Retrograde approach for rewiring a jailed side branch during double kissing crush stenting.

Double kissing crush (DK crush) is one of the preferred strategies for bifurcation stenting due to the lower risk of target vessel failure but can be difficult to perform. Difficulty in wiring the jailed side branch after stenting the main vessel is not uncommon. The retrograde crossing can provide a solution in selected cases when antegrade rewiring of a jailed side branch fails during DK crush (or other bifurcation stenting techniques).

Case series of closure devices complications.

Vascular closure devices (VCD) are effective at achieving hemostasis. VCD failure is attributed to underlying arterial disease, leading to a hazardous situation for obtaining contralateral femoral access. Radial-to-peripheral (R2P) access has emerged as a safe option to rescue these procedural complications. Here, we present two cases of VCD failure rescue utilizing R2P and outline this approach step-by-step.

Percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy and extracorporeal membranous oxygenation: A case series.

BACKGROUND: Massive or high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potentially life-threatening diagnosis with significant morbidity and mortality if treatment is delayed. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and large bore thrombectomy (LBT) in isolation have been used to stabilize and treat patients with massive PE, however, literature describing the combination of both modalities is lacking. We present a case series involving 9 patients who underwent combined ECMO and LBT and their outcomes. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of patients with confirmed PE, who underwent LBT and ECMO. We retrospectively captured clinical, therapeutic, and outcome data at the time of pulmonary embolism response team (PERT) activation and during the follow-up period for up to 90 days. RESULTS: Nine patients who had PERT activation with confirmed PE diagnosis have undergone combined LBT and ECMO initiation since the advent of our PERT program. The median age was 57 (range 28-68) years. Six patients out of 9 (55%) had cardiac arrest before therapy. All patients exhibited right heart strain on computed tomography and echocardiogram. The median ECMO duration was 5 days (range 2.3-11.6 days), with mean hospitalization of 16.1 days (range 1.5-30.9). Mortality was 22% at 90-day follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Patients with massive pulmonary embolism who suffer cardiac arrest have significant morbidity and mortality. ECMO in combination with LBT is a viable treatment option for patients with significant hemodynamic compromise.

Routine Use of the "Penumbra" Thrombectomy Device in Myocardial Infarction: A Real-World Experience-ROPUST Study.

Objectives: Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the Penumbra device as an adjunct to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and a large thrombus burden that requires thrombectomy. Background: For patients with acute MI, PCI is the primary reperfusion method. Large thrombus burden has always been a limitation of successful reperfusion. However, the use of current aspiration devices has been associated with an increased incidence of stroke. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review at the University Hospitals Medical Center in Cleveland. Our study included data from patients who underwent PCI for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) assisted by the Penumbra Cat RX device (a wide-lumen thrombus aspiration catheter) between May 2019 and February 2021. The primary outcome was the final thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow. The secondary endpoints were a composite of adverse cardiac events at 6 months. About 50% of the patients did undergo transfemoral PCI as per preference of individual operators. The Penumbra thrombectomy device can be used both by radial and femoral approach and does not need any different guide catheter use. Results: TIMI flow 3 was achieved in 111 patients (90.2%). The secondary endpoint occurred in 11 patients (8.9%, 3 MI, 8 heart failure hospitalizations). There were no stroke events or device-related complications. The door-to-balloon time was not affected by usage of the Penumbra device. Failure in the restoration of TIMI 3 flow was associated with the use of balloon angioplasty prior to the application of the Penumbra device, leading to distal embolization. Conclusions: The Penumbra Cat RX provides safe and effective thrombus removal with better clinical outcomes, even in high-risk patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Cytarabine-induced pericarditis confirmed using cardiac MRI: A case report.

Pericarditis is a rare but debilitating complication of cytarabine therapy. While echocardiography can aid with the diagnosis, cardiac MRI has superior accuracy in establishing the diagnosis. In this case, we describe a 65-year-old patient receiving cytarabine as part of induction chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia who developed acute pericarditis. Her cardiac MRI revealed pericardial edema on T2-weighted STIR imaging and pericardial late gadolinium enhancement which confirmed the diagnosis.

National trends of acute pericarditis post-atrial fibrillation ablation.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation ablation increased over the last two decades by its high success rate. However, the trend of inpatient adverse outcomes is limited. The aim of this study to examine the frequency and predictors of acute pericarditis resulting from catheter ablation. METHODS: Using the National Inpatient Sample, we identified all patients who underwent AF ablation. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed for the primary outcome of in-hospital acute pericarditis post-AF ablation. Variance-weighted regression has been used to test for linear and curvilinear trends in disease characteristics and outcomes over time. RESULTS: From 2002 to 2014, our study included 122,993 patients, acute pericarditis was found in 984 (0.8%) patients who underwent AF ablation. The trend of acute pericarditis showed inconsistent fluctuation leaning towards reduction over the years. Multivariate analysis showed that patients of female gender are at a 40% higher risk of acute pericarditis post-ablation compared with males. Additionally, obese patients have a 40% higher risk of developing acute pericarditis compared with patients who have BMI < 30. Furthermore, anaemia and rheumatoid arthritis have the odds ratio (OR: 2.63; 95% [CI] 2.04-3.39) and (OR: 1.64; 95% [CI] 1.08-2.48). CONCLUSION: Post-AF ablation, in-hospital acute pericarditis showed inconsistent fluctuation leaning towards reduction. Female gender and obesity are at higher risk for developing acute pericarditis post-AF ablations. Proper evaluation might alter those complications.

Retrospective analysis of ethnic/racial disparities and excess vascular mortality associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Sars coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in increased morbidity and mortality; however, there is limited understanding of how excess mortality is distributed among different racial and ethnic subgroups and vascular diseases. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study design using data from the United States (US) Center for Disease Control (CDC) Wide Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (Wonder) database. The database contains death certificate information for all US residents by cause of death as ascertained by the treating physician. We examined the trends of excess death by vascular disease specific mortality among different racial and ethnicity subgroups. Excess deaths were defined as the difference between observed numbers of deaths in specific time periods and the expected numbers of deaths in the same time periods. We compared mortality rates during the reference period of 2018-2019 (pre-pandemic) with the study period of 2020-2021 (pandemic years). We also compared excess mortality rates among racial and ethnic subgroups (Non-Hispanic white, Non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic individuals). Vascular disease was categorized by administrative diagnostic codes (ICD10): Vascular disease (I26, I82, I70-73, I74) and its subtypes Arterial thrombosis (I74), venous thromboembolism (I26, I82) and atherosclerotic disease (I70-73). RESULTS: Compared to 2018-2019, there was a 1.3 % excess mortality associated with vascular disease, a 12.2 % excess mortality due to arterial thrombosis mortality, and an 8.0 % excess mortality due to thromboembolism in 2020-2021. Black individuals demonstrated higher excess vascular mortality (6.9 %) compared to white individuals (-0.3 %) P < .001, higher excess venous thromboembolism mortality (14.1 % vs 5.1 % P = 0.002) and higher atherosclerosis mortality (2.1 % vs -2.6 % P = 0.002). Hispanics compared to white individuals had higher excess vascular mortality (5.1 % vs -0.3 % P = 0.03) and excess venous thromboembolism mortality (24.2 % vs 5.1 % P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant and persistent increase in vascular mortality. Excess mortality has disproportionately affected Black and Hispanic individuals compared to white individuals, highlighting the need for further studies to address and eliminate these health care disparities.

The Supportive Guidewire Paradox: How Extra Support Guidewires May Hinder Equipment Delivery Through Tortuous and Calcified Coronary Lesions.

Percutaneous coronary intervention of heavily calcified coronary vessels can be challenging due to difficult equipment delivery and suboptimal stent expansion, leading to worse clinical outcomes. Supportive guidewires are designed to facilitate equipment delivery. We present two cases of heavily calcified and tortuous coronary lesions in which use of support guidewires hindered balloon and stent delivery, possibly by increasing friction between equipment and the wall of the coronary vessel. Equipment delivery was achieved using less supportive workhorse guidewires.

An Interventional Odyssey: The Importance of Planning and Prompt Recognition and Treatment of Complications During a Complex Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention.

Despite significant progress, chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) are often challenging and carry increased risk of complications. We present a highly complex CTO PCI case that was successfully completed despite numerous complications (perforation, donor vessel closure, stent loss, guide extension tip fracture, access site bleeding and cardiac arrest) to highlight the importance of appropriate patient selection, pre-procedural planning, comprehensive patient-centered risk/benefit discussion, and prompt recognition and treatment of intra-procedural complications.

Educational Experience of Interventional Cardiology Fellows in the United States and Canada.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and iodinated contrast shortage may have affected interventional cardiology (IC) fellowship training. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the educational experience of first-year IC fellows in the United States and Canada. METHODS: A 59-question online survey was conducted among 2021-2022 first-year IC fellows in the United States and Canada. RESULTS: Of the 360 IC fellows invited to participate, 111 (31%) responded; 95% were from the United States, and 79% were men. Participants were mostly from university programs (70%), spent 61 to 70 hours/week in the hospital, and had an annual percutaneous coronary intervention case number of <200 (5%), 200 to 249 (8%), 250 to 349 (33%), 350 to 499 (39%), 500 to 699 (12%), or ≥700 (3%). For femoral access, a micropuncture needle was used regularly by 89% and ultrasound-guided puncture by 81%, and 43% used vascular closure devices in most cases (>80%). Intravascular ultrasound was performed and interpreted very comfortably by 62% and optical coherence tomography (OCT) by 32%, and 20% did not have access to OCT. Approximately one-third felt very comfortable performing various atherectomy techniques. Covered stents, fat embolization, and coil embolization were used very comfortably by 14%, 4%, and 3%, respectively. Embolic protection devices were used very comfortably by 11% to 24% of IC fellows. Almost one-quarter of fellows (24%) were warned about their high radiation exposure. Eighty-four percent considered IC fellowship somewhat or very stressful, and 16% reported inadequate psychological support. CONCLUSIONS: This survey highlights opportunities for improvement with regard to the use of intravascular imaging, atherectomy techniques, complication prevention and management strategies, radiation awareness and mitigation, and psychological support.

Myeloperoxidase is Independently Associated with Incident Heart Failure in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease and Kidney Disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with high cardiovascular risk and mortality. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) has been linked to adverse events in patients with mild-moderate CKD. We sought to investigate whether MPO levels are associated with adverse outcomes in patients with CKD. We studied participants with mild to moderate CKD in the prospective chronic renal insufficiency cohort (CRIC). We followed patients for incident heart failure (HF), death, and composite outcome (myocardial infarction, incident peripheral arterial disease, cerebrovascular accident and death). A total of 3872 patients were included (2702 without CVD, 1170 with CVD). After multiple adjustments, doubling of MPO in patients with prior CAD was associated with risk of HF (HR 1.15 [1.01-1.30], P = 0.032) and mortality (HR 1.16 [1.05-1.30], P = 0.005), and composite outcome of MI, PAD, CVA and death (HR 1.12 [1.01-1.25], P = 0.031). In this cohort of patients with mild to moderate CKD and CAD, MPO levels are independently associated with incident HF, all-cause mortality, and a composite outcome.

Multi-variable biomarker approach in identifying incident heart failure in chronic kidney disease: results from the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort study.

AIMS: Heart failure (HF) is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the ever-growing population of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). There is a need to enhance early prediction to initiate treatment in CKD. We sought to study the feasibility of a multi-variable biomarker approach to predict incident HF risk in CKD. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined 3182 adults enrolled in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) without prevalent HF who underwent serum/plasma assays for 11 blood biomarkers at baseline visit (B-type natriuretic peptide [BNP], CXC motif chemokine ligand 12, fibrinogen, fractalkine, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, myeloperoxidase, high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT), fibroblast growth factor 23 [FGF23], neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, fetuin A, aldosterone). The population was randomly divided into derivation (n = 1629) and validation (n = 1553) cohorts. Biomarkers that were associated with HF after adjustment for established HF risk factors were combined into an overall biomarker score (number of biomarkers above the Youden's index cut-off value). Cox regression was used to explore the predictive role of a biomarker panel to predict incident HF. A total of 411 patients developed incident HF at a median follow-up of 7 years. In the derivation cohort, four biomarkers were associated with HF (BNP, FGF23, fibrinogen, hsTnT). In a model combining all four biomarkers, BNP (hazard ratio [HR] 2.96 [95% confidence interval 2.14-4.09]), FGF23 (HR 1.74 [1.30-2.32]), fibrinogen (HR 2.40 [1.74-3.30]), and hsTnT (HR 2.89 [2.06-4.04]) were associated with incident HF. The incidence of HF increased with the biomarker score, to a similar degree in both derivation and validation cohorts: from 2.0% in score of 0% to 46.6% in score of 4 in the derivation cohort to 2.4% in score of 0% to 43.5% in score of 4 in the validation cohort. A model incorporating biomarkers in addition to clinical factors reclassified risk in 601 (19%) participants (352 [11%] participants to higher risk and 249 [8%] to lower risk) compared with clinical risk model alone (net reclassification improvement of 0.16). CONCLUSION: A basic panel of four blood biomarkers (BNP, FGF23, fibrinogen, and hsTnT) can be used as a standalone score to predict incident HF in patients with CKD allowing early identification of patients at high-risk for HF. Addition of biomarker score to clinical risk model modestly reclassifies HF risk and slightly improves discrimination.

Proportionate and Absolute Vascular Disease Mortality by Race and Sex in the United States From 1999 to 2019.

Background Despite the known significant morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease (PVD), contemporary data describing racial demographics in PVD mortality are scarce. Methods and Results Using the multiple causes of death file from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research, we analyzed the trends of age-adjusted mortality (AAMR) for PVD and its subtypes (aortic aneurysm/dissection, arterial thrombosis, venous thrombosis/disease, pulmonary embolism), by race and sex between 1999 and 2019. Of the 17 826 871 deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease, a total of 888 187 (5.0%) PVD deaths were analyzed during the study period (12.4% Black, 85.6% White). Between 1999 and 2019, AAMR for PVD decreased by 52% (24.8-11.8 per 100 000 people) in the overall population. Despite a decrease in the overall mortality across all race and sex groups, Black men and Black women continued to have higher mortality for PVD (1.5×), aortic dissection (1.8×), arterial thrombosis (1.3×), and venous thrombosis/disease (2.0×) mortality compared with White men and White women in 2019. While there was a 53% decrease in PVD among White individuals (AAMR 24.5-11.5 per 100 000), there was only a 43% decrease (30.0-17.1) in PVD AAMR in Black individuals between 1999 and 2019. The ratio of PVD AAMR increased from 1.2 (1999) to 1.5 (2019) in Black men/White men and from to 1.3 (1999) to 1.5 (2019) in Black women/White women. Similar trends were noted in aortic dissection (Black men/White men, 1.2-1.8; and Black women/White women, 1.5-1.7), arterial thrombosis (Black men/White men, 1.0-1.3; and Black women/White women, 0.9-1.3), and venous thrombosis/disease (Black men/White men, 1.7-1.8; and Black women/White women, 1.7-2.0). Conclusions In this retrospective review of death certificate data in the United States, we demonstrate continued significant disparities between Black and White populations in PVD mortality and its subtypes. Future studies should investigate etiologies and social determinants of PVD mortality.

Reported Pericardial Toxicities Associated with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Treatments: A Pharmacovigilance Analysis of the FDA Adverse Reporting Database.

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is one of the most common leukemias experienced in adults and conveys significant morbidity and mortality. While the traditional anthracycline based treatments of AML involves cytarabine, developments in alternatives (liposomal cytarabine, fludarabine, cladribine, azacitidine, decitabine), and targeted agents (midostaurin, gilteritinib, enasidenib, ivosidenib, gemtuzumab ozogamicin, and venetoclax) exist. Multiple cardiovascular adverse events, notably pericardial toxicity, have been observed in small studies; however, to date little is known about the comparative pericardial toxicity among these newer regimens. Due to the paucity of data, we sought to investigate the reported pericardial events and mortality associated with treatments for AML. Utilizing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS), we identified all adverse events associated with FDA approved treatments for AML (2002-2022). Pericardial events were defined as pericarditis, pericardial effusion and tamponade. We excluded any individuals with age <18 years old. Logistic regression was utilized to identify factors associated with pericardial events. Out of 94,262 reported adverse events, 675 pericardial toxicities were included (243 pericarditis, 479 tamponade). Pericardial events occurred less often in Cladribine (0.3%, P < 0.001), fludarabine (0.4%, P < 0.001), Venetoclax (0.3%, P < 0.001), enasidenib (0.3%, P value < 0.001), and ivosidenib (0.3%, P < 0.001) compared to Cytarabine (0.9%). Tamponade events occurred significantly less often in cladribine (0.1%, P < 0.001), fludarabine (0.4%, P = 0.001), enasidenib (0.1%, P = 0.006), ivosidenib (0.1%, P = 0.01), and venetoclax (0.1%, P < 0.001) compared to cytarabine 0.7%. After adjusting for age and sex, Cladribine (reporting odds ratio [ROR] 0.35 [95% CI 0.18-0.68], P = 0.008) and Fludarabine (ROR 0.65 [0.45-0.92], P = 0.03), venetoclax (ROR 0.57 [0.41-0.79], P < 0.001) remained significantly associated with lower incidence of reported pericardial events. While cytarabine has been the routinely used and/or drug of choice for induction chemotherapy for AML, alternatives like cladribine may have a greater safety profile regarding pericardial toxicities. Future studies should be directed at further investigating cardiovascular safety profiles of AML induction therapy.

Non-invasive Imaging in the Evaluation of Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy in Heart Transplantation: A Systematic Review.

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is the leading cause of long-term graft dysfunction in patients with heart transplantation and is linked with significant morbidity and mortality. Currently, the gold standard for diagnosing CAV is coronary imaging with intravascular ultrasound during traditional invasive coronary angiography. Invasive imaging, however, carries increased procedural risk and expense to patients in addition to requiring an experienced interventionalist. With the improvements in non-invasive cardiac imaging modalities such as transthoracic echocardiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography, an alternative non-invasive imaging approach for the early detection of CAV may be feasible. In this systematic review, we explored the literature to investigate the utility of non-invasive imaging in diagnosis of CAV in >3000 patients across 49 studies. We also discuss the strengths and weaknesses for each imaging modality. Overall, all 4 imaging modalities show good to excellent accuracy for identifying CAV with significant variations across studies. Majority of the studies compared non-invasive imaging with invasive coronary angiography without intravascular imaging. In summary, non-invasive imaging modalities offer an alternative approach to invasive coronary imaging for CAV. Future studies should investigate longitudinal non-invasive protocols in low-risk patients after heart transplantation.

Diaphragmatic pacemaker-induced ventricular tachycardia leading to cardiac arrest: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Diaphragmatic pacemakers are used to assist respiration in ventilator-dependent patients. Electromagnetic interference with intrinsic cardiac electrical activity is a theoretical risk but has never been reported in the literature. This case highlights a serious complication of cardiac arrest as a result of diaphragmatic pacing. CASE SUMMARY: We report a quadriplegic patient with recent diaphragmatic pacemaker implantation who presented with ventricular tachycardia leading to cardiac arrest. Extensive workup was negative for other aetiologies for ventricular arrhythmias. Reduction of the left-sided diaphragmatic pacemaker voltage resulted in cessation of ventricular ectopy. DISCUSSION: Diaphragmatic pacing at high voltages can cause unwanted transmission of impulses to the cardiac myocytes as a rare complication. This should be noted as a possible complication of intramuscular diaphragmatic pacing, and efforts should be taken to circumvent this risk in the future.

A troponin study on patients with ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage: Type II myocardial infarction is significantly associated with stroke severity, discharge disposition and mortality.

Troponin elevations due to Type II myocardial infarction (T2MI) are associated with hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes but there is little data on stroke severity, troponin elevation and outcome. We studied 1655 patients from a tertiary medical center between 1/2013-4/2015 using multivariate regression analysis for demographics, vascular risk factors, admission stroke severity, laboratory tests, echocardiogram results and discharge disposition. Troponin levels were classified as normal <0.04 ng/ml and high >0.04 ng/ml (critical if >0.5 ng/ml). A T2MI was diagnosed by a trending troponin elevation; patients with type I MI, patients with subdural and epidural hematoma, or hemorrhagic metastatic disease and patients younger than 18 years old were excluded. We had 818 patients with ischemic stroke, 306 with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and 169 with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Troponin was elevated (>0.04 ng/ml) in 24.1% of ischemic stroke patients, 27.1% in the ICH group, and in 39% of SAH patients. High initial and peak troponin levels were associated with higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) in patients with ischemic stroke (OR 1.04; CI 95%, 1.02-1.07, p = .001) and (OR 1.05; CI 95%, 1.03-1.07, p < .001). In ICH patients, higher initial and peak troponin levels were not associated with worse ICH scores (OR 1.21; CI 95%, 0.66-2.22, p = .53) and (OR 1.36; CI 95%, 0.77-2.41, p = .29). In SAH patients, higher initial and peak troponin levels was associated with higher Hunt and Hess scores (OR 4.2; CI 95%, 1.6-11.4, p = .005) and (OR 3.14; CI 95%, 1.5-6.5, p = .002). In patients with high troponin levels mortality was 14.7% in ischemic stroke patients, 31.3% in our ICH patients, and 43.8% in our SAH. After adjusting for demographics and clinical risk factors, only high troponin ischemic stroke patients were associated with higher mortality (OR 6.16; CI95%, 2.46-15.4, p < .001), and worse discharge disposition (OR 2.3; CI 95%, 1.19-4.45, p = .01). High troponin levels were not associated with change of outcomes in patients with SAH and ICH after adjusting for demographics and clinical risk factors. Elevated troponin due to T2MI is common in patients with ischemic strokes, ICH, and SAH. It is significantly associated with stroke severity, poor discharge disposition, and high mortality. Troponin levels should be considered on admission for acute strokes.

Real World Utilization of Computed Tomography Derived Fractional Flow Reserve: Single Center Experience in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Fractional flow reserve derived from computed tomography (FFRct) has shown higher accuracy for detection of significant coronary artery disease (CAD) compared to coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). The performance of a combined comprehensive qualitative interpretation of both CCTA and FFRct in patient management is unknown. We aimed to explore the clinical application of this combined approach. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed cases referred to FFRct testing at our institution over a one-year period. Patients had documentation of whether invasive coronary angiography (ICA) was performed and revascularization were needed. Interpretations and recommendations of the adopted comprehensive approach (C-FFRct), that took into account focal versus diffuse disease, depth of ischemia and myocardium at risk, were compared to those of CCTA (binary > 50% stenosis) alone and FFRct binary approach (FFRct ≤ 0.8). C-FFRct performance was measured against the decision made upon revascularization. RESULTS: A total of 207 cases were referred to FFRct testing, 163 (79%) accepted and 44 (21%) rejected for quality. C-FFRct changed interpretations and recommendations of 39 (24%) and 14 (9%) CCTA and FFRct, respectively. ICA was deferred in 32 (59%) and 13 (32%) cases; whereas ICA referral rate was 7 (6%) and 1 (0.8%) cases, based on CCTA and FFRct, respectively. No major cardiac events were observed during follow up time (median = 6 months). C-FFRct sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy compared to decision upon revascularization were 89%, 79% and 82%. C-FFRct number needed to treat was 4, and 6, compared to CCTA and FFRct, respectively. CONCLUSION: FFRct is a feasible tool to improve the diagnostic performance of CCTA in CAD real-world workup. However, qualitative interpretation of the FFRct report combined with CCTA findings may yield more impactful results on patient management. Further prospective studies are warranted to validate the application of this approach and better define its components.