Correlations Between Endocardial Voltage Mapping, Diagnosis, and Genetics in Patients With Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy.

The relations between endocardial voltage mapping and the genetic background of patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) have not been investigated so far. A total of 97 patients with proved or suspected ARVC who underwent 3-dimensional endocardial mapping and genetic testing have been retrospectively included. Presence, localization, and size of scar areas were correlated to ARVC diagnosis and the presence of a pathogenic variant.

Clinical course of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy with end-stage heart failure and outcome after heart transplantation.

Background: Few data exist on the characteristics and outcomes of patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy and advanced heart failure who undergo heart transplantation.

Aim: To explore the pretransplant course and outcomes of patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy after heart transplantation.

Methods: This observational retrospective monocentric study included all consecutive patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy who underwent heart transplantation during a 13-year period (2006-2019) at Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital (Paris).

Prevalence, patterns and outcomes of cardiac involvement in Erdheim-Chester disease.

Aims: Cardiac involvement of Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD), a rare L group histiocytosis, has been reported to be associated with poor outcomes, but systematic studies are lacking. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence, clinical features, imaging features, and prognosis of cardiac involvement in ECD in a large series.

Methods And Results: All patients with ECD who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging between 2003 and 2019 at a French tertiary center were retrospectively included.

Assessment of atrial fibrillation in European emergency departments: insights from a prospective observational multicenter study.

Background: The diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation (AF) in emergency departments (EDs) have not been well described in France, with limited EU research. This study aimed to describe the diagnosis, management, and prognosis of AF patients in French EDs.

Methods: A prospective, observational 2-month study in adults diagnosed with AF was conducted at 32 French EDs.

Purkinje-related monomorphic ventricular tachycardia as a mechanism for electrical storm in ischemic heart disease.

A 60-years-old male with remote anterior myocardial infarction (MI) was referred for catheter ablation of electrical storm related to monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (MVT). Radiofrequency applications targeting pre-systolic potentials abolished all clinical MVTs. Scar-associated Purkinje-related MVT mimicking fascicular VT is a rare mechanism of post-MI MVT.

The prevalence of left and right bundle branch block morphology ventricular tachycardia amongst patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and sustained ventricular tachycardia: insights from the European Survey on Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.

Aims: In arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) typically displays a left bundle branch block (LBBB) morphology while a right bundle branch block (RBBB) morphology is rare. The present study assesses the VT morphology in ACM patients with sustained VT and their clinical and genetic characteristics.

Methods And Results: Twenty-six centres from 11 European countries provided information on 954 ACM patients who had ≥1 episode of sustained VT spontaneously documented during patients' clinical course.

Safety and efficacy of flecainide associated with beta-blockers in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Aims: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an inherited cardiomyopathy associated with a high risk of ventricular arrhythmia (VA). Current guidelines recommend beta-blockers as first-line medical therapy and if ineffective, sotalol or amiodarone. We describe our experience, as a tertiary centre for ARVC, with the effectiveness and tolerance of flecainide in addition to beta-blockers to prevent VA in ARVC.

Subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and defibrillation testing: A propensity-matched pilot study.

Background: To date, only a few comparisons between subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) patients undergoing and those not undergoing defibrillation testing (DT) at implantation (DT+ vs DT-) have been reported.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare long-term clinical outcomes of 2 propensity-matched cohorts of DT+ and DT- patients.

Methods: Among consecutive S-ICD patients implanted across 17 centers from January 2015 to October 2020, DT- patients were 1:1 propensity-matched for baseline characteristics with DT+ patients.

[Refractory pulmonary edema under ECMO: Is there a place for Rashkind atrioseptotomy?].

Hydrostatic pulmonary edema is a well-known complication of veinoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) caused by increased left ventricle afterload due to reverse blood flow in the aorta. Several techniques are commonly used for left ventricle venting such as intra-aortic balloon pump, Impella® (Abiomed, Danvers, MA), central surgical cannulation or Rahskind atrial septostomy. We reported two cases of hydrostatic pulmonary edema in patients under VA-ECMO for whom it was decided to perform Rashkind technique.

Arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy: A potentially reversible cause of refractory cardiogenic shock requiring venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Background: The most severe form of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy in adults- refractory cardiogenic shock requiring mechanical circulatory support-has rarely been reported.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the management of critically ill patients admitted for acute, nonischemic, or worsening of previously known cardiac dysfunction and recent-onset supraventricular arrhythmia who developed refractory cardiogenic shock requiring venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO).

Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data.

External Validation of a Risk Prediction Model for Ventricular Arrhythmias in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy.

The new 5-year ventricular arrhythmia (VA) occurrence risk model is a major breakthrough for arrhythmia risk stratification in the challenging population of patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). In the original study, the model resulted in a 20.6% reduction in implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placement compared with the 2015 consensus, for the same protection level.

Sexual Dimorphisms, Anti-Hormonal Therapy and Cardiac Arrhythmias.

Significant variations from the normal QT interval range of 350 to 450 milliseconds (ms) in men and 360 to 460 ms in women increase the risk for ventricular arrhythmias. This difference in the QT interval between men and women has led to the understanding of the influence of sex hormones on the role of gender-specific channelopathies and development of ventricular arrhythmias. The QT interval, which represents the duration of ventricular repolarization of the heart, can be affected by androgen levels, resulting in a sex-specific predilection for acquired and inherited channelopathies such as acquired long QT syndrome in women and Brugada syndrome and early repolarization syndrome in men.

Cardiotoxicity Associated with Gemcitabine: Literature Review and a Pharmacovigilance Study.

Background: Gemcitabine is a nucleoside analog, widely used either alone or in combination, for the treatment of multiple cancers. However, gemcitabine may also be associated with cardiovascular adverse-drug-reactions (CV-ADR).

Methods: First, we searched for all cases of cardiotoxicity associated with gemcitabine, published in MEDLINE on 30 May 2019.

Factors associated with implantable cardioverter defibrillators appropriate therapy in cardiac sarcoidosis: a meta-analysis.

Background: Patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) are at increased risk of atrioventricular blocks, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Objectives We aimed to investigate the characteristics associated with appropriate therapy in implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) -implanted CS patients.

Methods: We performed a PubMed and Web of Science search for studies reporting patients with CS who underwent an ICD implantation.

Rates and Anticoagulation Treatment of Known Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Real-World Study.

Introduction: Known atrial fibrillation (AF) rate and appropriate prescription of oral anticoagulants (OACs) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with AF in China are not as well known as in Western countries.

Methods: Known AF and unknown AF, rate and adequacy of OACs use of AIS patients with AF attending five hospitals from April 2018 to August 2019 in the northwest region of China were investigated.

Results: A total of 344 patients were enrolled.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation to Support Life-Threatening Drug-Refractory Electrical Storm.

Objectives: Despite rapid implementation of anti-arrhythmic treatment and sedation and controlling the triggering event, rare patients develop treatment-refractory electrical storm and their hemodynamic instability prevents emergency catheter ablation. In that context, venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation could rapidly restore hemodynamics and tissue perfusion and reduce myocardial oxygen consumption, until adequate anti-arrhythmic drug levels are reached to safely perform catheter ablation.

Design: Retrospective, multicenter study over an 8-year period.

Cardiovascular disease during the COVID-19 pandemic: Think ahead, protect hearts, reduce mortality.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is rapidly spreading globally. As of October 3, 2020, the number of confirmed cases has been nearly 34 million with more than 1 million fatalities. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is accountable for COVID-19.

Androgenic effects on ventricular repolarization: A translational study from the international pharmacovigilance database to iPSC-cardiomyocytes.

Background: Male hypogonadism, arising from a range of etiologies including androgen-deprivation therapies (ADTs), has been reported as a risk factor for acquired long-QT syndrome (aLQTS) and torsades de pointes (TdP). A full description of the clinical features of aLQTS associated with ADT and of underlying mechanisms is lacking.

Methods: We searched the international pharmacovigilance database VigiBase for men (n=6 560 565 individual case safety reports) presenting with aLQTS, TdP, or sudden death associated with ADT.