Safety and efficacy of percutaneous Watchman 2.5 device versus Amplatzer Amulet for left atrial appendage closure in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and study-level meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: In patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), mechanical occlusion of the left atrial appendage (LAA) using a permanently implanted device may be an effective alternative to oral anti-coagulants (OAC). To facilitate left atrial appendage closure (LAAC), multiple percutaneous devices have been proposed. Watchman Generation 2.5 and Amplatzer Amulet are the two most popular used devices for preventing stroke in patients with NVAF. We sought to compare safety and efficacy outcomes between Watchman 2.5 and Amplatzer Amulet in patients undergoing LAAC procedure. METHODS: We carried out a comprehensive and systematic search of the databases PubMed and Scopus, for all studies that compared the safety and efficacy of Watchman 2.5 and Amplatzer Amulet devices, from inception, till June 2023. We performed the statistical analysis using Review Manager (V.5.4.1 Cochrane Collaboration, London, United Kingdom). The safety outcomes of interest included device success, device-related thrombus, device embolization perioperatively and at follow-up, perioperative pericardial perfusion events, and perioperative cardiac tamponade events. Efficacy outcomes were all-cause mortality perioperatively and at follow-up, cardiovascular (CV) mortality at follow-up, stroke, major and minor bleeding events at follow-up, transient ischemic attack (TIA) in follow-up period, thromboembolic events in follow-up period, and peri-device leakage in perioperative period. All data was analysed using a random-effects model, and presented as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs). RESULTS: Regarding safety outcomes, device success was non-significantly reduced in Watchman group when compared with Amulet (RR 0.99, p = 0.57; I2 = 34%). In contrast, device-related thrombus was non-significantly increased in Watchman 2.5 group in comparison to Amulet (RR 1.44, p = 0.11; I2 = 0%). There was no significant difference between the devices in terms of device embolization in the perioperative (RR 0.36, p = 0.38; I2 = 22%) and follow-up (RR 2.24, p = 0.13; I2 = 0%) periods. Likewise, there was no significant difference in the risks of pericardial effusion (RR 0.98, p = 0.98; I2 = 0%), and cardiac tamponade (RR 0.65, p = 0.76; I2 = 62%) perioperatively. Regarding efficacy outcomes, no significant difference was observed in all-cause mortality between devices perioperatively (RR 0.51, p = 0.32; I2 = 0%) and at follow-up (RR 1.08, p = 0.56; I2 = 0%). CV-mortality was non-significantly reduced in Watchman group when compared with Amulet (RR 0.57, p = 0.20; I2 = 0%). The Amulet device was not superior to the Watchman device in terms of stroke at follow-up (RR 1.13, p = 0.63; I2 = 0%). Sub-group analysis showed comparable ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke events between two devices. Furthermore, at follow-up, there was no significant difference in major (RR 1.06, p = 0.63; I2 = 0%) and minor bleeding events (RR 1.81, p = 0.17; I2 = 0%) between the two devices. No difference was observed for trans-ischemic attack (RR 1.89, p = 0.24; I2 = 0%) and thromboembolic events (RR 0.96, p = 0.96; I2 = 0%) at follow-up. No significant difference was observed between devices for peri-device leakage in perioperative period (RR 2.16, p = 0.05; I2 = 0%). CONCLUSION: The data suggested that LAAC is safe and efficacious procedure irrespective of device used, with generally low complication rates. Watchman generation 2.5 remains non-superior to Amplatzer Amulet in terms of safety and efficacy outcomes.

Sheehan's syndrome presenting as massive pericardial effusion, ventricular tachycardia and diabetes insipidus.

Sheehan's syndrome (SS) is characterised by pituitary necrosis resulting from postpartum haemorrhage. While SS is uncommon in developed nations, it remains a prevalent cause of hypopituitarism in women, particularly in low/middle-income countries. Clinically, SS is characterised by a deficiency in anterior pituitary hormones; involvement of the posterior pituitary is less common. SS presenting as cardiac tamponade is rare, with only a few reported cases in the literature. In this report, we present the case of a patient with SS who arrived at the emergency department with symptoms of light-headedness, palpitations and dyspnoea. Echocardiography revealed a massive pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade, and during treatment, the patient experienced ventricular tachycardia and circulatory collapse. The collaboration between various medical specialties, including emergency medicine, cardiology, critical care, endocrinology and radiology, played a crucial role in successful patient management. The multidisciplinary approach allowed for comprehensive care addressing acute cardiac complications and underlying hormonal deficiencies.

Histoplasma associated pericarditis with pericardial tamponade in a child.

Histoplasma-mediated pericarditis is rare, and it occurs due to host-mediated inflammatory or immune response to adjacent mediastinal adenitis or pneumonitis. It is usually self-limited and rarely progresses to a disseminated infection in an immunocompetent individual. In rare instances, it can occur without pulmonary manifestations, making the diagnosis challenging given the broad list of differentials that can be considered as in our patient who initially presented with an isolated pericardial effusion with tamponade needing emergent pericardiocentesis.

Ultrasonography in thoracic and abdominal stab wound injury: results from the FETTHA study.

BACKGROUND: While the role of Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (eFAST) is well defined in the management of severe blunt trauma, its performance in injuries caused by stab wounds has been poorly assessed. METHODS: Prospective single centre study which included all patients with stab wounds to the thorax or abdomen between December 2016 and December 2018. All patients underwent initial investigation with both eFAST and CT scan, except in cases of haemodynamic or respiratory instability, and in cases with a positive diagnosis by eFAST in which case surgery without CT scan was performed. RESULTS: Of the 200 consecutive patients included, 14 unstable patients underwent surgery immediately after eFAST. In these 14 patients, 9 had cardiac tamponade identified by eFAST and all were confirmed by surgery. In the remaining 186 patients, the median time between eFAST and CT scan was 30 min (IQR 20-49 min). Test characteristics (including 95% CI) for eFAST compared with reference standard of CT scan for detecting pneumothorax were as follows: sensitivity 77% (54%-92%), specificity 93% (90%-97%), positive predictive value (PPV) 60% (49%-83%), negative predictive value (NPV) 97% (93%-99%). Test characteristics (including 95% CI) for eFAST compared with CT scan for detecting haemothorax were as follows: sensitivity 97% (74%-99%), specificity 96% (92%-98%), PPV 83% (63%-93%) and NPV 99% (96%-100%). Finally, test characteristics (including 95% CI) for eFAST compared with CT scan for detecting haemoperitoneum were as follows: sensitivity 75% (35%-97%), specificity 97% (93%-99%), PPV 55% (23%-83%) and NPV 99% (96%-99%). CONCLUSIONS: In patients admitted with stab wounds to the torso, eFAST was not sensitive enough to diagnose pneumothorax and haemoperitoneum, but performed better in the detection of cardiac tamponade and haemothorax than the other injuries. More robust multicentre studies are needed to better define the role of eFAST in this specific population.

Effects of intrapericardial administration after catheter drainage on malignant pericardial effusion in non-small cell lung cancer: A real-world study.

BACKGROUND: Malignant pericardial effusion (MPE) is a serious complication of cancer that can be potentially deadly. It usually occurs in advanced or terminal stages of the disease, and as a result, patients with MPE often have a poor prognosis. There is a limited amount of research available that directly compares the effectiveness and safety of intrapericardial drug administration following pericardial drainage versus catheter drainage alone in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who have MPE. METHODS: We retrospectively included 86 patients with NSCLC with MPE at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital. Survival and recurrence estimates were determined with the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: We divided the 86 patients with NSCLC into two groups: a pericardial drainage group (34 out of 86, 39.5%) and an intrapericardial administration group (52 out of 86, 60.5%). The response rates were 70.6% and 76.9% (p = 0.510), respectively. The median OS was 132.0 and 234.0 days (p = 0.579), respectively. The median time to recurrent drainage was 43.0 and 104.0 days (p = 0.170), respectively. The incidence of adverse events (AEs) was 44.1% and 61.5% (p = 0.113), respectively. The most frequent AEs were pain (27.9%) and fever (24.4%). Additionally, two patients in the intrapericardial administration group died of cardiac arrest. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with catheter drainage alone, intrapericardial medication infusion during catheter drainage did not have significantly different effects. AEs require close monitoring and management.

Comparison of Sex-Based In-Hospital Procedural Outcomes and Hospital Readmission Frequency After Patent Foramen Ovale Occluder Device Placement: A Propensity Matched National Cohort.

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) occluder device has been shown to reduce the chance of recurrent stroke. Per guidelines, stroke is higher in females but procedural efficacy and complications based on sex difference is understudied. The nationwide readmission database (NRD) was used to create sex cohorts using ICD-10 Procedural code for elective PFO occluder device placement performed during the years 2016-2019. The 2 groups were compared using propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariate regression models that matched for confounders to report multivariate odds ratio (mOR) for primary and secondary cardiovascular outcomes. Outcomes included in-hospital mortality, acute kidney injury (AKI), acute ischemic stroke, postprocedure bleeding, and cardiac tamponade. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA v. 17. A total of 5818 patients who underwent PFO occluder device placement were identified, of which 3144 (54.0%) were females, and 2673 (46.0%) were males. There was no difference in periprocedural in-hospital mortality, new onset acute ischemic stroke, postprocedural bleeding, or cardiac tamponade between both sexes undergoing occluder device placement. AKI incidence was higher in males compared to females after matching for CKD (mOR = 0.66; 95% CI [0.48-0.92]; P = 0.016) this can be procedural or can be secondary to volume status or nephrotoxins. Males also had a higher length of stay (LOS) at their index hospitalization (2 days vs 1 day) which led to slightly higher total hospitalization cost ($26,585 vs $24,265). Our data did not show a statistically significant difference in the readmission LOS trends between the 2 groups at 30, 90, and 180 days. This national retrospective cohort study of PFO occluder outcomes shows similar efficacy and complication rates between sexes, with the exception of AKI incidence which was higher in males. AKI occurrence was high in males that can be limited due to unavailability of data about hydration status and nephrotoxic medications.

[The timing of pericardial drainage catheter removal and restart of the anticoagulation in patients suffered from perioperative pericardial tamponade during atrial fibrillation catheter ablation and uninterrupted dabigatran: Experiences from 20 cases].

Objective: To investigate the timing of pericardial drainage catheter removal and restart of the anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) suffered from perioperative pericardial tamponade during atrial fibrillation catheter ablation and uninterrupted dabigatran. Methods: A total of 20 patients with pericardial tamponade, who underwent AF catheter ablation with uninterrupted dabigatran in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2019 to August 2021, were included in this retrospective analysis. The clinical characteristics of enrolled patients, information of catheter ablation procedures, pericardial tamponade management, perioperative complications, the timing of pericardial drainage catheter removal and restart of anticoagulation were analyzed. Results: All patients underwent pericardiocentesis and pericardial effusion drainage was successful in all patients. The average drainage volume was (427.8±527.4) ml. Seven cases were treated with idarucizumab, of which 1 patient received surgical repair. The average timing of pericardial drainage catheter removal and restart of anticoagulation in 19 patients without surgical repair was (1.4±0.7) and (0.8±0.4) days, respectively. No new bleeding, embolism and death were reported during hospitalization and within 30 days following hospital discharge. Time of removal of pericardial drainage catheter, restart of anticoagulation and hospital stay were similar between patients treated with idarucizumab or not. Conclusion: It is safe and reasonable to remove pericardial drainage catheter and restart anticoagulation as soon as possible during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation with uninterrupted dabigatran independent of the idarucizumab use or not in case of confirmed hemostasis.

Pericardiocentesis by an Air Medical Service for Cardiac Tamponade Caused by Purulent Pericarditis.

This case presentation describes the clinical management and course of an adult patient found to be in cardiac tamponade secondary to purulent pericarditis. This etiology represents an uncommon cause of pericardial tamponade and highlights the importance of recognizing clinical signs of this physiological state despite the uncommon presentation. This also reinforces that critical care transport teams must be trained and facile with high acuity-low occurrence skills such as pericardiocentesis as such time-sensitive measures may be necessary to stabilize patients for transport. The patient in this case had clinical improvement after pericardiocentesis was performed and this allowed for the safe transport of the patient to a tertiary care center.

Outcomes and Characteristics of Patients with Intraprocedural Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation during TAVR.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become an established alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) for higher risk patients. Periprocedural TAVR complications decreased with a growing expertise of implanters. Yet, TAVR can be accompanied by life-threatening adverse events such as intraprocedural cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This study retrospectively analyzed predictors and outcomes in a cohort of patients from a high-volume center undergoing periprocedural CPR during TAVR. METHODS: A total of 729 patients undergoing TAVR, including 59 with intraprocedural CPR, were analyzed with respect to peri- and postprocedural outcomes. RESULTS: Patients undergoing CPR showed a significantly lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and lower baseline transvalvular mean and peak pressure gradients. The systolic blood pressure measured directly preoperatively was significantly lower in the CPR cohort. CPR patients were in a higher need for intraprocedural defibrillation, heart-lung circulatory support, and conversion to open heart surgery. Further, they showed a higher incidence of atrioventricular block grade III , valve malpositioning, and pericardial tamponade. The in-hospital mortality was significantly higher after intraprocedural CPR, accompanied by a higher incidence of disabling stroke, new pacemaker implantation, more red blood cell transfusion, and longer stay in intensive care unit. CONCLUSION: Impaired preoperative LVEF and instable hemodynamics before valve deployment are independent risk factors for CPR and are associated with compromised outcomes. Heart rhythm disturbances, malpositioning of the prosthesis, and pericardial tamponade are main causes of the high mortality of 17% reported in the CPR group. Nevertheless, mechanical circulatory support and conversion to open heart surgery reduce mortality rates of CPR patients.

The timing of pericardial drainage catheter removal and restart of the anticoagulation in patients suffered from perioperative pericardial tamponade during atrial fibrillation catheter ablation and uninterrupted dabigatran: Experiences from 20 cases / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To investigate the timing of pericardial drainage catheter removal and restart of the anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) suffered from perioperative pericardial tamponade during atrial fibrillation catheter ablation and uninterrupted dabigatran. Methods: A total of 20 patients with pericardial tamponade, who underwent AF catheter ablation with uninterrupted dabigatran in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2019 to August 2021, were included in this retrospective analysis. The clinical characteristics of enrolled patients, information of catheter ablation procedures, pericardial tamponade management, perioperative complications, the timing of pericardial drainage catheter removal and restart of anticoagulation were analyzed. Results: All patients underwent pericardiocentesis and pericardial effusion drainage was successful in all patients. The average drainage volume was (427.8±527.4) ml. Seven cases were treated with idarucizumab, of which 1 patient received surgical repair. The average timing of pericardial drainage catheter removal and restart of anticoagulation in 19 patients without surgical repair was (1.4±0.7) and (0.8±0.4) days, respectively. No new bleeding, embolism and death were reported during hospitalization and within 30 days following hospital discharge. Time of removal of pericardial drainage catheter, restart of anticoagulation and hospital stay were similar between patients treated with idarucizumab or not. Conclusion: It is safe and reasonable to remove pericardial drainage catheter and restart anticoagulation as soon as possible during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation with uninterrupted dabigatran independent of the idarucizumab use or not in case of confirmed hemostasis.

Life-threatening hypereosinophilic syndrome in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis: a case report.

Hypereosinophilia is unusual in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but can occur in severe long-lasting disease, especially in patients with extra-articular manifestations and high titers of rheumatoid factor (RF). The association of RA and hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) remains yet poorly known. We present a case of a 46 years old woman with long-standing untreated RA, that presented to emergency department with severe symptoms of constrictive pericarditis with cardiac tamponade and bilateral pleural effusion, that progressed to cardiac arrest, associated to symmetrical polyarthritis and pruritic erythematous skin papules. She was submitted to urgent pericardial drainage and partial pericardiotomy. Laboratory analyses revealed hypereosinophilia, and elevated inflammatory parameters and immunoglobulin E. The histological study of the pericardium showed results consistent with inflammatory fibrinous pericarditis. Taking into account the presence of some characteristics that are usually present in cases of reactive HES instead of idiopathic HES, and after an intensive diagnostic study, that could rule out other potential causes of secondary HES, the diagnosis of HES associated with RA was made. She started glucocorticoids during hospitalization and methotrexate 15mg per week at the first outpatient rheumatology visit. After 12 weeks of treatment, we considered that she was in clinical and analytical remission, consistently maintaining that after a complete tapering of glucocorticoids. This case illustrates that clinicians should be aware that HES (including severe life-threatening cases) can occur in patients with RA, especially in cases of long-lasting disease with high titters of RF and without treatment, even in the absence of extra-articular features.

Intrapericardial Thymoma Presented as Pericardial Tamponade with Post-Operative Myasthenia Gravis.

BACKGROUND: Thymoma is an epithelial mass arising from the thymus. Most thymomas are located in the anterior mediastinum. Ectopic intrapericardial thymoma is very unusual; to date, only eight cases of pericardial thymoma have been reported. Among thymoma patients, 20% to 25% are associated with myasthenia gravis. However, postoperative myasthenia gravis occurs in less than 1% of cases. Here, we share a rare case of ectopic intrapericardial thymoma that developed postoperative myasthenia gravis six months after surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old woman visited the outpatient department due to productive cough and chest pain. Chest radiography showed increased soft tissue opacity over the mediastinum. A soft tissue mass in the pericardium and a ground glass nodule in right upper lung were noted using chest computed tomography. The diagnosis of thymoma, type B2, pT3N0M0, and stage IIIA and synchronous adenocarcinoma in situ of the right upper lung was confirmed after surgical removal. Six months later, the patient developed postoperative myasthenia gravis. CONCLUSIONS: Thymoma is rarely considered a differential diagnosis in pericardial tumors. Surgical removal with adjuvant radiation therapy should be performed considering the malignancy potential of thymomas and cardiac complications. In patients without myasthenia gravis, a small chance of postoperative myasthenia gravis remains. Patients should be carefully monitored for myasthenia gravis after surgery.

Perioperative Complications and Postoperative Mortality in Patients of Acute Stanford Type a Aortic Dissection with Cardiac Tamponade.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to analyze perioperative complications and postoperative mortality in patients of acute Stanford type A aortic dissection(ATAAD)combined with cardiac tamponade (TMP). METHODS: In this study, we identified a total of 242 ATAAD patients who underwent surgery from January 2016 to December 2020. Of the 242 patients, 44(18.2%) patients were combined with TMP and 198(81.8%) patients without TMP. We compared perioperative complications and postoperative mortality between the two groups. RESULTS: The postoperative mortality was significantly higher in patients with TMP (29.5% vs 14.1%, p = 0.014). The incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury (75.0% vs 51.5%, p = 0.005), acute hepatic injury (45.5% vs 20.7%, p = 0.001), cerebral infarction (27.3% vs 13.1%, p = 0.020), low cardiac output syndrome (50.0% vs 33.3%, p = 0.038) and respiratory failure (36.4% vs 22.2%, p = 0.049) in patients with TMP was significantly higher than those without TMP. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that age [odds ratio(OR) 1.063, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.023∼1.105; p = 0.002], surgical time[odds ratio(OR)1.393, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.006∼1.929; p = 0.046], cardiac tamponade[odds ratio(OR)3.010, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.166∼7.767; p = 0.023], circulatory arrest time[odds ratio(OR)1.044, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.001∼1.088; p = 0.045] were independent risk factors for postoperative mortality in ATAAD patients. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac tamponade increases the difficulty of perioperative management in ATAAD patients, the incidence of postoperative complications and postoperative mortality, which requires the cooperation of anesthesiologists, intensivists and surgeons to save and improve patients' lives.

Cardiovascular sequelae of dengue fever: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Dengue is one of the most important viral diseases globally and a majority of symptomatic infections result in a benign course. However, a small number of patients develop severe manifestations, including the cardiovascular (CV) manifestations, including myocardial impairment, arrhythmias, and fulminant myocarditis. AREAS COVERED: Electronic databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and CINAHL were searched for articles incorporating CV manifestations of dengue fever (DF). EXPERT OPINION: Included studies involved 6,773 patients, and 3,122 (46.1%) exhibited at least one cardiac manifestation. Electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities (30.6%) included sinus bradycardia (8.8%), nonspecific ST-T changes (8.6%), ST depression (7.9%), and T-wave inversion (2.3%). Mechanical sequelae were present in 10.4%, including left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction (5.7%), and myocarditis (2.9%). Pericardial involvement was noted as pericarditis (0.1%), pericardial effusion (1.3%), and pericardial tamponade (0.1%). Apart from that, the cardiac injury was depicted through a rise in cardiac enzymes (4.5%). The spectrum of CV manifestations in dengue is broad, ranging from subtle ST-T changes to fulminant myocarditis and the use of contemporary techniques in diagnosing cardiac involvement should be employed for rapid diagnosis and treatment.

Perforation of the right cardiac ventricle as a late complication of a displaced sternal fracture following blunt trauma.

Cardiac tamponade is a rare but possibly fatal complication of blunt thoracic trauma complicated by a sternal fracture. A delayed presentation of cardiac tamponade days or weeks after initial trauma has been described in a few cases. In these cases, the presumed mechanism of cardiac tamponade is pericardial irritation, caused by osseous fragments of the fractured sternum. This case describes a direct mechanical perforation of the right ventricle, caused by a displaced sternal fracture, presenting 5 days after initial trauma. To our knowledge, this mechanism of late cardiac tamponade has not been described in recent literature.

An unusual etiology of obstructive shock in the emergency department.

Obstructive shock describes any disease process that causes physical obstruction to blood flow into or out of the heart which results in impaired systemic oxygen or nutrient delivery. Common etiologies include cardiac tamponade, tension pneumothorax, and pulmonary embolus. However, several other causes exist and should prompt consideration in the correct clinical circumstances. In this report, we describe a 72-year-old female patient with history of hepatic cysts presenting with respiratory distress, mottled extremities, and abnormal vital signs. Contrast enhanced computed tomography scans showed a massive hepatic cyst which was compressing her vena cava and heart, causing hemodynamic instability. The patient was admitted to the ICU and the hepatic cyst was drained percutaneously, but ultimately, she succumbed to her illness post-operatively. This report highlights the importance of keeping a broad differential when considering etiologies of undifferentiated shock as well as the need for additional research regarding management of rare causes of obstructive shock.

Hemodynamic Effect of Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta in Hemodynamic Instability Secondary to Acute Cardiac Tamponade in a Porcine Model.

BACKGROUND: The pre-hospital use of Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) is increasing, although it remains controversial, in part because of suggested contraindications such as acute cardiac tamponade (ACT). As both the pre-hospital and in-hospital use of REBOA might potentially occur with concurrent ACT, knowledge of the hemodynamic effect of REBOA in this setting is crucial. This study, therefore, aimed at investigating the physiological effects of REBOA in hemodynamic instability secondary to ACT in a porcine model. We hypothesize that REBOA can temporarily increase systemic blood pressure and carotid blood flow, and prolong survival, in hemodynamic shock caused by ACT. METHODS: Fourteen pigs (24-38 kg) underwent ACT, through true cardiac injury and hemorrhage into the pericardial space, and were allowed to hemodynamically deteriorate. At a systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 50 mm Hg (SBP50) they were randomized to total occlusion REBOA in zone 1 or to a control group. Survival, hemodynamic parameters, carotid blood flow (CBF), femoral blood flow (FBF), cardiac output (CO), end-tidal CO2, and arterial blood gas parameters were analyzed. RESULTS: REBOA intervention was associated with a significant increase in SBP (50 mm Hg to 74 mm Hg, P = 0.016) and CBF (110 mL/min to 195 mL/min, P = 0.031), with no change in CO, compared to the control group. At 20 min after SBP50, the survival rate in the intervention group was 86% and in the control group 14%, with time to death being significantly longer in the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: This randomized animal study demonstrates that REBOA can help provide hemodynamic stabilization and prolong survival in hemodynamic shock provoked by ACT. It is important to stress that our study does not change the fact that urgent pericardiocentesis or cardiac surgery is, and should remain, the standard optimal treatment for ACT.Level of evidence: Prospective, randomized, experimental animal study. Basic science study, therapeutic.

Clinical variants of myocardial involvement in COVID-19-positive patients: a cumulative experience of 2020.

Myocardial injury, diagnosed by troponin elevation, is common in COVID-19 patients, but cardiac involvement with clinical manifestations occurs less frequently. We analyzed the literature on COVID-19 (2020) and systematically reviewed the cases where individual patient data were presented. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar for "COVID," "COVID-19," and "coronavirus" in combination with "myocarditis," "heart failure," "takotsubo," "cardiomyopathy," and "cardiogenic shock." We identified 90 cases of COVID-19 with myocardial involvement, mean age 52.9 ± 18.3 years, 54.5% males. Of them, 55 survived (61.1%), 20 died (22.2%), and in 15 (16.7%) the outcome was unknown at the time of publication. Among patients with known outcome, mortality was 26%. The nadir LVEF was 31.7 ± 13.1% and recovered to 50.1 ± 16.0%. Pericardial effusion was a common finding, reported in 21 (23.3%) of patients, including moderate size effusion in 8.9% and large in 7.8%. The effusion caused tamponade in 11 (12.2%) of patients. Out of 83 patients who experienced a decrease in LVEF, 30 could be classified as takotsubo syndrome. The takotsubo patients were older than those with myocarditis, and with relatively high proportion of males. About one third of the cases was complicated by cardiogenic shock. Myocardial involvement in COVID-19 patients most often presents as a new, rapid decrease in LVEF, although normal LVEF or takotsubo-like wall motion pattern does not rule out myocarditis. Moderate and large pericardial effusion is common, and cardiac tamponade occurs in 12.2% of patients. Cardiogenic shock develops in one third of the patients. Mortality appears to be high at 26%.