A Retrospective Analysis of AngioVac Outcomes at a Tertiary Care Center.

Background: The AngioVac system is a vacuum aspiration device approved for removal of right-sided cardiac thrombi. It has also been used for management of right-sided endocarditis in selected cases. Retrospective case series have reported high success rate and acceptable 30-day mortality, but there is limited data regarding outcomes beyond the immediate postoperative period. The purpose of this study is to describe our institution's experience with the AngioVac system for thrombus, vegetation, and tumor removal with a significant improvement over previously reported 1-year survival rates. Methods: A retrospective review of AngioVac cases performed at our tertiary care center from 2016-2022 was done. From 2016-2022, 23 patients were identified, and their outcomes are described. Results: Our review demonstrates 81.8% procedural success, 100% procedure survival, 90.9% survival to discharge, and 81.8% 30-day survival rates. One-year survival rate was 72.7%. Complications including an 18.2% rate of new vasopressor use, 54.5% rate of transfusion requirement, and 4.5% rate of acute renal failure requiring hemodialysis were identified. Intraprocedural embolization occurred in 1 case requiring venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support and thrombectomy. One case was converted to open surgical intervention. Conclusions: Our review further supports the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive vacuum-assisted aspiration systems beyond the immediate postoperative period in intracardiac thrombus, tumor, and right-sided infective endocarditis. Our institution's experience emphasizes a team-based approach including interventional cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery with a standardized imaging approach with transesophageal echocardiogram. Future guidelines are needed to include an algorithmic approach to intracardiac masses.

Non-invasive Neuromodulation of Arrhythmias.

Dysfunction of the cardiac autonomic nervous system (CANS) is associated with various cardiac arrhythmias. Subsequently, invasive techniques have successfully targeted the CANS for the treatment of certain arrhythmias, such as sympathetic denervation for ventricular tachycardia storm. Non-invasive strategies capable of modulating the CANS for arrhythmia treatment have begun to gain interest due to their low-risk profile and applicability as an adjuvant therapy. This review provides an evidence-based overview of the currently studied technologies capable of non-invasively modulating CANS for the suppression of atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias.

Hypertension Induced Morphological and Physiological Changes in Cells of the Arterial Wall.

Morphological and physiological changes in the vasculature have been described in the evolution and maintenance of hypertension. Hypertension-induced vascular dysfunction may present itself as a contributing, or consequential factor, to vascular remodeling caused by chronically elevated systemic arterial blood pressure. Changes in all vessel layers, from the endothelium to the perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), have been described. This mini-review focuses on the current knowledge of the structure and function of the vessel layers, specifically muscular arteries: intima, media, adventitia, PVAT, and the cell types harbored within each vessel layer. The contributions of each cell type to vessel homeostasis and pathophysiological development of hypertension will be highlighted.

Quantifying the hepatotoxic risk of alcohol consumption in patients with rheumatoid arthritis taking methotrexate.

BACKGROUND: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who take methotrexate (MTX) are advised to limit their alcohol intake due to potential combined hepatotoxicity. However, data are limited to support this. The aim of this study was to quantify the risk of developing abnormal liver blood tests at different levels of alcohol consumption, using routinely collected data from primary care. METHODS: Patients with RA in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink starting MTX between 1987 and 2016 were included. Hepatotoxicity was defined as transaminitis: alanine transaminase or aspartate aminotransferase more than three times the upper limit of normal. Crude rates of transaminitis were calculated per 1000 person-years, categorised by weekly alcohol consumption in units. Cox proportional hazard models tested the association between alcohol consumption and transaminitis univariately, then age and gender adjusted. RESULTS: 11 839 patients were included, with 530 episodes of transaminitis occurring in 47 090 person-years follow-up. Increased weekly alcohol consumption as a continuous variable was associated with increased risk of transaminitis, adjusted HR (95% CI) per unit consumed 1.01 (1.00 to 1.02); consuming between 15 and 21 units was associated with a possible increased risk of hepatotoxicity, while drinking >21 units per week significantly increased rates of transaminitis, adjusted HR (95% CI) 1.85 (1.17 to 2.93). CONCLUSIONS: Weekly alcohol consumption of <14 units per week does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of transaminitis.