Publications by authors named "Brent Mitchell"

Target 3 in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) calls for protecting at least 30% of the world's lands and waters in area-based conservation approaches by 2030. This ambitious 30×30 target has spurred great interest among policy makers, practitioners, and researchers in defining and measuring the effectiveness of these types of approaches. But along with this broad interest, there has also been a proliferation of terms and their accompanying abbreviations used to describe different types of conservation areas and their governance, planning, management, and monitoring.

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Background: The RAID (Ranolazine Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator) randomized placebo-controlled trial showed that ranolazine treatment was associated with reduction in recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT) requiring appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify groups of patients in whom ranolazine treatment would result in the highest reduction of ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VTA) burden.

Methods: Andersen-Gill analyses were performed to identify variables associated with risk for VTA burden among 1,012 patients enrolled in RAID.

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Cardiac tachyarrhythmias are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Treatments for these tachyarrhythmias include antiarrhythmic drugs, catheter ablation, surgical ablation, cardiac implantable electronic devices, and cardiac transplantation. Each of these treatment approaches is effective in some patients but there is considerable room for improvement, particularly with respect to the most common of the tachydysrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, and the most dangerous of the tachydysrhythmias, ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation.

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The Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) atrial fibrillation (AF) guidelines program was developed to aid clinicians in the management of these complex patients, as well as to provide direction to policy makers and health care systems regarding related issues. The most recent comprehensive CCS AF guidelines update was published in 2010. Since then, periodic updates were published dealing with rapidly changing areas.

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The practice of electrical or pharmacological cardioversion (CV) to restore sinus rhythm in patents with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) or atrial flutter has been a part of clinical practice for more than 100 years. For almost as long as CV has been performed, it has been recognized that the act of restoring sinus rhythm is associated with an increased risk of stroke and systemic embolism, and that oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy can be used to prevent peri-CV thromboembolism. Although it has been widely accepted that OAC therapy is necessary to prevent thromboembolism in patients with chronic AF/atrial flutter who undergo CV, previous clinical practice recommendations have suggested that OAC therapy may be omitted in patients at low risk of stroke.

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Importance: Catheter ablation is effective in restoring sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation (AF), but its effects on long-term mortality and stroke risk are uncertain.

Objective: To determine whether catheter ablation is more effective than conventional medical therapy for improving outcomes in AF.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The Catheter Ablation vs Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation trial is an investigator-initiated, open-label, multicenter, randomized trial involving 126 centers in 10 countries.

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Article Synopsis
  • Physicians assess stroke and bleeding risks in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) patients but the accuracy of their assessments compared to empirical data is questionable.
  • A study analyzed data from 1,035 physicians and over 10,000 patients, revealing that male physicians often misjudged stroke risks for female patients while female physicians misjudged risks for male patients.
  • Though there were some differences in risk assessment accuracy based on the sex of the physician and patient, over 90% of participants still received appropriate anticoagulation treatment.
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A contributing factor in the development of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) is the disruption of innate and adaptive signaling pathways due to aberrant cytokine production. The cytokine, interleukin (IL)-1β, is highly inflammatory and its production is tightly regulated through transcriptional control and both inflammasome-dependent and inflammasome- independent proteolytic cleavage. In this study, qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence confocal microscopy were used to (1) assess the mRNA expression of and in paired biopsies from UC and CD patient, and (2) the colonic localization and spatial relationship of NLRP3 and IL-1β in active and quiescent disease.

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The Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) Atrial Fibrillation Guidelines Committee provides periodic reviews of new data to produce focused updates that address clinically important advances in atrial fibrillation (AF) management. This 2018 Focused Update addresses: (1) anticoagulation in the context of cardioversion of AF; (2) the management of antithrombotic therapy for patients with AF in the context of coronary artery disease; (3) investigation and management of subclinical AF; (4) the use of antidotes for the reversal of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants; (5) acute pharmacological cardioversion of AF; (6) catheter ablation for AF, including patients with concomitant AF and heart failure; and (7) an integrated approach to the patient with AF and modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. The recommendations were developed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) standards.

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Background: Ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) remain a challenging problem in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs).

Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether ranolazine administration decreases the likelihood of VT, VF, or death in patients with an ICD.

Methods: This was double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in which high-risk ICD patients with ischemic or nonischemic cardiomyopathy were randomized to 1,000 mg ranolazine twice a day or placebo.

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Using data collected from 2 national atrial fibrillation (AF) primary care physician chart audits (Facilitating Review and Education to Optimize Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation [FREEDOM AF] and Co-ordinated National Network to Engage Physicians in the Care and Treatment of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [CONNECT AF]), we evaluated the frequency of, and factors associated with, the use of cardiovascular (CV) evidence-based therapies in Canadian AF outpatients with at least 1 CV risk factor or co-morbidity. Of the 11,264 patients enrolled, 9,495 (84.3%) were eligible for one or more CV evidence-based therapies.

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The purpose of this EP wire survey was to examine current practice in the management of both cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI)-dependent and non-CTI-dependent atrial flutter (AFL) ablation amongst electrophysiologists in European and Canadian centres and to understand how current opinions vary from guidelines. The results of the survey were collected from a detailed questionnaire that was created by the European Heart Rhythm Association Research Network and the Canadian Heart Rhythm Society. Responses were received from 89 centres in 12 countries.

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The Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Guidelines Committee provides periodic reviews of new data to produce focused updates that address clinically important advances in AF management. This 2016 Focused Update deals with: (1) the management of antithrombotic therapy for AF patients in the context of the various clinical presentations of coronary artery disease; (2) real-life data with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants; (3) the use of antidotes for the reversal of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants; (4) digoxin as a rate control agent; (5) perioperative anticoagulation management; and (6) AF surgical therapy including the prevention and treatment of AF after cardiac surgery. The recommendations were developed with the same methodology used for the initial 2010 guidelines and the 2012 and 2014 Focused Updates.

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Background: Dronedarone is a benzofuran derivative resembling amiodarone that was intended to reduce the iodine-associated tissue deposition and organ toxicity seen with the latter. The utility of dronedarone for patients with ventricular arrhythmias has not been thoroughly evaluated. We present our experience with its use to treat refractory ventricular tachycardia storm and review the literature.

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Background: Canadian atrial fibrillation (AF) guidelines recommend that all AF patients be risk stratified with respect to stroke and bleeding, and that most should receive antithrombotic therapy.

Methods: As part of the Canadian Facilitating Review and Education to Optimize Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation (FREEDOM AF) chart audit, data were collected on 4670 patients ≥ 18 years old without significant valvular heart disease from the primary care practices of 474 physicians (February to September, 2011).

Results: Physicians did not provide an estimate of stroke and bleeding risk in 15% and 25% of patients, respectively.

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The Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) Atrial Fibrillation Guidelines Program has generated a comprehensive series of documents regarding the management of atrial fibrillation (AF) between 2010 and 2014. The guidelines provide evidence-based consensus management recommendations in a broad range of areas. These guidelines have proven useful in informing clinical practice, but often lack detail in specifications related to practical application, particularly for areas in which the evidence base is limited or conflicting.

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