The ESC ACCA EAPCI EORP acute coronary syndrome ST-elevation myocardial infarction registry

Aims 

The Acute Cardiac Care Association (ACCA)–European Association of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (EAPCI) Registry on ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) of the EurObservational programme (EORP) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) registry aimed to determine the current state of the use of reperfusion therapy in ESC member and ESC affiliated countries and the adherence to ESC STEMI guidelines in patients with STEMI.

Methods and results 

Between 1 January 2015 and 31 March 2018, a total of 11 462 patients admitted with an initial diagnosis of STEMI according to the 2012 ESC STEMI guidelines were enrolled. Individual patient data were collected across 196 centres and 29 countries. Among the centres, there were 136 percutaneous coronary intervention centres and 91 with cardiac surgery on-site. The majority of centres (129/196) were part of a STEMI network. The main objective of this study was to describe the demographic, clinical, and angiographic characteristics of patients with STEMI. Other objectives include to assess management patterns and in particular the current use of reperfusion therapies and to evaluate how recommendations of most recent STEMI European guidelines regarding reperfusion therapies and adjunctive pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments are adopted in clinical practice and how their application can impact on patients’ outcomes. Patients will be followed for 1 year after admission.

Conclusion 

The ESC ACCA-EAPCI EORP ACS STEMI registry is an international registry of care and outcomes of patients hospitalized with STEMI. It will provide insights into the contemporary patient profile, management patterns, and 1-year outcome of patients with STEMI.

Systemic hypertension counteracts potential benefits of growth hormone replacement therapy on left ventricular remodeling in adults with growth hormone deficiency

BACKGROUND

Systemic Hypertension (SH) is the main cause of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy in the general population, but only scanty data are available on LV geometric remodeling (LVGR) in hypertensive patients with GH deficiency (GHD).

AIM

We investigated hypertensive LVGR in adult-onset GHD patients, before (T0) and after 55±16 months (T1) of individualized GH replacement therapy (GHRT).

SUBJECTS

Fifty-one patients, aged 45±15 yr, 29 women, were enrolled. Fifteen patients met criteria for SH (group A) whereas 36 were normotensive (group B).

METHODS

An echocardiogram was performed on all patients, at least twice (at T0 and T1). LV geometric remodeling as a relationship between LV mass (LVM) index and relative wall thickness (RWT), LV volumes, and ejection fraction were measured.

RESULTS

At T0, group A showed higher LV mass and LVM index values than group B; LV hypertrophy was found in 40% and 22% of patients, respectively (p=0.06). At T1, IGF-I levels had increased significantly in both groups. LV hypertrophy rate consistently increased in group A (from 40 to 60%, p<0.05), whereas slightly decreased in group B (from 22 to 19%, ns). Body surface area (p<0.001), age (p<0.05), and systolic blood pressure (p<0.05) were main determinants of LVM at multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Along with body surface area and age, SH was significantly related to abnormal LVGR (LV hypertrophy) in GHD patients. As a result, blood pressure management and caloric intake restrictions are deemed necessary for this subset of patients.

A comparison of coronary artery stenting with angioplasty for isolated stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery: five year clinical follow up

BACKGROUND

Stent implantation for isolated stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) with preserved left ventricular function has been found to have a better clinical and angiographic outcome at one year than balloon angioplasty (PTCA).

OBJECTIVE

To establish whether those results are maintained at five year follow up.

METHODS

Patients were followed at least every six months. For those who died during follow up, data were obtained from medical records.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Freedom from death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, and repeated target lesion revascularisation. Secondary end points were revascularisation in a remote region and freedom from angina.

RESULTS

Follow up was complete in all patients. At five years, the primary end point was reached more often by patients randomised to stent implantation than to PTCA (80% v 53%; odds ratio (OR) 0.29 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.13 to 0.69); p = 0.0034). In the PTCA group, 35% of patients underwent target lesion revascularisation v 15% in the stent group (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.80; p = 0.014). There was a trend towards increased mortality in the PTCA group than in the stent group (17% v 7%; OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.10 to 1.21; p = 0.098). No significant differences were found between PTCA and stent groups for non-fatal myocardial infarction (8% v 5%; OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.13 to 2.54; p = 0.46) or cerebrovascular accident (2% v 0%).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with isolated stenosis of the proximal LAD, a five year clinical follow up confirmed a better outcome in those treated with stenting than with PTCA.

Ibutilide for cardioversion of atrial flutter: efficacy of a single dose in recent-onset arrhythmias

AIM

Ibutilide is particularly effective in rapid termination of atrial flutter (AFL) with few adverse effects. Despite the recommendation of 2 infusions, cardioversion may occur up to 70 minutes after a single dose. We investigated the feasibility, efficacy and safety of a single dose ibutilide treatment of AFL in a single-center, observational study.

METHODS

Fifty-nine consecutive patients (44 males, mean age 70 +/- 12), referred to our CCU for paroxysmal AFL (mean arrhythmia duration 10 +/- 18 days), were treated with 1 mg ibutilide. In case of inefficacy, a 2nd dose could be administered 10 to 60 minutes later on the basis of the ECG examination for QTc prolongation and AFL cycle variations. Successful cardioversion was defined as sinus rhythm (SR) restoration within 2 hours.

RESULTS

Forty-four patients (75%) converted to SR after ibutilide, 31 with single dose (53%, Group 1), and 13 with double dose (22%, Group 2). AFL duration was shorter in Group 1 (4 +/- 5 vs 16 +/- 29 days). The mean time to the 2nd dose administration was 34 +/- 11 minutes in responders, 51 +/- 23 minutes in non-responders. Only 3 (5%) significant adverse events, all observed after a single dose, occurred.

CONCLUSION

Ibutilide is highly effective and safe, in a monitored environment, for rapid termination of AFL. Recent onset AFL may be terminated with a single infusion in many cases; yet, cardioversion should be waited for no more than 30 minutes after the end of the 1st dose, before administering the 2nd one, in order not to reduce the possibility of SR restoration.

[Detection of left ventricular endocardial border with tissue harmonic imaging]

BACKGROUND

Ultrasonic wave propagation in human tissues is not linear. As a consequence, harmonic waves, whose frequency is a multiple (harmonic) of the emitted frequency, are generated. Tissue Harmonic Imaging (THI) processes only the second harmonic frequency in order to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the received signal. The study was aimed at investigating the impact of THI on the detection of the Left Ventricular (LV) endocardial border. Attention was paid to determine which LV walls were analysed more clearly with THI rather than with conventional Fundamental Frequency Imaging (FFI).

METHODS

We compared the FFI and the THI visualization of the 16 LV segments and of the 6 LV walls in 30 consecutive patients by scoring the images as bad, sufficient or good. The equipment used was a GE Vingmed System Five (Orten, Norway).

RESULTS

Images were good in 85% of segments explored with THI, whereas FFI provided good images in 47% of segments (p<0.001). From the apical window, visualization of the apex, lateral wall and anterior wall significantly improved with THI; using the parasternal approach, imaging of posterior wall was definitely better with THI than with FFI.

CONCLUSIONS

THI enhances both endocardial visualization and global image quality. Tech-nical development, however, increases the diagnostic possibilities of echocardiography but does not substitute the operator's experience.