Ultrasound-Guided Transfemoral Access for Coronary Procedures: A Pooled Learning Curve Analysis From the FAUST and UNIVERSAL Trials.

BACKGROUND: The learning curve for new operators performing ultrasound-guided transfemoral access (TFA) remains uncertain. METHODS: We performed a pooled analysis of the FAUST (Femoral Arterial Access With Ultrasound Trial) and UNIVERSAL (Routine Ultrasound Guidance for Vascular Access for Cardiac Procedures) trials, both multicenter randomized controlled trials of 1:1 ultrasound-guided versus non-ultrasound-guided TFA for coronary procedures. Outcomes included the composite of major bleeding or vascular complications and successful common femoral artery cannulation. Participants were stratified by the operators' accrued case volume. We used adjusted repeated-measurement logistic regression, with random intercepts for operator clustering, for comparison against the non-ultrasound-guided TFA group and to model the learning curve. RESULTS: The FAUST and UNIVERSAL trials randomized a total of 1624 patients, of which 810 were randomized to non-ultrasound-guided TFA and 814 to ultrasound-guided TFA (cases 1-10, 391; 11-20, 183; and >20, 240). Participants who had operators who performed >20 ultrasound-guided TFAs had a decreased risk for the primary end point (5/240 [2.1%] versus 64/810 [7.9%]; adjusted odds ratio, 0.26 [95% CI, 0.09-0.61]) compared with non-ultrasound-guided TFA. Operators who performed >20 ultrasound-guided procedures had increased odds of successfully cannulating the common femoral artery (224/246 [91.1%] versus 327/382 [85.6%]; adjusted odds ratio, 1.76 [95% CI, 1.08-2.89]) compared with non-ultrasound-guided TFA. The learning curve plots demonstrated growing competence with increasing accrued cases. CONCLUSIONS: New operators should perform at least 20 ultrasound-guided TFA to decrease access site complications and increase proper cannulation compared with non-ultrasound-guided TFA. Additional accrued cases may lead to increased proficiency. Training programs should consider these findings in the transradial era.

Continuous Right Ventricular Pressure Monitoring in Cardiac Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in cardiac surgery can lead to RV failure, which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Abnormal RV function can be identified using RV pressure monitoring. The primary objective of the study is to determine the proportion of patients with abnormal RV early to end-diastole diastolic pressure gradient (RVDPG) and abnormal RV end-diastolic pressure (RVEDP) before initiation and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) separation. The secondary objective is to evaluate if RVDPG before CPB initiation is associated with difficult and complex separation from CPB, RV dysfunction, and failure at the end of cardiac surgery. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Tertiary care cardiac institute. PARTICIPANTS: Cardiac surgical patients. INTERVENTION: Cardiac surgery. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Automated electronic quantification of RVDPG and RVEDP were obtained. Hemodynamic measurements were correlated with cardiac and extracardiac parameters from transesophageal echocardiography and postoperative complications. Abnormal RVDPG was present in 80% of the patients (n = 105) at baseline, with a mean RVEDP of 14.2 ± 3.9 mmHg. Patients experienced an RVDPG > 4 mmHg for a median duration of 50.2% of the intraoperative period before CPB initiation and 60.6% after CPB separation. A total of 46 (43.8%) patients had difficult/complex separation from CPB, 18 (38.3%) patients had RV dysfunction, and 8 (17%) had RV failure. Abnormal RVDPG before CPB was not associated with postoperative outcome. CONCLUSION: Elevated RVDPG and RVEDP are common in cardiac surgery. RVDPG and RVEDP before CPB initiation are not associated with RV dysfunction and failure but can be used to diagnose them.

Calcineurin Inhibitor in NEuRoloGically deceased donors to decrease kidney delayed graft function study: study protocol of the CINERGY Pilot randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Most solid organ transplants originate from donors meeting criteria for death by neurological criteria (DNC). Within the organ donor, physiological responses to brain death increase the risk of ischaemia reperfusion injury and delayed graft function. Donor preconditioning with calcineurin inhibition may reduce this risk. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We designed a multicentre placebo-controlled pilot randomised trial involving nine organ donation hospitals and all 28 transplant programmes in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Québec. We planned to enrol 90 DNC donors and their approximately 324 organ recipients, totalling 414 participants. Donors receive an intravenous infusion of either tacrolimus 0.02 mg/kg over 4 hours prior to organ retrieval, or a matching placebo, while monitored in an intensive care unit for any haemodynamic changes during the infusion. Among all study organ recipients, we record measures of graft function for the first 7 days in hospital and we will record graft survival after 1 year. We examine the feasibility of this trial with respect to the proportion of all eligible donors enrolled and the proportion of all eligible transplant recipients consenting to receive a CINERGY organ transplant and to allow the use of their health data for study purposes. We will report these feasibility outcomes as proportions with 95% CIs. We also record any barriers encountered in the launch and in the implementation of this trial with detailed source documentation. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: We will disseminate trial results through publications and presentations at participating sites and conferences. This study has been approved by Health Canada (HC6-24-c241083) and by the Research Ethics Boards of all participating sites and in Québec (MP-31-2020-3348) and Clinical Trials Ontario (Project #3309). TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05148715.

The regulatory roles of small nucleolar RNAs within their host locus.

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are a class of conserved noncoding RNAs forming complexes with proteins to catalyse site-specific modifications on ribosomal RNA. Besides this canonical role, several snoRNAs are now known to regulate diverse levels of gene expression. While these functions are carried out in trans by mature snoRNAs, evidence has also been emerging of regulatory roles of snoRNAs in cis, either within their genomic locus or as longer transcription intermediates during their maturation. Herein, we review recent findings that snoRNAs can interact in cis with their intron to regulate the expression of their host gene. We also explore the ever-growing diversity of longer host-derived snoRNA extensions and their functional impact across the transcriptome. Finally, we discuss the role of snoRNA duplications into forging these new layers of snoRNA-mediated regulation, as well as their involvement in the genomic imprinting of their host locus.

Clinical relevance of transcranial Doppler in a cardiac surgery setting: embolic load predicts difficult separation from cardiopulmonary bypass.

BACKGROUND: During cardiac surgery, transcranial Doppler (TCD) represents a non-invasive modality that allows measurement of red blood cell flow velocities in the cerebral arteries. TCD can also be used to detect and monitor embolic material in the cerebral circulation. Detection of microemboli is reported as a high intensity transient signal (HITS). The importance of cerebral microemboli during cardiac surgery has been linked to the increased incidence of postoperative renal failure, right ventricular dysfunction, and hemodynamic instability. The objective of this study is to determine whether the embolic load is associated with hemodynamic instability during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) separation and postoperative complications. METHODS: A retrospective single-centre cohort study of 354 patients undergoing cardiac surgery between December 2015 and March 2020 was conducted. Patients were divided in tertiles, where 117 patients had a low quantity of embolic material (LEM), 119 patients have a medium quantity of microemboli (MEM) and 118 patients who have a high quantity of embolic material (HEM). The primary endpoint was a difficult CPB separation. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the potential association between a difficult CPB separation and the number of embolic materials. RESULTS: Patients who had a difficult CPB separation had more HITS compared to patients who had a successful CPB separation (p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, patients with MEM decreased their odds of having a difficult CPB weaning compared to patients in the HEM group (OR = 0.253, CI 0.111-0.593; p = 0.001). In the postoperative period patients in the HEM group have a higher Time of Persistent Organ Dysfunction (TPOD), a longer stay in the ICU, a longer duration under vasopressor drugs and a higher mortality rate compared to those in the MEM and LEM groups. CONCLUSION: The result of this study suggests that a high quantity of cerebral embolic material increases the odds of having a difficult CPB separation. Also, it seems to be associated to more complex surgery, a longer CPB time, a higher TPOD and a longer stay in the ICU. Six out of eight patients who died in this cohort were in the HEM group.

Impact of Surgical Positioning on the Occurrence of Postoperative Ipilateral Shoulder Pain After Lung Resection by Video-Assisted Thoracoscopy: A Randomized Trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the ipsilateral arm position on ipsilateral shoulder pain after lung cancer resection by video-assisted thoracic surgery. DESIGN: A prospective randomized controlled trial. SETTING: A single academic center study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery pulmonary resection for cancer at the Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec from May 2020 to May 2022 were included. INTERVENTIONS: Patients randomly were assigned with a 1:1 ratio to a supported or suspended ipsilateral arm position. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Ipsilateral shoulder pain incidence, pain score, and opioid use were recorded in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) on postoperative days 1 and 2. One hundred thirty-three patients were randomized, 67 in the suspended-arm group and 66 in the supported-arm group. Of the patients, 31% reported ipsilateral shoulder pain in the PACU with no difference between groups (19/67 [28.4%] v 22/66 patients (33.3%), p = 0.5767). There was no significant difference between the pain score in the PACU (3 [0-6] v 4 [0-6], p = 0.9055) at postoperative day 1 (4 [2-6] v 3 [2-5], p = 0.4113) and at postoperative day 2 (2 [0-5] v 2 [1-4], p = 0.9508). Ipsilateral shoulder pain score decreased rapidly on postoperative day 2. There was no statistical difference in opioid and gabapentinoid use between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Ipsilateral arm position seems to have no impact on ipsilateral shoulder pain.

Ultrasound guidance for transfemoral access in coronary procedures: an individual participant-level data metaanalysis from the femoral ultrasound trialist collaboration.

BACKGROUND: Randomised controlled trials of ultrasound (US)-guided transfemoral access (TFA) for coronary procedures have shown mixed results. AIMS: We aimed to compare US-guided versus non-US-guided TFA from randomised data in an individual participant-level data (IPD) meta-analysis. METHODS: We completed a systematic review and an IPD meta-analysis of all randomised controlled trials comparing US-guided versus non-US-guided TFA for coronary procedures. We performed a one-stage mixed-model meta-analysis using the intention-to-treat population from included trials. The primary outcome was a composite of major vascular complications or major bleeding within 30 days. RESULTS: A total of 2,441 participants (1,208 US-guided, 1,233 non-US-guided) from 4 randomised clinical trials were included. The mean age was 65.5 years, 27.0% were female, and 34.5% underwent a percutaneous coronary intervention. The incidence of major vascular complications or major bleeding (34/1,208 [2.8%] vs 55/1,233 [4.5%]; odds ratio [OR] 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39-0.94; p=0.026) was lower in the US-guided TFA group. In the prespecified subgroup of participants who received a vascular closure device, those randomised to US-guided TFA experienced a reduction in the primary outcome (2.1% vs 5.6%; OR 0.36, 95% CI: 0.19-0.69), while no benefit for US guidance was observed in the subgroup without vascular closure devices (4.1% vs 3.3%; OR 1.21, 95% CI: 0.65-2.26; interaction p=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: In participants undergoing coronary procedures by TFA, US guidance decreased the composite outcome of major vascular complications or bleeding and may be especially helpful when using vascular closure devices.

A Case of Abnormal Right Ventricular Color-Flow Doppler Jet.

Transthoracic echocardiography is used routinely during the follow-up after heart transplant surgery to screen possible complications and adverse events such as rejection. It often results in incidental findings that bring diagnostic challenges for sonographers. This E-challenge shows a Doppler flow abnormality associated with a rare cardiovascular diagnosis. Its physiopathology and its association with echocardiography findings are reviewed.

Benzodiazepine-Free Cardiac Anesthesia for Reduction of Postoperative Delirium (B-Free): A Protocol for a Multi-centre Randomized Cluster Crossover Trial.

Delirium is common after cardiac surgery and is associated with adverse outcomes. Administration of benzodiazepines before and after cardiac surgery is associated with delirium; guidelines recommend minimizing their use. Benzodiazepine administration during cardiac surgery remains common because of its recognized benefits. The Benzodiazepine-Free Cardiac Anesthesia for Reduction of Postoperative Delirium (B-Free) trial is a randomized cluster crossover trial evaluating whether an institutional policy of restricting intraoperative benzodiazepine administration (ie, ≥ 90% of patients do not receive benzodiazepines during cardiac surgery), as compared with a policy of liberal intraoperative benzodiazepine administration (ie, ≥ 90% of patients receive ≥ 0.03 mg/kg midazolam equivalent), reduces delirium. Hospitals performing ≥ 250 cardiac surgeries a year are included if their cardiac anesthesia group agrees to apply both benzodiazepine policies per their randomization, and patients are assessed for postoperative delirium every 12 hours in routine clinical care. Hospitals apply the restricted or liberal benzodiazepine policy during 12 to 18 crossover periods of 4 weeks each. Randomization for all periods takes place in advance of site startup; sites are notified of their allocated policy during the last week of each crossover period. Policies are applied to all patients undergoing cardiac surgery during the trial period. The primary outcome is the incidence of delirium at up to 72 hours after surgery. The B-Free trial will enroll ≥ 18,000 patients undergoing cardiac surgery at 20 hospitals across North America. Delirium is common after cardiac surgery, and benzodiazepines are associated with the occurrence of delirium. The B-Free trial will determine whether an institutional policy restricting the administration of benzodiazepines during cardiac surgery reduces the incidence of delirium after cardiac surgery. Clinicaltrials.gov registration number: NCT03928236 (First registered April 26, 2019).

L'état confusionnel est fréquent après une chirurgie cardiaque et il est associé à des complications. L'administration de benzodiazépines avant et après une chirurgie cardiaque est associée à l'état confusionnel; dans les lignes directrices, on recommande de réduire leur utilisation au minimum. L'administration de benzodiazépines pendant une chirurgie cardiaque demeure fréquente, en raison des leurs bienfaits reconnus. L'essai B-Free (Benzodiazepine-Free Cardiac Anesthesia for Reduction of Postoperative Delirium ou l'anesthésie sans benzodiazépine en contexte de chirurgie cardiaque pour la réduction de l'état confusionnel postopératoire) est un essai à répartition aléatoire par grappes et avec permutation, visant à évaluer si une politique institutionnelle de restriction de l'administration peropératoire de benzodiazépines (c.-à-d. que ≥ 90 % des patients ne reçoivent pas de benzodiazépines durant une chirurgie cardiaque) réduit l'état confusionnel, comparativement à une politique d'administration peropératoire libérale de benzodiazépines (c.-à-d. que ≥ 90 % des patients reçoivent ≥ 0,03 mg/kg d'équivalent du midazolam). Des hôpitaux effectuant au moins 250 chirurgies cardiaques par année sont inclus dans l'essai si leurs équipes d'anesthésie cardiaque acceptent d'appliquer les deux politiques relatives aux benzodiazépines en vertu de la répartition aléatoire et si les patients sont évalués toutes les 12 heures, en ce qui a trait à l'état confusionnel postopératoire, dans le cadre des soins cliniques habituels. Les hôpitaux mettent en œuvre la politique d'administration restreinte ou libérale de benzodiazépines durant 12 à 18 périodes de permutation de 4 semaines chacune. La répartition aléatoire de l'ensemble des périodes a lieu avant le début de l'essai à l'hôpital; les établissements sont avisés de la politique qui leur est attribuée au cours de la dernière semaine de chaque période de permutation. Les politiques sont appliquées à tous les patients qui subissent une chirurgie cardiaque durant la période de l'essai. Le critère d'évaluation principal est l'incidence de l'état confusionnel dans les 72 heures suivant l'intervention chirurgicale. L'étude B-Free inclura au moins 18 000 patients qui subiront une chirurgie cardiaque dans 20 hôpitaux en l'Amérique du Nord. L'état confusionnel est fréquent après une chirurgie cardiaque, et les benzodiazépines sont associées à la survenue de l'état confusionnel. L'essai B-Free permettra de déterminer si une politique institutionnelle de restriction de l'administration de benzodiazépines durant une chirurgie cardiaque réduit l'incidence de l'état confusionnel après une telle chirurgie.Clinicaltrials.gov registration number: NCT03928236 (First registered April 26, 2019).

Intronic small nucleolar RNAs regulate host gene splicing through base pairing with their adjacent intronic sequences.

BACKGROUND: Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are abundant noncoding RNAs best known for their involvement in ribosomal RNA maturation. In mammals, most expressed snoRNAs are embedded in introns of longer genes and produced through transcription and splicing of their host. Intronic snoRNAs were long viewed as inert passengers with little effect on host expression. However, a recent study reported a snoRNA influencing the splicing and ultimate output of its host gene. Overall, the general contribution of intronic snoRNAs to host expression remains unclear. RESULTS: Computational analysis of large-scale human RNA-RNA interaction datasets indicates that 30% of detected snoRNAs interact with their host transcripts. Many snoRNA-host duplexes are located near alternatively spliced exons and display high sequence conservation suggesting a possible role in splicing regulation. The study of the model SNORD2-EIF4A2 duplex indicates that the snoRNA interaction with the host intronic sequence conceals the branch point leading to decreased inclusion of the adjacent alternative exon. Extended SNORD2 sequence containing the interacting intronic region accumulates in sequencing datasets in a cell-type-specific manner. Antisense oligonucleotides and mutations that disrupt the formation of the snoRNA-intron structure promote the splicing of the alternative exon, shifting the EIF4A2 transcript ratio away from nonsense-mediated decay. CONCLUSIONS: Many snoRNAs form RNA duplexes near alternative exons of their host transcripts, placing them in optimal positions to control host output as shown for the SNORD2-EIF4A2 model system. Overall, our study supports a more widespread role for intronic snoRNAs in the regulation of their host transcript maturation.

No-reflow after primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: an angiographic core laboratory analysis of the TOTAL Trial.

BACKGROUND: The optimal strategy to prevent no-reflow in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unknown. AIMS: We aimed to examine the effect of thrombectomy on the outcome of no-reflow in key subgroups and the adverse clinical outcomes associated with no-reflow. METHODS: We performed a post hoc analysis of the TOTAL Trial, a randomised trial of 10,732 patients comparing thrombectomy versus PCI alone. This analysis utilised the angiographic data of 1,800 randomly selected patients. RESULTS: No-reflow was diagnosed in 196 of 1,800 eligible patients (10.9%). No-reflow occurred in 95/891 (10.7%) patients randomised to thrombectomy compared with 101/909 (11.1%) in the PCI-alone arm (odds ratio [OR] 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71-1.28; p-value=0.76). In the subgroup of patients who underwent direct stenting, those randomised to thrombectomy compared with PCI alone experienced less no-reflow (19/371 [5.1%] vs 21/216 [9.7%], OR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.26-0.96). In patients who did not undergo direct stenting, there was no difference between the groups (64/504 [12.7%] vs 75/686 [10.9%)], OR 1.18, 95% CI: 0.82-1.69; interaction p-value=0.02). No-reflow patients had a significantly increased risk of experiencing the primary composite outcome (cardiovascular death, recurrent myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, or NYHA Class IV heart failure) at 1 year (adjusted hazard ratio 1.70, 95% CI: 1.13-2.56; p-value=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with STEMI treated by PCI, thrombectomy did not reduce no-reflow in all patients but may be synergistic with direct stenting. No-reflow is associated with increased adverse clinical outcomes.

Effect of reverse Trendelenburg position and positive pressure ventilation on safe non-hypoxic apnea period in obese, a randomized-control trial.

PURPOSE: There is an elevated incidence of hypoxemia during the airway management of the morbidly obese. We aimed to assess whether optimizing body position and ventilation during pre-oxygenation allow a longer safe non-hypoxic apnea period (SNHAP). METHODS: Fifty morbidly obese patients were recruited and randomized for this study. Patients were positioned and preoxygenated for three minutes in the ramp position associated with spontaneous breathing without additional CPAP or PEEP (RP/ZEEP group) or in the reverse Trendelenburg position associated with pressure support ventilation mode with pressure support of 8 cmH2O and an additional 10 cmH2O of PEEP while breathing spontaneously (RT/PPV group) according to randomization. RESULTS: The SNHAP was significantly longer in the RT/PPV group (258.2 (55.1) vs. 216.7 (42.3) seconds, p = 0.005). The RT/PPV group was also associated to a shorter time to obtain a fractional end-tidal oxygen concentration (FEtO2) of 0.90 (85.1(47.8) vs 145.3(40.8) seconds, p < 0.0001), a higher proportion of patients that reached the satisfactory FEtO2 of 0.90 (21/24, 88% vs. 13/24, 54%, p = 0.024), a higher FEtO2 during preoxygenation (0.91(0.05) vs. 0.89(0.01), p = 0.003) and a faster return to 97% oxygen saturation after ventilation resumption (69.8 (24.2) vs. 91.4 (39.2) seconds, p = 0.038). CONCLUSION: In the morbidly obese population, RT/PPV, compared to RP/ZEEP, lengthens the SNHAP, decreases the time to obtain optimal preoxygenation conditions, and allows a faster resuming of secure oxygen saturation. The former combination allows a more significant margin of time for endotracheal intubation and minimizes the risk of hypoxemia in this highly vulnerable population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02590406, 29/10/2015.

Prolonged cardiovascular pharmacological support and fluid management after cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To identify potentially modifiable risk factors related to prolonged cardiovascular pharmacological support after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of two prospective cohort study in a specialized cardiac surgery institution in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery with the use of CPB between August 2016 and July 2017. Prolonged cardiovascular pharmacological support was defined by the need for at least one vasopressor or one inotropic agent 24 hours after separation from CPB. Risk factors were identified among baseline characteristics and peri-operative events through multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 247 patients were included and 98 (39.7%) developed prolonged pharmacological support. In multivariable analysis, left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 30% (OR 9.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14; 79.25), elevated systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) > 30 and ≤ 55 mmHg (moderate) (OR 2.52, CI 1.15; 5.52) and sPAP > 55 mmHg (severe) (OR 8.12, CI 2.54; 26.03), as well as cumulative fluid balance in the first 24 hours after surgery (OR 1.76, CI 1.32; 2.33) were independently associated with the development of prolonged pharmacological support. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged cardiovascular pharmacological support is frequent after cardiac surgery on CPB. Severe LV systolic dysfunction, preoperative pulmonary hypertension and postoperative fluid overload are risk factors. Further studies are required to explore if those risk factors could be modified or not.

Motif conservation, stability, and host gene expression are the main drivers of snoRNA expression across vertebrates.

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are structured noncoding RNAs present in multiple copies within eukaryotic genomes. snoRNAs guide chemical modifications on their target RNA and regulate processes like ribosome assembly and splicing. Most human snoRNAs are embedded within host gene introns, the remainder being independently expressed from intergenic regions. We recently characterized the abundance of snoRNAs and their host gene across several healthy human tissues and found that the level of most snoRNAs does not correlate with that of their host gene, with the observation that snoRNAs embedded within the same host gene often differ drastically in abundance. To better understand the determinants of snoRNA expression, we trained machine learning models to predict whether snoRNAs are expressed or not in human tissues based on more than 30 collected features related to snoRNAs and their genomic context. By interpreting the models' predictions, we find that snoRNAs rely on conserved motifs, a stable global structure and terminal stem, and a transcribed locus to be expressed. We observe that these features explain well the varying abundance of snoRNAs embedded within the same host gene. By predicting the expression status of snoRNAs across several vertebrates, we notice that only one-third of all annotated snoRNAs are expressed per genome, as in humans. Our results suggest that ancestral snoRNAs disseminated within vertebrate genomes, sometimes leading to the development of new functions and a probable gain in fitness and thereby conserving features favorable to the expression of these few snoRNAs, the large remainder often degenerating into pseudogenes.

Race and Ethnicity With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes Within a Universal Health Care System: Insights From the CARTaGENE Study.

BACKGROUND: It remains unclear whether racial and ethnic disparities for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) persist within universal health care systems. We aimed to explore long-term ASCVD outcomes within a single-payer health care system with extensive drug coverage in Québec, Canada. METHODS: CARTaGENE (CaG) is a population-based prospective cohort study of individuals aged 40 to 69 years. We included only participants without previous ASCVD. The primary composite endpoint was time to the first ASCVD event (cardiovascular death, acute coronary syndrome, ischemic stroke-transient ischemic attack, or peripheral arterial vascular event). RESULTS: The study cohort included 18,880 participants followed for a median of 6.6 years (2009 to 2016). The mean age was 52 years, and 52.4% were female. After further adjustment for socioeconomic and cardiovascular factors, the increase in ASCVD risk for South Asians (SAs) was attenuated (hazard ratio [HR], 1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75, 2.67), whereas Black participants' risk was lower (HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.29, 0.95) compared with White participants. After similar adjustments, there were no significant differences in ASCVD outcomes among the Middle Eastern, Hispanic, East-Southeast Asian, Indigenous, and mixed race-ethnicities participants and the White participants. CONCLUSIONS: After adjustment for CV risk factors, the risk of ASCVD was attenuated in the SA CaG participants. Intensive risk-factor modification may mitigate the ASCVD risk of the SAs. Within a universal health care context and comprehensive drug coverage, the ASCVD risk was lower among Black compared with White CaG participants. Future studies are needed to confirm whether universal and liberal access to health care and medications can reduce the rates of ASCVD among the Black population.

New Developments in Continuous Hemodynamic Monitoring of the Critically Ill Patient.

Hemodynamic monitoring is a cornerstone in the assessment of patients with circulatory shock. Timely recognition of hemodynamic compromise and proper optimisation is essential to ensure adequate tissue perfusion and maintain renal, hepatic, abdominal, and cerebral functions. Hemodynamic monitoring has significantly evolved since the first inception of the pulmonary artery catheter more than 50 years ago. Bedside echocardiography, when combined with noninvasive and minimally invasive technologies, provides tools to monitor and quantify the cardiac output to promptly react and improve hemodynamic management in an acute care setting. Commonly used technologies include noninvasive pulse-wave analysis, pulse-wave transit time, thoracic bioimpedance and bioreactance, esophageal Doppler, minimally invasive pulse-wave analysis, transpulmonary thermodilution, and pulmonary artery catheter. These monitoring strategies are reviewed here, along with detailed analysis of their operating mode, particularities, and limitations. The use of artificial intelligence to enhance performance and effectiveness of hemodynamic monitoring is reviewed to apprehend future possibilities.