Can stellate ganglion blockage be an alternative treatment for refractory ventricular arrhythmias: Case series.

INTRODUCTION: Ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) are life-threatening conditions which increase in frequency over the years. Electrical storm (ES) is defined as the occurrence of 3 or more continuous ventricular arrhythmia. The sympathetic nervous system has an important role in Ventricular arrythmias (VA) and is the target of treatment. Studies show that stellate ganglion blockade (SGB) can reduce cardiac sympathetic tone and is an alternative bridge therapy in VAs. PATIENT CONCERNS: Among the patients who were admitted to the hospital with the complaints of general condition disorder and palpitation. DIAGNOSIS: Patients were referred to the Cardiology department and diagnosed VA and ES. Patients who applied to the Cardiology Department with the diagnosis of VA or ES and did not benefit from antiarrhythmic drug therapy were selected and evaluated by a team of 2 anesthesiologists (cardiothoracic and pain specialists) and 2 cardiologists (1 of whom is an electrophysiology specialist). INTERVENTION: In our study, ultrasound (USG) guided left SGB was applied to 10 VA and ES patients with implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD). The 6-month results of the patients were evaluated retrospectively. For blockage, the solution was prepared by adding 8 mg dexamethasone, 40 mg lidocaine and 10 mg bupivacaine to 10 mL with physiological saline. The success of the procedure was evaluated with the development of Horner syndrome in the left eye. OUTCOMES: Resistant VA developed in 2 of 10 patients who had left SGB due to VF/VT ES and were excluded from the study. One (1) month after the procedure it was seen that there was a statistically significant decrease in the number of shocks in 8 patients in the 6th month controls compared to the pre-procedure. The number of VES in the 1st and 6th months of the patients was also statistically significantly decreased compared to the pre-SSD (P = .01, P = .01, P = .01, respectively). CONCLUSION: Unilateral USG-guided SGB application is an effective and safe method in patients with ES and VA. Long-term results can be satisfactory in successful responders in whom SGB is performed with a combination of local anesthetic and steroid.

Increased Circulating Copeptin Levels Are Associated with Vaso-Occlusive Crisis and Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Sickle Cell Anemia.

OBJECTIVE: Vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) is a common clinical manifestation of sickle cell anemia (SCA) and is associated with increased proinflammatory mediators. Copeptin is the C-terminal part of the prohormone for provasopressin and seems clinically relevant in various clinical conditions. Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction significantly appears in SCA patients due to pulmonary hypertension. This study aimed to investigate the association of copeptin levels in VOC patients and evaluate RV dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 108 patients were enrolled in the study. Twenty-eight SCA patients in steady state (30.2 ± 0.9 years), 25 SCA patients in VOC (36.8 ± 11.8 years), and 55 healthy individuals (31.9 ± 9.4 years) with HbAA genotype were included. Clinical, echocardiographic, and laboratory data were recorded. ELISA was used for the determination of serum levels of copeptin. RESULTS: VOC patients had significantly higher copeptin level compared both with controls and SCA subjects in steady state (22.6 ± 13.0 vs. 11.3 ± 5.7 pmol/L, 22.6 ± 13.0 vs. 12.4 ± 5.8 pmol/L, p = 0.009 for both). Additionally, the copeptin level was significantly higher in SCA patients with RV dysfunction than those without RV dysfunction (23.2 ± 12.2 vs. 15.3 ± 9.5 pmol/L, p = 0.024). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and copeptin levels were found to be associated with VOC. CONCLUSION: This study showed that copeptin and hs-CRP levels were increased in patients with VOC, and it was found that RV dysfunction was more common in SCA patients with VOC than in the control group. Copeptin can be considered for use as a potential biomarker in predicting VOC crisis in SCA patients and in the early detection of patients with SCA who have the potential to develop RV dysfunction.

The Relationship Between Gensini Score and Erectile Dysfunction in Patients with Chronic Coronary Syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: In previous studies, the relationship between atherosclerosis and erectile dysfunction (ED) was examined, but the relationship and correlation between Gensini score which evaluates the extent and severity of chronic coronary syndrome (CCS), and ED severity were not investigated. AIM: To evaluate the relationship between Gensini score and ED in patients with CCS. METHODS: We included 142 consecutive male patients with the diagnosed CCS and underwent an elective coronary angiography between January 2019 and March 2020. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Correlation analysis demonstrated that Gensini score significantly negatively correlated with the International Index Erectile Function - 5 (IIEF-5) score (r = -0.417, P < .001). RESULTS: Severe ED was present in 48 (33.8%) patients, moderate ED in 31 (21.8%) patients, and mild ED in 22 (15.5%) patients. 41(28.9%) patients did not have ED. Both the No ED and Mild ED groups were statistically significantly lower than the Severe ED group in terms of the Gensini score (P < .05). When the recommended optimal cut-off point and accuracy measurements were made for the Gensini score, the area under curve (AUC) value in predicting ED was 0.806 (95% CI: 0.732-0.880, P < .001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that independent predictors for ED were Gensini score and age (P < .001, and P = .026, respectively). Every 1 unit increase in Gensini score resulted in a 6% increase in the occurrence of ED (OR = 1.06, CI:1.03-1.10, P < .001). CONCLUSION: ED can be caused by endothelial dysfunction. Patients with severe CSS and high Gensini score should be evaluted for ED. ED may be a sign of severe CCS and a high Gensini score. It is also necessary to evaluate cardiological in patients with ED. Deger M, Ozmen C, Akdogan N, et al. The Relationship Between Gensini Score and Erectile Dysfunction in Patients with Chronic Coronary Syndrome. Sex Med 2021;9:100376.

Prognostic performance of copeptin among patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

BACKGROUND: In heart failure (HF), various biomarkers have been established for prognosis. However, little is known about the relevance of copeptin measurements to HF. This study aimed to explore the prognostic value of copeptin for predicting cardiovascular (CV) death or HF-related re-hospitalisation in patients with acute decompensated HF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 155 consecutive patients with acute signs and symptoms of HF. Plasma copeptin and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were measured at admission. Patients were monitored for 90 days regarding the composite endpoint of CV death or acute HF-related re-hospitalisation. RESULTS: Of the 155 patients enrolled, 40 reached the endpoint, and 115 were in a stable condition during follow-up. Patients who reached an adverse endpoint showed higher NT-proBNP and copeptin levels compared to patients in stable condition. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the area under curve of copeptin 0.844 (95% CI, 0.753-0.935) was superior to that of NT-proBNP 0.809 (95% CI, 0.729-0.890) for the prediction of adverse events within 90 days. Meanwhile, compared to the group with lower copeptin levels (<34 pmol/L), patients with higher copeptin levels (≥34 pmol/L) were at a 10.672-times higher risk of CV death or acute HF-related re-hospitalisation. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that increased copeptin level was a significantly independent predictor of adverse events (risk ratio, 1.051; 95% CI, 1.020-1.083; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Copeptin was found to be a strong, novel marker for predicting CV death or HF-related re-hospitalisation in patients with acute decompensated HF.