Management of an Inadvertently Placed Transarterial Pacemaker Lead in the Left Ventricle: A Step-by-step Approach.

Inadvertent lead misplacement in the left ventricle can lead to thromboembolic events, valvular damage, and endocarditis. We present a case of an inadvertently placed transarterial pacemaker lead in the left ventricle in a patient who underwent percutaneous lead removal. After a multidisciplinary team discussion involving cardiac electrophysiology and interventional cardiology as well as a discussion of treatment options with the patient, it was decided to proceed with pacemaker lead removal with the Sentinel™ Cerebral Protection System (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA, USA) to prevent thromboembolic events. The patient tolerated the procedure well without post-procedural complications and was discharged the next day on oral anticoagulation. We also present a step-by-step approach to perform lead removal with the use of Sentinel™, emphasizing mitigating the stroke and bleeding risks in this patient setting.

A Completely Non-occlusive Segmental Cryoballoon Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation Guided by High-density Mapping: A Novel Approach and Proof of Concept.

Cryoballoon (CB) ablation traditionally involves obtaining pulmonary vein (PV) occlusion followed by pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). The therapy is guided by time to effect and proximity to the esophagus or phrenic nerve. This, however, requires segmental non-occlusive cryoablation (NOCA) to achieve PVI. While segmental ablation has gained popularity lately with its use during left atrial posterior wall ablation, occlusive PVI remains the mainstay of CB ablation. Many times, this leads to distal lesions and not necessarily wide-area circumferential ablation (WACA) as done with radiofrequency (RF) ablation. In addition, NOCA is guided by estimated balloon positioning as there is no way to see the balloon on the mapping system or to show the exact area of balloon contact as is achievable with contact force catheters. In this case report, we show how a high-density mapping catheter can be used (1) to select the site of ablation on the WACA line; (2) to determine the anticipated location of the CB ablation lesion; (3) to ensure contact; (4) for high-density mapping to ensure PVI; (5) to avoid any PV occlusion and use of related modalities (contrast, left atrial pressure waveform, intracardiac echo, and color Doppler); (6) for short lesions to avoid any change in esophageal temperature of effect on phrenic nerve; and (7) to achieve true WACA similar to as seen with RF ablation in a very predictable manner. We believe that this is the first case report of its kind using a high-density mapping catheter without an attempt made for any PV occlusion.

Compliance with guideline-directed therapy in diabetic patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome: Findings from the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines-Coronary Artery Disease (GWTG-CAD) program.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate and compare baseline characteristics, outcomes and compliance with guideline based therapy at discharge among diabetic and non-diabetic patients admitted with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). METHODS AND RESULTS: Study population consisted of 151,270 patients admitted with ACS from 2002 through 2008 at 411 sites participating in the American Heart Association's Get with the Guidelines (GWTG) program. Demographic variables, physical exam findings, laboratory data, left ventricular ejection fraction, length of stay, in-hospital mortality and discharge medications were compared between diabetic and non-diabetic patients. Temporal trends in compliance with guidelines directed therapy were evaluated. Of 151,270 patients, 48,938 (32%) had diabetes. Overall, diabetic patients were significantly older and more likely non-white. They had significantly more hypertension, atherosclerotic disease, CKD, and LV dysfunction and were more likely to present as NSTEMI. They had longer hospital stay and higher hospital mortality than non-diabetic patients. Diabetic patients were less likely to get LDL checks (65% vs 70%) and less frequently prescribed statins (85% vs 89%), RAAS blockers for LV dysfunction (80% vs 84%) and dual-antiplatelet therapy (69% vs 74%). Diabetic patients were less likely to achieve BP goals before discharge (75% vs 82%). Fewer diabetic patients met first medical contact to PCI time for STEMI (44% vs 52%). Temporal trends, however, showed continued progressive improvement in most performance measures from 2002 to 2008 (all P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: These data from a large cohort of ACS patients demonstrate gaps in compliance with guidelines directed therapy in diabetic patients but also indicate significant and continued improvement in most performance measures over time. Concerted efforts are needed to continue this positive trend.

A Single Controlled Exposure to Secondhand Smoke May Not Alter Thrombogenesis or Trigger Platelet Activation.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure increases cardiovascular events, particularly acute thrombotic events. There are little human data on acute SHS exposure. The aim of this study was to determine whether a single controlled exposure of humans to SHS increased thrombogenesis. METHODS: After 6-8 hours fast, subjects (n = 50) were exposed to constant dose SHS (particulate level of 500 µg/m(3)) for 120 minutes in a temperature-regulated and ventilated, simulated bar environment. Blood was drawn before and immediately after SHS exposure for thromboelastography (TEG) and flow cytometry. Maximum clot strength (MA) was measured using TEG and platelet leukocyte aggregates (LPA) were measured as an index of platelet activation. Anti-CD 14 antibodies were used as leukocyte markers and anti-CD 41 antibodies as platelet markers for cytometry. Data were analyzed using students' t test for paired samples. RESULTS: There was no effect of acute exposure to SHS on platelet activation or thrombogenesis. Also, intra group (smokers [n = 19] and nonsmokers [n = 31]) comparisons of LPA and TEG parameters did not show changes with SHS exposure. CONCLUSIONS: While there are abundant data showing enhanced thrombogenesis and platelet activation following repeated exposure to SHS, our study suggests that a single exposure does not appear to significantly alter thrombin kinetics nor result in platelet activation. The effects of SHS on thrombogenesis might be nonlinear.