Use of rotational atherectomy for reducing significant dissection in treating de novo femoropopliteal steno-occlusive disease after balloon angioplasty.

BACKGROUND: Development of arterial dissection is thought to be an important key factor for bailout stenting in femoropopliteal disease. We aimed to evaluate the difference in dissection rate and outcomes between the treatment group with rotational atherectomy and without it. METHODS: From January 2011 to October 2016, we compared the angiography after balloon angioplasty (BA) of de-novo, femoropopliteal, steno-occlusive lesions whether they were treated by rotational atherectomy prior to the BA or not. Fifty-nine lesions (8 occlusions; 3 involving popliteal segment; lesion length: 86.3 ± 66.8 mm) in 44 patients (29 males; mean age 66.9 ± 9.7 years) were enrolled for this review. RESULTS: Forty-two lesions were treated using rotational atherectomy, prior to BA while 17 were recanalized firstly by BA. Clinical and lesion characteristics were not different between the groups. However, the rate of significant arterial dissection (type C to F) was lower in the atherectomy group (88.2% vs. 42.9%; P = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, use of the atherectomy device was the only risk factor for prevention of development of significant dissection (P = 0.013; OR = 0.12; 95% CI: 0.025-0.642). Patients were treated either by the angioplasty alone, drug coated balloon or stent insertion. There was lower trend in target vessel revascularization and primary patency toward the atherectomy group (low rank P = 0.108 and 0.166), however secondary patency was significantly better (low rank P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Rotational atherectomy before BA reduced the rate of significant dissection and therefore, might be a valuable option for minimizing need of bailout stenting.

Intraoperative hypothermia increased defibrillation energy requirements.

We describe two patients with newly implanted automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators that had excessive defibrillation thresholds associated with hypothermia at intraoperative defibrillation threshold testing. Normal defibrillation threshold levels were obtained during postoperative non-invasive electrophysiology testing in an electrophysiology laboratory when the patients were normothermic. We hypothesize that inadvertent intraoperative hypothermia during device implantation may increase the defibrillation threshold.

Achievement of national cholesterol education program goals by patients with dyslipidemia in rural ambulatory care settings.

The Third Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III) of the National Cholesterol Education Program provides guidelines for managing dyslipidemia; however, studies from large centers find that most dyslipidemic patients fail to achieve management goals. Few data exist on lipid management in rural settings. To determine the proportion of rural dyslipidemic patients achieving ATP III goals, records of 461 patients were reviewed from 4 practices. Only 54% of the patients with dyslipidemia achieved ATP III goals. Patients with diabetes or with a family history of premature coronary heart disease were less likely to achieve ATP III goals (odds ratio 0.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.84 and odds ratio 0.42; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.71, respectively). Patients taking statins were more likely to achieve goals (odds ratio 3.23; 95% confidence interval, 2.13-4.89). These results indicate that a significant proportion of patients with dyslipidemia in rural practices do not achieve management goals. Strategies to improve lipid management in rural practices are needed.

Reduced exercise capacity and stress-induced pulmonary hypertension in patients with scleroderma.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine the incidence of stress-induced pulmonary artery (PA) systolic hypertension in a referral population of patients with scleroderma, and to examine the relation between stress-induced pulmonary systolic hypertension and exercise capacity in this population. BACKGROUND: Early detection of patients with scleroderma at risk for pulmonary hypertension (PHTN) could lead to more timely intervention and thus reduce morbidity and improve mortality. The change in PA systolic pressure (PASP) with exercise provides a possible tool for such detection. METHODS: Sixty-five patients with scleroderma (9 men and 56 women; mean age 51 +/- 12 years [SD]), normal resting PASP, and normal resting left ventricular function underwent exercise Doppler echocardiography using a standard Bruce protocol. Tricuspid regurgitation velocity was measured before and after exercise. Exercise variables including workload achieved in metabolic equivalents (METS), total exercise time, percentage of target heart rate achieved, and PASP at rest and within 60 s after exercise were recorded. RESULTS: Thirty patients (46%) demonstrated an increase in PASP to > 35 mm Hg plus an estimated right atrial pressure of 5 mm Hg. Postexercise PASP inversely correlated to both the maximum workload achieved (r = - 0.34, p = 0.006) and exercise time (r = - 0.31, p = 0.01). In women, the correlation was more significant (r = - 0.38, p = 0.003). Patients in the lowest quartile of exercise time, with the least cardiac workload achieved, produced the highest postexercise PASP. CONCLUSION: Stress-induced PHTN is common in patients with scleroderma, even when resting PASP is normal. Stress Doppler echocardiography identifies scleroderma patients with an abnormal rise in PASP during exertion. Peak PASP is linearly related to exercise time and maximum workload achieved. Measurement of PASP during exercise may prove to be a useful tool for the identification of future resting PHTN.

Esophageal perforation and mediastinitis from fish bone ingestion.

Esophageal perforation is a serious condition with a high mortality rate. Successful therapy depends on the size of the rupture, the time elapsed between rupture and diagnosis, and the underlying health of the patient. Common causes of esophageal perforation include medical instrumentation, foreign-body ingestion, and trauma. A case of esophageal perforation due to fish bone ingestion in a 70-year-old diabetic male is described here, with a review of the pertinent literature. The patient presented with odynophagia after a meal that included fish. Initial evaluation was nondiagnostic and the patient was discharged home. The patient returned 12 days later with fever, generalized weakness, and persistent dysphagia. Esophageal biopsy of a necrotic ulcer revealed foreign material with acute inflammatory changes. Computed tomography scan demonstrated a pneumomediastinum. The patient became hemodynamically unstable and died on the third hospital day.

Single coronary artery with aortic regurgitation.

An isolated single coronary artery can be associated with normal life expectancy; however, patients are at an increased risk of sudden death. A case is reported of a 54-year-old man with several months of chest pressure with activity. On exercise Sestamibi stress testing, the patient developed a hypotensive response with no symptoms and minimal electrocardiographic changes. Nuclear scanning demonstrated reversible septal and lateral perfusion defects consistent with severe ischemia. Coronary angiography revealed a single coronary artery with the right coronary artery arising from the left main. There were high-grade stenotic lesions in the left anterior descending and circumflex arteries with only moderate atherosclerotic disease in the right coronary artery. An aortogram showed 2-3+ aortic regurgitation, with an ejection fraction of 45% on ventriculography. The patient underwent four-vessel revascularization and aortic valve replacement and did well postoperatively.