Intravenous Opioid Medication with Piritramide Reduces the Risk of Pneumothorax During CT-Guided Percutaneous Core Biopsy of the Lung.

Purpose: CT-guided percutaneous core biopsy of the lung is usually performed under local anesthesia, but can also be conducted under additional systemic opioid medication. The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess the effect of intravenous piritramide application on the pneumothorax rate and to identify risk factors for post-biopsy pneumothorax.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and seventy-one core biopsies of the lung were included in this retrospective single center study.

Association of Coronary Collaterals and Myocardial Salvage Measured by Serial Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging after Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Coronary collateral flow in angiography has been linked with lower mortality rates in patients with coronary artery disease. However, the relevance of the underlying mechanism is sparse. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), relevant coronary collateral flow is associated with more salvaged myocardium and lower risk of developing heart failure.

CT findings in "Post-Covid": residua from acute pneumonia or "Post-Covid-ILD"?

The aim of this study was to evaluate if CT findings in patients with pulmonary Post Covid syndrome represent residua after acute pneumonia or if SARS-CoV 2 induces a true ILD. Consecutive patients with status post acute Covid-19 pneumonia and persisting pulmonary symptoms were enrolled. Inclusion criteria were availability of at least one chest CT performed in the acute phase and at least one chest CT performed at least 80 days after symptom onset.

Left atrial strain parameters derived by echocardiography are impaired in patients with acute myocarditis and preserved systolic left ventricular function.

Purpose: Data derived by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) feature tracking suggest that not only left ventricular but also left atrial function is impaired in patients with acute myocarditis. Therefore, we investigated the diagnostic value of speckle tracking echocardiography of the left ventricle and left atrium in patients with acute myocarditis and normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Methods And Results: 30 patients with acute myocarditis confirmed by CMR according to the Lake Louise criteria and 20 healthy controls were analyzed including global longitudinal strain (GLS) and left atrial (LA) strain parameters.

Combined Model of Quantitative Evaluation of Chest Computed Tomography and Laboratory Values for Assessing the Prognosis of Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Purpose: To assess the prognostic power of quantitative analysis of chest CT, laboratory values, and their combination in COVID-19 pneumonia.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia and chest CT performed between March 07 and November 13, 2020. Volume and percentage (PO) of lung opacifications and mean HU of the whole lung were quantified using prototype software.

Sleep-Disordered Breathing Is Associated With Reduced Left Atrial Strain Measured by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients After Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Aims: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is known to cause left atrial (LA) remodeling. However, the relationship between SDB severity and LA dysfunction is insufficiently understood and may be elucidated by detailed feature tracking (FT) strain analysis of cardiac magnetic resonance images (CMR). After myocardial infarction (MI), both the left ventricle and atrium are subjected to increased stress which may be substantially worsened by concomitant SDB that could impair consequential healing.

Central Sleep Apnea Is Associated with an Abnormal P-Wave Terminal Force in Lead V in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction Independent from Ventricular Function.

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent in patients with cardiovascular disease. We have recently shown that an elevation of the electrocardiographic (ECG) parameter P wave terminal force in lead V (PTFV) is linked to atrial proarrhythmic activity by stimulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent pathways. Since SDB leads to increased ROS generation, we aimed to investigate the relationship between SDB-related hypoxia and PTFV in patients with first-time acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Cardiac MRI Based Left Ventricular Global Function Index: Association with Disease Severity in Patients with ICD for Secondary Prevention.

Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF) is the most widely used prognostic marker in cardiovascular diseases. LV global function index (LVGFI) is a novel marker which incorporates the total LV structure in the assessment of LV cardiac performance. We evaluated the prognostic significance of LVGFI, measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), in predicting mortality and ICD therapies in a real-world (ICD) population with secondary ICD prevention indication, to detect a high-risk group among these patients.

Abnormal P-wave terminal force in lead V is a marker for atrial electrical dysfunction but not structural remodelling.

Aims: There is a lack of diagnostic and therapeutic options for patients with atrial cardiomyopathy and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Interestingly, an abnormal P-wave terminal force in electrocardiogram lead V (PTFV ) has been associated with atrial cardiomyopathy, but this association is poorly understood. We investigated PTFV as a marker for functional, electrical, and structural atrial remodelling.

Severe COVID-19 pneumonia: Perfusion analysis in correlation with pulmonary embolism and vessel enlargement using dual-energy CT data.

Background: Gas exchange in COVID-19 pneumonia is impaired and vessel obstruction has been suspected to cause ventilation-perfusion mismatch. Dual-energy CT (DECT) can depict pulmonary perfusion by regional assessment of iodine uptake.

Objective: The purpose of this study was the analysis of pulmonary perfusion using dual-energy CT in a cohort of 27 consecutive patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

Patients with acute myocarditis and preserved systolic left ventricular function: comparison of global and regional longitudinal strain imaging by echocardiography with quantification of late gadolinium enhancement by CMR.

Background: Conventional transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) does often not accurately reveal pathologies in patients with acute myocarditis and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEEF). Therefore, we investigated the diagnostic value of two-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking echocardiography compared to late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in patients with acute myocarditis and normal global LVEF.

Methods And Results: 31 patients (group 1) with the diagnosis of acute myocarditis confirmed by CMR according to the Lake Louise criteria and 20 healthy controls (group 2) were analyzed including global longitudinal strain (GLS) and regional longitudinal strain (RLS) derived by the bull's eye plot.

CT Features of COVID-19 Pneumonia Differ Depending on the Severity and Duration of Disease.

Background: CT is important in the care of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. However, CT morphology can change significantly over the course of the disease. To evaluate the CT morphology of RT-PCR-proven COVID-19 pneumonia in a German cohort with special emphasis on identification of potential differences of CT features depending on duration and severity of disease.

Computed tomography characterization and outcome evaluation of COVID-19 pneumonia complicated by venous thromboembolism.

Background: COVID-19 is frequently complicated by venous thromboembolism (VTE). Computed tomography (CT) of the chest-primarily usually conducted as low-dose, non-contrast enhanced CT-plays an important role in the diagnosis and follow-up of COVID-19 pneumonia. Performed as contrast-enhanced CT pulmonary angiography, it can reliably detect or rule-out pulmonary embolism (PE).

Sharp margin and geographic shape: systematic evaluation of two novel CT features in COVID-19 pneumonia.

Objective: CT is important in the care of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. However, specificity might be poor in the absence of a clinical and epidemiological context. The goal of this work was to systematically evaluate two novel CT features (sharp margin and geographic shape) of COVID-19 pneumonia.

Can CT performed in the early disease phase predict outcome of patients with COVID 19 pneumonia? Analysis of a cohort of 64 patients from Germany.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate if CT performed in the early disease phase can predict the course of COVID-19 pneumonia in a German cohort.

Method: All patients with RT-PCR proven COVID-19 pneumonia and chest CT performed within 10 days of symptom onset between March 1st and April 15th 2020 were retrospectively identified from two tertiary care hospitals. 12 CT features, their distribution in the lung and the global extent of opacifications were evaluated.

Obstructive sleep apnoea but not central sleep apnoea is associated with left ventricular remodelling after acute myocardial infarction.

Obejctive: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) increases left ventricular transmural pressure more than central sleep apnoea (CSA) owing to negative intrathoracic pressure swings. We tested the hypothesis that the severity of OSA, and not CSA, is therefore associated with spheric cardiac remodelling after acute myocardial infarction.

Methods: This sub-analysis of a prospective observational study included 24 patients with acute myocardial infarction who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Incidence of early intra-cranial bleeding and ischaemia in adult veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation patients: a retrospective analysis of risk factors.

Background: Cerebral complications in veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are known to have a strong impact on mortality and morbidity. Aim of this study is to investigate the early incidence, risk factors and in-hospital mortality of intra-cranial ischaemia and haemorrhage in adults undergoing veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment.

Methods: This study is a single-centre retrospective analysis on adult patients undergoing veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for different indications.

The low acute effectiveness of a high-power short duration radiofrequency current application technique in pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation.

Background: Application of high power radiofrequency (RF) energy for a short duration (HPSD) to isolate pulmonary vein (PV) is an emerging technique. But power and duration settings are very different across different centers. Moreover, despite encouraging preclinical and clinical data, studies measuring acute effectiveness of various HPSD settings are limited.

High Predictive Value of Adenosine Provocation in Predicting Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence After Pulmonary Vein Isolation With Visually Guided Laser Balloon Compared With Radiofrequency Ablation.

Background: We recently demonstrated that the acute reconnection rate detected with adenosine provocation test (APT) was significantly lower after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with visually guided laser balloon ablation (VGLB) than with RF ablation (RF). We evaluated the recurrence rate of atrial arrhythmias at 12 months after VGLB vs. RF and the significance of APT results for the outcome.

A RAndomized Trial to compare the acute reconnection after pulmonary vein ISolation with Laser-BalloON versus radiofrequency Ablation: RATISBONA trial.

Introduction: Dormant conduction and acute reconnection in the pulmonary veins (PV) during a PV isolation can be detected by performing an adenosine provocation test (APT). Visually guided laser balloon ablation (VGLB) creates deep transmural lesions, thus causing less acute reconnection. This study compared the acute PV reconnection rate after isolation with VGLB or with RF using an APT.