Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter in Pregnant Women-A Population-Based Study.

Background: The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter (AF) in pregnant women and to examine the impact of AF on maternal and fetal outcomes.

Methods And Results: Between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2013, there were 264 730 qualifying pregnancies (in 210 356 women) in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California hospitals, among whom AF was noted in 157 pregnancies (129 women; 61.3 per 100 000 women, or 59.

The right atrium: gateway to the heart--anatomic and pathologic imaging findings.

Knowledge of right atrial anatomic and pathologic imaging findings and associated clinical symptoms is important to avoid false-positive diagnoses and missed findings. Complete evaluation of the heart often requires a multimodality approach that includes radiography, echocardiography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and invasive angiography. In general, CT provides the highest spatial resolution of these modalities at the cost of radiation exposure to the patient.

Percutaneous mitral valve repair in the initial EVEREST cohort: evidence of reverse left ventricular remodeling.

Background: Percutaneous repair of mitral regurgitation (MR) permits examination of the effect of MR reduction without surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass on left ventricular (LV) dimensions and function. The goal of this analysis was to determine the extent of reverse remodeling at 12 months after successful percutaneous reduction of MR with the MitraClip device.

Methods And Results: Of 64 patients with 3 and 4+ MR who achieved acute procedural success after treatment with the MitraClip device, 49 patients had moderate or less MR at 12-month follow-up.

Left atrial function predicts heart failure hospitalization in subjects with preserved ejection fraction and coronary heart disease: longitudinal data from the Heart and Soul Study.

Objectives: This study sought to determine whether left atrial (LA) dysfunction predicts heart failure (HF) hospitalization in subjects with preserved baseline ejection fraction (EF).

Background: Among patients with preserved EF, factors leading to HF are not fully understood. Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated LA dysfunction at the time of HF, but longitudinal data on antecedent atrial function are lacking.

Closure of a para-valvular aortic leak: with the use of 2 AMPLATZER devices and real-time 2- and 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

Paravalvular leaks are well-recognized sequelae of mechanical aortic valve implantation. Clinical manifestations include hemolysis, arrhythmias, and congestive heart failure. Frequently, patients who receive mechanical aortic valves are poor candidates for repeat valve surgery, and the reoperative mortality rate is high.

Comparison of outcomes using bare metal versus drug-eluting stents in coronary artery disease patients with and without human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention have a substantial risk of subsequent cardiovascular events. However, outcome data from HIV-infected patients who receive drug-eluting stents (DESs) are limited. We hypothesized that HIV-infected patients treated with DESs would have fewer recurrent cardiac events compared with those who receive bare metal stents (BMSs).

Thrombus characterization with intravascular ultrasound: potential to predict successful thrombolysis.

Purpose: To define analysis methods using radiofrequency (RF) data from intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to characterize thrombus so that the success or failure of thrombolysis can be predicted.

Methods: Experimentation was done in 2 phases: first, 40 clots created from platelet-rich (n=20) and platelet-poor (n=20) plasma were imaged with 20 and 30-MHz IVUS probes. The digitized RF signals were analyzed to determine the attenuation and slope of attenuation characteristics as a reference standard for the second part of the study.