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Background: Chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) is a potentially progressive clinical presentation of coronary artery disease (CAD). Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are available for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Embedded in the "ENLIGHT-KHK" healthcare project, a qualitative study was conducted to identify factors that influence guideline adherence from the perspective of general practitioners (GPs) and cardiologists (CA) in the ambulatory care sector in Germany., Methods: GPs and CAs were surveyed via telephone using an interview guide. The respondents were first asked about their individual approach to caring for patients with suspected CCS. Subsequently, the accordance of their approach with guideline recommendations was addressed. Finally, potential measures for assisting with guideline adherence were discussed. The semi-structured interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a qualitative content analysis in accordance with Kuckartz and Rädiker. Factors influencing adherence to CPGs were categorised by assessing whether they (i) inhibited or facilitated guideline adherence, (ii) played a role in patients at risk of CCS or with suspected or known CCS, (iii) were mentioned in implicit or explicit thematic reference to CPGs, and (iv) were declared a practical problem., Results: Based on interviews with ten GPs and five CAs, 35 potential influencing factors were identified. These emerged at four levels: patients, healthcare providers, CPGs, and the healthcare system. The most commonly cited barrier to guideline adherence among the respondents was structural aspects at the system level, including reachability of providers and services, waiting times, reimbursement through statutory health insurance (SHI) providers, and contract offers. There was a strong emphasis on interdependencies between factors acting at different levels. For instance, poor reachability of providers and services at the system level may result in inexpedience of guideline recommendations at the CPG level. Likewise, poor reachability of providers and services at the system level may be aggravated or alleviated by factors such as diagnostic preferences at the patient level or collaborations at the provider level., Conclusions: To assist with adherence to CPGs regarding CCS, promoting measures may be needed that account for interdependencies between barriers and facilitators at various healthcare levels. Respective measures should consider medically justified deviations from guideline recommendations in individual cases., Trial Registration: German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00015638; Universal Trial Number (UTN): U1111-1227-8055., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: The coronary subclavian steal syndrome (CSSS) is a rare complication after coronary arterial bypass graft operations (CABG) using the left or right internal mammary artery ((L/R)IMA). It results from a retrograde blood flow from the IMA into the subclavian artery (SA) due to a stenosis or occlusion of the SA proximal to the IMA origin. This "steal phenomenon" leads to a decreased blood flow in the IMA and may result in myocardial ischemia (MIS) and even myocardial infarction (MIN). Treatment options include interventional and surgical therapy., Case Presentation: We report the case of a 71-year old woman, who suffered from an acute non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) 11 years after LIMA-CABG surgery and who was treated successfully with a carotid-subclavian bypass (CSB) after failed interventional therapy., Conclusion: CSB may be regarded as a viable treatment option for patients suffering CSSS in the case of MIS and even an acute MIN/NSTEMI, especially in the case of missing or failed interventional therapy attempts. Specialists in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery should be aware of possible CSSS conditions and know about appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic options., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Evidence that home telemonitoring for patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) offers clinical benefit over usual care is controversial as is evidence of a health economic advantage., Methods: Between January 2010 and June 2013, patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CHF were enrolled and randomly assigned to 2 study groups comprising usual care with and without an interactive bi-directional remote monitoring system (Motiva®). The primary endpoint in CardioBBEAT is the Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) established by the groups' difference in total cost and in the combined clinical endpoint "days alive and not in hospital nor inpatient care per potential days in study" within the follow-up of 12 months., Results: A total of 621 predominantly male patients were enrolled, whereof 302 patients were assigned to the intervention group and 319 to the control group. Ischemic cardiomyopathy was the leading cause of heart failure. Despite randomization, subjects of the control group were more often in NYHA functional class III-IV, and exhibited peripheral edema and renal dysfunction more often. Additionally, the control and intervention groups differed in heart rhythm disorders. No differences existed regarding risk factor profile, comorbidities, echocardiographic parameters, especially left ventricular and diastolic diameter and ejection fraction, as well as functional test results, medication and quality of life. While the observed baseline differences may well be a play of chance, they are of clinical relevance. Therefore, the statistical analysis plan was extended to include adjusted analyses with respect to the baseline imbalances., Conclusions: CardioBBEAT provides prospective outcome data on both, clinical and health economic impact of home telemonitoring in CHF. The study differs by the use of a high evidence level randomized controlled trial (RCT) design along with actual cost data obtained from health insurance companies. Its results are conducive to informed political and economic decision-making with regard to home telemonitoring solutions as an option for health care. Overall, it contributes to developing advanced health economic evaluation instruments to be deployed within the specific context of the German Health Care System., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02293252 ; date of registration: 10 November 2014.