Acute Triple Coronary Artery Occlusion Leading to Cardiogenic Shock and Cardiac Arrest Emphasizing the Role of Mechanical Circulatory Support (Escalate before It's Too Late).

We report a case of cardiac arrest in a 38-year-old male with no past medical history who presented as a case of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and coronary angiography showed triple coronary artery thrombosis complicated with cardiogenic shock (CS) that warrants starting on inotropic support and insertion of intra-aortic balloon pump. CS diagnosis with a high likelihood of deterioration was established based on hemodynamics assessment; hence, an early prompt decision for escalation of mechanical circulatory support to Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) was made, which helped to prevent the patient's further deterioration and organ damage. The patient had uneventful VA-ECMO decannulation and was transferred to the ward and discharged after 28 days in stable condition on oral medical therapy and was following up regularly in the cardiology clinic. Therefore, early hemodynamics assessment in acute myocardial infarction CS cases will help predict rapid worsening, which may require prompt escalation of mechanical circulatory support and perhaps improve the outcome.

Percutaneous coronary intervention can be safely performed with left ventricular thrombus without increasing stroke risk: A 5-year retrospective review using real-world data.

INTRODUCTION: Left ventricular thrombus (LVT) increases the risk of ischemic stroke. However, it remains uncertain if the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the confirmed LVT setting further augments the stroke risk. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the risk of stroke among patients with LVT undergoing CAG +/- PCI. METHODS: This retrospective observational cohort study included all the patients encountered with LVT from 1st of April 2015, to 31st of March 2020. The study population was divided into two groups: Longobardo et al. (2018) [1] patients with LVT who underwent CAG +/- PCI; Solheim et al. (2010) [2] patients with LVT who did not undergo CAG +/- PCI. The primary outcome evaluated was stroke during the index admission, and the secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, all-cause mortality, and stroke at 12 months post-discharge. Logistic regression was used to determine the risk of stroke associated with PCI among patients with LVT, and a p-value<0.05 indicated statistical significance. RESULTS: Of the 210 patients included, 119 underwent CAG +/- PCI, while 91 patients did not undergo CAG +/- PCI. Most of the patients were Asian (67%), male (96%), with a mean age of 56 years. Ischemic cardiomyopathy was the primary etiology of LVT in both groups (96% in the CAG +/- PCI group and 80% in non CAG +/- PCI group). During the index admission, stroke among patients with LVT did not differ between the CAG +/- PCI and non CAG +/- PCI groups (5% versus 3.3%; odds ratio (OR) 1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34-6.4, p = 0.539; adjusted OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.09-10.6, p = 0.968). Similarly, in-hospital mortality, all-cause mortality, and stroke at 12 months did not differ between the study groups. CONCLUSION: Performing CAG +/- PCI among patients with LVT was not associated with an increased risk of stroke during admission or within 12 months in comparison to patients who did not undergo CAG +/- PCI, which may reassure cardiologists to perform CAG +/- PCI among patients with LVT safely.

Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair with MitraClip®: A Nationwide Experience.

Background: Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr), using MitraClip®, is a safe and effective procedure for severe mitral valve regurgitation (MR). However, the therapeutic results of MitraClip® in Qatar remain to be elucidated. A total of 25 patients (mean age 60 ± 14.5 years, 64% males) with symptomatic severe MR and prohibitive surgical risks were enrolled in this study. The procedural success rate was 92% to achieve mild residual MR. There was no periprocedural death. All patients experienced significant improvement in heart failure symptoms and MR grade postprocedure with sustained improvement over 1-year follow-up. Conclusion: The TMVr procedure using the MitraClip® device was safe and resulted in meaningful and sustained functional status and echocardiographic parameter improvement.

Severe acute haemolytic anaemia associated with severe methaemoglobinaemia in a G6PD-deficient man.

Methaemoglobin is a form of haemoglobin in which the ferrous (Fe2+) ion contained in the iron-porphyrin complex of haem is oxidised to its ferric (Fe3+) state. Methaemoglobinaemia, the presence of methaemoglobin in the blood, is most commonly treated with methylene blue. However, methylene blue cannot be used in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency as it is ineffective in such patients and it can worsen G6PD deficiency haemolysis. We report the case of a 30-year-old man who presented with clinical features of G6PD deficiency-associated haemolysis and was found to have severe methaemoglobinaemia (35%). He was administered blood transfusions and intravenous ascorbic acid. His methaemoglobinaemia resolved within 24 hours. This case demonstrates the successful management of a patient with severe methaemoglobinaemia in the setting of G6PD deficiency haemolysis. Emergency physicians should be aware of the possible co-occurrence of severe methaemoglobinaemia in a patient with G6PD deficiency haemolysis.