Temporary pacing through umbilical venous route for neonatal heart failure due to complete atrioventricular block.

We present a case of a neonate who presented with worsening heart failure due to congenital complete atrioventricular (AV) block, secondary to maternal anti Ro/SSA and anti-LA/SSB antibodies. The patient was implanted a temporary pacemaker in view of hemodynamic deterioration and subsequently was weaned off ionotropic support and referred for permanent epicardial pacemaker implantation. We report temporary pacemaker implantation in a neonate with hemodynamic instability as a stabilizing measure and discuss technical challenges for the same.

ECG manifestations of occlusion of septal perforator of left anterior descending artery.

The fourth universal definition of MI defines requires presence of j point elevation in two contiguous leads except v2-3 where the elevation should be equal to or >2 mm in men (2.5 mm in <40 years) and 1.5 mm in women.(1) We present two cases of patients who presented with electrocardiographic manifestations of occlusion of septal perforator of left anterior descending artery and discuss the salient feature of ECG in such patients. We also present the limitations of STEMI criteria given the dynamic nature of acute coronary occlusion and stress on early recognition of this MI.

Successful Thrombolysis of a Large Pulmonary Artery Thrombosis.

A 32 yrs old man presented with shortness of breath and syncopal episode with preceding history of DVT 15days above. Patient has tachycardia hypoxia and hypotension, on evaluation ECG Showed S1 Q3 T3 Pattern, bedside Echo Showed visible thrombus of 3cm in pulmonary artery, successfully thrombolysed with tenecteplase and streptokinase. This case study is presented to stress importance of urgent bedside echo in all sudden onset dysponea and hypoxia to rule out pulmonary Embolism which can be successfully thrombolysed without delay.

Tetralogy of Fallot with restrictive ventricular septal defect by accessory tricuspid leaflet tissue.

In tetralogy of Fallot septal defect is usually large because of malalignment of outlet septum, restrictive defect has been reported rarely. We present a case of tetralogy of Fallot with accessory tricuspid leaflet tissue restricting ventricular septal defect. The report includes echocardiographic and catheter images of this rare presentation of tetralogy of Fallot.

30-Day and 1-Year Outcomes With HYDRA Self-Expanding Transcatheter Aortic Valve: The Hydra CE Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate the 30-day and 1-year safety and performance of the Hydra transcatheter aortic valve (THV) (in the treatment of symptomatic severe aortic stenosis in patients at high or extreme surgical risk. BACKGROUND: The Hydra THV is a novel repositionable self-expanding system with supra-annular bovine pericardial leaflets. METHODS: The Hydra CE study was a premarket, prospective, multicenter, single-arm study conducted across 18 study centers in Europe and Asia-Pacific countries. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 30 days. All endpoints were adjudicated by an independent clinical events committee. RESULTS: A total of 157 patients (79.2 ± 7.1 years of age, 58.6% female; Society of Thoracic Surgeons score 4.7 ± 3.4%) were enrolled. Successful implantation was achieved in 94.3% cases. At 30 days, there were 11 (7.0%) deaths, including 9 (5.7%) cardiovascular deaths, of which 5 (3.2%) were device related. At 1 year, there were 23 (14.6%) deaths, including 13 (8.3%) cardiovascular deaths. At 30 days, there were significant improvement of effective orifice area (from 0.7 ± 0.2 cm2 to 1.9 ± 0.6 cm2) and mean aortic valve gradient (from 49.5 ± 18.5 mm Hg to 8.1 ± 3.7 mm Hg), which were sustained up to 1 year. Moderate or severe paravalvular leak was observed in 6.3% of patients at 30 days and 6.9% of patients at 1 year. The rate of new permanent pacemaker implantation was 11.7% at 30 days and 12.4% at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: The Hydra CE study demonstrated that transcatheter aortic valve replacement with Hydra THV offered favorable efficacy at 1 year, providing large effective orifice area and low transvalvular gradient as well as acceptable complication rates with regard to new permanent pacemaker and paravalvular leak. (A Clinical Evaluation of the HYDRA Self Expanding Transcatheter Aortic Valve; NCT02434263).

A case report of successful complex percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome in a paediatric patient with familial hypercholesterolaemia.

BACKGROUND: Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a primary genetic dyslipidaemia characterized by elevation in serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and its deposition in systemic arteries, which causes premature atherosclerosis. CASE SUMMARY: A 10-year-old girl presented with severe symptomatic coronary artery disease. She demonstrated characteristic morphological features of FH. Despite aggressive medical management and lipid-lowering therapy, her symptoms were not relieved and she had dynamic electrocardiogram changes. Coronary angiography showed a distal left main coronary artery lesion along with significant lesions in ostio-proximal and mid-left circumflex artery which were managed by provisional left main coronary artery to left circumflex artery stenting technique, with good immediate- and short-term results and angina relief. DISCUSSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a paediatric patient with FH and acute coronary syndrome treated with percutaneous coronary intervention to left main coronary artery and left circumflex artery using provisional stenting technique. Revascularization strategies for symptomatic coronary artery disease in paediatric patients with FH have multiple unique challenges and remain an unexplored and under-reported subject.

Is accelerated idioventricular rhythm a good marker for reperfusion after streptokinase?

BACKGROUND: Accelerated idioventricular rhythm (AIVR) is a common arrhythmia observed in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI). It is not clear how much value AIVR has in predicting successful reperfusion, since there have been conflicting data regarding this in the past. Streptokinase (STK) even today is the commonest thrombolytic agent used in the public health care set-up in India.(1) Most data for the use of STK are from the 1990s, which had showed that at best it is effective in only 50% of patients in restoring adequate flow.(2) It is probable that with the current dual-antiplatelet loading dose regimen and other newer medications, this figure could be higher. Also, rescue angioplasty for failed thrombolysis is the standard of care now, unlike before. Hence, we need reliable non-invasive markers to judge successful reperfusion in the present era. While ST segment resolution is the standard marker for reperfusion used in thrombolytic trials, in several instances it is not definitive. An additional marker would thus be very useful, especially in such cases. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study carried out at a public teaching hospital. 200 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of acute MI who were given STK within 12h of index pain were included. The STK dose was 1.5 million units, infused over 30min; the ECG was again recorded after 90min of completion of the infusion. Continuous ECG monitoring for the first 24h of ICCU stay was performed and AIVRs during this period were documented. Early AIVR was defined as that occurring within 2h of completing the STK infusion. Echocardiography was performed 24h after presentation. The time course of AIVR was studied vis-a-vis the outcome of thrombolysis. RESULTS: AIVR was seen in 41% of the patients. Though AIVR was found to have low sensitivity (45%) and specificity (64%) as a predictor of successful thrombolysis, early AIVR was a reliable sign of successful thrombolysis (p<0.05). The sensitivity (45%) of early AIVR was low; however, the specificity (94%) and positive predictive value (94%) were very good. CONCLUSION: AIVR is a common arrhythmia in the setting of STEMI receiving thrombolytic therapy. Early AIVR is more common with successful thrombolysis, with an excellent positive predictive value. Thus, early AIVR can be used as an additive criterion to ST segment resolution as a non-invasive marker of successful thrombolysis with STK.

Incessant fascicular VT presenting as cardiogenic shock with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome.

We report a rare clinical presentation of incessant idiopathic fascicular ventricular tachycardia (FVT), presenting as multi-organ dysfunction (MOD) syndrome with cardiogenic shock. Our patient was a 19-year-old male who presented with slowly progressive dyspnea from New York Heart Association (NYHA) II to NYHA IV at the time of presentation, palpitations, and dilated cardiomyopathy due to drug-refractory FVT. The patient was in cardiogenic shock with raised central venous pressures and required inotropic support for maintaining systolic blood pressure above 90 mmHg. The MOD was seen in the form of deranged liver and kidney parameters. Echocardiography showed a dilated left ventricle (LV, 58 mm at end-diastole, 52 mm at end-systole) and decreased ejection fraction (20%). Electrocardiography showed a wide-QRS tachycardia (QRS 140 ms, cycle length 440 ms), with RsR' in lead V1 and a QRS axis of -60°. After stabilization with ventilation, inotropic support, and cautious use of diuretics, an electrophysiologic study was performed. A Purkinje potential with early local ventricular activation was recorded from the LV inferoseptal region. The tachycardia was ablated at this site with radiofrequency (RF) energy (40 W for 35 sec). Over a 3-month follow-up, the patient remained asymptomatic and the LV size and function returned to normal. .

Comparative randomized study on efficacy of losartan versus propranolol in lowering portal pressure in decompensated chronic liver disease.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of losartan, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, with propranolol on portal hypertension in patients with decompensated chronic liver disease. METHODS: In all, 30 patients with Child-Pugh B cirrhosis and large varices without any prior therapy for portal hypertension were randomized to either losartan (n = 15) or propranolol (n = 15). Clinical, biochemical and hemodynamic parameters including hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), wedged hepatic venous pressure (WHVP), mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and free hepatic venous pressure (FHVP) were measured at baseline and after 4-week therapy. Patients with HVPG < 12 mmHg were regarded as responders. RESULTS: An equal number of responders were seen in both groups (6/15, 40.0%). The reduction of WHVP and HVPG was greater in the losartan group than in the propranolol group, although no significant differences between them were found. Heart rate decreased more in the propranolol arm than in the losartan arm (P < 0.01); however, no correlation between the decrease of heart rate and the reduction of HVPG was observed. One patient in the losartan group, although a responder, had gastrointestinal bleeding 2 months after the drug administration, but the varices were small under endoscopy and did not require definitive therapy. The fall of MABP was greater with losartan, with no statistical difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The effect of losartan was comparable to propranolol in reducing portal pressure in decompensated Child-Pugh B chronic liver disease.