Alternative Means of Informed Consent in Cardiology: Strategies and Effectiveness in a Group of Italian Patients.

Informed consent practices in healthcare represent a fundamental element of patient-centred care; however, the traditional use of a written, paper-based description of the medical procedure to obtain informed consent presents many limitations. This research aimed to evaluate the effects of an alternative modality of obtaining informed consent using a brief informative video for patients waiting to undergo a coronary angiography procedure in Italy. The study involved 40 participants-28 males and 12 females (mean age: 68.

Safety and Efficacy of Cryoballoon Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation in relation to the Patients' Age: Results from a Large Real-World Multicenter Observational Project.

Background: The real-world efficacy and safety of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation in particularly young and elderly patients are still under debate. The aim of the analysis was to investigate the effect of age on the efficacy and safety of cryoballoon ablation (CBA).

Methods: 2,534 patients underwent pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) by way of CBA for paroxysmal or persistent drug-resistant and symptomatic AF.

Risk stratification of cardiovascular and heart failure hospitalizations using integrated device diagnostics in patients with a cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator.

Aims: Cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-D) are able to monitor various parameters that may be combined by an automatic algorithm to provide a heart failure risk status (HFRS). We sought to validate the HFRS for stratifying patient risk, evaluate its association with heart failure (HF) symptoms, and investigate its utility for triage of automatic alerts.

Methods And Results: Data from 722 patients included in the MORE-CARE trial were analysed in a post hoc analysis.

Effects of remote monitoring on clinical outcomes and use of healthcare resources in heart failure patients with biventricular defibrillators: results of the MORE-CARE multicentre randomized controlled trial.

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of remote monitoring in patients with heart failure implanted with a biventricular defibrillator (CRT-D) with advanced diagnostics.

Methods And Results: The MORE-CARE trial is an international, prospective, multicentre, randomized controlled trial. Within 8 weeks of de novo implant of a CRT-D, patients were randomized to undergo remote checks alternating with in-office follow-ups (Remote arm) or in-office follow-ups alone (Standard arm).

Management of alert messages in the remote monitoring of implantable cardioverter defibrillators and pacemakers: an Italian single-region study.

Aims: The remote monitoring of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) promotes accurate supervision of the patient and device. Alert settings appear to be a crucial parameter of its efficacy. The purpose of our study was to evaluate various settings for alerts and alert message management in patients with pacemakers and ICDs.

Hypertension in acute ischemic stroke: a compensatory mechanism or an additional damaging factor?

Background: In acute ischemic stroke, a transient blood pressure (BP) elevation is common, but the best management is still unknown. Therefore, we investigated retrospectively the relationship between BP after ischemic stroke and neurological outcome (evaluated by means of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at day 7).

Methods: The medical records of 92 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke, aged 47 to 96 years, were examined.