Impact of Underdosing of Direct Oral Anticoagulants on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Underdoses of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are sometimes prescribed due to bleeding risk concerns in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated the prevalence of DOAC underdosing and its impact on clinical outcomes in AF patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods And Results: This multicenter observational cohort study enrolled patients with AF on DOAC undergoing PCI between January 2015 and March 2021 at 15 institutions across Japan.

Prosthetic valve infective endocarditis caused by : a case report.

Background: While is well known for its potential to cause acne vulgaris, postsurgical infections, and other human infections, few reports have described infections. Thus, the clinical characteristics of as an infectious disease are not well understood. Herein, we describe the characteristics of a case of prosthetic valve infective endocarditis caused by .

Prognosis of anemic patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: There are limited data regarding whether anemia is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: Patients with AF undergoing PCI at 15 institutions between January 2015 and March 2021 were included in this analysis. Based on the baseline hemoglobin levels, moderate to severe anemia was defined as hemoglobin levels <11 g/dL, and mild anemia was defined as hemoglobin levels 11-12.

Dual antithrombotic therapy with oral anticoagulant and P2Y12 inhibitors in patients with atrial fibrillation after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: The efficacy and safety of dual antithrombotic therapy (DAT) with oral anticoagulant and P2Y12 inhibitors (P2Y12i) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have not been well investigated. The purpose of this study was first to evaluate clinical outcomes of DAT with P2Y12i compared with triple antithrombotic therapy (TAT), and then to compare DAT with low-dose prasugrel and DAT with clopidogrel, in patients with AF undergoing PCI.

Methods: This study was a multicenter, non-interventional, prospective and retrospective registry.

Proximal Occlusion in the Right Coronary Artery Involving the Atrial Branch as a Strong Predictor of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Although atrial ischemic damage is an atrial fibrillation (AF) risk factor, the impact of atrial branches' occlusion on AF development after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is unclear. Therefore, this study's purpose was to identify predictors of new-onset AF with regard to atrial branches' occlusion. We retrospectively analyzed the AMI database at our single center.

Ubiquitous atherosclerosis in coronary arteries without angiographically significant stenosis.

Previous intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) studies have shown coronary artery atherosclerosis even in angiographically normal reference segment. However, IVUS has not been performed in all of the three major coronary arteries. A total of 50 patients with single-vessel disease underwent IVUS evaluation in the proximal two-thirds of the three major coronary arteries.

Effect of balloon inflation time on expansion of sirolimus-eluting stent.

There is little information about the relationship between balloon inflation time and sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) expansion. In this randomized intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) study, 92 de novo lesions in native coronary arteries that underwent SES implantation were enrolled. Sirolimus-eluting stent was implanted using an inflation pressure of 14 atm.

Safety and efficacy of low-dose clopidogrel in Japanese patients undergoing coronary stenting: preliminary 30-day clinical outcome.

Background: A lower maintenance dose of clopidogrel may be appropriate in Japanese patients because the maintenance dose of ticlopidine is lower in Japan than that used in the United States.

Methods And Results: A total of 126 patients with 153 lesions who consented to take 50-mg clopidogrel to prevent stent thrombosis were enrolled. There was 1 case of early stent thrombosis (0.

Incidence of premature discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation.

Background: Antiplatelet therapy in patients with sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) may be stopped because of bleeding or an invasive procedure.

Methods And Results: In 254 patients with SES, the incidence of discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy and subsequent adverse cardiac events was evaluated. Follow-up was complete for 97.

Active myocarditis in a patient with chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (CAEBV) infection is characterized by chronic or recurrent infectious mononucleosis-like symptoms and the prognosis of CAEBV infection is quite poor. The incidence of myocarditis as a complication of EBV infection is not so high and it is unusual that heart failure appears as the initial symptom. However, it is very important to detect and treat chronic active myocarditis in the early phase of CAEBV infection because chronic active myocarditis disorganizes and decreases cardiomyocytes, resulting in the progression to heart failure.

Impact of drug-eluting stents on clinical and angiographic outcomes in dialysis patients.

Background: It remains unclear whether sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) have an advantage over bare metal stents (BMS) in patients on dialysis.

Methods And Results: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using SES was performed in 54 dialysis patients with 69 lesions. A control group for comparison comprised 54 consecutive dialysis patients with 58 lesions who underwent PCI using BMS.

Effect of plaque volume on subsequent vessel remodeling at edges of sirolimus-eluting stents.

Serial (baseline and 9-month follow-up) intravascular ultrasound analysis was performed at 5-mm reference segments immediately proximal and distal to the sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) in 33 lesions. Proximal and distal reference segments were divided into 1-mm subsegments. Between postintervention and follow-up intravascular ultrasound studies, there were significant decreases in the lumen and increases in plaque & media areas in the subsegment closest to the distal edge, with no change in external elastic membrane area.