The Effect of Number of Pregnancies on Aortic Stiffness Index, Aortic Velocity Propagation, and Epicardial Fat Thickness.

Objective: Pregnancy causes physiological, hormonal, and hemodynamic changes that affect the aortic wall dimensions and elastic properties. Multiple pregnancies increase the risk of aortic enlargement and reduce aortic elasticity. The aortic stiffness index (ASI) and aortic velocity propagation (AVP) are markers of elasticity.

Evaluation of pulmonary arterial stiffness in post mild COVID-19 patients: a pilot prospective study.

Background: Our primary goal was to utilize pulmonary arterial stiffness (PAS) to demonstrate the early alterations in the pulmonary vascular area in individuals with prior COVID-19 illness who had not undergone hospitalization.

Methods: In total, 201 patients with prior COVID-19 infection without hospitalization and 195 healthy, age- and sex-matched individuals without a history of COVID-19 disease were included in this prospective analysis. The PAS value for each patient was calculated by dividing the mean peak pulmonary flow velocity by the pulmonary flow acceleration time.

Relationship Between CHA₂DS₂-VASc Score on Admission and In-Hospital Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients Diagnosed With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

The CHA₂DS₂-VASc (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, diabetes mellitus, stroke, vascular disease, sex) scoring system, which includes conventional risk factors of coronary artery disease, was originally created to quantify the risk of thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation. This study evaluated the usefulness of this score to predict adverse outcomes in STEMI (ST-elevation myocardial infarction) patients without atrial fibrillation. Primary end points were identified as MACE (major adverse cardiovascular events) which included in-hospital death or cerebrovascular accident.

Effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on right ventricular function in heart failure patients: Updated meta-analysis of the current literature.

Background: There is some discrepancy in current studies concerning the effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on right ventricular (RV) functions in heart failure (HF) patients. Hence, this meta-analysis was focused on determining the impact of SGLT2i on RV functions in such individuals.

Material And Methods: Two independent investigators searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library for articles of interest.

Assessing the educational value and content of YouTube videos for ultrasound-guided subclavian vein catheterization.

Background: The European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) published a guideline regarding continuous ultrasound guidance for central venous catheters in 2020. YouTube has been a popular educational platform since its inception. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the adequacy of videos on ultrasound-guided subclavian vein catheterization posted on YouTube based on this guideline.

Predictors of Long-Term Mortality in Patients with Stable Angina Pectoris and Coronary Slow Flow.

: Coronary slow flow (CSF) is an angiographic phenomenon characterized by the slow progression of an injected contrast agent during diagnostic coronary angiography in the absence of significant stenosis. Although CSF is a common angiographic finding, the long-term outcomes and mortality rates are still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the underlying causes of mortality over a 10-year period in patients diagnosed with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and CSF.

Comparison of outcomes between single long stent and overlapping stents: a meta-analysis of the literature.

Objectives: There is no consensus on whether to treat diffuse coronary artery lesions with a single long stent (SLS) or by overlapping two or more stents (OLS). The goal of this review was to compare the outcomes of these two approaches through a meta-analysis of the literature.

Methods: We searched for relevant studies in MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library.

Double trouble during the left atrial appendage occlusion procedure.

Percutaneous structural interventions are being performed at increased numbers and rare findings or complications occur more frequently. Lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial septum (LHIS) is a relatively uncommon finding on transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE). The major challenge is the difficulty in performing transseptal puncture.

Evaluation of cardiac-electrophysiological balance according to National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at admission and discharge in acute ischemic stroke patients: A pilot study.

Objective: The main objectives of this investigation were to determine whether there were any relationships between corrected cardiac-electrophysiological balance value and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores at admission and discharge in patients with acute ischemic stroke and to assess whether cardiac-electrophysiological balance value was an independent predictor of high National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥5).

Methods: In this retrospective and observational study, 231 consecutive adult patients with acute ischemic stroke were evaluated. The cardiac-electrophysiological balance value was obtained by dividing the corrected QT interval by the QRS duration measured from surface electrocardiography.

Evaluation of electrocardiographic P wave parameters in predicting long-term atrial fibrillation in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Background: Electrocardiographic parameters, such as P wave peak time (PWPT), P wave duration (PWD), and P wave amplitude in lead DI, have been utilized to assess left atrial anomalies linked to the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) in different cohort settings.

Objective: To compare electrocardiographic parameters, such as P waves, in predicting long-term AF risk in acute ischemic stroke cases.

Methods: The data of 231 consecutive acute ischemic stroke cases were retrospectively collected.

Performance of the Academic Research Consortium High Bleeding Risk Criteria in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Single Center Study.

We assessed the ability of predicting mortality and total in-hospital bleeding and adverse outcomes by the Academic Research Consortium High Bleeding Risk (ARC-HBR) criteria in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). A total of 1441 STEMI patients were recruited: HBR group 354 (25%) patients and non-HBR group of 1087 (75%) patients. A total of 131 patients (9%) had a bleeding complication during hospitalization.

Predictive value of uric acid/albumin ratio for the prediction of new-onset atrial fibrillation in patients with ST-Elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: There is a lack of studies supporting the association between the uric acid/albumin ratio (UAR) and the development of new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI).

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the efficacy of the UAR for predicting the occurrence of NOAF in STEMI patients undergoing pPCI.

Methods: We recruited 1484 consecutive STEMI patients in this retrospective and cross-sectional investigation.

Successful treatment of re-coarctation of the aorta with percutaneous stent placement via axillary artery access in a young patient.

In patients with critical coarctation of the aorta, percutaneous balloon angioplasty and/or stent placement is usually performed via the femoral route. When femoral access is not suitable for intervention, the trans-axillary approach can be chosen as an alternative access. We hereby present the first case of a patient who had a successful percutaneous stent placement via trans-axillary access in our institution.

Thrombolytic Therapy in Octogenarians with Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

Background: Despite the high proportion of octogenarians with acute pulmonary embolism, there is little information indicating the optimal management strategy, mainly therapeutic measures, such as lytic therapy.

Objectives: The number of elderly patients diagnosed with acute pulmonary embolism increases constantly. However, the role of thrombolytic treatment is not clearly defined among octogenarians.

Prognostic performance of Controlling Nutritional Status score in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objective: The effect of malnutrition in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is not fully understood. In this study, we tried to investigate the prognostic consequence of the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score in patients with STEMI.

Methods: In this study, we evaluated the CONUT scores of 1,028 patients with STEMI and examined its relationship with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (all-cause mortality, myocardial reinfarction, and vessel revascularization) during a period of 19.

Evaluation of N/LP Ratio as a Predictor of Disease Progression and Mortality in COVID-19 Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.

Objective: This research aimed to evaluate whether the neutrophil to lymphocyte and platelet (N/LP) ratio may be used to predict the risk of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), the need for mechanical ventilation and in-hospital mortality in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.

Methods: The study was conducted retrospectively on the data of 134 COVID-19 patients who were admitted to the ICU. The N/LP ratio was calculated as follows: neutrophil count x 100 / (lymphocyte count x platelet count).

Atrial fibrillation as a preoperative risk factor predicts long-term mortality in elderly patients without heart failure and undergoing hip fracture surgery.

Objective: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) constitute a significant portion of hip fracture patients, and both diseases tend to present more frequently in older age. Our goal was to evaluate the long-term mortality of patients with AF who were free from heart failure undergoing hip fracture surgery.

Methods: This observational, retrospective study was done in a single research and training hospital setting.

Clinical features and major bleeding predictors for 161 fatal cases of COVID-19: A retrospective observational study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the patient characteristics and laboratory parameters for COVID-19 non-survivors as well as to find risk factors for major bleeding complications. For this retrospective study, the data of patients who died with COVID-19 in our intensive care unit were collected in the period of March 20 - April 30, 2020. D-dimer, platelet count, C-reactive protein (CRP), troponin, and international normalized ratio (INR) levels were recorded on the 1st, 5th, and 10th days of hospitalization in order to investigate the possible correlation of laboratory parameter changes with in-hospital events.

Prognostic significance of temporal changes of lipid profile in COVID-19 patients.

Background: COVID-19 is a multisystemic disease that affects many organs and has metabolic effects.

Aims: This study aims to investigate the effect of the temporal changes of lipid levels on the prognosis during the course of the disease.

Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.