Case Report: Temporary pacing using active fixation lead and invasive electrophysiology studies for immune checkpoint inhibitor associated reversible advanced atrioventricular block.

A case of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)-associated myocarditis with reversible advanced atrioventricular block (AVB) was reported. We innovatively used active fixation lead connected to an external device for prolonged temporary pacing until atrioventricular conduction recovered. Invasive electrophysiology studies were performed to evaluate atrioventricular conduction in detail. Long-term follow-up for nearly 120-days and repeated long-term electrocardiography was conducted to ensure the conduction system was truly recovered.

Three-dimensional High-Resolution Dark-Blood Late Gadolinium Enhancement Imaging for Improved Atrial Scar Evaluation.

Background Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a widely used treatment for atrial fibrillation, reducing the risk of cardiac arrhythmia. Detailed visualization and quantification of atrial scarring has the potential to improve preprocedural decision-making and postprocedural prognosis. Conventional bright-blood late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) MRI can help detect atrial scars; however, its suboptimal myocardium to blood contrast inhibits accurate scar estimation. Purpose To develop and test a free-breathing LGE cardiac MRI approach that simultaneously provides high-spatial-resolution dark-blood and bright-blood images for improved atrial scar detection and quantification. Materials and Methods A free-breathing, independent navigator-gated, dark-blood phase-sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR) sequence with whole-heart coverage was developed. Two coregistered high-spatial-resolution (1.25 × 1.25 × 3 mm3) three-dimensional (3D) volumes were acquired in an interleaved manner. The first volume combined inversion recovery and T2 preparation to achieve dark-blood imaging. The second volume functioned as the reference for phase-sensitive reconstruction with built-in T2 preparation for improved bright-blood contrast. The proposed sequence was tested in prospectively enrolled participants who had undergone RFA for atrial fibrillation (mean time since RFA, 89 days ± 26 [SD]) from October 2019 to October 2021. Image contrast was compared with conventional 3D bright-blood PSIR images using the relative signal intensity difference. Furthermore, native scar area quantification obtained from both imaging approaches was compared with measurements obtained with electroanatomic mapping (EAM) as the reference standard. Results A total of 20 participants (mean age, 62 years ± 9; 16 male) who underwent RFA for atrial fibrillation were included. The proposed PSIR sequence successfully acquired 3D high-spatial-resolution volumes in all participants, with a mean scan time of 8.3 minutes ± 2.4. The developed PSIR sequence improved scar to blood contrast compared with conventional PSIR sequence (mean contrast, 0.60 arbitrary units [au] ± 0.18 vs 0.20 au ± 0.19, respectively; P < .01) and correlated with EAM regarding scar area quantification (r = 0.66 [P < .01] vs r = 0.13 [P = .63]). Conclusion In participants who had undergone RFA for atrial fibrillation, an independent navigator-gated dark-blood PSIR sequence produced high-spatial-resolution dark-blood and bright-blood images with improved image contrast and native scar quantification compared with conventional bright-blood images. © RSNA, 2023 Supplemental material is available for this article.

"Internet+ Recycling" Platform Participation Selection Strategy in a Two-Echelon Remanufacturing Closed-Loop Supply Chain.

Compared with traditional offline recycling channel, recycling through the "Internet+ recycling" platform has increasingly attracted the academic and practical intention in the past decade because of its accessibility and convenience. To promote the recycling initiatives and construct sustainable operations, how to stimulate supply chain stakeholders participating in the online recycling becomes a challenge issue. This paper considers one supplier, one manufacturer, and one third-party recycler (3PR) in a two-echelon remanufacturing closed-loop supply chain with an "Internet+ recycling" platform, in which consumers can access the online recycling platform and make an appointment for recycling without a physical visit. The manufacturer has three choices: either do not participate or participate with one of two strategies: cost-sharing (CS) or active promotion (AP) strategy. We develop a Stackelberg game model to study the motivation of the manufacturer to participate in the "Internet+ recycling" platform and the influence mechanism of key factors. The key findings include the following: (1) compared with the case without the "Internet+ recycling" platform, when the proportion of cost sharing for the 3PR is low, strategy CS contributes to the improvement of the 3PR's performance; (2) in the presence of two participation strategies, when the disassembly rate is low enough, the manufacturer prefers strategy AP; otherwise, he selects strategy CS; and (3) a high proportion of cost sharing for the manufacturer or low promotion effort cost can increase the whole profit of the closed-loop supply chain.

Case Report: Left bundle branch pacing in an amyloid light-chain cardiac amyloidosis patient with atrioventricular block.

Introduction: Amyloid light-chain cardiac amyloidosis is a progressive infiltrative disease characterized by the deposition of amyloid fibrils in the cardiac tissue, which can cause serious atrioventricular block requiring pacemaker implantation. Left bundle branch pacing has emerged as an alternative method for delivering physiological pacing to achieve electrical synchrony of the left ventricle. However, left bundle branch pacing in patients with amyloid light-chain cardiac amyloidosis has not been studied in detail. Therefore, in this study, we present a case of left bundle branch pacing in a patient with amyloid light-chain cardiac amyloidosis. Case summary: A 66-year-old male patient with amyloid light-chain cardiac amyloidosis presented with syncope for 1 month. Holter monitoring revealed intermittent third-degree atrioventricular block. Left bundle branch pacing was performed successfully. During the 1-year follow-up, it was observed that the left bundle branch capture threshold remained stable without any pacemaker-related complications or left ventricle systolic dysfunction, and there was no recurrence of syncope. Conclusion: Left bundle branch pacing appears to be a safe and feasible option for patients with amyloid light-chain cardiac amyloidosis experiencing atrioventricular block.

Case report: Recurrent syncope as initial symptom in a patient with neck lymphoma.

Syncope may have many different causes, requiring careful identification. Recurrent syncope is uncommon as an initial symptom of neck lymphoma. Head and neck tumors involving the carotid artery cause syncope associate with carotid sinus syndrome. We report the case of a 72-year-old man who suffered from recurrent syncope due to compression of the right carotid sinus by diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and was successfully treated with immunochemotherapy. Syncope may be an early or sole sign of a neck or head tumor. We should be aware of the possibility of an underlying malignancy in patients with unexplained syncope after initial evaluation.

Relationship between the distribution of left atrial low-voltage zones and post-ablation atrial arrhythmia recurrence in patients with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Low-voltage zones (LVZ) are surrogate markers for cardiac fibrosis, which contribute to the maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the distribution of left atrial (LA) LVZ on the outcome following catheter ablation. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled patients with AF who underwent initial catheter ablation. LVZ were defined as areas with bipolar voltage amplitude <0.5 mV. The left atrium was divided into six regions (anterior wall, roof, posterior wall, lateral wall, septum, and inferior wall) to describe the distribution of LVZ. The primary endpoint was atrial arrhythmia (AA) recurrence lasting >30 s after the initial catheter ablation. RESULTS: Altogether, 148 patients were included, with a mean age of 61 ± 11 years, of which 53 (35.8%) had persistent AF. During a mean follow-up of 14 ± 3 months post-ablation, AA recurrence occurred in 25 (16.9%) patients after the initial catheter ablation. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients without roof LVZ had a higher AA-free survival rate than those with roof LVZ (P = 0.047). In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, the proportion of LA LVZ ≥6% [hazard ratio (HR) 2.315, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.048-5.114; P = 0.038] and a longer AF duration (HR 1.008, 95% CI 1.002-1.014; P = 0.006) were independent predictors of AA recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with AF, LA roof LVZ may increase the risk of AA recurrence after initial catheter ablation.

Mitral valve regurgitation is associated with left atrial fibrosis in patients with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Low voltage zones (LVZ) are associated with poor outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The APPLE and DR-FLASH scores predict LVZ in patients undergoing catheter ablation. This study aimed to assess the relationship of mitral valve regurgitation (MR) and LVZ after adjusting for APPLE or DR-FLASH scores. METHODS: This was a retrospective study on patients with AF who underwent their first catheter ablation. All patients underwent a transthoracic echocardiographic examination before ablation. The APPLE and DR-FLASH scores were calculated at baseline. LVZ determined by high-density mapping was defined as bipolar voltage amplitude <0.5 mV. LVZ presence was defined as LVZ covering >5% of the left atrial surface area. RESULTS: Altogether, 152 patients (mean age 62.0 ± 10.8 years, 65.8% men, and 36.2% with persistent AF) were included. Of the 152 patients, 47 (30.9%) had LVZ. The patients with LVZ had more moderate-to-severe MR (17.0% vs. 3.8%, P = 0.014) and higher APPLE scores (1.7 ± 1.1 vs. 1.2 ± 1.1, P = 0.009) and DR-FLASH scores (3.0 ± 1.5 vs. 2.4 ± 1.4, P = 0.010). Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, we found moderate-to-severe MR was related to LVZ presence after adjusting for the APPLE (OR 4.040, P = 0.034) or DR-FLASH (OR 4.487, P = 0.020) scores. Furthermore, moderate-to-severe MR had an incremental predictive value for LVZ presence in addition to the APPLE (P = 0.03) or DR-FLASH (P = 0.02) scores. CONCLUSION: In patients with AF, MR severity was related to LVZ after adjusting the APPLE score or DR-FLASH score.

The prognostic significance of electrocardiography findings in patients with coronavirus disease 2019: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has reached a pandemic level. Cardiac injury is not uncommon among COVID-19 patients. We sought to describe the electrocardiographic characteristics and to identify the prognostic significance of electrocardiography (ECG) findings of patients with COVID-19. HYPOTHESIS: ECG abnormality was associated with higher risk of death. METHODS: Consecutive patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and definite in-hospital outcome were retrospectively included. Demographic characteristics and clinical data were extracted from medical record. Initial ECGs at admission or during hospitalization were reviewed. A point-based scoring system of abnormal ECG findings was formed, in which 1 point each was assigned for the presence of axis deviation, arrhythmias, atrioventricular block, conduction tissue disease, QTc interval prolongation, pathological Q wave, ST-segment change, and T-wave change. The association between abnormal ECG scores and in-hospital mortality was assessed in multivariable Cox regression models. RESULTS: A total of 306 patients (mean 62.84 ± 14.69 years old, 48.0% male) were included. T-wave change (31.7%), QTc interval prolongation (30.1%), and arrhythmias (16.3%) were three most common found ECG abnormalities. 30 (9.80%) patients died during hospitalization. Abnormal ECG scores were significantly higher among non-survivors (median 2 points vs 1 point, p < 0.001). The risk of in-hospital death increased by a factor of 1.478 (HR 1.478, 95% CI 1.131-1.933, p = 0.004) after adjusted by age, comorbidities, cardiac injury and treatments. CONCLUSIONS: ECG abnormality was common in patients admitted for COVID-19 and was associated with adverse in-hospital outcome. In-hospital mortality risk increased with increasing abnormal ECG scores.

Global spatiotemporal transmission patterns of human enterovirus 71 from 1963 to 2019.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) can cause large outbreaks of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) and severe neurological diseases, which is regarded as a major threat to public health, especially in Asia-Pacific regions. However, the global spatiotemporal spread of this virus has not been identified. In this study, we used large sequence datasets and a Bayesian phylogenetic approach to compare the molecular epidemiology and geographical spread patterns of different EV71 subgroups globally. The study found that subgroups of HFMD presented global spatiotemporal variation, subgroups B0, B1, and B2 have caused early infections in Europe and America, and then subgroups C1, C2, C3, and C4 replaced B0-B2 as the predominant genotypes, especially in Asia-Pacific countries. The dispersal patterns of genotype B and subgroup C4 showed the complicated routes in Asia and the source might in some Asian countries, while subgroups C1 and C2 displayed more strongly supported pathways globally, especially in Europe. This study found the predominant subgroup of EV71 and its global spatiotemporal transmission patterns, which may be beneficial to reveal the long-term global spatiotemporal transmission patterns of human EV71 and carry out the HFMD vaccine development.

Noninvasive electrocardiography monitoring for very early recurrence predicts long-term outcome in patients after atrial fibrillation ablation.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia, and catheter ablation has been shown to be a highly effective treatment for patients with symptomatic AF. Very early recurrence (VER) of AF within 7 days after catheter ablation is common, but the clinical significance of VER remains unclear. We have examined the usefulness of the noninvasive electrocardiography monitor for the detection of VER and the relationship between VER and late recurrence (LR). METHODS: Eighty-eight patients with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation were retrospectively included. All patients underwent primary catheter ablation at a large general hospital between March 2016 and August 2018. All patients were followed up in atrial fibrillation clinic at an interval of every 3 months for late recurrence of AF. VER was evaluated by one-lead continuous noninvasive electrocardiography monitoring device for 7 days after ablation. The association between VER and LR was analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression model. RESULTS: Mean age was 62.9 ± 9.7 years, and 39.8% were female. Thirty-two patients (36.4%) experienced VER. After a mean follow-up of 539.36 ± 211.66 days, 17 patients (19.3%) experienced LR. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed VER was an independent predictor of LR: HR 3.6 (95% CI, 1.2-10.8), p = .020. In addition, diabetes was also associated with LR of atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSIONS: Noninvasive electrocardiography monitoring was a useful tool for detecting VER and VER after catheter ablation was associated with LR.

Effect of statins in preventing contrast-induced nephropathy: an updated meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The effect of statins in preventing contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) has been reported, with conflicting results. The aim of this study was to carry out an updated meta-analysis to determine whether pretreatment with statins can reduce the risk of CIN and adverse clinical events. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Systematic database searches of MEDLINE (1950 to December 2013), EMBASE (1966 to December 2013), and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Issue 12, December 2013) were performed. All randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy of statins on CIN were included. RESULTS: Seventeen studies with 6323 patients were included. Pretreatment with statins before angiography significantly reduced the risk of CIN [relative risk 0.50; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.35-0.71; P<0.001] and was associated with significantly lower postprocedural serum creatinine levels (weighted mean difference -0.05 mg/dl; 95% CI -0.09 to -0.02 mg/dl; P=0.005). Meanwhile, the use of statins resulted in trends of reduced risks of renal replacement therapy and all-cause death within 30 days (relative risk 0.44; 95% CI 0.18-1.08; P=0.07). Further analyses indicated that high-dose statins were more effective than low-dose statins in reducing the risk of CIN and that different types of statins showed similar effects in preventing CIN. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with statins before angiography is effective in preventing CIN and may reduce the risk of adverse clinical events. However, the optimal dose and duration for statin pretreatment are still unknown.

[Causes of insufficient anticoagulation in Chinese patients with non-valvlar atrial fibrillation].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the factors responsible for the insufficient application of oral anticoagulation (OAC) in Chinese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. METHODS: The research is a single center registration study in a tertiary referral hospital in Beijing. The general characteristics, history of atrial fibrillation, comorbidities and anticoagulation treatment were obtained from all patients.Factors affecting the oral Walfarin use were evaluated by univariable and multivariable regression analysis. RESULTS: OAC therapy with Walfarin was applied on Only 214(39.4%) out of 576 consecutive patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. The OAC rate was 30.3% among non-ablation patients. Patients with persistent atrial fibrillation, diabetes, chronic heart failure, history of ischemic stroke/TIA and higher CHA2DS2-VASc score were more likely prescribed with Walfarin. Multivariable regression analysis showed that persistent fibrillation, history of chronic heart failure, ischemic stroke/TIA and non-coronary heart disease predicted the treatment with Walfarin. CONCLUSIONS: OAC use is extremely low in Chinese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. More efforts are warranted to improve OAC use in these patients.

[Clinical analysis of 120 cases of infective endocarditis].

OBJECTIVE: To improve the diagnosis and treatment of infective endocarditis (IE) by exploring its causes, pathogenic microorganism and clinical characteristics. METHODS: The clinical data of 120 IE patients treated in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from October 1997 to September 2007 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Of the 120 consecutive cases diagnosed as IE according to the Duke's new criteria, 79 were male and 41 female with a average age of (43.2 +/- 16.7) years old. Twelve cases were prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) and 108 cases native valve endocarditis (NVE) and there were no previously known heart diseases in 29 of the cases. Seventy-nine of the 108 (73.1%) NVE patients had basic cardiac abnormalities before IE diagnosis, such as congenital cardiovascular disease (30 cases), idiopathic mitral valve prolapse (23 cases) and rheumatic heart disease (11 cases). Fever (100.0%), anemia (54.2%) and embolism (48.3%) were the most common clinical manifestations in the IE development. Of the 83 patients who had a positive blood culture result, Streptococcus viridans (51.8%) was the most common isolated microorganism. CONCLUSIONS: Congenital cardiovascular diseases and idiopathic mitral valve prolapse are the two most commonly heart diseases in IE. Blood culture and echocardiogram should always be done to exclude IE, especially presenting with fever of unknown reasons.