Prognostic Value of Left Atrial Strain in Aortic Stenosis: A Competing Risk Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The role of left atrial (LA) strain as an imaging biomarker in aortic stenosis is not well established. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic performance of phasic LA strain in relation to clinical and echocardiographic variables and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in asymptomatic and minimally symptomatic patients with moderate to severe aortic stenosis and left ventricular ejection fraction > 50%. METHODS: LA reservoir strain (LASr), LA conduit strain (LAScd), and LA contractile strain (LASct) were measured using speckle-tracking echocardiography. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality, heart failure hospitalization, progression to New York Heart Association functional class III or IV, acute coronary syndrome, or syncope. Secondary outcomes 1 and 2 comprised the same end points but excluded acute coronary syndrome and additionally syncope, respectively. The prognostic performance of phasic LA strain cutoffs was evaluated in competing risk analyses, aortic valve replacement being the competing risk. RESULTS: Among 173 patients (mean age, 69 ± 11 years; mean peak transaortic velocity, 4.0 ± 0.8 m/sec), median LASr, LAScd, and LASct were 27% (interquartile range [IQR], 22%-32%), 12% (IQR, 8%-15%), and 16% (IQR, 13%-18%), respectively. Over a median of 2.7 years (IQR, 1.4-4.6 years), the primary outcome and secondary outcomes 1 and 2 occurred in 66 (38%), 62 (36%), and 59 (34%) patients, respectively. LASr < 20%, LAScd < 6%, and LASct < 12% were identified as optimal cutoffs of the primary outcome. In competing risk analyses, progressing from echocardiographic to echocardiographic-clinical and combined models incorporating N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, LA strain parameters outperformed other key echocardiographic variables and significantly predicted clinical outcomes. LASr < 20% was associated with the primary outcome and secondary outcome 1, LAScd < 6% with all clinical outcomes, and LASct < 12% with secondary outcome 2. LAScd < 6% had the highest specificity (95%) and positive predictive value (82%) for the primary outcome, and competing risk models incorporating LAScd < 6% had the best discriminative value. CONCLUSIONS: In well-compensated patients with moderate to severe aortic stenosis and preserved left ventricular ejection fractions, LA strain was superior to other echocardiographic indices and incremental to N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide for risk stratification. LAScd < 6%, LASr < 20%, and LASct < 12% identified patients at higher risk for adverse outcomes.

Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of Biodegradable-Polymer Drug-Eluting Stents Versus Second-Generation Durable-Polymer Drug-Eluting Stents for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Biodegradable polymer drug eluting stents (BP-DES) may offer the advantage of vascular healing in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Long-term outcome data comparing BP-DES and second-generation durable polymer drug eluting stents (DP-DES) in STEMI is lacking. This study aims to compare the long-term clinical outcomes of BP-DES versus second-generation DP-DES in STEMI. METHODS: This is an observational study of consecutive patients with STEMI who received either BP-DES (n = 854) or DP-DES (n = 708) during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from 1st February 2007 to 31st December 2016. The primary outcome was target lesion failure (TLF), a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction (MI), and target lesion revascularization with follow up till 30th November 2019. RESULTS: The baseline demographics, lesion and procedural characteristic were similar between the two groups except for more prior MI and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the BP-DES group. At a median follow up of 4.2 years (interquartile range: 2.6-6.2 years), the incidence of TLF was similar between BP-DES and DP-DES (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70-1.26). Likewise, incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE: all-cause death, any MI or target vessel revascularization) and definite stent thrombosis were similar in both groups (MACE: adjusted HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.82-1.32; definite stent thrombosis: adjusted HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.31-3.64). CONCLUSION: Among patients with STEMI who underwent primary PCI, BP-DES and DP-DES implantation was associated with similar long-term clinical outcomes.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement for aortic regurgitation in Asians: TAVR for aortic regurgitation in Asians.

AIMS: Although surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is currently the recommended intervention for patients with native AR without aortic stenosis, a significant proportion of Asian patients undergo transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), which has not been studied fully for safety and outcomes. This systematic review aims to examine the characteristics and outcomes of Asian patients with pure native aortic regurgitation (AR) undergoing TAVR. METHODS AND RESULTS: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane CENTRAL were systematically searched for randomised controlled trials, observational studies and case reports published  from inception to 2 April 2020, involving patients of Asian ethnicity with pure native aortic regurgitation who had undergone TAVR. Our primary outcome was all-cause mortality, with secondary outcomes including all major complications. Five studies (n=274 patients) and eight case reports were included. Device success was reported in 94.9% of the patients, the all-cause mortality rate was 4.4%, 2.5% were converted to SAVR, 1.7% had post-operative paravalvular leak and 6.7% required permanent pacemaker implantation. CONCLUSIONS: TAVR has demonstrated acceptable safety and efficacy in Asian patients with pure AR displaying low mortality rates and few adverse outcomes.

Inadequately low left ventricular mass in patients with significant aortic stenosis predicts favourable prognostic outcomes.

In patients with significant aortic stenosis (AS), the prognostic effect of the increase in left ventricular mass (LVM) in relation to one's hemodynamic load has been described. Inappropriately high LVM has been shown to predict adverse cardiovascular events. However, little is known about the prognostic impact of inadequately low LVM (i-lowLVM) in patients with significant AS. I-lowLVM was defined as the measured LVM < 73% of the predicted LVM based on sex, stroke work and height from the reference adult population, used in previous established studies. For outcome analysis, the end-point was defined as all-cause mortality, aortic valve replacement and/or admission for congestive heart failure. Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariable Cox regression models were constructed to compare outcomes on follow-up. During the follow-up (4.5 ± 4.1 years), 132 patients (11.1%) had i-lowLVM, 868 (73.1%) had adequate-LVM, 188 (15.8%) had inappropriately high LVM. Outcome analysis only included patients with i-lowLVM and adequate-LVM (N = 1000). An adverse composite event occurred in 41.7% of the i-lowLVM group and 52.4% of the adequate-LVM group (p = 0.021). Event-free survival in patients with i-lowLVM and appropriate-LVM was 76% versus 68% at 2-year, 55% versus 46% at 4-year, 33% versus 27% at 6-year, 20% versus 17% at 8-year, and 17% versus 11% at 10-year follow-up, respectively (p < 0.001). Cox analysis revealed that i-lowLVM was independently associated with lower composite adverse outcome (HR 0.624, 95% CI 0.460-0.846, p = 0.002) after adjusting for sex, age, ejection fraction, ischemic heart disease, diabetes and transaortic valve mean gradient. In the separate Cox subanalyses, the presence of i-lowLVM remained a predictor of lower composite adverse outcome in the severe AS subgroup (HR 0.587, 95% CI 0.396-0.870, p = 0.008), and the LVH subgroup (HR 0.574, 95% CI 0.401-0.824, p = 0.003) after adjusting for confounders. I-lowLVM despite significant AS may represent a distinct group that is associated with improved survival outcomes independent of other prognostic covariates.

An Asian Perspective on Gender Differences in Clinical Outcomes and Echocardiographic Profiles of Patients With Medically Managed Severe Aortic Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Gender differences in valvular heart disease are increasingly recognised. A prior study has suggested better surgical outcomes in women with symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). We investigate gender differences in medically managed severe AS. METHOD: We studied 347 patients with severe AS (aortic valve area index <0.6 cm2/m2) in terms of baseline clinical background, echocardiographic characteristics, and clinical outcomes. Appropriate univariate and multivariate models were employed, while Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed to compare mortality outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 205 (59%) patients were women. Despite higher incidences of hypertension (75.6% vs 47.3%) and diabetes mellitus (46.5% vs 29.5%) in women, women had improved survival (Kaplan-Meier log-rank = 6.24, p = 0.012). After adjusting for age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.034; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.014-1.054), hypertension (HR, 1.469; 95% CI, 0.807-2.673), diabetes (HR, 1.219; 95% CI, 0.693-2.145), and indexed aortic valve area (HR 0.145, 95% CI 0.031-0.684) on multivariate analyses, female gender remained independently associated with lower mortality (HR, 0.561; 95%, CI 0.332-0.947). Women tended to have smaller body surface area (BSA), left ventricular (LV) internal diastolic diameter, and smaller LV outflow tract diameter but were similar to men in terms of LV ejection fraction, AS severity, and patterns of LV remodelling. CONCLUSIONS: Women appeared to have better outcomes compared to men in medically managed severe AS. These gender differences warrant further study and may affect prognosis, follow-up, and timing of valve surgery.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation during the COVID-19 pandemic: Clinical expert opinion and consensus statement for Asia.

OBJECTIVES: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the treatment of patient with aortic valve stenosis is unknown and there is uncertainty on the optimal strategies in managing these patients. METHODS: This study is supported and endorsed by the Asia Pacific Society of Interventional Cardiology. Due to the inability to have face to face discussions during the pandemic, an online survey was performed by inviting key opinion leaders (cardiac surgeon/interventional cardiologist/echocardiologist) in the field of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in Asia to participate. The answers to a series of questions pertaining to the impact of COVID-19 on TAVI were collected and analyzed. These led subsequently to an expert consensus recommendation on the conduct of TAVI during the pandemic. RESULTS: The COVID-19 pandemic had resulted in a 25% (10-80) reduction of case volume and 53% of operators required triaging to manage their patients with severe aortic stenosis. The two most important parameters used to triage were symptoms and valve area. Periprocedural changes included the introduction of teleconsultation, preprocedure COVID-19 testing, optimization of protests, and catheterization laboratory set up. In addition, length of stay was reduced from a mean of 4.4 to 4 days. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on the delivery of TAVI services to patients in Asia. This expert recommendation on best practices may be a useful guide to help TAVI teams during this period until a COVID-19 vaccine becomes widely available.

Differences in Clinical and Echocardiographic Profiles and Outcomes of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Versus Sinus Rhythm in Medically Managed Severe Aortic Stenosis and Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) results in the loss of atrial booster pump function and portends poorer outcome in aortic valve stenosis (AS). However, its characteristics and impact on medically managed AS remained under-recognised. We compared these patients with AF to sinus rhythm (SR). METHOD: In total, 347 consecutive patients with medically managed severe AS (aortic valve area <1 cm2) and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (>50%) were studied, in terms of echocardiographic characteristics and clinical outcomes. Appropriate univariate and multivariate models were used, while Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models were constructed to compare clinical outcomes (mortality, admissions for congestive cardiac failure, and stroke). RESULTS: Ninety (90) (25.9%) patients had AF. Patients with AF had lower body mass index (BMI 18.5±10.4 vs 23.8±6.2 g/m2; p<0.001), larger left ventricular mass index (LVMI 127.9±39.0 vs 116.7±36.5; p=0.017), and left atrial volume index (53.2±20.0 vs 31.0±9.2 mL/m2; p=0.004). Atrial fibrillation was associated with higher mortality (52.2% vs 37.4%; Kaplan-Meier log-rank 7.18; p=0.007), admissions for congestive cardiac failure (log-rank 6.42; p=0.011), and poorer composite outcomes (log-rank 6.29; p=0.012). The incidence of stroke in both groups were similar on follow-up (log-rank 0.08; p=0.776). After adjusting for age, BMI, LVMI, and left atrial volume index on Cox regression, AF remained independently associated with poorer composite clinical outcomes (hazard ratio, 1.66; 95% confidence interval 1.07-2.58). CONCLUSIONS: Atrial fibrillation remained an important comorbidity affecting a quarter of patients with medically managed severe AS. It was independently associated with poorer clinical outcomes and may thus aid in prognostication and management.

Treating Very Long Coronary Artery Lesions in the Contemporary Drug-Eluting-Stent Era: Single Long 48 mm Stent Versus Two Overlapping Stents Showed Comparable Clinical Outcomes.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of diffuse coronary artery disease (CAD) is associated with higher adverse clinical events. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of patients treated with single long 48 mm contemporary drug eluting stents (SL-DES) versus two overlapping contemporary drug eluting stents (OL-DES) for very-long CAD. METHODS/MATERIALS: We analyzed the clinical outcome of 117 patients with SL-DES and 101 patients with OL-DES who underwent PCI between 1st July 2013 to 31st December 2016. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure (TLF) at two years, defined as a composite of cardiac mortality, target vessel myocardial infarction and target lesion revascularization. RESULTS: Mean age was 60.8 ±â€¯10.5 years for SL-DES group and 60.5 ±â€¯11.9 years in the OL-DES group. SL-DES has longer mean lesion length as compared to OL-DES (43.1 ±â€¯3.7 mm vs. 41.83 ±â€¯2.3 mm p = 0.003). There was no difference in TLF at two years between SL-DES and OL-DES (5.3% vs. 6.4%, adjusted odds ratio 1.43, 95% CI 0.50-4.11). There was one case of probable ST in each group. Contrast volume usage was lower for SL-DES than OL-DES in patients who underwent single vessel PCI. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of very-long CAD showed comparable TLF at two years for SL-DES versus OL-DES. Our results suggest that both strategies are reasonable treatment options for patients with diffuse CAD.

Echocardiographic discrepancies in severity grading of aortic valve stenosis with left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) cut-off values in an Asian population.

Inconsistencies in grading of aortic stenosis (AS) severity have been reported. However, it remains to be studied in an Asian population. We investigated consistency of grading AS severity at various left ventricular outflow tract diameter (LVOTd) categories, and postulated alternative cut-offs for more consistent grading of AS severity. Consecutive Asian patients (n = 350) with index echocardiographic diagnosis of severe AS were divided them into three groups based on LVOTd: 'small' (< 20 mm), 'average' (20-22 mm) and 'large' (> 22 mm). In each group, the consistency of flow-dependent (transaortic mean pressure gradient (MG)) and flow-independent parameters (AVA) were used for classification of AS severity. Of 350 patients, 51.7% had small LVOTd, while 30.8% and 17.5% had average and large LVOTd respectively. Consistent grading by LVOTd based on AVA and MG, was seen in 33.7% of patients with small, 47.6% with average, 57.7% with large LVOTd. When an AVA cut-off of 0.9 cm2 was used, consistent grading improved to 38.0% in small, 56.5% in average and 70.0% in large LVOTd. At an AVA cut-off of 0.8 cm2, there was further incremental improvement in the small LVOTd group to 54.1% (p < 0.05). In conclusion, current severe AS guidelines are most inconsistent with those in the small LVOTd group. With majority of the study's Asian population having small LVOTd, this raises concerns that current AS guidelines may overestimate the severity of AS in the Asian cohort. Improved consistency in echocardiographic grading may be attained with a lower AVA cut-off in this Asian cohort.

Clinical Outcomes One Year and Beyond After Combination Sirolimus-Eluting Endothelial Progenitor Cell Capture Stenting During Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) during acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) represents a thrombotic milieu and is associated with delayed healing after stenting. The pro-healing combination sirolimus eluting endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) capture stents encourage early endothelialization after stenting and may be beneficial in the STEMI population. We aim to evaluate the clinical outcomes one year and beyond for patients with STEMI who received the combination sirolimus eluting EPC capture stents during primary PCI. METHODS/MATERIAL: All STEMI patients implanted with combination sirolimus eluting EPC capture stents during primary PCI from November 2013 to December 2016 were enrolled. The primary outcome was target lesion failure (TLF) at in-hospital, one-month, one-year and beyond one year. RESULTS: A total of 260 consecutive STEMI patients (283 lesions) were implanted with 313 combination sirolimus eluting EPC capture stents during primary PCI. Mean age was 56.1 ±â€¯11.2 years and 88.8% were male. One in ten patients (10.9%) had cardiogenic shock on presentation, 7.3% needed mechanical ventilation and 7.7% had intra-aortic balloon pump inserted. A total of 97.9% of lesions achieve final TIMI 3 flow. Device success was seen in all patients. At extended follow up period (median 23.4 months), the clinical outcomes were TLF 8.8%, major adverse cardiovascular events 10.8%, cardiac mortality 4.2%, target vessel myocardial infarction 3.4%, target lesion revascularization 3.8%, and definite stent thrombosis 1.9%. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated acceptable clinical outcomes for an all-comers STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI with the use of combination sirolimus eluting EPC cell capture stents.

Treatment of Very Small De Novo Coronary Artery Disease With 2.0 mm Drug-Coated Balloons Showed 1-Year Clinical Outcome Comparable With 2.0 mm Drug-Eluting Stents.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the 1-year clinical outcomes of patients treated with 2.0 mm drug-coated balloon (DCB) vs 2.0 mm drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in small-caliber vessel de novo coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: All patients treated with 2.0 mm DCB or 2.0 mm DES for very small vessel de novo CAD from July 2014 to June 2016 were included in this study. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of target-lesion failure (TLF) and time to TLF, defined as a combination of cardiac mortality, target-vessel myocardial infarction, and target-lesion revascularization (TLR). RESULTS: A total of 87 patients (96 lesions) were implanted with 2.0 mm DCBs and 200 patients (223 lesions) were implanted with 2.0 mm DESs during the study period. Mean reference vessel diameter was similar between the DCB and DES groups (1.88 ± 0.38 mm vs 1.95 ± 0.21 mm, respectively; P=.11). The 1-year TLF rates were 7.0% in the DCB group and 8.2% in the DES group (P=.73). TLF was driven by TLR in both groups. Bailout stenting was performed in 7 patients (8 lesions) who received a DCB. Stent thrombosis was seen in 4 patients (2.0%) who underwent DES implantation. There was no vessel thrombosis noted in the DCB group. Cardiogenic shock was identified as a direct and significant predictor for both the occurrence of TLF and time to TLF. CONCLUSIONS: In this first report, treatment of very small vessel CAD with 2.0 mm DCB vs 2.0 mm DES was associated with similar 1-year TLF rates.

Incidence and predictors of target lesion failure in a multiethnic Asian population receiving the SYNERGY coronary stent: A prospective all-comers registry.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the target lesion failure (TLF) rate of the SYNERGY stent in all-comers, multiethnic Asian population. BACKGROUND: Currently, most drug eluting stents deliver anti-proliferative drugs from a durable polymer which is associated with a risk of late stent thrombosis. The novel everolimus-eluting, platinum chromium SYNERGY stent is coated with a bioabsorbable abluminal polymer that resolves within 4 months. METHODS: This was a prospective, single center registry of consecutive patients treated with the SYNERGY stent between December 2012 and April 2015. The primary outcome was the incidence of TLF, defined as the combination of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 1 year. RESULTS: A total of 807 patients received the SYNERGY stent during the study period. One-year clinical outcome data was available for 765 patients (94.8%) and were considered for statistical analysis. The mean age was 60.7 ± 10.8 years, and 83.4% were males. Patients with acute myocardial infarction consisted of 50.3% (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: 23.0%, Non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: 27.3%) of the study population. The treated lesions were complex (ACC/AHA type B2/C: 72.7%). The primary end point of TLF at 1 year was 5.8%. Rates of cardiac mortality, target vessel myocardial infarction, and TLR were 4.2, 1.0, and 1.3%, respectively, at 1 year. Predictors of the incidence and time to early TLF were female gender, Malay ethnicity, diabetes mellitus, acute myocardial infarction at presentation, a prior history of coronary artery bypass surgery and the presence of lesion calcification. The incidence of definite stent thrombosis was 0.4% at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: In this registry, the use of the SYNERGY stent was associated with low rates of TLF at 1 year.

Nongated Cardiac Computed Tomographic Angiograms for Detection of Embolic Sources in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We assessed the feasibility of obtaining diagnostic quality images of the heart and thoracic aorta by extending the z axis coverage of a non-ECG-gated computed tomographic angiogram performed in the primary evaluation of acute stroke without increasing the contrast dose. METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke within the 4.5 hours of symptom onset were prospectively recruited. We increased the longitudinal coverage to the domes of the diaphragm to include the heart. Contrast administration (Omnipaque 350) remained unchanged (injected at 3-4 mL/s; total 60-80 mL, triggered by bolus tracking). Images of the heart and aorta, reconstructed at 5 mm slice thickness in 3 orthogonal planes, were read by a radiologist and cardiologist, findings conveyed to the treating neurologist, and correlated with the transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiogram performed within the next 24 hours. RESULTS: Of 20 patients studied, 3 (15%) had abnormal findings: a left ventricular thrombus, a Stanford type A aortic dissection, and a thrombus of the left atrial appendage. Both thrombi were confirmed by transesophageal echocardiography, and anticoagulation was started urgently the following day. None of the patients developed contrast-induced nephropathy on follow-up. The radiation dose was slightly increased from a mean of 4.26 mSV (range, 3.88-4.70 mSV) to 5.17 (range, 3.95 to 6.25 mSV). CONCLUSIONS: Including the heart and ascending aorta in a routine non-ECG-gated computed tomographic angiogram enhances an existing imaging modality, with no increased incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy and minimal increase in radiation dose. This may help in the detection of high-risk cardiac and aortic sources of embolism in acute stroke patients.

Synchronous cardiocerebral infarction in the era of endovascular therapy: which to treat first?

A cardiocerebral ischemic attack (CCI) or a concurrent acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and myocardial infarction (AMI) is a severe event with no clear recommendations for ideal management because of the rarity of the scenario. The narrow time window for treatment and complexity of the treatment decision puts immense pressure on the treating physician. We evaluated this challenging situation at our tertiary center. Using our prospective stroke database out of a total of 555 patients with acute ischemic stroke between 2009 and 2014, we identified five consecutive cases with CCI (incidence 0.009%). Demography, risk factor characteristics, vascular occlusions and treatment approach were recorded. Good functional outcome was defined by the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 0-2 points. Out of five patients, AIS was treated with endovascular treatment in three cases, while two were treated with intravenous thrombolysis only. One out of three patients had embolectomy of the brain performed prior to the coronary intervention, while the other two patients underwent coronary intervention first. One patient developed sudden cardiac arrest on day-2 and passed away. CCI is an uncommon and devastating clinical scenario, further research is needed for the ideal management strategy that provides the best outcomes. However, the rarity of the disease does not lend itself to the conduct of a trial easily. We have proposed a considered treatment algorithm based on the current literature and our experience.

Constrictive Pericarditis Following Correction of Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage.

We report the case of a 23-year-old man who developed constrictive pericarditis within four months after pulmonary valve replacement and repair of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection. He had previously undergone repair of tetralogy of Fallot in infancy. After an unsuccessful trial of medical management for persistent right heart failure, magnetic resonance imaging was done, which showed a thickened pericardium. He underwent a radical pericardiectomy with a good outcome. The case is presented to illustrate a less well-recognized cause of cardiac failure following congenital cardiac surgery, which may otherwise be attributed to the failure of surgery or residual complications.

How temporal evolution of intracranial collaterals in acute stroke affects clinical outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: We compared intracranial collaterals on pretreatment and day 2 brain CT angiograms (CTA) to assess their evolution and relationship with functional outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients treated with IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). METHODS: Consecutive AIS patients who underwent pretreatment and day 2 CTA and received IV tPA during 2010-2013 were included. Collaterals were evaluated by 2 independent neuroradiologists using 3 predefined criteria: the Miteff system, the Maas system, and 20-point collateral scale by the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score methodology. We stratified our cohort by baseline pre-tPA state of their collaterals and by recanalization status of the primary vessel for analysis. Good outcomes at 3 months were defined by a modified Rankin Scale score of 0-1. RESULTS: This study included 209 patients. Delayed collateral recruitment by any grading system was not associated with good outcomes. All 3 scoring systems showed that collateral recruitment on the follow-up CTA from a baseline poor collateral state was significantly associated with poor outcome and increased bleeding risk. When the primary vessel remained persistently occluded, collateral recruitment was significantly associated with worse outcomes. Interestingly, collateral recruitment was significantly associated with increased mortality in 2 of the 3 grading systems. CONCLUSIONS: Not all collateral recruitment is beneficial; delayed collateral recruitment may be different from early recruitment and can result in worse outcomes and higher mortality. Prethrombolysis collateral status and recanalization are determinants of how intracranial collateral evolution affects functional outcomes.

Effectiveness of early cardiology undergraduate learning using simulation on retention, application of learning and level of confidence during clinical clerkships.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the use of a cardiopulmonary patient simulator in the teaching of second-year medical students. Effectiveness was measured in terms of the extent of knowledge retention and students' ability to apply the skills learned in subsequent real-life patient contact. METHODS: In this study, ten third-year medical students who had previously undergone simulator training as part of their second-year curriculum underwent an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and a multiple-choice question (MCQ) test to assess their ability to apply the knowledge gained during the simulator training when dealing with real patients. The performance of this group of students was compared with that of a group of ten fourth-year medical students who did not undergo simulation training. RESULTS: Although the third-year medical students performed well in the OSCE, they were outperformed by the group of fourth-year medical students, who had an extra year of clinical exposure. The MCQ scores of the two groups of students were similar. Post-simulation training survey revealed that students were generally in favour of incorporating cardiopulmonary simulator training in the preclinical curriculum. CONCLUSION: Cardiopulmonary simulator training is a useful tool for the education of preclinical medical students. It aids the translation of preclinical knowledge into real-life clinical skills.