Clinical utility of oesophageal temperature monitoring in AF ablation: An updated meta-analysis and review of literature.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation can lead to oesophageal thermal injuries (ETI). These are thought to be the precursor of the much rarer but frequently fatal atrio-oesophageal fistulas. Many centers performing AF ablation routinely use oesophageal temperature monitoring (ETM).

Digitalizing and Upgrading Severe Acute Respiratory Infections Surveillance in Malta: System Development.

Background: In late 2020, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and Epiconcept started implementing a surveillance system for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) across Europe.

Objective: We sought to describe the process of digitizing and upgrading SARI surveillance in Malta, an island country with a centralized health system, during the COVID-19 pandemic from February to November 2021. We described the characteristics of people included in the surveillance system and compared different SARI case definitions, including their advantages and disadvantages.

Post-mortem examination of high mortality in patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

Background: The prevalence of combined heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) is rising, and these patients suffer from high rates of mortality. This study aims to provide robust data on factors associated with death, uniquely supported by post-mortem examination.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of hospitalized adults with a clinical diagnosis of HF and AF at a tertiary centre in Romania between 2014 and 2017.

Diathermy-induced Ventricular Fibrillation.

Diathermy is extensively used in patients for intracardiac device implant and extraction. While diathermy helps with adequate hemostasis, it may rarely be associated with fatal dysrhythmias. We report a case of diathermy-induced ventricular fibrillation during device extraction.

Malta's only acute public hospital service during COVID-19: a diary of events from the first wave to transition phase.

Introduction: COVID-19 has challenged healthcare systems worldwide. Some countries collapsed under surge conditions, while others (such as Malta) showed resilience. Public health measures in Malta quickly reined in COVID-19 spread.

ESTABLISHING LOCAL AND NATIONAL DIAGNOSTIC AND INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY AND RADIOLOGY REFERENCE LEVELS IN A SMALL EUROPEAN STATE: THE CASE OF MALTA.

European Directive 2013/59/EURATOM requires the establishment and use of diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for diagnostic and interventional procedures. The purpose of this study was to establish local DRLs for a major tertiary public hospital. As the hospital is the only such hospital in Malta, the same data collected for setting local DRLs can also be used for setting national DRLs, making local DRLs de facto national DRLs.

A Rare Case of Acquired Transthoracic Littre's Hernia.

 The Littre hernia is a rare complication of Meckel's diverticulum. Meckel's diverticulum is vestigial remnant of the omphalomesenteric duct occurring in approximately 2% of the general population with an estimated 4 to 16% risk of complications. Usual sites of the Littre hernia include inguinal (50%), umbilical (20%), and femoral (20%).

Suppressive role exerted by microRNA-29b-1-5p in triple negative breast cancer through SPIN1 regulation.

MiR-29 family dysregulation occurs in various cancers including breast cancers. We investigated miR-29b-1 functional role in human triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) the most aggressive breast cancer subtype. We found that miR-29b-1-5p was downregulated in human TNBC tissues and cell lines.

A comparison between dual axis rotational coronary angiography and conventional coronary angiography.

Background: Coronary angiography remains the gold standard for the investigation of coronary artery disease, and is carried out in multiple, predefined stationary views, at different angulations around the patient, for both left and right coronary arteries. Dual axis rotational coronary angiography (DARA) is an alternative technique wherein the c-arm rotates around the patient in a preprogrammed single acquisition, exposing the entire coronary artery at different angulations. The DARA system has been recently installed in the Cardiac Catheterisation Suite at Mater Dei Hospital, Malta, where a monoplane and a biplane machine are available.