Cause and preventability of in-hospital mortality after PCI: A statewide root-cause analysis of 1,163 deaths.

Background: Mortality is the most devastating complication of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Identifying the most common causes and mechanisms of death after PCI in contemporary practice is an important step in further reducing periprocedural mortality.

Objectives: To systematically analyze the cause and circumstances of in-hospital mortality in a large, multi-center, statewide cohort.

Gas in the myocardium: a fatal presentation of : a case report.

Background: is a well-known cause of gas gangrene with a very high mortality rate. Multiple cases of internal organs have been reported in the literature; however, non-traumatic spontaneous gas gangrene due to with solely cardiac involvement in a patient without any risk factors has not been reported before.

Case Summary: A 52-year-old male presented to the emergency department with chest pain and exertional dyspnoea for three days.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Can We Compare Direct Oral Anticoagulants to Warfarin in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Bio-Prosthetic Valves?

Background There are no clear consensus guidelines on the indications and types of anticoagulation therapies in patients with bio-prosthetic valves either with concomitant atrial fibrillation (AF) or sinus rhythm. In our meta-analysis, we assessed the safety and efficacy of DOACs as compared to the standard treatment with warfarin in patients with AF and bioprosthetic valves. Methods We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies in the English language, and studies reporting patients with valvular heart disease that included bioprosthetic valvular disease.

Inspiratory Muscle Training in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Meta-Analysis.

Objectives To explore the role of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in improving cardiorespiratory fitness of stable heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients. Background There is a paucity of data on the role of IMT in patients with HFpEF. HFpEF is a growing problem in the developed world, especially in the aging population.

A Giant Right-Heart Thrombus-in-Transit in a Patient with COVID-19 Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread to more than 200 countries across the world. Studies have shown that patients with COVID-19 are prone to thrombotic disease resulting in increased mortality. We present a case of COVID-19 pneumonia in a warehouse worker with a giant thrombus-in-transit involving the right ventricle and tricuspid valve.

A case report of absolute thrombocytopenia with ticagrelor.

Background: We report a rare case of absolute thrombocytopenia with ticagrelor after 6 h of single loading dose of ticagrelor.

Case Summary: A 68-year-old male with ischaemic cardiomyopathy, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia presented with chest pain. He was found to be in new-onset atrial flutter and ruled in for a non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Versus Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients with Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction.

Purpose: There is a paucity of comparative data examining the optimal revascularization strategy in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVD).

Methods: We performed an aggregate data meta-analysis of clinical outcomes comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus coronary artery bypass (CABG) in patients with LVD (left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) of ≤ 40%), using the random effects model. Effects size is reported as odds ratio (OR) and a 95% confidence interval.

Coronary artery occlusion following low-power catheter ablation.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is an unusual but potentially serious complication of catheter ablation procedures. This case describes the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction following low-power ablation in a young patient and highlights the importance of maintaining high index of suspicion following catheter ablation irrespective of the ablation power used. A 22-year-old patient had low-power ablation of the right posteroseptal accessory pathway in the ostium of the coronary sinus on account of persistently symptomatic WPW syndrome with orthodromic re-entrant tachycardia.

Enhancing quality of care for acute myocardial infarction: shifting the focus of improvement from key indicators to process of care and tool use: the American College of Cardiology Acute Myocardial Infarction Guidelines Applied in Practice Project in Michigan: Flint and Saginaw Expansion.

Objectives: This project evaluated if by focusing on process changes and tool use rather than key indicator rates, the use of evidence-based therapies in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) would increase.

Background: The use of tools designed to improve quality of care in the American College of Cardiology AMI Guidelines Applied in Practice Pilot Project resulted in improved adherence to evidence-based therapies for patients, but overall, tool use was modest.

Methods: The current project, implemented in five hospitals, was modeled after the previous project, but with greater emphasis on tool use.

Open-label, sequential comparison of eptifibatide with abciximab for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists reduce complications following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). There are limited data comparing different agents.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare in-hospital and 30-day outcomes in 2 sequential cohorts of consecutive patients undergoing PCI at our institution who received abciximab or eptifibatide.