Sex-based analysis of NSTEMI processes of care and outcomes by hospital: a nationwide cohort study.

Background: Contemporary studies demonstrate that non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) processes of care vary according to sex. Little is known regarding variation in practice between geographical areas and centres.

Methods: We identified 305 014 NSTEMI admissions in the United Kingdom (UK) Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP), 2010-17, including female sex (110 209).

Socioeconomic Status and Prognosis of Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Managed by the Emergency-Intervention "Codi IAM" Network.

Background: Despite the spread of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) emergency intervention networks, inequalities in healthcare access still have a negative impact on cardiovascular prognosis. The Family Income Ratio of Barcelona (FIRB) is a socioeconomic status (SES) indicator that is annually calculated. Our aim was to evaluate whether SES had an effect on mortality and complications in patients managed by the "Codi IAM" network in Barcelona.

Performing elective cardiac invasive procedures during the COVID-19 outbreak: a position statement from the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI).

The rearrangement of healthcare services required to face the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to a drastic reduction in elective cardiac invasive procedures. We are already facing a "second wave" of infections and we might be dealing during the next months with a "third wave" and subsequently new waves. Therefore, during the different waves of the COVID-19 pandemic we have to face the problems of how to perform elective cardiac invasive procedures in non-COVID patients and which patients/procedures should be prioritised.

Two-year outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents or bare-metal stents in elderly patients with coronary artery disease.

Objectives: Report the results at 2 years of the patients included in the SENIOR trial.

Background: Patients above 75 years of age represent a fast-growing population in the cathlab. In the SENIOR trial, patients treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug eluting stent (DES) and a short duration of P2Y12 inhibitor (1 and 6 months for stable and unstable coronary syndromes, respectively) compared with bare metal stents (BMS) was associated with a 29% reduction in the rate of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and ischaemia-driven target lesion revascularization (ID-TLR) at 1 year.

EAPCI Core Curriculum for Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (2020): Committee for Education and Training European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI). A branch of the European Society of Cardiology.

The proposed 2020 Core Curriculum for Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions aims to provide an updated European consensus that defines the level of experience and knowledge in the field of percutaneous cardiovascular intervention (PCI). It promotes homogenous education and training programmes among countries, and is the cornerstone of the new EAPCI certification, designed to support the recognition of competencies at the European level and the free movement of certified specialists in the European Community. It is based on a thorough review of the ESC guidelines and of the EAPCI textbook on percutaneous interventional cardiovascular medicine.

EAPCI Position Statement on Invasive Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses an unprecedented challenge to healthcare worldwide. The infection can be life threatening and require intensive care treatment. The transmission of the disease poses a risk to both patients and healthcare workers.

EAPCI Position Statement on Invasive Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses an unprecedented challenge to healthcare worldwide. The infection can be life threatening and require intensive care treatment. The transmission of the disease poses a risk to both patients and healthcare workers.

Drug-eluting stents in elderly patients with coronary artery disease (SENIOR): a randomised single-blind trial.

Background: Elderly patients regularly receive bare-metal stents (BMS) instead of drug-eluting stents (DES) to shorten the duration of double antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). The aim of this study was to compare outcomes between these two types of stents with a short duration of DAPT in such patients.

Methods: In this randomised single-blind trial, we recruited patients from 44 centres in nine countries.

A randomized multicenter trial comparing the XIENCE everolimus eluting stent with the CYPHER sirolimus eluting stent in the treatment of female patients with de novo coronary artery lesions: The SPIRIT WOMEN study.

Background: The comparative performance of different drug-eluting stents (DES) among female patients has not been assessed in a randomized manner.

Objectives: The SPIRIT Women Clinical Evaluation trial compared the durable polymer everolimus-eluting XIENCE stent (DP-EES) with the durable polymer sirolimus-eluting Cypher stent (DP-SES) in women undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: A total of 455 female patients with stable CAD were randomly assigned to receive DP-EES (n = 304) or DP-SES (n = 151).

Clinical impact of intravascular ultrasound guidance in drug-eluting stent implantation for unprotected left main coronary disease: pooled analysis at the patient-level of 4 registries.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the clinical impact of the use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) during revascularization of patients with left main coronary artery (LM) disease with drug-eluting stents (DES).

Background: Whether the use of IVUS during the procedure adds a clinical benefit remains unclear. There is only 1 previous observational study, with relevant limitations, supporting the value of this strategy.

Consensus document on the radial approach in percutaneous cardiovascular interventions: position paper by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions and Working Groups on Acute Cardiac Care** and Thrombosis of the European Society of Cardiology.

Radial access use has been growing steadily but, despite encouraging results, still varies greatly among operators, hospitals, countries and continents. Twenty years from its introduction, it was felt that the time had come to develop a common evidence-based view on the technical, clinical and organisational implications of using the radial approach for coronary angiography and interventions. The European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) has, therefore, appointed a core group of European and non-European experts, including pioneers of radial angioplasty and operators with different practices in vascular access supported by experts nominated by the Working Groups on Acute Cardiac Care and Thrombosis of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

HoliMAb: a holistic approach for Media-Adventitia border detection in intravascular ultrasound.

We present a fully automatic methodology for the detection of the Media-Adventitia border (MAb) in human coronary artery in Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) images. A robust border detection is achieved by means of a holistic interpretation of the detection problem where the target object, i.e.

Fusing in-vitro and in-vivo intravascular ultrasound data for plaque characterization.

Accurate detection of in-vivo vulnerable plaque in coronary arteries is still an open problem. Recent studies show that it is highly related to tissue structure and composition. Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) is a powerful imaging technique that gives a detailed cross-sectional image of the vessel, allowing to explore arteries morphology.

Fast rigid registration of vascular structures in IVUS sequences.

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) technology permits visualization of high-resolution images of internal vascular structures. IVUS is a unique image-guiding tool to display longitudinal view of the vessels, and estimate the length and size of vascular structures with the goal of accurate diagnosis. Unfortunately, due to pulsatile contraction and expansion of the heart, the captured images are affected by different motion artifacts that make visual inspection difficult.

Robust image-based IVUS pullbacks gating.

Intracoronary UltraSound (IVUS) imaging allows to obtain high resolution images of internal part of coronary arteries. This tool is unique in the possibility to explore internal vessel structures of the coronary wall, being a powerful tool for diagnosis. Since the coronary vessel is moving due to the periodical contraction and expansion of heart muscles, the acquired images present different artifacts.