision®1.13 / Multi-Link Zeta® 1.04) is more easily overrated by Quantitative Coronary Analysis. Conclusion These data indicate that stent material-specific recommendations for optimal implantation pressure and different stent material with an equal design should both be considered in interpreting QCA-analysis.

Background: Psychological distress is common in patients with cardiovascular disease and negatively impacts outcome. Hypothesis: Psychological distress is high in acute high risk cardiac patients eligible for a WCD, and associated with low quality of life. Distress is aggravated by WCD. Methods: Consecutive patients eligible for a WCD were included in the prospective, multicenter “Cologne Registry of External Defibrillator” registry. Quality of life (Short Form-12), depressive symptoms (Beck-Depression Inventory II) and anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory) were assessed at enrollment and 6-weeks, and associations with WCD prescription were analyzed. Results: 123 patients (mean [SD] age 59 [± 14] years, 75% male) were included, 85 (69%) of whom received a WCD. At enrollment 21% showed clinically significant depressive symptoms and 52% anxiety symptoms, respectively. At 6 weeks, depressive and anxious symptoms significantly decreased to 7% and 25%, respectively. Depressive symptoms at enrollment and changes at 6 weeks showed significant associations with health-related quality of life, whereas anxious symptoms did not. There was a trend for better improvement of depression scores in patients with WCD (mean [SD] change in score points: -4.1 [6.1] vs -1.8 [3.9]; p = 0.09), whereas change of the anxiousness score was not different (-4.6 [9.5]) vs -3.7 [9.1], p = 0.68). Conclusion: In patients eligible for a WCD, depressive and anxiety symptoms were initially common and depressive symptoms showed a strong association with reduced health-related quality of life contributing to their clinical relevance. WCD recipients showed at least similar improvement of depression and anxiety at 6 weeks when compared to non recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The impact of type of first medical contact (FMC) in the setting of a guideline conform metropolitan ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) network providing obligatory primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unclear. Methods and Results: 3,312 patients were prospectively included between 2006 and 2012 into a registry accompanying the “Cologne Infarction Model” STEMI network, with 68.4% primarily presenting to emergency medical service (EMS), 17.6% to non-PCI-capable hospitals, and 14.0% to PCI-capable hospitals. Median contact-to-balloon time differed significantly by FMC with 89 minutes (IQR 72–115) for EMS, 107 minutes (IQR 85–148) for non-PCI- and 65 minutes (IQR 48–91) for PCI-capable hospitals (p < 0.001). TIMI-flow grade III and in-hospital mortality were 75.7% and 10.4% in EMS, 70.3% and 8.6% in non-PCI capable hospital and 84.4% and 5.6% in PCI-capable hospital presenters, respectively (p both < 0.01). The association of FMC with in-hospital mortality was not significant after adjustment for baseline characteristics, but risk of TIMI-flow grade < III remained significantly increased in patients presenting to non-PCI capable hospitals. Conclusion: Despite differences in treatment delay by type of FMC in-hospital mortality did not differ significantly. The increased risk of TIMI-flow grade < III in patients presenting to non PCI-capable hospitals needs further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses recommendations for the performance of cardiovascular magnetic resonance stress testing. Assessment of the wall motion of the heart; Perfusion for the diagnosis of ischemia; Image acquisition and interpretation.

Presents a comparison of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the detection of viable myocardium. Clinical and hemodynamic observations during low-dose dobutamine TEE and dobutamine MRI; Importance of distinction between viable myocardium and scar tissue.

Dobutamine pharmacological stress testing in conjunction with technetium-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile single-photon emission tomography (MIBI SPET) may be a useful alternative to convential exercise stress MIBI SPET for the detection and localisation of coronary artery stenoses. Therefore, 35 patients with stenoses (≥ 50% diameter reduction) of one or more coronary arteries were selected for dobutamine MIBI SPET. Each patient underwent MIBI injection at rest and during dobutamine infusion with incremental doses (5, 10, 15 and 20 μg kg min). A conventional exercise stress test (EST) was performed in all patients. Peak double product during steady-state dobutamine infusion (18 200 ± 4200 mmHg min) was lower ( P = 0.0001) than during EST (21 700 ± 4900 mmHg min). Image quality was good in all but one patient, who had to be excluded from data analysis due to excessive hepatobiliary MIBI activity. Dobutamine-induced perfusion abnormalities were observed in 30/34 MIBI SPET studies, resulting in an overall detection rate for coronary artery disease of 88%. A pathological EST was observed in 23/34 patients (68%). The detection rate of individual coronary artery stenoses was 85% (28/33) for stenosess with a severe diameter reduction (>70%) and 50% (12/24) for stenoses with a moderate diameter reduction (≥ 50-70%). In particular, sensitivity and specificity for the detection of moderate and severe stenoses (≥ 50%) were 75%/100% for left anterior descending, 67%/95% for left circumflex and 67%/69% for right coronary artery stenoses. Dobutamine MIBI SPET is a well-tolerated, non-exercise-dependent test for detection and localisation of haemodynamically significant coronary artery stenoses. The use of dobutamine allows a stepwise increase in pharmacological stress similar to EST and is especially useful in patients who are unable to exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cobalt chromium coronary stents are increasingly being used in percutaneous coronary interventions. There are, however, no reliable data about the characteristics of unfolding and visibility of this stent alloy in vivo. The aim of this study is to compare cobalt chromium coronary stents with conventional stainless steel stents using intracoronary ultrasound., Methods: Twenty de novo native coronary stenoses < or = 20 mm in length (target vessel reference diameter > or = 2.5 and < or = 4.0 mm) received under sequential intracoronary ultrasound either a cobalt chromium stent (Multi-Link Vision; n = 10) or a stainless steel stent (Multi-Link Zeta; n = 10)., Results: For optimal unfolding, the cobalt chromium stent requires a higher balloon deployment pressure (13.90 +/- 2.03 atm) than the stainless steel stent (11.50 +/- 2.12 atm). Furthermore, the achieved target vessel diameter of the cobalt chromium stent (Visibility-Index QCA/IVUS Multi-Link Vision 1.13 / Multi-Link Zeta 1.04) is more easily overrated by Quantitative Coronary Analysis., Conclusion: These data indicate that stent material-specific recommendations for optimal implantation pressure and different stent material with an equal design should both be considered in interpreting QCA-analysis.