Organization and Activity of Italian Echocardiographic Laboratories: A Survey of the Italian Society of Echocardiography and Cardiovascular Imaging.

Background: The Italian Society of Echocardiography and Cardiovascular Imaging (SIECVI) conducted a national survey to understand better how different echocardiographic modalities are used and accessed in Italy.

Methods: We analyzed echocardiography laboratory activities over a month (November 2022). Data were retrieved via an electronic survey based on a structured questionnaire, uploaded on the SIECVI website.

QTc Interval Prolongation and Life-Threatening Arrhythmias During Hospitalization in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Results From a Multicenter Prospective Registry.

Background: Prolonged QTc intervals and life-threatening arrhythmias (LTA) are potential drug-induced complications previously reported with antimalarials, antivirals, and antibiotics. Our objective was to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of QTc interval prolongation and incidences of LTA during hospitalization for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among patients with normal admission QTc.

Methods: We enrolled 110 consecutive patients in a multicenter international registry.

"Lambda-wave" ST-elevation is associated with severe prognosis in stress (takotsubo) cardiomyopathy.

Background: Persistent ST-segment elevation in acute coronary syndrome is associated with both short and long-term complications. By contrast, there is limited information about ST-elevation and its evolution during takotsubo (stress) cardiomyopathy (TTC).

Aim: To evaluate whether persistent downsloping ST-elevation in the early stages of TTC might correlate with short and long-term clinical events.

Predictive value of very low frequency at spectral analysis among patients with unexplained syncope assessed by head-up tilt testing.

Background: The role of heart rate variability (HRV) in the prediction of vasovagal syncope during head-up tilt testing (HUTt) is unclear.

Aim: To evaluate the ability of the spectral components of HRV at rest to predict vasovagal syncope among patients with unexplained syncope referred for HUTt.

Methods: Twenty-six consecutive patients with unexplained syncope were enrolled in the study.

Dynamic changes of QTc interval and prognostic significance in takotsubo (stress) cardiomyopathy.

Background: Prolonged QT corrected (QTc) intervals are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes both in healthy and high-risk populations. Our objective was to evaluate the QTc intervals during a takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) episodes and their potential prognostic role.

Hypothesis: Dynamic changes of QTc interval during hospitalization for TTC could be associated with outcome at follow-up.

Relation between calcium burden, echocardiographic stent frame eccentricity and paravalvular leakage after corevalve transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Aims: Paravalvular aortic leakage (PVL) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a complication with potentially severe consequences. The relation between native aortic root calcium burden, stent frame eccentricity and PVL was not studied before.

Methods And Results: Two-hundred-and-twenty-three consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent TAVI with a Medtronic CoreValve System© and who had available pre-discharge transthoracic echocardiography were studied.

Quantitative Doppler for Estimation of Paravalvular Leakage after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Background: The echocardiographic grading of paravalvular aortic leakage (PVL) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) severity is challenging. The study aim was to assess the value of quantitative Doppler echocardiography to monitor PVL severity.

Methods: A total of 100 subjects was enrolled in the study, including 65 consecutive patients who had undergone TAVI with a CoreValve prosthesis and without valvular aortic regurgitation, and 35 normal controls.

Limitations and difficulties of echocardiographic short-axis assessment of paravalvular leakage after corevalve transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

To make assessment of paravalvular aortic leakage (PVL) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) more uniform the second Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC) recently updated the echocardiographic criteria for mild, moderate and severe PVL. In the VARC recommendation the assessment of the circumferential extent of PVL in the short-axis view is considered critical. In this paper we will discuss our observational data on the limitations and difficulties of this particular view, that may potentially result in overestimation or underestimation of PVL severity.

Importance of the left ventricular outflow tract in the need for pacemaker implantation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Background: The interaction of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) and transcatheter heart valve (THV) is complex and may be device design specific. We sought to study LVOT characteristics and its relation with permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Methods: We studied 302 patients with a median age of 81years [75-84].

Prediction of paravalvular leakage after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Significant paravalvular leakage (PVL) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is related to patient mortality. Predicting the development of PVL has focused on computed tomography (CT) derived variables but literature targeting CoreValve devices is limited, controversial, and did not make use of standardized echocardiographic methods. The study included 164 consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis that underwent TAVI with a Medtronic CoreValve system©, with available pre-TAVI CT and pre-discharge transthoracic echocardiography.

Left ventricular rupture in an anterior wall acute myocardial infarction with severe intra-ventricular gradient.

We report the case of a 72-year-old man with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction and severe intra-ventricular gradient (>40 mmHg), who died with left ventricular rupture (LVR). We postulate that severe intra-ventricular gradient detectable at admission may be related to subsequent LVR and proposed as a risk factor for LVR.