Subcutaneous air entrapment after subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation evaluated by computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate shock (IAS) caused by subcutaneous air entrapment (AE) in an early period after subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) implantation has been reported, however, no detailed data on air volume are available. We evaluated the subcutaneous air volume after implantation and its absorption rate one week after implantation. METHODS: Patients who underwent S-ICD implantation in our hospital received chest CT scans immediately after implantation and followed up 1 week later. The total subcutaneous air volume, air around the generator, the distal electrode, and the proximal electrode within 3 cm were calculated using a three-dimensional workstation. Fat areas at the level of the lower edge of the generator were also analyzed. RESULT: Fifteen patients received CT immediately after implantation. The mean age was 45.6 ± 17.9 (66.7% of men), and the mean body mass index was 24.3 ± 3.3. The three-incision technique was applied in seven patients and two-incision technique was in the latter eight patients. The mean total subcutaneous air volume was 18.54 ± 7.50 mL. Air volume around the generator, the distal electrode, and the proximal electrode were 11.05 ± 5.12, 0.72 ± 0.72, and 0.88 ± 0.87 mL, respectively. Twelve patients received a follow-up CT 1 week later. The mean total subcutaneous air was 0.25 ± 0.45 mL, showing a 98.7% absorption rate. CONCLUSION: Although subcutaneous air was observed in all patients after S-ICD implantation, most of the air was absorbed within 1 week, suggesting a low occurrence of AE-related IAS after a week postoperation.

Association between sarcopenia and exercise capacity in patients with pulmonary hypertension without left heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) has recently been described as a complex clinical syndrome affecting multiple organ systems, including the heart, lungs, and skeletal muscle, each of which plays an important role in exercise capacity. However, the relationship between exercise capacity and skeletal muscle abnormalities in patients with PH has not been fully elucidated. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed the exercise capacity and measures of skeletal muscle of 107 patients with PH without left heart disease (mean age 63 ± 15 years, 32.7% males, n = 30/6/66/5 in the clinical classification Group 1/3/4/5). RESULTS: Sarcopenia, low appendicular skeletal muscle mass index, low grip strength, and slow gait speed, determined by international criteria, were found in 15 (14.0%), 16 (15.0%), 62 (57.9%), and 41 (38.3%) patients, respectively. The mean 6-min walk distance of all patients was 436 ± 134 m and was independently associated with sarcopenia (standardised ß = -0.292, p < 0.001). All patients with sarcopenia showed reduced exercise capacity defined as 6-min walk distance < 440 m. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that each of the components of sarcopenia was associated with reduced exercise capacity (adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval of appendicular skeletal muscle mass index: 0.39 [0.24-0.63] per 1 kg/m2, p = 0.006, grip strength: 0.83 [0.74-0.94] per 1 kg, p = 0.003, and gait speed: 0.31 [0.18-0.51] per 0.1 m/s, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia and its components are associated with reduced exercise capacity in patients with PH. A multifaceted evaluation may be important in the management of reduced exercise capacity in patients with PH.

A Simple Risk Score to Differentiate Between Coronary Artery Obstruction and Coronary Artery Spasm of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome Without Persistent ST-Segment Elevation.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to create a risk scoring model to differentiate obstructive coronary artery (CA) from CA spasm in the etioology of acute coronary syndrome (ACS).Methods and Results: We included 753 consecutive patients with ACS without persistent ST-segment elevation (p-STE). The exclusion criteria were: (1) out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; (2) cardiogenic shock; (3) hemodialysis; (4) atrial fibrillation/flutter; (5) severe valvular disease; (6) no coronary angiography; (7) non-obstructive coronary artery without "definite" vasospastic angina definition; and/or (8) missing data. From the multivariate logistic regression analysis for prediction of obstructive CA, an integer score of 2 to each 0.5 increment in odds ratio was given, and values were divided into quartiles according to the total score. The scores were as follows: age >70 years (6 points), non-STE myocardial infarction (9 points), diabetes mellitus (5 points), B-type natriuretic peptide >90 pg/mL (7 points), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio >2 (5 points), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <50 mg/dL (5 points). CA spasm-induced ACS occurred in 50.0% in Quartile 1 (total score: 0-13), 20.5% in Quartile 2 (total score: 14-19), 4.9% in Quartile 3 (total score: 20-26), and 2.2% in Quartile 4 (total score: 27-37) (P<0.001), indicating that a total score of <20 was a potential clinical indicator of CA spasm-induced ACS. CONCLUSIONS: CA spasm-induced ACS should be suspected if a total score of <20, and a spasm provocation test was being considered.

Successful implantation of left ventricular lead for a cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator through a persistent left superior vena cava using the anchor balloon technique.

A 69-year-old woman was referred for upgrading implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) because of symptomatic heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy. Her electrocardiogram showed left bundle branch block and echocardiography showed severe left ventricular dysfunction. Venography confirmed the presence of persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC), and occlusion of innominate vein and the coronary sinus (CS) ostium. We tried to insert the left ventricular (LV) lead through the PLSVC. Because the PLSVC was narrow, there was concern that insertion of the guiding catheter through the PLSVC might cause vascular damage. Therefore, we planned to implant the LV lead without a guiding catheter. Although the LV lead did not advance to the CS due to the acute angle, using a second wire (buddy wire system), the tip of the first wire was trapped by an inflated balloon delivered by a second wire (anchor balloon technique). This technique allowed us to reinforce the support of the other wire. The LV lead was easily advanced along with the fixed first wire and was delivered to the lateral vein of the CS. Thus, we successfully performed minimally invasive implantation of an LV lead through a PLSVC approach. .

Optimal Anticoagulant Strategy for Periprocedural Management of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

This network meta-analysis was performed to rank the safety and efficacy of periprocedural anticoagulant strategies in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and Web of Science were searched to identify randomized controlled trials comparing anticoagulant regimens in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation up to July 1, 2021. The primary efficacy and safety outcomes were thromboembolic and major bleeding events, respectively, and the net clinical benefit was investigated as the primary-outcome composite. Seventeen studies were included (n = 6950). The mean age ranged from 59 to 70 years; 74% of patients were men and 55% had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Compared with the uninterrupted vitamin-K antagonist strategy, the odds ratios for the composite of primary safety and efficacy outcomes were 0.61 (95%CI: 0.31-1.17) with uninterrupted direct oral anticoagulants, 0.63 (95%CI: 0.26-1.54) with interrupted direct oral anticoagulants, and 8.02 (95%CI: 2.35-27.45) with interrupted vitamin-K antagonists. Uninterrupted dabigatran significantly reduced the risk of the composite of primary safety and efficacy outcomes (odds ratio, 0.21; 95%CI, 0.08-0.55). Uninterrupted direct oral anticoagulants are preferred alternatives to uninterrupted vitamin-K antagonists. Interrupted direct oral anticoagulants may be feasible as alternatives. Our results support the use of uninterrupted direct oral anticoagulants as the optimal periprocedural anticoagulant strategy for patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation.

A case of a coronary covered stent for repeated restenosis at the anastomosis site between saphenous vein graft and graft prosthesis.

A 56-year-old man was admitted with a diagnosis of non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, after surgery for total arch replacement, aortic root replacement with a mechanical aortic valve, and coronary artery reconstruction by the Piehler method for acute aortic dissection. Coronary angiography (CAG) revealed a 99% stenosis of the anastomosis site between the J Graft (Japan Lifeline, Tokyo, Japan) and the saphenous vein graft (SVG), which was distally sutured to his right coronary artery (posterior descending artery). After percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with a drug-eluting stent to the anastomosis site, repeated in-stent restenosis unfortunately occurred. Despite repeated PCIs, he was again admitted due to exertional angina pectoris, with proven inferior myocardial ischemia by stress myocardial perfusion imaging. We therefore decided to use a coronary covered stent for the anastomosis site to seal neointimal proliferation. GRAFTMASTER 2.8/19 mm (Abbott, CA, USA) was implanted in the anastomosis site, and a follow-up CAG one-year later revealed that the covered stent was clearly opened. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to demonstrate the usefulness of a covered stent for repeated restenosis of the anastomosis site between SVG and graft prostheses. .

Clinical utility and safety of biopsy forceps for intestinal endoscopes during endovascular treatment.

A 76-year-old female who had a history of endovascular treatment (EVT) for her left superficial femoral artery with endovascular stent grafts [VIABAHN (W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., DE, USA)] suddenly experienced intermittent claudication of her left leg. Angiography revealed total occlusion of previous stent grafts, and a thrombus aspiration catheter was used after crossing the guidewire. Since retrograde angiography using a thrombus aspiration catheter revealed a large residual thrombus at the distal edge of the previous stent even after several thrombus aspirations, biopsy forceps for intestinal endoscopes [Radial Jaw (Boston Scientific, MA, USA)] were successfully used to remove that thrombus. After balloon inflation under distal protection, angiography revealed a large residual thrombus at her left common femoral artery with a flow limiting of her deep femoral artery. Again, biopsy forceps were successfully used to remove that thrombus. In this case series, we reported a total of 11 cases which underwent EVT using biopsy forceps for intestinal endoscopes [Radial Jaw (Boston Scientific, MA, USA)]. Of the 11 cases, eight underwent EVT using biopsy forceps for thrombus removal, two underwent calcification removal in severely calcified lesions, and one underwent removal of a detached guidewire. There were no major adverse limb events (MALEs) except for one patient who underwent major amputation after EVT. One MALE occurred independently of biopsy forceps use because biopsy forceps were used only to remove the detached wire. Biopsy forceps for intestinal endoscopes were clinically useful and safe for EVT.

Feasibility and safety of transradial balloon aortic valvuloplasty in patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) was developed as a technique to treat aortic stenosis (AS) and is associated with significant improvements in aortic valve area and trans-aortic valve gradient in the early and immediate periods after the procedure. BAV is commonly performed using a trans-femoral retrograde approach; however, trans-femoral access is associated with frequent access-site bleeding. Among 146 patients with symptomatic severe AS who were treated with BAV in our institution, 123 patients received BAV treatment via a trans-radial approach using a 7-Fr Glidesheath. The balloon size was 16-20 mm for all patients. Echocardiograms were obtained before and after BAV. Patients who received BAV alone (n = 119) were followed up for 3 months, and major adverse events (stroke, re-hospitalization for heart failure, and death) and procedural complications were recorded. At post-procedural echocardiography, the mean trans-valvular gradient (49.7 ± 21.5-42.5 ± 17.6 mmHg; p < 0.0001) was reduced significantly. All patients in this study did not die or require valve surgery within the first 7 days after BAV. Successful BAV was obtained in 45.6% of the patients. No patients had severe aortic insufficiency or BAV access-site bleeding. Three patients died suddenly and 4 patients were readmitted for heart failure. Trans-radial BAV is safe and may be useful as a bridging therapy for trans-catheter aortic valve replacement or surgical aortic valve replacement.

Thickness Measurement at High Lift-Off for Underwater Corroded Iron-Steel Structures Using a Magnetic Sensor Probe.

Infrastructure facilities that were built approximately half a century ago have rapidly aged. Steel sheet piles, the inspection object in this study, are severely corroded, resulting in cave-in damages at wharfs. To solve such a problem, non-destructive inspection techniques are required. We previously demonstrated plate thickness measurement using extremely low-frequency eddy current testing. However, when the steel sheet piles are located in water, shellfish adhere to their surface, causing a lift-off of several tens of millimeters. Therefore, this large lift-off hinders the thickness measurement owing to fluctuations of magnetic signals. In this study, sensor probes with different coil diameters were prototyped and the optimum size for measuring steel sheet piles at high lift-off was investigated. Using the probes, the magnetic field was applied with a lift-off range from 0 to 80 mm, and the intensity and phase of the detected magnetic field were analyzed. Subsequently, by increasing the probe diameter, a good sensitivity was obtained for the thickness estimation with a lift-off of up to 60 mm. Moreover, these probes were used to measure the thickness of actual steel sheet piles, and measurements were successfully obtained at a high lift-off.

Admission free-fatty acid level is a predictor of the mid-term worsening renal function in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Whether free fatty acids (FFAs), which are generators of reactive oxygen species and substrates of cytotoxic lipid peroxidation products in proximal tubules of the kidney, can be a predictor of worsening renal function (WRF) is not fully elucidated. A total of 110 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention within 24 h after symptom onset were included. The exclusion criteria were out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, vasospastic angina, hemodialysis, and/or lack of data. FFAs and serum cystatin C were measured on admission, and urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) was measured 3 h after admission. WRF, defined as an increase in serum creatinine by ≥ 0.3 mg/dL for 2-year follow-up, was observed in 16 patients (15%). A multivariate logistic regression analysis (a stepwise algorithm) revealed that the FFA level was an independent predictor of WRF (P = 0.024). The FFA level was associated with WRF adjusted after serum cystatin C (odds ratio [OR]: 1.378 per 1 mEq/L, P = 0.017), L-FABP (OR: 1.370 per 1 mEq/L, P = 0.016), or the Mehran contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) risk score (OR: 1.362 per 1 mEq/L, P = 0.021). The FFA level was inversely associated with the change in estimated glomerular filtration rate level for 2 years (R2 = 0.051, P = 0.018). The FFA level on admission was associated with the mid-term WRF in patients with STEMI.

Direct Oral Anticoagulant Therapy for Isolated Distal Deep Vein Thrombosis Associated with Cancer in Routine Clinical Practice.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy and bleeding complications of direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) therapy for isolated distal deep vein thrombosis (IDDVT) associated with cancer in routine clinical practice remain unclear. Moreover, prior studies on prolonged therapy for IDDVT are limited. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 1641 consecutive patients with acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) who had received oral anticoagulant therapy, including warfarin or DOAC, between April 2014 and September 2018 in our institutions. In these patients, 200 patients with cancer-associated IDDVT were evaluated. RESULTS: Mean follow-up period was 780 ± 593 days. Major bleeding and VTE recurrence were observed in 22 (11.0%) and 11 (5.5%) patients, respectively. In multivariate analysis, statistically significant factors correlated with major bleeding were advanced cancer stage, high performance status, stomach cancer, and gallbladder cancer; those correlated with all-cause death were advanced cancer stage, high performance status, liver dysfunction, pancreatic cancer, and major bleeding. Cumulative events of major bleeding and recurrence between patients with prolonged DOAC therapy (≥90 days) and those with nonprolonged therapy were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Preventing major bleeding is important because it is a significant risk factor for all-cause death. Major bleeding and recurrent events were comparable between prolonged and nonprolonged therapy.

Subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm in vascular Behcet's disease repaired using endovascular treatment: A case report of the clinical course over 10 years.

The vascular involvement in patients with Behcet's disease is defined as vascular Behcet's disease, which can greatly influence the prognosis. However, there are few reports on endovascular treatment (EVT) for subclavian pseudoaneurysms with long-term prognosis over 10 years. We present the case of a 42-year-old man with left subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm due to vascular Behcet's disease who was treated with EVT along with immunosuppressive therapies. Subsequently, 8 years after, the aneurysm recurred in the stent with stent fracture. Therefore, additional EVT was performed. We present the details of the patient's clinical course over 10 years after the EVT. .

Characteristics and Prognosis of Patients with Vasospastic Angina Diagnosed by a Provocation Test with Secondary Prevention Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator.

This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics and prognosis of patients with vasospastic angina (VSA) diagnosed by a provocation test with a secondary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), compared with patients with organic coronary stenosis. We retrospectively evaluated 309 consecutive patients who received an ICD implantation between January 2010 and March 2018 in our institutions. Of these patients, 206 were implanted with an ICD for secondary prevention. In these 206 patients, 40 with VSA and 72 with organic coronary stenosis were evaluated. Patients with VSA were characterized by younger age (56.1 ± 13.1 versus 69.2 ± 9.5 years, respectively), and a lower prevalence of diabetes (15.0% versus 40.3%, respectively) and heart failure (2.5% versus 26.4%, respectively) than patients with organic coronary stenosis (P < 0.001). Using the Kaplan-Meier analysis, with the VSA group as the reference, the incidence of appropriate ICD shock was similar between the two groups (hazard ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.341-2.109; P = 0.722). The incidence of ventricular fibrillation was significantly higher in the VSA group (hazard ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.057-0.814; P = 0.024), whereas the incidence of major adverse cardiac events, including cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, hospitalization for unstable angina pectoris, and heart failure, was significantly higher in the organic coronary stenosis group (hazard ratio, 13.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.756-98.17; P = 0.012). In conclusion, patients with VSA with an ICD implanted for secondary prevention have a higher risk of ventricular fibrillation and lower risk of major adverse cardiac events than patients with organic coronary stenosis.