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BMJ Open 2022 Jun 27;12(6):e062702. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Cardiology, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Introduction: Inflammation is emerging as an important risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and has been a recent target for many novel therapeutic agents. However, comparative evidence regarding efficacy of these anti-inflammatory treatment options is currently lacking.

Methods And Analysis: This systematic review will include randomised controlled trials evaluating the effect of anti-inflammatory agents on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with known cardiovascular disease. Read More

Resuscitation 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Department of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Prehospital Emergency, Ospedale Maggiore Carlo Alberto Pizzardi, Bologna, Italy.

Background: The decision to initiate or continue advanced life support (ALS) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) could be difficult due to the lack of information and contextual elements, especially in non-shockable rhythms. This study aims to explore factors associated with clinicians' decision to initiate or continue ALS and the conditions associated with higher variability in asystolic patients.

Methods: This retrospective observational study enrolled 2653 asystolic patients on whom either ALS was attempted or not by the emergency medical services (EMS) physician. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2022 Jun 20;353:11-19. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA. Electronic address:

Background And Aims: High-dose eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) therapy was beneficial in high-risk patients without clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD). Whether higher plasma levels of EPA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have similar benefits in those without subclinical CVD is unclear. We aim to evaluate the interplay between plasma omega-3 fatty acids and coronary artery calcium (CAC) in relation to CVD events. Read More

Anesth Analg 2022 Jun 22. Epub 2022 Jun 22.

Department of Anesthesiology, Zablocki Veterans' Administration Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Background: Reversal of neuromuscular blockade (NMB) with sugammadex can cause marked bradycardia and asystole. Administration of sugammadex typically occurs in a dynamic period when anesthetic adjuvants and gas concentrations are being titrated to achieve emergence. This evaluation examined the heart rate (HR) responses to sugammadex to reverse moderate to deep NMB during a steady-state period and sought mechanisms for HR changes. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2022 Jul;13(4):458-465

Department of Pediatric Cardiology, 29286Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kochi, India.

Background: The management of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) in neonates and infants is resource-intensive. We describe early and follow-up outcomes after surgical repair of isolated TAPVC at a single institution in a resource-limited setting.

Methods: The data of 316 consecutive patients with isolated TAPVC undergoing repair (January 2010-September 2020) were reviewed. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2022 Jul;13(4):482-484

Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2022 Jul;13(4):475-481

Indiana University School of Medicine, Riley 548952Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health, Indianapolis, IN, USA.

Nearly half of children experiencing cardiac arrest following cardiac surgery do not survive hospital discharge and patients who survive often experience significant neurological impairment. Additionally, increased resource utilization following cardiac arrest translates into adverse logistical and financial consequences. Although some studies have identified patient characteristics that increase the risk of cardiac arrest after pediatric cardiac surgery, modifiable risk factors, which could provide a foundation for effective prevention strategies, have been elusive. Read More

Curr Opin Crit Care 2022 Jun 28. Epub 2022 Jun 28.

Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.

Purpose Of Review: The modern cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) has evolved into a high-intensity unit that cares for critically ill patients. Despite this transformation, changes to the staffing model and organizational structure in these specialized units have only recently begun to meet these challenges. We describe the most recent evidence which will inform future CICU staffing models. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2022 10;9:916542. Epub 2022 Jun 10.

Department of Pediatric Cardiovasology, Children's Medical Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.

Objectives: To analyze the risk factors associated with seizure-like activities during head up tilt test (HUTT)-induced syncope in children with vasovagal syncope (VVS) and assess the prognosis of these patients.

Methods: This is a retrospective study. VVS children with or without seizure-like activities during HUTT-induced syncope were included in convulsive or non-convulsive group. Read More

Front Oncol 2022 9;12:772659. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Lecturer of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world, which is the second after heart diseases. Adenoviruses (Ads) have become the promise of new therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. The objective of this review is to discuss current advances in the applications of adenoviral vectors in cancer therapy. Read More

JACC Adv 2022 Jun 8;1(2):100043. Epub 2022 May 8.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Background: COVID-19 infection carries significant morbidity and mortality. Current risk prediction for complications in COVID-19 is limited, and existing approaches fail to account for the dynamic course of the disease.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the COVID-HEART predictor, a novel continuously updating risk-prediction technology to forecast adverse events in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Read More

Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol 2022 Feb 13;9:100113. Epub 2022 Jan 13.

Behavioural Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, On, K1N 6N5, Canada.

Coronary heart disease (CHD), of which myocardial infarction (MI) is a subtype, is the leading cause of death for women. Nonetheless, women remain neglected in CHD research, resulting in treatments and recommendations being primarily based on data collected in men. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have supported dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) following cardiac arrest and MI to promote the development of mental health disorders (e. Read More

Resuscitation 2022 Jun 23. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Department of Cardiology, The Heart Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a leading cause of death. Even if successfully resuscitated, mortality remains high due to ischemic and reperfusion injury (I/R). The oxygen deprivation leads to a metabolic derangement amplified upon reperfusion resulting in an uncontrolled generation of reactive oxygen species in the mitochondria triggering cell death mechanisms. Read More

Curr Probl Cardiol 2022 Jun 23:101298. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Department of Medicine, Tower Health System, West Reading, PA, United States of America.

Background: Right bundle branch block (RBBB) is a common finding in older adults and may have higher complications following the transcutaneous aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure.

Methods: The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was queried for all hospitalizations undergoing percutaneous TAVR from 2016 to 2019. Cohorts with RBBB were compared to hospitalized patients without RBBB. Read More

Air Med J 2022 Jul-Aug;41(4):391-395. Epub 2022 Apr 9.

Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Nara Medical University, Kashihara City, Nara, Japan.

Objective: Few studies have evaluated the effects of helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) alone. This single-center study compared the changes in vital signs during ground emergency medical services (GEMS), HEMS, and hospital interventions to assess the impact of HEMS interventions.

Methods: This retrospective observational study included 168 trauma patients older than 18 years of age who received HEMS. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2022 Jun 16;58(6). Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Ichinomiya Nishi Hospital, Aichi 494-0001, Japan.

Empagliflozin is a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor widely used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus and heart failure. Our case study involved a 68-year-old patient who was admitted to the hospital because of a cerebral infarction. The patient was simultaneously diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and heart failure, for which empagliflozin was initiated. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2022 Jun 15;58(6). Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul 04763, Korea.

: This study aims to evaluate the usefulness of the quantitative pupillary light reflex as a prognostic tool for neurological outcomes in post-cardiac arrest patients treated with targeted temperature management (TTM). : We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library (search date: 9 July 2021) for studies on post-cardiac arrest patients treated with TTM that had measured the percent constriction of pupillary light reflex (%PLR) with quantitative pupillometry as well as assessed the neurological outcome. For an assessment of the methodological quality of the included studies, two authors utilized the prognosis study tool independently. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2022 Jun 2;58(6). Epub 2022 Jun 2.

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital 11, Samjeongja-ro, Seongsan-gu, Changwon-si 51472, Korea.

A 46-year-old woman demonstrated refractory Kounis syndrome (KS) after induction of anesthesia. Despite conventional management of anaphylaxis and advanced cardiac life support, her cardiovascular function continued to deteriorate until she had a cardiac arrest, and after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy, electrical cardiac activity reappeared. A large number of patients with KS-"allergic angina syndrome"-has been known to recover well with vasodilators; however, this patient showed antibiotics-induced refractory KS during general anesthesia. Read More

JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2022 Jun;8(6):806-821

Center for Cardiovascular Innovation, Heart Rhythm Services, Division of Cardiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Victorian Heart Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.

Inherited arrhythmia syndromes are a common cause of apparently unexplained cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death. These include long QT syndrome and Brugada syndrome, with a well-recognized phenotype in most patients with sufficiently severe disease to lead to cardiac arrest. Less common and typically less apparent conditions that may not be readily evident include catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, short QT syndrome and early repolarization syndrome. Read More

Med J Aust 2022 Jun 23. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Centre for Research and Evaluation, Ambulance Victoria, Melbourne, VIC.

Objective: To assess whether ambulance offload time influences the risks of death or ambulance re-attendance within 30 days of initial emergency department (ED) presentations by adults with non-traumatic chest pain.

Design, Setting: Population-based observational cohort study of consecutive presentations by adults with non-traumatic chest pain transported by ambulance to Victorian EDs, 1 January 2015 - 30 June 2019.

Participants: Adults (18 years or older) with non-traumatic chest pain, excluding patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (pre-hospital electrocardiography) and those who were transferred between hospitals or not transported to hospital (eg, cardiac arrest or death prior to transport). Read More

J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2022 Jun 10;9(6). Epub 2022 Jun 10.

Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.

Cardioneuroablation (CNA) is proposed as a promising therapy for patients with sinoatrial node dysfunction (SND) that is mediated by excessive vagal tone. However, a series of urgent questions about CNA remain unanswered. From December 2020 to March 2022, six patients with symptomatic SND who underwent CNA were summarized in this report. Read More

Acta Clin Croat 2021 Dec;60(4):590-594

1Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care, Dr. Josip Benčević General Hospital, Slavonski Brod, Croatia; Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia; 2Department of Ear, Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. Josip Benčević General Hospital, Slavonski Brod, Croatia; Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia; 3Department for Neurosurgery, Dr. Josip Benčević General Hospital, Slavonski Brod, Croatia.

Endotracheal intubation is the gold standard in inpatient treatment of cardiac arrest patients; however, there are conflicting research results in out-of-hospital conditions. This prospective study included 92 patients with confirmed cardiac arrest occurring outside a hospital facility, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria and whom the emergency ambulance team reached within 20 minutes from the event. Medical data on each patient (age, gender, cause of arrest, estimated time of arrest, time to arrival of the ambulance team, resuscitation commenced prior to arrival of the ambulance team, initial electrocardiographic rhythm, method of airway management, and success of resuscitation) were recorded. Read More

Acta Clin Croat 2021 Dec;60(4):739-748

1School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; 2Sveti Duh University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia; 3Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia.

Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a disorder of myocardial repolarization defined by a prolonged QT interval on electrocardiogram (ECG) that can cause ventricular arrhythmias and lead to sudden cardiac death. LQTS was first described in 1957 and since then its genetic etiology has been researched in many studies, but it is still not fully understood. Depending on the type of monogenic mutation, LQTS is currently divided into 17 subtypes, with LQT1, LQT2, and LQT3 being the most common forms. Read More

Heart Rhythm O2 2022 Jun 8;3(3):233-240. Epub 2022 Feb 8.

Electrophysiology Section, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Background: The type 1 electrocardiographic (ECG) pattern diagnostic of Brugada syndrome (BrS) can be dynamic. Limited studies have rigorously evaluated the temporal stability of the Brugada ECG pattern.

Objective: We sought to evaluate fluctuations of the Brugada pattern in serial resting ECGs from BrS patients managed within a large health care system. Read More

J Pediatr Intensive Care 2022 Jun 13;11(2):153-158. Epub 2021 Dec 13.

Department of Nephrology, NYU Hassenfeld Children's Hospital, New York, United States.

 This article investigated the utility of urine biomarkers tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-7 (IGFBP-7) in identifying acute kidney injury (AKI) in neonates after congenital heart surgery (CHS). TIMP-2 and IGFBP-7 are cell cycle arrest proteins detected in urine during periods of kidney stress/injury.  We conducted a single-center, prospective study between September 2017 and May 2019 with neonates undergoing CHS requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 Jun 19. Epub 2022 Jun 19.

Department of Cardiology, Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

Emergency percutaneous coronary intervention of the left main (LM ePCI) coronary artery necessitated by acute coronary syndrome is associated with a high risk of mortality. However, optimal treatment strategies and related outcomes remain undefined in this group. We undertook a multi-center, retrospective, observational cohort study of consecutive patients requiring LM ePCI between 2011 and 2018 and reported the coronary anatomy, treatment strategies, outcomes, and predictors of mortality. Read More

Neurocrit Care 2022 Jun 21. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.

Background: Spreading depolarizations (SDs) are self-propagating waves of neuronal and glial depolarizations often seen in neurological conditions in both humans and animal models. Because SD is thought to worsen neurological injury, the role of SD in a variety of cerebral insults has garnered significant investigation. Anoxic SD is a type of SD that occurs because of anoxia or asphyxia. Read More

Clin Res Cardiol 2022 Jun 21. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Department of Internal Medicine/Cardiology, Heart Center Leipzig at University of Leipzig and Leipzig Heart Institute, Strümpellstr. 39, 04289, Leipzig, Germany.

Background: In Germany, 70,000-100,000 persons per year suffer from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Despite medical progress, survival rates with good neurological outcome remain low. For many important clinical issues, no or only insufficient evidence from randomised trials is available. Read More

Zhonghua Wei Zhong Bing Ji Jiu Yi Xue 2022 May;34(5):542-544

Department of Emergency And Rescue Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China.

Standardized cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) of patients prior to the arrival of emergency medical services can significantly improve survival rate after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). According to statistics, about 40% to 85% of CPR led to chest fractures, making bystanders alarm, and reducing the willingness of rescuing by CPR. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a CPR protection device that is convenient for placing in public places outside the hospital and conforms to the operation habit of freehand CPR. Read More