Safety of fluoroless radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients with pre-existing cardiac implantable electronic device: A single-center study.

BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) is being increasingly performed without fluoroscopy. This study aims to determine the safety of fluoroless RFA for patients with pre-existing cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED). METHODS: This is a single-center, single-operator, retrospective, observational study of 225 consecutive fluoroless RFA procedures for AF from June 1, 2019 to June 1, 2022. All procedures were performed with intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) support. Patients with pre-existing CIED were extracted from the database. Each CIED was interrogated at the start and end of each procedure and at 30-day follow-up. Pre- and post-procedure CIED interrogations were compared for any change in device or lead parameters. Patients were tracked for any subsequent device malfunction. RESULTS: Out of 225 fluoroless AF ablations, 25 (10.2%) had pre-existing CIED (14 dual-chamber pacemakers, three dual-chamber defibrillators, three single-chamber defibrillators, one single chamber pacemaker, and four biventricular devices). Mean patient age was 71 ± 6 years. The mean duration of indwelling CIED was 1804 ± 1645 days (range: 78-6267 days). One (4%) patient had lead-related fibrin on ICE imaging. There was no significant difference in lead(s) threshold, impedance, or sensing post procedure or at 30-day follow-up compared to pre procedure. None of the patients required lead revision. There were no intra- or post-op thromboembolic events or subsequent device infection. One patient underwent CIED extraction after 11 months for an unrelated secondary device infection. CONCLUSIONS: Radiofrequency catheter ablation for AF can be safely performed without fluoroscopy in patients with pre-existing CIED.

Colchicine usage for prevention of post atrial fibrillation ablation pericarditis in patients undergoing high-power short-duration ablation.

INTRODUCTION: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) has been associated with variable incidence (0.88%-10%) of pericarditis manifested as chest pain, possibly more prevalent with the advent of high-power short-duration (HPSD) ablation. This has led to the widespread use of colchicine in preventative protocols for postablation pericarditis. However, the efficacy of preventative colchicine has not been validated yet. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of a routine postoperative colchicine regimen (0.6 mg twice a day for 14 days post-AF ablation) for prevention of postablation pericarditis in patients undergoing HPSD ablation. METHOD: We retrospectively evaluated consecutive single-operator HPSD AF ablation procedures at our institution from June 2019 to July 2022. A colchicine protocol was introduced in June 2021 for the prevention of postablation pericarditis. All ablations were performed with 50 watts. Patients were divided into colchicine and noncolchicine groups. We recorded incidence of postablation chest pain, emergency room (ER) visit for chest pain, pericardial effusion, pericardiocentesis, any ER visit, hospitalization, AF recurrence, and cardioversion for AF within the first 30 days following ablation. We also recorded colchicine-related side effects and medication compliance. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-four consecutive HPSD AF ablation patients were screened for the study. After implementing the prespecified exclusion criteria, a total of 205 patients were included in the final analysis, yielding 101 patients in the colchicine group and 104 patients in the noncolchicine group. Both groups were well-matched for demographic and procedural parameters. There was no significant difference in postablation chest pain (9.9% vs. 8.6%, p = .7), pericardial effusion (2.9% vs. 0.9%, p = .1), ER visits (11.9% vs. 12.5%, p = .2), 30-day hospitalization for AF recurrence (0.9% vs. 0.96%, p = .3), and 30-day need for cardioversion for AF (3.9% vs. 5.7%, p = .2). Fifteen (15) patients had severe colchicine-related diarrhea, out of which 12 discontinued it prematurely. There were no major procedural complications in either group. CONCLUSION: In this single-operator retrospective analysis, prophylactic colchicine was not associated with significant reduction in the incidence of postablation chest pain, pericarditis, 30 day hospitalization, ER visits, or AF recurrence or need of cardioversion within first 30 days after HPSD ablation for AF. However, its usage was associated with significant diarrhea. This study concludes no additional advantage of prophylactic use of colchicine after HPSD AF ablation.

Cross stimulation and unusual ventricular activation in a patient with dual chamber pacemaker.

Cross stimulation is defined as stimulation of one cardiac chamber when the stimulation of the other chamber is expected. We present a case of an eighty three year old patient with history of dual chamber pacemaker implantation with recent generator change which showed interesting ECG findings.

Impact of Delayed Pain to Needle and Variable Door to Needle Time On In-Hospital Complications in Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Who Underwent Thrombolysis: A Single-Center Experience.

Background Myocardial infarction is a life-threatening event, and timely intervention is essential to improve patient outcomes and mortality. Previous studies have shown that the time to thrombolysis should be less than 30 minutes of the patient's arrival at the emergency room. Pain-to-needle time is a time from onset of chest pain to the initiation of thrombolysis, and door-to-needle time is a time between arrival to the emergency room to initiation of thrombolytic treatment. Ideally, the target for door-to-needle time should be less than 30 minutes; however, it is unclear if the door-to-needle time has a significant impact on patients presenting later than three hours from the onset of pain. As many of the previous studies were conducted in first-world countries, with established emergency medical services (EMS) systems and pre-hospital ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) triages and protocols, the data is not completely generalizable to developing countries. We, therefore, looked for the impact of the shorter and longer door-to-needle times on patient outcomes who presented to the emergency room (ER) with delayed pain-to-needle times (more than three hours of pain onset).  Objective To determine the impact of delayed pain-to-needle time (PNT) with variable door-to-needle time (DNT) on in-hospital complications (post-infarct angina, heart failure, left ventricular dysfunction, and death) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent thrombolysis. Methods and results A total of 300 STEMI patients who underwent thrombolysis within 12 hours of symptoms onset were included, which were divided into two groups based on PNT. These groups were further divided into subgroups based on DNT. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications between the two groups and between subgroups within each group. The pain-to-needle time was ≤3 hours in 73 (24.3%) patients and >3 hours in 227 (75.7%) patients. In-hospital complications were higher in group II with PNT >3 hours (p <0.05). On subgroup analysis, in-hospital complications were higher with longer door-to-needle time in group II (p<0.05); however, there was no difference in complications among group I. Conclusion Our study is consistent with the fact that shorter door-to-needle time, even in patients with delayed PNT (>3 hours), has a significant impact on in-hospital complications with no difference in mortality.

Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation can be safely performed without invasive hemodynamic monitoring: A multi-center study.

BACKGROUND: Arterial invasive monitoring is the most common method in the USA for hemodynamic monitoring during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Although studies have shown favorable comparison between non-invasive and invasive hemodynamic monitoring (IHM) in non-cardiac procedures under general anesthesia, limited data is available for complex cardiac procedures such as AF ablation in the USA. With progressive improvement in AF ablation procedural safety, particularly with routine use of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) to monitor for pericardial effusion, it is unclear if invasive hemodynamic monitoring provides any advantage over non-invasive methods. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine whether noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring is non-inferior to invasive hemodynamic monitoring during AF ablation under general anesthesia in patients without major cardiac structural abnormality. METHODS: A multi-center retrospective data of AF ablation from July 2019 to December 2020 was extracted. A total of three hundred and sixty-two patients (362) were included, which were divided into group A (non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring) and group B (invasive hemodynamic monitoring). The primary outcome was to compare procedural safety between the two groups. RESULTS: Out of 362 patients, 184 (51%) received non-invasive and 178 (49%) received invasive hemodynamic monitoring with similar baseline characteristics. There was no significant difference between the two groups in complication rates (groin hematoma, pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade). Mean procedure time was longer in group B with 3.35% arterial site discomfort. Urgent arterial access was required in only 1 patient in group A. CONCLUSION: This retrospective multicenter study strongly suggests that catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation under general anesthesia can be safely performed with noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring without requiring arterial access, with potential benefit in procedural duration and cost.

The Impact of Door to Diuretic Time in Acute Heart Failure on Hospital Length of Stay and In-Patient Mortality.

Background Acute heart failure (AHF) can be life-threatening if not treated promptly and can significantly increase the number of annual emergency department (ED) encounters in the United States. Achieving adequate and prompt euvolemic state in AHF patients using intravenous (IV) diuretics is the cornerstone of treatment, which not only reduces in-hospital stay and mortality but also decreases healthcare expenditures. Surprisingly, the door to diuretic (D2D) time in AHF patients has always been a debatable issue among physicians worldwide, and so far, there are no set guidelines. This study examines a large cohort of AHF patients to determine the association between diuretics use within 90 minutes of ED admission and hospital length of stay (LOS) and patient mortality.  Methods Retrospective institutional data of AHF patients receiving IV diuretics following ED admission were extracted from 2016 to 2017. A total of 7,751 patients treated for AHF exacerbation were included, which were further divided into two groups based on the timing of diuretics administration (<90 minutes vs. ≥90 minutes). The primary outcomes were LOS between the two groups and hospital mortality. The standard statistical methodology was used for data analysis. Results  A total of 7,751 AHF cases receiving IV diuretics were identified. Almost 1,432 patients (18.5%) received IV diuretics within 90 minutes of ER admission (group 1) while 6,319 patients (81.5%) patients received IV diuretics after 90 minutes (group 2). Furthermore, among group 1 patients, average LOS was noted to be associated with shorter hospitalization (average of 1.423 days less as compared to group 2 patients (confidence interval (CI) =1.02-1.82; p<0.05). Finally, after controlling for other mortality risk factors, patients in group 2 were 1.435 times more likely to have died compared to patients in group 1 (CI=1.03-1.98; p<0.05). Conclusions  D2D time in AHF patients has always been a crucial judgmental decision. The current study successfully demonstrated the relation between IV diuretics administration within 90 minutes of ED admission, favorable clinical outcomes, and decreased mortality rates. More adequately powered studies are needed to validate the results of our current study further.

Acute saddle pulmonary embolism: A rare complication of mycoplasma pneumonia.

BACKGROUND/INTRODUCTION: Mycoplasma pneumonia affects 1% of the population in the United States. The majority of patients infected with Mycoplasma experience upper respiratory tract infection symptoms, and about 10% of patients infected with Mycoplasma develop pneumonia. A rare complication is a pulmonary embolism (PE), which may be life-threatening if not diagnosed early and treated promptly. Our case explores the presentation of Mycoplasma pneumonia complicated by acute saddle PE, an association only reported in the form of case reports globally. CASE PRESENTATION: A 75-year-old previously healthy female presented to the emergency department with shortness of breath. The patient was found to be in acute hypoxic respiratory failure secondary to community acquired pneumonia and antibiotics were started. During hospitalization, her respiratory failure worsened and had to be escalated to a non-rebreather mask. Repeat chest X-ray showed a possible developing infiltrate on the left side. Antibiotic coverage was escalated and broadened. Serology was positive for mycoplasma pneumoniae. Telemetry monitoring showed non-sustained episodes of Atrial Fibrillation and Electrocardiogram showed the presence of new-onset SIQIIITIII. Computer Tomography Angiography of the chest showed acute saddle PE. The patient was subsequently upgraded to the ICU, where she was intubated and started on catheter-directed thrombolysis to decrease clot burden. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first case of acute saddle PE in a live patient with mycoplasma pneumonia. This entity is important in order to ensure early diagnosis of PE in association with mycoplasma pneumonia and the initiation of early treatment to improve patient outcomes.

Rivaroxaban-Induced Acute Interstitial Nephritis: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Direct oral anticoagulant agents (DOACs) have become increasingly more popular in recent years and have largely replaced warfarin in the treatment of certain conditions, such as atrial fibrillation, and in the prevention of thromboembolic events. Rivaroxaban is one of the most commonly used direct anticoagulant drugs for conditions such as atrial fibrillation and thromboprophylaxis. CASE REPORT We present a case of a 70-year-old male who developed acute interstitial nephritis after starting rivaroxaban, and who responded to medical treatment, which included corticosteroid therapy. A renal biopsy was not performed because the patient was on essential anticoagulation therapy secondary to a high CHADS2VASc score. CONCLUSIONS Dose adjustments when using rivaroxaban are necessary in patients with underlying renal failure. Acute interstitial nephritis is a rare condition associated with direct anticoagulant drugs. The treatment of acute interstitial nephritis is usually to remove the offending agent and treat the underlying cause.

Iatrogenic Hepatic Portal Venous Gas in a Patient With Crohn's Disease After Colonoscopy.

Hepatic portal venous gas is a radiologic sign and is associated with several abdominal disorders. The prognosis and survival of the patient depends on the underlying etiology. Most cases respond to broad-spectrum antibiotics, but some may need surgical intervention. We report a case of hepatic portal venous gas after colonoscopy in a patient with Crohn's disease.

Spontaneous Fungal Peritonitis as a Rare Complication of Ascites Secondary to Cardiac Cirrhosis: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Spontaneous fungal peritonitis (SFP) is a life-threatening infection which occurs more commonly in patients with liver failure. SFP is not as common as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) and has higher mortality rates due to late recognition and difficulty in differentiation between SFP and SBP. Spontaneous fungal peritonitis is extremely uncommon in patients with cardiac ascites due to a high protein content, which predisposes to a low risk of infections. CASE REPORT This report presents a rare case of spontaneous fungal peritonitis in a patient with cardiogenic ascites. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second known case of SFP occurring in a patient with cardiac cirrhosis. The patient did not respond to initiation of SBP treatment and after ascitic fluid grew Candida glabrata, the diagnosis of SFP was made. The patient's clinical status improved after initiation of intravenous caspofungin. CONCLUSIONS SFP should be a differential diagnosis in patients who have cardiac or liver cirrhosis, who are not improving with empirical antibiotic therapy for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Marijuana Induced Sick Sinus Syndrome: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Marijuana is a commonly abused illicit drug in the United States (US). Regular marijuana usage has been linked to many adverse cardiovascular effects. Our case describes the association of abusing marijuana and the development of sick sinus syndrome. CASE REPORT A 27-year-old male carpenter was admitted to the hospital for recurrent syncopal episodes. He reported 2 episodes of syncope every month for the last 5 years. He denied alcohol or nicotine intake but reports using marijuana daily. He also reported cervical injuries due to syncope in the past. Physical examination was unremarkable. Orthostatic vitals were negative. Electrocardiogram (ECG) showed sinus bradycardia. A series of investigations, including a stress test and tilt table testing, were negative. The drug screen was positive for marijuana. A loop recorder was implanted to evaluate the cause of syncope and was positive for a long sinus pause of more than 3 second, indicative of sick sinus syndrome. The patient was successfully treated with a permanent pacemaker with no further events on follow-up after 6 months. CONCLUSIONS The case we report here adds to the literature that several reversible etiologies are shown to be associated with the development of sick sinus syndrome, in which marijuana abuse can be one of them. We strongly suspect that marijuana was the cause of this patient's sick sinus syndrome after ruling out all the possible etiologies. The relation between marijuana use and sick sinus syndrome needs to be further investigated in the future.

The Conversion of Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Pattern into WPW Syndrome in the Presence of Ischemia: A Case Report.

Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is defined by the presence of a short PR interval, delta waves on the electrocardiogram (EKG), and symptomatic tachycardia. The condition is rare but can be life-threatening if not recognized in a timely manner. The WPW pattern on EKG can mask ischemic changes and may also increase the risk of arrhythmia and subsequent mortality. Our case describes the conversion of an underlying WPW pattern into WPW syndrome in the scenario of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Isolated Starvation Ketoacidosis: A Rare Cause of Severe Metabolic Acidosis Presenting with a pH Less than 7.

Anion gap metabolic acidosis (AGMA) occurs when an anion gap exists along with metabolic acidosis, most commonly due to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and lactic acidosis (LA). Isolated starvation ketoacidosis (ISK) is one of the rare causes of AGMA; however, it usually presents with a mild disturbance in pH. We report a rare case of a 45-year-old female with previously diagnosed squamous cell cancer (SCC) of the larynx. She presented to the emergency department complaining of difficulty in breathing following laryngectomy and tracheostomy for SCC. Her laboratory results on admission were consistent for isolated starvation ketoacidosis and the patient responded quickly to the appropriate treatment.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension: A rare yet fatal complication of Neurofibromatosis Type 1.

Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder with an incidence of approximately 1 in 4,000 live births [1]. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare but extremely life-threatening complication associated with NF1. Timely recognition of this unusual and severe association between NF1 and PAH is imperative in prolonging the survival in this specific patient population. We present the clinical outcomes of a 47-year old female previously diagnosed with NF1, who presented with progressively worsening dyspnea.

Delftia acidovorans: A rare cause of septic pulmonary embolism from catheter-related infection: Case report and literature review.

Septic pulmonary emboli is a rare condition due to the dislodgement of an infected thrombus traveling to the pulmonary vasculature via the venous system. Staphylococcus spp. and Candida spp. are the most common causative agents. The most common risk factor is intravenous drug abuse, but there has been an association with intravenous catheters. Delftia acidovorans (DA) is a rare organism causing catheter-related infection, which has a tendency to embolize and clog up major vessels. It is highly resistant to all available aminoglycoside agents. There are only a few cases reported in children showing DA as a cause of septic emboli with none of the cases reported in a young patient. We report a similar case but in a young adult who developed septic emboli due to DA that was caused by an infected peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line. Since the organism is highly susceptible to recurrent embolization, the PICC line was removed and the patient was treated successfully with an appropriate antibiotic regime.

Mycoplasma pneumonia with hydropneumothorax: A case report.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the most common causes of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) presents with pulmonary and extrapulmonary manifestations. Pneumothorax is a rare MPP complication in children. But, we reported a case of MPP with hydropneumothorax in an adult. The association of MPP, hydropneumothorax, and empyema is extremely rare.

Atrial Myxoma Presenting as Positional Vertigo: A Case Report.

Cardiac myxoma is an uncommon diagnosis but presents with common manifestations. There is a wide range of symptomatology from non-specific fever and weight loss to stroke-like symptoms. It is also one of the rare causes of cardiac syncope and thromboembolic events. We present a case of a 67-year-old female who presented with seemingly benign vertigo symptoms which she ignored for years before seeking medical attention. An echocardiogram revealed a 3.5 x 3.0 x 1.0 cm atrial myxoma which was surgically excised. Her symptoms have resolved entirely with no recurrence since surgery.