Transfer of Patients with ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction for Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention During Ordinary & Pandemic Times Position statement of the Saudi Arabian Cardiac Intervention Society.

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention is the most effective therapy in the management of acute ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction. Evidence recommends keeping the period from symptom onset to reperfusion to a minimum in order to preserve left ventricular function, improve outcome and reduce mortality. This position statement describes the recommendations of the Saudi Arabian Cardiac Intervention Society for optimal conditions and timing for the acute management of patients presenting with ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction during ordinary and pandemic times.

A Tailored, Bundle Care Intervention Strategy to Reduce Cardiac Mortality During the Hajj: A Population-Based, Before and After Study.

BACKGROUND: Hajj is the largest human gathering with over 2 million people. We evaluated the effect of bundle care intervention on mortality. METHODS: A population-based, before and after study compared the effect of an intervention on mortality. The intervention included recruitment of cardiac team, introducing 24/7 catheterization service, cardiac coordination, standardized cardiac care pathways, and establishment of an effective transportation system. RESULTS: Cardiac mortality accounted for about 52% of all in-hospital deaths before intervention in 2009. This decreased significantly to 43.3%, 32.5%, and 19.7% in 2009, 2010, and 2011, respectively. In-hospital mortality of acute coronary syndromes was 4.7%, 4.6%, and 3.0%, in the years 2009, 2010, and 2011, respectively. Mortality due to other causes remained largely unaffected. There was no significant change in the national mortality due to cardiac causes over the same period provided a reassurance that the observed improvement in in-hospital acute coronary syndrome mortality was not due to overall improvement in health care. The numbers of cardiac catheterization procedures increased 3-fold and cardiac surgical procedures increased 5-fold between 2009 and 2011. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found that an evidence-based intensive bundle care intervention substantially reduced the cardiac mortality among the pilgrims assembling for Hajj in Makkah.

Prevalence of lipid abnormalities and cholesterol target value attainment in patients with stable coronary heart disease or an acute coronary syndrome in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of the extent of hyperlipidemia in very high-risk patients, and how lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) is used in a real-world setting. Methods: In this multicenter observational study, data were collected from LLT-treated patients with stable CHD or an ACS in Saudi Arabia between 2013 and 2014. Individuals were included if they were greater than 18 years and had a full lipid profile available, recorded either prior to the baseline physician visit (CHD patients) or within 24-hours of admission to hospital (ACS patients).  Results: A total of 737 patients were included in the study, 597 with stable CHD and 140 with ACS. Few patients in either group had an LDL-C level of greater than 70 mg/dl, which is advocated for very high-risk patients (24.3% and 11.4%, respectively). The median distances to this value were 19.0 mg/dl (CHD) and 25.0 mg/dl (ACS). Low doses of statins were being utilized (31 and 24 mg/day for CHD and ACS, respectively), with only minimal intensification for the ACS patients after hospital admission (41 mg/day at follow-up). Conclusions: Achievement of recommended LDL-C levels was poor for patients with stable CHD or an ACS. Statin intensity was low, indicating huge scope for intensifying the treatment of these very high-risk patients.

Chronic Venous Insufficiency: prevalence and effect of compression stockings.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a common disease affecting mainly lower limbs and significantly influencing the quality of life. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of CVI in the Qassim Region and test the effectiveness of compression stockings as an intervention option. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence of CVI among patients visiting primary health care (PHC) centers in the Qassim Region. CVI patients were diagnosed and classified using the clinical, etiologic, anatomical, and pathophysiological (CEAP) scale. They were randomly divided into two groups, one using compression stockings and the other standard medical therapy. A clinical follow up was done using multiple scale system including CEAP scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS. RESULTS: Among the 226 screened patients, 138 (61.1%) were diagnosed as having CVI (69% female and 45% male, p<0.001). Compared to the baseline, both the clinical and venous scores for CVI at the follow-up were significantly lower among patients using compression stockings, p=0.002 and p=0.003, respectively. Regression analysis suggested that, after controlling for age, sex and body mass index, compliance was the main factor responsible for a significant reduction in the clinical score among CVI patients. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic venous insufficiency is very common in the Qassim Region. Compression stockings are highly effective in improving clinical symptoms and signs of CVI. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov(NCT02050061).

Quality of medical management in coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) are at high risk of recurrent adverse cardiac events. Such risk can be diminished through a guideline-recommend optimal medical therapy (OMT), defined as adherence to appropriate antiplatelet therapy, lipid-lowering agents, beta-blockers and angio.tensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, blood pressure < 140/90 mm Hg ( < 130/80 mm Hg in diabetics and renal disease patients), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) < 2 mmol/L, smoking cessation and aerobic physical activity, and hemoglobin (Hb) A1c < 7%. Unfortunately, preliminary data suggest a wide gap between recommended and actual practices. The study aims to estimate the rate of achieving of OMT in CAD patients in Qassim Province. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: This observational study enrolled 207 consecutive CAD patients seen in cardiology clinic in Prince Sultan Cardiac Center in Qassim between January 2012 and May 2012. METHODS: Eligible participants were over the age of 18, with CAD documented by either noninvasive testing or by coronary angiogram. We collected the demographic, medications, laboratory, and clinical data through in-person interviews, medical records, and an electronic patient database. RESULTS: OMT was achieved in only 10.4% of CAD patients. The rate of achievement of target systolic blood pressure was 76.5%, target diastolic blood pressure 88%, target LDL 68%, adherence to medications 91%. Diabetes was common (64% of all patients), and only 24% of these patients achieved the target HbA1c. CONCLUSION: The poor achievement of optimal medical therapy in CAD patients contributes to prevent.able mortality, morbidity, and health care costs. The observed shortcomings warrant investment in strategies to achieve OMT in these high-risk patients.

Viabahn for femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In-stent restenosis in the femoropopliteal artery is common (20%-40%). Treatment of in-stent restenosis is challenged by poor patency rate. An ePTFE-covered stent-graft (Viabahn) is inert with a very small pore size that does not allow for significant tissue in-growth. Use of a Viabahn stent-graft may improve the patency rate in the treatment of in-stent restenosis. DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective chart review of the use of Viabahn stent grafts implanted in patients with symptomatic femoropopliteal artery in-stent restenosis performed from January 2004 to December 2008. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We measured the primary patency rate using duplex ultrasound at 1 year and 3 years. We also examined the rate of secondary patency, acute limb ischemia and amputation. RESULTS: Twenty-seven cases with in-stent restenosis of the femoropopliteal artery treated by Viabahn stentgraft were identified. The average lesion length was 24.5 cm; 52% of the lesions were total occlusion and 37% had critical limb ischemia. The 1- and 3-year primary patency rates were 85.1% and 81.4%, respectively. The secondary patency rate was 96%. All recurrent in-stent restenoses were focal at the proximal and distal edges and none had stent fracture. CONCLUSION: Our single center experience in a small number of patients showed a favorable patency of ePTFE-covered stent-graft for treatment of patients with in-stent restenosis in the femoropopliteal artery.

Failed pericardiocentesis for acute cardiac tamponade: two cases associated with bivalirudin administration during PCI.

Successful management of acute cardiac tamponade secondary to coronary artery perforation during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) includes sealing off the site of perforation and pericardiocentesis. We report two cases of acute cardiac tamponade during PCI associated with the administration of bivalirudin, in which attempts at percutaneous pericardiocentesis failed, due to the present of thrombus, rather blood, in the pericardium.

Prognostic value of treadmill exercise and dobutamine stress positron emission tomography.

BACKGROUND: Although positron emission tomography (PET) is routinely performed using vasodilator stress, exercise and dobutamine stress are available alternatives. Evidence suggests that vasodilator PET myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has prognostic value, but the prognostic value of treadmill exercise and dobutamine PET MPI is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine the potential prognostic value of nonvasodilator stress PET MPI. METHODS: Patients underwent treadmill exercise or dobutamine PET MPI. Images were assessed qualitatively and semiquantitatively. PET results were categorized as normal (summed stress score [SSS] of less than 4), abnormal (SSS of 4 or greater) or inconclusive (SSS of less than 4 and submaximal peak stress heart rate). Patient follow-up (cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction [MI] and/or late revascularization) was performed. RESULTS: Of the 124 patients (mean follow-up period of 2.3+/-1.6 years), 46 patients (37%) had a normal study, 15 patients (12%) had an inconclusive study and 63 (51%) had an abnormal PET. Patients with a normal PET had no deaths or nonfatal MI. One patient with a normal PET underwent late revascularization (annual event rate of 1.7%). Patients with an abnormal PET had 15 cardiac events (one cardiac death, four nonfatal MIs and 10 late revascularizations), with an annual event rate of 13.0% (P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Although small, the present study suggests that defects seen on PET myocardial perfusion, resulting from stressors (treadmill exercise and dobutamine) that increase myocardial oxygen demand, may have prognostic value.

An unusual case of hypertensive diastolic heart failure with bilateral subclavian artery stenosis.

Severe stenosis or occlusion of the subclavian artery is a rare clinical finding, even more so for bilateral existence of the condition. Subclavian artery stenosis and occlusion leads to erroneously low blood pressure values when measured at the brachial artery on the ipsilateral side. Widespread clinical reliance on a sole brachial measurement of blood pressure, particularly in the emergency room setting, may result in inappropriate clinical management in patients with conditions that alter brachial blood pressure. Currently, there is no published English-language literature on the implications of bilateral subclavian artery stenosis and occlusion in heart failure. A case of an apparently hypotensive patient with frequent emergency room visits for symptoms of heart failure exacerbation is presented.

Celiac crisis in an adult on immunosuppressive therapy.

'Celiac crisis' is a rare presentation of celiac disease with manifestations that include severe diarrhea, and severe metabolic and electrolyte abnormalities. It is most frequently seen in children younger than two years of age and has been rarely described in adults. A case of a 50-year-old woman who presented with diarrhea, severe dehydration, hypokalemia and metabolic acidosis is described. Based on positive serology and small bowel biopsy, she was diagnosed with celiac disease. She also had histological evidence of lymphocytic colitis. Microscopic colitis has not previously been described in association with celiac crisis, but it may have contributed to the presentation of celiac crisis in the current case. The patient was on corticosteroids and azathioprine for autoimmune hepatitis at the time of her presentation. The current case demonstrates that modest immunosuppression does not prevent a celiac crisis, although previous reports have shown that patients may respond rapidly to high-dose corticosteroids.