The Modified Risk of Paradoxical Embolism Score Is Associated with Patent Foramen Ovale in Patients with Ischemic Stroke: A Nationwide US Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The Risk of Paradoxical Embolism (RoPE) score was developed to identify stroke-related patent foramen ovale (PFO) in patients with cryptogenic stroke. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the 2016 to 2020 National Inpatient Sample to determine the performance of the modified RoPE score in identifying the presence of a PFO in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). RESULTS: A total of 3,338,805 hospital admissions for AIS were analysed and 3.0% had PFO. Patients with PFO were younger compared to those without a PFO (median 63 years vs. 71 years, p < 0.001) and fewer were female (46.1% vs. 49.7%, p < 0.001). The patients with PFO had greater mean modified RoPE scores (4.0 vs. 3.3, p < 0.001). The area under the curve for the RoPE score in predicting PFOs was 0.625 (95%CI 0.620-0.629). The best diagnostic power of the RoPE score was achieved with a cut-off point of ≥4 where the sensitivity was 55% and the specificity was 64.2%. A cut-off point of ≥5 increased the specificity (83.1%) at the expense of sensitivity (35.8%). The strongest predictor of PFOs was deep vein thrombosis (OR 3.97, 95%CI 3.76-4.20). CONCLUSIONS: The modified RoPE score had modest predictive value in identifying patients with PFO among patients admitted with AIS.

In-hospital gastrointestinal bleeding following percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine in-hospital gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, its predictors and clinical outcomes, including long-term outcomes, in a national cohort of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in England and Wales. BACKGROUND: GI bleeding remains associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic burden. METHODS: We examined the temporal changes in in-hospital GI bleeding in a national cohort of patients undergoing PCI between 2007 and 2014 in England and Wales, its predictors and prognostic consequences. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors between GI bleeding and 30-day mortality. Survival analysis was performed comparing patients with, and without, GI bleeding. RESULTS: There were 480 in-hospital GI bleeds in 549,298 patients (0.09%). Overall, rates of GI bleeding remained stable over time but a significant decline was observed for patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The strongest predictors of bleeding events were STEMI-odds ratio (OR) 7.28 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 4.82-11.00), glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor use OR 3.42 (95% CI 2.76-4.24) and use of circulatory support OR 2.65 (95% CI 1.90-3.71). Antiplatelets/coagulants (clopidogrel, prasugrel, and warfarin) were not independently associated with GI bleeding. GI bleeding was independently associated with a significant increase in all-cause 30-day mortality (OR 2.08 [1.52-2.83]). Patients with in-hospital GI bleed who survived to 30-days had increased all-cause mortality risk at 1 year compared to non-bleeders (HR 1.49 [1.07-2.09]). CONCLUSIONS: In-hospital GI bleeding following PCI is rare but is a clinically important event associated with increased 30-day and long-term mortality.

Choice of Stent for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of Saphenous Vein Grafts.

BACKGROUND: There are limited data on comparison of contemporary drug-eluting stent (DES) platforms, previous generation DES, and bare-metal stents (BMS) for percutaneous coronary intervention in saphenous vein grafts (SVG). We aimed to assess clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention to SVG in patients receiving bare-metal stents (BMS), first-generation DES, and newer generation DES in a large unselected national data set from the BCIS (British Cardiovascular Intervention Society). METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention to SVG in the United Kingdom from January 2006 to December 2013 were divided into 3 groups according to stent use: BMS, first-generation DES, and newer generation DES group. Study outcomes included in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events, 30-day mortality, and 1-year mortality. Patients (n=15 003) underwent percutaneous coronary intervention to SVG in England and Wales during the study period. Of these, 38% received BMS, 15% received first-generation DES, and 47% received second-generation DES. The rates of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events were significantly lower in patients treated with second-generation DES (odds ratio, 0.51; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.68; P<0.001), but not with first-generation DES, compared with BMS-treated patients. Similarly, 30-day mortality (odds ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.32-0.59; P<0.001) and 1-year mortality (odds ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.71; P<0.001) were lower in patients treated with second-generation DES, but not with first-generation DES, compared with the patients treated with BMS. CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving second-generation DES for the treatment SVG disease have lower rates of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events, 30-day mortality, and 1-year mortality, compared with those receiving BMS.

Vascular Access Site and Outcomes Among 26,807 Chronic Total Coronary Occlusion Angioplasty Cases From the British Cardiovascular Interventions Society National Database.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess, using a national percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) database, access-site choice and outcomes after chronic total occlusion (CTO) PCI. BACKGROUND: Given the influence of access site on outcomes, the use of radial access in CTO PCI warrants further investigation. METHODS: Data were analyzed from the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society dataset of 26,807 elective CTO PCI procedures performed in England and Wales between 2006 and 2013. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of access-site choice and its association with outcomes. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in femoral artery (FA) access from 84.6% in 2006 to 57.9% in 2013. Procedural factors associated with FA access included dual access (odds ratio [OR]: 3.89; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.45 to 4.32), CrossBoss/Stingray (OR: 1.87; 95% CI: 1.43 to 2.12), intravascular ultrasound (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.21 to 1.53), and microcatheter use (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.39). There was an association between FA access and the number of CTO devices used (p = 0.001 for trend). Access-site complications (1.5% vs. 0.5%; p < 0.001), periprocedural myocardial infarction (0.5% vs. 0.2%; p = 0.037), major bleeding (0.8% vs. 0.2%, p < 0.001), transfusion (0.4% vs. 0%; p < 0.001), and 30-day death (0.6% vs. 0.1%; p = 0.002) were more frequent in patients undergoing CTO PCI using FA access. An access-site complication during CTO PCI was associated with significant increases in transfusion (8.0% vs. 0.1%; p < 0.001), procedural coronary complication (17.3% vs. 5.8%; p < 0.0001), major bleeding (8.4% vs. 0.3%; p < 0.001), and mortality at all time points. CONCLUSIONS: FA access remains predominant during CTO PCI, with case complexity and device size associated with its use. Access-site complications were more frequent with FA use and strongly correlated with adverse outcomes.

Impact of Incomplete Percutaneous Revascularization in Patients With Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Up to half of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention have multivessel coronary artery disease (MVD) with conflicting data regarding optimal revascularization strategy in such patients. This paper assesses the evidence for complete revascularization (CR) versus incomplete revascularization in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, and its prognostic impact using meta-analysis. METHODS AND RESULTS: A search of PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Current Contents Connect, Google Scholar, Cochrane library, Science Direct, and Web of Science was conducted to identify the association of CR in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with major adverse cardiac events and mortality. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the odds of adverse outcomes. Meta-regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship with continuous variables and outcomes. Thirty-eight publications that included 156 240 patients were identified. Odds of death (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.61-0.78), repeat revascularization (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.45-0.80), myocardial infarction (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.50-0.81), and major adverse cardiac events (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.50-0.79) were significantly lower in the patients who underwent CR. These outcomes were unchanged on subgroup analysis regardless of the definition of CR. Similar findings were recorded when CR was studied in the chronic total occlusion (CTO) subgroup (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.53-0.80). A meta-regression analysis revealed a negative relationship between the OR for mortality and the percentage of CR. CONCLUSION: CR is associated with reduced risk of mortality and major adverse cardiac events, irrespective of whether an anatomical or a score-based definition of incomplete revascularization is used, and this magnitude of risk relates to degree of CR. These results have important implications for the interventional management of patients with multivessel coronary artery disease.

Pigtail catheter "propping" for MitraClip percutaneous transcatheter mitral valve repair.

In recent years percutaneous therapy has emerged as a feasible and effective option for the treatment of mitral regurgitation, particularly in cases where the risks of conventional cardiac surgery are prohibitively high. To date the most widely used percutaneous approach is beating heart, edge-to-edge repair with the MitraClip device (Abbott Vascular-Structural Heart, Menlo Park, CA). The technique requires simultaneous grasping and approximation of both mitral valve leaflets prior to securing and releasing the clip. However, this may be technically challenging or indeed impossible in patients with failure of coaptation, particularly when there is a large coaptation gap. We present an approach for overcoming this relatively common obstacle based on "propping" the anterior mitral valve leaflet toward its posterior counterpart with a diagnostic pigtail catheter to reduce the coaptation gap and to allow grasping of both leaflets without difficulty. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Radial Artery Occlusion After Transradial Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Radial artery occlusion (RAO) may occur posttransradial intervention and limits the radial artery as a future access site, thus precluding its use as an arterial conduit. In this study, we investigate the incidence and factors influencing the RAO in the current literature. METHODS AND RESULTS: We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for studies of RAO in transradial access. Relevant studies were identified and data were extracted. Data were synthesized by meta-analysis, quantitative pooling, graphical representation, or by narrative synthesis. A total of 66 studies with 31 345 participants were included in the analysis. Incident RAO ranged between <1% and 33% and varied with timing of assessment of radial artery patency (incidence of RAO within 24 hours was 7.7%, which decreased to 5.5% at >1 week follow-up). The most efficacious measure in reducing RAO was higher dose of heparin, because lower doses of heparin were associated with increased RAO (risk ratio 0.36, 95% CI 0.17-0.76), whereas shorter compression times also reduced RAO (risk ratio 0.28, 95% CI 0.05-1.50). Several factors were found to be associated with RAO including age, sex, sheath size, and diameter of radial artery, but these factors were not consistent across all studies. CONCLUSIONS: RAO is a common complication of transradial access. Maintenance of radial patency should be an integral part of all procedures undertaken through the radial approach. High-dose heparin along with shorter compression times and patent hemostasis is recommended in reducing RAO.