Strategy to achieve mitral isthmus flutter ablation by radiofrequency: the SHERIFF plan.

BACKGROUND: Achieving mitral isthmus (MI) block can be challenging. This prospective study evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of a systematic strategy comprising three consecutive steps to achieve MI block. METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients (mean (± SD) age 71.4 ± 6.98 years) undergoing ablation of perimitral atrial tachycardia (PMAT) between December 2019 and November 2021 were included. MI was ablated using a systematic strategy comprising up to three consecutive steps: (1) endocardial ablation from the superolateral mitral annulus to the left pulmonary veins; (2) additional epicardial ablation in the coronary sinus (CS) on the opposite side of the endocardial line; and (3) ablation of early activation sites between endocardial and epicardial breakthroughs. RESULTS: MI block was successfully achieved in 19/20 patients (95%). MI block after endocardial radiofrequency ablation alone (step 1) was observed in 7/20 patients (35%). Epicardial ablation within the CS on the other side of the endocardial line (step 2) resulted in bidirectional MI block in three more patients. Endocardial ablation of epicardial conduction was successful for nine additional patients (95% success). At the 12-month follow-up, five patients (25%) displayed recurrence of arrhythmia after a single procedure. One patient had electrical cardioversion for persistent atrial fibrillation. Four patients had a redo procedure for left atrial flutter and only two patients (10%) had conduction across the MI and showed recurrence of PMAT. No complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The three-step ablation strategy resulted in a high rate of acute and durable MI block. PMAT recurrence after a single procedure was 10% at 1-year follow-up.

Micra AV leadless pacemaker implantation after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

BACKGROUND: Transvenous pacemaker (PM) implantation is a complication in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Recently, a second generation of leadless PMs able of atrioventricular (AV) synchronous pacing has been introduced and could be an alternative when ventricular pacing is required after TAVI. Real-world data on Micra AV after TAVI are still lacking. Our aim was to determine the per- and post-procedural outcomes in patients with Micra AV leadless PM implantation after TAVI. METHODS: A total of 20 consecutive patients underwent Micra AV leadless PM implantation after TAVI between November 2020 and June 2021. RESULTS: The main indication for ventricular pacing was high-degree AV block (55% of patients) and left bundle branch block (LBBB) associated with prolonged HV interval (45% of patients). At discharge, mean (SD) ventricular pacing threshold was 0.397 ± 0.11 V at 0.24 ms and ventricular impedance was 709.4 ± 139.1 Ω. At 1-month follow-up, 95% of patients were programmed in VDD pacing mode. Mean (SD) ventricular pacing threshold was 0.448 ± 0.094 V at 0.24 ms. In patients with ventricular> pacing > 90% (n = 5), mean AM-VP was 72.5% ± 8.3%. Pacing threshold at 1 month was not significantly different compared to discharge (p = .1088). Mean (SD) impedance was 631.0 ± 111.9 Ω, which remained stable at discharge (p = .0813). No procedural complications occurred during implantation. At 1-month follow-up, two patients displayed atrial under-sensing. CONCLUSIONS: Micra AV leadless PM implantation after TAVI is associated with a low complication rate and good device performance at 1-month post-implantation.

Thin strut bare metal stents in patients with atrial fibrillation: Is there still a need for BMS?

OBJECTIVES: This observational study assessed the 9-month clinical outcomes in an « all comers ¼ population with a focus on patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) after thin strut bare metal stenting. BACKGROUND: Drug eluting stent (DES) implantation is the treatment of choice for coronary artery disease (CAD) leaving only marginal indications for the use of bare metal stents (BMS). However, selected treatment populations with DES contraindications such as patients who cannot sustain 6-12 months of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) remain candidates for BMS implantations. METHODS: Thin strut bare metal stenting in a priori defined subgroups were investigated in a non-randomized, international, multicenter «all comers¼ observational study. Primary endpoint was the 9-month TLR rate whereas secondary endpoints included the 9-month MACE and procedural success rates. RESULTS: A total of 783 patients of whom 98 patients had AF underwent BMS implantation. Patient age was 70.4 ± 12.8 years. Cardiovascular risk factors in the overall population were male gender (78.2%, 612/783), diabetes (25.2%, 197/783), hypertension (64.1%, 502/783), cardiogenic shock (4.9%, 38/783) and end stage renal disease (4.9%, 38/783). In-hospital MACE was 4.1% (30/783) in the overall population. The 9-month TLR rate was 4.5% (29/645) in the non-AF group and 3.3% (3/90) in the AF group (P = 0.613). At 9 months, the MACE rate in the AF-group and non-AF group was not significantly different either (10.7%, 69/645 vs. 6.7%, 6/90; P = 0.237). Accumulated stroke rates were 0.3% (2/645) in the non-AF subgroup at baseline and 1.1% (1/90) in the AF subgroup (P = 0.264). CONCLUSION: Bare metal stenting in AF patients delivered acceptably low TLR and MACE rates while having the benefit of a significantly shorter DAPT duration in a DES dominated clinical practice. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prognostic value of ischaemia-modified albumin in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes.

BACKGROUND: Ischaemia-modified albumin (IMA) is a new sensitive diagnostic biochemical marker of myocardial ischaemia. The purpose of the study was to analyse the prognostic value of IMA in patients admitted for non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE ACS). METHODS: Consecutive patients admitted for NSTE ACS in our institution were prospectively included. IMA, cardiac troponin I (TnI) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in all patients within 3h of last chest pain. The clinical combined endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) and recurrent ischaemia leading to urgent revascularization. The independent prognostic impact of IMA on occurrence of the combined endpoint during hospitalization and at 1 year was tested by a logistic regression model and was systematically adjusted for other known clinical and biological predictors. RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients were enrolled. Nine (11.4%) patients experienced the combined endpoint during hospitalization and 16 (20.2%) during 1-year follow-up. Median IMA level was significantly higher in patients with MACE during hospitalization (115 [93-126]U/mL versus 100 [42-138]U/mL; p=0.007) and at 1 year (114 [93-126]U/mL versus 97 [42-138]U/mL; p<0.001). After adjustment for conventional prognostic risk factors, IMA remained an independent predictor of MACE both during hospitalization (odds ratio [OR]: 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.16; p=0.03) and at 1 year (hazards ratio [HR]: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.03-1.12; p=0.003). CONCLUSION: Baseline levels of IMA were associated with both short- and long-term cardiovascular (CV) events in patients admitted for NSTE ACS.

High post-treatment platelet reactivity is associated with a high incidence of myonecrosis after stenting for non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes.

High post-treatment platelet reactivity (HPPR=adenosine diphosphate [ADP] 10 microM-induced platelet aggregation >70%) identifies low responders to dual antiplatelet therapy with increased risk of recurrent cardiovascular (CV) events after stenting for non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS). This study was designed to compare the incidence of periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI) after stenting for NSTE-ACS patients between non-responders to dual antiplatelet therapy defined by HPPR and normo-responders. One hundred ninety NSTE-ACS consecutive patients undergoing coronary stenting were included in this prospective study. They received 250 mg aspirin and a 600 mg loading dose of clopidogrel at least 12 hours (h) before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A single post-treatment blood sample was obtained before PCI to analyze maximal intensity of ADP-induced platelet aggregation, and troponin levels were analyzed before PCI, and 12 and 24 h after PCI. Troponin I was considered elevated if >0.4 ng/ml. HPPR was present in 22% of patients (n=42). Periprocedural MI occurred significantly more frequently in patients with HPPR than in the normo-responders (43% vs. 24%, p=0.014). After being correlated with recurrent ischemic events after stenting for NSTE-ACS, the HPPR seems to be also a marker of increased risk of periprocedural MI for NSTE-ACS patients.

Benefit of a 600-mg loading dose of clopidogrel on platelet reactivity and clinical outcomes in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome undergoing coronary stenting.

OBJECTIVES: We analyzed the benefit of a 600-mg clopidogrel loading dose on platelet reactivity and clinical outcomes after stenting for non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE ACS). BACKGROUND: High post-treatment platelet reactivity (HPPR = adenosine diphosphate 10 mumol x l(-1) [ADP]-induced platelet aggregation >70%) is a marker for low responders to dual antiplatelet therapy with increased risk of recurrent cardiovascular (CV) events after stenting for NSTE ACS. METHODS: A total of 292 consecutive NSTE ACS patients undergoing coronary stenting were included and randomly received a 300-mg (n = 146) or 600-mg (n = 146) loading dose of clopidogrel at least 12 h before percutaneous coronary intervention. A single post-treatment blood sample was obtained before percutaneous coronary intervention to analyze maximal intensity of ADP-induced platelet aggregation and platelet surface expression of P-selectin. One-month follow-up CV events were recorded. RESULTS: The ADP-induced platelet aggregation and expression of P-selectin were significantly lower in patients receiving 600 mg than in those receiving 300 mg (mean +/- SD: 50 +/- 19% vs. 61+/- 16%, p < 0.0001 and 0.38 +/- 0.24 arbitrary units vs. 0.60 +/- 0.40 arbitrary units; p < 0.0001 respectively). Persistence of HPPR was less common in patients receiving 600 mg than in those receiving 300 mg (15 vs. 25%, p = 0.03). During the 1-month follow-up, 18 CV events (12%) occurred in the 300-mg group versus 7 (5%) in the 600-mg group (p = 0.02); this difference was not affected by adjustment for conventional CV risk factors (p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: In NSTE ACS patients undergoing coronary stenting, a 600-mg loading dose of clopidogrel shows its benefit on platelet reactivity and clinical prognosis.

Intra-atrial thrombosis and pulmonary embolism complicating pacemaker leads for cardiac resynchronization therapy.

This is the first report of intracardiac thrombi and pulmonary embolism complicating pacemaker leads implanted for cardiac resynchronization therapy. Prompt diagnosis and successful therapy with a thrombolytic agent lead to a favourable outcome. This report suggests that long-term oral anticoagulation should be considered in patients with depressed left ventricular function undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy in order to prevent this potentially serious complication.