Sealing of Coronary Perforations With a Second-Generation Covered Stent Graft - Results From the PAST-PERF Registry.

Background: The PAST-PERF registry was initiated to collect data on the PK Papyrus covered stent, a second-generation device for the treatment of coronary artery perforations with enhanced mechanical properties, but with limited available data.

Methods: Patients treated for coronary artery perforations with the PK Papyrus stent at 14 international centers were retrospectively identified. The primary effectiveness outcome was successful sealing of the perforation.

[A Rare Cause of Acute Coronary Occlusion with Inferior ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest].

History: The 59-year old female was successfully resuscitated after out of hospital cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation. The ECG after return of spontaneous circulation showed elevated ST-segments in the inferior leads.

Findings And Diagnosis: Acute coronary angiography confirmed a complete occlusion of the right coronary artery without collateral flow.

[Standard Operating Procedures in Clinical Medicine].

Standard operating procedures (SOP) in hospital care have the potential to improve treatment quality and transparency. However, after arriving at the decision to generate a SOP for the own hospital or ward, the upcoming question is often, how to start?The present article tries to give some interdisciplinary guidance about reasonable structures and contents of SOPs that could be understood as a basic matrix for individual work.

[Pay for performance approach and its possible future influence on revenues in German interventional cardiology units].

Pay-for-performance in German health care system is still uncommon but--in view of scheduled legislative projects--could gain more influence in future. Beside others, risc adjusted in-hospital mortality and the door-to-ballon-time inpatients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction could become quality- and performance indicators in interventional cardiology units. As a result, process optimization based on these indicators could have an impact on both patient value (as already today) and revenues (from 2017 onwards).