Circulation journal : official journal of the Japanese Circulation Society
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Risk stratification of acute kidney injury (AKI) is important for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). The aim of this study was to determine whether clinical markers, such as the blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio (BUN/Cr) or BUN or creatinine values alone, stratify the risk of AKI for mortality. ⋯ The combination of AKI and elevated BUN/Cr, but not BUN or creatinine individually, is linked with an increased risk of mortality in ADHF patients, suggesting that the BUN/Cr is useful for risk stratification of AKI.
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This study investigated the safety and outcome of endovascular therapy for steno-occlusive subclavian or innominate artery disease at a single center over a long period of more than 2 decades. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively analyzed all endovascular procedures of stenosis or occlusion of the subclavian or innominate artery between January 1990 and October 2013. During the observation period, a total of 130 procedures were attempted in 127 mostly symptomatic patients with stenosis (n=108; 83%) or occlusion (n=22; 17%) of the subclavian (n=119; 92%) and innominate (n=11; 8%) artery. The overall technical success rate was 97.7% (n=127/130). Accounting for the type of lesion, the success rate for stenosis was 100% (n=108/108) and for total occlusion, 86% (n=19/22). The periprocedural complication rate was low and included stroke, transient ischemic attack, and access site complications of 0.8%, 1.5%, and 3.8%, respectively. During a mean follow-up of 28 months the rate of restenosis (>70%) was 12%. Due to the overall low event rate no significant lesion or procedural risk factor for the development of restenosis could be identified. ⋯ Stenosis and occlusion of the subclavian and innominate artery can be treated safely and successfully by endovascular therapy with excellent long-term patency.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of Prasugrel and Ticagrelor Antiplatelet Effects in Korean Patients Presenting With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.
There is insufficient data on the efficacy of prasugrel and ticagrelor in Korean patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). ⋯ Both prasugrel and ticagrelor were effective for platelet inhibition in Korean STEMI patients with almost no patients exhibiting high platelet reactivity at 48 h after the LD. Our finding of a high number of patients with very low platelet reactivity deserves further studies to assess the safety of the drugs (Prasugrel and Ticagrelor in ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Study, NCT02075125).
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The post-cardiac arrest syndrome is a complex, multisystems response to the global ischemia and reperfusion injury that occurs with the onset of cardiac arrest, its treatment (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and the re-establishment of spontaneous circulation. Regionalization of post-cardiac arrest care, utilizing specified cardiac arrest centers (CACs), has been proposed as the best solution to providing optimal care for those successfully resuscitated after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. A multidisciplinary team of intensive care specialists, including critical care/pulmonologists, cardiologists (general, interventional, and electrophysiology), neurologists, and physical medicine/rehabilitation experts, is crucial for such centers. ⋯ This is a voluntary program, whereby medical centers agree to provide all resuscitated cardiac arrest patients brought to their facility with state-of-the-art post-resuscitation care, including targeted temperature management for comatose patients and strong consideration for emergent coronary angiography for all patients with a likely cardiac etiology for their cardiac arrest. Survival improved by more than 50% at facilities that became CACs with a commitment to provide aggressive post-resuscitation care to all such patients. Providing aggressive, post-resuscitation care is the next real opportunity to increase long-term survival for cardiac arrest patients.
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To determine the feasibility of original aortic valve reconstruction (AVRec) for patients with aortic stenosis (AS), 416 consecutive cases were reviewed. ⋯ Medium-term results were excellent. Original AVRec was feasible for the patients with AS. Long-term data will be presented in the future.