Cardiol J
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy of nicorandil treatment for prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy in high-risk patients undergoing cardiac catheterization: A prospective randomized controlled trial.
Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) remains to be a potentially serious complication of radiographic procedures and is the third leading cause of the acute kidney injury (AKI) among hospitalized patients. This clinical trial was performed to assess the preventive effect of oral nicorandil on CIN in high-risk patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. ⋯ The findings revealed that oral nicorandil had substantial efficacy over hydration protocol for the development of CIN in high-risk patients undergoing cardiac catheterization.
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Complete improvement of left ventricle (LV) systolic function is an essential feature of takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC). It is suggested that 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D STE) can evaluate LV dysfunction more accurately than conventional echocardiography. Thus, the purpose of this research was to assertain whether LV function recovery is complete after the acute phase of TTC using 2D STE commencing 6 to 9 months after discharge. ⋯ The improvement of LV function in patients with TTC as assessed by 2D STE may not always be complete. Some residual abnormalities in LV apex function were observed in long-term recovery following TTC episodes.
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Review
A review of the utility of a hypothermia protocol in cardiac arrests due to non-shockable rhythms.
Therapeutic hypothermia and targeted temperature management are considered standard of care in the management of patients following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests due to shockable rhythms to improve neurological outcomes. In those presenting out-of-hospital cardiac arrests associated with non-shockable rhythms, the benefit of hypothermia is less clear. In this review we try to clarify the utility of implementing a hypothermia protocol after cardiac arrests due to non-shockable rhythms. ⋯ It was concluded that further study is needed to characterize patients presenting nonshockable rhythms who would benefit from hypothermia to better guide its use in this population given the costs and implications of treatment and long-term care in those who survive with poor outcomes.
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Three-dimensional (3D) printing has attracted a huge interest in recent years. Broadly speaking, it refers to the technology which converts a predesigned virtual model to a touchable object. In clinical medicine, it usually converts a series of two-dimensional medical images acquired through computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging or 3D echocardiography into a physical model. ⋯ The decision of making a 3D cardiac model may seem arbitrary since it is mostly based on a cardiologist's perceived difficulty in performing an interventional procedure. A uniform consensus is urgently necessary to standardize the key steps of 3D printing from imaging acquisition to final production. In the future, more clinical trials of rigorous design are possible to further validate the effect of 3D printing on the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. (Cardiol J 2017; 24, 4: 436-444).
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Conduction disturbances requiring permanent pacemaker implantation following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are a common problem. Pacemaker implantation rates after TAVR appear to be higher compared to conventional aortic valve replacement. The aim of this study was to analyze whether a high annulus implantation conveys the benefit of a decreased rate of permanent pacemaker implantation while being safe and successful according to Valve Academic Research Consortium 2 (VARC2)-criteria. ⋯ The approach of the modified implantation technique of Lotus TAVR device was safe and effective. The incidence of need for a permanent pacemaker following TAVR could be significantly reduced due to adopted implantation protocol.