Prevention of acute renal failure post-contrast imaging in cardiology: a randomized study.

Background: The contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is the third most common cause of acute renal failure (ARF) and the worsening in a pre-existing chronic renal failure (CRF), with a foreseeable increase of morbidity, mortality, length of the stay in hospital and, as a consequence, of the health costs. We studied the effectiveness of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) associated with sodium bicarbonate (Na2HCO3) infusion in order to prevent CIN in patients undergoing coronary angiography with administration of contrast medium.

Materials And Methods: 296 patients with indication to perform coronary angiography were included in a randomized, observational study.

Catheter ablation of atrial tachycardia after interatrial defect repair with patch apposition.

A 54-year-old woman with history of septal atrial mixoma surgically treated and drug-refractory supraventricular tachyarrhythmia underwent catheter ablation of macro-reentry areas near the pericardial patch placed to repair an interatrial defect. The use of ablative therapy has been successful to cure this arrhythmia.