Long-term outcomes following intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) for calcified coronary lesions: A Real-World Multicenter European Study.

Objectives: To explore the long-term clinical outcomes following intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) in calcified coronary lesions from a real-world population.

Background: IVL is a relatively new but promising modality for treating coronary calcified lesions, but there is a dearth of long-term outcome data from real-world patients.

Methods: This was a multicenter, observational study in which we enrolled all patients treated with IVL from November 2018 to February 2021 from eight centers in Europe and the United Kingdom.

Effect of Hydrocortisone on Mortality and Organ Support in Patients With Severe COVID-19: The REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid Domain Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence regarding corticosteroid use for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited.

Objective: To determine whether hydrocortisone improves outcome for patients with severe COVID-19.

Design, Setting, And Participants: An ongoing adaptive platform trial testing multiple interventions within multiple therapeutic domains, for example, antiviral agents, corticosteroids, or immunoglobulin.

Safety and Efficacy of Transvenous Lead Extraction Utilizing the Evolution Mechanical Lead Extraction System: A Single-Center Experience.

Objectives: The goal of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy of mechanical lead extraction utilizing the Evolution system.

Background: Compared with other techniques commonly used for lead extraction, data regarding the safety and efficacy of mechanical lead extraction using the Evolution system is limited and needs further evaluation.

Methods: Between June 1, 2009 and September 30, 2016, we retrospectively analyzed 400 consecutive patients who exclusively underwent mechanical lead extraction utilizing the Evolution system.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation with a Sapien 3 Commander 20 mm valves in patients with degenerated 19 mm bioprosthetic aortic valve.

Introduction: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in patients with degenerated bioprosthetic aortic valve has been successfully performed as an alternative to surgery. We describe our initial experience of valve-in-valve TAVI in five patients, using new generation Edwards Sapien 3 transcatheter heart valves implanted into degenerated 19 mm bioprosthetic valves. 20-mm Edwards S3 valves were offered for compassionate use.

The dilemma of inherited dysfibrinogenemia during pregnancy.

Inherited dysfibrinogenemia is a rare disorder caused by mutations in the fibrinogen gene, described in approximately 400 families to date. We present the case of a 20-year-old woman at 7 weeks of pregnancy with a history of two first-trimester spontaneous abortions and a family history of thrombotic events. Her testing revealed evidence of dysfibrinogenemia, necessitating multidisciplinary management planning including Hematology, OB-GYN, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Blood Bank Services and Anesthesia.

Successful management of a Jehovah's Witness with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura unwilling to be treated with therapeutic plasma exchange.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a life-threatening disease treated successfully with plasma exchange. Jehovah's Witnesses whose religious beliefs preclude them from accepting plasma exchange may require alternative forms of therapy. We report a case of one such patient who presented with TTP, whom we successfully managed with vincristine and responded favorably without the need for plasma exchange.

Visual prognosis in patients with traumatic choroidal rupture.

Background: There is a paucity of work in the literature examining the long-term visual prognosis of patients with choroidal ruptures. We performed a study to get a better assessment of long-term visual recovery in these patients as well as to identify prognostic indicators.

Methods: We reviewed the charts of 32 patients who experienced traumatic choroidal rupture following blunt ocular trauma.

Platelet function testing to assess effectiveness of platelet transfusion therapy.

Background: Posttransfusion corrected count increments (CCI) following administration of platelets is the standard method for assessing effectiveness of platelet transfusion therapy. However, improvement in platelet count following transfusion may not necessarily indicate improvement in platelet function or restoration of primary hemostatic capacity. To address this possibility, we investigated the effectiveness of platelet transfusion based on results of the Platelet Function Analyzer (PFA-100) and post-transfusion CCI.

Incidence of ocular injuries in motor vehicle crash victims with concomitant air bag deployment.

Objective: To report the incidence of ocular and nonocular trauma in patients admitted to the Henry Ford Hospital via the emergency room since 1994 after a motor vehicle crash (MVC) with and without air bag deployment.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Methods: The Henry Ford Hospital Trauma Registry database was reviewed for patients involved in MVCs with and without air bag deployment since 1994.

Hemostatic alterations associated with supraceliac aortic cross-clamping.

Purpose: The causative role of consumptive coagulopathy in the development of bleeding complications after supraceliac (SC) aortic cross-clamping (AXC) has been challenged by recent reports that ascribe this coagulopathy to primary fibrinolysis. This theory is made on the basis of evidence that tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen (Ag) levels increase after SC AXC. However, t-PA Ag levels reflect both active and inactive (bound to serum t-PA inhibitors) forms of serum t-PA, and elevations confirm the presence of fibrinolysis only in conjunction with an increase in t-PA activity.