Post-COVID-19 Tachycardia Syndrome: A Distinct Phenotype of Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome.

In this paper we highlight the presence of tachycardia in post-acute COVID-19 syndrome by introducing a new label for this phenomenon-post-COVID-19 tachycardia syndrome-and argue that this constitutes a phenotype or sub-syndrome in post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. We also discuss epidemiology, putative mechanisms, treatment options, and future research directions in this novel clinical syndrome.

Diabetes and Mortality in Acute Coronary Syndrome: Findings from the Gulf COAST Registry.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of traditional risk factors such as diabetes mellitus (DM) and obesity are increasing in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Furthermore, outcomes after ACS are worse in patients with DM. The high prevalence of DM and an early age at onset of ACS have been described in prior publications from the Gulf Coast Database. AIMS: We aimed to define the effect of DM on total mortality following ACS presentation at 30-days and 1 year based on the Gulf COAST registry database. METHODS: The Gulf COAST registry is a prospective, multinational, longitudinal, observational cohort study conducted among Gulf citizens admitted with a diagnosis of ACS. The outcomes among patients with DM following ACS were stratified into 2 groups based on their DM status. Cumulative survival stratified by groups and subgroup categories was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Of 3,576 ACS patients, 2,730 (76.3%) presented with non ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and 846 (23.6%) with STEMI. Overall, 1906 patients (53.3%) had DM. A significantly higher in-hospital (4.8%), 30-day (6.7%) and 1-year (13.7%) mortality were observed in patients with DM compared with those without DM. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed significant differences in survival of ACS patients with or without DM, with a short period of time-to-event for DM patients with STEMI (30-days) and the longest (1-year) for NSTEMI patients without DM. CONCLUSION: DM patients presenting with ACS-STEMI have poor short-term outcomes while DMNSTEMI patients have poor long-term outcomes. This highlights the need for strategies to evaluate DM control and integration of care to control vascular risk among this high-risk population.

Risk Stratification and in Hospital Morality in Patients Presenting with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) in Bahrain.

BACKGROUND: Risk factors and short-term mortality in patients presented with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) in Bahrain has not been evaluated before. AIM: In this prospective observational study, we aim to determine the clinical risk profiles of patients with ACS in Bahrain and describe the incidence, pattern of presentation and predictors of in-hospital clinical outcomes after admission. METHODS: Patients with ACS were prospectively enrolled over a 12 month period. The rate of incidence of risk factors in patients was compared with 635 non-cardiac patient admissions that matched for age and gender. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to predict poor outcomes in patients with ACS. The variables were ages >65 years, body mass index (BMI) >28 kg/m2, GRACE (Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events) score >170, history of diabetes mellitus (DM), systolic hypertension >180 mmHg, level of creatinine >160 µmol/l and Heart Rate (HR) on admission >90 bpm, serum troponin rise and ST segment elevation on the ECG. RESULTS: Patients with ACS (n=635) were enrolled consecutively. Mean age was 61.3 ± 13.2 years, with 417 (65.6%) male. Mean age for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI, n=156) compared with non-STEMI (NSTEMI, n=158) and unstable angina (UA, n=321) was 56.5± 12.8 vs 62.5±14.0 years respectively. In-hospital mortality was 5.1%, 3.1% and 2.5% for patients with STEMI, NSTEMI, and UA, respectively. In STEMI patients, thrombolytic therapy was performed in 88 (56.5%) patients and 68 (43.5%) had primary coronary angioplasty (PCI). The predictive value of different clinical variables for in-hospital mortality and cardiac events in the study were: 2.8 for GRACE score >170, 3.1 for DM, 2.2 for SBP >180 mmHg, 1.4 for age >65 years, 1.8 for BMI >28, 1.7 for creatinine >160 µmol/L, 2.1 for HR >90 bpm, 2.2 for positive serum troponin and 2.3 for ST elevation. CONCLUSION: Patients with STEMI compared with NSTEMI and UA were of younger age. There was higher in-hospital mortality in STEMI compared with NSTEMI and UA patients. The most significant predictors of death or cardiac events on admission in ACS were DM, GRACE Score >170, systolic hypertension >180 mmHg, positive serum troponin and HR >90 bpm.

Penetrating Injury of the Heart From a Chronically Migrating Foreign Body.

A 46-year-old man experienced a remote unexpected lung injury with a sharp object. The object migrated over the years, penetrating the mediastinal structure, injuring the pericardium and the right-sided chambers of the heart. The injury was complicated by hemodynamic instability and pericardial tamponade. An emergent pericardiocentesis followed by thoracotomy, foreign body extraction, and puncture site closure. This is a very rare case of remote penetrating lung injury with a dormant course.

Stent Thrombosis after Rescue Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

MAIN PROBLEM: To determine the incidence of coronary stent thrombosis (ST) in patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after rescue percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: An observational study looking at the incidence of ST in a middle-eastern population. A total of 510 consecutive patients presented with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were enrolled and underwent thrombolytic therapy with a total follow-up period of 2 years. Study outcomes were ST, death, re-infarction or acute coronary syndrome requiring coronary angiography and PCI. RESULTS: A total of 510 patients enrolled, all diagnosed with STEMI and underwent thrombolytic therapy. Only 100 subjects underwent rescue PCI with intra-coronary stenting, including 54 patients with drug-eluting stent (DES) and 46 patients with bare metal stent (BMS). During the study period and follow-up, the overall rate of ST was 13.7%, definite ST occurred in 6 patients (5.5%), probable ST in 8 patients (7.3%), and possible ST in one patient (0.9%), including 0.9% acute ST, 0.9% sub-acute ST, 2.8% late ST and 8.3% very late ST. Patients with ST were likely to have prior PCI (p=0.001), prior coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (p=0.002) and history of heart failure (p=0.04). CONCLUSION: ST is infrequent event with major consequences in patients presenting with STEMI in the first 2 years after stent implantation.

Design and Rationale of Gulf locals with Acute Coronary Syndrome Events (Gulf Coast) Registry.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the risk profile, management and one-year outcomes of patients hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the Gulf region of the Middle East. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The Gulf locals with acute coronary syndrome events (Gulf COAST) registry is a prospective, multinational, longitudinal, observational, cohort-based registry of consecutive citizens, from the Gulf region of the Middle East, admitted from January 2012 to January 2013 to 29 hospitals with a diagnosis of ACS. Data entered online included patient demographics, cardiovascular risk profiles, past medical history, physical findings on admission, in-hospital diagnostic tests and therapeutic management, as well as one year outcomes. RESULTS: 3188 patients were recruited. The mean age was 60.4 ± 12.6years (range: 22-112), 2104 (66%) were males and 1084 (34%) females. The discharge diagnosis was ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in 741 (23.2%), new-onset left bundle branch block myocardial infarction (LBBBMI) in 30 (0.9%), non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in 1486 (46.6%) and unstable angina in 931 (29.2%). At hospital presentation, 2105 (66%), 1779 (55.8%), 1703 (53.4%) and 740 (23.2%) had history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus and active smoking, respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients with ACS in our region are young with very high risk profile. The Gulf COAST registry is an example of successful regional collaboration and will provide information on contemporary management of ACS in the region.

Elevated plasma fibrinogen rather than residual platelet reactivity after clopidogrel pre-treatment is associated with an increased ischemic risk during elective percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to determine the roles of serum fibrinogen and residual platelet reactivity after clopidogrel pre-treatment on ischemic events after elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND: Both elevated serum fibrinogen and high platelet reactivity with thienopyridines are associated with ischemic cardiovascular events. Elevated fibrinogen also contributes to high on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity. It is unknown whether fibrinogen and residual platelet reactivity are associated with adverse cardiovascular events through independent or interactive effects. METHODS: A total of 189 patients undergoing elective PCI with clopidogrel pre-treatment (75 mg daily for ≥7 days or a 600-mg bolus ≥12 h before recruitment) were prospectively enrolled. Baseline fibrinogen and platelet function using the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay (Accumetrics, San Diego, California) were obtained. Markers of ischemic myocardial injury were measured every 8 h after PCI. RESULTS: Incidence of troponin-defined periprocedural myocardial infarction (PPMI) (troponin I/T >3× upper limit of normal) was 13.9% and associated with elevated fibrinogen (363.1 ± 131.0 mg/dl vs. 309.1 ± 99.6 mg/dl; p = 0.017), higher age (68.2 ± 10.1 years vs. 63.0 ± 11.8 years; p = 0.040), and elevated platelet count. Fibrinogen level and age remained independently associated with PPMI following multiple variable and interaction testing. The incidence of creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB)-defined PPMI (CK-MB >3× upper limit of normal) was 5.8% and associated with elevated fibrinogen (403.4 ± 128.0 mg/dl vs. 313.5 ± 104.6 mg/dl; p = 0.007). Platelet reactivity measurements were not associated with PPMI by either definition. Fibrinogen ≥345 mg/dl was significantly associated with both CK-MB-defined (p = 0.026) and troponin I/T-defined PPMI (p = 0.036). Fibrinogen effects were most prominent in the absence of systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein ≤0.5 mg/dl). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated fibrinogen is independently associated with the risk of ischemic myocardial injury following elective PCI with clopidogrel pre-treatment regardless of platelet reactivity as measured by the VerifyNow assay.

Multicenter international registry of unprotected left main coronary artery percutaneous coronary intervention with everolimus-eluting stents.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with everolimus-eluting stents (EES) for the treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease. BACKGROUND: The standard of care for the treatment of ULMCA disease is coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Data suggest that PCI with drug-eluting stents is a viable alternative to CABG for the treatment of ULMCA disease. Randomized trials demonstrated superior event-free survival with EES compared with paclitaxel-eluting stents in non-ULMCA lesions. However, data with ULMCA PCI with EES are limited. METHODS: This multicenter international registry included 178 patients from the United States, South Korea, and Italy who underwent ULMCA PCI with EES from 2008 to 2010. The primary endpoint was freedom from target lesion failure (TLF), defined as cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 1 year. RESULTS: At 30 days, 4 patients (2.2%) died from cardiac causes, and no patient experienced MI or TLR. One-year freedom from TLF was 94.4%. One-year freedom from cardiac death, MI, and ischemia-driven TLR was 96.6%, 98.9%, and 98.3%, respectively. Two patients (1.1%) had definite or probable stent thrombosis. CONCLUSION: PCI with EES is safe and effective and may be a viable option for the treatment of ULMCA disease.

Successful treatment of in-stent restenosis of a covered stent graft with a paclitaxel-eluting stent.

We present the case of a 58-year-old male with coronary artery disease and a significant stenosis of the left circumflex artery that was preceded by a coronary aneurysm. The stenosis and aneurysm were treated successfully with a coronary stent graft. The patient subsequently developed in-stent restenosis (ISR). The ISR was then successfully treated with a paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES). The patient has been followed clinically for 4-6 years without recurrence of his anginal symptoms. This is the first description in the literature of which we are aware of the successful treatment of an ISR of a coronary stent graft with a PES with persistent long-term clinical effectiveness.

Coarctation of the thoracic aorta masquerading as bilateral aorto-iliac stenosis.

We present a case with coarctation of the aorta (CoA) with lifestyle limiting claudication and lower extremity weakness, successfully treated with surgical correction. The presented case discusses the diagnostic challenges associated with identifying CoA in patients with claudication.