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Anesthesiology 2019 Jan;130(1):83-91

From the Departments of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care (A.D., M.M., B.P.) Emergency Medicine (H.H.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria the Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri (P.N.) Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, University of Chicago, Illinois (T.K.).

What We Already Know About This Topic: WHAT THIS ARTICLE TELLS US THAT IS NEW: BACKGROUND:: Cardiac events after electroconvulsive therapy have been reported sporadically, but a systematic assessment of the risk is missing. The goal of this study was to obtain a robust estimate of the incidence of major adverse cardiac events in adult patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy.

Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that investigated electroconvulsive therapy and reported major adverse cardiac events and/or mortality. Read More

Respir Med Case Rep 2019 26;26:68-72. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Haut-Leveque Cardiology Hospital, Pessac, France.

Purpose: The SERVE-HF study reported a risk of cardiovascular death associated with adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) for central sleep apnea in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Therefore, we adopted in May 2015 a safety procedure in our 32 patients with ASV since 2006. It led to ASV removal in four patients due to ≤45% LVEF. Read More

Trends Cardiovasc Med 2018 Nov 27. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Department of Molecular Medicine, Section of Cardiology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology and Experimental Cardiology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy. Electronic address:

Heart Lung 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Cardiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Videnska 1958/9, 140 21, Prague, Czech Republic; Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.

Background: Targeted temperature management (TTM) in comatose survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has been associated with improved neurological outcomes. However, the optimal temperature target for TTM remains unclear.

Objectives: To compare a TTM protocol targeted at 34-36 °C with a protocol targeted at 32-34 °C with reference to both clinical outcomes and acute complications. Read More

Multimed Man Cardiothorac Surg 2018 Dec 4;2018. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital of Alessandria Piedmont Italy.

"One-stage" transmediastinal replacement of the thoracic aorta provides an alternative treatment to single or multiple stage hybrid procedures for patients with ascending, arch, and descending thoracic aorta aneurysm. The patient is placed on bypass and cooled. During circulatory arrest, after surgical treatment of the aortic valve and root where appropriate, the entire ascending aorta is excised and the transverse arch is opened longitudinally. Read More

Womens Health Issues 2018 Nov 24. Epub 2018 Nov 24.

Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC. Electronic address:

Background: We sought to determine whether gender disparities exist in the prehospital management of chest pain (CP) or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) among patients who accessed the emergency medical services (EMS) system.

Methods: We obtained 2010-2013 data from the National Emergency Medical Services Information System and identified all EMS activations for CP or OHCA by adults 40 years of age or older. We selected American Heart Association medications and procedures to manage cardiovascular events. Read More

Cardiovasc Res 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.

Moderate therapeutic hypothermia procedures are used in post-cardiac arrest care, while in surgical procedures, lower core temperatures are often utilized to provide cerebral protection. Involuntary reduction of core body temperature takes place in accidental hypothermia and ventricular arrhythmias are recognised as a principal cause for a high mortality rate in these patients. We assessed both clinical and experimental literature through a systematic literature search in the PubMed database, to review the effect of hypothermia on cardiac electrophysiology. Read More

Pediatr Cardiol 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Heart Institute, Cincinnati, OH, USA.

Background: Pediatric restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) has high mortality in historical cohorts, and traditional management often involves early referral for heart transplantation (HTx). This study sought to determine outcomes of pediatric RCM at a center that has favored medical management over early listing for HTx.

Methods: All patients (N = 43) with pure RCM phenotype (RCM, N = 26) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with restrictive physiology (RCM/HCM, N = 17) managed at our center over a 15-year period were investigated. Read More

Heart 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Cardiovascular Division, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Front Pediatr 2018 27;6:366. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Centre for the Studies of Asphyxia and Resuscitation, Royal Alexandra Hospital Edmonton, AB, Canada.

In 2015, the neonatal resuscitation guidelines incorporated the use of electrocardiography (ECG) to monitor heart rate of newborns. However, previous studies have indicated that cardiac arrest with pulseless electrical activity rhythm (PEA) may occur in the delivery room, rendering this method problematic. To evaluate the accuracy of ECG and auscultation to assess heart rate during PEA. Read More

Front Immunol 2018 27;9:2739. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.

Immune responses are dependent on the recruitment of leukocytes to the site of inflammation. The classical leukocyte recruitment cascade, consisting of capture, rolling, arrest, adhesion, crawling, and transendothelial migration, is thoroughly studied but mostly in model systems, such as the cremasteric microcirculation. This cascade paradigm, which is widely accepted, might be applicable to many tissues, however recruitment mechanisms might substantially vary in different organs. Read More

Eur J Prev Cardiol 2018 Dec 11:2047487318819019. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

2 Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, Canada.

Background And Design: There are limited data on the effects of blood pressure and cholesterol lowering in Asians at intermediate risk and no cardiovascular disease. We report an analysis of the effects of blood pressure and cholesterol lowering in Asians enrolled in the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation 3 (HOPE 3) trial.

Methods: We randomly assigned 6241 Asians and 6464 non-Asians at intermediate risk without cardiovascular disease to candesartan 16 mg/hydrochlorothiazide 12. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Dec 8. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

Department of Cardiopulmonary Bypass, State key laboratory of Cardiovascular Medicine, Fuwai Hospital, National center for Cardiovascular disease, Chinese Academy of Medical science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.

Brain injury associated with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) has been recognized in patients with congenital heart diseases and those undergoing aortic arch surgeries. However, the preclinical investigation of long-term cerebral injury and recovery mechanisms related to DHCA has been restricted to a satisfactory recovery animal model with a determined recovery time. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a long-term surviving DHCA model without blood priming in rats, in order to investigate the pathophysiology of long-term complications in further studies. Read More

Am J Med Case Rep 2018 ;6(9):180-183

Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center/Health + Hospitals Kings County Brooklyn, NY 11203 USA.

Background: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a wide range of clinical features and variable clinical course. SLE tends to affect women during childbearing years and is characterized by multi-organ involvement. Cardiac complications in SLE, which have been described to occur in about 50% of the cases, contributes to significant morbidity and mortality in this population. Read More

Am J Med Case Rep 2018 26;6(9):169-172. Epub 2018 Sep 26.

Department of Internal Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A- 11203.

Marijuana is the most common drug of abuse in the United States. Marijuana has more than 460 active chemical compounds including δ-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It acts via the CB1 and CB2 receptors that are distributed in various tissues in the body. Read More

Cureus 2018 Oct 2;10(10):e3402. Epub 2018 Oct 2.

Cardiology, Maricopa Integrated Health System, Phoenix, USA.

A positive Murphy's sign in a patient with right upper quadrant abdominal pain is the arrest of inspiration during deep palpation of the quadrant. It is usually suggestive of acute cholecystitis. We report an unusual case of a positive Murphy's sign not due to acute cholecystitis, but rather from a pericardial hematoma from a right atrial tear causing right heart failure. Read More

Curr Opin Crit Care 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

SAMU74, Emergency Department, General Hospital of Annecy, Annecy.

Purpose Of Review: In the setting of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), classical physiological concept about ventilation become challenging. Ventilation may exert detrimental hemodynamic effects that must be balanced with its expected benefits. The risks of hyperventilation have been thoroughly addressed, even questioning the need for ventilation, emphasizing the need to prioritize chest compression quality. Read More

Hong Kong Med J 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.

Introduction: Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a genetically transmitted cardiac channelopathy that can lead to sudden cardiac death. This study aimed to report the clinical and genetic characteristics of all young patients diagnosed with LQTS in the only tertiary paediatric cardiology centre in Hong Kong.

Methods: This is a retrospective review of all paediatric and young adult patients diagnosed at our centre with LQTS from January 1997 to December 2016. Read More

Am Heart J 2018 Dec 24;206:131-133. Epub 2018 Sep 24.

Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC.

Contemporary utilization patterns for targeted temperature management (TTM) among patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) have not been well characterized in the United States. In this nationwide evaluation of MI patients with OHCA (01/2015-03/2016; 691 hospitals), 34.1% (1792/5260) of OHCA patients received TTM. Read More

EBioMedicine 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Pharmacology (State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Research, Ministry of Education), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, PR China; Northern Translational Medicine Research and Cooperation Center, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, PR China. Electronic address:

Background: Cellular senescence is a stable cell-cycle arrest induced by telomere shortening and various types of cellular stress including oxidative stress, oncogene activation, DNA damage etc. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an inducible stress-response protein that plays antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects. However, the role and underlying mechanisms of HO-1 in cellular senescence in heart are largely unknown. Read More

Clin Nephrol 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

BK virus is a known cause of renal failure in kidney transplant recipients, but there is little data regarding its effect on native kidneys in heart transplant patients. Here, we describe the case of a child who underwent heart transplantation and was later diagnosed with BK virus with multiorgan involvement. This patient was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy at 4 months of age and underwent heart transplantation at the age of 5 years. Read More

Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2018 Nov;11(11):e006305

Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT (J.D., C.B., L.S., F.L., R.J.L.).

Background: Despite safety concerns, many young patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) participate in sports. We undertook a prospective, multinational registry to determine the incidence of serious adverse events because of sports participation. The primary end points were death or resuscitated arrest during sports or injury during sports because of arrhythmia or shock. Read More

J Clin Sleep Med 2018 Nov 29. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Abstract: 20/27 polyalanine repeat mutation (PARM) in patients with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) is generally associated with full-time ventilator dependence, Hirschsprung disease, and increased risk for cardiac asystole. We follow a 14-year-old boy with CCHS 20/27 PARM who is full-time ventilator dependent via tracheostomy and has Hirschsprung disease. His mother, age 52 years, has a history of prolonged recovery from anesthesia and an elevated serum bicarbonate level of 45 mEq/L discovered on routine blood chemistry. Read More

Turk J Anaesthesiol Reanim 2018 Dec 1;46(6):447-452. Epub 2018 Dec 1.

Department of Biology, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Zonguldak, Turkey.

Objective: Bupivacaine, a local anaesthetic substance, is used as a regional-anaesthesia agent. Lidocaine, a sodium channel blocker, is used in combination with epinephrine for regional anaesthesia. We aimed to evaluate the effects of lidocaine with epinephrine (LE) at different doses on bupivacaine-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. Read More

J Invasive Cardiol 2018 Dec;30(12):456-460

Minneapolis Heart Institute, 920 E. 28th Street #300, Minneapolis, MN 55407 USA.

Objectives: Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is most commonly used in patients with cardiac arrest and cardiogenic shock. There are limited data on the use of VA-ECMO for elective, high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We examined the in-hospital and mid-term clinical outcomes in patients undergoing complex, high-risk PCI with VA-ECMO support. Read More

Am J Med 2018 Nov 29. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Division of Heart Rhythm Services, Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Electronic address:

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018 Oct 26. Epub 2018 Oct 26.

Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address:

Objectives: We describe the Canadian results of the Ascyrus Medical Dissection Stent (AMDS), a novel partially uncovered aortic arch hybrid graft implanted antegrade during hypothermic circulatory arrest to promote true lumen expansion and enhance aortic remodeling.

Methods: From March 2017 to February 2018, 16 consecutive patients (66 ± 12 years; 38% female) presented with acute type A aortic dissections and underwent emergent surgical aortic repair with AMDS implantation. All patients presented with DeBakey I aortic dissection, with evidence of malperfusion in 50% (n = 8) of patients. Read More

Continuum (Minneap Minn) 2018 Dec;24(6):1732-1752

Purpose Of Review: Because the whole-body ischemia-reperfusion insult associated with cardiac arrest often results in brain injury, neurologists perform an important role in postresuscitation cardiac arrest care. This article provides guidance for the assessment and management of brain injury following cardiac arrest.

Recent Findings: Neurologists have many roles in postresuscitation cardiac arrest care: (1) early assessment of brain injury severity to help inform triage for invasive circulatory support or revascularization; (2) advocacy for the maintenance of a neuroprotective thermal, hemodynamic, biochemical, and metabolic milieu; (3) detection and management of seizures; (4) development of an accurate, multimodal, and conservative approach to prognostication; (5) application of shared decision-making paradigms around the likely outcomes of therapy and the goals of care; and (6) facilitation of the neurocognitive assessment of survivors. Read More

Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars 2018 12;46(8):742

Department of Cardiology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.

Artif Organs 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Department of Pediatric Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, ShangHai, China.

Purpose: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) provides cardiorespiratory support during cardiopulmonary resuscitation unresponsive to conventional methods. Here, we analyzed the extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) results of children in a cardiac arrest setting after cardiac surgery.

Methods: Of 3119 cases of pediatric open-heart surgery, 31 required postoperative ECMO. Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2018 Dec 1. Epub 2018 Dec 1.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan.

Surgery for aortic arch involvement in lung cancer cases is challenging, and generally requires extracorporeal circulation with circulatory arrest or a cerebral protection technique. To reduce morbidity, we developed a novel surgical technique for total aortic arch replacement for lung cancer with aortic arch involvement that features total rerouting of supra-arch vessels under a beating heart condition. A 56-year-old male was diagnosed with lung cancer and aortic arch invasion was suspected. Read More

J Cell Physiol 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Department of Emergency Internal, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical value of long noncoding RNA growth arrest-specific transcript 5 (LncRNA GAS5) in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) and its protective effect on myocardial injury in rats with CAD.

Methods: Patients with CAD and healthy controls were selected to measure the expression of GAS5, and further to perform the correlation analysis and ROC curve. In addition, the rat models of CAD were also established to observe the effect of GAS5 on hyperlipidemia, myocardial injury, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammatory injury of rats with CAD, and the effect of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was also determined. Read More

World J Cardiol 2018 Nov;10(11):201-209

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, JR Hiroshima Hospital, Hiroshima 732-0057, Japan.

Coronary spasm is caused by a transient coronary narrowing due to the constriction of epicardial coronary artery, which leads to myocardial ischemia. More than 50 years have passed since the first recognition of coronary spasm, and many findings on coronary spasm have been reported. Coronary spasm has been considered as having pivotal roles in the cause of not only rest angina but also exertional angina, acute coronary syndrome, and heart failure. Read More

Respir Med 2018 Dec 24;145:153-160. Epub 2018 Oct 24.

First Department of Medicine, University Medical Centre Mannheim (UMM), Faculty of Medicine Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, European Center for AngioScience (ECAS), DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research) Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.

Objectives: The study sought to assess the prognostic impact of COPD in patients presenting with ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) on admission.

Background: Data regarding the outcome of patients with COPD presenting with ventricular tachyarrhythmias and SCA is limited.

Methods: A large retrospective registry was used including all consecutive patients presenting with ventricular tachycardia (VT), fibrillation (VF) and SCA from 2002 to 2016. Read More

PLoS Med 2018 Nov 30;15(11):e1002709. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Department of Cardiology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Background: Resuscitated cardiac arrest is associated with high mortality; however, the ability to estimate risk of adverse outcomes using existing illness severity scores is limited. Using in-hospital data available within the first 24 hours of admission, we aimed to develop more accurate models of risk prediction using both logistic regression (LR) and machine learning (ML) techniques, with a combination of demographic, physiologic, and biochemical information.

Methods And Findings: Patient-level data were extracted from the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) Adult Patient Database for patients who had experienced a cardiac arrest within 24 hours prior to admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) during the period January 2006 to December 2016. Read More

Case Rep Cardiol 2018 25;2018:7089149. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Department of Cardiology, Maimonides Medical Center, 4802 10th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219, USA.

A 66-year-old female presented to the emergency room with an episode of chest pain that lasted for a few minutes before resolving spontaneously. Electrocardiogram showed a left bundle branch block, left ventricular hypertrophy, and T wave inversions in the lateral leads. Initial cardiac troponin level was 0. Read More

J Electrocardiol 2018 Nov - Dec;51(6):955-961. Epub 2018 Aug 8.

Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Michigan Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States. Electronic address:

Background: Although heart rate variability (HRV) has diagnostic and prognostic value for the assessment of cardiac risk, HRV analysis is not routinely performed in a hospital setting. Current HRV analysis methods are primarily quantitative; such methods are sensitive to signal contamination and require extensive post hoc processing.

Methods And Results: Raw electrocardiogram (ECG) data from the Sleep Heart Health Study was transformed into electrocardiomatrix (ECM), in which sequential cardiac cycles are aligned, in parallel, along a shared axis. Read More

J Electrocardiol 2018 Nov - Dec;51(6):1077-1083. Epub 2018 Sep 12.

Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium; Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Belgium.

Introduction: Preventing sudden cardiac death (SCD) is one of the main goals in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Many variables have been proposed, however the European and American guidelines do not incorporate any ECG or Holter monitoring derived variables other than the presence of ventricular arrhythmia in their risk stratification models. In the present study we evaluated electrocardiographic parameters in risk stratification of HCM. Read More

Zhonghua Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Dec;56(12):916-921

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Cardiocvascular Diseases Institute, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510080, China.

To analyze the early and midterm results of surgical treatment of interrupted aortic arch (IAA) with double-ventricular procedure. The data of the 68 cases with the main diagnosis of IAA with biventricular structure from June 2009 to June 2017 at Department of Cardiac Surgery, Guangdong General Hospital was collected, including 46 cases of type A, 22 cases of type B. There was no type C case. Read More

Resuscitation 2018 Nov 26. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

European Resuscitation Council, Emile Vanderveldelaan 35, BE-2845, Niel, Belgium.

This European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Guidelines for Resuscitation 2018 update is focused on the role of antiarrhythmic drugs during advanced life support for cardiac arrest with shock refractory ventricular fibrillation/pulseless ventricular tachycardia in adults, children and infants. This update follows the publication of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) 2018 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science with Treatment Recommendations (CoSTR). The ILCOR CoSTR suggests that any beneficial effects of amiodarone or lidocaine are similar. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2018 Dec;7(23):e010584

1 Department of Cardiology Austin Health University of Melbourne Melbourne Australia.

Background The relationship between mitral valve prolapse ( MVP ) and sudden cardiac death ( SCD ) remains controversial. In this systematic review, we evaluate the relationship between isolated MVP and SCD to better define a potential high-risk subtype. In addition, we determine whether premortem parameters could predict SCD in patients with MVP and the incidence of SCD in MVP . Read More

J Neurosurg Pediatr 2018 Oct 1:1-6. Epub 2018 Oct 1.

OBJECTIVEVein of Galen aneurysmal malformations (VGAMs) in infancy have a poor natural history if left untreated. Their high-flow nature can preclude safe and accurate therapeutic vessel occlusion and the risk of inadvertent pulmonary embolism is predominant. The authors describe the technique of rapid cardiac ventricular pacing for inducing transient hypotension to facilitate the controlled embolization of VGAMs. Read More

Neth Heart J 2018 Nov 27. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Department of Clinical Genetics, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Heart Lung Circ 2019 Jan 24;28(1):6-14. Epub 2018 Sep 24.

Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders (CHRD), University of Adelaide and the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia. Electronic address:

Despite advancements in prevention and treatment, sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains a leading cause of mortality and is responsible for approximately half of all deaths from cardiovascular disease. Outcomes continue to remain poor following a sudden cardiac arrest, with most individuals not surviving. Although coronary heart disease remains the dominant underlying condition, our understanding of SCD is improving through greater knowledge of clinical risk factors, cardiomyopathies, and primary arrhythmic disorders. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2018 Dec;7(23):e011079

6 Université de Montréal Montréal Québec Canada.

Background Patients suffering from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are often transported to the closest hospital. Although it has been suggested that these patients be transported to cardiac resuscitation centers, few jurisdictions have acted on this recommendation. To better evaluate the evidence on this subject, a systematic review and meta-analysis of the currently available literature evaluating the association between the destination hospital's capability (cardiac resuscitation center or not) and resuscitation outcomes for adult patients suffering from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was performed. Read More

Minerva Anestesiol 2018 Nov 22. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Department of Clinical Sciences, Center for Cardiac Arrest, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Background: The majority of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) occur at place residence, which is associated with worse outcomes in unselected prehospital populations. Our aim was to investigate whether location of arrest was associated with outcome in a selected group of initial survivors admitted to intensive care.

Methods: This is a post-hoc analysis of the Targeted Temperature Management after cardiac arrest trial (TTM trial), a multicenter controlled trial, randomizing 950 OHCA patients to an intervention of 33°C or 36°C. Read More

PLoS One 2018 27;13(11):e0207915. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Department of Internal Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating lung disease with a poor prognosis. Pirfenidone is the first antifibrotic agent to be approved for IPF-treatment as it is able to slow down disease progression. However, there is no curative treatment other than lung transplantation. Read More

HeartRhythm Case Rep 2018 Nov 7;4(11):523-526. Epub 2018 Aug 7.

Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.