New categorization of chest pain: noncardiac is in, atypical is out!

Chest pain poses a diagnostic challenge in the emergency department and requires a thorough clinical assessment. The traditional distinction between "atypical" and "typical" chest pain carries the risk of not addressing nonischemic clinical pictures. The newly conceived subdivision into cardiac, possibly cardiac, and (probably) noncardiac causes of the presenting symptom complex addresses a much more interdisciplinary approach to a symptom-oriented diagnostic algorithm. The diagnostic structures of the chest pain units in Germany do not currently reflect this. An adaptation should therefore be considered.

Survey of clinical practice pattern in Germany's certified chest pain units : Adherence to the European Society of Cardiology guidelines on non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to analyze the 2020 standard of care in certified German chest pain units (CPU) with a special focus on non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) through a voluntary survey obtained from all certified units, using a prespecified questionnaire. METHODS: The assessment included the collection of information on diagnostic protocols, risk assessment, management and treatment strategies in suspected NSTE-ACS, the timing of invasive therapy in non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and the choice of antiplatelet therapy. RESULTS: The response rate was 75%. Among all CPUs, 77% are currently using the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 0/3­h high-sensitive troponin protocol, and only 20% use the ESC 0/1­h high-sensitive troponin protocol as a default strategy. Conventional ergometry is still the commonly performed stress test with a utilization rate of 47%. Among NSTEMI patients, coronary angiography is planned within 24 h in 96% of all CPUs, irrespective of the day of the week. Prasugrel is the P2Y12 inhibitor of choice in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but despite the impact of the ISAR-REACT 5 trial on selection of antiplatelet therapy, ticagrelor is still favored over prasugrel in NSTE-ACS. If triple therapy is used in NSTE-ACS with atrial fibrillation, it is maintained up to 4 weeks in 51% of these patients. CONCLUSION: This survey provides evidence that Germany's certified CPUs ensure a high level of guideline adherence and quality of care. The survey also identified areas in need of improvement such as the high utilization rate of stress electrocardiogram (ECG).

Impact of sex differences on outcomes in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation undergoing left atrial appendage closure: A single-center experience.

Female patients affected by non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) have a higher risk of stroke compared with male patients. Left atrial appendage (LAA) closure has been demonstrated as a reasonable alternative to warfarin therapy for stroke prevention in patients with NVAF. However, the impact of sex-related differences on outcomes in patients undergoing LAA closure (LAAC) remains unclear. Our study investigated the differences in LAAC efficacy and safety endpoints between sexes. 387 consecutive patients undergoing WATCHMAN device implantation were enrolled and stratified by sex. Baseline clinical characteristics, procedural data, severe peri-procedural complications and long-term outcomes were compared between men and women. Measurements of LAA width and depth, device implantation success rate, and the frequency of severe peri-procedural complications were comparable between the two groups. After an average follow-up length of two years post LAAC, no significant differences were observed in the risks for composite thromboembolic events (P = 0.096), major bleeding (P = 0.129), and combined primary (co-primary) efficacy events (P = 0.231) between sexes, but the risk of all-cause death decreased significantly in women compared with men (P = 0.045). After performing propensity matching adjustment for residual confounders, the sex-related differences in the cumulative ratio of freedom from all-cause death did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.062), as was also observed with the cumulative ratio of freedom from composite thromboembolic events (P = 0.104), major bleeding (P = 0.134), and co-primary efficacy events (P = 0.241). The observed annual rate of thromboembolic events was significantly decreased by 67.1% (P < 0.01) and 52.5% (P < 0.05) and the observed annual rate of bleeding was reduced by 33.6% (P < 0.05) and 43.5% (P < 0.05) in men and women when compared with the predicted risk based on CHA2DS2VASc score and HAS-BLED score, respectively. LAAC can be considered as an effective and safe strategy in preventing thromboembolic events and decreasing bleeding risks in NVAF patients, regardless of sex. LAAC appears to normalize the sex-specific differences in NVAF patients both in terms of safety and efficacy.

[Comparison between chest pain units and stroke units : Essential components of the vascular emergency care system: comparison of structure, certification process, quality benchmarking and reimbursement]. / Vergleich von Chest Pain Units und Stroke Units : Elementare Bausteine der vaskulären Akutversorgung: Vergleich von Struktur, Zertifizierung, Qualitätserfassung und Vergütung.

BACKGROUND: Chest pain units (CPU) and stroke units (SU) have both become established as essential components of clinical emergency care. For both instances dedicated certification processes are installed. Up to summer 2020, 290 CPUs and 335 SUs have been successfully certified. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to compare the structures and the current certification situation of CPUs and SUs. Also, the younger CPU certification process is compared to the long established SU certification standard. MATERIAL UND METHODS: The comparison includes the historical background, the certification process, quality benchmarking, possible additive structures, the current status of certification in Germany, the transfer of the concept to the European level as well as reimbursement issues. RESULTS: Both certification concepts show clear analogies. Evidence for SUs is supported by a positive Cochrane analysis and for CPUs there are many studies from the German CPU registry. The main differences include a uniform CPU system versus a multistep SU system of certification. Furthermore, SU have obligatory elements of quality documentation but only facultative quality indicator assessment for CPUs. From an economic viewpoint operation and procedural key (OPS) numbers guarantee a better reflection of the use of resources in the complex treatment of stroke, which could not yet be established for CPUs. CONCLUSION: The well-established CPU concept could additionally benefit from a superordinate quality control. Adequate quality benchmarking appears to be fundamental for gap analyses and for the establishment of a separate remuneration structure. In this respect the German Society for Cardiology as the certifying institution is required to establish an appropriate mechanism within the framework of regular updates of criteria.

Efficacy and safety of left atrial appendage closure in non-valvular atrial fibrillation in patients over 75 years.

Percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) may decrease risks of stroke and bleeding in elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), but it is still lacking of evidence. The present study aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of LAAC in patients with NVAF over 75 years. 351 patients with NVAF who underwent LAAC were retrospectively analyzed on the LAAC procedure characteristics and the clinical follow-up according to age (age ≥ 75 years or < 75 years). Out of the 351 patients, LAA were successfully closed in 347 patients (98.9%), including 341 with Watchman (WM) device and 6 with Amplatzer cardiac plug (ACP) device because of the WM device-incompatible anatomy. There were no significant differences in total LAAC success rate and procedure-related major complications within 7 days between the groups aged ≥ 75 years and aged < 75 years. After a nearly 2-year follow-up, there was an increased trend of major bleedings and all bleedings in the group aged ≥ 75 years, but there were no significant differences between both groups in all-cause death, cardiovascular death, stroke/TIA/system embolism, device thrombus and device gap (> 5 mm). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the relative risk of annual thromboembolic events between the observed values and the expected ones based on CHA2DS2-VASc score in the group aged ≥ 75 years decreased more obviously (61.9% vs. 54.3%); however, the relative risk of bleedings between the observed values and the expected ones based on HAS-BLED score in the younger group aged < 75 years decreased more significantly (59.6% vs. 29.2%). LAAC in patients with advanced age (age ≥ 75 years), has the same level of efficacy, safety and feasibility as in the younger patients aged < 75 years. Thus, LAAC may be an ideal choice to prevent stroke in NVAF patients with advanced age.

Pitfalls of cannulation for extracorporeal life support: review of the literature and illustrative case presentation.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and extracorporeal life support (ECLS) are an increasingly established advanced therapy for emerging severe lung and/or cardiocirculatory dysfunction or failure. Several reports have provided evidence for a potential benefit in prognosis by ECLS in cases of cardiogenic shock including cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Routine use in specialized centers reduces the incidence of negative side effects (e.g., vascular/ischemic, embolic, hemorrhagic, hemolytic and, furthermore, septic). Vascular complications like not only limb ischemia but also hypoxia proximal to the cannulation site up to complete sectorial hypoxia called "harlequin phenomenon" could refer to be a major adverse event in ECLS which, therefore, should be limited primarily to cardiocirculatory indications. Here we report on a case with "harlequin phenomenon" after ECLS implementation as a relevant complication of the mode of cannulation and review benefits and risks of commonly used variants of vascular access.

Left atrial appendage closure outcomes in relation to atrial fibrillation patterns: a comprehensive analysis.

Objective: The effect of atrial fibrillation (AF) patterns on outcomes remains controversial. This study aims to evaluate the influence of AF type on the risk of cardiocerebrovascular events after left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) at long-term follow-up. Methods: AF was categorized as paroxysmal AF (PAF) and non-PAF (NPAF). The baseline characteristics, procedural data, peri-procedural complications, and long-term outcomes between patients with PAF and NPAF after LAAC were compared. Results: We analyzed 410 AF patients (mean age 74.8 ± 8.2 years; 271 male; 144 with PAF, 266 NPAF). The NPAF group tended to be older (≥75 years), male, and have chronic kidney disease (CKD) compared with the PAF group. The procedural data and peri-procedural complications were comparable. During 2.2 ± 1.5 years of follow-up, the incidences of thromboembolism, major bleeding, and device-related thrombus (DRT) did not differ between the two groups. The observed risk of thromboembolism and major bleeding was significantly lower than the estimated risk based on the CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores, respectively, in patients who underwent LAAC, regardless of the AF type. NPAF patients were associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality, non-cardiovascular mortality, and combined efficacy endpoints. This association disappeared after propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. Conclusions: The risk of thromboembolism and major bleeding was lower in patients who underwent LAAC, regardless of the AF type. Although NPAF often coexists with multiple risk factors, it was not associated with worse long-term outcomes after LAAC when compared with PAF.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation and four-year follow up in a 99-year-old patient.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as a life-saving therapy in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis who are considered to be high-risk surgical candidates. However, there is a paucity of data on the long-term survival and quality-of-life in very old patients undergoing TAVI. Here, the case is reported of a now 104-year-old patient who underwent percutaneous transfemoral TAVI with a CoreValve prosthesis at the age of 99 years; details of his four-year outcome data are also provided. To best of the authors' knowledge, this patient is the oldest reported to have undergone TAVI, and is currently living with good functional status more than four years after the intervention.

Establishment and progress of the chest pain unit certification process in Germany and the local experiences of Mainz.

The establishment of chest pain units (CPUs) in the USA and UK has led to improvements in the prognosis of patients with chest pain and myocardial infarction, optimizing access to specialized diagnostic and therapeutic facilities and reducing costs. To establish a uniform implementation of this type of service in Germany, the German Cardiac Society (DGK) founded a 'CPU task force' in 2007, which developed a set of standard requirements and a nationwide certification programme. The recommendations for minimum standard requirements were published in 2008. As of November 2011, 132 CPUs were certified and 36 units were in the certification process. The aim of the DGK is to certify as many as 250 centres (units) throughout Germany within the next 2 years, to provide nationwide coverage. Applications from Switzerland are also being filed. Public awareness campaigns in cooperation with national league soccer teams were organized to raise awareness of the importance for early diagnosis and treatment of cardiac diseases and to publicize the existence of these new facilities. The German model of CPU certification allows nationwide and prospectively European-wide standardization of patient care and to improve adherence to international guidelines. Coupled with awareness campaigns and with the launch of a German CPU Registry, this process is aimed at improving the education and treatment of patients with chest pain and to provide scientific information about the quality of patient care.

Sensitive troponin I assay in early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac troponin testing is central to the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. We evaluated a sensitive troponin I assay for the early diagnosis and risk stratification of myocardial infarction. METHODS: In a multicenter study, we determined levels of troponin I as assessed by a sensitive assay, troponin T, and traditional myocardial necrosis markers in 1818 consecutive patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction, on admission and 3 hours and 6 hours after admission. RESULTS: For samples obtained on admission, the diagnostic accuracy was highest with the sensitive troponin I assay (area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve [AUC], 0.96), as compared with the troponin T assay (AUC, 0.85) and traditional myocardial necrosis markers. With the use of the sensitive troponin I assay (cutoff value, 0.04 ng per milliliter) on admission, the clinical sensitivity was 90.7%, and the specificity was 90.2%. The diagnostic accuracy was virtually identical in baseline and serial samples, regardless of the time of chest-pain onset. In patients presenting within 3 hours after chest-pain onset, a single sensitive troponin I assay had a negative predictive value of 84.1% and a positive predictive value of 86.7%; these findings predicted a 30% rise in the troponin I level within 6 hours. A troponin I level of more than 0.04 ng per milliliter was independently associated with an increased risk of an adverse outcome at 30 days (hazard ratio, 1.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.27 to 3.05; P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a sensitive assay for troponin I improves early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction and risk stratification, regardless of the time of chest-pain onset.

Comparative analysis of left atrial appendage closure efficacy and outcomes by CHA2DS2-VASc score group in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Background: Higher CHA2DS2-VASc score is associated with an increased risk of adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), regardless of oral anticoagulation (OAC) status. However, whether this association still exists in patients undergoing left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) is unknown. We evaluated the impact of CHA2DS2-VASc score on LAAC efficacy and outcomes. Methods: A total of 401 consecutive patients undergoing LAAC were included and divided into 3 groups based on CHA2DS2-VASc score (0-2, 3-4, and ≥5). Baseline characteristics, periprocedural complications, and long-term outcomes were collected and compared across all groups. Results: There were no significant differences in implantation success, periprocedural complications, and long-term outcomes across all score groups. Kaplan-Meier estimation showed that the cumulative ratio of freedom from all-cause mortality (P = 0.146), cardiovascular mortality (P = 0.519), and non-cardiovascular mortality (P = 0.168) did not differ significantly by CHA2DS2-VASc score group. LAAC decreased the risks of thromboembolism and major bleeding, resulting in a relative risk reduction (RRR) of 82.4% (P < 0.001) and 66.7% (P < 0.001) compared with expected risks in the overall cohort, respectively. Subgroup analysis indicated that observed risks of thromboembolism and major bleeding were significantly lower than the expected risks in score 3-4 and score ≥5 groups, respectively. The level of RRR increased with CHA2DS2-VASc score (P < 0.001 for trend) for thromboembolism but not for major bleeding (P = 0.2729 for trend). Conclusion: Patients with higher CHA2DS2-VASc score did not experience worse outcomes, which may be partly attributed to more benefits provided by LAAC intervention in such patients compared to those with a low score.

Effect of congestive heart failure on safety and efficacy of left atrial appendage closure in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the influence of congestive heart failure (CHF) on safety and efficacy of left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients. METHODS: A total of 401 patients who consecutively underwent LAAC with Watchman and LAmbre devices were divided into CHF (85 cases) and non-CHF (316 cases) groups. Comparisons between groups were performed against data. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in implantation success and periprocedural complication rates between the two groups. During a mean 2.2 years of follow-up, the incidence rate of thromboembolism, major bleeding, device-related thrombus, and non-cardiovascular death was comparable. However, patients with CHF had significantly increased risk of all-cause death (P = 0.015), cardiovascular death (P = 0.014), and combined efficacy endpoints (P = 0.02). After performing propensity score matching, the risk of all-cause death (P = 0.01), cardiovascular death (P = 0.01), and combined efficacy endpoints (P = 0.006) was still higher. The logistic regression analyses identified CHF (OR: 3.642, 95% CI: 1.296-10.232, P = 0.014) as an independent predictor of cardiovascular death. CONCLUSIONS: Implantation of atrial appendage occluder is effective and safe in NVAF patients with CHF. The increased risk of mortality and combined efficacy endpoints in patients with CHF versus non-CHF after LAAC may be associated with the high risk of CHF itself.

Onset of heart failure determines the hepatic cell death pattern.

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE: Acute and chronic heart failure (HF) may affect the liver, but the underlying mechanisms that lead to progressive liver damage are poorly understood. The hepatic cytokeratin-18 (CK18) epitopes M65 and M30 have been reported to distinguish between overall (necrotic) and apoptotic cell death, respectively. We aimed to evaluate the predominant hepatic cell death pattern in acute vs. chronic heart failure and examined if these assays predict the course of the disease. MAIN RESULTS: In a prospective study comprising 21 patients with acute HF (AHF) and 18 patients with chronic HF (CHF) serum levels of M65 and M30 were assessed. Compared with CHF, M65 levels were significantly increased in patients with AHF (CHF: 1,283 ± 591.6U/l vs. AHF: 20,912 ± 15,132U/l, p < 0.001). In addition, M30 levels were significantly increased in AHF (CHF: 642.2 ± 177.4U/l vs. AHF: 3,844 ± 5,293U/l, p < 0.05), but the M30/M65 ratio was significantly higher in CHF (CHF: 0.54 ± 0.15 vs. AHF: 0.20 ± 0.19, p < 0.001), indicating a greater contribution of apoptotic cell death in CHF. AHF patients with higher M30 values had a worse prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: The ratio of CK18 M30/M65 is a potential marker to discriminate AHF from CHF induced LF and M30 might be a prognostic marker for survival in AHF induced liver injury.

Safety and effectiveness of left atrial appendage closure in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation and prior major bleeding.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate safety and effectiveness of left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) in atrial fibrillation patients with prior major bleeding. METHODS: A total of 377 consecutive patients scheduled for LAAC with Watchman device were divided into bleeding group (n = 137) and non-bleeding group (n = 240). Data were compared between groups. RESULTS: The bleeding group had more patients ≥75 years old (P = 0.044), higher CHA2DS2-VASc (P = 0.029) and HAS-BLED scores (P = 0.001) than the non-bleeding group. During the long-term follow-up, except for thromboembolism event (P = 0.031), the incidences of major bleeding  , all-cause death  , co-primary efficacy events  , and the cumulative survival ratio after adjustment of confounding factors    were comparable. The observed thromboembolism rate was reduced by 86.3% (P = 0.0002) and 55.1% (P = 0.0293) and the observed major bleeding rate was decreased by 61.9% (P = 0.0393) and 35.7% (P = 0.2426) compared with expected risks in bleeding and non-bleeding groups, respectively. The risk reduction in thromboembolism and major bleeding were significantly greater in bleeding group versus non-bleeding group (all P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with prior bleeding, LAAC is a safe and effective alternative to anticoagulation therapy and seems to emerge as a higher efficacy in risk reduction of thromboembolism and major bleeding compared to those without prior bleeding.

Left Atrial Appendage Closure Yields Favorable Cardio- and Cerebrovascular Outcomes in Patients With Non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation and Prior Stroke.

Introduction: Patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and previous stroke are at significantly higher risk of stroke recurrence. Data on the efficacy of left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) on these patients is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences of LAAC efficacy on long-term cardio- and cerebrovascular outcomes in NVAF patients with vs. without prior stroke. Methods: Three hundred and seventy consecutive NVAF patients who underwent LAAC were enrolled and divided into stroke and non-stroke groups based on history of previous stroke. Endpoints, such as thromboembolism, major bleeding, and mortality post-LAAC, were followed up among groups. Results: Patients in the stroke group had higher mean CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores compared to the non-stroke group (5.1 vs. 3.6 and 4.1 vs. 3.4, both P < 0.001, respectively). Over a median follow-up of 2.2 years, there were no significant differences in incidence rates of thromboembolism, device-related thrombus (DRT), major bleeding, and combined efficacy endpoints between the two groups. In both stroke and non-stroke groups, LAAC decreased the risk of thromboembolism [relative risk reduction (RRR) 87.5%, P = 0.034, and 74.6%, P = 0.004, respectively] and major bleeding (RRR 68.8%, P = 0.034, and 68.6%, P = 0.007, respectively) compared with predicted risk. The RRR in thromboembolism was greater in patients with vs. without prior stroke (OR 2.45, 95% CI: 1.20-5.12, P = 0.016). The incidence rates of all-cause mortality and non-cardiovascular death were similar between the two groups, but the risks of cardiovascular death post-LAAC both before (1.4% vs. 8.1%, respectively, P = 0.038) and after adjustment for confounding factors (P = 0.048) were significantly decreased in the stroke group. Conclusions: Patients with vs. without prior stroke did not exhibit a worse clinical prognosis after LAAC. LAAC may provide an increased benefit in cardio-cerebrovascular outcomes in patients with previous stroke compared to those without previous stroke. Further research is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of LAAC in this field.

Total numbers and in-hospital mortality of patients with myocardial infarction in Germany during the FIFA soccer world cup 2014.

Environmental stress like important soccer events can induce excitation, stress and anger. We aimed to investigate (i) whether the FIFA soccer world cup (WC) 2014 and (ii) whether the soccer games of the German national team had an impact on total numbers and in-hospital mortality of patients with myocardial infarction (MI) in Germany. We analyzed data of MI inpatients of the German nationwide inpatient sample (2013-2015). Patients admitted due to MI during FIFA WC 2014 (12th June-13th July2014) were compared to those during the same period 2013 and 2015 (12th June-13th July). Total number of MI patients was higher during WC 2014 than in the comparison-period 2013 (18,479 vs.18,089, P < 0.001) and 2015 (18,479 vs.17,794, P < 0.001). WC was independently associated with higher MI numbers (2014 vs. 2013: OR 1.04 [95% CI 1.01-1.07]; 2014 vs. 2015: OR 1.07 [95% CI 1.04-1.10], P < 0.001). Patient characteristics and in-hospital mortality rate (8.3% vs. 8.3% vs. 8.4%) were similar during periods. In-hospital mortality rate was not affected by games of the German national team (8.9% vs. 8.1%, P = 0.110). However, we observed an increase regarding in-hospital mortality from 7.9 to 9.3% before to 12.0% at final-match-day. Number of hospital admissions due to MI in Germany was 3.7% higher during WC 2014 than during the same 31-day period 2015. While in-hospital mortality was not affected by the WC, the in-hospital mortality was highest at WC final.

Liver transplantation and combined liver-heart transplantation in patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy: a single-center experience.

Liver transplantation (LT) is the only curative option for patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) at present. Twenty patients with FAP underwent LT between May 1998 and June 2007. Transthyretin mutations included predominantly the Val30Met mutation but also 10 other mutations. Seven patients received a pacemaker prior to LT, and because of impairment of mechanical cardiac function, 4 combined heart-liver transplants were performed, 1 simultaneously and 3 sequentially. The first patient, who underwent simultaneous transplantation, died. Seven patients died after LT, with 5 dying within the first year after transplantation. The causes of death were cardiac complications (4 patients), infections (2 patients), and malnutrition (1 patient). One-year survival was 75.0%, and 5-year survival was 64.2%. Gly47Glu and Leu12Pro mutations showed an aggressive clinical manifestation: 2 patients with the Gly47Glu mutation, the youngest patients of all the non-Val30Met patients, suffered from severe cardiac symptoms leading to death despite LT. Two siblings with the Leu12Pro mutation, who presented only with grand mal seizures, died after LT because of sepsis. In conclusion, the clinical course in patients with FAP is very variable. Cardiac symptoms occurred predominantly in patients with non-Val30Met mutations and prompted combined heart-liver transplantation in 4 patients. Although early LT in Val30Met is indicated in order to halt the typical symptoms of polyneuropathy, additional complications occurring predominantly with other mutations may prevail and lead to life-threatening complications or a fatal outcome. Combined heart-liver transplantation should be considered in patients with restrictive cardiomyopathy.

[Ivabradine - a new therapeutic option for cardiogenic shock?]. / Ivabradin - eine neue Therapieoption bei kardiogenem Schock?

Documented mortality from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has significantly decreased from around 30% in the 1960s to currently 6-7%, following the introduction of intensive-care treatment, thrombolysis, effective antithrombotic therapy, and coronary angioplasty. However, the approximate mortality of 70-80% of patients with cardiogenic shock following AMI has hardly improved despite the introduction of modern treatment strategies. The major cause of in-hospital AMI mortality remains myocardial failure with consecutive cardiogenic shock and multiorgan failure. Reduction of heart rate is one of the most important energy-saving maneuvers, which can be achieved by administration of beta-receptor-blocking agents. In patients with clinical signs of hypotension, however, the guidelines recommend to stabilize the patient before administering an oral beta-receptor blocker, mainly because of the hypotensive effects of the substance class. In this situation, selective heart rate reduction, e.g., via administration of ivabradine without side effects of hypotension may be advantageous and better tolerated in patients with cardiogenic shock. The aim of the present review is to briefly summarize the treatment options of cardiogenic shock and the mechanisms of action of ivabradine as well as to present a case report of a patient with cardiogenic shock due to main trunk occlusion, where treatment with ivabradine seemed to beneficially influence the outcome.

[Acute thoracic pain: Chest Pain Unit - the certification campaign of the German Society of Cardiology]. / Akuter Thoraxschmerz: Chest-Pain-Unit - die Zertifizierungskampagne der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Kardiologie.

The Chest Pain Unit (CPU) Task Force of the German Society of Cardiology inaugurated elaborated prerequisites for a CPU certification program to evaluate CPUs across the country. For this reason, a consensus document including criteria for CPUs was developed and published in October 2008. Aim of this effort is to ensure a network of elaborated centers which meet or exceed quality-of-care measures in order to improve the standard of care of patients with acute thoracic pain. After application and a formal checkup of the institution, the minimum requirements are assessed by an expert committee of the German Society of Cardiology according to presubmitted documentation of the care processes for patients with acute thoracic pain. Components of certification include characteristic locations, equipment, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, cooperations, staff education, and organization. Certification specifically implies algorithms for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, unstable angina, stable angina, hypertensive crisis, acute pulmonary embolism, acute aortic syndrome, cardiogenic shock, and resuscitation. Availability of a catheter laboratory ready within the facility is mandatory. The CPU and the cath lab are obliged to be available 24 h per day over 365 days per year. After successful documentation review, a certification audit team reviews the facility's application, infrastructure, patient care, and each of the requirements according to the consensus document on site and makes recommendations to the expert committee. Certification is finally awarded by the expert committee of the German Society of Cardiology to those CPUs which fulfill the dedicated requirements and successfully run through the complete certification process. Within this process, CPUs can plan and organize the delivery of care in a systematic manner, and the differentiation between minimum requirements and best practice allows further developments and innovations.