Bleeding Complications of Anticoagulation Therapy in Clinical Practice-Epidemiology and Management: Review of the Literature.

Due to their very wide range of indications, anticoagulants are one of the most commonly used drug groups. Although these drugs are characterized by different mechanisms of action, the most common complication of their use is still bleeding episodes, the frequency of which depends largely on the clinical condition of the patient using such therapy. For this reason, to this day, the best method of preventing bleeding complications remains the assessment of bleeding risk using scales such as HAS-BLED.

The use of pulse transit time in diagnostics of sleep-disordered breathing in children.

Introduction: Sleep is the physiological state of the body where proper morphology and duration are indispensable for human functions throughout both, physical and mental spheres. Disordered breathing during sleep impairs its morphology and results in major disorders in any age group. Adverse effects of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in children and poor availability of centers offering children's polysomnography call for a reliable and easily accessible screening method.

Update of Potential Biomarkers in Risk Prediction and Monitoring of Atherosclerosis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic connective tissue disease associated with an increased risk of premature atherosclerosis. It is estimated that approximately 10% of SLE patients develop significant atherosclerosis each year, which is responsible for premature cardiovascular disease that is largely asymptomatic. This review summarizes the most recent reports from the past few years on biomarkers of atherosclerosis in SLE, mainly focusing on immune markers.

Very early risk modeling in patients with chest pain based on the pattern on admission ECG.

Objectives: The aim was to investigate the prognostic accuracy of admission ECG and its usefulness in determining the population at the highest risk of worse outcomes.

Background: Fast and accurate assessment of chest pain patients remains a challenge for clinicians. Electrocardiogram (ECG) is performed in each case of suspicion of the cardiac origin of chest pain.

The effects of glucocorticoid treatment on cardiovascular system in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: This study aims to assess variables concerning arterial stiffness including carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, carotid-radial pulse wave velocity, ankle-brachial index, and the advancement of atherosclerosis development.

Patients And Methods: Between October 2016 and December 2020, a total of 43 consecutive patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (4 males, 39 females; mean age: 57±8 years; range, 42 to 65 years) were prospectively included in the study. All data were compared between the group treated with glucocorticoids and that not treated with these agents.

Real-Life Outcomes of Coronary Bifurcation Stenting in Acute Myocardial Infarction (Zabrze-Opole Registry).

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of bifurcation lesions is a technical challenge associated with high risk of adverse events, especially in primary PCI. The aim of the study is to analyze long-term outcomes after PCI for coronary bifurcation in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The outcome was defined as the rate of major adverse cardiac event related to target lesion failure (MACE-TLF) (death-TLF, nonfatal myocardial infarction-TLF and target lesion revascularization (TLR)) and the rate of stent thrombosis (ST).

Use of cardiac troponin in the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.

The diagnosis ofcoronary artery disease, which is one of the most common causes of death and disability worldwide, still remains a significant problem for clinicians. High‑sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs‑cTn) assays became the cornerstone in the diagnostic workup of acute myocardial infarction. Nowadays, they take an important position in diagnostic algorithms.

Results of PCI with Drug-Eluting Stents in an All-Comer Population Depending on Vessel Diameter.

Long-term outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) depends on vessel diameter; however, there is insufficient evidence on particular drug-eluting stent (DES) types in this setting. The aim of the study was to assess long-term performance of PCI depending on stented vessel size and DES generations. This observational study from a prospective Registry of PCI with DES assessed safety (stent thrombosis) and efficacy (major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event (MACCE)) of the implantation of first- (DES1) or second-generation DESs (DES2) in small and large vessels.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of ST-segment deviation scores in suspected acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Recent advances in digital electrocardiography technology allow evaluating ST-segment deviations in all 12 leads as quantitative variables and calculating summed ST-segment deviation scores. The diagnostic and prognostic utility of summed ST-segment deviation scores is largely unknown.

Methods: We aimed to explore the diagnostic and prognostic utility of the conventional and the modified ST-segment deviation score (Better Analysis of ST-segment Elevations and Depressions in a 12- Lead-ECG-Score (BASEL-Score): sum of elevations in the augmented voltage right - lead (aVR) plus absolute, unsigned ST-segment depressions in the remaining leads) in patients presenting with suspected non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Incidence and outcomes of unstable angina compared with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Objective: Assess the relative incidence and compare characteristics and outcome of unstable angina (UA) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).

Design: Two independent prospective multicentre diagnostic studies (Advantageous Predictors of Acute Coronary Syndromes Evaluation [APACE] and High-Sensitivity Troponin in the Evaluation of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome [High-STEACS]) enrolling patients with acute chest discomfort presenting to the emergency department. Central adjudication of the final diagnosis was done by two independent cardiologists using all clinical information including serial measurements of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn).

B-Type Natriuretic Peptides and Cardiac Troponins for Diagnosis and Risk-Stratification of Syncope.

Background: The utility of BNP (B-type natriuretic peptide), NT-proBNP (N-terminal proBNP), and hs-cTn (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin) concentrations for diagnosis and risk-stratification of syncope is incompletely understood.

Methods: We evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of BNP, NT-proBNP, hs-cTnT, and hs-cTnI concentrations, alone and against those of clinical assessments, in patients >45-years old presenting with syncope to the emergency department in a prospective diagnostic multicenter study. BNP, NT-proBNP, hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI concentrations were measured in a blinded fashion.

Annual Trends in Total Ischemic Time and One-Year Fatalities: The Paradox of STEMI Network Performance Assessment.

This study is aimed at assessing trends and relations between total ischemic time, the major quality measure of systemic delay, and case-fatality at the population or patient level in response to growing cardiovascular risk and a constant need to shorten the time to treatment in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Data from a prospective nationwide registry of STEMI patients admitted between 2006 and 2013 who were treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were analyzed. Total ischemic time was calculated as the time from the onset of symptoms to primary PCI and was determined as individual and annual.

Corrigendum to "The Role of Parathyroid Hormone and Vitamin D Serum Concentrations in Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2018/5287573.].

Predicting Acute Myocardial Infarction with a Single Blood Draw.

Background: We desired to determine cardiac troponin (cTn) concentrations necessary to achieve a positive predictive value (PPV) of ≥75% for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to justify immediate admission of patients to a monitored unit and, in general, early coronary angiography.

Methods: In a prospective multicenter diagnostic study enrolling patients presenting to the emergency department with symptoms suggestive of AMI, final diagnoses were adjudicated by 2 independent cardiologists based on clinical information including cardiac imaging. cTn concentrations were measured using 5 different sensitive and high-sensitivity cTn (hs-cTn) assays in a blinded fashion at presentation and serially thereafter.

Comparison of fourteen rule-out strategies for acute myocardial infarction.

Background: The clinical availability of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) has enabled the development of several innovative strategies for the rapid rule-out of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Due to the lack of direct comparisons, selection of the best strategy for clinical practice is challenging.

Methods: In a prospective international multicenter diagnostic study enrolling 3696 patients presenting with suspected AMI to the emergency department, we compared the safety and efficacy of 14 different hs-cTn-based strategies: hs-cTn concentrations below the limit of detection (LoD), dual-marker combining hs-cTn with copeptin, ESC 0 h/1 h-algorithm, 0 h/2 h-algorithm, 2 h-ADP-algorithm, NICE-algorithm, and ESC 0 h/3 h-algorithm, each using either hs-cTnT or hs-cTnI.

Combined Use of High-Sensitive Cardiac Troponin, Copeptin, and the Modified HEART Score for Rapid Evaluation of Chest Pain Patients.

Background: Clinical short-term risk stratification is a recommended approach in patients with chest pain and possible acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to further improve high safety of biomarker-based rule-out algorithms. The study aim was to assess clinical performance of baseline concentrations of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-TnT) and copeptin and the modified HEART score (mHS) in early presenters to the emergency department with chest pain.

Methods: This cohort study included patients with chest pain with onset maximum of 6 h before admission and no persistent ST-segment elevation on electrocardiogram.

Prospective validation of prognostic and diagnostic syncope scores in the emergency department.

Background: Various scores have been derived for the assessment of syncope patients in the emergency department (ED) but stay inconsistently validated. We aim to compare their performance to the one of a common, easy-to-use CHADS score.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled patients ≥ 40 years old presenting with syncope to the ED in a multicenter study.

Impact of age on the performance of the ESC 0/1h-algorithms for early diagnosis of myocardial infarction.

Aims: We aimed to evaluate the impact of age on the performance of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 0/1h-algorithms and to derive and externally validate alternative cut-offs specific to older patients.

Methods And Results: We prospectively enrolled patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms suggestive of acute myocardial infarction in three large diagnostic studies. Final diagnoses were adjudicated by two independent cardiologists.

Prospective Validation of the 0/1-h Algorithm for Early Diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction.

Background: The safety of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 0/1-h algorithm for rapid rule-out and rule-in of non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) has been questioned.

Objectives: This study aimed to validate the diagnostic performance of the 0/1-h algorithm in a large multicenter study.

Methods: The authors prospectively enrolled unselected patients in 6 countries presenting to the emergency department with symptoms suggestive of NSTEMI.

Clinical Validation of a Novel High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin I Assay for Early Diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Clinical performance of the novel high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (Siemens-hs-cTnI-Centaur) assay is unknown. We aimed to clinically validate the Siemens-hs-cTnI-Centaur assay and develop 0/1-h and 0/2-h algorithms.

Methods: We enrolled patients presenting to the emergency department with symptoms suggestive of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).