Changes to management of a non-pandemic illness during the COVID-19 pandemic: case study of invasive management of acute coronary syndrome.

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic requires significant changes to standard operating procedures for non-COVID-19 related illnesses. Balancing the benefit from standard evidence-based treatments with the risks posed by COVID-19 to patients, healthcare workers and to the population at large is difficult due to incomplete and rapidly changing information. In this article, we use management of acute coronary syndromes as a case study to show how these competing risks and benefits can be resolved, albeit incompletely.

Automated Detection of Complex Fractionated Atrial Electrograms In Substrate-Based Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: Better Discrimination with a New Setting of CARTO® Algorithm.

Up until recently complex fractionated atrial electrogram (CFAE) ablation has been considered as time consuming and its achievement as challenging, especially for non experimented operators. Moreover, results of substrate ablation based on CFAE detection in atrial fibrillation (AF) are very disparate, mainly because of the operator's subjective electrogram visual analysis and the difficult distinction between CFAEs really involved in AF perpetuation from other CFAE. Automatic detection provided by 3D mapping system (CARTO® algorithm) can be helpful but is not selective enough, drawing too wide CFAE areas.

Two-year outcomes of everolimus vs. paclitaxel-eluting stent for the treatment of unprotected left main lesions: a propensity score matching comparison of patients included in the French Left Main Taxus (FLM Taxus) and the LEft MAin Xience (LEMAX) registries.

Aims: With newer drug-eluting stents (DES), PCI has appeared as an acceptable alternative to cardiac surgery in the treatment of unprotected left main (ULM) lesions. Using data from the French Left Main Taxus and the LEft MAin Xience registries, we compared two-year outcomes in consecutive patients from 2003-2008 using everolimus-eluting stents (EES) vs. paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES).

Unprotected left main stenting in the real world: five-year outcomes of the French Left Main Taxus registry.

Aims: Limited long-term data are available to support drug-eluting stent (DES) unprotected left main (LM) intervention. We sought to evaluate long-term outcomes of LM intervention with paclitaxel-eluting stents.

Methods And Results: In this prospective multicentre registry, 291 patients with unprotected LM stenosis underwent percutaneous revascularisation with the TAXUS® Express® stent, using a consistent technical approach for both ostial/shaft and bifurcation lesions (provisional side branch stenting).

ACS and STEMI treatment: gender-related issues.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death amongst women, with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) representing a significant proportion. It has been reported that in women presenting with ACS there is underdiagnosis and consequent undertreatment leading to an increase in hospital and long-term mortality. Several factors have to be taken into account, including lack of awareness both at patient and at physician level.

PCI Outcomes in High-Risk Groups (Diabetes Mellitus, Smoker, Chronic Kidney Disease and the Elderly).

Ischemic heart disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in both genders in developed countries. Many women underestimate the effect of coronary artery disease on their health and as a result, the female population tends to be under-investigated for symptoms, with less-aggressive treatment approaches, leading to perceived worse outcomes in this group. Many assumptions about women are from studies where the female population is under-represented and in trials that do not account for gender differences.

Early and long-term results of unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis with paclitaxel-eluting stents: the FRIEND (French multicentre RegIstry for stenting of uNprotecteD LMCA stenosis) registry.

Aims: To evaluate the angiographic and clinical outcome of patients undergoing paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) implantation for unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) stenosis in a "real-world" multicentre, prospective registry. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an increasingly utilised method of revascularisation in patients with ULMCA.

Methods And Results: A prospective registry including all patients with a significant (>50%) ULMCA stenosis.

Angiographic success and successful stent delivery for complex lesions using the GuideLiner™ five-in-six system- a case report.

In this report, we describe two cases of transradial intervention of chronic total occlusions assisted by the GuideLiner catheter when the guide catheter support was suboptimal. This novel coaxial system can provide additional support for more complex lesions and, in our cases, allowed the procedure to be completed via the transradial approach rather than having to change to transfemoral access.