The Automated External Defibrillator: Heterogeneity of Legislation, Mapping and Use across Europe. New Insights from the ENSURE Study.

Introduction: The rapid use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) is crucial for increased survival after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Many factors could play a role in limiting the chance of an AED use. We aimed to verify the situation regarding AED legislation, the AED mapping system and first responders (FRs) equipped with an AED across European countries.

The automated external defibrillator, an underused simple life-saving device: a review of the literature. A joint document from the Italian Resuscitation Council (IRC) and Associazione Italiana di Aritmologia e Cardiostimolazione (AIAC).

: The role of early defibrillation has been well established as a pivotal ring of the chain of survival since the nineties. In the following years, the scientific evidences about the beneficial role of early defibrillation have grown, and most of all, it has been demonstrated that the main determinant of survival is the time of defibrillation more than the type of rescuer. Early lay defibrillation was shown to be more effective than delayed defibrillation by healthcare providers.

Dual antiplatelet therapy prolongation in high-risk patients with prior myocardial infarction: insights from the post-PCI registry.

Background: Patients surviving a myocardial infarction (MI) are at a heightened risk for recurrent ischemic events that can be reduced with the long-term addition of a second antithrombotic drug to aspirin. However, data about real prescription of this therapy are lacking and sometimes controversial.

Methods: We aimed to describe the incidence and the determinants of a dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) prolongation beyond 12 months in a cohort of consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with prior MI undergoing PCI and features of high ischemic risk intended as age more than 65 years, second MI, type 2 diabetes mellitus, multivessel coronary artery disease (MVCAD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Follow-up strategies and individual risk profile after percutaneous coronary intervention: The prospective post percutaneous coronary intervention registry.

Background: A multidisciplinary consensus document (MCD) provided a follow-up strategy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) based on individual risk profiles: A, high; B, intermediate; and C, low.

Aim: To assess patterns of follow-up after PCI and to evaluate the potential reduction of cardiologic examinations with the application of the MCD.

Methods: The post-PCI registry was carried out at 31 Italian Hospitals and included consecutive patients undergoing PCI.

The paradox of clopidogrel use in patients with acute coronary syndromes and diabetes: insight from the Diabetes and Acute Coronary Syndrome Registry.

Background: Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and acute coronary syndromes have a greater level of platelet aggregation and a poor response to oral antiplatelet drugs. Clopidogrel is still widely used in clinical practice, despite the current evidence favoring ticagrelor and prasugrel.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the determinants of clopidogrel use in the population of the multicenter prospective 'Acute Coronary Syndrome and Diabetes Registry' carried out during a 9-week period between March and May 2015 at 29 Hospitals.

ANMCO/SIT Consensus Document: telemedicine for cardiovascular emergency networks.

Telemedicine has deeply innovated the field of emergency cardiology, particularly the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. The ability to record an ECG in the early prehospital phase, thus avoiding any delay in diagnosing myocardial infarction with direct transfer to the cath-lab for primary angioplasty, has proven to significantly reduce treatment times and mortality. This consensus document aims to analyse the available evidence and organizational models based on a support by telemedicine, focusing on technical requirements, education, and legal aspects.

Management of diabetic patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndromes: a prospective multicenter registry.

Background: Patients with diabetes mellitus and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) present an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events. An Italian Consensus Document indicated 'three specific must' to obtain in this subgroup of patients: optimal oral antiplatelet therapy, early invasive approach and a tailored strategy of revascularization for unstable angina/non-ST-elevation-myocardial infarction (UA/NSTEMI); furthermore, glycemia at admission should be managed with dedicated protocols.

Aim: To investigate if previous recommendations are followed, the present multicenter prospective observational registry was carried out in Lombardia during a 9-week period between March and May 2015.

[ANMCO/SIT Consensus document: Telemedicine and the emergency/urgency care network].

Telemedicine has deeply innovated the field of emergency cardiology, particularly the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. The ability to record an ECG in the early prehospital phase, thus avoiding any delay in diagnosing myocardial infarction with direct transfer to the cath-lab for primary angioplasty, has proven to significantly reduce treatment times and mortality. This consensus document aims to analyze the available evidence and organizational models based on a support by telemedicine, focusing on technical requirements, education and legal aspects.

Mortality in primary angioplasty patients starting antiplatelet therapy with prehospital prasugrel or clopidogrel: a 1-year follow-up from the European MULTIPRAC Registry.

Aim: MULTIPRAC was designed to provide insights into the use and outcomes associated with prehospital initiation of antiplatelet therapy with either prasugrel or clopidogrel in the context of primary percutaneous coronary intervention. After a previous report on efficacy and safety outcomes during hospitalization, we report here the 1-year follow-up data, including cardiovascular (CV) mortality.

Methods And Results: MULTIPRAC is a multinational, prospective registry of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) from 25 hospitals in nine countries, all of which had an established practice of prehospital start of dual antiplatelet therapy in place.

[Implementation of post-resuscitation care in adult cardiac arrest patients - Experts' opinion].

Current evidence on post-resuscitation care suffers from important knowledge gaps on new treatments and prognostication, mainly because of the lack of large multicenter randomized trials. However, optimization of post-resuscitation care is crucial, and the establishment of a treatment easy to be accepted and implemented locally, based on currently available evidence, is advisable. The present article is a multisociety experts' opinion on post-cardiac arrest that aims (i) to provide schematic and clear suggestions on therapeutic interventions to be delivered following resuscitation from cardiac arrest, so as to implement local protocols with a standardized post-resuscitation care; (ii) to suggest post-resuscitation therapeutic interventions that may result in improved survival with good neurological recovery, intended as a Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) score of 1-2; and finally (iii) to propose a pragmatic and schematic approach to post-resuscitation care for rapid initiation of intensive treatments (i.

Amplitude spectrum area to guide defibrillation: a validation on 1617 patients with ventricular fibrillation.

Background: This study sought to validate the ability of amplitude spectrum area (AMSA) to predict defibrillation success and long-term survival in a large population of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

Methods And Results: ECGs recorded by automated external defibrillators from different manufacturers were obtained from patients with cardiac arrests occurring in 8 city areas. A database, including 2447 defibrillations from 1050 patients, was used as the derivation group, and an additional database, including 1381 defibrillations from 567 patients, served as validation.

MULTInational non-interventional study of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with PRimary Angioplasty and Concomitant use of upstream antiplatelet therapy with prasugrel or clopidogrel--the European MULTIPRAC Registry.

Aims: Early initiation of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is guideline-recommended. MULTIPRAC was conducted to gain insights into the use patterns and outcomes of pre-hospital DAPT initiation with prasugrel or clopidogrel.

Methods And Results: MULTIPRAC is a multinational, multicentre, prospective registry enrolling 2053 ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients.

[Multidisciplinary management of patients with acute coronary syndrome and diabetes mellitus: from antithrombotic therapy to treatment of hyperglycemia].

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and acute coronary syndromes (ACS) present a significantly higher risk of developing ischemic complications as compared to nondiabetic patients. Multiple mechanisms contribute to DM patients' enhanced prothrombotic status, including impaired fibrinolysis and coagulation, as well as endothelial and platelet dysfunction. Therefore, antithrombotic agents generally, and antiplatelet agents in particular, represent a logical secondary preventive strategy to reduce the risk of recurrent ischemic events in DM patients with ACS.

Mortality and ST resolution in patients admitted with STEMI: the MOMI survey of emergency service experience in a complex urban area.

Background: Since 2001, the urban area of Milan has been operating a network among 23 cardiac care units, the 118 dispatch centre (national free number for medical emergencies), and the county government health agency called Group for Prehospital Cardiac Emergency.

Methods And Results: In order to monitor the network activity, time to treatment, and clinical outcome, a periodic survey, called MOMI(2), was repeated two or three times a year. Each survey lasted 30 days and was repeated in comparable periods.

[Cardiac arrest management: any news? When the literature does not meet clinical practice].

The percentage of patients transported alive to hospital after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has increased in recent years thanks to growing population education. In 2010 the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) has published new guidelines for the management of cardiac arrest. These guidelines present several new features, but cardiac compression remains the mainstay of optimal cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Cardiac deatH prevention by aUtomated defibrillatoRs in ChurcHes: rationale and design of the CHURCH trial.

Early defibrillation programs by the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) located in high-attendance public places may improve survival and neurologic outcome of patients undergoing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). We planned a prospective cohort study to assess the effectiveness of a public-access defibrillation program based on positioning of AEDs in churches and training of lay volunteers in Basic Life Support Defibrillation during a single-day 5-hour training session. The CHURCH project aims to promote a widespread diffusion of AEDs, to train a large number of lay volunteers in Basic Life Support Defibrillation, and to increase population awareness on the opportunities for sudden death prevention.

[Cardiological emergency network in Lombardy].

Aims: To achieve a reduction of time to reperfusion through the organization of an interhospital network and the involvement of the Regional Health Authority.

Methods: Four major endpoints were identified: institutional governance action, clinical management of acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), priority actions for cardiac arrest and early defibrillation, actions to avoid the delay related to decision-making, and logistic factors. Since 2001 in the urban area of Milan a network has been operating among 23 coronary care units, the 118 Dispatch Center (national free number for medical emergencies) and the Health Country Government Agency named Group for Prehospital Cardiac Emergency.

Localized hypersensitivity and late coronary thrombosis secondary to a sirolimus-eluting stent: should we be cautious?

Background: The US Food and Drug Administration recently issued a warning of subacute thrombosis and hypersensitivity reactions to sirolimus-eluting stents (Cypher). The cause and incidence of these events have not been determined.

Methods And Results: We present findings of a 58-year-old man who died of late stent thrombosis 18 months after receiving 2 Cypher stents for unstable angina.