Developments in pre-hospital patient transport in ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Introduction: ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a medical emergency that benefits from rapid access to specialized care. The objective of this study was to describe developments in patient transport via the pre-hospital emergency medical system (EMS) and its impact on clinical outcomes.

Methods: We retrospectively studied STEMI patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention between January 2008 and July 2015.

Effects of a Phase IV Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program on Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Physical Activity.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally and sedentary lifestyle is one of the main risk factors. Home-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs appear to be effective to improve exercise tolerance. The aim of the study, therefore, was to evaluate the effects of a phase IV (maintenance) home-based CR program on cardiorespiratory fitness and daily physical activity of patients recovering from an acute myocardial infarction.

A rare cause of hoarseness in a young patient.

Syphilis is nowadays a rare cause of aortic aneurysms in developed countries. Commonly saccular, syphilitic aneurysms are frequently single, involving the ascending aorta and arch and are frequently asymptomatic unless large enough to cause symptoms due to compression of surrounding structures or death from rupture. In this paper, the authors present the case of a 32-years old patient presenting with progressive weakness, anorexia, weight loss and hoarseness, who was diagnosed with a multiple saccular aortic aneurysms, which were syphilitic in nature.

Effects of the Mediterranean diet and exercise in subjects with coronary artery disease.

Introduction: The association of the Mediterranean diet and exercise appears to have a protective role, reducing cardiovascular risk. This study investigated the effects of education sessions on the Mediterranean diet and an exercise program in modifying eating behaviors, body composition and abdominal fat.

Methods: An experimental study was performed on 20 subjects with known coronary heart disease randomly assigned to experimental (n=10) and control (n=10) groups.

Acute hepatitis after amiodarone infusion.

Acute hepatitis is a very rare, but potentially fatal, adverse effect of intravenous amiodarone. We present a case of an 88-year-old man with history of ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and severely depressed left ventricular function that was admitted to our coronary care unit with diagnosis of decompensated heart failure and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. A few hours after the beginning of intravenous amiodarone he developed an acute hepatitis.

A 75-year-old woman with chest pain and transient severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Introduction: Coronary spasm can cause myocardial ischemia and angina in both patients with and without obstructive coronary artery disease. However, provocation tests using intracoronary acetylcholine (ACh) have been rarely performed in the Western world.

Case Report: We report a case of a 75-year-old woman with a history of hypertension and a mechanical aortic prosthesis who presented in the emergency room with acute-onset chest pain, widespread ST-segment depression and severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction, with no signs of prosthesis dysfunction.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as bridge-to-decision in acute heart failure due to systemic light-chain amyloidosis.

Patient: Female, 58.

Final Diagnosis: Acute hear failure.

Symptoms: Dispnoea • edema • fatigue.

Aortic intramural hematoma: an unpredictable evolution.

Aortic intramural hematoma (IMH) is an acute aortic syndrome characterized by bleeding into the media of the aortic wall without intimal disruption or the classic flap formation. Its natural history is variable and still poorly understood, so strategies for therapeutic management are not fully established. In some cases there is partial or complete regression of the hematoma under medical treatment, but most progress to dissection, aneurysmal dilatation or aortic rupture.

Anatomical versus functional assessment of coronary artery disease: direct comparison of computed tomography coronary angiography and magnetic resonance myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with intermediate pre-test probability.

Computed tomography coronary angiography (CTA) and cardiac magnetic resonance myocardial perfusion imaging (CMR-MPI) are state-of-the-art tools for noninvasive assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CTA and CMR-MPI for the detection of functionally relevant CAD, using invasive coronary angiography (XA) with fractional flow reserve (FFR) as a reference standard, and to evaluate the best protocol integrating these techniques for assessment of patients with suspected CAD. 95 patients (68 % men; 62 ± 8.

[Isolated left ventricular non-compaction: a single-center experience].

Isolated left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a rare cardiomyopathy characterized by excessive and prominent trabeculations associated with deep recesses that communicate with the ventricular cavity. Determining the natural history of this condition has been hampered by differences in clinical features and prognosis in published series, which are partly the result of differing diagnostic criteria and the lack of management guidelines. This work aims to contribute to the characterization of isolated LVNC by analyzing an affected population in terms of clinical presentation, diagnosis, risk stratification, treatment and follow-up.

[Percutaneous intervention in left main coronary disease: medium and long term clinical outcomes in a high risk population].

Purpose: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) remains the standard therapy for left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease.However, in recent years, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has shown good results and is being used in an increasing number of patients. We aimed to assess mid and long term clinical outcomes of patients undergoing LMCA PCI in a hospital with cardiac surgery.

Omeprazole, but not pantoprazole, reduces the antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel: a randomized clinical crossover trial in patients after myocardial infarction evaluating the clopidogrel-PPIs drug interaction.

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are usually prescribed to patients undergoing dual antiplatelet therapy to decrease the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. Recent studies have raised concerns that PPIs could reduce clopidogrel's efficacy by competitive inhibition of cytochrome P450 2C19 isoenzyme. All PPIs are metabolized by cytochrome P450 2C19, although to varying degrees, and according to in-vitro studies, pantoprazole is the weakest inhibitor of this isoenzyme.

Percutaneous aortic valve implantation.

Introduction: Percutaneous aortic valve implantation is an emerging procedure for the treatment of patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Methods: The procedure was performed in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, who had been refused for aortic valve replacement surgery. A self-expanding bioprosthesis within a nitinol frame delivered by an 18F catheter was used.

[Clopidogrel--proton pump inhibitors drug interaction: implications to clinical practice].

Recent studies have raised the concern that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) could potentially interfere with clopidogrel antiplatelet effect. This association is frequent in clinical practice and is recommended by recent consensus guidelines in patients taking dual antiplatelet therapy to prevent gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Clopidogrel is a pro-drug which needs to be metabolized into its active metabolite, by cytochrome P450, especially by CYP2C19 isoenzyme.

Incidence and predictors of permanent pacemaker requirement after transcatheter aortic valve implantation with a self-expanding bioprosthesis.

Background: Previous reports have suggested the occurrence of cardiac conduction disorders and permanent pacemaker (PPM) requirement after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Based on a single-center experience, we aim to assess the incidence of postprocedural conduction disorders, need for PPM, and its determinants after TAVI with a self-expanding bioprosthesis.

Methods: From August 2007 to October 2009, 32 consecutive patients underwent TAVI with the Medtronic CoreValve (MCV) System (Medtronic Inc.

[Primary myxoma of the pulmonary artery. Clinical report].

The cardiac myxoma is a benign clinical entity, characterised by the growth of a gelatinous mass composed by primary connective tissue and stroma, representing the most common cardiac tumour. Usually found within one of the cardiac chambers, it affects the left atrium in 75% of the cases. Rare cases in literature describe extra-cardiac locations of myxomas.

Myocardial bridging: retrospective analysis and scintigraphic testing of patients with no angiographically significant atherosclerotic coronary disease.

Introduction And Objective: The clinical relevance of myocardial bridging (MB) is a matter of debate. The objective of this work was to examine its prevalence, clinical presentation, prognosis, and functional features on scintigraphy in a group of patients with no significant atherosclerotic coronary disease.

Methods: We retrospectively examined 7039 consecutive cardiac angiograms performed between January 1994 and December 2004, selecting cases in which MB was not accompanied by significant coronary disease (defined as luminal stenosis > 50%), valvular heart disease or cardiomyopathy.