Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with High-Bolus Dose Tirofiban: The FASTER (Favorite Approach to Safe and Effective Treatment for Early Reperfusion) Multicenter Registry.

Objectives: To investigate the safety and clinical efficacy of tirofiban during primary percutaneous coronary interventions (pPCI). Background: Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) use during pPCI has declined over years, mainly for the increased hemorrhagic risk associated to their use and for the availability of potent, fast-acting oral antiplatelet drugs. However, several pharmacodynamic studies showed suboptimal platelet inhibition with P2Y12-blockers, such as prasugrel or ticagrelor. Methods: Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing pPCI were prospectively enrolled in a multicenter registry conducted in high-volume centers in Italy. All patients received intraprocedural tirofiban. The primary safety endpoint was the occurrence of in-hospital bleedings according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium definition. In-hospital major adverse coronary events (MACE, defined as death, reinfarction, stent thrombosis, and target vessel revascularization), final TIMI flow, myocardial blush grade, and ST-segment resolution were also evaluated. Results: A total of 472 patients (mean age 61 ± 11 years, 83% males) were enrolled in 16 Italian centers from October 2015 to June 2018. Mean basal thrombus grade score was 3.47 ± 1.25. PCI was performed by transradial approach in 88% of patients. We observed a very low rate of 30 days BARC bleedings (2.1%) and MACE (0.8%). Complete (>70%) ST-segment resolution was observed in 67% of patients. Conclusions: In the FASTER registry, the use of tirofiban during primary PCI, performed with a transradial approach in most cases, in patients with high thrombus burden was associated with high rates of complete ST-segment resolution and low rates of in-hospital bleeding and MACE.

Two Myocardial Infarctions and Five 8,000-m Peaks.

We report the case of a male smoker who is overweight and has no leisure time physical activity until a first acute inferolateral myocardial infarction at the age of 44 years, which was treated using coronary stenting of the left circumflex artery. He was discharged with an ejection fraction of 0.45 and the indication to quit smoking and initiate regular aerobic physical activity. After that episode, he started regular mountain hiking in the Alps, Andes, and, finally, in the Himalayas and Karakorum, where, up to the age of 65 years, he climbed 5 peaks of altitude >8,000 m, always solo and without oxygen, despite a recurrent myocardial infarction because of occlusion at the distal edge of the previously implanted stent. This case supports the indication that high-altitude per se is not contraindicated in patients with well-compensated coronary artery disease, even after an acute MI.

[Acute coronary syndrome with unusual finding of double coronary occlusion, acute and chronic, of the left anterior descending coronary artery]. / Sindrome coronarica acuta con inusuale riscontro di duplice occlusione, acuta e cronica, dell'arteria discendente anteriore.

In patients with acute coronary syndrome, total chronic occlusion of a non-culprit vessel is a frequent angiographic finding (10-30%) and it is associated with increased mortality. The effective treatment of these lesions results in better outcomes, and procedural success depends partly on the anatomical features of the lesion. As indicated by current guidelines, the treatment of non-infarct-related artery lesions is not recommended in the acute setting, even in case of hemodynamic instability. We here report the case of a 57-year-old patient suffering from an acute coronary syndrome with double occlusion, acute and chronic, of the left anterior descending artery, both treated in the acute setting with good angiographic and clinical results.

Emergent transvenous cardiac pacing using ultrasound guidance: a prospective study versus the standard fluoroscopy-guided procedure.

AIMS: To compare time to active pacing and complication rates associated with temporary transvenous pacemaker (TTVPM) insertion between a fully echo-guided approach of vein access and lead placement, and standard placement of TTVPM under fluoroscopic guidance. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a prospective single-center observational study enrolling all consecutive patients from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2012 needing emergent TTVPM placement. According to personal experience and clinical setting, the operators could choose between a fully echo-guided approach of TTVPM placement through the jugular vein and a standard fluoro-guided approach through the femoral vein. Safety and efficacy endpoints were pre-specified, registered, and compared. A total of 113 patients were treated using the echo-guided approach, and 90 via the fluoro-guided approach. The two groups differed with regard to clinical setting at presentation: an acute coronary syndrome was more frequent in the fluoro-guided approach group (39.7% vs. 16.8%, p<0.001), whereas asystole was more frequent in the echo-guided approach group (9.7 vs. 0%). Median time from decision to active pacing was significantly shorter in the echo-guided approach group (22 vs. 43 minutes, p<0.01). The overall complication rates were significantly lower in the echo-guided approach group (15.0% vs. 28.8%, p 0.02), because of lower rates of infections (2.7% vs. 11.1%, p 0.02) and puncture-related hematomas (0 vs. 3.3%, p=0.08). There were no deaths related to TTVPM, but one heart perforation requiring emergent pericardiocentesis occurred in the fluoro-guided approach group. One pneumothorax treated conservatively occurred in the echo-guided approach group, while no differences were observed with regard to sustained tachyarrhythmias (1.8% vs. 2.2%) or malfunctions requiring reposition of the catheter (8.8 vs. 8.9%). Overall, complications delaying permanent pacemaker implant for >48 hours were observed less often in the echo-guided approach group (6.8 vs. 20.7%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Echo-guided insertion of TTVPM through the jugular vein is a feasible and safe alternative to fluoroscopic guidance and may reduce complications and time to active pacing in patients who are not candidates for emergent cardiac catheterization.

Large pericardial effusion in a family with recurrent pericarditis: A report of probable x-linked transmission.

Three cases of recurrent pleuropericarditis were observed within the same family - in two sisters and their niece, who were 18, 35 and 18 years of age, respectively. One patient was treated with pericardiectomy, and the other two were treated with colchicine. Mutations associated with autoinflammatory diseases (tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome and familial Mediterranean fever) were absent; the condition was found to be sex linked.