Feasibility of Transradial Access for Coronary Interventions Via Percutaneous Angioplasty of the Radial Artery in Cases of Functional Radial Occlusion.

Aims: Transradial access (TRA) has become a standard approach for cardiac catheterization. However, an obstacle to TRA is the risk of radial artery occlusion (RAO) after radial access in about 5%-10% of patients. We analyzed the safety and efficacy of getting vascular access after RAO by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in cases of chronic radial occlusion.

Coronary computed tomography angiography and endocardial leads - Image quality in 320-row CT using iterative reconstruction.

Purpose: To investigate whether the presence of endocardial leads has an impact on image quality in coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), when current technique is employed using a 320-row computed tomography and iterative reconstruction.

Materials And Methods: CCTA was performed in 1641 patients, from these we identified 51 patients (study group) with endocardial leads and 51 matched partners (control group) without endocardial leads. Noise was determined in the ascending aorta and the left ventricle; signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were determined in the left and right coronary artery.

Assessment of Systemic Adenosine Effect Using Color Doppler Ultrasound of the Splenic Artery-Feasibility and Potential Clinical Utility for Coronary Interventions.

Adenosine induces coronary vasodilation and simultaneously reduces splanchnic perfusion. This effect can be absent in adenosine non-responders. Imaging of splanchnic arteries under adenosine assessing this effect has not been performed in humans previously.

Deactivation vs. asynchronous pacing - prospective evaluation of a protocol for rhythm management in patients with magnetic resonance conditional pacemakers undergoing adenosine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) imaging with adenosine stress is an important diagnostic tool in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the method is not yet established for CAD patients with pacemakers (PM) in clinical practice. A possible reason is that no recommendations exist for PM setting (paused pacing or asynchronous mode) during adenosine stress.

Safety and efficacy of clip-based vs. suture mediated vascular closure for femoral access hemostasis: A prospective randomized single center study comparing the StarClose and the ProGlide device.

Objectives: This study is the first head-to-head analysis of StarClose vs. ProGlide in patients undergoing 5F or 6F percutaneous coronary catheterization or peripheral artery interventions.

Background: The clip based StarClose and the suture mediated ProGlide vascular closure device are well established for femoral hemostasis in endovascular therapy.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance in patients with magnetic resonance conditional pacemaker systems at 1.5 T: influence of pacemaker related artifacts on image quality including first pass perfusion, aortic and mitral valve assessment, flow measurement, short tau inversion recovery and T1-weighted imaging.

There are only limited data on the impact of device-related artifacts on image quality in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in patients with pacemakers (PM). Adenosine stress perfusion, T1-weighted imaging and flow measurement as well as valve characterization have not been evaluated previously concerning artifact burden. We aimed to assess image quality in all routinely used CMR sequences.

Total atrial conduction time to predict occult atrial fibrillation after cryptogenic stroke.

Background: Insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) increases the detection rate of occult atrial fibrillation (AF) after cryptogenic stroke. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of total atrial conduction time (TACT) assessed by tissue Doppler imaging (PA-TDI interval) to predict AF presence in patients with cryptogenic stroke.

Methods: Ninety patients (57.

A novel cross-sector telemedical approach to detect arrhythmia in primary care patients with palpitations using a patient-activated event recorder.

Background: Patient-activated event recorders (ER) can facilitate diagnosis in unclear palpi-tations, however impact of ER screening on further treatment in clinical routine is unknown. We investigated the feasibility and clinical value of a network-based telemetric monitoring using a patient activated ER.

Methods: The network consisted of 12 general practitioners (GP) and a department of car-diology (DC).

Feasibility and safety of adenosine cardiovascular magnetic resonance in patients with MR conditional pacemaker systems at 1.5 Tesla.

Background: Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) with adenosine stress is a valuable diagnostic tool in coronary artery disease (CAD). However, despite the development of MR conditional pacemakers CMR is not yet established in clinical routine for pacemaker patients with known or suspected CAD. A possible reason is that adenosine stress perfusion for ischemia detection in CMR has not been studied in patients with cardiac conduction disease requiring pacemaker therapy.

Safety and effectiveness of a novel vascular closure device: a prospective study of the ExoSeal compared to the Angio-Seal and ProGlide.

Purpose: To prospectively assess the safety and efficacy of a novel absorbable vascular closure device (ExoSeal) in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization with femoral access compared to the established collagen-based (Angio-Seal) and suture-mediated (ProGlide) closure devices.

Methods: This prospective, observational, dual-center, non-randomized, non-blinded study enrolled 1013 patients (65.1 ± 11.