Chinese expert consensus on the construction of the fluoroless cardiac electrophysiology laboratory and related techniques.

Transcatheter radiofrequency ablation has been widely introduced for the treatment of tachyarrhythmias. The demand for catheter ablation continues to grow rapidly as the level of recommendation for catheter ablation. Traditional catheter ablation is performed under the guidance of X-rays. X-rays can help display the heart contour and catheter position, but the radiobiological effects caused by ionizing radiation and the occupational injuries worn caused by medical staff wearing heavy protective equipment cannot be ignored. Three-dimensional mapping system and intracardiac echocardiography can provide detailed anatomical and electrical information during cardiac electrophysiological study and ablation procedure, and can also greatly reduce or avoid the use of X-rays. In recent years, fluoroless catheter ablation technique has been well demonstrated for most arrhythmic diseases. Several centers have reported performing procedures in a purposefully designed fluoroless electrophysiology catheterization laboratory (EP Lab) without fixed digital subtraction angiography equipment. In view of the lack of relevant standardized configurations and operating procedures, this expert task force has written this consensus statement in combination with relevant research and experience from China and abroad, with the aim of providing guidance for hospitals (institutions) and physicians intending to build a fluoroless cardiac EP Lab, implement relevant technologies, promote the standardized construction of the fluoroless cardiac EP Lab.

Photoacoustic Effect of Near-Infrared Absorbing Organic Molecules via Click Chemistry.

Near-infrared dyes were developed to be contrast agents due to their ability to improve the productivity of photoacoustic (PA) imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT) treatments. During the article, we described in detail the PA and PT effects of a category of organic molecules. F4-TCNQ could potentially cause a red-shift in the peak PA intensity. The results show that the PTT intensity of the near-infrared dyes with phenyl groups were higher than near-infrared dyes with thiophene groups. We also investigated the photodynamic treatment effect of C1b to demonstrate that these dyes are highly desirable in biochemistry. The high photoacoustic intensity of the organic molecules and the good yield of reactive oxygen species could indicate that these dyes have good potential for a wide range of imaging applications. Finally, we embedded the dye (C1b) in a liposomal hydrophobic phospholipid bilayer (C1b⊂L) to facilitate the application of hydrophobic dyes in biomedical applications, which can be absorbed by cells with good compatible and high stability for the imaging of cellular PA.

Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine on thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in combination with Western medicine (WM) has been widely used worldwide. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM in prevention of thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS: Potential studies were searched through the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, CBM, VIP, CNKI, and Wanfang databases up to February 2016. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the thromboembolic events and/or safety outcome of TCM in patients with AF were included. RESULTS: A total of 905 AF patients from 9 RCTs were identified. Meta-analysis showed that TCM in combination with warfarin was better than warfarin alone for preventing total thromboembolic events with a 68% reduction of risk (risk ratio [RR] 0.32; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13-0.78) without increasing the risk of total bleeding (RR 0.71; 95% CI 0.29-1.72). Compared with warfarin, TCM therapy was associated with lower risk of total bleeding (RR 0.13; 95% CI 0.04-0.47), but increased the risk of total thromboembolic events (RR 1.84; 95% CI 1.03-3.27). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis suggests that TCM combined with warfarin is superior to warfarin alone for the prevention of total thromboembolic events in patients with AF, with equal risk of bleeding as warfarin alone.