Immediate vs. multistage revascularization of non-infarct coronary artery(-ies) in patients with hemodynamically stable multivessel disease acute myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Untreated multivessel disease (MVD) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been linked to a higher risk of recurrent ischemia and death within one year . Current guidelines recommend percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for significant non-infarct artery (-ies) (non-IRA) stenosis in hemodynamically stable AMI patients with MVD, either during or after successful primary PCI, within 45-days. However, deciding the timing of revascularization for non-IRA in cases of MVD is uncertain. METHODS: This meta-analysis was performed based on PRISMA guidelines after registering in PROSPERO (CRD42023472652). Databases were searched for relevant articles published before 10 November 2023. Pertinent data from the included studies were extracted and analyzed using RevMan v5.4. RESULTS: Out of 640 studies evaluated, there were 13 RCTs with 5144 patients with AMI with MVD. The immediate non-IRA PCI is associated with a significantly lower occurrence of unplanned ischemia-driven PCI (OR 0.60; confidence interval [CI] 0.44-0.83) and target-vessel revascularization (OR 0.72; CI 0.53-0.97) . Although there is a favorable trend for major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), nonfatal AMI, cerebrovascular events, and major bleeding in the immediate non-culprit artery (-ies) PCI, those were statistically non-significant. Similarly, all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, stent thrombosis, and acute renal insufficiency did not show significant differences between two groups. CONCLUSION: Among hemodynamically stable patients with multivessel AMI, the immediate PCI strategy was superior to the multistage PCI strategy for the unplanned ischemia-driven PCI and target-vessel revascularization while odds are favorable in terms of MACCE, nonfatal AMI, cerebrovascular events, and major bleeding at longest follow-up.

Bivalirudin versus heparin in STEMI after BRIGHT-4 trial: an updated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The use of bivalirudin-based anticoagulation over heparin-based anticoagulation for coronary percutaneous intervention has been debated for a long time. Multiple trials have shown promising benefits of bivalirudin over heparin therapy with the most recent addition being the BRIGHT-4 trial. We performed a meta-analysis to assess evidence from these trials, focusing on the coronary intervention of the STEMI population. METHODS: This meta-analysis was performed based on PRISMA guidelines after registering in PROSPERO (CRD42023394701). Databases were searched for relevant articles published before January 2023. Pertinent data from the included studies were extracted and analyzed using RevMan v5.4. RESULTS: Out of 2375 studies evaluated, 13 randomized control trials with 24 360 acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients were included for analysis. The bivalirudin-based anticoagulation reduced the net clinical events (OR 0.75, CI 0.61-0.92), major adverse cardiac or cerebral events (OR 0.85, CI 0.74-0.98), any bleeding (OR 0.61, CI 0.45-0.83), major bleeding (OR 0.54, CI 0.39-0.75), all-cause mortality (OR 0.79, CI 0.67-0.92) and cardiac mortality (OR 0.78, CI 0.65-0.93) significantly without increasing the risk of any stent thrombosis (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.52-1.61), definite stent thrombosis (OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.62-2.22) and acute stent thrombosis (OR 2.06, 95% CI 0.69-6.09) significantly at 30 days. CONCLUSION: Based on this meta-analysis, bivalirudin plus a post-PCI high-dose infusion-based anticoagulation during STEMI PCI has significant benefits over heparin therapy for cardiovascular outcomes without a significant increase in the risk of thrombotic outcomes.

Prevalence of pre-operative anxiety and associated risk factors among patients awaiting elective surgery in a tertiary care hospital.

Background: Patients undergoing surgery have a fear of anesthesia and surgical procedures that results in anxiety. The global incidence of pre-operative anxiety is estimated at 60-92%. Age, gender, education, marital status, type of family, type of anesthesia and surgery, and history of surgery are the contributing factors. High levels of anxiety during the pre-operative period has negative impacts on surgical outcomes. The main objective of this study was to find out the prevalence of pre-operative anxiety and associated risk factors in a hospital setting of a developing country. Methods: This was a single center, analytical, cross-sectional study conducted among the admitted patients scheduled for elective surgeries in a tertiary care hospital. Non-probability convenience sampling was adopted and a total of 205 cases were included. The researchers themselves collected the data on the day before surgery using questionnaires comprised of two parts: semi-structured questionnaires prepared via literature review and Amsterdam Pre-operative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS). Data were analyzed in SPSS version 23. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed appropriately. Results: The prevalence of pre-operative anxiety was 25.85%. The median anaesthesia related, surgery related, and total anxiety scores were 4.00, 5.00 and 9.00 respectively. Likewise, the median score of information desired component scale was 5.00. Different anxiety scores were positively correlated with the information desire component score. The patients living in a nuclear family (adjusted OR, 2.480; 95% CI, 1.272-4.837, p = 0.008) and those without past history of surgery (adjusted OR, 2.451; 95% CI, 1.107-5.424, p = 0.027) had approximately 2.5 times higher risk of having pre-operative anxiety compared to those from a joint family and those having past history of surgery respectively. Those receiving spinal anesthesia had approximately two times lower risk of anxiety (adjusted OR, 0.511; 95% CI, 0.265-0.985, p = 0.045). Conclusions: One fourth of the patients had pre-operative anxiety. Type of family, type of anesthesia and past history of surgery were found to be the independent predictors of anxiety.

Typhoid fever: a massive, single-point source, multidrug-resistant outbreak in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: In the summer of 2002, a total of 5963 cases of typhoid fever were recorded in Bharatpur, Nepal (population, 92,214) during a 7-week period. A team from the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences in Bangkok, Thailand, and the CIWEC Travel Medicine Clinic (Kathmandu, Nepal) assisted the Nepal National Public Health Laboratory (Kathmandu, Nepal) in the further investigation of this large, explosive febrile disease outbreak. METHODS: Investigators conducted a thorough epidemiologic and laboratory investigation to assess the size and scope of the outbreak. In addition to subculturing of previously collected samples, blood samples were obtained from 100 febrile patients, and culture and susceptibility testing were done by standard laboratory methods. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and plasmid analysis were done. RESULTS: The majority of the isolates, including 1 from the municipal water supply, were multidrug resistant. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ciprofloxacin ranged from 0.19 microg/mL to 0.125 microg/mL. With use of PFGE, all isolates, including isolates from the water supply, showed an analytical similarity of 96%-100%. Multidrug-resistant isolates had a plasmid encoding for resistance, and those with resistance to nalidixic acid had a single-point mutation. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this outbreak is the largest single-point source outbreak of multidrug-resistant typhoid fever yet reported, and it was molecularly traced to the city's single municipal water supply. Isolates were uniformly resistant to nalidixic acid, there was a decrease in their susceptibility as measured by MIC of fluoroquinolones, and 90% of isolates obtained were resistant to >1 antibiotic.