Efficacy and safety of ventricular tachycardia ablation with mechanical circulatory support compared with substrate-based ablation techniques.

Aims: Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) can be limited by haemodynamic instability. In these cases, substrate-based ablation is typically performed. An alternative is to perform activation and entrainment mapping during VT supported by a percutaneous left ventricular assist device (pVAD).

Real-world safety and efficacy of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors during percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Large randomized clinical trials have demonstrated differences in the efficacy and safety of glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors, but little has been published regarding comparisons of these agents in a "real-world" setting.

Purpose: This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors in a large population of patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) during a 5-year period.

Methods: Patients undergoing PCI from 2000 through 2004 were eligible for inclusion if they received any single GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor.

Left ventricular assist device malfunction: a systematic approach to diagnosis.

Objectives: A protocol was designed to diagnose the common malfunctions of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD).

Background: Mechanical circulatory support, primarily with an LVAD, is increasingly used for treatment of advanced heart failure (HF). Left ventricular assist device dysfunction is a recognized complication; but heretofore, a systematic method to accurately diagnose LVAD dysfunction has not been thoroughly described.