Impact of Climate on the Incidence of Acute Coronary Syndrome　- Differences Between Japan and Thailand.

Background: Although there are many reports of temperature being associated with the onset of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), few studies have examined differences in ACS due to climatic differences between Japan and Thailand. The aim of this joint Japan-Thailand study was to compare patients with myocardial infarction in Japanese and Thai hospitals in different climates. Methods and Results: We estimated the climate data in 2021 for the Wakayama Prefecture and Chonburi Province, two medium-sized cities in Japan and Thailand, respectively, and ACS patients who were treated at the Wakayama Medical University (WMU) and Burapha University Hospital (BUH), the two main hospitals in these provinces (ACS patient numbers: WMU, n=177; BUH, n=93), respectively. In the Chonburi Province, although the average temperature was above 25℃, the number of ACS cases in BUH varied up to threefold between months (minimum: July, 4 cases; maximum: October, 14 cases). In Japan and Thailand, there was a mild to moderate negative correlation between temperature-atmospheric pressure at the onset of ACS, but different patterns for temperature-humidity (temperature-atmospheric pressure, temperature-humidity, and atmospheric pressure-humidity: correlation index; r=-0.561, 0.196, and -0.296 in WMU vs. r=-0.356, -0.606, and -0.502 in BUH). Conclusions: The present study suggests that other climatic conditions and factors, not just temperature, might be involved in the mechanism of ACS.

Low Energy Intake Diagnosed Using the Harris-Benedict Equation Is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Elderly Heart Failure Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Insufficient nutrient intake is a strong independent predictor of mortality in elderly patients with heart failure. However, it is unclear to what extent energy intake affects their prognosis. This study investigated the association between patient outcomes and actual measured energy intake in elderly patients (≥65 years) with heart failure. METHODS: This study enrolled 139 elderly patients who were hospitalized with worsening heart failure at Shingu Municipal Medical Center, Shingu, Japan, between May 2017 and April 2018. Energy intake was evaluated for three days (from three days prior to the day of discharge until the day of discharge). Based on basal energy expenditure calculated using the Harris-Benedict equation, the patients were classified into a low-energy group (n = 38) and a high-energy group (n = 101). We assessed the prognosis in terms of both all-cause mortality and readmission due to worsening heart failure as a primary outcome. RESULTS: Compared to the patients in the high-energy group, the patients in the low-energy group were predominantly female, less frequently had smoking habits and ischemic heart diseases, and had a higher left ventricular ejection fraction. The low-energy group had higher mortality than the high-energy group (p = 0.028), although the two groups showed equivalent event rates of the primary outcome (p = 0.569). CONCLUSION: Calculations based on the Harris-Benedict equation revealed no significant difference in the primary outcome between the two groups, with a secondary outcome that showed worse mortality in the low-energy group. Given this result, energy requirement-based assessments using the Harris-Benedict equation might help in the management of elderly heart failure patients in terms of improved life outcomes.

Transvenous permanent pacemaker implantation after debranching thoracic endovascular aortic repair; A case series.

Debranching thoracic endovascular aortic repair may disturb the implantation of a cardiac implantable electronic device in the anterior thoracic region. In case 1, the bypass graft between the right axillary artery, left axillary artery, and left common carotid artery disturbed pacemaker implantation from the left anterior thoracic region. Therefore, right-sided implantation was selected. By contrast, in case 2, the bypass graft between axillary arteries in the anterior thoracic region was visible on fluoroscopy, and we performed conventional left-sided pacemaker implantation with extra-thoracic puncture. The pacemaker implantations were successful in both cases. The implantation strategies were affected by the number of debranched arteries and visibility of the bypass graft.

Diagnostic significance of paradoxical left ventricular hypertrophy in detecting cardiac amyloidosis.

Background: Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) progresses rapidly with a poor prognosis. Therefore, methods for early diagnosis that are easily accessible in any hospital, are required. We hypothesized that based on the pathology of CA, morphological left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) without electrical augmentation, namely paradoxical LVH, could be used to diagnose CA. This study aimed to investigate whether paradoxical LVH has diagnostic significance in identifying CA in patients with LVH. Methods: Patients who presented with left ventricular (LV) wall thickness ≥ 12 mm on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) were enrolled from a multicentre CMR registry. Paradoxical LVH was defined as a LV wall thickness ≥ 12 mm on CMR, SV1 + RV5 < 3.5 mV, and a lack of secondary ST-T abnormalities. The diagnostic significance of paradoxical LVH in identifying CA was assessed. Results: Of the 110 patients enrolled, 30 (27 %) were diagnosed with CA and 80 (73 %) with a non-CA aetiology. The CA group demonstrated paradoxical LVH more frequently than the non-CA group (80 % vs. 16 %, P < 0.001). It was an independent predictor for detecting CA in patients with LVH (odds ratio: 33.44, 95 % confidence interval: 8.325-134.3, P < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predict value, negative predict value and accuracy of paradoxical LVH for CA detection were 80 %, 84 %, 65 %, 92 % and 83 %, respectively. Conclusions: Paradoxical LVH can be used for identifying CA in patients with LVH. Our findings could contribute to the early diagnosis of CA, even in non-specialized hospitals.

Impact of tag index and local electrogram for successful first-pass cavotricuspid isthmus ablation.

Background: The optimal ablation index (AI) value for cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation is unknow. Objective: This study investigated the optimal AI value and whether preassessment of local electrogram voltage of CTI could predict first-pass success of ablation. Methods: Voltage maps of CTI were created before ablation. In the preliminary group, the procedure was performed in 50 patients targeting an AI ≥450 on the anterior side (two-thirds segment of CTI) and AI ≥400 on the posterior side (one-third segment of CTI). The modified group also included 50 patients, but the target AI for the anterior side was modified to ≥500. Results: In the modified group, the first-pass rate of success was higher (88% vs 62%; P < .01) than in the preliminary group, and there were no differences in the average bipolar and unipolar voltages at the CTI line. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that ablation with an AI ≥500 on the anterior side was the only independent predictor (odds ratio 4.17; 95% confidence interval 1.44-12.05; P < .01). The bipolar and unipolar voltages were higher at sites without conduction block than at sites with conduction block (both P < .01). The cutoff values for predicting conduction gap were ≥1.94 mV and ≥2.33 mV with areas under the curve of 0.655 and 0.679, respectively. Conclusions: CTI ablation with a target AI >500 on the anterior side was shown to be more effective than an AI >450, and local voltage at a conduction gap was higher than without a conduction gap.

Impact of pulmonary vein anatomy and left atrial size on postoperative atrial fibrillation after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after esophagectomy and pre-existing cardiac substrate. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 212 consecutive patients from between July 2010 and December 2022 who were scheduled to undergo esophagectomy for esophageal cancer without previous history of atrial fibrillation. All the patients underwent both echocardiography and contrast-enhanced multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT). RESULTS: POAF occurred in 49 patients (23.1%). Multivariable logistic analysis demonstrated that independent predictors for POAF were age [OR; 1.06 (1.01-1.10), P < 0.01), three-field lymph node dissection [OR; 2.55 (1.25-5.23), P < 0.01), left atrial dilatation (> 35 mm) assessment by echocardiography [OR; 3.05 (1.49-6.25), P < 0.01) and common left pulmonary vein [OR; 3.03 (1.44-6.39), P < 0.01). The correlation coefficient was high for left atrial dimensions assessed by echocardiography and MDCT (r = 0.91, P < 0.01). Combination of left atrial dilatation by echocardiography and common left pulmonary vein had high odds ratio [OR; 8.10 (2.62-25.96), P < 0.01). Instead of echocardiographic assessment, combination of left atrial enlargement (> 35 mm) assessed by MDCT and common left pulmonary vein also showed high odds ratio for POAF [OR; 11.23 [2.19-57.63], P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Incidence of POAF after esophagectomy was related to both left atrial enlargement and common left pulmonary vein assessed by preoperative MDCT. Additional analysis of atrial size and pulmonary vein variation would facilitate preoperative assessment of the risk of POAF, but future studies must ascertain therapeutic strategy.

Prognostic value of Toll-like receptor 4 on human monocyte subsets combined with computed tomography-adapted Leaman score assessing coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Upregulation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) is associated with coronary plaque vulnerability assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Computed tomography-adapted Leaman score (CT-LeSc) is an independent long-term predictor of cardiac events. The relationship between the TLR-4 expression of CD14 ++ CD16 + monocytes and future cardiac events is unknown. We investigated this relationship using CT-LeSc in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: We analyzed 61 patients with CAD who underwent CCTA. Three monocyte subsets (CD14 ++ CD16 - , CD14 ++ CD16 + , and CD14 + CD16 + ) and the expression of TLR-4 were measured by flow cytometry. We divided the patients into two groups according to the best cutoff value of the TLR-4 expression on CD14 + CD16 + which could predict future cardiac events. RESULTS: CT-LeSc was significantly greater in the high TLR-4 group than the low TLR-4 group [9.61 (6.70-13.67) vs. 6.34 (4.27-9.09), P  < 0.01]. The expression of TLR-4 on CD14 ++ CD16 + monocytes was significantly correlated with CT-LeSc ( R2  = 0.13, P  < 0.01). The expression of TLR-4 on CD14 ++ CD16 + monocytes was significantly higher in patients who had future cardiac events than in those who did not [6.8 (4.5-9.1) % vs. 4.2 (2.4-7.6) %, P  = 0.04]. High TLR-4 expression on CD14 ++ CD16 + monocytes was an independent predictor for future cardiac events ( P  = 0.01). CONCLUSION: An increase in the TLR-4 expression on CD14 ++ CD16 + monocytes is related to the development of future cardiac events.

Relationship between postoperative atrial fibrillation and its recurrence after lung resection.

PURPOSE: Atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently occurs after pulmonary resection and is commonly referred to as postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF). This study explored whether or not POAF is related to the recurrence of AF in the chronic phase. METHODS: A total of 1311 consecutive patients without a history of AF who underwent lung resection based on a diagnosis of lung tumor were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: POAF occurred in 46 patients (3.5%), and a logistic regression analysis revealed that the age (p < 0.05), history of hyperthyroidism (p < 0.05), and major lung resection (p < 0.05) were independent predictors of POAF. AF events in the chronic phase were observed in 15 (32.6%) and 45 (3.6%) patients with and without POAF, respectively. A Cox regression analysis revealed that POAF was the only independent predictor of AF development in the chronic phase (p < 0.01). The Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test revealed that the cumulative incidence of AF in the chronic phase was significantly higher in patients with POAF than in those without POAF (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: POAF was an independent predictor for AF in the chronic phase after lung resection. Further investigations including cases of catheter ablation and optimal medical therapy for patients with POAF after lung resection are needed.

Cryoablation for atrial tachycardia with cycle length variability originating from the vicinity of the sinus node.

This case is about atrial tachycardia with cycle length variability originating from the vicinity of the sinus node and diagnostic pacing maneuvers to assess the tachycardia circuit were not achieved. Activation mapping revealed that the origin of atrial tachycardia was 15 mm away from the sinus node and the phrenic nerve was captured by pacing at the posterior portion of atrial tachycardia. A multipolar catheter was placed in the right brachiocephalic vein to capture the right phrenic nerve by pacing. The absence of phrenic nerve palsy was confirmed by palpation of constant diaphragmatic movement. The cryoablation could be safely and efficiently performed without ablation-induced injury of sinus node and phrenic nerve palsy by confirming constant diaphragmatic movement. The efficacy of cryoablation in the vicinity of the conduction system and phrenic nerve will be increasingly confirmed in the future. Learning Objective: Cryoablation for atrial tachycardia might be more safe and effective in terms of ablation-induced injury of conduction system and phrenic nerve palsy compared with conventional radiofrequency ablation when diagnostic pacing maneuvers are not able to estimate the circuit due to variability of tachycardia cycle length.

Prevalence of low-attenuation plaques and statin therapy in plaque rupture type of acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: We sought to investigate the differences in coronary plaque morphology on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and medical therapy between acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD). We also explored the relationship between plaque morphology on CCTA at the initial phase and lesion morphology in the acute phase of ACS. METHODS: In 5967 patients who underwent invasive coronary angiography, 58 ACS and 91 SIHD patients who had prior CCTA imaging of the culprit lesion and denied ischemic heart disease at CCTA scanning were enrolled. RESULTS: Although the prevalence of positive remodeling was not different (P = 0.27), low-attenuation plaques (LAP) on prior CCTA were significantly higher in ACS than in SIHD (52% vs. 24%, P < 0.01). The frequency of coronary stenosis grading did not differ between the two groups (P = 0.14). In ACS patients, the frequencies of plaque rupture and lipid-rich plaque assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) were significantly higher in LAP than in non-LAP (73% vs. 23%, P < 0.01; 82% and 23%, P < 0.01). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that statin use and LAP on prior CCTA were predictors of future ACS events (P < 0.01, and P < 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: LAP on CCTA, not positive arterial remodeling, and lack of statin therapy were associated with ACS development. In addition, LAP more frequently led to the development of the plaque rupture type of ACS compared with non-LAP. Lipid-lowering therapy with statins might be useful to prevent plaque rupture in patients with LAP regardless of coronary stenosis.

Risk Factors for Chronic Atrial Fibrillation Development After Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the prognosis of patients with postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF), aiming to elucidate predictors of occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the chronic phase after esophagectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 415 consecutive patients between July 2010 and December 2021 who were scheduled to undergo esophagectomy for esophageal cancer and had no previous history of AF. RESULTS: POAF occurred in 73 patients (18%). Their ages were higher than those without POAF (72 [66-77] vs 68 [62-75], P < 0.01). Three-field lymph node dissection was more frequent in patients with POAF (63% vs 50%, P = 0.04). Overall survival rates were not significantly different between those with and without POAF in patients with stage III/IV cancer (P = 0.37), but overall survival rate of patients with POAF was lower than in those without POAF in stage I/II cancer (P = 0.03). Seventeen patients (4.1%) had recurrence of AF or new onset 31 days after esophagectomy. POAF was the only independent predictor of AF development in the chronic phase (HR: 4.09, 95%CI: [1.42-11.74], P = 0.01). AF development in the chronic phase was observed in 8 patients (11.0%) with and 9 patients (2.6%) without POAF (P < 0.01). AF development rates were not significantly different in patients with stage III/IV cancer (P = 0.05), but there was significant difference in patients with stage I/II cancer (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The occurrence of POAF after esophagectomy is related with future development of AF and overall survival prognosis. Future studies must ascertain optimal therapeutic strategy.

Serial changes of coronary flow reserve over one year after transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Background: Impaired coronary flow reserve (CFR) portends a poor prognosis in patients with aortic stenosis. The present study aims to investigate how CFR changes over one year after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in patients with severe aortic stenosis, and to explore factors related to the changes. Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing TAVI were registered. CFR in the left anterior descending artery was measured by transthoracic echocardiography on three occasions pre-TAVI, one-day post-TAVI, and one-year post-TAVI. Results: A total of 59 patients were enrolled, 46 of whom completed one-year follow-up. CFR was impaired in 35 (59.3%) patients pre-TAVI, but the impairment was only seen in 2 patients (4%) one-year post-TAVI. CFR value improved from 1.75 (1.50-2.10) cm/s pre-TAVI, to 2.00 (1.70-2.30) one-day post-TAVI, and further to 2.60 (2.30-3.10) one-year post-TAVI (P < 0.001). The median difference in CFR between pre-TAVI and one-year post-TAVI was 0.90 (0.53-1.20). Patients with significant improvement of CFR (more than the median value of 0.9) had larger aortic valve area (1.55 [1.38-1.92] vs. 1.36 cm2 [1.26-1.69], P = 0.042) and greater improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (3.10 [-1.67-4.24] vs. -1.46 [-3.42-1.48] percentage points, P = 0.019) than those without. Conclusions: CFR is impaired in a considerable proportion of patients with severe aortic stenosis, but improvement is seen immediately after TAVI, and one year later. Patients with significant improvement of CFR had larger aortic valve area and greater increase in left ventricular ejection fraction after TAVI.

Effect of Atherectomy on Lesion Preparation in Heavily Calcified Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of heavily calcified lesions remains challenging. This study examined whether calcified lesion preparation is better with an ablation-based than balloon-based technique. Methods and Results: Results of lesion preparations with and without atherectomy devices were compared in 121 patients undergoing optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided PCI of heavily calcified lesions. Lesion preparation was performed with the ablation-based technique in 59 patients (atherectomy group) and with the balloon-based technique in 62 patients (balloon group). Lower grades of angiographic coronary dissections (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [NHLBI] classification) occurred in the atherectomy than balloon group (atherectomy group: none, 33%; NHLBI A, 59%; B, 8%; C, 0%; D, 0%; balloon group: none, 1%; NHLBI A, 24%; B, 58%; C, 15%; D, 2%). On OCT, a large dissection was less common (49% vs. 90%; P<0.001) and calcium fractures were more frequent (75% vs. 18%; P<0.001) in the atherectomy than balloon group. In multivariable analyses, the ablation-based technique was associated with a lower grade of angiographic coronary dissection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.04; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01-0.12; P<0.001), a lower incidence of OCT-detected large dissection (aOR 0.09; 95% CI 0.03-0.30; P<0.001), and a higher incidence of OCT-detected calcium fracture (aOR 18.19; 95% CI 6.45-58.96; P<0.001). Conclusions: The ablation-based technique outperformed the balloon-based technique in the lesion preparation of heavily calcified lesions.

Vascular Response After Everolimus-Eluting Stent in Acute Myocardial Infarction Caused by Calcified Nodule.

BACKGROUND: Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) caused by calcified nodules (CN) have worse clinical outcomes following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study investigated the late vascular response after everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with AMI caused by CN, by comparing with plaque rupture (PR) and plaque erosion (PE).Methods and Results: Based on the OCT findings in AMI culprit lesions before PCI, a total of 141 patients were categorized into 3 groups (PR, PE, or CN), and the OCT findings immediately and 10 months after PCI were compared. The frequency of PR, PE, and CN was 85 (60%), 45 (32%), and 11 patients (8%), respectively. In the 10-month follow-up OCT, the frequency of lesions with uncovered struts and lesions with malapposed struts were highest in the CN group, followed by the PR and PE groups (82% vs. 52% vs. 40%, P=0.042 and 73% vs. 26% vs. 16%, P<0.001, respectively). The incidence of intra-stent thrombus, re-appearance of CN within the stent, and target lesion revascularization were higher in the CN group compared with the PR and PE groups (36% vs. 9% vs. 7%, P=0.028; 27% vs. 0% vs. 0%, P<0.001; and 18% vs. 2% vs. 2%, P=0.024, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Late arterial healing response at 10 months after EES implantation in the CN was worse compared with PR and PE in patients with AMI.

Telecardiology in Rural Practice: Global Trends.

The management of cardiovascular diseases in rural areas is plagued by the limited access of rural residents to medical facilities and specialists. The development of telecardiology using information and communication technology may overcome such limitation. To shed light on the global trend of telecardiology, we summarized the available literature on rural telecardiology. Using PubMed databases, we conducted a literature review of articles published from January 2010 to December 2020. The contents and focus of each paper were then classified. Our search yielded nineteen original papers from various countries: nine in Asia, seven in Europe, two in North America, and one in Africa. The papers were divided into classified fields as follows: seven in tele-consultation, four in the telemedical system, four in the monitoring system, two in prehospital triage, and two in tele-training. Six of the seven tele-consultation papers reported the consultation from rural doctors to urban specialists. More reports of tele-consultations might be a characteristic of telecardiology specific to rural practice. Further work is necessary to clarify the improvement of cardiovascular outcomes for rural residents.

Prevalence of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy derived ischemia in coronary lesions with discordant fractional flow reserve and non-hyperemic pressure ratios.

BACKGROUND: Whether a coronary lesion with discordant fractional flow reserve (FFR) and non-hyperemic pressure ratios (NHPRs) causes myocardial ischemia remains unclear. This study investigates the prevalence of myocardial ischemia as assessed by myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) in coronary lesions with discordant FFR and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR), and, additionally, other NHPRs: resting full-cycle ratio (RFR), diastolic pressure ratio (dPR), and resting Pd/Pa. METHODS: A total of 484 coronary arteries in 295 patients with stable coronary artery disease that underwent MPS and invasive physiological pressure measurements were categorized into four groups (FFR+/NHPR+, FFR+/NHPR-, FFR-/NHPR+, and FFR-/NHPR-) using the respective cut-off values of FFR ≤ 0.80, iFR ≤ 0.89, RFR ≤ 0.89, dPR < 0.89, and Pd/Pa ≤ 0.92. The proportions of MPS-derived myocardial ischemia in a relevant myocardial territory were compared between the four groups. RESULTS: In total, 175 (36%), 61(13%), 35(7%) and 213(44%) vessels were classified into FFR+/iFR+, FFR+/iFR-, FFR-/iFR+ and FFR-/iFR- groups, respectively. The FFR+/iFR+ group had the highest proportion of MPS-derived ischemia (70%), followed by the FFR+/iFR- group (38%), the FFR-/iFR+ group (23%), and the FFR-/iFR- group (10%) (P < 0.001). Similar proportions of MPS-derived ischemia were found when RFR. (70%, 34%, 24%, and 10%, P < 0.001), dPR (70%, 38%, 26%, and 10%, P < 0.001), and Pd/Pa (70%, 31%, 22%, and 10%, P < 0.001) were used in place of iFR. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of MPS-derived myocardial ischemia in coronary lesions with discordance between FFR and NHPRs is lower than those with concordantly positive FFR and NHPRs, but higher than those with concordantly negative FFR and NHPRs.

No-reflow phenomenon and in vivo cholesterol crystals combined with lipid core in acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: The release of lipid-laden plaque material subsequent to ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) may contribute to the no-reflow phenomenon. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between in vivo cholesterol crystals (CCs) detected by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and the no-reflow phenomenon after successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute STEMI. METHODS: We investigated 182 patients with STEMI. Based on the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade after PCI, patients were divided into a no-reflow group (n = 31) and a reflow group (n = 151). On OCT, CCs were defined as thin, high-signal intensity regions within a plaque. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine predictors for the no-reflow phenomenon. RESULTS: The prevalence of CCs was higher in the no-reflow group than the reflow group (no-reflow group, 77% vs. reflow group, 53%; p = 0.012). The multivariable logistic model showed that the CC number, lipid arc and ostial lesions were positive independent predictors of no-reflow. The combination of a lipid arc ≥ 139°and CC number ≥ 12 showed good predictive performance for the no-reflow phenomenon (sensitivity, 48%; specificity, 93%; and accuracy, 86%). CONCLUSION: In vivo CCs at the culprit plaque are associated with the no-reflow phenomenon after PCI in patients with STEMI. The combination of the number of CCs and lipid arc can predict the no-reflow phenomenon after PCI with a high accuracy of 86%.

Real-time venography-guided extrathoracic puncture technique for cardiovascular implantable electronic device implantation.

Central venous access is an essential technique for cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) implantation, and the use of axillary vein approach has recently been increasing. This study sought to examine whether real-time venography-guided extrathoracic puncture facilitates the procedure. We retrospectively analyzed 179 consecutive patients who underwent CIED implantation using the axillary vein puncture method. Patients were divided into two groups: the conventional method group (CG, n = 107) and the real-time venography-guided group (RG, n = 82). The application of real-time venography was at the discretion of individual operators. Operators with experience of less than 50 CIED implantations were defined as inexperienced operators in this study. Puncture duration and number of attempts were significantly less in the RG group than in the CG group (283 ± 198 vs. 421 ± 361 s, p < 0.01, and 3.19 ± 2.00 vs. 4.18 ± 2.85, p < 0.01). These benefits of real-time venography were observed in inexperienced operators, but not in experienced operators. In addition, the success rate without extra attempts at puncture was higher in the RG group (54% vs. 32%, p < 0.01). Although the total amount of contrast medium was higher in the RG group (16.3 ± 4.1 mL vs. 11.9 ± 6.6 mL, p < 0.01), serum levels of creatinine pre- and post-operation were not different in the two groups (p = NS). We concluded that real-time venography is a safe and effective method for axillary vein puncture, especially in inexperienced operators.