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Although acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a disease predominantly affecting adults60 years of age, a significant proportion of the young population who have different risk profiles, are also affected. We undertook a retrospective analysis using National Inpatient Sample (NIS) 2010 to 2014 to evaluate gender differences in characteristics, treatments, and outcomes in the younger AMI population.The NIS 2010-2014 was used to identify all patient hospitalizations with AMI between 18 to45 years using ICD-9-CM codes. We demonstrated a gender-based difference of in-hospital all-cause mortality, other complications, and revascularization strategies in the overall AMI population and other subgroups of AMI [anterior wall ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI), and non-anterior wall STEMI and non-STEMI (NSTEMI)].A total of 156,018 weighted records of AMI hospitalizations were identified, of which 111,894 were men and 44,124 were women. Young women had a higher prevalence of anemia, chronic lung disease, obesity, peripheral vascular disease, and diabetes. Conversely, young men had a higher prevalence of dyslipidemia, smoking, and alcohol. Among non-traditional risk factors, women had a higher prevalence of depression and rheumatologic/collagen vascular disease. There was no difference in all-cause in-hospital mortality in women compared to men [2.03% vs 1.48%; OR 1.04, CI (0.84-1.29); P = .68], including in subgroup analysis of NSTEMI, anterior wall STEMI, and non-anterior wall STEMI. Women with AMI were less likely to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention [47.13% vs 61.17%; OR 0.66, 95% CI (0.62-0.70; P .001] and coronary artery bypass grafting [5.6% vs 6.0%; OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.64-0.83; P .001] compared to men. Women were also less likely to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention within 24 h of presentation (38.47% vs 51.42%, P .001).Despite higher baseline comorbidities in young women with AMI, there was no difference in in-hospital mortality in women compared to men. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the impact of gender on clinical presentation, treatment patterns, and outcomes of AMI in young patients.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death worldwide. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is increasingly recognised as an essential part of clinical care for patients with CVD. CR is a complex intervention that encompasses a multidisciplinary approach that focuses on health education, modification of cardiovascular risk factors, exercise training, physical activity and stress management. In the current American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines, cardiac rehabilitation is a class IA recommendation for secondary prevention of acute myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention and cardiac surgery and Class II recommendation for chronic stable heart failure. Despite proven effectiveness, however, participation in traditional CR remains low. Although the reasons for participation and non-participation in CR have been well described, the use of Twitter to explore public perceptions of CR has not yet been formally reported. To the best of our knowledge, the analysis of Twitter for insights on CR is a novel investigation that is relevant for addressing significant problems related to CR awareness in the digital age.We performed data mining of Twitter to assess patients’ perceptions regarding CR and the reasons for their participation and non-participation in CR between 23 July 2015 and 22 October 2017.We analysed a total of 5515 Twitter messages. Tweets associated with CR were often used to self-report on health status either before or after participating in CR or contained emotional language with positive or negative comments, advertisements or updated news.Twitter users wrote mainly positive comments about CR, suggesting the platform has the potential to disseminate both the benefits of CR and its research to the public on the worldwide scale.

Purpose: To determine the relationship between obesity and thirty-days readmission, mortality, morbidity, and health care resource utilization in patients who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during their hospitalization in the in the United States. Method: A retrospective study was conducted using the AHRQ-HCUP NRD for the year 2014. Adults (≥ 18 years) with a primary diagnosis of CPR (1), along with a secondary diagnosis of obesity were identified using ICD-9 codes as described in the literature (2). The primary outcome was the rate of all-cause readmission within 30 days of discharge. Secondary outcomes were reasons for readmission, readmission mortality rate, morbidity, and resource use. Propensity score (PS) using the 1:1 nearest neighbor matching without replacement was utilized to adjust for confounders (3). Results: 113,394 hospital admissions among adults with a primary and secondary diagnosis of CPR were identified, of which 14.8% were obese. 1:1 PS matching was performed based on demographic and clinical characteristics. The 30-day rate of readmission among obese and non-obese with CPR were 4.94% and 2.82% (p Conclusion: In this study, obese patients admitted with CPR have a higher 30 days of readmission rate, total hospital cost, and in-hospital mortality (p

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults, and should be managed more aggressively.Prior studies highlighted treatment disparities for Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) among HIV patients. This study aims at examining these disparities with the latest large cohort data. Hypothesis: HIV patient with ACS are as likely to receive cardiac revascularization related procedures compared to control group. Methods: We reviewed the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2013 to 2016 to identify patients with diagnosis of ACS (ST-elevation and non ST-elevation myocardial infarction, and unstable angina) to compare rates of cardiac procedures (Catheterization, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention - PCI - and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft - CABG) among groups of population of interest (control, asymptomatic HIV, symptomatic HIV). Results: Overall, 515,016 patients with primary diagnosis of ACS where identified and among them 2066 (0.40%) of ACS patients had diagnosis of HIV (asymptomatic and symptomatic). Multivariate regression analysis showed statistically significant lower procedural rates for catheterization (OR: 0.62, 95% CI: [0.52, 0.73]), PCI (OR: 0.80, 95% CI: [0.67, 0.96]) and CABG (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: [0.52, 0.93]) in symptomatic HIV compared to control group. For asymptomatic HIV patient group, no significant change of procedural rates were found compared to control group for catheterization, PCI and CABG (respectively OR: 0.90, 95% CI: [0.78, 1.05], OR: 1.13, 95% CI: [1.00, 1.26] and OR: OR: 0.87, 95% CI: [0.72, 1.04]). Conclusions: Analysis shows a treatment disparity for ACS for symptomatic HIV patients only as symptomatic HIV affected patients received less aggressive catheterization and revascularization management after ACS, compared to control group. However, this effect was not present for the asymptomatic HIV patient group.

Background The aim of the study is to compare in‐hospital outcomes of acute ST‐segment‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) between China and the United States. Methods and Results Urban teaching hospitals were queried for adult patients with a primary diagnosis of acute STEMI during 2007–2010. The primary outcome was in‐hospital mortality, and the secondary outcome was length of stay. Multivariable analyses adjusting for potential confounders were conducted for comparison between countries. Subgroup analysis was performed in acute STEMI patients receiving revascularization. In total, 32 228 patients in China and 76 117 patients in the United States were included. Overall in‐hospital mortality was 8.23% in China and 7.96% in the United States ( P CI , 0.87–1.09; P =0.59), whereas China had lower 3‐day mortality (odds ratio, 0.78; 95% CI , 0.70–0.89; P CI , 1.85–3.07; P CI , 1.78–3.20; P STEMI patients, acute STEMI patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting, median length of stay in China and the United States were 10 versus 3, 9 versus 3, and 25 versus 9 days, respectively (all P Conclusions Overall in‐hospital mortality in acute STEMI patients was comparable among urban teaching hospitals between China and the United States during 2007–2010. In addition, 3‐day mortality was lower in China. However, worse outcomes in patients undergoing early revascularization and longer length of stay in China need to be given more attention.

Background: Depression poses a major health challenge to patients with cardiovascular disease. But little is known about its impact on Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Methods: Using the data from the 2016 National Inpatient Sample database, we identified hospitalization with a principal diagnosis of NSTEMI with or without medical history of depression. Prevalence and baseline characteristic of NSTEMI patient with or without depression was delineated. Mortality, catheterization rate, length of stay, time to catheterization were compared using multivariate linear regression with adjustment for age, sex, race, region, hospital size, Charlson Comorbidity Index, tobacco, heart failure, diabetes, and stable coronary heart disease. Results: Depression was found in 42,914 (9.11%) of total NSTEMI admission of 470,933. A higher percentage of female and a higher prevalence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and smoking (table 1) was observed in the depression group. No significant association between depression and in-hospital mortality in NSTEMI patient can be found after adjustment for confounders (odds ratio 0.88, p=0.08). However, having depression was associated with lower catheterization rate (odds ratio 0.91, p Conclusion: Depression is associated with decreased catheterization rate, increased length of stay and delayed catheterization in NSTEMI patient. Further investigation of the impact of depression on NSTEMI patient is warranted.

Background: Studies have shown that age is not an independent predictor of short-term and long-term neurological outcomes after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. These findings were reported for both in-hospital and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Yet, elderly patients are less aggressively treated and have higher mortality. We investigated the current outcomes and therapeutic approach in a large unselected population of patients. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, using the 2014 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we analyzed patients >65 years of age with in-hospital cardiac arrest. We performed univariate analysis of age, sex, race, hospital location, hospital teaching status, insurance type, hospital bed size, Charlson Comorbidity Index and other relevant comorbidities such as ventricular arrhythmias and we included variables with p Results: A total of 39397 patients, who underwent in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) were identified. Patients >65 years of age (55%) had mean age of 78+/_0.06, vs 50+/_0.22, p65 years of age had higher mortality (OR=1.51, 95%CI =1.43-1.61, p65 years of age had lower length of stay (Coef. =-1.46, 95% CI=-1.85- -1.08), p Conclusion: Patients >65 years of age, who underwent in-hospital CPR had higher mortality, which could be related to lower utilization of healthcare resources and contribute to a shorter hospital stay and lower total charges. Furthermore, our study unravels lower utilization of a palliative care consult in a younger population of patients.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a chronic pulmonary vascular disorder that can be caused by a variety of pathophysiological states. Five groups of PH sharing similar hemodynamics, and management were identified: 1) pulmonary arterial hypertension (Group 1); 2) PH due to left heart disease (Group 2); 3) PH due to chronic lung disease (Group 3); 4) chronic thromboembolic PH (Group 4); and 5) miscellaneous mechanisms (Group 5) [1]. Physiologically, PH is defined as mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) ≥ 25 mm Hg at rest or >30 mm Hg with exercise. Clinically, PH leads to right heart ventricular failure and cardiac death [2,3]. Group 2 PH is found commonly and is reported in >60% of heart failure patients [4]. Patients with chronic left heart failure often have other atrial arrhythmias. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is commonly encountered in >3 million people in the United States [5]. Heart failure patients are 5 to 10 times more likely to develop AF than healthy patients [6,7]. AF portends a worse long-term prognosis attributable to the loss of atrial kick, loss of atrioventricular synchrony, and the increased risk of stroke [8,9]. Similarly, the prevalence of Group 2 PH related AF is as high as 57%, and 23% in other forms of PH [10]. The cornerstone of surgical treatment of AF has been AF ablation. Haussaiguarre et al. first reported that AF initiates in the posterior wall of the left atrium near the ostium of pulmonary veins [11]. AF ablation is achieved either radio-frequency (electrocautery) or cryoablation. To date, limited data are available regarding the impact of PH on patients undergoing AF ablation. Therefore, we have demonstrated the effect of PH in patients getting AF ablation in this National Inpatient Sample (NIS) analysis.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a leading cause of mortality among patients with non-dialytic end stage renal disease, also known as CKD Stage V (CKD V), and end-stage renal disease requiring hemodialysis (ESRD) and should be managed aggressively. Prior studies highlighted treatment disparities for

Ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation has improved quality of life and short-term survival for advanced heart failure patients. There are limited data from single-center studies addressing the characteristics and etiologies of 30 day readmissions after VAD implant. We used the Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) 2014 to identify insertion of implantable heart assist system during index admission. Primary and secondary outcomes were 30 day readmissions and leading etiologies, respectively. We analyzed 1,481 patients who received VAD during the primary admission of whom 1,315 patients survived to hospital discharge (mortality rate 11.2%), and 60.6% were discharged to a nursing facility. One hundred and thirty-one (10.0%) patients were readmitted within 30 days of primary hospitalization. Leading etiologies of 30 day readmission were bleeding (24%), heart failure (18%), and device complications (14%). Mean length of stay during readmission was 13.8 days with a mortality rate of 2.1%. Fifty percent of 30 day readmissions were readmitted from day 22 to 30. Variables for predictors of 30 day readmissions were not statistically significant. By identifying gastrointestinal bleeding, heart failure, and device complications as leading etiologies of 30 day readmission post-VAD implantation, providers can potentially modify practices to prevent hospital readmissions, decreasing cost of care, and improving the quality of life of patients.

Suboptimal echocardiograms are common in critically ill patients. The obstacles that interfere with optimal echocardiographic imaging in cardiac care unit patients include suboptimal positioning, obesity, hyperinflated lungs due to mechanical ventilation, lung disease, subcutaneous emphysema, surgical incisions, chest tubes, bandages, and crowded quarters. It is well known that use of contrast in echocardiography significantly improves the image quality, but despite that, contrast echocardiography is widely underused. The current chapter outlines the basics of contrast echocardiography as it applies to critical care.

Current guidelines recommend against revascularization of the noninfarct artery during the index percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in hemodynamically stable patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This was based largely on observational studies with few data coming from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Recently, several small-to-moderate sized RCTs have provided data, suggesting that a multivessel revascularization approach may be appropriate. We performed a meta-analysis of RCTs comparing multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (MV PCI) versus culprit vessel-only revascularization (COR) during primary PCI in patients with STEMI and multivessel coronary disease (MVCD). We searched Medline, PubMed, and Scopus databases for RCTs comparing MV PCI versus COR in patients with STEMI and MVCD. The incidence of all-cause death, cardiac death, recurrent myocardial infarction, and revascularization during follow-up were extracted. Four RCTs fit our primary selection criteria. Among these, 566 patients underwent MV PCI (either at the time of the primary PCI or as a staged procedure) and 478 patients underwent COR. During long-term follow-up (range 1 to 2.5 years), combined data indicated a significant reduction in all-cause mortality (relative risk [RR] 0.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.36 to 0.92, p = 0.02) and in cardiac death (RR 0.38, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.73, p = 0.004) with MV PCI. In addition, there was a significantly lower risk of recurrent myocardial infarction (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.75; p = 0.004) and future revascularization (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.52; p0.00001). In conclusion, from the RCT data, MV PCI appears to improve outcomes in patients with STEMI and MVCD.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac rhythm disturbance encountered in clinical practice, and its prevalence is increasing as the population ages. The American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the European Society of Cardiology established guidelines for the management of patients with AF. Atrial flutter (Afl) is less common and is often associated with or preceded by AF or occurs in an isolated pattern. A major limitation of the currently published guidelines for the management of patients with AF and Afl is their complexity, the fact that official guidelines are published separately for each of these arrhythmias, and that they were published several years ago. To address these deficiencies, we have developed a novel pathway for the management of AF and Afl. The pathway has been designated with the acronym RACE, which reflects the 4 main components in patient management: rate control, anticoagulation therapy, cardioversion, and electrophysiology/antiarrhythmic medication. This pathway is an attempt to incorporate, in a user-friendly format, the key concepts of the initial diagnosis and management of these prevalent arrhythmias. This is followed by a comprehensive guideline for therapy using the RACE acronym.

a Department of Internal Medicine/Cardiology, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL, United States b Department of Cardiology, Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA, United States c Department of Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States d Department of Cardiology, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, St. Luke's Hospital, New York, NY, United States

AF is one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias leading to increased morbidity and mortality. It is associated with structural heart disease, HTN, diabetes and sleep apnea (SA). The relation between AF and SA has been well documented. We aim to determine the impact of SA in the outcomes of AF in

Carotid artery stenosis (CAS) is common in older adults undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). CAS may be associated with increased risk of periprocedural stroke (PPS) and major cardiovascular events. Carotid filter protection (sentinel system) systems are frequently used to

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) has shown to have a profound effect on postoperative vascular hemodynamics in studies. It is not well known whether hemodynamic changes associated with TAVR adversely affects TAVR outcomes. Therefore, we conducted a large database analysis to look for

Objective We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of statin loading prior to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Background Statin loading prior to PCI has been shown to decrease peri-procedural myocardial infarction (pMI) but less is known regarding the clinical benefit of pre-procedural statin loading. Methods We searched for trials of statin naive patients presenting with stable angina or NSTE-ACS and treated with statins prior to PCI. We evaluated the incidence of pMI and major cardiac events including spontaneous myocardial infarction, death, and target vessel revascularization. Results Out of 1,210 articles, 14 randomized controlled trials were included in this meta-analysis. Among 3,146 patients, 1,591 patients were randomized to a loading dose of statin before PCI and 1,555 patients were given statin therapy initiated only after the PCI. Statin loading prior to PCI was associated with a 56% relative reduction in pMI (OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.35–0.56; P

Objective of our study was to find out survival benefit of performing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with cardiac arrest. The study population was derived from the nationwide inpatient sample (NIS) database from 2008 to 2012. Cardiac arrest, ventricular fibrillation (Vfib), ventricular tachycardia (Vtach), asystole/pulseless electrical activity (PEA) and ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were identified using appropriate international classification of disease (ICD-9) diagnostic codes and PCI was identified using appropriate ICD-9 procedural code. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Multivariate analysis (odds ratio , 95% confidence interval, p value) showed increased mortality with older age (1.01, 1.01-1.02, p

We describe our experience with the Advanced Cardiac Admission Program (ACAP) at our institution. The ACAP program is a hospital-wide implementation of critical pathways-based management of all cardiac patients. Data review of patients admitted for acute coronary syndromes from the ACAP–PAIN database and a comparative study of outcomes before and after implementation of the pathways-based assessment and treatment protocols. In the pre-ACAP and post-ACAP patient groups, antiplatelet use at admission improved from 50% to 75% (p

Loop diuretics are considered first-line therapy for patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Adding nitroglycerin (NTG) to diuretic therapy for alleviation of acute shortness of breath has been advocated in our institution. We evaluated the benefits of adding NTG to diuretics in the emergency department for patients with ADHF and chronic kidney disease (CKD).430 consecutive patients with ADHF who were admitted with a chief complaint of dyspnea were included in this retrospective study. Patients were divided into 3 groups. Group A patients were treated with neither diuretics nor NTG; Group B patients were treated with diuretics only; and Group C patients were treated with both diuretics and NTG. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated according to the Cockcroft-Gault formula. Follow-up was 36 ± 9 (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) months. Primary endpoints were readmission rate at 30 days and mortality at 24 months.430 patients were included in this study (42% men; age, 69 ± 14 [mean ± SD] years); mean New York Heart Association class was 2.4 ± 0.7 (mean ± SD) and mean ejection fraction was 28% ± 17% (mean ± SD). Group A included 257 (59%) patients, Group B had 127 (29%) patients, and Group C had 46 (11%) patients. Group C patients were older (mean age, 72 ± 13 years) with lower body mass index (26 ± 7 kg/m2), lower estimated GFR (55.8 ± 38 mL/min per 1.73 m2), higher B-type natriuretic peptide levels (1112 ± 876 pg/mL; P = nonsignificant [NS]), and higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures on admission (P = 0.001). The primary endpoint was assessed as a composite of all-cause mortality and ADHF readmission seen in 143 (56%) Group A patients, 68 (53%) Group B patients, and 22 (48%) Group C patients (P = NS). At 30 days there were 53 (12%) readmissions--26 in Group A, 20 in Group B, and 7 in Group C (P = NS). However, survival at 24 months was higher in Group C (87%) compared with Groups A (79%) and B (82%) (P = 0.002). Using the Cox proportional-hazards regression module, early administration of NTG and Lasix (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.62; P = 0.01) followed by CKD stage (95% CI, 1.00-1.35; P = 0.04) were the only predictors for survival.There is a role for early administration of NTG in addition to diuretic therapy in patients admitted to the emergency department with ADHF, with resultant decreased length of stay and a trend toward a decrease in the composite endpoint of all-cause mortality and ADHF readmission. The mortality benefit at 2 years reported in our study is thought-provoking and raises a premise to be proven in randomized clinical trials.

Background Ischemic Cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of heart failure in the United States. Restrictive cardiomyopathy etiologies like sarcoid and amyloid are less common causes of heart failure and in hospital outcome descriptions are scant across the literature. Purpose describe the outcomes of acute heart failure exacerbations in patients with sarcoid or amyloid cardiomiopathy Methods A retrospective analysis using the 2005-2014 United States Nationwide Inpatient Sample was performed. Patients above 18 years with primary diagnosis of acute heart failure (AHF), systolic heart failure (SHF) and diastolic heart failure (DHF) were included. Secondary diagnosis of Sarcoid Cardiomyopathy (SCM) or Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (ACM) was generated. End stage renal disease patients were excluded. Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included length of stay, cost of stay, shock, utilization of mechanical ventilation, acute kidney injury requiring dialysis (AKID), use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV), cardiac arrest, and short term mechanical circulatory support. Diagnoses were identified using ICD-9- CM codes . Multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, race, gender, hospital location was done using STATA 15. Results 2,821,201 patients with primary diagnosis of AHF were identified. In AHF cohort 2,893 patients had a history of ACM, corresponding to 42% patients with SHF and 58% patients with DHF. The SCM cohort was composed of 1,905 with AHF of which 83% had SHF and 17% had DHF. Mean age in ACM with AHF was 73 years. 63% were males. In the SCM, 52 % males with mean age of 53 years. ACM patients had increased mortality in the AHF(OR 2.5 p Conclusions In patients with AHF, mortality is increased in those with ACM compared to those without. SCM is associated with increased mechanical support use and development of shock

The estimated number of out-of-hospital care arrest cases is about 300,000 per year in the United States. Two landmark studies published in 2002 demonstrated that the use of therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest decreased mortality and improved neurologic outcome. Based on these studies, the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation and the American Heart Association recommended the use of therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest. Therapeutic hypothermia is defined as a controlled lowering of core body temperature to 32 degrees C to 34 degrees C. This temperature goal represents the optimal balance between clinical effect and cardiovascular toxicity. Therapeutic hypothermia does require resources to implement-including device, close nursing care, and monitoring. It is important to select patients who have potential for benefit from this technique which is a limited resource and carries potential complications. A collaborative team approach involving physicians and nurses is critical for successful development and implementation of this kind of a protocol. In 2004, the "Advanced Cardiac Admission Program" was launched at the St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center of Columbia University in New York. The program consists of a series of projects, which have been developed to bridge the gap between published guidelines and implementation during "real world" patient care. In this article, we are reporting our latest project for the comprehensive management of survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The pathway is divided into 3 steps: Step I, From the field through the emergency department into the cardiac catherization laboratory and to the critical care unit; Step II, Induced invasive hypothermia protocol in the critical care unit (this step is divided into 3 phases: 1, invasive cooling for the first 24 hours; 2, rewarming; 3, maintenance); Step III, Management post the rewarming phase including the recommendation for out-of-hospital therapy and the ethical decision to define goal of care. We hope that this novel pathway will bridge the gap between the complex guidelines and the actual clinical practice and will improve the survival and neurologic condition of patients suffering cardiac arrest.

The aim of this study is to compare gender differences in trends of in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) outcomes. This is a retrospective study based on the 2007 to 2014 Nationwide Inpatient Sample databases. Patients over age 18 years who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during their

Hepatitis C (HCV) has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events but studies showing its effect on CV outcomes are scarce. In this study we investigated the impact of HCV in patients undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). We used the 2010-2014 Nationwide

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has been suggested to increase the risk of coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction. We evaluated length of stay and total hospital cost of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in males and females with HIV from the year 2004

Inhospital morbidity and mortality are increased in hyperglycemia. Normalization of blood glucose levels using intensive insulin infusion protocols improves clinical outcomes. Insulin infusion algorithms have been shown to be safe and effective; however, a major obstacle in their implementation is their complexity. We have developed a novel pathway for the management of hyperglycemia, which introduces the "wheel" concept for insulin dosing complemented by "catchup" insulin dosing. The "wheel" serves as a treatment guide. It is made up of 4 concentric circles. The inner circle features blood glucose ranges and the 3 outer circles correspond to increasing rates of insulin infusion. Simple guidelines are provided to facilitate conversion from insulin infusion to a subcutaneous insulin-delivery regimen in preparation for transfer from the critical care unit setting. Our protocols eliminate reliance on the familiar "sliding scale" insulin administration schemes with the introduction of "catchup" insulin dosing to supplement the basic regimen. This pathway is comprehensive yet simple and provides guidelines for treatment of hyperglycemia for all patients screened to a critical care unit or to a stepdown unit.

Current guidelines recommend 12 months of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in the absence of increased bleeding risk. Studies have suggested that early discontinuation of DAPT can result in an increased risk of stent thrombosis. However, given the potential for major bleeding, the optimal duration of DAPT after DES implantation remains uncertain. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases from inception until October 2013 for randomized controlled trials that compared shorter versus longer DAPT duration after DES implantation. Four randomized controlled trials were included. A total of 4,081 patients received DAPT for 3 to 6 months, and 4,076 patients were treated with DAPT for 12 to 24 months. Oral DAPT consisted of aspirin and clopidogrel. There was no significant difference in the rate of the composite outcome of cardiac death or myocardial infarction between the short (3.3%) and prolonged (3.0%) DAPT groups (odds ratio 1.11, 95% confidence interval 0.87 to 1.43, p = 0.41). A landmark analysis performed at the time of discontinuation of DAPT in the short DAPT group demonstrated a nonsignificant higher rate of stent thrombosis in patients treated with a short course of DAPT (0.35% vs 0.20%, p = 0.22). Major bleeding was significantly higher in the group of patients treated with prolonged DAPT (0.29% vs 0.71%, p = 0.01). In conclusion, prolonged DAPT compared with short-term treatment is associated with increased major bleeding but is not associated with a decrease in the composite rates of death or myocardial infarction.

Statin loading prior to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to decrease peri-procedural myocardial infarction but less is known regarding the clinical benefit of pre-procedural statin loading. We aimed to investigate this hypothesis in stable patients and among patients with Non

Catheter ablation of the renal sympathetic innervations is promising therapy but data is still limited. We aimed to evaluating its effectiveness in a meta-analysis of the available clinical trials. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases up to July 2012. Outcomes studied were 10% or

The number of cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is estimated to be 300,000/year in the United States. Two landmark studies published in 2002 demonstrated that therapeutic hypothermia decreased mortality and improved neurological outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Our institutional pathway for the management of survivors of cardiac arrest stresses teamwork involving multiple disciplines, including cardiology, critical care, nursing, neurology, infectious diseases, physical therapy, social work, and pastoral care. Involvement of the patients' families is critical in the understanding of the process and in the decision making and goals of care when neurological prognosis is poor. In a unique approach, we have included the survivors in the process. Our approach to quality improvement includes a yearly conference incorporating the voices of survivors and families. This conference serves as a means to review our experience, educate clinicians, involve all healthcare providers in the outcome, and provide a model of communication and professionalism to trainees. During review of our experience, we noted the small number of women undergoing therapeutic hypothermia, accounting for only 21% of all patients undergoing this therapy after cardiac arrest. This led to a conference that focused on cardiac disease and cardiac arrest in women.

Catheter-Based Renal Sympathetic Denervation for Resistant Hypertension: A Meta- Analysis Hypertension is a major risk factor to coronary artery disease and stroke being its control a cornerstone on primary and secondary prevention. Catheter ablation of the renal sympathetic innervations is a new and promising therapy but data is still limited. We aimed to evaluate its effectiveness in a meta-analysis of the available clinical trials.

Randomized clinical trials and observational studies have shown that therapeutic hypothermia improves neurologic outcomes and survival in patients following cardiac arrest [1–3]. As the benefit is impressive, with the number needed to treat as low as six patients, therapeutic hypothermia should be applied to more and more patients [4]. At the same time, therapeutic hypothermia is a complex and expensive therapy requiring appropriate equipment, trained personnel, and close patient monitoring. A systematic approach to coordinate care at multiple levels is required for proper patient selection, effective implementation of therapy, and monitoring for possible complications. In our institution, we use a unified pathway-based approach to therapeutic hypothermia [5]. The pathway outlines patient management in a stepwise manner: from the field through the emergency department into the cardiac catheterization laboratory and to the critical care unit (step 1); induced invasive hypothermia protocol in the critical care unit (step 2); and management following the re-warming phase including decisions for future care based on neurologic outcome (step 3). Figure 8.1 shows the pathway for the management of the survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest as implemented at St Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York. The current chapter focuses on recognition and management of potential complications of hypothermia.

Introduction The elevation of troponin levels directly corresponds to the extent of myocardial injury. Here we present a case of a robust rise in cardiac biomarkers that correspond to extensive damage to the myocardium but did not spell doom for our patient. It is important to note that, to the best of our knowledge, this is the highest level of troponin I ever reported in the literature after a myocardial injury in an acute setting. Case presentation A 53-year-old African American man with an unknown medical history presented to the emergency room of our hospital with chest pain associated with diaphoresis and altered mental status. He required emergency intubation due to acute respiratory failure and circulatory collapse within 10 minutes of his arrival. He was started on heparin and eptifibatide (Integrilin) drips but he was taken immediately for cardiac catheterization, which showed a total occlusion of his proximal left anterior descending, diffuse left circumflex disease and severe left ventricular dysfunction with segmental wall motion abnormality. He remained hypotensive throughout the procedure and an intra-aortic balloon pump was inserted for circulatory support. His urinary toxicology examination result was positive for cocaine metabolites. Serial echocardiograms showed an akinetic apex, a severely hypokinetic septum, and severe systolic dysfunction of his left ventricle. Our patient stayed at the Coronary Care Unit for a total of 15 days before he was finally discharged. Conclusion Studies demonstrate that an increase of 1 ng/ml in the cardiac troponin I level is associated with a significant increase in the risk ratio for death. The elevation of troponin I to 515 ng/ml in our patient is an unusual robust presentation which may reflect a composite of myocyte necrosis and reperfusion but without short-term mortality. Nevertheless, prolonged close monitoring is required for better outcome. We also emphasize the need for the troponin assays to be standardized and have universal cutoffs for comparisons across available data.

Sudden cardiac death is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for an estimate 350,000 deaths each year. The US Congress passed a resolution in late September 2008 designating October as "National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month." In an effort to raise awareness for preventing unnecessary deaths because of sudden cardiac death, the resolution "calls upon the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities." The response from our institute was to develop a novel pathway named ESCAPE-which is an evidence-based novel pathway for low Ejection fraction and Sudden Cardiac death Awareness and Prevention Eligibility. The main objective of this program is to demonstrate that implementing a simple novel pathway for primary prevention of sudden cardiac arrest leads to an increase in the number of patients with low ejection fraction (

The management of patients after cardiac arrest is a prominent example of complexity on many levels of decisions. We designed a pathway for the management of survivors of cardiac arrest, guiding such decisions as cardiac catheterization, induction of therapeutic hypothermia, placement of defibrillator, and ethical decision making for life support. Our pathway outlines the comprehensive management of patients from the field through the emergency room, the cardiac catheterization laboratory, the cardiac care unit, step down unit, and the rehabilitation center. Involving patients and their families is a novel addition to a clinical pathway. We used the power of survivors' stories to inspire and educate clinicians in the utility of our multidisciplinary pathway approach. This approach may serve as a model for patient-centered care in medicine.

Pericardial effusion is a common disorder associated with a variety of medical disorders. Diagnostic methods of choice include echocardiography, CT, and MRI. However, diagnosing pericardial effusion with radionuclides is uncommon. A pericardial effusion under pressure may result in tamponade and hemodynamic compromise, which constitutes a cardiac emergency, necessitating emergency intervention with pericardiocentesis or pericardiotomy. Presented is an unusual case of a patient who was referred to the nuclear cardiology laboratory for evaluation of atypical chest pain using stress and rest Tc-99m sestamibi perfusion SPECT. The patient had a large pericardial effusion evident on planar projection images and tomograms. From the gated perfusion study, the authors were able to evaluate left and right ventricular function and to exclude cardiac tamponade because there was no evidence of diastolic collapse of the right ventricle.

We present a novel case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, associated with worsening chest pain and T-wave inversions on electrocardiogram after atropine use. Our patient was an 82-year-old woman who complained of substernal chest discomfort of 5 hours duration. Atropine 0.5 mg was administered intravenously by the emergency medical service for symptomatic bradycardia. The patient subsequently complained of worsening chest pain and developed new T-wave inversions on the electrocardiogram. Cardiac catheterization was diagnostic and revealed normal coronary arteries but akinesis of the apical segment. Although the pathogenesis of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is not completely understood, catecholamine-mediated myocardial stunning due to enhanced sympathetic activity is the most widely accepted underlying mechanism. The withdrawal of parasympathetic drive in such cases should exacerbate sympathetic activity, leading to the genesis or worsening of disease activity. The role of atropine in relation to Takotsubo cardiomyopathy has been questioned before. However, it was always in the setting of general anesthesia induction, at which time atropine had been used for reversal of symptomatic bradycardia; consequently, determining the exact role of atropine in the disease process was difficult. Our patient received only atropine and therefore illustrated its capacity to worsen signs and symptoms of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. Because patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy may present with recurrent chest pain, we would recommend caution against the use of atropine for symptomatic bradycardia in such patients in the emergency department. Transcutaneous pacemaker should be preferred.