Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angiography Research Articles

Comparison of single-lead and multi-lead ECG for QT variability assessment using autoregressive modelling

Objective. Beat-to-beat fluctuations in the QT interval—QT variability (QTV)—have been shown to vary amongst the different ECG leads. This study aims to compare the utility of single and multi-lead ECG to disentangle the mechanisms contributing to QTV. Approach. Twelve-lead ECG was analysed in 57 coronary artery disease patients before and after an elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography (PTCA) procedure. QT, RR and respiration time series were extracted. QTV was decomposed into contributions by heart rate, respiration and QTV independent of heart rate and respiration using parametric autoregressive modelling. Signal-to-noise ratio, model goodness-of-fit, mean QT, corrected QT, QT variability and RR variability were also computed. Results from two single leads (Lead II and V5) and three one-dimensional representations of 12-lead ECG (principal component analysis (PCA), vector magnitude (VM), and root mean square of the 8 independent leads of the standard 12 leads (RMS8)) were compared during resting conditions, before and after PTCA, and between patients with myocardial infarction and those without. Main results. At baseline, mean QT and corrected QT were significantly lower in VM and RMS8 compared to single leads. While overall QT variability was not different between the leads, QT independent of heart rate and respiration was significantly lower in VM and RMS8. Following PTCA, changes in these variables were similar in all leads. Differences between patients with MI and those without MI were consistent in all leads. Significance. Despite the differences in some QTV components amongst various leads, single-lead ECG could be sufficient for analyzing QTV in populations with pathological cardiovascular conditions compared to those without, or for quantification of intervention effects.

The effect of lactate levels on prognosis in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Aim: The prognostic role of lactate for early mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) submitted to primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography (PTCA) is not elucidated clearly. This study was conducted with patients that presented to the emergency department (ED) with STEMI and underwent PTCA to investigate whether the changes in lactate values from ED admission to 24 hours after PTCA affected mortality.Material and Methods: This prospective observational study on 143 patients with STEMI was conducted at emergency service and tertiary-level cardiology clinic in a public university hospital. The documentation for each patient included detailed information on demographics, type of myocardial infarction according to electrocardiography and PTCA results, duration of hospital stay, vital signs, laboratory findings on admission, lactate levels 24 hours after PTCA, and outcome (hospital discharge or death). Results: The lactate values are higher in non-surviving groups measured 24 hours after PTCA (P 0.001). The differences in the lactate levels from the time of admission to 24 hours after PTCA were significantly lower in the non-surviving group (P 0.001). Conclusion: Among patients presenting to the ED with STEMI, a high lactate level is associated with mortality. Also, the difference between lactate values of the patients after PTCA is associated with the risk of mortality. Therefore, we consider that first lactate levels in ED and last lactate levels after PTCA in patients with STEMI can provide physicians with an insight into the possibility of mortality.

Analysis of nine death cases with severe dengue fever

Objective To analyze the clinical features of death cases of dengue fever and the causes of their deaths. Methods The clinical data and death reports of nine death cases of dengue fever in Guangdong Province from June 23, 2014 to September 10, 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. All of nine cases were positive for serum dengue virus RNA as confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and some of the virus strains were serotyped. Results The median age of the nine patients was 57.5 (range: 18-80) years. Among them, six patients were females; eight patients were local cases and one was imported case; all of nine cases occurred in September and October. The median time from onset to visit hospital and diagnosis was three and four days, respectively. Three of the nine patients had underlying diseases. All of nine cases had fever, including three with double-peak fever. Eight of the cases had three or more severe dengue fever warning indexes before admission. Three cases had severe bleeding upon admission, one case had shock, and six cases had organ failure. Three cases underwent invasive examination, including arterial puncture catheterization, endoscopic titanium clip hemostasis, and percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography. Two cases developed malignant arrhythmia and one had massive hemorrhage of subcutaneous soft tissue after operation. The death cases included four cases of cardiogenic shock and fatal arrhythmia, three cases of encephalitis and encephalopathy, one case of refractory shock, and one case of acute liver failure. Among the six cases that underwent serological typing, four were identified as dengue virus type 1 (DEN-1) and two were DEN-2. Conclusions Severe organ failure is the major cause of dengue fever-related death, especially fulminant myocarditis, and DEN-1 is most common. Early diagnosis and treatment, and avoidance of invasive procedures can effectively reduce the mortality rate of the severe dengue fever patients. Key words: Severe dengue; Clinical features; Cause analysis

Effects of Catheterization on Artery Function and Health: When Should Patients Start Exercising Following Their Coronary Intervention?

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death worldwide, and percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography (PTCA) and/or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; angioplasty) are commonly used to diagnose and/or treat the obstructed coronaries. Exercise-based rehabilitation is recommended for all CAD patients; however, most guidelines do not specify when exercise training should commence following PTCA and/or PCI. Catheterization can result in arterial dysfunction and acute injury, and given the fact that exercise, particularly at higher intensities, is associated with elevated inflammatory and oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction and a pro-thrombotic milieu, performing exercise post-PTCA/PCI may transiently elevate the risk of cardiac events. This review aims to summarize extant literature relating to the impacts of coronary interventions on arterial function, including the time-course of recovery and the potential deleterious and/or beneficial impacts of acute versus long-term exercise. The current literature suggests that arterial dysfunction induced by catheterization recovers 4-12weeks following catheterization. This review proposes that a period of relative arterial vulnerability may exist and exercise during this period may contribute to elevated event susceptibility. We therefore suggest that CAD patients start an exercise training programme between 2 and 4weeks post-PCI, recognizing that the literature suggest there is a 'grey area' for functional recovery between 2 and 12weeks post-catheterization. The timing of exercise onset should take into consideration the individual characteristics of patients (age, severity of disease, comorbidities) and the intensity, frequency and duration of the exercise prescription.

Risk of heart failure in a population with type 2 diabetes versus a population without diabetes with and without coronary heart disease.

To conduct a population-based study comparing age- and sex-specific risk estimates of heart failure (HF) between people with type 2 diabetes and people without diabetes, and to investigate the risks of HF in association with type 2 diabetes in people with various coronary heart diseases (CHDs). We used a nationally representative sample (one million people) selected from Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) system. A total of 34 291 patients with type 2 diabetes were identified from ambulatory care claims in 2000, and the same number of age- and sex-matched controls were randomly selected from the registry of NHI beneficiaries in the same year. All study subjects were linked to inpatient claims (2000-2013) to identify the possible admissions for HF. Using a Cox proportional hazard regression model, we compared the relative hazards of HF in relation to type 2 diabetes according to various age and sex stratifications. We also compared the relative hazard of HF between type 2 diabetes and controls, with and without histories of various CHDs and coronary revascularization procedures. Compared with absence of diabetes (control group), type 2 diabetes was significantly associated with an increased hazard of HF (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40-1.54]. In both sexes, those with type 2 diabetes aged <45 years had the highest increased hazard of HF, with an aHR of 2.54 (95% CI 1.62-3.98) and 4.12 (95% CI 2.35-7.23) for men and women, respectively. Compared with the control subjects without any CHD, people with type 2 diabetes without prior CHD had increased hazards of HF (aHR 1.54, 95% CI 1.41-1.68, in men and aHR 1.56, 95% CI 1.43-1.71, in women), which were similar to the aHRs for people without diabetes who had histories of heart diseases (aHR 1.60 and 1.55 for men and women, respectively). Diabetes mellitus may increase the risk of HF in both men and women, as well as in all age groups, especially in young people. People with type 2 diabetes without CHD had a similarly increased risk of HF to that of control subjects with CHD. Certain coronary revascularization procedures and CHDs, including percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography, coronary artery bypass surgery and acute myocardial infarction, were found to greatly increase risk of HF in people with type 2 diabetes.

Quaternion-based study of angular velocity of the cardiac vector during myocardial ischaemia

Background: Early detection of acute ischaemia through non-invasive methods remains a challenge in health research. Ischaemic condition caused by a decrease in the blood supply in a cardiac region induces hypoxia and metabolic abnormalities that contribute to the electrical instability of the heart and to the development of slow conduction in damaged tissue. Methods: Herein, a percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography (PTCA) is considered as a model of supply ischaemia. We use the concept of quaternion to develop a robust method for assessing the angular velocity of cardiac vector in the orthogonal XYZ leads obtained from 92 patients undergoing the PTCA procedure. The maxima of angular velocity in both ventricular depolarization and repolarization are combined with traditional linear velocity indexes in order to obtain a detector of ischaemic episodes (Ischaemia Detector, ID). Results:ID achieves 98%/100% of sensitivity/specificity when differentiating healthy subjects from patients with early ischaemia. Furthermore, it also shows high accuracy when the comparison is made between ischaemic subjects and patients with different non-ischaemic pathologic ST-deviations which are known to cause false positives, reaching 95%/98% of sensitivity/specificity. Moreover, the study of significant reductions (p<0.001) of angular velocity components allows extraction of distinct ischaemic common features which are useful for analyzing the dependence of vectorcardiogram signal on each site of occlusion. The sensitivity of injury location reaches values of 88% (RCA), 87% (LAD) and 80% (LCx). Conclusions: The high performance of the proposed method establishes a promising outcome for application in computerized assistance in clinical practice.

A case of myocardial infarction together with acute appendicitis in Emergency Clinic of Turgut Ozal Medical Center

In this study, a case of myocardial infarction (MI) developed in a 55-year old patient who applied to emergency clinic with acute appendicitis was presented. The patient who already had diabetes and hypertension applied to emergency clinic of our hospital due to abdominal pain, and he was diagnosed as having acute appendicitis associated with MI in routine evaluation and analyses. Treatment preference was used for MI for the patient, and the coronary occlusion was opened with using percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography. In the follow up of the patient, the clinical symptoms of the acute appendicitis disappeared, and the patient was discharged with cure without requiring any surgical intervention for the appendicitis. High mortality clinical situations, such as MI, which is stimulated due to various stress factors should be considered in the patients who applied to emergency clinic.

The effects of percutaneous transluminal coronary intervention on biomarkers of oxidative stress in the erythrocytes of elderly male patients

ABSTRACTObjectives: Oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and elective coronary angiography (EC) on erythrocytic antioxidant defense in elderly male patients.Methods: Twenty-three stable angina pectoris (SAP) patients undergoing PTCA and 18 patients with ischemic symptoms scheduled to undergo diagnostic EC were included in the study. The concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) and the activities of Zn,Cu-superoxide dismutase (SOD-1), catalase (CAT), and cytosolic glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were examined in the erythrocytes before, immediately after and 2 weeks following PTCA or EC.Results: The MDA concentrations were significantly higher and SOD-1, CAT, and GSH-Px activities were significantly lower in the PTCA group than in the EC group at baseline. Two weeks after treatment, the activities of the enzymes significantly increased in both groups, whereas the MDA concentrations decreased only in the PTCA patients.Conclusions: The results confirm that an advanced state of atherosclerosis is related to greater levels of oxidative stress. The study indicates that both procedures may induce antioxidant defenses; however, PTCA exclusively induces a long-term reduction in lipid peroxidation.

Abstract P336: Severe Hypoglycemia as an Independent Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factor in Diabetes Patients of Different Vascular Risk: A Retrospective Longitudinal Cohort Study

Background: Previous studies have suggested an association between severe hypoglycemic events (i.e. requiring external assistance) and coronary artery disease (CAD). However, whether this association varies across patients with different vascular risk remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that prior severe hypoglycemia was independently associated with incident CAD in diabetes patients cared for in primary care, and that this association was increased for those with elevated vascular risk. Methods: We identified a diabetes cohort within a primary care practice network using electronic health records (EHR, N=9,173). Patients with severe hypoglycemic events at baseline (before 1/1/2006) were identified via ICD-9 codes, including 251.0-251.2, from emergency department, inpatient and outpatient visits. Incident CAD, including myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography and coronary artery bypass grafting, occurring after the hypoglycemic event, were determined through problem and procedure lists. Patients were followed until incident CAD, death, their last visit within the network, or 6/30/2012. We used Cox regression with time interaction to determine the association between hypoglycemia and CAD, with significance set at P &lt;0.05. We also tested this association among high vascular risk patients (age ≥55 years, Hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] ≥7.5% and ≥2 risk factors [dyslipidemia, hypertension or obesity]), and a subset aged ≥65 years. Results: A total of 285 (3%) patients had a history of severe hypoglycemia at baseline and 1,098 (12%) developed CAD during follow-up. Severe hypoglycemia was associated with a twofold increase in CAD risk [HR 1.90 (95%CI 1.09-3.31)], adjusting for time interaction, vascular risk factors, diabetes duration and HbA1c; the hypoglycemia-CAD association weakened over time (time interaction P=0.06). Further adjustment for microvascular complications and medication exposures attenuated the association [HR 1.67 (0.96-2.92)]. Among 1,823 (20% of the cohort) high vascular risk patients aged ≥55 years, CAD risk was elevated threefold [HR 3.01 (1.15-7.91)], and in those aged ≥65 years (N=996, 11%), fourfold [HR 4.62 (1.65-12.90)]. The association was not significant among lower vascular risk patients [HR 1.61 (0.97-3.75), N=7,350]. Conclusions: Prior severe hypoglycemic episodes were strongly associated with incident CAD, especially among high vascular risk patients who were similar to those studied in the ACCORD trial. Whereas severe hypoglycemia was not as strongly associated with CAD in patients with fewer vascular risk factors. Results of studies like ACCORD only apply to a fifth of diabetes patients in this primary care cohort. Careful evaluation of diabetes treatment and close monitoring for CAD are especially needed in older high vascular risk patients with severe hypoglycemia.

Patient Peak Skin Dose and Dose Area Product from Interventional Cardiology Procedures

Information about the peak skin dose and Dose Area product (DAP) from percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and coronary angiography (CA) was collected from three catheter application rooms. The range of maximum photon energy was 50 - 125 kVp and the fluoroscopy time was 0.6 - 52 seconds. Values of up to 143 Gy·cm2 for DAP and 0.752 mGy for cumulative dose (CD) were found in CA procedures. Otherwise the DAP and CD for PTCA were found to be 143 Gy·cm2 and 2.287 mGy respectively in 3rd Quartile. The relation between the fluoroscopy time and the DAP is also considered. Objectives: The objective of this study is to obtain information about patient peak skin doses (PSD), dose area product (DAP), Fluoroscopy Time (FT) and Cumulative Dose (CD) from PTCA and CA which is the most predominant with respect to high skin doses in addition to other procedures. The aim of this study is also to assess the radiation dose received by patients undergoing interventional radiology procedures, by identifying the procedures that deliver the highest doses. This study is also helpful to establish the reference dose level for adult patients undergoing interventional procedure, and to provide recommendations on how to reduce dose on selected procedures that have been identified to deliver patient dose values near the ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection) threshold values.

Detection of body position changes from the ECG using a Laplacian noise model

Body position changes (BPCs) are manifested as shifts in the electrical axis of the heart, which may lead to ST changes in the ECG, misclassified as ischemic events. This paper presents a novel BPC detector based on a Laplacian noise model. It is assumed that a BPC can be modelled as a step-like change in the two coefficient series that result from the Karhunen–Loève transform of the QRS complex and the ST–T segment. The generalized likelihood ratio test is explored for detection, where the statistical parameters of the Laplacian model are subject to estimation. Two databases are studied: one for assessing detection performance in healthy subjects who perform BPCs, and another for assessing the false alarm rate in ECGs recorded during percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography. The resulting probability of detection (PD) and probability of false alarm (PF) are 0.94 and 0.00, respectively, whereas the false alarm rate in ischemic recordings is 1event/h. The proposed detector outperforms an existing detector based on the Gaussian noise model which achieved a PD/PF of 0.90/0.01 and a false alarm rate of 2events/h. Analysis of the log-likelihood function for the Gaussian and Laplacian noise models show that latter model is more adequate.

Primary Headache and Silent Myocardial Ischemia in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Objective: The mechanisms by which migraine is linked to ischemic vascular disease remain uncertain and are likely to be complex. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between silent myocardial ischemia (SMI) and a history of documented primary headache in a large population of patients with exercise-induced myocardial ischemia. Methods: The study involved 1,427 consecutive patients (918 symptomatic and 509 asymptomatic patients) with exercise-induced myocardial ischemia and documented coronary artery disease (CAD). Results: Patients with anginal symptoms during exercise-induced myocardial ischemia had a significantly higher prevalence of primary headache than those without (41 vs. 30%, p < 0.001). Patients with angina pectoris in daily life also had greater prevalence of primary headache than those without anginal symptoms (37 vs. 20%; p < 0.0001). Symptomatic patients during percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography or myocardial infarction had a greater prevalence of primary headache than asymptomatic patients (p < 0.001 and p = 0.005, respectively). Conclusions: Our data suggest that a history of headache in CAD population is correlated to a high probability of anginal symptoms and a decreased probability of SMI. The anamnestic absence of headache requires a close monitoring for patients with risk factors for CAD, because this population seems to have a lower susceptibility to pain and the risk of developing SMI might be increased.

Effect of sleep‐inducing music on sleep in persons with percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography in the cardiac care unit

The study compared the effect of earplug-delivered sleep-inducing music on sleep in persons with percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography in the cardiac care unit. Diverse types of music have been claimed to improve sleeping elsewhere, but relatively little is known in South Korea. Most studies investigating the effect of sleep-inducing music on sleep have involved persons with insomnia, even though many persons with cardiovascular disease in the intensive care unit suffer from sleeping problems. There is a need to investigate the effect of sleep-inducing music on sleep disorders in persons with percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography in the cardiac care unit. An experimental research design was used. Data collection was conducted in the cardiac care unit of K University Hospital in D city, from 3 September-4 October 2010. Fifty-eight subjects participated and were randomly assigned to the experimental group (earplug-delivered sleep-inducing music for 52 min beginning at 10:00 pm, while wearing an eyeshield, n = 29) and the control group (no music, but earplugs and eyeshield worn, n = 29). The quantity and quality of sleep were measured using questionnaires at 7 am the next morning for each group. Participants in the experimental group reported that the sleeping quantity and quality were significantly higher than control group (t = 3·181, p = 0·002, t = 5·269, p < 0·001, respectively). Sleep-inducing music significantly improved sleep in patients with percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography at a cardiac care unit. Offering earplugs and playing sleep-inducing music may be a meaningful and easily enacted nursing intervention to improve sleep for intensive care unit patients. Nurses working at cardiac care unit can use music to improve sleeping in clients with percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography.

Endogenous Cardiac Stem Cell Activation by Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1/Hepatocyte Growth Factor Intracoronary Injection Fosters Survival and Regeneration of the Infarcted Pig Heart

The purpose of this study was to test the ability of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1/hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) to activate resident endogenous porcine cardiac stem/progenitor cells (epCSCs) and to promote myocardial repair through a clinically applicable intracoronary injection protocol in a pig model of myocardial infarction (MI) relevant to human disease. In rodents, cardiac stem/progenitor cell (CSC) transplantation as well as in situ activation through intramyocardial injection of specific growth factors has been shown to result in myocardial regeneration after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Acute MI was induced in pigs by a 60-min percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography left anterior descending artery occlusion. The IGF-1 and HGF were co-administered through the infarct-related artery in a single dose (ranging from 0.5 to 2 μg HGF and 2 to 8 μg IGF-1) 30 min after coronary reperfusion. Pigs were sacrificed 21 days later for dose-response relationship evaluation by immunohistopathology or 2 months later for cardiac function evaluation by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The IGF-1/HGF activated c-kit positive-CD45 negative epCSCs and increased their myogenic differentiation in vitro. The IGF-1/HGF, in a dose-dependent manner, improved cardiomyocyte survival, and reduced fibrosis and cardiomyocyte reactive hypertrophy. It significantly increased c-kit positive-CD45 negative epCSC number and fostered the generation of new myocardium (myocytes and microvasculature) in infarcted and peri-infarct/border regions at 21 and 60 days after AMI. The IGF-1/HGF reduced infarct size and improved left ventricular function at 2 months after AMI. In an animal model of AMI relevant to the human disease, intracoronary administration of IGF-1/HGF is a practical and effective strategy to reduce pathological cardiac remodeling, induce myocardial regeneration, and improve ventricular function.

Exercise training decreases the size and alters the composition of the neointima in a porcine model of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)

Exercise training (EX) following percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography (PTCA) reduces progression to restenosis and increases event-free survival rates. Our aim was to determine whether EX inhibits lesion development and/or alters the extracellular matrix (ECM) composition of the neointima (NI) in a porcine PTCA model. Miniature Yucatan swine were assigned to cage confinement (SED) or EX for 20 wk. After 16 wk, all animals underwent a PTCA procedure of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and left circumflex artery (LCX), with subsequent placement of an externalized jugular catheter. Animals recovered for 2 days and then resumed the previous protocol of SED or EX. Twelve days following PTCA, all animals received an intravenous bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) injection to label proliferating cells. At 28 days following PTCA, the animals were euthanized, the LAD and LCX excised, and underwent standard histological processing for total collagen, type I collagen, fibronectin, BrdU, and Verhoeff-van Gieson stain. Our results demonstrate that EX significantly decreased lesion size and NI proliferation (-48%) in the LAD (P < 0.05) but not the LCX. Furthermore, EX attenuated type I collagen expression only in LAD, whereas total collagen was increased (5.9%) and fibronectin was decreased (-7.9%) in the NI of both vessels (P < 0.05). In conclusion, EX following PTCA may increase event-free survival rates following PTCA by decreasing lesion size and altering ECM composition.

Correction

Correction| March 01 2009 Correction Am J Crit Care (2009) 18 (2): 102. https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2009134 Connected Content Errata: American Journal of Critical Care: Transparent Film Dressing vs Pressure Dressing After Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angiography Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Cite Icon Cite Get Permissions Citation Correction. Am J Crit Care 1 March 2009; 18 (2): 102. doi: https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2009134 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAmerican Journal of Critical Care Search Advanced Search Due to a typographical error on page 15 in the article by McIe and colleagues, “Transparent Film Dressing vs Pressure Dressing After Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angiography” (2009;18[1]:14–20), it was incorrectly stated that angioplasty “was first performed in 1997 for treatment of occluded coronary arteries....” The correct date of the first angioplasty was in fact 1977. We regret the error. View Original Article You do not currently have access to this content.

Transparent Film Dressing vs Pressure Dressing After Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angiography

Pressure dressings have been used as the standard following sheath removal after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in many institutions. Patients complain about discomfort while the dressing is in place, pain when the dressing is removed after discharge, and skin complications afterward. Many patients have experienced skin irritation where tape has been applied. Nurses have also described difficulty assessing the sheath insertion site in the groin when a pressure dressing is in place. To compare 3 different dressings with respect to effect on bleeding, discomfort voiced by patients, and ease of groin assessment in patients after percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography. A total of 100 patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: pressure dressing, transparent film dressing, or adhesive bandage. Outcome variables were bleeding, patient discomfort, and nurse-reported ease of observation of the groin site. No bleeding occurred in patients with transparent film dressings or adhesive bandages. Patients rated these dressings significantly higher than they rated the pressure dressing. Because two-thirds of the sample had previously undergone percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography, they could compare their experience with the new dressing with previous experiences with pressure dressings. Nurses rated the ease of assessing the groin significantly higher for the transparent film and adhesive bandage dressings than for pressure dressings. As a result of this study, a practice change was made hospital-wide: rather than a standard opaque pressure dressing, a transparent film dressing is used for all patients after removal of a femoral sheath.

Left Ventricular Free Wall Rupture Subsequent to Early Myocardial Reinfarction after Successful Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angiography

Left ventricular free wall rupture is a rare complication of acute myocardial infarction. Scarcely has a cardiac rupture subsequent to early reinfarction been reported. A left ventricular free wall rupture subsequent to reinfarction after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography in a 78-year-old female is herein described.

Rescue left main coronary artery stenting for acute myocardial ischemia after coronary angiography in a 7‐year‐old girl with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HFH), resulting from mutation of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene with subsequent defective catabolism of the LDL cholesterol, leads to premature atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. We report a successful urgent stent implantation in a 7-year-old patient with HFH and a severe left main coronary artery stenosis, who presented critical acute myocardial ischemia immediately after left coronary angiography. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography with stent implantation allowed for rapid coronary flow reestablishment without sequelae. Aggressive lipid-lowering therapy with high doses statins and LDL-apheresis was maintained, together with lifelong antiaggregant acetylsalicylic treatment with good short-term patency of the stent at 1-year follow-up. In conclusion, coronary artery stent implantation may be considered as a valid rescue therapeutic alternative for pediatric patients with HFH and severe ostial coronary stenosis in case of emergency.

Rise and fall of B-type natriuretic peptide levels in patients with coronary artery disease and normal left ventricular function after cardiac revascularization

Recently, it was shown that B-type natriuretic peptide levels are increased in patients with acute coronary syndromes. To assess the relation between B-type natriuretic peptide and ischemia in patients with stable and unstable angina pectoris with normal left ventricular function in relation to the extent of ischemia and response to revascularization. Fifty-nine consecutive patients were enrolled in the study, patients were divided into two groups: stable angina patients (group I, n=18), and unstable coronary patients (group II, n=41). Baseline characteristics were compared with 15 age-matched and sex-matched participants. B-type natriuretic peptide levels were measured at baseline and 3, 7 and 90 days after coronary revascularization in group I and II. Patients with unstable angina pectoris had increased B-type natriuretic peptide levels compared with stable angina pectoris patients (B-type natriuretic peptide levels: controls 15.5+/-13 pg/ml, stable angina pectoris group 28.4+/-19 pg/ml, unstable angina pectoris group 104+/-81 pg/ml; P<0.01). A relationship between the number of affected coronary vessels and B-type natriuretic peptide was assessed (one-vessel 29.9+/-21 pg/ml, two-vessel 93.8+/-87 pg/ml, three-vessel 119+/-88 pg/ml; P<0.01). After revascularization, B-type natriuretic peptide levels decreased in groups I and II (25+/-20 vs. 39+/-28 pg/ml) and were similar after 90 days in percutaneous transluminal coronary angiograghy and in coronary artery bypass grafting groups (percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography 26+/-22 pg/ml, coronary artery bypass grafting 36+/-26 pg/ml; NS). B-type natriuretic peptide levels increase in unstable angina pectoris patients and are linked to the extent of coronary disease in patients with normal left ventricular systolic function, and returned to baseline level after surgical or catheter revascularization.