Search

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, attempts to conserve resources and limit virus spread have resulted in delay of nonemergent procedures across all medical specialties including cardiac electrophysiology. Many patients have delayed care and continue to express concerns about potential nosocomial spread of coronavirus. Objective To quantify risk of development of COVID19 due to in-hospital transmission related to an electrophysiology procedure, in the setting of preventive measures instituted in our laboratory areas. Methods We contacted patients by telephone who underwent emergent procedures in the electrophysiology lab during the COVID19 surge at our hospital (3/16/2020 to 5/15/2020, reaching daily census 450 COVID19 patients,) > two weeks after the procedure, to assess for symptoms of and/or testing for COVID-19, and assessed outcomes from medical record review. Results Of the 124 patients undergoing EP procedures in this period, none had developed documented or suspected coronavirus infection. 7 patients described symptoms of chest pain, dyspnea, or fever; 3 were tested for coronavirus and found to be negative. Of the remaining 4, 2 had a more plausible alternative explanation for the symptoms, and 2 had transient symptoms not meeting published criteria for probable COVID19 infection. Conclusion Despite a high hospital census of COVID-19 patients during the period of hospital stay for an electrophysiology procedure, there were no likely COVID-19 infections occurring in follow up of at least two weeks. With proper use of preventive measures as recommended by published guidelines, the risk of nosocomial spread of COVID-19 to patients in the electrophysiology lab is low., Graphical abstract

Background Many of the drugs being used in the treatment of the ongoing pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are associated with QT prolongation. Expert guidance supports electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring to optimize patient safety. Objective The purpose of this study was to establish an enhanced process for ECG monitoring of patients being treated for COVID-19. Methods We created a Situation Background Assessment Recommendation tool identifying the indication for ECGs in patients with COVID-19 and tagged these ECGs to ensure prompt over reading and identification of those with QT prolongation (corrected QT interval > 470 ms for QRS duration ≤ 120 ms; corrected QT interval > 500 ms for QRS duration > 120 ms). This triggered a phone call from the electrophysiology service to the primary team to provide management guidance and a formal consultation if requested. Results During a 2-week period, we reviewed 2006 ECGs, corresponding to 524 unique patients, of whom 103 (19.7%) met the Situation Background Assessment Recommendation tool–defined criteria for QT prolongation. Compared with those without QT prolongation, these patients were more often in the intensive care unit (60 [58.3%] vs 149 [35.4%]) and more likely to be intubated (32 [31.1%] vs 76 [18.1%]). Fifty patients with QT prolongation (48.5%) had electrolyte abnormalities, 98 (95.1%) were on COVID-19–related QT-prolonging medications, and 62 (60.2%) were on 1–4 additional non-COVID-19–related QT-prolonging drugs. Electrophysiology recommendations were given to limit modifiable risk factors. No patient developed torsades de pointes. Conclusion This process functioned efficiently, identified a high percentage of patients with QT prolongation, and led to relevant interventions. Arrhythmias were rare. No patient developed torsades de pointes.

Combined use of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin was globally adopted, in part due to paucity and high cost of alternative therapies. However the utility of these medications has been questioned; and thus safety becomes a major concern given clinical equipoise regarding efficacy. Both hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin continue to be administered in US clinical trials examining their potential role in prevention of infection, treatment of mild infection in ambulatory patients, and in combination with other medical regimens in treatment of patients with severe disease. These drugs also continue to be clinically utilized in hospitalized patients around the globe, often without continuous telemetry due to lack of resources. Concern regarding use of hydroxychloroquine without adequate rhythm monitoring in clinical trials has been recently expressed.1 A review of clinicaltrials.gov at the time of submission of this correspondence reveals actively recruiting trials of combined hydroxychloroquine/azithromycin with or without additional COVID-19 therapies, for both ambulatory and hospitalized patients within and outside the US. The potential for hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin to cause QT prolongation is counterbalanced by very low risk of pro-arrhythmia in the general population, and emerging evidence of relatively low risk of Torsades de Pointes (TdP) in COVID-19 patients.2,3,4,5 Thus delineation of the determinants of significant QTc prolongation and pro-arrhythmic risk for hydroxychloroquine/azithromycin is very important, especially given mounting evidence of inefficacy in COVID-19 treatment.

Chest pain is a common occurrence in the perioperative patient. Although chest pain has many potential etiologies, a worrisome syndrome is cardiac angina, which may herald acute myocardial infarction. Angina occurs commonly in perioperative patients, even those who have not previously experienced angina in everyday life, due to increased stress on the heart in the perioperative period. In patients who do have a history of angina and myocardial infarction, cessation of chronic medications to minimize postoperative bleeding risk can also play a role in precipitating angina and cardiac complications. A familiarity with the initial steps in diagnosis and management of myocardial infarction is the responsibility of the oral and maxillofacial surgeon; consultation with a cardiologist should also be pursued for aid with management of acute coronary syndromes. The definitive management of myocardial infarction requires anticoagulation and often revascularization, but in the perioperative population, the risks and benefits of these therapies must be weighed carefully.

New onset left bundle branch block (LBBB) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is associated with an increased risk of sudden death. While this is often due to complete heart block (CHB), bundle branch reentrant ventricular tachycardia (BBRVT) can occur. A 69 year old male with

Introduction: The incidence of normal coronary arteries in patients referred for invasive coronary angiography (ICA) ranges from 30-60%. We sought to evaluate patterns of referral, assess the rate of appropriate catheterization and determine the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in our population by appropriateness and indication. Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on 930 consecutive patients undergoing diagnostic ICA. Indications for ICA were reviewed and appropriate use criteria (AUC) were applied to the cohort retrospectively. Patients with known CAD, prior MI, CHF, or indication for pre-transplant workup or cardiac surgery were excluded. Rates of non-obstructive (21-49% stenosis) and obstructive CAD (≥50%) were compared by appropriateness status using Fisher’s Exact Testing. Results: Of the 930 patients studied, 55.6% were male with median age of 62 and 10-year ASCVD risk score of 17.7%. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) was the most prevalent indication for referral (48.5%) with a 68.6% prevalence of obstructive CAD. A positive stress test was the indication in 18.9% with a 51.4% rate of obstructive CAD. The rates of the remaining referral indications are given in Figure 1. In those referred appropriately for angiography (n=923), the prevalence of obstructive disease was 55.9% (n=516), non-obstructive disease 13.6% (n=125), and normal coronaries 30.6%(n=282). Inappropriate referral was identified in only 7 patients (0.8%), all of whom had normal coronaries with p Conclusions: At a single quaternary care academic center the majority of coronary angiographies performed invasively are appropriate by AUC. Despite adherence to AUC, there continues to be a large number of patients with no evidence of obstructive disease, including in those with ACS. Further research is needed to further refine the AUC and its role in risk stratification for obstructive CAD.

Introduction: Current cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) T1 mapping techniques such as Modified Look-Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) imaging have limited resolution, but the Accelerated and Navigator-Gated Look-Locker Imaging for Cardiac T1 Estimation (ANGIE) is a novel CMR sequence with spatial resolution suitable for T1 mapping of the thin-walled RV. Hypothesis: In pulmonary hypertension (PH) and heart failure (HF), RV extracellular volume (ECV) fraction (as a surrogate measure for RV fibrosis) is a unique parameter describing RV structure that tends to increase with increasing RV size and declining RV function. Methods: Patients with either World Health Organization group 1 or group 4 pulmonary hypertension (PH) or heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) were recruited to undergo contrast-enhanced CMR. RV and LV ECV fractions were determined using pre-contrast and post-contrast T1 mapping using ANGIE (RV and LV) and MOLLI (LV). Results: 22 patients (41% female, median age 61 years old, IQR 51-70 years old) were enrolled, including n=12 with PH and n=10 with HFrEF. ANGIE ECV imaging was of high quality (Figure). A multivariable linear model with RVEF and RVEDVI as independent variables and RVECV as the outcome variable showed independent associations for RVEF and RVEDVI with RVECV (R 2 =0.553) (Table), consistent with a complex relationship involving RV function, dilation, and fibrosis. Conclusions: Pre- and post-contrast ANGIE imaging provides high-resolution ECV determination for the thin-walled RV. RV fibrosis increases with increasing RV size and decreasing overall RV function. Further studies of RVECV in PH and HFrEF are indicated.

Background Assessment of diffuse right ventricular (RV) fibrosis is of particular interest in pulmonary hypertension (PH) and heart failure (HF). Current cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) T1 mapping techniques such as Modified Look-Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) imaging have limited resolution, but accelerated and navigator-gated Look-Locker imaging for cardiac T1 estimation (ANGIE) is a novel CMR sequence with spatial resolution suitable for T1 mapping of the RV. We tested the hypothesis that patients with PH would have significantly more RV fibrosis detected with MRI ANGIE compared with normal volunteers and patients having HF with reduced (LV) ejection fraction (HFrEF) without co-existing PH, independent of RV dilitation and dysfunction. Methods Patients with World Health Organization group 1 or group 4 PH, patients with HFrEF without PH, and normal volunteers were recruited to undergo contrast-enhanced CMR. RV and LV extracellular volume fractions (RV-ECV and LV-ECV) were determined using pre-contrast and post-contrast T1 mapping using ANGIE (RV and LV) and MOLLI (LV only). Results Thirty-two participants (53.1 % female, median age 52 years, IQR 26–65 years) were enrolled, including n = 12 with PH, n = 10 having HFrEF without co-existing PH, and n = 10 normal volunteers. ANGIE ECV imaging was of high quality, and ANGIE measurements of LV-ECV were highly correlated with those of MOLLI (r = 0.91; p