The Role of Intracoronary Plaque Imaging with Intravascular Ultrasound, Optical Coherence Tomography, and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

The development of multiple diagnostic intracoronary imaging modalities has increased our understanding of coronary atherosclerotic disease. These imaging modalities, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), have provided a method to study plaques and introduced the concept of plaque vulnerability. They are being increasingly used for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) optimization and are invaluable tools in research studying the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), in-stent thrombosis and in-stent restenosis. IVUS has the ability to visualize the intracoronary lumen and the vessel wall and can be used to detect early atherosclerotic disease even in the setting of positive arterial remodeling. Studies supporting the use of IVUS to optimize stent deployment and apposition have shown a significant reduction in cardiovascular events. OCT provides even higher resolution imaging and near microscopic detail of plaques, restenoses, and thromboses; thus, it can identify the etiology of ACS. Ongoing trials are evaluating the role of OCT in PCI and using OCT to study stent endothelialization and neointimal proliferation. NIRS is a modality capable of localizing and quantifying lipid core burden. It is usually combined with IVUS and is used to characterize plaque composition. The benefits of NIRS in the setting of ACS have been limited to case reports and series. The utilization of all these intracoronary imaging modalities will continue to expand as their indications for clinical use and research grow. Studies to support their use for PCI optimization resulting in improved outcomes with potential to prevent downstream events are ongoing.

Postprandial effects on arterial stiffness parameters in healthy young adults.

Postprandial lipemia has been associated with acute endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction, in turn, is associated with increased arterial stiffness. However, the relationship between postprandial lipemia and acute changes in arterial stiffness has not been extensively investigated. Therefore, we conducted a pilot study on the effects of postprandial lipemia on arterial stiffness in 19 healthy young adults before and after consumption of a high-fat mixed meal. Arterial stiffness was assessed locally with echo-tracking carotid arterial strain (CAS) and globally with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV). As assessed by these two benchmark parameters, arterial stiffness did not differ significantly postprandially. However, the arterial distension period (ADP) was significantly lower 2 hours after mixed meal ingestion. In addition, slopes of carotid artery area (CAA) curves were significantly steeper postprandially. Therefore, we concluded that ADP may be a more sensitive marker of arterial stiffness in healthy young adults when compared to PWV and CAS.

A case of biventricular failure after pericardial window for large pericardial effusion.

Pericardial tamponade resulting in hemodynamic compromise requiring either pericardiocentesis [Vandyke 1983] or subxiphoid pericardial window has been reported in literature [Armstrong 1984]. There are no large case series, only scattered case reports. Cardiac tamponade is known to affect the diastolic function of the heart but rare reports have documented systolic impairment of the left and right ventricle in the setting of tamponade [Vandyke 1983; Armstrong 1984]. We report a case of a transient biventricular systolic dysfunction in a patient with early cardiac tamponade after surgical drainage of pericardia1 effusion.

Incidence and predictors of acute coronary syndrome after transcatheter mitral valve repair.

BACKGROUND: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) post-transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) carries high mortality. We aim to study the incidence and predictors of ACS in patients who underwent TMVR. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We queried the U.S. National Readmission Database to identify all cases of TMVR from 2016 to 2019. We further evaluated the incidence of ACS and used multivariable logistic regression to determine independent predictors of ACS in this population. RESULTS: Among 3,742 patients who underwent TMVR, 264 (7.05%) developed ACS. Among ACS patients, 204 (77%) had non-ST-segment elevation ACS and 66 (25%) had ST-segment elevation ACS. Independent predictors of ACS were acute limb ischemia, cardiogenic shock, history of coronary artery disease (CAD), smoking, cardiac arrest, respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation, and acute kidney injury. In-hospital mortality among ACS was three times higher in ACS patients than without ACS (16.76% vs. 5.45%, p-value < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: ACS is not an uncommon complication after TMVR. The occurrence of ACS after TMVR is associated with high in-hospital mortality, longer length of stay, and higher hospital charges. The strongest predictors of ACS in these patients are the development of acute limb ischemia, cardiogenic shock, and a history of CAD.

Outcomes of Catheter-Based Pulmonary Artery Embolectomy in Patients With Sub-Massive to Massive Pulmonary Embolism.

Background Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third leading cause of cardiovascular death after myocardial infarction and stroke. The ideal therapeutic approach for these patients remains undetermined. We report our single-center outcome data for using a catheter-based pulmonary artery thrombectomy using the FlowTriever (Inari Medical, Irvine, CA) device as management for patients with submassive PE. Methods We retrospectively collected data from a single center of patients who underwent thrombectomy using INARI FlowTriever device. The data on baseline characteristics, procedural and clinical outcomes was collected and analysed Results A total of 38 patients with PE treated endovascularly with the FlowTriever device were identified: 33 with submassive PE and five with massive PE. The mean age was 65.9 years (95% CI 61.9 - 69.8), and most patients were male (73.7%). All patients had right heart strain as the main indication for thrombectomy. Four patients (10.53%) required pressor support before the procedure. In 31 patients, pre- and post-thrombectomy average mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) was improved significantly by 22% (p < 0.01). Two patients had significant adverse events at 48 hours (5.26%). One patient experienced procedure-related access site hematoma and life-threatening bleeding, while another developed intraprocedural-related massive hemoptysis and cardiopulmonary arrest. Overall post-procedural length of stay was 7.7 ± 5.6 days; 52.63% of patients (n = 20) required intensive care. Three patients (7.89%) required pressor support before the procedure, and 78.9% of patients (n = 30 of 38) survived hospital discharge. Thirty patients who survived were discharged with oral anticoagulation. There were no device-related complications. Conclusion Randomized trials of interventional devices for submassive PE are warranted to either support or alert the medical community of the safety and efficacy of their use for patients with submassive and massive PE. In time, pulmonary embolism response team (PERT) may generate outcome data that better inform treatment decisions.

Turnpike Catheter failure, causes and mechanisms: Insights from the MAUDE database.

Background: The Turnpike catheters (Teleflex, Wayne, PA, USA) is a microcatheter that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in November 2014 to be used to access discrete regions of the coronary and peripheral vasculature. Methods: The Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database was queried for reports of the Turnpike catheters from March 2015 through August 2021. Results: A total of 216 reports were found during the study period. After excluding duplicate reports (n = 21), our final cohort included 195 reports. The most common failure mode was catheter tip break or detachment (83%, n = 165) which was significantly associated with over-torquing (p-value = 0.025). The most common clinical consequence was the entrapment of the catheter (33%, n = 65), followed by vessel injury (7.8% n = 15) and vessel occlusion (3.6%, n = 7). Most patients had no consequences (47.0%, n = 93) or recovered (11%, n = 22). A total of 4 deaths were reported. 35.8% of reports (n = 69) specified the presence of severe calcification in the target vessel. Over torquing by interventionists was reported in 33.2% of events (n = 64). Conclusion: Despite clinical trials demonstrating the safety of the Turnpike catheters, complications can still occur. These data serve to inform operators about potentional risks and complications associated with the use of the device. Physicians should avoid over-torqueing which seems to be the most common mechanism for device complications.

Safety and efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve implantation in stenotic bicuspid aortic valve compared to tricuspid aortic valve: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as a safe and effective alternative to surgical replacement for tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) stenosis. However, utilization of TAVI for aortic stenosis in bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) compared to TAV remains controversial. METHODS: We queried online databases with various keywords to identify relevant articles. We compared major cardiovascular events and procedural outcomes using a random effect model to calculate odds ratios (OR). RESULTS: We included a total of 22 studies comprising 189,693 patients (BAV 12,669 vs. TAV 177,024). In the pooled analysis, there were no difference in TAVI for BAV vs. TAV for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), vascular complications, acute kidney injury (AKI), coronary occlusion, annulus rupture, and reintervention/reoperation between the groups. The incidence of stroke (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.1-1.39), paravalvular leak (PVLR) (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.26-1.61), and the need for pacemaker (OR 1.15; 95% CI 1.06-1.26) was less in the TAV group compared to the BAV group, while incidence of life-threatening bleeding was higher in the TAV group. Subgroup analysis mirrored pooled outcomes except for all-cause mortality. CONCLUSION: The use of TAVI for the treatment of aortic stenosis in selective BAV appears to be safe and effective.

Cardiovascular outcomes of transradial versus transfemoral percutaneous coronary intervention in End-Stage renal Disease: A Regression-Based comparison.

Background: Limited data is available on the comparison of outcomes of transradial (TR) and transfemoral (TF) access for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with end-stage stage renal disease (ESRD). Methods: Online databases were queried to compare cardiovascular outcomes among TR. and TF in ESRD patients. The outcomes assessed included differences in mortality, cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI), bleeding, transfusion, and periprocedural cardiogenic shock (CS). Unadjusted odds ratios (OR) were calculated using a random-effect effect model. Results: A total of 6 studies including 7,607 patients (TR-PCI = 1,288; TF-PCI = 6,319) were included. The overall mean age was 67.7 years, while the mean age for TR-PCI and TF-PCI was 69.7 years and 67.9 years, respectively. TR-PCI was associated with lower incidence of mortality (OR 0.46 95 % CI 0.30-0.70, p < 0.05, I2 0.00 %), bleeding (OR 0.45 95 % CI 0.29, 0.68, p < 0.05, I2 3.48 %), and transfusion requirement (OR 0.52 95 % CI 0.40, 0.67, p < 0.05, I2 0.00 %) (Fig. 1). There were no differences among TR-PCI and TF-PCI for periprocedural MI, periprocedural CS, and CVA outcomes. Conclusion: TR access was associated with lower mortality, bleeding, and transfusion requirement as compared to TF access in patients with ESRD undergoing PCI.

Assessment of the American Society of Echocardiography-European Association of Echocardiography guidelines for diastolic function in patients with depressed ejection fraction: an echocardiographic and invasive haemodynamic study.

AIMS: There is controversy surrounding the accuracy of echo-Doppler variables, including early mitral inflow/mitral annular velocity (E/e'), for estimating left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP) in patients with depressed ejection fraction (EF < 50%). METHODS AND RESULTS: The American Society of Echocardiography-European Association of Echocardiography (ASE-EAE) algorithm for diastolic function in depressed LVEF was retrospectively applied to a database of patients who underwent echocardiography ≤20 min of cardiac catheterization. LV pre-atrial contraction pressure (pre-A) ≥15 mmHg was elevated. Of 62 patients studied, the mean age was 53.6 ± 10.6 years and the mean LVEF was 27.2 ± 11.8%. The correlations of E/e' (R = 0.43, P = 0.0005) and E (R = 0.39, P = 0.002) with LV pre-A were modest, compared with pulmonary artery pressure (PAP, R = 0.69, P = 0.0006), E/late mitral (A) velocity (R = 0.52, P < 0.0001), and mitral deceleration time (DT, R = -0.51, P < 0.0001). Using the ASE-ESE algorithm starting with E/A, E, and DT, 54 of 62 patients were accurately classified to predict LV pre-A >15 or <15 mmHg (sensitivity = 84%, specificity = 80%, area under the curve = 0.86, P < 0.001). The 6 of 6 patients with E/A < 1 and E < 50 and the 14 of 15 (93%) patients with E/A> 2 and DT < 150 were correctly classified as having normal and elevated LVFP, respectively, while 34 of 41 (83%) patients with E/A = 1-2 or E/A<1 and E>50 cm/s were correctly classified using the addition of E/e' and PAP. CONCLUSION: This retrospective study shows that in this population with depressed LVEF, no single echo-Doppler variable had high accuracy for predicting LV pre-A ≥15 mmHg. However, the ASE-EAE algorithm using multiple variables predicted LVFP with good accuracy, superior to any single echo-Doppler variable alone.

Rare silent ischemic ventricular septal aneurysm and rupture: A multimodality diagnostic approach.

A multimodality approach in addition to high level of clinical suspicion and thorough physical examination is important in the diagnosis and management of left ventricular aneurysm and rupture after a silent inferior infarction.

Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of AF remains incompletely understood and management remains a difficult task. Over the past decade there has been accumulating evidence implicating inflammation in the pathogenesis of AF. Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF. Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development, recurrence and burden of AF, and the likelihood of successful cardioversion. Therapies directed at attenuating the inflammatory burden appear promising. Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin-II receptor blockers, and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF. The purpose of this review is to provide current evidence on the relationship between inflammation and AF and potential therapies available to modulate the inflammatory state in AF.

New, simple echocardiographic indexes for the estimation of filling pressure in patients with cardiac disease and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND: There are few data on echocardiographic indexes incorporating peak mitral inflow velocity (E), left atrial volume index (LAVi), and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) for estimation of left ventricular (LV) filling pressure in patients with preserved LV ejection fraction (EF ≥ 50%). METHODS: Patients underwent echocardiography ≤20 minutes of cardiac catheterization. Echocardiographic variables were compared to invasively measured LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP). RESULTS: Of the 122 patients, 67 (55%) were women, the mean age was 55 ± 9 years, the mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 61 ± 6%, 107 (88%) were hypertensive, and 79 (65%) had significant coronary artery disease at catheterization. E/Ea correlated with LVEDP (R = 0.68, P < 0.0001), compared to PAP (R = 0.53, P < 0.001), peak E velocity (R = 0.48, P < 0.001), and LAVi (R = 0.48, P < 0.001). E/Ea > 12 had 75% sensitivity and 78% specificity for LVEDP ≥ 20 mmHg (area under curve (AUC) = 0.79, P < 0.0001), compared with (PAP + LAVi)/2 > 30 (sensitivity = 72%, specificity = 80%, AUC = 0.84, P < 0.001) and (E + LAVi)/2 > 57 (sensitivity = 73% and specificity = 81%, AUC = 0.82, P < 0.001) (P = NS). E <60 cm/sec had 94% negative, and E>90 cm/sec had 96% positive, predictive value for LVEDP ≥ 20 mmHg. (E + LAVi)/2 added incrementally to E/Ea when E/Ea was in the gray zone. CONCLUSIONS: New, simple echocardiographic equations, (E + LAVi)/2 and (PAP + LAVi)/2, have comparable accuracy to E/Ea for LVEDP estimation in patients with cardiac disease and preserved LVEF, and (E + LAVi)/2 added incrementally to E/Ea alone when E/Ea was in the gray zone. Peak E velocity alone had high negative and positive predictive value for elevated LVEDP in this population. These simple echocardiographic variables could be used-in isolation or with E/Ea-in patients with cardiac disease and preserved LVEF for the diagnosis of diastolic heart failure.

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy-alcohol septal ablation vs. myectomy: a meta-analysis.

AIMS: Our purpose is to conduct a meta-analysis of all published studies comparing alcohol septal ablation (ASA) and myectomy (MM) for drug refractory hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Alcohol septal ablation is a less invasive alternative to MM for relief of symptoms in patients with drug refractory HOCM. METHODS AND RESULTS: An extensive search of PubMed identified five non-randomized studies comparing ASA and MM. Of 351 patients studied, 183 underwent ASA and 168 underwent MM. Patients undergoing ASA were older (mean age 54.4 +/- 6.3 vs. 45.0 +/- 4.4 years, P = 0.02). All patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II-IV. Baseline left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient was comparable (81.4 +/- 14.3 mmHg in ASA vs. 77.4 +/- 15.5 mmHg in MM, P = 0.2). Although resting LVOT gradient after septal reduction therapy in both groups was <20 mmHg at follow-up, patients undergoing MM had lower LVOT gradient (18.2 +/- 6.7 vs. 10.8 +/- 6.3 mmHg, P < 0.001). Patients in both groups had comparable improvement in NYHA class (1.5 +/- 0.3 in ASA vs. 1.3 +/- 0.2, P = 0.2) at follow-up. A higher percentage of patients undergoing ASA required permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation for complete heart block (18.4 +/- 7.9 vs. 3.3 +/- 3.9%, P = 0.04). There was no significant in-hospital mortality difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Alcohol septal ablation and MM provide significant reduction in LVOT gradient and NYHA functional class on mid-term follow-up. A higher percentage of patients required PPM after ASA. Randomized trials are needed to confirm current findings.

Cardiac Involvement by Burkitt Lymphoma in a 49-Year-Old Man.

Malignant metastases are among the most common cardiac masses. We report a rare case of cardiac involvement by Burkitt lymphoma in a 49-year-old man who presented with a 2-month history of dyspnea and palpitations. A transthoracic echocardiogram revealed 2 intracardiac masses in the right atrium (one of which partially encased the tricuspid valve), myocardial infiltration, and pericardial disease. Results of pleural fluid cytology and flow cytometry confirmed involvement by Burkitt lymphoma. Subsequent chemotherapy markedly reduced the intracardiac tumor burden and resolved the patient's presenting symptoms. Our case highlights the importance of cardiac imaging in diagnosing systemic illness, initiating early and appropriate treatment, and monitoring disease progression in patients with intracardiac Burkitt lymphoma.

Multivessel Traumatic Coronary Artery Dissection After a Motor Vehicle Accident With Successful Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Coronary artery dissection is a rare complication of blunt chest wall trauma. We report a case of acute left anterior descending and right coronary artery dissections after a motor vehicle accident. The musculoskeletal injuries obscured the cardiac symptoms. Electrocardiogram and bedside echocardiogram revealed cardiac pathology, which prompted urgent coronary angiography and intervention. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome Associated with Coronary Artery Vasospasm.

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome is a rare disorder associated with neurologic symptoms secondary to diffuse cerebral vasospasm. Cardiac involvement in this disease is exceedingly rare. A 50-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of chest pain. During a 3-year period, she had been admitted multiple times because of chest pain and elevated serum cardiac enzymes. Transthoracic echocardiograms showed transient wall-motion abnormalities; however, coronary angiograms revealed no coronary artery disease. At the current admission, she had a thunderclap headache, and cerebral angiograms revealed diffuse cerebral vasoconstriction that improved after verapamil infusion, confirming the diagnosis of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. The patient was treated successfully with oral diltiazem and had no recurrence of symptoms. We describe what we think is the first reported case of coronary artery spasm in association with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. Future research should be focused on identifying treatment options and defining the mechanisms by which the cerebral and coronary vasculature are affected.

Meta-analysis Comparing Multivessel Versus Culprit Coronary Arterial Revascularization for Patients With Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes.

We present a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing efficacy and safety outcomes between single procedure multivessel revascularization (MVR) and culprit vessel only revascularization in patients presenting with non-ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). NSTE-ACS is the most common form of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and multivessel disease is common. There is no consensus on the most efficacious single procedure revascularization strategy for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention not meeting coronary artery bypass grafting criteria. Studies in PubMed and EMBASE databases were systematically reviewed, and 15 studies met criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Baseline characteristics between the groups were similar. A random effects model was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Heterogeneity of studies was assessed using Cochrane's Q and Higgins I2 tests. For short-term outcomes, patients who underwent MVR had higher rates of major adverse cardiac events (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.29; p = 0.03); and stroke (OR 1.94; 95% CI 1.01 to 3.72; p = 0.05), but lower rates of urgent or emergent coronary artery bypass grafting (OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.29 to 0.43; p <0.00001). In the long-term, MVR patients had less frequent major adverse cardiac events (OR 0.76; 95% CI 0.61-0.93; p = 0.009), all-cause death (OR 0.83; 95% CI 0.71 to 0.97; p = 0.03), and repeat revascularization, (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.90; p = 0.01). MVR following NSTE-ACS was associated with higher short-term risk, but long-term benefit. In conclusion, these results support the use of single procedure multivessel revascularization for NSTE-ACS patients who are suitable candidates at the time of percutaneous coronary intervention.

Prescription Patterns of Clopidogrel, Prasugrel, and Ticagrelor After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Stent Implantation (from the NCDR PINNACLE Registry).

The use of prasugrel and ticagrelor as part of dual antiplatelet therapy is increasing in patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Accordingly, we aimed to evaluate their prescription patterns in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) Practice Innovation and Clinical Excellence (PINNACLE) registry. We analyzed patients enrolled in NCDR PINNACLE registry from January 2013 to March 2015 who underwent PCI with drug-eluting stent and were prescribed dual antiplatelet therapy. All patients received aspirin. The primary study outcome was a 3-level variable denoting the second antiplatelet agent prescribed: (1) clopidogrel, (2) prasugrel, or (3) ticagrelor. Baseline characteristics were compared among the 3 groups. Odds ratios and 95% credible intervals were calculated from a nested hierarchical Bayesian logistic regression models to identify independent predictors of prescription of antiplatelet medications, incorporating practice and provider as random effects. Our study cohort consisted of 26,710 patients during our study period January 2013 to March 2015. Seventy nine percent of patients were prescribed clopidogrel, 12% prasugrel, and 11% ticagrelor. Patients aged ≥75 years, women, history of tobacco use, Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), hypertension, diabetes, previous vascular complication, heart failure, and stroke/transient ischemic attack were more likely to be on clopidogrel than prasugrel or ticagrelor. The relative percentages of ticagrelor and prasugrel were higher in patients with history of myocardial infarction, compared with those without myocardial infarction. In summary, our study highlights the prescription patterns associated with prescription of antiplatelet agents after PCI. We found that both ticagrelor and prasugrel were mostly prescribed per the current practice guidelines, thus reflecting appropriate guideline adherence by practices in NCDR PINNACLE registry.

Meta-Analysis of Catheter Directed Ultrasound-Assisted Thrombolysis in Pulmonary Embolism.

Ultrasound-assisted catheter directed thrombolysis (USAT) has been shown to improve hemodynamic function and reduce bleeding complications in patients with acute massive or submassive pulmonary embolism. We performed a meta-analysis to better evaluate the efficacy and safety of USAT. We conducted an extensive literature search in PUBMED, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2018. Efficacy outcomes of interest were pulmonary artery systolic pressure, mean pulmonary pressure, ratio of right ventricular to left ventricular diameter, cardiac index, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, Miller Index Score, and Qanadli Score. Safety outcomes were in-hospital mortality, long-term mortality, major and minor bleeding complications, and recurrent pulmonary embolism. Meta-analysis was performed using Cochrane Collaboration Review Manager (version 5.1). Effect size was estimated using random effects model, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Twenty-eight studies (n = 2,135) met inclusion criteria. Compared with pretreatment parameters, post-USAT was associated with a reduction in the mean Miller Index Score and Qanadli Score by 10.55 (95% CI -12.98 to -8.12) and 15.64 (95% CI -19.08 to -12.20), respectively. Cardiac index and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion improved by 0.68 L/m2 (95% CI 0.49 to 0.87) and 3.68 mm (95% CI 2.43 to 4.93), respectively. Pulmonary artery systolic pressure and mean pulmonary pressure after therapy were reduced by a mean difference of 16.69 mm Hg (95% CI -19.73 to -13.65) and 12.13 mm Hg (95% CI -14.67 to -9.59) respectively. The right ventricular to left ventricular diameter dimension ratio decreased by 0.35 (95% CI -0.40 to -0.30) after therapy. In-hospital mortality in patients who underwent USAT was 2.9%, and total long-term mortality was 4.1%. Major and minor bleeding complications were seen in in 5.4% and 6.0% of patients, respectively. Recurrent events occurred in 0.2% of patients after USAT. In conclusion, USAT is a safe and effective procedure associated with significant hemodynamic and clinical improvement in patients with massive and submassive pulmonary embolism.

Effect of increasing age on percutaneous coronary intervention vs coronary artery bypass grafting in older adults with unprotected left main coronary artery disease: A meta-analysis and meta-regression.

BACKGROUND: Older adults (≥70-year-old) are under-represented in the published data pertaining to unprotected left main coronary artery disease (ULMCAD). HYPOTHESIS: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) might be comparable to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for revascularization of ULMCAD. METHODS: We compared PCI versus CABG in older adults with ULMCAD with an aggregate data meta-analyses (4880 patients) of clinical outcomes [all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), repeat revascularization, stroke and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events(MACCE)] at 30 days, 12-24 months & ≥36 months in patients with mean age ≥70 years and ULMCAD. A meta-regression analysis evaluated the effect of age on mortality after PCI. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using random-effects model. RESULTS: All-cause mortality between PCI and CABG was comparable at 30-days (OR0.77, 95% CI 0.42- 1.41) and 12-24-months (OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.78-1.93). PCI was associated with a markedly lower rate of stroke at 30-day follow-up in octogenarians (OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.02-0.76) but an overall higher rate of repeat revascularization. At ≥36-months, MACCE (OR 1.26,95% CI 0.99-1.60) and all-cause mortality (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.00-1.93) showed a trend favoring CABG but did not reach statistical significance. On meta-regression, PCI was associated with a higher mortality with advancing age (coefficient=0.1033, p=0.042). CONCLUSIONS: PCI was associated with a markedly lower rate of early stroke in octogenarians as compared to CABG. All-cause mortality was comparable between the two arms with a trend favoring CABG at ≥36-months.PCI was however associated with increasing mortality with advancing age as compared to CABG.