Premature ventricular contraction variability in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy.

INTRODUCTION: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is an inherited cardiomyopathy, characterized by right ventricular dysfunction and ventricular arrhythmias. Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are an important measure in determining disease severity and constitute a minor criterion in the 2010 Task Force Criteria for the diagnosis of ARVD/C. Little information is available regarding the variability in PVCs. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients (n = 40) from the Johns Hopkins ARVD/C registry, meeting diagnostic criteria were included. Single lead continuous 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors (Zio® Patches) were applied to monitor PVC counts. Detailed demographic, phenotypic, and structural information were obtained from registry data. ECG monitors were worn for a mean period of 159.3 hours (±39.3). Average 24-hour PVC count in this population was 1,090.5 (interquartile range = 1,711). One-way analysis of variance demonstrated statistically significant interday variance in mean hourly PVC counts in 76% of ARVD/C-positive subjects (28/37, 3 cases excluded due to insufficient data). Eleven individuals (27.5%) had maximum 24-hour PVC counts of >500 with a corresponding minimum 24-hour PVC count of <500. The average 24-hour PVC count for each patient was derived for each day recorded. The 24-hour PVC count placed 89.6% of counts (223/249) on the correct side of the 500-PVC count. CONCLUSION: Statistically significant variation between 24-hour PVC counts is present in the ARVD/C population. However, 24-hour ECG monitoring was sufficient to identify 89.6% of 24-hour periods to the correct grouping based on 2010 Task Force Criteria.

An explanation of recommendation differences: illustrations from recent atrial fibrillation guidelines.

The development of guidelines and their use in all areas of medicine has greatly expanded in recent years. However, despite a shared evidence base, recommendations provided by different professional societies and healthcare authorities often vary considerably. The rapid advances in atrial fibrillation (AF) and the multiplicity of guidelines devoted to AF have made it particularly susceptible to this problem. Many nonmedical aspects are important in the development of guidelines, and without understanding them correct interpretation of guidelines is difficult. Conflicts of interest, the regulatory environment, and local data all influence guidelines. Nuanced wording, resource availability, and strategic purpose add complexity to guideline recommendations. This article reviews major AF guidelines from around the world and discusses aspects which have nothing to do with the scientific evidence base in order to help the practicing physician understand and make better use of differing guideline recommendations.

A quality assessment of respiratory auscultation material on YouTube.

YouTube contains a large volume of medical educational material. This study assessed the quality of respiratory auscultation videos contained in YouTube. Videos were searched for using the terms 'breath sounds', 'respiratory sounds', 'respiratory auscultation' and/or 'lung sounds'. In total, 6,022 videos were located, 36 of which were considered suitable for scoring for video accuracy, comprehensiveness and quality. The average score was 3.32/6 (55.3% ± 1.30). Video score correlated with time-adjusted YouTube metadata: hits per day (0.496, p=0.002) and likes per day (0.534, p=0.001). Video score also correlated with the first search page on which the video was located in the 'breath sounds' and 'lung sounds' searches (-0.571, p=0.001; -0.445, p=0.014, respectively). The quality of videos was variable. Correlation between video score and some metadata values suggests that there is value for their use in judging video quality. However, the large number of videos found and inability to filter these results quickly makes locating educational content difficult.

Identification of patients with atrial fibrillation: a big data exploratory analysis of the UK Biobank.

OBJECTIVE: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, with an estimated prevalence of around 1.6% in the adult population. The analysis of the electrocardiogram (ECG) data acquired in the UK Biobank represents an opportunity to screen for AF in a large sub-population in the UK. The main objective of this paper is to assess ten machine-learning methods for automated detection of subjects with AF in the UK Biobank dataset. APPROACH: Six classical machine-learning methods based on support vector machines are proposed and compared with state-of-the-art techniques (including a deep-learning algorithm), and finally a combination of a classical machine-learning and deep learning approaches. Evaluation is carried out on a subset of the UK Biobank dataset, manually annotated by human experts. MAIN RESULTS: The combined classical machine-learning and deep learning method achieved an F1 score of 84.8% on the test subset, and a Cohen's kappa coefficient of 0.83, which is similar to the inter-observer agreement of two human experts. SIGNIFICANCE: The level of performance indicates that the automated detection of AF in patients whose data have been stored in a large database, such as the UK Biobank, is possible. Such automated identification of AF patients would enable further investigations aimed at identifying the different phenotypes associated with AF.

Admission of patients with STEMI since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey by the European Society of Cardiology.

AIMS: The COVID-19 pandemic required a significant redeployment of worldwide healthcare resources. Fear of infection, national lockdowns and altered healthcare priorities have the potential to impact utilisation of healthcare resources for non-communicable diseases. To survey health professionals' views of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rate and timing of admission of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) administered an internet-based questionnaire to cardiologists and cardiovascular nurses across 6 continents. METHODS AND RESULTS: 3101 responses were received from 141 countries across 6 continents. 88.3% responded that their country was in "total lockdown" and 7.1% in partial lockdown. 78.8% responded that the number of patients presenting with STEMI was reduced since the coronavirus outbreak and 65.2% indicated that the reduction in STEMI presentations was >40%. Approximately 60% of all respondents reported that STEMI patients presented later than usual and 58.5% that >40% of STEMI patients admitted to hospital presented beyond the optimal window for primary percutaneous intervention (PCI) or thrombolysis. Independent predictors of the reported higher rate of delayed STEMI presentation were a country in total lockdown, >100 COVID-19 cases admitted locally, and the complete restructuring of the local cardiology service. CONCLUSION: The survey indicates that the impact of COVID-19 on STEMI presentations is likely to be substantial, with both lower presentations and a higher rate of delayed presentations occurring. This has potentially important ramifications for future healthcare and policy planning in the event of further waves of this pandemic.

Randomised controlled trials in plastic surgery: a systematic review of reporting quality.

BACKGROUND: We recently conducted a systematic review of the methodological quality of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in plastic surgery. In accordance with convention, we are here separately reporting a systematic review of the reporting quality of the same RCTs. METHODS: MEDLINE® and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched by an information specialist from 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2011 for the MESH heading 'Surgery, Plastic'. Limitations were entered for English language, human studies and randomised controlled trials. Manual searching for RCTs involving surgical techniques was performed within the results. Scoring of the eligible papers was performed against the 23-item CONSORT Statement checklist. Independent secondary scoring was then performed and discrepancies resolved through consensus. RESULTS: Fifty-seven papers met the inclusion criteria. The median CONSORT score was 11.5 out of 23 items (range 5.3-21.0). Items where compliance was poorest included intervention/comparator details (7 %), randomisation implementation (11 %) and blinding (26 %). Journal 2010 impact factor or number of authors did not significantly correlate with CONSORT score (Spearman rho = 0.25 and 0.12, respectively). Only 61 % declared conflicts of interest, 75 % permission from an ethics review committee, 47 % declared sources of funding and 16 % stated a trial registry number. There was no correlation between the volume of RCTs performed in a particular country and reporting quality. CONCLUSIONS: The reporting quality of RCTs in plastic surgery needs improvement. Better education, awareness amongst all stakeholders and hard-wiring compliance through electronic journal submission systems could be the way forward. We call for the international plastic surgical community to work together on these long-standing problems.

A quality assessment of cardiac auscultation material on YouTube.

BACKGROUND: YouTube is a highly utilized Web site that contains a large amount of medical educational material. Although some studies have assessed the education material contained on the Web site, little analysis of cardiology content has been made. This study aimed to assess the quality of videos relating to heart sounds and murmurs contained on YouTube. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that the quality of video files purporting to provide education on heart auscultation would be highly variable. METHODS: Videos were searched for using the terms "heart sounds," "heart murmur," and "heart auscultation." A built-in educational filter was employed, and manual rejection of non-English language and nonrelated videos was undertaken. Remaining videos were analyzed for content, and suitable videos were scored using a purpose-built tool. RESULTS: YouTube search located 3350 videos in total, and of these, 22 were considered suitable for scoring. The average score was 4.07 out of 7 (standard deviation, 1.35). Six videos scored 5.5 or greater and 5 videos scoring 2.5 or less. There was no correlation between video score and YouTube indices of preference (hits, likes, dislikes, or search page). The quality of videos found in this study was highly variable. YouTube indications of preference were of no value in determining the value of video content. Therefore, teaching institutions or professional societies should endeavor to identify and highlight good online teaching resources. CONCLUSIONS: YouTube contains many videos relating to cardiac auscultation, but very few are valuable education resources.

The methodological quality of randomized controlled trials in plastic surgery needs improvement: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to assess the methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in Plastic Surgery. METHODS: An information specialist searched MEDLINE for the period of 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2011 for the MESH heading "Surgery, Plastic" with limitations for English language, human studies and randomized controlled trials. Results were manually searched for RCTs involving surgical techniques. The papers were then scored with the authors' seven point extended version of the Linde Internal Validity Scale (ELIVS). Secondary scoring was then performed and discrepancies resolved by consensus. RESULTS: 57 papers met the inclusion criteria. The median ELIVS score was 3.0 with a range of 1.0-6.5. Compliance was poorest with use of intention to treat analysis (4%), blinding of patients (23%) and the handling and reporting of patient withdrawals (25%). There was no statistically significant correlation between journal ELIVS score and 2010 impact factor or number of authors (Spearman rho 0.10 and 0.27 respectively). Multicentre trials had a higher average ELIVS score than single centre ones (3.6 vs 2.7) although this did not reach significance. There was no correlation between the volume of RCTs performed in a particular country and methodological quality. CONCLUSION: The methodological quality of RCTs in Plastic Surgery needs improvement.

Compliance of randomized controlled trials in trauma surgery with the CONSORT statement.

BACKGROUND: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the criterion standard for assessing new interventions. However, bias can result from poor reporting, which also makes critical appraisal and systematic review challenging. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) criteria for nonpharmacological trials published in 2008 provided a set of 23 mandatory items that should be reported in an RCT. This is the first study to assess the compliance of RCTs in trauma with the CONSORT criteria for nonpharmacological trials. METHODS: The MEDLINE database was searched using the MeSH term wounds and injuries for English-language articles published between January 2009 and December 2011. Relevant articles were scored by two reviewers and compared against surrogate markers of article quality (such as journal impact factor). RESULTS: Eighty-three articles were deemed suitable for inclusion. The mean CONSORT score was 11.2 of 23 items (49%; range, 3.38-18.17). Compliance was poorest for items relating to the adherence of care providers (0%), abstract (5%), and implementation of randomization (6%). Only 40% declared conflicts of interest, 73% declared permission from an ethics review committee, 43% declared sources of funding, and 10% stated a trial registry number. There was a significant correlation between the CONSORT score and the impact factor of the publishing journal (ρ = 0.37, p = 0.0006) but not for the number of patients or authors or single versus multicentre trials CONCLUSION: The reporting quality of RCTs in trauma surgery needs improvement. We suggest ways by which this could be improved including the following: better education, awareness, and a cohesive strategy among all stakeholders and the hard wiring of compliance through electronic journal submission systems.

The UK Freedom of Information Act (2000) in healthcare research: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the use and utility of the Freedom of Information Act (2000) in healthcare research since 2005 and to determine if any particular feature of studies found led to greater data acquisition. DESIGN: PRISMA compliant systematic review. PARTICIPANTS: An extensive literature search was performed of EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, psychINFO, BNI, AMED, HMIC and Health business elite databases from January 2005 to January 2013 using terms 'Freedom of information', 'Freedom of information act' and 'Freedom of information act 2000'. Papers were considered for publication if they described utilising the UK Freedom of information act to gather data for healthcare research. 16 articles met these criteria. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome was the number and characteristics of studies utilising the Freedom of Information Act to collect the data for healthcare research. Secondary outcome measures were any features that improved data acquisition rates (including to whom the request was made, the number of questions asked per request, etc.) RESULTS: 16 articles described utilising the Freedom of Information Act for healthcare research, and these investigated a broad range of topics. The median number of requests made was 86 (range 1-172), the total number of requests was 1732. A total of 15 817 pieces of data were retrieved by all studies. The amount of data collected was defined as the number of questions asked multiplied by the number of full responses. A median of five questions were asked per study (range 5-6.5) and the overall response rate was 86%. The National Health Service litigation authority responded to 100% of requests, while Primary Care Trusts had the lowest response rate of 81% for healthcare bodies. A positive correlation between number of requests made and data obtained (0.508, p<0.05) and number of requests made and increased response rate (0.737, p<0.01), both reached the statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Researchers should make greater use of the Act to access the information they need that is not otherwise disclosed. We discuss the issues with the research utilising the Act and how future research of this type could be optimised.

Prevalence of atrial arrhythmias in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is an inherited cardiomyopathy, characterized by right ventricular dysfunction and ventricular arrhythmias. Limited information is available concerning atrial arrhythmias in ARVD/C. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to characterize spontaneous atrial arrhythmias in a large registry population of ARVD/C patients. METHODS: Patients (n = 248) from the Johns Hopkins ARVD/C registry who met the diagnostic criteria and had undertaken genotype analysis were included. Medical records of each were reviewed to ascertain incidence and characteristics of atrial arrhythmia episodes. Detailed demographic, phenotypic, and structural information was obtained from registry data. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients with ARVD/C (14%) experienced one or more types of atrial arrhythmia during median follow-up of 5.78 (interquartile range 8.52) years. Atrial fibrillation was the most common atrial arrhythmia, occurring in 80% of ARVD/C patients with atrial arrhythmias. Patients developed atrial arrhythmias at a mean age of 43.0 ± 14.0 years. Atrial arrhythmia patients obtained a total of 22 inappropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks during follow-up. Older age at last follow-up (P <.001) and male gender (P = .044) were associated with atrial arrhythmia development. Patients with atrial arrhythmias had a higher occurrence of death (P = .028), heart failure (P <.001), and left atrial enlargement on echocardiography (P = .004). CONCLUSION: Atrial arrhythmias are common in ARVD/C and present at a younger age than in the general population. They are associated with male gender, increasing age, and left atrial enlargement. Atrial arrhythmias are clinically important as they are associated with inappropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks and increased risk of both death and heart failure.

Malignant arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy with a normal 12-lead electrocardiogram: a rare but underrecognized clinical entity.

BACKGROUND: In Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C), a normal electrocardiogram (ECG) is considered reassuring. However, some patients with ARVD/C experiencing ventricular arrhythmias have a normal ECG. OBJECTIVES: To estimate how often patients with ARVD/C experiencing ventricular arrhythmias have a normal ECG during sinus rhythm, and to provide a clinical profile of these patients. METHODS: We included 145 patients with ARVD/C experiencing a documented sustained ventricular arrhythmia. Conventional 12-lead sinus rhythm ECGs within 6 months of the event were reviewed for diagnostic Task Force Criteria (TFC). ECGs were classified as abnormal (≥1 TFC), nonspecific (abnormal, no TFC), or normal. Cardiologic investigations within 6 months of the event were evaluated as per TFC in those with a nonspecific or normal ECG. RESULTS: The ECG was nonspecific or normal in 17 of 145 (12%) subjects. Mean age of these patients was 41.3 ± 12.4 years and 14 (82%) were men, comparable to those with an abnormal ECG. Most patients with a nonspecific or normal ECG showed ≥1 TFC on Holter monitoring (n = 9 of 10) and signal-averaged ECG (n = 4 of 5), and all had nonsustained ventricular tachycardia recorded. Among 15 patients who underwent structural evaluation, 11 (73%) showed structural TFC (9 major and 2 minor). CONCLUSIONS: Although most patients with ARVD/C experiencing arrhythmias have an abnormal ECG, a nonspecific or normal ECG does not preclude ARVD/C diagnosis. All patients with a nonspecific or normal ECG had alternative evidence of disease expression. These results alert the physician not to rely exclusively on ECG in ARVD/C, but to assess arrhythmic risk by comprehensive clinical evaluation.

Medical treatment of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is an increasingly common arrhythmia which is associated with a substantial burden of cardiovascular disease. The arrhythmia is mostly treated with pharmacological therapy, although some interventional techniques such as left atrial ablation, atrioventricular nodal ablation plus pacemaker implantation, and left atrial appendage occlusion or excision are gaining popularity. The concept of primary prevention of atrial fibrillation with therapies targeting the formation and progression of atrial substrate has also recently evolved. Medical treatment is directed at either rate control (slowing the ventricular rate and allowing atrial fibrillation to continue) or rhythm control (restoring and maintaining sinus rhythm). There are different types of therapy for each purpose. Antiarrhythmic drug therapy, however, is difficult and inadequate with the agents that are now available. Treatment may be ineffective or complicated by cardiac or extracardiac adverse effects. Guidelines exist to help physicians choose appropriate therapies, but they have required and continue to need revision to cope with the rapid development and accumulating experience with new treatments. This review provides a contemporary evidence-based insight into the medical management of atrial fibrillation in the modern era.

Improving Compliance with Statins in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease: A Quality Improvement Study.

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease affecting medium sized arteries. The prevalence, health, and financial impact of the disease has made it a key target for public health and large scale intervention. The statin class of drugs improve morbidity and mortality for patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) through polymodal actions. This quality improvement study aimed to determine, and subsequently reduce, the percentage of patients with PAD discharged without statins. According to the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and draft National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence guidance, all patients undergoing major vascular procedures should be prescribed a statin. A baseline audit of patients with PAD under the care of the vascular team at our instituted was undertaken for the period Dec 2009-July 2010. Electronic discharge letters (EDLs) were analysed and compliance with statin prescription were recorded. A number of interventions aimed at improving compliance were then enacted and monitored through weekly PDSA cycles. Junior doctor leadership was key to identifying the problem and conceiving, implementing, and measuring changes. A second cycle was run, using similar data collection methods to the first, for the period August-October 2010. In the first cycle, EDLs pertaining to 113 patient admissions, involving 96 patients with PAD, were examined. Statins were not prescribed in 30.1%. In the second cycle, 86 patient admissions, involving 76 patients, were examined. Statins were not prescribed in 24.4%, representing an 18.9% decrease. Poorly compliant sub-groups included patients presenting with embolism or those for elective angioplasty.