The Core Curriculum for Cardiovascular Nurses and Allied Professionals.

This 2023 update of the Core Curriculum in Cardiovascular Nursing (2015) embraces the formation of the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professionals and reflects the diverse professional backgrounds of our members, including nurses, allied health professionals, and healthcare scientists (in this document referred to collectively as Nurses and Allied Professionals).

Radiation protection for healthcare professionals working in catheterisation laboratories during pregnancy: a statement of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) in collaboration with the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), the ESC Regulatory Affairs Committee and Women as One.

The European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Regulatory Affairs Committee and Women as One support continuous review and improvement, not only in the practice of assuring patients a high quality of care but also in providing health professionals with support documents to help them in their career and enhance gender equity. Recent surveys have revealed that radiation exposure is commonly reported as the primary barrier for women pursuing a career in interventional cardiology or cardiac electrophysiology (EP). The fear of foetal exposure to radiation during pregnancy may lead to a prolonged interruption in their career. Accordingly, this joint statement aims to provide a clear statement on radiation risk and the existing data on the experience of radiation-exposed cardiologists who continue to work in catheterisation laboratories (cath labs) throughout their pregnancies. In order to reduce the barrier preventing women from accessing these careers, increased knowledge in the community is warranted. Finally, by going beyond simple observations and review of the literature, our document suggests proposals for improving workplace safety and for encouraging equity.

Aortic Root Pressurizing Device: Aortic Valve Evaluation During Cardioplegic Arrest.

PURPOSE: The aortic root pressurizing device was developed for aortic valve repair surgery. It allows echocardiographic evaluation of the aortic valve during cardioplegic arrest by mimicking diastolic afterload. DESCRIPTION: This polyoxymethylene or polyether ether ketone-based device consists of a sealing cap nut, a sealing ring, a plug screw, and both a filling and a ventilation line. It can be easily connected to any size of aortic Dacron grafts. EVALUATION: The device was tested in 15 porcine hearts using a beating heart biosimulator including hemodynamic and echocardiographic monitoring. Valve competence was analyzed on both the beating and resting heart at 60 and 45 mm Hg root pressure. Aortic insufficiency was surgically induced by leaflet manipulation. Native aortic valves showed either none or trivial aortic insufficiency. After leaflet manipulation echocardiographic proof of valve insufficiency was possible in all specimen. Jet direction was identic in all cases at 60 mm Hg and 93% at 45 mm Hg root pressure. CONCLUSIONS: The aortic root pressurizing device shows highly comparable results of echocardiographic aortic valve evaluation between static and dynamic settings under experimental conditions.

Heart Failure and Problems with Frailty Syndrome: Why it is Time to Care About Frailty Syndrome in Heart Failure.

Frailty syndrome (FS) is an independent predictor of mortality in cardiovascular disease and is found in 15-74% of patients with heart failure (HF). The syndrome has a complex, multidimensional aetiology and contributes to adverse outcomes. Proper FS diagnosis and treatment determine prognosis and support the evaluation of treatment outcomes. Routine FS assessment for HF patients should be included in daily clinical practice as an important prognostic factor within a holistic process of diagnosis and treatment. Multidisciplinary team members, particularly nurses, play an important role in FS assessment in hospital and primary care settings, and in the home care environment. Raising awareness of concurrent FS in patients with HF patients and promoting targeted interventions may contribute to a decreased risk of adverse events, and a better prognosis and quality of life.

A cardiac catheterisation laboratory core curriculum for the continuing professional development of nurses and allied health professions: developed by the Education working group of the Nurses and Allied Professions Committee for the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) 2016.

AIMS: The aim of this report is to provide a standard educational structure for nurses and allied professionals (NAP) specialising in interventional cardiology. The curriculum can also be used as a basis for training on a certificate-based level in interventional cardiology. METHODS AND RESULTS: The curriculum was developed by a panel of experts from various allied health professions. The syllabus focuses on nine core areas of themes essential for NAP working in interventional cardiology. The highly technical knowledge required for working in interventional cardiology as well as the various roles of the different professional groups have been taken into consideration. CONCLUSIONS: This core curriculum will ensure that essential content is covered during education and a basic level of quality is achieved across specialty cardiovascular educational programmes throughout Europe.

Frailty scoring in transcatheter aortic valve replacement patients.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a less invasive treatment option for patients that are deemed too high a risk for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). The aim of this review is to evaluate the frailty tools currently being used in patients referred for TAVR. METHODS: Using a literature search involving database search engines from CINAHL, PubMed, SAGE publications and European Society of Cardiology conducted from 2010 to the present, a critical evaluation of studies dealing with frailty assessment in patients referred for TAVR/SAVR is discussed. RESULTS: Eight studies met the criteria using frailty assessment in TAVR/SAVR patients. In all reviewed studies the impact of frailty on clinical outcome has been proved. Different instruments for measurements of frailty were used that have not been robustly evaluated. Frailty was defined differently and results may not be comparable. All reviewed studies used different cutoffs and scales and some a composite scoring system, although validity was limited. CONCLUSION: For frailty assessment implementation of validated standardized test protocols based on well-established assessment tools, covering all domains of frailty among TAVR centers is crucial for patient selection. Secondly, validated cutoffs and scoring systems are essential.

A core curriculum for the continuing professional development of nurses: Developed by the Education Committee on behalf of the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions of the ESC.

BACKGROUND: The European Society of Cardiology and the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions share a vision; to decrease the burden of cardiovascular disease in Europe. Nurses represent the largest sector of the health professional workforce and have a significant contribution to make, which has not yet been fully realised. Recent evidence highlights an association between the level of nurse education and inpatient mortality making this an important topic, particularly as the provision of nurse education in Europe is variable. AIM: To develop a core curriculum to inform the education of nurses following initial qualification for work in cardiovascular settings. METHOD: A syllabus was developed using published literature, policy documents and existing curricula with expert input from service users, specialist nurses, cardiologists, educationalists and academics. The syllabus formed the framework for the development of the core curriculum. RESULTS: Eight key themes characterise the core curriculum which are presented together with an account of the development process. While the curriculum is not intended to cover all aspects of the highly complex role of the cardiovascular nurse, the themes do exemplify the science and art of nursing and are transferable across different levels of clinical practice and settings. The curriculum functions both as a 'map', which identifies key themes to include in nurse education, and as a 'tool' to inform educational provision that bridges' the gap between initial nurse education and advanced specialist practice. Content can be adapted for use to fit the national context and reflects the specific needs, health priorities, legislative and regulatory standards that govern safe nursing practice across different countries. CONCLUSION: The core curriculum can be used as a learning framework to guide nurse education, in particular the continuing professional education of post-qualifying nurses working in cardiovascular settings. This represents a significant step towards streamlining cardiovascular nurse education in Europe.

Guideline-driven telemonitoring and follow-up of cardiovascular implantable electronic devices using IEEE 11073, HL7 & IHE profiles.

For patients with Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices (CIEDs), telemonitoring promises improved quality of life and safety, since events recorded by the device or observed by the patient can alert a health professional. Taking into account the latest clinical guidelines when responding to such alerts, is a topic of active research addressed by the iCARDEA project. A key technical challenge is correlating telemonitoring CIED report data in a vendor-independent format with Electronic Health Record (EHR) data collected in the hospital and Personal Health Record (PHR) data entered by the patient, in guideline-driven care processes. The iCARDEA CIED exposure service component presented in this paper employs standards specifications from ISO/IEEE 11073 (Health Informatics, Point-of-care Medical Device Communication) and HL7v2.x in the context of Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) profiles to deliver telemonitoring CIED report data from two different CIED vendors to the adaptive care planner that implements guideline-driven care plans. Experience gained with implementation and initial component testing is discussed, while challenges and expectations for future health information standards to effectively support EHR-integrated guide-line-driven telemonitoring services are highlighted.