Comparison of In-Hospital Outcomes between Early and Late Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis in Acute Pulmonary Embolism: A Retrospective Observational Study.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether early initiation of catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) in patients presenting with acute pulmonary embolism is associated with improved in-hospital outcomes. A retrospective cohort was extracted from the 2016-2019 National Inpatient Sample database, consisting of 21,730 weighted admissions undergoing CDT acute PE. From the time of admission, the sample was divided into early (<48 h) and late interventions (>48 h). Outcomes were measured using regression analysis and propensity score matching. No significant differences in mortality, cardiac arrest, cardiogenic shock, or intracranial hemorrhage (p > 0.05) were found between the early and late CDT groups. Late CDT patients had a higher likelihood of receiving systemic thrombolysis (3.21 [2.18-4.74], p < 0.01), blood transfusion (1.84 [1.41-2.40], p < 0.01), intubation (1.33 [1.05-1.70], p = 0.02), discharge disposition to care facilities (1.32 [1.14-1.53], p < 0.01). and having acute kidney injury (1.42 [1.25-1.61], p < 0.01). Predictors of late intervention were older age, female sex, non-white ethnicity, non-teaching hospital admission, hospitals with higher bed sizes, and weekend admission (p < 0.01). This study represents a comprehensive evaluation of outcomes associated with the time interval for initiating CDT, revealing reduced morbidity with early intervention. Additionally, it identifies predictors associated with delayed CDT initiation. The broader ramifications of these findings, particularly in relation to hospital resource utilization and health disparities, warrant further exploration.

Comparison of in-hospital outcomes and complications of leadless pacemaker and traditional transvenous pacemaker implantation.

AIMS: Since their introduction in 1958, traditional cardiac pacemakers have undergone considerable upgrades over the years, but they continue to have a complication rate of ∼3.8%-12.4%. There are no randomized controlled trials comparing outcomes of leadless pacemakers (LPM) with single-chamber transvenous pacemakers (TV-VVI). The aim is to assess the differences in the procedural complications and in-hospital outcomes between LPM and TV-VVI implants. METHODS AND RESULTS: We queried the national inpatient database from 2016 to 2019 to include adult patients undergoing LPM and TV-VVI. Admissions for leadless and single-lead transvenous pacemakers were identified by their appropriate ICD-10 codes. Complications were identified using ICD-10 codes that mostly represent initial encounter. The difference in outcomes was assessed using multivariable logistic regression and 1:1 propensity score matching between the two cohorts. Thirty-five thousand four hundred thirty expanded samples of admissions were retrieved of which 27 650 (78%) underwent TV-VVI with a mean age 81.3 ± 9.4 years and 7780 (22%) underwent LPM with a mean age of 77.1 ± 12.1 years. The LPM group had a higher likelihood of in-hospital mortality [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.63, 95% CI (1.29-2.05), P < 0.001], vascular complications [aOR: 7.54, 95% CI (3.21-17.68), P < 0.001], venous thromboembolism [aOR: 3.67, 95% CI (2.68-5.02), P < 0.001], cardiac complications [aOR: 1.79, 95% CI (1.59-2.03), P < 0.001], device thrombus formation [aOR: 5.03, 95% CI (2.55-9.92), P < 0.001], and need for a blood transfusion [aOR: 1.54, 95% CI (1.14-2.07), P < 0.005]. The TV-VVI group had higher likelihood of in-hospital pulmonary complications [aOR:0.68, 95% CI (0.54-0.87), P < 0.002] and had a need for device revisions [aOR:0.42, 95% CI (0.23-0.76), P < 0.004]. CONCLUSION: There is a higher likelihood of all-cause in-hospital mortality and complications following LPM implantation in comparison to TV-VVI. This could be related to higher co-morbidities in the LPM group. Clinical trials aimed to accurately compare these two groups should be undertaken.

Catheter Ablation of Left Ventricular Summit Arrhythmias from Adjacent Anatomic Vantage Points.

Idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias (VA), particularly left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) VA accounts for up to 10% of all VAs referred for ablative therapy. In addition to being infrequent, its intricate anatomy and its pathophysiology make catheter ablation (CA) of these arrhythmias a challenge even for experts. In this scenario, detailed right ventricular outflow tract as well as LVOT electroanatomic mapping including epicardial mapping are essential. In this article, we will emphasize our approach toward the CA technique used for LVOT VA, particularly IVS and/or LVS VA originating from intramural foci, along with its acute and long-term efficacy and safety.

Safety and efficacy of apixaban, dabigatran and rivaroxaban in obese and morbidly obese patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation: A real-world analysis.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation and heart failure are combined risk factors for thromboembolic events. Obese and morbidly obese individuals have been underrepresented in clinical trials studying safety and efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). OBJECTIVES: Study the comparative safety and efficacy of DOACs in obese and morbidly obese patients with atrial fibrillation or flutter, and concomitant congestive heart failure. METHODS: In the present single-center retrospective observational study, patients with an ICD-9 code of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, and congestive heart failure on a DOAC (apixaban[n = 155], rivaroxaban[n = 335], dabigatran[n = 393]) were followed for a median 12.5 months (IQR: 22.1 months). Obesity was defined as a body mass index, BMI ≥ 30 and < 40 kg/m2 [n = 614], and morbid obesity as BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 [n = 269]. Clinical endpoints were grouped into safety (composite of intracranial-hemorrhage, gastrointestinal-bleeds, hemorrhagic-stroke, and other bleeds), and efficacy (composite of ischemic-stroke and systemic-embolism) endpoints. Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare safety, efficacy, and all-cause mortality outcomes. RESULTS: In obese patients, no statistical difference was observed in efficacy of DOACs. A statistical difference was observed in the safety of DOACs in obese patients. Apixaban was found to be safer than dabigatran [hazard ratio [HR] 0.37 (0.16-0.87), p = .02] and rivaroxaban [HR 0.29 (0.12-0.67), p = .004]. In morbidly obese patients, there was no overall statistical difference in the efficacy or safety of DOACs. CONCLUSION: In obese patients with congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter on DOACs, apixaban has the most favorable safety profile compared to rivaroxaban and dabigatran.

Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of infective endocarditis: a single-center retrospective study in the Bronx, New York.

OBJECTIVE: There is paucity of data on the epidemiological, microbiological, and clinical characteristics of patients admitted with infective endocarditis (IE) in the Bronx, New York. PATIENT AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study at Jacobi Medical Center, a tertiary care hospital in the Bronx. All adult patients who were hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of new-onset IE between January 1st, 2010 and September 30th, 2020 were included. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. A logistic regression model was used to identify baseline variables associated with in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: 182 patients were included in this analysis (female sex: 38.5%, median age: 54 years). 46 patients (25.3%) reported intravenous drug use. 153 patients (84.1%) had positive blood cultures. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was the most common isolated pathogen (45.1% of monomicrobial IE). Nearly half of the cases secondary to S. aureus were methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (34/69). 164 patients (90.1%) were diagnosed with native valve IE. The mitral valve was involved in 32.4% of patients followed by the aortic valve (19.8%). The in-hospital mortality was 18.1%. The mortality was higher in the cohort 2010-2015 compared to the cohort 2016-2020 (22.1% vs 14.6%). Increasing age, MRSA IE, and active malignancy were the only variables found to have significant association with in-hospital death. CONCLUSION: S. aureus was the most common causative agent and MRSA accounted for about half of the S. aureus IE cases. The incidence of IE in patients with intravenous drug use increased over time, while the median age decreased. The in-hospital death rate was higher in 2010-2015 compared to 2016-2020.

QT Dispersion and Drug-Induced Torsade de Pointes.

Background Amiodarone causes less drug-induced torsade de pointes (TdP) compared to other class III antiarrhythmics. Two theories proposed for this finding include that amiodarone has less repolarization heterogeneity, and/or decreases early after depolarization (EADs). Corrected QT (QTc) dispersion as measured on a surface electrocardiogram (ECG) represents spatial heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization. Objective The purpose of this study was to analyze the difference in QT dispersion between amiodarone and other class III antiarrhythmics and to determine the etiology of TdP. Methods This was a retrospective, observational study at Montefiore Medical Center between January 2005 and January 2015. Inclusion criteria were adults >18 years on amiodarone, dofetilide, or sotalol with prolonged QT interval on 12-lead ECG. ECGs were reviewed by three blinded observers. QTc was calculated using the Bazett and Framingham formulas. QTc dispersion was calculated by subtracting the shortest from the longest QTc. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied for comparison between antiarrhythmic groups with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Results A total of 447 ECGs were reviewed and 77 ECGs met inclusion criteria. The average QT dispersion for amiodarone, dofetilide, and sotalol was 0.050, 0.037, and 0.034, respectively (p=0.006) and the average QTc dispersion by Bazett was 0.053, 0.038, and 0.037 (p=0.008) and by Framingham was 0.049, 0.036, and 0.035 (p=0.009), respectively. Conclusion Our results show that given the increase in QT dispersion seen with amiodarone, heterogeneous ventricular repolarization as measured by QTc dispersion likely does not account for the lower incidence of drug-induced TdP seen with amiodarone. The ability of amiodarone to decrease EADs via sodium-channel blockade is more likely the explanation for its lower incidence of drug-induced TdP.

Tumescent local anesthesia versus general anesthesia for subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation.

BACKGROUND: Subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) is an effective alternative to transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. General anesthesia (GA) is considered the standard sedation approach because of the pain caused by the manipulation of subcutaneous tissue with S-ICD implantation. However, GA carries several limitations, including additional risk of adverse events, prolonged in-room times, and increased costs. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to define the effectiveness and safety of tumescent local anesthesia (TLA) in comparison to GA in patients undergoing S-ICD implantation. METHODS: We performed a prospective, nonrandomized, controlled, multicenter study of patients referred for S-ICD implantation between 2019 and 2020. Patients were allocated to either TLA or GA on the basis of patient's preferences and/or anesthesia service availability. TLA was prepared using lidocaine, epinephrine, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium chloride. All patients provided written informed consent, and the institutional review board at each site provided approval for the study. RESULTS: Sixty patients underwent successful S-ICD implantation from July 2019 to November 2020. Thirty patients (50%) received TLA, and the rest GA. There were no differences between groups with regard to baseline characteristics. In-room and procedural times were significantly shorter with TLA (107.6 minutes vs 186 minutes; P < .0001 and 53.2 minutes vs 153.7 minutes; P < .0001, respectively). Pain was reported less frequently by patients who received TLA. The use of opioids was significantly reduced in patients who received TLA (23% vs 62%; P = .002). CONCLUSION: TLA is an effective and safe alternative to GA in S-ICD implantation. The use of TLA is associated with shorter in-room and procedural times, less postprocedural pain, and reduced usage of opioids and acetaminophen for analgesia.

Characteristics and Outcomes of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Events During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Single-Center Experience From a New York City Public Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Patients hospitalized for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection are at risk for in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA). It is unknown whether certain characteristics of cardiac arrest care and outcomes of IHCAs during the COVID-19 pandemic differed compared with a pre-COVID-19 period. METHODS: All patients who experienced an IHCA at our hospital from March 1, 2020 through May 15, 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and those who had an IHCA from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019 were identified. All patient data were extracted from our hospital's Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation registry, a prospective hospital-based archive of IHCA data. Baseline characteristics of patients, interventions, and overall outcomes of IHCAs during the COVID-19 pandemic were compared with IHCAs in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: There were 125 IHCAs during a 2.5-month period at our hospital during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with 117 IHCAs in all of 2019. IHCAs during the COVID-19 pandemic occurred more often on general medicine wards than in intensive care units (46% versus 33%; 19% versus 60% in 2019; P<0.001), were overall shorter in duration (median time of 11 minutes [8.5-26.5] versus 15 minutes [7.0-20.0], P=0.001), led to fewer endotracheal intubations (52% versus 85%, P<0.001), and had overall worse survival rates (3% versus 13%; P=0.007) compared with IHCAs before the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who experienced an IHCA during the COVID-19 pandemic had overall worse survival compared with those who had an IHCA before the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings highlight important differences between these 2 time periods. Further study is needed on cardiac arrest care in patients with COVID-19.

Saddle pulmonary embolism and clot in transit in COVID-19 infection: a case report of catastrophic venous thromboembolism.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a coagulopathy favouring thrombosis over bleeding that imparts a poor prognosis. Clot in transit (CIT) is considered a rare entity and the most severe form of venous thromboembolism (VTE), carrying a higher mortality than isolated pulmonary embolism (PE). The incidence of this phenomenon in patients with COVID-19 infection is unknown and likely under-recognized. CASE SUMMARY: During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, a 70-year-old Hispanic female presented with syncope due to a saddle PE further complicated by a highly mobile CIT. Polymerase chain reaction was positive for COVID-19 infection, however, there was no evidence of lung parenchymal involvement or hyper-inflammation. Based on consensus from a multidisciplinary team, aspiration thrombectomy was attempted to treat this extreme case of VTE, however, the patient died during the procedure. DISCUSSION: This case raises awareness to the most catastrophic form of VTE, presenting in an early phase of COVID-19 infection without the typical hyper-inflammation and severe lung injury associated with development of COVID-related coagulopathy. It also serves to inform on the critical role echocardiography has in the comprehensive evaluation and re-evaluation of hospitalized patients with COVID-19, and the importance of a multidisciplinary organized approach in clinical decision-making for this complex and poorly understood disease and its sequelae.

Simultaneous dual AV node antegrade conduction (2 for 1) and lower common pathway (2-1) block illustrate AVNRT physiology.

We report a rare case of spontaneous initiation of Atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) via 2 for 1 phenomenon, into a 2:1 AV block due to lower common pathway block and finally transition to 1:1 tachycardia. The premature atrial p wave traverses down both the fast and slow pathway simultaneously during 2 for 1 initiation and is met with subsequent typical AVNRT with 2:1 block. Infranodal location of the block is confirmed on electrophysiologic testing and is also cured by intervention. This rare electrographic presentation is not only pathognomonic for AVNRT with lower common pathway block but also illustrates its dual conduction physiology.

Hyperkalemia Presenting as Sinus Bradycardia, Junctional Rhythm and Atrial Bigeminy.

The spectrum of electrocardiographic changes seen with hyperkalemia is known to progress gradually with increasing serum levels of potassium. Initial changes are limited to peaked T waves and QT shortening, which subsequently progress to prolonged QRS/QT intervals, and finally sinus arrest, sinus bradycardia and asystole. We report a unique case of severe sinus bradycardia with atrial bigeminy and junctional rhythm in the setting of moderate hyperkalemia, a rarely reported electrocardiographic finding.

Functionally Aberrant Mutant KCNQ1 With Intermediate Heterozygous and Homozygous Phenotypes.

BACKGROUND: Deleterious mutations in KCNQ1 may lead to an autosomal dominant form of long QT syndrome (LQTS) (Romano-Ward) or autosomal recessive form (Jervell and Lange-Nielsen). Both are associated with severe ventricular tachyarrhythmias due to the reduction of the slowly activating delayed rectifier K+ current (IKs). Our objective was to investigate the functional consequences of KCNQ1-R562S mutation in an atypical form of KCNQ1-linked LQTS. METHODS: Mutant KCNQ1-R562S was analyzed via confocal imaging, surface biotinylation assays, co-immunoprecipitation, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate pulldown test, whole-cell patch clamp, and computational intrinsic disorder analyses. RESULTS: Protein expression, assembly with KCNE1, and trafficking to the surface membrane of KCNQ1-R562S were comparable with wild-type channels. The most significant functional effect of the R562S mutation was a depolarizing shift in the voltage dependence of activation that was dependent on association with KCNE1. The biophysical abnormality was only partially dominant over coexpressed wild-type channels. R562S mutation impaired C-terminal association with membrane phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate. These changes led to compromised rate-related accumulation of repolarizing current that is an important property of normal IKs. CONCLUSIONS: KCNQ1-R562S mutation reduces effective IKs due to channel gating alteration with a mild clinical expression in the heterozygous state due to minimal dominant phenotype. In the homozygous state, it is exhibited with a moderately severe LQTS phenotype due to the incomplete absence of IKs.

Bundle branch reentrant ventricular tachycardia: review and case presentation.

Bundle branch reentrant ventricular tachycardia (BBRVT) is characterized by a unique, fast (200-300 beats/min), monomorphic wide complex tachycardia (WCT) associated with syncope, hemodynamic compromise, and cardiac arrest. It is challenging to diagnose, requiring a His bundle recording and specific pacing maneuvers. The overall incidence has been reported to be up to 20% among patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) undergoing electrophysiologic studies. We report a case of BBRVT in a patient with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) presenting as a WCT with recurrent implantable-cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks. We describe all the characteristic features of BBRVT and discuss its differential. We also discuss the role of ablation for this condition.

Oesophageal Injury During AF Ablation: Techniques for Prevention.

Atrial fibrillation remains the most common arrhythmia worldwide, with pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) being an essential component in the treatment of this arrhythmia. In view of the close proximity of the oesophagus with the posterior wall of the left atrium, oesophageal injury prevention has become a major concern during PVI procedures. Oesophageal changes varying from erythema to fistulas have been reported, with atrio-oesophageal fistulas being the most feared as they are associated with major morbidity and mortality. This review article provides a detailed description of the risk factors associated with oesophageal injury during ablation, along with an overview of the currently available techniques to prevent oesophageal injury. We expect that this state of the art review will deliver the tools to help electrophysiologists prevent potential oesophageal injuries, as well as increase the focus on research areas in which evidence is lacking.

Clinical impact of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in primary prevention of total mortality in non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy: results from a meta-analysis of prospective randomized clinical trials.

Aim: Primary prophylactic implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) have demonstrated a clear all-cause mortality benefit in patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy, with less compelling evidence supporting its use in patients with non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (NICM). We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the role of ICD for reduction in total mortality in NICM patients. Methods and results: An electronic search on PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases was performed to identify the RCTs evaluating the role of prophylactic ICD placement in NICM patients. Mantel-Haenszel risk ratio (RR) fixed-effects model was used to summarize data across treatment arms. Random-effects model was used if heterogeneity (I2) ≥ 25. Patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemaker (CRT-P) were included in the control group. Six RCTs, with a total of 3128 patients and a mean follow-up period of 48 ± 22 months comparing ICD with medical therapy in NICM were included in this analysis. There was a significant reduction in all-cause mortality in the ICD group compared with the medical therapy group [RR 0.79, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.68-0.92; P = 0.002]. No publication bias was noted. Conclusion: Currently available evidence demonstrates that the use of ICD provides a clear and significant reduction in all-cause mortality among patients with NICM.

Radiofrequency Ablation in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC).

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a heritable form of cardiomyopathy, typically with autosomal dominant transmission, shown to be a defect in the cardiac desmosomes, with distinct regional and histopathological features. Clinically, this can ultimately result in bi-ventricular failure and/or malignant ventricular tachycardia (VT) via reentrant circuits created by patchy scar formation. We sought to review the current treatment for ventricular arrhythmias in the setting of ARVC, with particular attention to radiofrequency (RF) ablation and its varied techniques, along with potential therapies in the ablation spectrum. RECENT FINDINGS: There is underwhelming data on the effectiveness of medical therapy for ARVC-related VT, including beta-blockers and antiarrhythmic medication. Primary and secondary prophylactic implantable-cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation in higher-risk patients is recommended. More recently, RF ablation has been used for ARVC-related VT. Endocardial VT ablation in this setting can produce acute success, though recurrence rate is quite high, which may be explained by the more epicardial and patchy nature of the disease. Combined endocardial-epicardial ablation has since been shown to be feasible, safe, and with significantly better acute and long-term success, particularly when combined with scar dechanneling or homogenization of the scar. However, recurrence rates are not insignificant, and ablation does not eliminate the need for ICD placement. Medical therapy for ARVC-related VT is suboptimal. RF ablation techniques including endocardial and epicardial approaches appear to have the highest success rates for ARVC-related VT. Catheter ablation of VT in ARVC patients should be considered a potentially effective strategy for eliminating frequent VT episodes and ICD shocks rather than a curative therapeutic approach, until long-term efficacy has been consistently documented. Research into the optimal mapping and ablation techniques are promising and ongoing.