Can you score with balloons to enhance outcomes after drug coated balloon angioplasty? Insights from the Paris DCB Registry for in-stent restenosis.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the 12-month clinical outcomes in patients with drug-eluting stent in-stent restenosis (DES-ISR) who were either pre-dilated with non-compliant balloons (NCBA) and with additional scoring balloons (NCBA + SBA) prior to drug coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty. METHODS: This monocentric, retrospective study included patients with DES-ISR who were routinely treated over a 2-year time span. Patients with stable angina and documented ischemia or selected forms of unstable angina due to a culprit DES-ISR lesion were analyzed. The primary endpoint was the clinically driven target-lesion revascularization (TLR) rate at 12 months. Secondary endpoints included post-interventional lumen gain and late lumen loss (LLL) at 6 months. RESULTS: The 12-month TLR rates in 124 patients who underwent either NCBA + SBA or NCBA only group were not different (17.3%, 9/52 vs 11.6%, 8/69, P = 0.371) and low as compared to other comparable studies. The use of SBA led to equally high post minimal lumen diameters (MLD) in both treatment arms (NCBA 2.21 ± 0.33 vs NCBA + SBA 2.18 ± 0.41, P = 0.868). We did not find a significant difference in late lumen loss (LLL) between both groups (0.50 ± 0.62 mm vs 0.40 ± 0.46 mm, P = 0.468). CONCLUSIONS: Scoring Balloon Angioplasty can safely and effectively prepare DES-ISR lesions to render them suitable for DCB angioplasty with acceptable TLR and MACE rates.

In-hospital prognostic value of TAPSE/sPAP in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure.

AIMS: Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion over systolic pulmonary artery pressure (TAPSE/sPAP) assessed by echocardiography appears to be a good non-invasive approach for right ventricular to pulmonary artery coupling assessment. We aimed to assess the in-hospital prognostic value of TAPSE/sPAP among patients hospitalized for acute heart failure (AHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: In total, 333 consecutive patients (mean age 68 ± 14 years, 70% of male, mean left ventricular ejection fraction 44 ± 16%) were hospitalized for AHF across 39 French cardiology departments, with TAPSE/sPAP measured by echocardiography within the first 24 h of hospitalization were included in this prospective study. The primary outcome was in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) defined as all-cause death, resuscitated cardiac arrest or cardiogenic shock and occurred in 50 (15%) patients. Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the best TAPSE/sPAP threshold for in-hospital MACEs was 0.40 mm/mmHg. TAPSE/sPAP < 0.40 mm/mmHg was independently associated with in-hospital MACEs, even after adjustment with comorbidities [odds ratio (OR): 3.75, 95% CI (1.87-7.93), P < 0.001], clinical severity [OR: 2.80, 95% CI (1.36-5.95), P = 0.006]. Using a 1:1 propensity-matched population, TAPSE/sPAP ratio < 0.40 was associated with a higher rate of in-hospital MACEs [OR: 2.98, 95% CI (1.53-6.12), P = 0.002]. After adjustment, TAPSE/sPAP < 0.40 showed the best improvement in model discrimination and reclassification above traditional prognostic factors (C-statistic improvement: 0.05; χ2 improvement: 14.4; likelihood-ratio test P < 0.001). These results were consistent in an external validation cohort of 133 patients. CONCLUSION: TAPSE/sPAP < 0.40 mm/mmHg assessed by an early echocardiography during an AHF episode is independently associated with in-hospital MACEs suggesting enhanced close monitoring and strengthened heart failure-specific care in these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05063097.

Prevalence of psychoactive drug use in patients hospitalized for acute cardiac events: Rationale and design of the ADDICT-ICCU trial, from the Emergency and Acute Cardiovascular Care Working Group and the National College of Cardiologists in Training of the French Society of Cardiology.

BACKGROUND: Psychoactive drugs, including illicit drugs, are associated with an increased rate of cardiovascular events. The prevalence and outcome of patients using these drugs at the time of admission to an intensive cardiac care unit is unknown. AIM: To assess the prevalence of psychoactive drugs detected in consecutive patients hospitalized in an intensive cardiac care unit for an acute cardiovascular event. METHODS: This is a nationwide prospective multicentre study, involving 39 centres throughout France, including all consecutive patients hospitalized in an intensive cardiac care unit within 2weeks. Psychoactive drug use will be assessed systematically by urine drug assay within 2hours of intensive cardiac care unit admission, to detect illicit (cannabinoids, cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy, heroin and other opioids) and non-illicit (barbiturates, benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants, methadone and buprenorphine) psychoactive drugs. Smoking will be investigated systematically by exhaled carbon monoxide measurement, and alcohol consumption using a standardized questionnaire. In-hospital major adverse events, including death, resuscitated cardiac arrest and cardiogenic shock, will be recorded. After discharge, all-cause death and major adverse cardiovascular events will be recorded systematically and adjudicated at 12months of follow-up. RESULTS: The primary outcome will be the prevalence of psychoactive drugs detected by systematic screening among all patients hospitalized in an intensive cardiac care unit. The in-hospital major adverse events will be analysed according to the presence or absence of detected psychoactive drugs. Subgroup analysis stratified by initial clinical presentation and type of psychoactive drug will be performed. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first prospective multicentre study to assess the prevalence of psychoactive drugs detected by systematic screening in consecutive patients hospitalized for acute cardiovascular events.

Microcatheter-Facilitated Primary Angioplasty in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Direct stenting is the best method for achieving reperfusion in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). We hypothesized that the use of a microcatheter (MC) during PPCI when Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow ≤ 1 after wire crossing would allow visualization of the downstream artery with an optimal TIMI 3 flow at the end of the procedure. METHODS: In this pilot study, PPCI patients with TIMI flow ≤ 1 after wire crossing formed the MC group (n = 60); the MC was positioned in the distal part of the culprit artery and a small amount of contrast was injected through it to determine stent size and length to treat the culprit lesion. The MC group was compared with previous consecutive patients treated using standard PPCI (n = 94; similar characteristics except for the rate of previous percutaneous coronary intervention). RESULTS: In the MC group, downstream arteries were visualized in 98% of cases and direct stenting was achieved in 72% vs 31% (P < 0.0001). Final TIMI 3 flow was similar in both groups (97%). There was less manual thrombectomy (20% vs 63%; P < 0.001) and bailout glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor use (6.7% vs 29.8%; P < 0.002). The incidence of major adverse events (death, shock, severe arrhythmia) and left ventricular ejection fraction were similar. The peak cardiac enzymes level was significantly lower in the MC group. CONCLUSIONS: The MC strategy appears feasible and safe. It could allow exploring new strategies on the basis of more systematic direct stenting and prepared reperfusion by injecting drugs through the MC before reperfusion.