Pseudo precordial ST-segment depression.

We present a case with acute coronary syndrome and very unusual QRS widening in the acute phase. The case highlights that non-specific intraventricular conduction delay should be considered as a high risk ECG pattern predicting poor prognosis.

Pacemaker ECG with the Littmann sign.

Severe hyperkalemia may be concealed in the electrocardiogram (ECG). We present the case of a critically ill patient with severe bradycardia and the BRASH syndrome. In critically ill patients, double counting of the heart rate is frequently a marker of severe hyperkalemia (Littmann sign). In our case, hyperkalemic double counting only appeared in the ECG performed during percutaneous pacing. The Littmann sign helped with the early recognition of hyperkalemia and the BRASH syndrome.

Weakness and Syncope After Prolonged Diarrhea.

This case report presents the electrocardiogram findings of a patient in their 70s history of hypertension, chronic kidney failure, and prolonged diarrhea who presented for repeated episodes of weakness and syncope.

Inhibition of the KCa2 potassium channel in atrial fibrillation: a randomized phase 2 trial.

Existing antiarrhythmic drugs to treat atrial fibrillation (AF) have incomplete efficacy, contraindications and adverse effects, including proarrhythmia. AP30663, an inhibitor of the KCa2 channel, has demonstrated AF efficacy in animals; however, its efficacy in humans with AF is unknown. Here we conducted a phase 2 trial in which patients with a current episode of AF lasting for 7 days or less were randomized to receive an intravenous infusion of 3 or 5 mg kg-1 AP30663 or placebo. The trial was prematurely discontinued because of slow enrollment during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The primary endpoint of the trial was cardioversion from AF to sinus rhythm within 90 min from the start of the infusion, analyzed with Bayesian statistics. Among 59 patients randomized and included in the efficacy analyses, the primary endpoint occurred in 42% (5 of 12), 55% (12 of 22) and 0% (0 of 25) of patients treated with 3 mg kg-1 AP30663, 5 mg kg-1 AP30663 or placebo, respectively. Both doses demonstrated more than 99.9% probability of superiority over placebo, surpassing the prespecified 95% threshold. The mean time to cardioversion, a secondary endpoint, was 47 (s.d. = 23) and 41 (s.d. = 24) minutes for 3 mg kg-1 and 5 mg kg-1 AP30663, respectively. AP30663 caused a transient increase in the QTcF interval, with a maximum mean effect of 37.7 ms for the 5 mg kg-1 dose. For both dose groups, no ventricular arrhythmias occurred and adverse event rates were comparable to the placebo group. AP30663 demonstrated AF cardioversion efficacy in patients with recent-onset AF episodes. KCa2 channel inhibition may be an attractive mechanism for rhythm control of AF that should be studied further in randomized trials. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT04571385 .

A Curious Case of Intermittent Negative Deflections Preceding the QRS Complexes.

This case report describes a patient in their 60s who developed apparent abnormal Q waves and severe hypomagnesemia while receiving chemotherapy for metastatic rectal carcinoma.

Chest Pain and Wide QRS Tachycardia.

This case report presents the electrocardiogram findings of a patient in their 70s with diabetes who presented with 3 hours of chest pain.

A puzzling overnight change in the QRS morphology.

Pacemakers set in a bipolar pacing mode often result in no discernible spikes on surface 12­lead ECG registrations. In this situation, left axis deviation combined with wide QRS can help to identify the paced ECG morphology. We present a case of a non-pacemaker dependent patient whose normal atrioventricular conduction also appeared as atypical left axis deviation with wide QRS on the ECG. These two depolarization-repolarization morphologies, and the switch between the two raised differential diagnostic questions. The case also illustrates a paced ECG demonstrating the concept of Littmann: a close relationship between leads V2 and aVL.

Precordial ST-segment continuum: A variant of the de Winter sign.

The vast majority of patients with acute occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) suffer frank ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In contrast, a small but not insignificant minority presents with an electrocardiographic (ECG) pattern termed the "de Winter sign." The de Winter sign is characterized by upsloping ST depression followed by tall and peaked T waves in the precordial leads. The purpose of this report is to present two cases of acute obstruction of a large wrap-around LAD where the ECGs simultaneously displayed diagnostic criteria both for STEMI and the de Winter sign. We provide possible explanations for this hitherto undescribed phenomenon.

Therapeutic hypothermia-induced QT prolongation and "torsade de pointes" ventricular tachycardia / Terápiás hypothermia okozta QT-megnyúlás és "torsade de pointes" kamrai tachycardia.

Összefoglaló. A szerzok egy 44 éves, autoimmun betegségben szenvedo nobeteg kórlefolyását ismertetik. A váratlan kórházi kamrafibrillációt követo sikeres resuscitatio után a beteg comatosus állapotban maradt, ezért terápiás hypothermiában részesült. A hypothermiás kezelés hatására jelentos QT-megnyúlás és "torsade de pointes" kamrai tachycardia lépett fel. A hypothermia okozta szívritmuszavar oka a homérséklet-csökkenés kiváltotta QT-megnyúlás és korai utódepolarizációs mechanizmusú triggerelt aktivitás. A szerzok felhívják a figyelmet arra, hogy jelen tudásunk szerint enyhe hypothermiát javasolt alkalmazni az ajánlásban szereplo hypothermiás tartományon belül. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(13): 523-526. Summary. The authors describe the course of disease in a 44-year-old female patient with autoimmune disease. After successful resuscitation following unexpected hospital ventricular fibrillation, the patient remained in a comatose state and therefore received therapeutic hypothermia. Hypothermic treatment resulted in significant QT prolongation and "torsade de pointes" ventricular tachycardia. The probable cause of arrhythmia is the QT prolongation caused by the hypothermia and the consequential early afterdepolarization and triggered activity. The authors draw attention to the fact that - to the best of our knowledge - milder hypothermia is recommended within the preset hypothermic range. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(13): 523-526.

A Randomized, double-blind, dose ranging clinical trial of intravenous FDY-5301 in acute STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI.

BACKGROUND: Ischemia-reperfusion injury remains a major clinical problem in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), leading to myocardial damage despite early reperfusion by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). There are no effective therapies to limit ischemia-reperfusion injury, which is caused by multiple pathways activated by rapid tissue reoxygenation and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). FDY-5301 contains sodium iodide, a ubiquitous inorganic halide and elemental reducing agent that can act as a catalytic anti-peroxidant. We tested the feasibility, safety and potential utility of FDY-5301 as a treatment to limit ischemia-reperfusion injury, in patients with first-time STEMI undergoing emergency PPCI. METHODS: STEMI patients (n = 120, median 62 years) presenting within 12 h of chest pain onset were randomized at 20 PPCI centers, in a double blind Phase 2 clinical trial, to receive FDY-5301 (0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 mg/kg) or placebo prior to reperfusion, to evaluate the feasibility endpoints. Participants underwent continuous ECG monitoring for 14 days after PPCI to address pre-specified cardiac arrhythmia safety end points and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 72 h and at 3 months to assess exploratory efficacy end points. RESULTS: Intravenous FDY-5301 was delivered before re-opening of the infarct-related artery in 97% participants and increased plasma iodide levels ~1000-fold within 2 min. There was no significant increase in the primary safety end point of incidence of cardiac arrhythmias of concern. MRI at 3 months revealed median final infarct sizes in placebo vs. 2.0 mg/kg FDY-5301-treated patients of 14.9% vs. 8.5%, and LV ejection fractions of 53.9% vs. 63.2%, respectively, although the study was not powered to detect statistical significance. In patients receiving FDY-5301, there was a significant reduction in the levels of MPO, MMP2 and NTproBNP after PPCI, but no reduction with placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous FDY-5301, delivered immediately prior to PPCI in acute STEMI, is feasible, safe, and shows potential efficacy. A larger trial is justified to test the effects of FDY-5301 on acute ischemia-reperfusion injury and clinical outcomes. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: CT.govNCT03470441; EudraCT 2017-000047-41.

Assessment of Omecamtiv Mecarbil for the Treatment of Patients With Severe Heart Failure: A Post Hoc Analysis of Data From the GALACTIC-HF Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction is a progressive clinical syndrome, and many patients' condition worsen over time despite treatment. Patients with more severe disease are often intolerant of available medical therapies. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of omecamtiv mecarbil for the treatment of patients with severe heart failure (HF) enrolled in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac Outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTIC-HF) randomized clinical trial. Design, Setting, and Participants: The GALACTIC-HF study was a global double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 randomized clinical trial that was conducted at multiple centers between January 2017 and August 2020. A total of 8232 patients with symptomatic HF (defined as New York Heart Association symptom class II-IV) and left ventricular ejection fraction of 35% or less were randomized to receive omecamtiv mecarbil or placebo and followed up for a median of 21.8 months (range, 15.4-28.6 months). The current post hoc analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of omecamtiv mecarbil therapy among patients classified as having severe HF compared with patients without severe HF. Severe HF was defined as the presence of all of the following criteria: New York Heart Association symptom class III to IV, left ventricular ejection fraction of 30% or less, and hospitalization for HF within the previous 6 months. Interventions: Participants were randomized at a 1:1 ratio to receive either omecamtiv mecarbil or placebo. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was time to first HF event or cardiovascular (CV) death. Secondary end points included time to CV death and safety and tolerability. Results: Among 8232 patients enrolled in the GALACTIC-HF clinical trial, 2258 patients (27.4%; mean [SD] age, 64.5 [11.6] years; 1781 men [78.9%]) met the specified criteria for severe HF. Of those, 1106 patients were randomized to the omecamtiv mecarbil group and 1152 to the placebo group. Patients with severe HF who received omecamtiv mecarbil experienced a significant treatment benefit for the primary end point (hazard ratio [HR], 0.80; 95% CI, 0.71-0.90), whereas patients without severe HF had no significant treatment benefit (HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.91-1.08; P = .005 for interaction). For CV death, the results were similar (HR for patients with vs without severe HF: 0.88 [95% CI, 0.75-1.03] vs 1.10 [95% CI, 0.97-1.25]; P = .03 for interaction). Omecamtiv mecarbil therapy was well tolerated in patients with severe HF, with no significant changes in blood pressure, kidney function, or potassium level compared with placebo. Conclusions and Relevance: In this post hoc analysis of data from the GALACTIC-HF clinical trial, omecamtiv mecarbil therapy may have provided a clinically meaningful reduction in the composite end point of time to first HF event or CV death among patients with severe HF. These data support a potential role of omecamtiv mecarbil therapy among patients for whom current treatment options are limited. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02929329.

ECG-pearl: artifact spiked helmet sign mimicking acute coronary syndrome / EKG-gyöngyszem: akut coronaria szindróma gyanúját kelto EKG-mutermék - poroszsisak-jel.

Összefoglaló. Egy 47 éves nobeteg tranziens ST-eleváció miatt került felvételre és coronarographiára. A tranziens ST-elevációnak véleményezett elektrokardiogram poroszsisak-jelnek felelt meg, amelyet egy EKG-mutermék okozott. Habár a poroszsisak-jelnek számtalan, nem coronariaeredetu oka ismert, mutermék okozta poroszsisak-jelet még nem ismertettek. Fontos a felismerése a felesleges diagnosztikai és terápiás beavatkozások elkerülése céljából. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(34): 1383-1385. Summary. A 47-year-old female patient was admitted for coronary angiography due to transient ST elevation. The electrocardiogram rated for transient ST elevation corresponded to a spiked helmet sign caused by an ECG artifact. Although a number of non-coronary causes of the spiked helmet sign are known, not one caused by a computer artifact has been reported yet. It is important to recognize it to avoid unnecessary diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(34): 1383-1385.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in patients treated for ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction: Incidence, clinical features, and prognosis based on population-level data from Hungary.

AIM: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a severe complication of myocardial infarction. Literature data on the incidence of OHCA are inconsistent, and population-level data are incomplete. METHODS: Based on the Hungarian Myocardial Infarction Registry, the incidence of OHCA and its 30-day and 1-year mortality, as well as the significance of factors influencing the course of the disease in 28,083 ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients, were investigated using multivariable regression models. RESULTS: Of the 28,083 STEMI patients, 1535 (5.5%) had OHCA, which was more likely to occur in men. The long-term incidence of OHCA did not change significantly; no significant seasonality was found either. However, the daily distribution of cases showed that most OHCA patients were admitted to the hospital around 8 p.m. The occurrence of OHCA significantly worsened patients' prognoses; both 30-day and 1-year mortalities were considerably higher in the OHCA group than in the control group (46% vs 11.6%, 53.2% vs 18.7%, p < 0.001). This difference accumulated in the first few months; conditional survival after six months was no worse in those who had OHCA. Compared to those without OHCA, cardiogenic shock was more common at the time of hospitalisation (18.4% vs 2.2%) in the OHCA group. The highest risk of death was caused by the co-occurrence of OHCA and cardiogenic shock, which led to an eight times greater hazard of death (HR: 8.41, 95% CI: 7.37-9.60, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Multivariable analysis confirmed the independent prognostic significance of age, catheter intervention during the index hospitalisation, OHCA, and cardiogenic shock.

Comparison of the efficacy of trimetazidine in revascularized and non-revascularized stable angina patients based on the ONECAPS study / A trimetazidin hatásosságának összehasonlítása a revaszkularizált és a nem revaszkularizált stabil anginás betegeken a ONECAPS-vizsgálat alapján.

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés: A közelmúltban publikált ATPCI-vizsgálat azt eredményezte, hogy közvetlenül a sikeres revaszkularizáció után alkalmazott trimetazidin biztonságos volt, de nem volt effektívebb a cardiovascularis halál, anginarekurrencia, cardialis hospitalizáció tekintetében, mint a random kettos vakmódszerrel alkalmazott placebo. Célkituzés: Az általunk korábban végzett ONECAPS nyitott, obszervációs vizsgálat retrospektív analízisét kívántuk elvégezni annak eldöntésére, hogy az anginás betegeknél van-e különbség a trimetazidin prolong hatásosságában annak megfeleloen, hogy korábban revaszkularizáció történt. Módszer: 1670, anginás betegbol 1008 nem volt revaszkularizálva, míg 662 korábban revaszkularizáción esett át. Az életkorban, társbetegségben nem volt különbség a két csoport között. A betegeknél a heti anginaszámnak és a nitroglicerin-fogyasztásnak, illetve az angina súlyosságának a változását vizsgáltuk a trimetazidin prolong 80 mg napi egyszeri alkalmazása során a revaszkularizált és a nem revaszkularizált betegcsoportban. Eredmények: Mind a revaszkularizált, mind a nem revaszkularizált betegcsoportban szignifikáns csökkenést (p<0,0001) eredményezett a trimetazidin mind a heti anginaszámban, mind a rövid hatású nitroglicerin fogyasztásában. Emellett mindkét betegcsoportban növekedett a Kanadai Cardiovascularis Társaság (CCS) osztályozása szerinti I. súlyosságú angina aránya, és csökkent a CCS III., illetve CCS IV . aránya is. Mindezt a hatást úgy érték el, hogy a revaszkularizált betegeknél 90% felett volt a sztatin, az ACEI/ARB, illetve a béta-blokkoló használata. Következtetés: A trimetazidin prolong napi egyszeri 80 mg adása szignifikánsan csökkenti a heti anginaszámot, nitroglicerin-fogyasztást, illetve az angina súlyosságát. Ezen hatása független attól, hogy a beteg korábban részesült-e revaszkularizációban vagy sem. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(29): 1167-1171. INTRODUCTION: The recently published ATPCI study resulted in the safety of trimetazidine administered immediately after successful revascularization but was not more effective (cardiovascularis death, recurrence of angina, hospitalization for cardiac event) than the randomized double-blind placebo. OBJECTIVE: A retrospective analysis of our previously published ONECAPS open-label observational study was performed to determine whether there was a difference in the efficacy of trimetazidin prolong in the angina patients according to whether or not they had previously undergone revascularization. METHOD: Of the 1670 angina patients, 1008 were not revascularized, while 662 had previously undergone revascularization. There was no difference in age or comorbidity between the two groups. Patients were examined for changes in weekly angina, short-acting nitroglycerin use and angina severity during once-daily administration of trimetazidine prolong 80 mg in revascularized and non-revascularized study groups. RESULTS: In both the revascularized and non-revascularized group, trimetazidine resulted in a significant reduction (p<0.0001) in both weekly angina count and short-acting nitroglycerin use. In addition, the proportion of angina with Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) I increased and the proportion of CCS III and CCS IV decreased in both patient groups as well. All of this effect was achieved with statin, ACEI/ARB, and beta-blocker use above 90% in revascularized patients. CONCLUSION: Trimetazidine prolong 80 mg once daily significantly reduced the number of angina per week, the use of short-acting nitroglycerin per week, and the severity of angina. This effect is independent of whether the patient has previously received revascularization. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(29): 1167-1171.