Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) with cardiac arrest at presentation: A subanalysis from the DISCO registry.

Introduction: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare cause of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), which primarily affects young women without traditional cardiovascular risk factors, often presenting as sudden cardiac death. This study aims to investigate the prevalence, characteristics, predictors, and outcomes of cardiac arrest in SCAD patients.

Methods: The DISCO IT/SPA registry, an international retrospective multicenter study, enrolled 375 SCAD patients from 26 centers in Italy and Spain.

Management of acute coronary syndromes requiring coronary angiography in patients with drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome induced by iodinated contrast media: two case reports and narrative review.

Background: Hypersensitivity reactions to iodinated contrast media (ICM) are frequently encountered in clinical practice. Severe manifestations, despite being infrequent, can be life-threatening and represent an issue when re-administration of ICM is required. Clear recommendations on prevention and management of relapses are still lacking.

Enhancing soccer goalkeepers penalty dive kinematics with instructional video and laterality insights in field conditions.

This study aimed to analyze the effect of laterality and instructional video on the soccer goalkeepers' dive kinematics in penalty. Eight goalkeepers from youth categories (U15, U17, U20) were randomly divided into control (CG) and video instruction groups (VG). The latter performed 20 penalty defense trials on the field with balls launched by a machine, ten before and after watching a video instruction to improve the diving kinematics.

Current Strategies to Guide the Antiplatelet Therapy in Acute Coronary Syndromes.

The role of antiplatelet therapy in patients with acute coronary syndromes is a moving target with considerable novelty in the last few years. The pathophysiological basis of the treatment depends on platelet biology and physiology, and the interplay between these aspects and clinical practice must guide the physician in determining the best therapeutic options for patients with acute coronary syndromes. In the present narrative review, we discuss the latest novelties in the antiplatelet therapy of patients with acute coronary syndromes.

Achievement of target LDL-cholesterol level in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: The JET-LDL registry.

Background: In patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), current guidelines recommend a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level < 1.4 mmol/L (<55 mg/dL).

Methods: The JET-LDL is a multicenter, observational, prospective registry created to investigate levels of LDL-C in consecutive patients with ACS undergoing PCI at 35 Italian hospitals, and to report their lipid lowering therapies (LLT).

Clinical Outcomes of Percutaneous Left-Atrial Appendage Occlusion with Conscious Sedation without an Anesthesiologist on Site: Results from a Multicenter Study.

: Percutaneous left-atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion is an important therapeutic option for preventing cardioembolic stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) at high risk of thromboembolic events and with contraindications for oral anticoagulation (OAC). It is usually performed with transesophageal echocardiography (TOE) guidance under general anesthesia (GA). In this retrospective study, we present a multicenter experience of LAA occlusion performed with conscious sedation (CS) without an anesthesiologist on site.

Interventional Versus Conservative Strategy in Patients With Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissections: Insights From DISCO Registry.

Background: The optimal management of patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection remains debated.

Methods: Patients enrolled in the DISCO (Dissezioni Spontanee Coronariche) Registry up to December 2020 were included. The primary end point was major adverse cardiovascular events, a composite of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and repeat percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

ANMCO position paper: guide to the appropriate use of the wearable cardioverter defibrillator in clinical practice for patients at high transient risk of sudden cardiac death.

Extended risk stratification and optimal management of patients with a permanently increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) are becoming increasingly important. There are several clinical conditions where the risk of arrhythmic death is present albeit only transient. As an example, patients with depressed left ventricular function have a high risk of SCD that may be only transient if there will be a significant recovery of function.

[ANMCO Position paper: Wearable cardioverter defibrillator appropriate use guidance for the management of patients at high transient risk of sudden cardiac death].

Extended risk stratification and optimal management of patients with a permanently increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) is becoming increasingly important. There are several clinical conditions where the risk of arrhythmic death is present albeit only transient. As an example, patients with depressed left ventricular function have a high risk of SCD that may be only transient when there is a significant recovery of function.

Left Ventricular Thrombus Management After Acute Myocardial Infarction in Clinical Practice: Results from LEVITATION Survey and Narrative Review.

Purpose: Left ventricular thrombus (LVT) after ST-elevation myocardial infarction still presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. The LEVITATION survey was designed to take a picture of LVT management in current clinical practice.

Methods: The survey covered diagnostic, therapeutic, and prophylactic issues and was completed by 104 European cardiac centers.

Convalescent or standard plasma versus standard of care in the treatment of COVID-19 patients with respiratory impairment: short and long-term effects. A three-arm randomized controlled clinical trial.

Background: The efficacy of early treatment with convalescent plasma in patients with COVID-19 is debated. Nothing is known about the potential effect of other plasma components other than anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

Methods: To determine whether convalescent or standard plasma would improve outcomes for adults in early phase of Covid19 respiratory impairment we designed this randomized, three-arms, clinical trial (PLACO COVID) blinded on interventional arms that was conducted from June 2020 to August 2021.

[Spontaneous coronary artery dissection: update on treatment and strategies to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway].

Spontaneous coronary dissection is an infrequent cause of acute coronary syndrome, which has been understood only recently in terms of pathophysiology, presentation, diagnosis and treatment. In particular, new evidence has emerged on its treatment in the interventional and medical fields, especially on the management of antiplatelet therapy, which is presented in this review; moreover, the local experience of the registry of spontaneous coronary dissections DISCO and its role in improving the management of these patients are reported.

Epilepsy and syncope - A case report and narrative review of arrhythmias connected to temporal lobe epilepsy.

We present the case of a 28-years-old male presenting to the Emergency Department for relapsing episodes of "déjà vu" and syncope. After a diagnostic workup by a multidisciplinary team, the simultaneous EEG and ECG monitoring showed an asystole associated with EEG anomalies in right fronto-temporal region of the brain. The brain MRI revealed an ischemic lesion concordant with EEG anomalies.

[Cardiology units and organizational models of heart transplantation centers in Italy: a survey by the Italian Association of Hospital Cardiologists-Italian Society of Organ Transplantation (ANMCO-SITO)].

Background: The extent and quality of the involvement of cardiology units in health programs delivered by Italian centers for heart transplantation (HTx) have not been investigated previously.

Methods: The Italian Association of Hospital Cardiologists (ANMCO) and the Italian Society for Organ Transplantation (SITO) developed and delivered a nationwide survey to the Directors of the Italian centers for HTx to investigate the extent to which cardiology units contribute to HTx programs. The survey investigated: (i) the organization of the centers and institutional frame under which cardiology units contributed to HTx programs; (ii) the volumes of procedures and clinical services delivered by cardiology units to HTx centers for listing patients, following those waiting for HTx, managing acute heart failure, selecting and allocating organs to recipients, following and managing organ rejection after HTx.

Short term outcome following acute phase switch among P2Y inhibitors in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome treated with PCI: A systematic review and meta-analysis including 22,500 patients from 14 studies.

Introduction: The efficacy and safety of switching P2Y receptor antagonists in patients admitted for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remain unclear. We assessed the short-term clinical outcomes (in-hospital and within 30 days) of switching P2Y inhibitor (P2YI) drugs versus maintaining the same regimen by performing a comprehensive review and meta-analysis of available data.

Methods: MEDLINE/PubMed/SCOPUS/Cochrane databases were screened for studies regarding switching of P2YI in patients with ACS that reported 30 days follow-up.

The Difficult Evolution of Intensive Cardiac Care Units: An Overview of the BLITZ-3 Registry and Other Italian Surveys.

Coronary care units, initially developed to treat acute myocardial infarction, have moved to the care of a broader population of acute cardiac patients and are currently defined as Intensive Cardiac Care Units (ICCUs). However, very limited data are available on such evolution. Since 2008, in Italy, several surveys have been designed to assess ICCUs' activities.

Characteristics, in-hospital management and outcome of late acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction presenters.

Background: Patients with delayed presentation of acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation (STEMI) frequently have a poor prognosis but literature about acute complications in intensive cardiac care unit (ICCU) and in-hospital outcome are still limited.

Methods: All STEMI patients admitted to our institution between June 2007 and December 2013 were divided into patients presenting more than 12 h after symptom onset (lateSTEMI) and within 12 h (STEMI). Baselines clinical features including details about treatment of choice were collected.

Invasive strategy in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome: What should be the benchmark target in the real world patients? Insights from BLITZ-4 Quality Campaign.

Aims: To define a benchmark target for an invasive strategy (IS) rate appropriate for performance assessment in intermediate-to-high risk non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS).

Methods And Results: During the BLITZ-4 campaign, which aimed at improving the quality of care in 163 Italian coronary care units, 4923/5786 (85.1%) of consecutive patients admitted with NSTE-ACS with troponin elevation and/or dynamic ST-T changes on the electrocardiogram were managed with IS.