Same-day discharge cardiac cathteterizations and interventional procedures during covid-19 pandemic in 2021

Background: One-year analysis of same-day discharge (SDD) coronary catheterizations, interventions and device replacement procedures during the covid-19 pandemic at the Complex Cardiovascular Center of the University Hospital in Pilsen. Methods: In 2021, 53 to 87 patients were admitted monthly and 817 in total to the SDD specialized Radial Lounge at the Department of Cardiology. Coronary angiography (CAG) was performed in 729 patients and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in 176 (24%). Fifty-five patients were admitted for permanent pacemaker exchange and in 33 of them an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator exchange. Results: Out of 729 transradial CAGs 621 were performed by using the conventional proximal radial approach and 108 (15%) via the distal radial approach, 90 % of all procedures (n = 655), were performed from the nondominant left hand. Only one asymptomatic postprocedural radial artery occlusion was diagnosed by the reverse Barbeau test on the wrist (1/729 = 0.1%). No other relevant complications occured. The distal radial approach was associated with a shorter compression with time in comparison to the proximal puncture site at the wrist – 75 ± 26 min vs. 92 ± 24 (p < 0.05) and there were only four superficial hematomas smaller than 2 cm. In the proximal radial approach subcutaneous hematomas also did not require any specific treatment. Of the total of 817 patients, 90% (n = 732) were discharged home on the same day of admission in the afternoon and none of them was readmitted within the next 24 hours. The remaining 10% of the patients (n = 85) were hospitalized after the procedure, mostly because of severe findings on the coronary arteries. Conclusions: Coronary catheterizations and interventions together with device replacement procedures in the SDD program at the University Hospital in Pilsen were associated with a one-year saving of more than 700 overnight stays, minimal complications, and 99.9% radial artery patency rate after transradial procedures. © 2022 SOLEN s.r.o.. All rights reserved.

Pain During COVID-19: A Comprehensive Review and Guide for the Interventionalist.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain, the leading cause of disability in the world, imposes limitations on activities of daily living and diminishes quality of life leading to unnecessary patient suffering. The personal and socioeconomic costs of chronic pain cannot be overstated. Physicians are at the crux of the pandemic and must attempt to limit the spread of the virus while maintaining their professional responsibility to their patients and staff members. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to analyze the existing literature to develop consensus recommendations for treating pain during the current COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Relevant literature was located via computer-generated citations between the months of March and May of 2020. Online computer searches of multiple databases including Google Scholar, CINAHL, PubMed, and Cochrane Review were conducted in conjunction with a thorough review of local, state, national, and international governmental and organizational websites to locate research on the area of interest. RESULTS: The guidelines in this review are meant to offer a framework to pain practitioners and organizations for providing highly effective, ethical, and safe care to patients while maintaining their commitment to mitigating the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific areas addressed include general and interventional-specific treatment and mitigation recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that the recommendations in this review, if used in conjunction with evolving recommendations of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and federal, state, and local governing bodies, provides a path to not only mitigate the spread of the pandemic but also limit the adverse impact of pain and suffering in chronic pain patients.

Strategies for Successful Catheterization Laboratory Recovery From the COVID-19 Pandemic.

As the world slowly starts to recover from the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, health care systems are now thinking about resuming elective cardiovascular procedures, including procedures in cardiac catheterization laboratories. Rebooting catheterization laboratories will be an arduous process, in part because of limited health care resources, new processes, and fears stemming from the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic. The authors propose a detailed phased-in approach that considers clinical, patient-centered, and operational strategies to safely and effectively reboot catheterization laboratory programs during these unprecedented times. This model balances the delivery of essential cardiovascular care with reduced exposure and preservation of resources. The guiding principles detailed in this review can be used by catheterization laboratory programs when restarting elective interventional procedures.