cath-lab

AIMS: The European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) Scientific Initiatives Committee performed a global survey on radiation exposure in interventional echocardiography. The survey aimed to collect data on local practices for radioprotection in interventional echocardiography and to assess the awareness of echocardiography operators about radiation-related risks. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 258 interventional echocardiographers from 52 different countries (48% European) responded to the survey...

Coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO) are an increasingly frequent entity in clinical practice and represent a challenging percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) scenario. Despite data from randomized trials that have not yet demonstrated a clear benefit of CTO recanalization, the widespread of CTO-PCI has substantially increased. The improvement in operators' techniques, equipment, and training programs has led to an improvement in the success rate and safety of these procedures, which will represent an important field of future development of PCI...

Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains a significant global health concern, necessitating timely and precise diagnosis, especially for acute coronary syndromes (ACSs). Traditional diagnostic methods like electrocardiograms (ECGs) are critical, yet the advent of echocardiography has revolutionized cardiac care by providing comprehensive insights into heart function. This article examines the integration of echocardiography in the cardiac catheterization laboratory, emphasizing its role in augmenting traditional diagnostics, enhancing patient outcomes, and preparing for targeted interventions...

(1) Background : Acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains one of the main morbidity and mortality contributors worldwide. Its main treatment, primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI), can only be performed with a high anticoagulation regimen, usually with heparin. There is still not enough evidence regarding the timing of heparin administration. (2) Methods : We conducted a multicenter observational study of 614 consecutive STEMI patients treated between 2017 and 2019. We split the population in two groups: one that received heparin at the first medical contact, as early as possible, and the second group that received heparin at the PCI capable center or in the cath lab...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Intraoperative acute cardiac tamponade associated with iatrogenic intracardiac perforation from percutaneous interventional cardiac procedures is a rare but potentially catastrophic complication. We report a case of intraoperative acute hemopericardium caused by a left atrial (LA) perforation resulting in cardiac tamponade in a patient undergoing a baffling procedure for the correction of two anomalous pulmonary veins draining into her superior vena cava (SVC) that required continuous pericardiocentesis with autologous blood transfusion via the femoral vein and an emergency intraoperative transfer from the interventional cardiology cath lab to the cardiac operating room for an open sternotomy and primary repair...

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic complications of endovascular treatment for central venous stenosis have not yet been reported. Here we present a case of a patient on maintenance hemodialysis who developed catheter-related superior vena cava syndrome and subsequently suffered from hemorrhagic pericardial tamponade after undergoing percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting. CASE PRESENTATION: A 72-year-old male patient presented with uremia, and had been receiving maintenance hemodialysis for the past five years...

BACKGROUND: Information related to research culture in the busy catheterisation (cath) labs across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is sparse. AIMS: The aims of this study were to examine the variability in research culture in busy cath labs in the APAC region and to propose a roadmap for hospitals to develop in-house research capabilities in conjunction with industry and academia. METHODS: Data related to research practices in the APAC region were collected from busy cath labs (at least 250 angioplasty/year) and analysed...

An 80-year-old woman who was an active smoker with neglected long-term hypertension, but no known previous aortic or connective tissue disorders, presented to the emergency department complaining of sudden chest pain associated with cardiogenic shock.

Diagnostic and interventional angiograms are instrumental in the multidisciplinary approach to CAD management, enabling accurate diagnosis and effective targeted treatments that significantly enhance patient care and cardiovascular outcomes. However, cath lab staff, including interventional cardiologists, is consistently exposed to ionizing radiation, which poses inherent health risks. Radiation exposure in the cath lab primarily results from the use of fluoroscopy and cineangiography during diagnostic and interventional procedures...

AIMS: In the SIRONA 2 trial, the safety and efficacy of pulmonary artery (PA) pressure (PAP)-guided heart failure (HF) management using a novel PAP sensor were assessed at 30 and 90 days, respectively, and both endpoints were met. The current study examines the prespecified secondary endpoints of safety and accuracy of the PA sensor along with HF hospitalizations and mortality, HF symptoms, functional capacity, quality of life, and patient compliance through 12 months. METHODS AND RESULTS: SIRONA 2 is a prospective, multi-centre, open-label, single-arm trial evaluating the Cordella™ PA Sensor System in 70 patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III HF with a prior HF hospitalization and/or increase of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide within 12 months of enrolment...

Ghazala Yasin , Divisional Chief Nurse, Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, formerly Cardiology Nurse Consultant, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust ([email protected]) was the winner of the Gold Award in the Cardiovascular Nurse of the Year Category in the BJN Awards 2023.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common complication of diseases affecting the left heart, mostly found in patients suffering from heart failure. Left atrial hypertension is the initial driver of post-capillary PH. However, several mechanisms may lead in a subset of patients to structural changes in the pulmonary vessels with development of a pre-capillary component. The right ventricle may be frequently affected, leading to right ventricular failure and a worse outcome. The differential diagnosis of PH associated with left heart disease vs pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is challenging in patients with cardiovascular comorbidities, risk factors for PAH and/or a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction...

BACKGROUND: Transvenous temporary cardiac pacing (TTCP) is a lifesaving procedure, but the incidence of complications and prognosis depends on the underlying cause. The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics, complications, and prognosis in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) requiring TTCP vs. patients with TTCP due to other causes. METHODS: The present analysis involved 244 cases in whom TTCP was performed between 2017 and 2021 in a high-volume cathlab...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Gender-related discrepancies in personal and professional life have been reported among radio-exposed workers. We assessed this topic among cardiac catheterization workers in Italy, with a focus on gender and working position. METHODS: Radio-exposed workers affiliated with the Italian Association of Hospital Cardiologists were invited to answer an online survey, which included 41 questions formatted as multiple choice. RESULTS: Overall, 237 workers responded...

Thanks to advancements in percutaneous cardiac interventions, an expanding patient population now qualifies for treatment through percutaneous endovascular procedures. High-risk interventions far exceed coronary interventions and include transcatheter aortic valve replacement, endovascular management of acute pulmonary embolism and ventricular tachycardia ablation. Given the frequent impairment of ventricular function in these patients, frequently deteriorating during percutaneous interventions, it is hypothesized that mechanical ventricular support may improve periprocedural survival and subsequently patient outcome...

The role of coronary CT angiography for the diagnosis and risk stratification of coronary artery disease is well established. However, its potential beyond the diagnostic phase remains to be determined. The current review focuses on the insights that coronary CT angiography can provide when planning and performing percutaneous coronary interventions. We describe a novel approach incorporating anatomical and functional pre-procedural planning enhanced by artificial intelligence, computational physiology and online 3D CT guidance for percutaneous coronary interventions...

Every year, 80,000-100,000 ablation procedures take place in the United States and approximately 1% of these involve paediatric patients. As the paediatric population undergoing catheter ablation to treat dysrhythmia is constantly growing, involvement of anaesthesiologists in the cardiac electrophysiology laboratory is simultaneously increasing. Compared with the adult population, paediatric patients need deeper sedation or general anaesthesia (GA) to guarantee motionlessness and preserve comfort. As a result, the anaesthesiologist working in this setting should keep in mind heart physiopathology as well as possible interactions between anaesthetic drugs and arrhythmia...

BACKGROUND: Cardiogenic shock (CS) exhibits high (~50%) in-hospital mortality. The recently published Extracorporeal life Support in Cardiogenic Shock (ECLS-SHOCK) trial demonstrated the neutral effects of the use of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) on all-cause death, as well as on all secondary outcomes in subjects presenting with myocardial-infarction (MI)-related CS. Here, we compared ECLS-SHOCK eligibility criteria with a real-world cohort of CS patients...