Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on emergency medical system and management strategies in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

The global coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is associated with reduced rate of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, there were a few data showing how emergency medical system (EMS) and management strategies for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) changed during the pandemic. We sought to clarify changes on characteristics, treatments, and in-hospital mortality of patients with ACS transported via EMS between pre- and post-pandemic.

Impact of catheter contact angle on lesion formation and durability of pulmonary vein isolation.

Purpose: This study is aimed to evaluate the impact of catheter contact angle on lesion formation and durability of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI).

Methods: Both in vitro experiment and retrospective observational study were conducted. For in vitro experiment, radiofrequency lesions were created on explanted swine hearts in three different catheter contact angles (0°, 45°, and 90°).

Impact of Frailty on Bleeding Events Related to Anticoagulation Therapy in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Although anticoagulation is the key treatment to prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), including elderly patients, anticoagulation is sometimes withheld for elderly people because of concerns about frailty. However, it remains unknown whether frailty increases bleeding events.

Methods and results: A total of 120 consecutive non-valvular AF patients admitted with symptoms of AF or congestive heart failure were included in this study.

Clinical outcomes of SeQuent Please paclitaxel-coated balloons for de novo small coronary artery lesion in a Japanese multicenter post-approval registry.

Objective: Drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty has emerged as an effective management strategy worldwide. In June 2016, DCB became available for the treatment of de novo small coronary lesions in Japan; however, there has been no multicenter analysis in a post-approval real-world clinical setting to date. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of DCB for de novo small coronary lesions based on a Japanese multicenter registry.

Very early great saphenous vein graft aneurysm treated by percutaneous coronary intervention under ChromaFlo imaging guidance.

A 73-year-old man, who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) 10 days prior, presented with a great saphenous vein graft aneurysm (SVGA). CT revealed the increasing size of the aneurysm. Since the SVGA occurred immediately after CABG and there were no other complications, the aneurysm was treated percutaneously.