Prosthetic Heart Valve Thrombosis Research Articles

Ultraslow low-dose thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute mechanical prosthetic heart valve thrombosis – A prospective cohort study

BackgroundWhile surgery still remains the gold standard treatment for mechanical prosthetic valve thrombosis (MPVT) by many guidelines, the ultraslow low-dose thrombolytic regimen has been reported as a promising alternative. MethodsIn this prospective single-center cohort, patients with acute MPVT were treated with an ultraslow low-dose thrombolytic regimen consisting of 25 mg infusion of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rtPA) over 25 h. The regimen could be repeated in case of failure until resolution/occurrence of adverse events or a maximum cumulative dose of 150 mg. The primary outcome was the complete MPVT resolution rate; other outcomes included first-dose success rate, major bleeding, thromboembolic events, mortality, and total thrombolytic dose/duration. ResultsBetween April 2018 to January 2024, 135 episodes of acute MPVT were treated with an ultraslow low-dose thrombolytic regimen in 118 patients. In 118/135 (87.4 %) episodes, right-sided prosthetic valve was involved. Complete success was achieved in 88.1 % of cases, with 39.5 % responding after the first dose. The median total dose was 50 mg over a median of 30 h. Only one fatal intracranial hemorrhage occurred (0.7 %), with no other bleeding or thromboembolic complications. ConclusionThe ultraslow low-dose thrombolytic regimen appears to exhibit high efficacy and acceptable safety in treating acute MPVT. Further large clinical trials are essential for validating these preliminary findings.

Surgery compared to fibrinolytic therapy for symptomatic left-sided prosthetic heart valve thrombosis (SAFE-PVT): Rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundLeft-sided mechanical prosthetic heart valve thrombosis (PVT) occurs because of suboptimal anticoagulation and is common in low-resource settings. Urgent surgery and fibrinolytic therapy (FT) are the two treatment options available for this condition. Urgent surgery is a high-risk procedure but results in successful restoration of valve function more often and is the treatment of choice in developed countries. In low-resource countries, FT is used as the default treatment strategy, though it is associated with lower success rates and a higher rate of bleeding and embolic complications. There are no randomized trials comparing the two modalities. MethodsWe performed a single center randomized controlled trial comparing urgent surgery (valve replacement or thrombectomy) with FT (low-dose, slow infusion tissue plasminogen activator, tPA) in patients with symptomatic left-sided PVT. The primary outcome was the occurrence of a complete clinical response, defined as discharge from hospital with completely restored valve function, in the absence of stroke, major bleeding or non-CNS systemic embolism. Outcome assessment was done by investigators blinded to treatment allocation. The principal safety outcome was the occurrence of a composite of in-hospital death, non-fatal stroke, non-fatal major bleed or non-CNS systemic embolism. Outcomes will be assessed both in the intention-to-treat, and in the as-treated population. We will also report outcomes at one year of follow-up. The trial has completed recruitment. ConclusionThis is the first randomized trial to compare urgent surgery with FT for the treatment of left-sided PVT. The results will provide evidence to help clinicians make treatment choices for these patients.(Clinical trial registration: CTRI/2017/10/010159).

Monocyte to HDL ratio may predict thrombosis in patients with mechanical mitral and aortic valve prosthesis.

Increased inflammatory biomarkers have been reported in prosthetic heart valve thrombosis (PHVT). Monocyte to HDL ratio (MHR) and albumin to CRP levels (CAR) are two biomarkers used widely for systemic inflammation but there is a lack of data on prosthetic heart valves. This study aimed to find out the potential predictive value of MHR and CAR for PHVT. Patients who had the diagnosis of mechanical mitral/aortic PHVT and normally functioning prosthesis were retrospectively analyzed. Laboratory data including complete blood count and biochemistry were recorded. Transesophageal echocardiography was performed to diagnose PHVT. The study included 118 patients with mechanical PHVT and 120 patients with normally functioning prosthesis. White blood count, monocyte levels, C-reactive protein, MHR and CAR were significantly higher whereas the lymphocyte, HDL and INR levels on admission were lower in patients with PHVT. Multivariate analysis showed that as well as inadequate anticoagulation, MHR, but not CAR, was found to be an independent predictor of thrombosis in patients with PHVT. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to detect the best cut-off value of MHR in the prediction of thrombosis in patients with prosthetic valves. MHR level of > 12.8 measured on admission, yielded an AUC value of 0.791 [(CI 95% 0.733-0.848 p < 0.001) sensitivity 71%, specificity 70%]. Inadequate anticoagulation is the primary cause that leads to thrombosis in mechanical prosthetic valves. Increased MHR, but not CAR, was also shown to be an independent predictor of thrombosis in patients with mechanical mitral and aortic prosthetic valves.

Prosthetic heart valve thrombosis - a headache for the heart team: A case report

Introduction. Prosthetic valve thrombosis is usually a subacute or chronic condition, although it may also present with a fresh thrombus. It occurs in two forms: obstructive and non-obstructive thrombosis. Case Report. We present a case of a female patient who underwent mitral valve replacement with mechanical prosthesis due to severe mitral stenosis. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on vitamin K antagonist therapy with international normalized ratio target 3.0. Five months later, the patient was admitted with severe shortness of breath and signs of acute heart failure. International normalized ratio at that moment was 2.3. Transthoracic echocardiography indicated severely raised gradient across the prosthetic valve and mechanical valve malfunction was suspected. Cinefluoroscopy showed that one of the prosthetic valve leaflets was completely immobile. Transesophageal echocardiography definitely confirmed thrombosis of the prosthetic valve with large multiple thrombi that completely fixed one leaflet in closed position, and partially limited the motion amplitude of the other leaflet. There were thrombi floating between the left ventricle and left atrium. Thrombectomy of the prosthetic valve was performed, which was sufficient for the complete restoration of the mechanical valve function. The vitamin K antagonist dosage was carefully up-titrated in order to reach and maintain the target international normalized ratio of 3.0. Conclusion. Prosthetic valve thrombosis is a serious and life-threatening condition that requires urgent management. Coordination and cooperation of the whole heart team is necessary for optimal choice of treatment, which primarily includes surgery or fibrinolysis.

Repeated prosthetic heart valve thrombosis with idiopathic eosinophilia.

Repeated prosthetic heart valve thrombosis with idiopathic eosinophilia.

Imaging Spectrum of Valvular and Paravalvular Complications of Prosthetic Heart Valve at CT Angiography.

Prosthetic heart valve (PHV) dysfunction is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening condition. In routine practice, transthoracic echocardiography and cinefluoroscopy comprise first-line imaging for the diagnostic evaluation of PHV dysfunction. In cases in which the findings of echocardiography and cinefluoroscopy remain inconclusive or are contradictory, CT angiography can resolve these conflicts. CT angiography also provides incremental diagnostic information about patients with suspected PHV obstruction and endocarditis, in which case it can demonstrate the anatomic substrate and extent of involvement. Additionally, information regarding the coronary arteries, cardiac dimensions, and retrosternal space may be obtained in cases in which repeat surgery is planned. This imaging essay describes the imaging spectrum of valvular and paravalvular complications of PHV at CT angiography and how the knowledge regarding the spectrum of complications can be incorporated into multimodality imaging for guiding clinical management. Keywords: Prosthetic Heart Valve Dysfunction, Prosthetic Heart Valve Thrombosis, Pannus, Paravalvular Leak, CT Angiography, Cardiac, Valves Supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2021.

Low-dose slow infusion thrombolysis in the treatment of prosthetic heart valve thrombosis: a clinical case

Agnė Kraujelytė1, Indrė Justina Ignatavičiūtė1, Vilius Janušauskas2, Aleksėjus Zorinas2, Jurij Šabliauskas3, Donata Ringaitienė3 1Vilnius University, Faculty of medicine, Vilnius, Lithuania. 2Heart and Chest Surgery Center, Cardiac Surgery department – Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics 3Institute of Clinical Medicine- Vilnius University- Faculty of Medicine, Clinic of Anesthesiology and Reanimatology- Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics – Centre of Anaesthesiology- Intensive Therapy and Pain Management, Vilnius, Lithuania. Background and Aims. Describe and present a clinical case of a patient treated with low-dose slow infusion thrombolysis after prosthetic valve thrombosis. Methods. The patient is a 75 year old women treated with low–dose slow infusion thrombolysis in the Resuscitation and Intensive Care Unit II of Vilnius University Hospital. Data was monitored since 2017 till 2020. A detailed analysis of the patient’s life and medical history was made. The course and dynamics of examinations and treatment procedures / medications prescribed to the patient were analyzed in a structured way. The literature on the selected topic is examined in detail in order to compare the efficacy and outcome of low-dose slow infusion thrombolysis with the results of previous studies and in the case we presented. Permission to use patient data has been obtained with the consent of the personal data protection specialist. Patient confidentiality was guaranteed – name, surname, address and other personal data were not collected. The results of the study are published only in a summary form. Results. A 75-year-old patient had a prosthetic mitral mechanical valve in 2009 St. Jude 29 MJ. In 2015, the valve was replaced due to high thrombosis. Since 2016 the woman was hospitalized 4 times (once a year) in December for recurrent mitral valve thrombosis for a low-dose slow infusion thrombolysis procedure. Overall of 12 thrombolysis were performed. Actilyse 25 mg / 6 h was infused with heparin after each thrombolysis for aPTT 50-80 sec. The efficacy of thrombolysis was evaluated by repeated transesophageal ultrasound examinations. The mean pressure gradient dynamics was decreasing (24mmHg 4.3mmHg). A geneticist and hematologist were consulted for suspected thrombophilia that had not been diagnosed, but hyperhomocysteinemia had been identified. 2020 she was hospitalized in July for suspected recurrent MV prosthetic thrombosis, but there were insufficient data on thrombosis, so the patient was admitted to outpatient treatment, recommending a Level III cardiologist consultation twice a year. Conclusions. Low-dose, slow-infusion thrombolytic therapy is currently increasingly being used in patients with prosthetic valve thrombosis. This is because it has safety, efficacy, and a lower incidence of complications. However, this clinical case demonstrates that such treatment does not always prevent recurrence of thrombosis. Keywords: Actilyse, low – dose, slow infusion thrombolysis, prosthetic valve thrombosis. https://doi.org/10.53453/ms.2021.06.20

Obstructive thrombosis of mitral prosthesis — diagnostic trap during a pandemic

Prosthetic obstructive thrombosis, being a major emergency, requires the identification of symptoms of heart failure, which are crucial elements in the early diagnosis and initiation of prompt therapeutic management. Adequate clinical, preclinical and instrumental assessment is the key tactic, used both to confirm the diagnosis and to assess the severity of the general condition and the prognosis of survival of the patient with obstructive thrombosis of the valve prosthesis. Prosthetic heart valve thrombosis is a rare but serious complication. Surgery is the first-line therapy in symptomatic obstructive mechanical valve thrombosis, thrombolytic therapy has been used as an alternative to surgical treatment. In this case report we described a 63-year-old woman who had undergone mitral valve replacement operation 11 months ago, presenting to the guard room in an extremely serious general condition, in polyvisceral and polysystemic dysfunction syndrome (MODS). A thrombus was detected on the prosthetic mitral valve with high transmitral gradient by transthoracic echocardiography. Tissue plasminogen activator treatment was administered successfully. The gradient was improved on prosthetic mitral valve and embolic complications or bleeding were not occurred.

Mechanical prosthetic valve thrombosis in current era: 5-year follow-up.

The incidence of prosthetic valve dysfunction (stuck valve) is variable and is dependent on various factors. There are studies from Indian groups that have emphasized the success of thrombolysis; however, none of them reported a follow-up. This study was designed to emphasize on the follow-up of these patients at midterm. The patients of prosthetic valve thrombosis between period of January 2013 and December 2017 were included in this retrospective observational study. Sixty-six patients were admitted with stuck valve during this period. Thrombolysis was preferred modality of treatment. Survivors were followed up with serial echocardiography, which included estimation of left ventricular and valve functions. Of a total of 66 patients, 59 were of stuck mitral valve and 7 stuck aortic valve. The event happened at a mean of 48.86 ± 48.80months after index operation of valve replacement using mechanical valve prosthesis. The median age was 40.27 ± 10.8years with 39 males and 27 females. Thrombolysis was successful in 61 patients with a mortality of 5 (7.57%). During a mean follow-up of 22.7 ± 20.9months, 42 patients were alive with 14 (22.95%) patients dead and 5 patients lost to follow-up. The average follow-up was 18.7 ± 22.7months before death. Following good early results after thrombolysis, patients of prosthetic heart valve thrombosis experience high mortality within 2years of follow-up. These patients require frequent follow-up to avoid early mortality.

Index of deterioration of patients with mechanical prosthetic heart valve thrombosis

BackgroundMechanical prosthetic heart valves are known for their durability; however, a malfunctioning prosthesis can deteriorate rapidly to become a life-threatening complication. Our aim was to calculate a numerical index to express the rate of clinical deterioration of patients presenting with a mechanical prosthetic heart valve thrombosis (PVT), called the index of deterioration (ID), and to evaluate its usefulness in predicting hospital outcomes.ResultsThe median ID and range were (0.43, 0.03-3) NYHA class/day. A higher ID was significantly related to early development of PVT after native valve replacement, younger age, female gender, pregnancy, non-compliance to oral anticoagulation (OAC), low LVEF%, high mean pressure gradient across a mitral prosthesis, raised serum creatinine, and SGOT on admission (P < 0.05). Independent predictors were early presentation after native valve replacement, female gender, and non-compliance to OAC (P < 0.05).ID correlated positively with the need for urgent/emergency surgery, and the durations of cardiopulmonary bypass, postoperative mechanical ventilation, and positive inotropes. ID correlated negatively with the postoperative LVEF% (P < 0.05). Median ID of the 21 mortalities (0.75, 0.1-3) was > 2.1 times that of survivors (0.35: 0.03−2; P = 0.002), and the median ID of the 29 cases with postoperative complications (0.5, 0.1-1.5) was 2.5 times that of the 39 uneventful cases (0.2, 0.03-2; P = 0.011). The ID significantly predicted both mortality (odds ratio 3.87; 1.33-1.29; P = 0.013) and mortality and hospital complications (odds ratio 4.77; 1.49-15.2; P = 0.008). The respective discriminating abilities were AUC 0.734 (0.616-0.852; P = 0.002) and 0.724 (0.61-0.835; P < 0.001). EuroScore II correlated positively with ID (r = 0.571; P < 0.001) but showed better discriminative abilities.ConclusionThe simple index of deterioration was useful in monitoring deterioration and predicting hospital progression and outcomes in patients presenting with PVT.

Safety of thrombolytic therapy in patients with prosthetic heart valve thrombosis who have high international normalized ratio levels.

Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) is a rare but life-threatening complication of heart valve replacement. Based on the current guidelines, the treatment of a large number of these patients could be performed through the administration of thrombolytic agents. In the present study, we aim to assess the safety of thrombolytic therapy in patients with PVT who have high international normalized ratio (INR) levels. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed outcomes of thrombolytic therapy in 65 PVT patients with different levels of INR at the time of fibrinolysis at a tertiary cardiac center. Mean age of patients was 51.6 ± 12.47 years. The tricuspid valve was the most common site of prosthetic valve thrombosis (64.6%). The Median (range) of INR was 2.1 (0.9-4.9). The majority of patients (50.8%) achieved a complete response following thrombolytic treatment. There were no cases of intracranial hemorrhage. Other major and minor bleedings occurred in 3 (4.6%) and 10 (15.4%) patients, respectively. No embolic stroke and systemic embolism were observed. We found no significant difference in the frequency of major (P-value = .809) and minor (P-value = .483) bleeding as well as response to thrombolytic therapy (P-value = .658) between patients with different levels of INR. Total administered dose of Streptokinase was also similar in PVT patients with or without major (P-value = .467) and minor (P-value = .221) bleeding complications. We concluded that there was no significant difference between PVT patients presenting with subtherapeutic and high INR levels who received thrombolytic treatments regarding both minor and major bleeding complications as well as response to thrombolysis.

Risk Factors Associated with Heart Valve Thrombosis in Patients with Prosthetic Heart Valve Dysfunction.

Thrombotic and thromboembolic events are important causes of mortality and morbidity in patients with prosthetic heart valve. The aim of this study is to evaluate the factors that may contribute to prosthetic heart valve thrombosis. This was a cross-sectional study in Rajaie Heart Center on patients with prosthetic heart valve malfunction, within a year. According to the echocardiographic and fluoroscopic findings, the patients were divided into two groups (thrombosis and non-thrombosis groups). The patients' demographic, clinical and laboratory data were recorded and analyzed with SPSS software. A total of 142 patients participated in this study. Ninety-four patients (66.2%) were diagnosed with thrombosis. There was a significant relationship between thrombosis and inadequate anti-coagulation (international normalized rati [INR] <2.5) (odds ratio [OR]: 4.15, 95% CI: 1.98-9.87, P = 0.003), history of infection (OR: 12.81, 95% CI: 3.52-19.02, P<0.001), prothrombin time (PT) check interval (OR: 2.38, 95% CI: 1.63-8.47, P = 0.019), atrial fibrillation (AF) rhythm (OR: 3.96, 95% CI: 1.75-8.09, P = 0.019), and plasma fibrinogen level (OR: 6.90, 95% CI: 2.58-14.69). Based on this study, inadequate anti-coagulation, AF rhythm, recent infection and plasma fibrinogen level were the factors most contributing to prosthetic valve thrombosis. As there were many cases of thrombosis in patients with history of infection, this factor can be considered for risk assessment in prosthetic valve.

Safety of low-dose prolonged infusion of tissue plasminogen activator therapy in patients with thromboembolic events in the intensive care unit.

Objective Thromboembolic events such as acute coronary syndrome related prosthetic heart valve thrombosis, pulmonary artery embolism and renal artery embolism are a rare condition but a major cause of morbidity and mortality. In this study we discussed low-dose thrombolytic therapy, in patients with thromboembolic events in the intensive care unit.Methods The study was performed on 12 consecutive patients [8 female; 50.3±16.0 (35-95) years] with acute thromboembolism including acute coronary syndrome related prosthetic heart valve thrombosis, acute pulmonary embolism and acute renal embolism who were treated with low-dose (25 mg) and slow infusion (6 hours) of t-PA. We evaluated mainly in-hospital safety and also effectiveness.Total treatment episodes was 1.66±0.88 (1-4) times.Results All thromboembolic events have been successfully treated with low-dose (25 mg) and slow infusion (6 hours) of t-PA. The success criteria were clinically improvement and radiologically lysis. None of the patients had ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, embolism (peripheral and recurrence of coronary artery embolism), bleeding requiring transfusion. The most frequent in-hospital complication was a gum bleeding without need for transfusion (two patients).Conclusions In our case series low-dose (25 mg) and slow infusion (6 hours) of t-PA have been performed successfully for thromboembolic events including acute coronary syndrome related prosthetic heart valve thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and renal embolism in patients with in the intensive care unit. Safety is promising and if efficacy will be proved; this method may be a valuable alternative to standard fibrinolytic regimen.

Thrombolytic therapy in prosthetic valve thrombosis in the second trimester of pregnancy

Pregnancy with mechanical valves requires anticoagulation, the risk of bleeding and embryopathy associated with oral anticoagulation must be weighed against the risk of valve thrombosis. In the presence of a mechanical valve thrombosis, an appropriate treatment modality must be selected. Prosthetic valve thrombosis during pregnancy requires immediate therapy such as valve replacement, thrombolytic therapy, or surgical thrombectomy. A course of thrombolytic therapy may be considered as a first-line therapy for prosthetic heart valve thrombosis. We describe a primigravida (second trimester) with mitral valve replacement status presenting with acute prosthetic valve thrombosis and treated successfully with intravenous streptokinase.

OUTCOMES OF THROMBOLYSIS WITH TISSUE PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR IN PROSTHETIC HEART VALVE THROMBOSIS PATIENTS

The optimum mode of management for prosthetic heart valve thrombosis (PHVT) remains controversial. At most places, intravenous thrombolysis is used as primary treatment for these patients and surgery is offered to patients with contraindications or failed thrombolysis. The PHVT patients who

Clinical profile of prosthetic heart valve thrombosis and outcome analysis of fibrinolytic therapy versus surgical management: A single-center experience

Context: The main aim of the study is to find out efficacy, outcomes, and complications of thrombolytic therapy and surgery for obstructive prosthetic heart valve thrombosis (PHVT).Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, observational study done on 130 patients with PHVT, from January 2016 to December 2017. Baseline details, clinical investigations, echocardiography, and fluoroscopy were done. In fibrinolytic therapy, group agents used were streptokinase and urokinase. Out of 130, 115 patients were followed for up to 6 months after the discharge.Results: Majority of the patients were females (66.9%). Sixty-five (50%) patients were in the New York Heart Association Class III, whereas 55 (42.3%) and 10 (7.7%) patients were in Class IV and II, respectively. Nearly 34.6% patients had AF, and remaining 63.1% had sinus rhythm. Out of 130 patients, 26 (20%) patients had single-leaflet valve and 103 (79.2%) patients had bileaflet valve, and only one patient had ball and cage type of the valve. Out of 130 patients, 81 (62.3%) patients received fibrinolytic therapy as the first-line therapy and 49 (37.7%) patients underwent surgery initially. In fibrinolytic therapy group, three patients underwent surgery due to failed fibrinolytic therapy. Fifty-three patients (65.5%) had complete hemodynamic and clinical success without any complications; 28 patients (34.5%) had failure. Of 130 patients, 49 patients underwent surgery as the initial treatment. In the surgical group, three patients died out of 52 patients; mortality rate was 5.80%.Conclusion: Surgery should be offered to patients with contraindications for fibrinolytic therapy as in case of recurrent PHVT surgery offers better outcome with lesser recurrences when compared with fibrinolytic therapy.

Heparanase in the Coagulation System.

The hemostatic cascade is initiated by the transmembrane coagulation protein- tissue factor (TF) and eventuates in fibrin formation. Heparanase protein was demonstrated to directly enhance TF activity resulting in increased activation of the coagulation system. In addition, heparanase was found to increase hemostatic system activation via two other mechanisms: up-regulating TF expression in endothelial cells and releasing the protein tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) from the cell surface. Peptides derived from TFPI-2, a protein similar to TFPI, were shown to inhibit the TF/heparanase complex as well as attenuate sepsis and tumor growth. Increased heparanase procoagulant activity was observed in several clinical settings, including women using oral contraceptives, women at delivery, patients following orthopedic surgery and patients with diabetic foot, shift work female nurses, patients with lung cancer, retinal vein thrombosis and prosthetic heart valve thrombosis. Remarkably, the heparanase profile was significantly different across the tested groups. Inhibition of TF / heparanase interaction may represent a new target for attenuating coagulation, cancer and inflammation.

Improvement of endothelial function early after thrombolytic therapy in patients with prosthetic heart valve thrombosis.

Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) is a serious complication among patients with prosthetic heart valves. Thrombolytic therapy (TT) is now widely used as first-line treatment for PVT. Endothelial dysfunction has previously been reported in patients with PVT. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in endothelial function soon after TT in PVT patients. The study group included 85 patients with PVT [female: 53 (62.3%); age: 48.7±13.9 years] who were evaluated prospectively before and shortly after TT. All of the patients were evaluated using transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. TT was administered in all cases with a low-dose, ultra-slow infusion regimen. Endothelial function was evaluated using a noninvasive measurement of flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery during reactive hyperemia. The study population included 38 (44.7%) obstructive and 47 (55.3%) non-obstructive PVT patients. The obstructive PVT patients had lower baseline FMD values than the non-obstructive PVT group (5.31±0.76% vs. 5.87±0.84%; p=0.003). TT was successful in 79 patients (92.9%). FMD was significantly increased in the successfully thrombolyzed patients after TT (5.65±0.86% vs. 7.13±1.26%; p<0.001). There was no significant difference in the FMD values after TT in patients who were unresponsive to TT (5.07±0.61% vs. 5.38±0.95%; p=0.371). There was a significant increase in FMD values after TT in patients with obstructive PVT (5.31±0.76% vs. 8.22±1.15%; p<0.001). However, this difference was not statistically significant for patients with non-obstructive PVT (5.87±0.84% vs. 6.11±0.95%; p=0.276). This study demonstrated that successful TT may contribute to improvement of impaired endothelial function in patients with obstructive PVT.

Coronary Embolism: A Systematic Review.

Coronary embolism is a rare and potentially fatal phenomenon that occurs primarily in patients with valvular heart disease and atrial fibrillation. There is a lack of consensus regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and management of coronary embolism, leaving management at the discretion of the treating physician. Through this review, we aim to establish a better understanding of coronary embolism, and to identify treatment options - invasive and non-invasive - that may be used to manage coronary embolism. Our systematic review included 147 documented cases of coronary embolism from case reports and case series. The average age of our population was 54.2 ± 17.6 years. The most common causes of coronary embolism included infective endocarditis (22.4%), atrial fibrillation (17.0%), and prosthetic heart valve thrombosis (16.3%). Initial presentation was indistinguishable from an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) due to coronary atherosclerosis, and the diagnosis required a high level of suspicion and evaluation with angiography. Treatment strategies included, but were not limited to, thrombectomy, thrombolysis, balloon angioplasty and stent placement. Myocardial dysfunction on echocardiography was observed in over 80% of patients following coronary embolism. "Good outcomes" were reported in 68.7% of case reports and case series, with a mortality rate of 12.9%. Coronary embolism is an under-recognized etiology of myocardial infarction with the potential for significant morbidity and mortality. To improve outcomes, physicians should strive for early diagnosis and intervention based on the underlying etiology. Thrombectomy may be considered with the goal of rapid restoration of coronary flow.

Anticoagulation therapy in Australia

Anticoagulant therapy is prescribed for many clinical indications, including treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE), such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), as well as stroke prophylaxis in atrial fibrillation (AF) and to reduce the risk of prosthetic heart valve thrombosis and thromboembolism. In this narrative review, we briefly outline the anticoagulants available in Australia, their relative strengths and weaknesses, and the ever-changing local landscape with regards to anticoagulation therapy.