Pretreatment With Unfractionated Heparin in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction—a Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Background: Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are often pretreated with unfractionated heparin (UFH) before a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). UFH pretreatment is intended to lessen the thrombotic burden, but there have been conflicting study findings on its safety and efficacy. We assessed the risks and benefits of UFH pretreatment with a retrospective analysis of registry data from the STEMI network of a German metropolitan region.

Anxiety, depression and quality of life in acute high risk cardiac disease patients eligible for wearable cardioverter defibrillator: Results from the prospective multicenter CRED-registry.

Background: Psychological distress is common in patients with cardiovascular disease and negatively impacts outcome.

Hypothesis: Psychological distress is high in acute high risk cardiac patients eligible for a WCD, and associated with low quality of life. Distress is aggravated by WCD.

Impact of the Type of First Medical Contact within a Guideline-Conform ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Network: A Prospective Observational Registry Study.

Aims: The impact of type of first medical contact (FMC) in the setting of a guideline conform metropolitan ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) network providing obligatory primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unclear.

Methods And Results: 3,312 patients were prospectively included between 2006 and 2012 into a registry accompanying the "Cologne Infarction Model" STEMI network, with 68.4% primarily presenting to emergency medical service (EMS), 17.

Five-year results of the Multicenter Randomized Controlled Open-Label Study of the CYPHER Sirolimus-Eluting Stent in the Treatment of Diabetic Patients with De Novo Native Coronary Artery Lesions (SCORPIUS) study: a German multicenter investigation on the effectiveness of sirolimus-eluting stents in diabetic patients.

Background: Because a delayed arterial healing response after drug-eluting stent implantation has raised concerns about safety in diabetic patients, long-term effects of treatment with sirolimus-eluting stent (SES), as compared with bare-metal stent (BMS), have to be established. The aim of the 5-year follow-up of the randomized, controlled, open-label multicenter SCORPIUS study was to assess long-term safety and efficacy of the CYPHER (Cordis, Johnson & Johnson, Bridgewater, NJ) SES in percutaneous coronary intervention of diabetic patients.

Methods: A total of 190 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomized to receive either a SES (n = 95) or a BMS (n = 95).

Endovascular treatment of superior vena cava syndrome by percutaneous venoplasty.

Thrombosis of the superior vena cava leads to obstruction of venous outflow of the head and upper extremities and causes severe clinical symptoms. The management of SVC syndrome depends on aetiology and acuity at clinical presentation and ranges from conservative medical treatment to bypass surgery. Endovascular treatment can provide rapid relief of symptoms and substantial clinical improvement independent of aetiology.

Utility of NT-pro-BNP in patients undergoing transapical aortic valve replacement.

Background: Transapical aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is increasingly being applied in conventionally inoperable patients with aortic stenosis. The utility of the cardiac marker NT-pro-BNP has yet not been assessed in this setting.

Methods: NT-pro-BNP was assessed preoperatively, postoperatively (day 1, 3, 5 and 8) and 2 months after the intervention in 31 consecutive patients (13 men, 18 women; median age 84) undergoing TAVR and the association with baseline characteristics and outcome was analysed.

Successful transapical aortic valve replacement in a patient with a previous mechanical mitral valve replacement.

In this case we illustrate our experience with transapical minimal invasive aortic valve replacement in a patient who previously underwent mitral valve replacement. The implantation did not interfere with the existing prosthesis and could even be used as a further landmark, helping height positioning of the aortic valve.

One-year results of the SCORPIUS study: a German multicenter investigation on the effectiveness of sirolimus-eluting stents in diabetic patients.

Objectives: This study sought to analyze the effectiveness of drug-eluting stents in a high-risk group of diabetic patients. Previously, this had been analyzed only in substudies of larger trials or in clinical investigations enrolling a small number of patients.

Background: Drug-eluting stents are highly effective in reducing the rate of in-stent restenosis.

Compliance of a cobalt chromium coronary stent alloy--the COVIS trial.

Background: Cobalt chromium coronary stents are increasingly being used in percutaneous coronary interventions. There are, however, no reliable data about the characteristics of unfolding and visibility of this stent alloy in vivo. The aim of this study is to compare cobalt chromium coronary stents with conventional stainless steel stents using intracoronary ultrasound.

F-18-FDG uptake is a reliable predictory of functional recovery of akinetic but viable infarct regions as defined by magnetic resonance imaging before and after revascularization.

Identification of akinetic but viable myocardium is important for the selection of patients for coronary revascularization. In order to assess predictive values of end-diastolic wall thickness and dobutamine induced wall thickening obtained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose uptake assessed by positron emission tomography (F-18-FDG-PET), these parameters were compared to recovery of left ventricular function after successful revascularization. Forty patients with chronic myocardial infarction and regional a- or dyskinesia by ventriculography underwent rest- and dobutamine-MRI studies (10 microg dobutamine/kg body weight/min) and F-18-FDG-PET.

Randomized comparison of mounted versus unmounted stents: the multicenter COMUS trial.

Background: Although the use of premounted stents on a delivery balloon has almost completely eliminated the initially used hand-crimping procedure, no data are available that prove the superiority of one or the other approach on a randomized basis. Therefore, this study was designed to examine whether the use of premounted stents is comparable with the hand-crimping procedure.

Methods: A total of 123 patients (64 treated with unmounted stents, 59 treated with premounted stents) were examined in a multicenter, randomized, prospective study.