Impact of hospital lead extraction volume on management of cardiac implantable electronic device-associated infective endocarditis.

Aims: Utilization of transvenous lead extraction/removal (TLE) for the management of cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED)-associated infective endocarditis (IE) remains low. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of hospital TLE procedural volume on TLE utilization and outcomes for patients with CIED-associated IE.

Methods And Results: Using the Nationwide Readmissions Database, we evaluated 21 545 admissions for patients (mean age 70 years, 39% female) with CIEDs hospitalized with IE at TLE centres.

Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs: FDA Experience, Views, and Operations.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has defined narrow therapeutic index (NTI) drugs as "those drugs where small differences in dose or blood concentration may lead to serious therapeutic failures and/or adverse drug reactions that are life-threatening or result in persistent or significant disability or incapacity.

Novel insights into the phenotypic spectrum and pathogenesis of Hardikar syndrome.

Purpose: Hardikar syndrome (HS, MIM #301068) is a female-specific multiple congenital anomaly syndrome characterized by retinopathy, orofacial clefting, aortic coarctation, biliary dysgenesis, genitourinary malformations, and intestinal malrotation. We previously showed that heterozygous nonsense and frameshift variants in MED12 cause HS. The phenotypic spectrum of disease and the mechanism by which MED12 variants cause disease is unknown.

Predictors of Shock-Reduction Programming and Its Impact on Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Therapies and Mortality: The CERTITUDE Registry.

Background: Shock-reduction implantable cardioverter-defibrillator programming (SRP) was associated with fewer therapies and improved survival in randomized controlled trials, but real-world studies investigating SRP and associated outcomes are limited.

Methods And Results: The BIOTRONIK CERTITUDE registry was linked with the Medicare database. We included all patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implanted between August 22, 2012 and September 30, 2021 in the United States.

A national survey of children's experiences and needs when attending Canadian pediatric emergency departments.

Background: Optimizing a child's emergency department (ED) experience positively impacts their memories and future healthcare interactions. Our objectives were to describe children's perspectives of their needs and experiences during their ED visit and relate this to their understanding of their condition.

Methods: 514 children, aged 7-17 years, and their caregivers presenting to 10 Canadian pediatric EDs completed a descriptive cross-sectional survey from 2018-2020.

Patterns of recurrence after radiotherapy for high-risk neuroblastoma: Implications for radiation dose and field.

Background: Prognosis for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NBL) is guarded despite aggressive therapy, and few studies have characterized outcomes after radiotherapy in relation to radiation treatment fields.

Methods: Multi-institutional retrospective cohort of 293 patients with HR-NBL who received autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) and EBRT between 1997-2021. LRR was defined as recurrence at the primary site or within one nodal echelon beyond disease present at diagnosis.

Maternal lifetime stress and psychological functioning in pregnancy is associated with preschoolers' temperament: Exploring effect modification by race and ethnicity.

Background: Psychosocial stress and psychopathology frequently co-occur, with patterns differing by race and ethnicity. We used statistical mixtures methodology to examine associations between prenatal stress and child temperament in N = 382 racially and ethnically diverse maternal-child dyads to disentangle associations among maternal stressful life events, maternal psychological functioning in pregnancy, childhood neurobehavior, and maternal race and ethnicity.

Methods: This study utilized data from a longitudinal pregnancy cohort, PRogramming of Intergenerational Stress Mechanisms (PRISM).

Rates of pulmonary vein reconnection at repeat ablation for recurrent atrial fibrillation and its impact on outcomes among females and males.

Background: Several studies have demonstrated that females have a higher risk of arrhythmia recurrence after pulmonary vein (PV) isolation for atrial fibrillation (AF). There are limited data on sex-based differences in PV reconnection rates at repeat ablation. We aimed to investigate sex-based differences in electrophysiological findings and atrial arrhythmia recurrence after repeat AF ablation METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 161 consecutive patients (32% female, age 65 ± 10 years) who underwent repeat AF ablation after index PV isolation between 2010 and 2022.

An Adolescent Boy With Hypoxia, Microscopic Hematuria, and Hypertension.

A 13-year-old boy presented with hypoxia, microscopic hematuria, and elevated blood pressures. Persistent microscopic hematuria and hypertension led to investigation of glomerular and non-glomerular causes of hematuria. After reviewing his clinical course, family history, and laboratory testing, an additional test was sent, revealing the diagnosis.

The inverse problem for cardiac arrhythmias.

A cardiac arrhythmia is an abnormality in the rate or rhythm of the heart beat. We study a type of arrhythmia called a premature ventricular complex (PVC), which is typically benign, but in rare cases can lead to more serious arrhythmias or heart failure. There are three known mechanisms for PVCs: reentry, an ectopic focus, and triggered activity.

Ventricular Tachycardia Due to Triggered Activity: Role of Early and Delayed Afterdepolarizations.

Most forms of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) are caused by re-entry, resulting from altered myocardial conduction and refractoriness secondary to underlying structural heart disease. In contrast, VT caused by triggered activity (TA) is unrelated to an abnormal structural substrate and is often caused by molecular defects affecting ion channel function or regulation of intracellular calcium cycling. This review summarizes the cellular and molecular bases underlying TA and exemplifies their clinical relevance with selective representative scenarios.

Localized Re-Entry Is a Frequent Mechanism of De Novo Atypical Flutter.

Background: Limited data exist about the origins and mechanisms of atypical atrial flutter that occurs in the absence of prior ablation or surgery.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to report a large cohort of patients who presented for catheter ablation of de novo atypical flutters, to identify the most common locations and mechanisms of arrhythmia, and to describe outcomes after ablation.

Methods: Demographic, electrophysiological, and outcome data were collected for patients who underwent ablation of de novo atypical flutter.

A survey of caregiver preferences regarding research participation in the paediatric emergency department.

Objectives: Emergency department (ED) visits can be stressful for families and can affect caregiver willingness to consent to participating in research. Our objective was to describe when and how caregivers wish to be informed about clinical research during their child's ED visit.

Methods: An electronic survey was performed for families presenting to 10 Canadian paediatric EDs.

Personalized medicine in the dish to prevent calcium leak associated with short-coupled polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in patient-derived cardiomyocytes.

Background: Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (PMVT) is a rare genetic disease associated with structurally normal hearts which in 8% of cases can lead to sudden cardiac death, typically exercise-induced. We previously showed a link between the RyR2-H29D mutation and a clinical phenotype of short-coupled PMVT at rest using patient-specific hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). In the present study, we evaluated the effects of clinical and experimental anti-arrhythmic drugs on the intracellular Ca handling, contractile and molecular properties in PMVT hiPSC-CMs in order to model a personalized medicine approach in vitro.

Prospective phenotyping of CHAMP1 disorder indicates that coding mutations may not act through haploinsufficiency.

CHAMP1 disorder is a genetic neurodevelopmental condition caused by mutations in the CHAMP1 gene that result in premature termination codons. The disorder is associated with intellectual disability, medical comorbidities, and dysmorphic features. Deletions of the CHAMP1 gene, as part of 13q34 deletion syndrome, have been briefly described with the suggestion of a milder clinical phenotype.

Reduction of left ventricular global longitudinal strain in patients with permanent pacemakers as a predictor of heart failure and mortality outcomes.

Introduction: Frequent right ventricular (RV) pacing is associated with cardiomyopathy. The impact of RV pacing on left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) and clinical outcomes is unclear.

Methods: We analyzed GLS via two-dimensional speckle tracking and LV ejection fraction (EF) on pre- and post-implantation transthoracic echocardiograms of patients undergoing dual chamber pacemaker implantation.

Early Stroke and Mortality After Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Percutaneous endocardial left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is an alternative therapy for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation who are poor candidates for oral anticoagulants. Oral anticoagulation is generally discontinued 45 days following successful LAAO. Real-world data on early stroke and mortality following LAAO are lacking.

Safety and Efficacy of a Novel Approach to Pulmonary Vein Isolation Using Prolonged Apneic Oxygenation.

Background: Improved ablation catheter-tissue contact results in more effective ablation lesions. Respiratory motion causes catheter instability, which impacts durable pulmonary vein isolation (PVI).

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a novel ablation strategy involving prolonged periods of apneic oxygenation during PVI.

Population-Level Prevalence of Rare Variants Associated With Atrial Fibrillation and its Impact on Patient Outcomes.

Background: Whole exome sequencing may identify rare pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (LPVs) that are linked to atrial fibrillation (AF). The impact of LPVs associated with AF on a population level on outcomes is unclear.

Objectives: This study sought to examine the association of LPVs with AF and their impact on clinical outcomes using the UK Biobank, a national repository of participants with available whole exome sequencing data.

Initial experience with stylet-driven versus lumenless lead delivery systems for left bundle branch area pacing.

Introduction: Left bundle branch area pacing (LBBP) has emerged as an alternative method for conduction system pacing. While initial experience with delivery systems for stylet-driven and lumenless lead implantation for LBBP has been described, data comparing outcomes of stylet-driven versus lumenless lead implantation for LBBP are limited. In this study, we compare success rates and outcomes of LBBP with stylet-driven versus lumenless lead delivery systems.

DDX3X Syndrome: Summary of Findings and Recommendations for Evaluation and Care.

DDX3X syndrome is a surprisingly common newly discovered genetic neurodevelopmental disorder associated with intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, language delays, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and medical comorbidities. Two hundred individuals with DDX3X syndrome have been described in the literature to date, with varied levels of detail. Individuals with DDX3X syndrome often have complex presentations including symptoms in the neurological, psychiatric/psychological, ophthalmologic, and gastrointestinal domains.