Mitral annular disjunction in idiopathic ventricular fibrillation patients: just a bystander or a potential cause?

AIMS: Previously, we demonstrated that inferolateral mitral annular disjunction (MAD) is more prevalent in patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) than in healthy controls. In the present study, we advanced the insights into the prevalence and ventricular arrhythmogenicity by inferolateral MAD in an even larger IVF cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: This retrospective multi-centre study included 185 IVF patients [median age 39 (27, 52) years, 40% female]. Cardiac magnetic resonance images were analyzed for mitral valve and annular abnormalities and late gadolinium enhancement. Clinical characteristics were compared between patients with and without MAD. MAD in any of the 4 locations was present in 112 (61%) IVF patients and inferolateral MAD was identified in 24 (13%) IVF patients. Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) was found in 13 (7%) IVF patients. MVP was more prevalent in patients with inferolateral MAD compared with patients without inferolateral MAD (42 vs. 2%, P < 0.001). Pro-arrhythmic characteristics in terms of a high burden of premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) were more prevalent in patients with inferolateral MAD compared to patients without inferolateral MAD (67 vs. 23%, P < 0.001 and 63 vs. 41%, P = 0.046, respectively). Appropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy during follow-up was comparable for IVF patients with or without inferolateral MAD (13 vs. 18%, P = 0.579). CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of inferolateral MAD and MVP is a consistent finding in this large IVF cohort. The presence of inferolateral MAD is associated with a higher PVC burden and non-sustained VTs. Further research is needed to explain this potential interplay.

Desmoplakin cardiomyopathy-an inherited cardiomyopathy presenting with recurrent episodes of acute myocardial injury.

We present two female patients with recurrent episodes of myocardial injury, consisting of acute chest pain and elevated cardiac markers without coronary artery disease. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging identified extensive late gadolinium enhancement suggestive of an inherited cardiomyopathy. Genetic testing showed heterozygous pathogenic variants in the desmoplakin (DSP) gene, the gene coding for the desmoplakin protein, a structural protein found in the cardiac desmosome. Pathogenic variants in the DSP gene are associated with dilated and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. DSP cardiomyopathies may cause recurring myocardial injury mimicking an acute coronary syndrome or myocarditis. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is key in its diagnosis due to its specifying imaging features. Genetic testing is essential for the evaluation and confirmation of the diagnosis.

Infarct-related chronic total coronary occlusion and the risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmic events in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic total coronary occlusion (CTO) has been identified as a risk factor for ventricular arrhythmias, especially a CTO in an infarct-related artery (IRA). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an IRA-CTO on the occurrence of ventricular tachyarrhythmic events (VTEs) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors without ST-segment elevation. METHODS: We conducted a post hoc analysis of the COACT trial, a multicentre randomised controlled trial. Patients were included when they survived index hospitalisation after cardiac arrest and demonstrated coronary artery disease on coronary angiography. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of a VTE, defined as appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy, sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmia or sudden cardiac death. RESULTS: A total of 163 patients from ten centres were included. Unrevascularised IRA-CTO in a main vessel was present in 43 patients (26%). Overall, 61% of the study population received an ICD for secondary prevention. During a follow-up of 1 year, 12 patients (7.4%) experienced at least one VTE. The cumulative incidence rate of VTEs was higher in patients with an IRA-CTO compared to patients without an IRA-CTO (17.4% vs 5.6%, log-rank p = 0.03). However, multivariable analysis only identified left ventricular ejection fraction < 35% as an independent factor associated with VTEs (adjusted hazard ratio 8.7, 95% confidence interval 2.2-35.4). A subanalysis focusing on CTO, with or without an infarct in the CTO territory, did not change the results. CONCLUSION: In out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors with coronary artery disease without ST-segment elevation, an IRA-CTO was not an independent factor associated with VTEs in the 1st year after the index event.

Minimally interrupted novel oral anticoagulant versus uninterrupted vitamin K antagonist during atrial fibrillation ablation.

PURPOSE: The safety and efficacy of a minimally interrupted novel oral anticoagulant (NOAC) strategy at the time of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is uncertain. The purpose of this study was to compare rates of bleeding and thromboembolic events between minimally interrupted NOAC and uninterrupted vitamin K antagonist (VKA) in patients undergoing AF ablation. METHODS: This was a retrospective single-center cohort study of consecutive patients who underwent AF catheter ablation between January 2013 and April 2017. Endpoints included major bleeding, clinically relevant non-major bleeding and systemic thromboembolic event from the time of ablation through 30 days. Bleeding events were defined by the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) and International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH). RESULTS: A total of 637 patients were included in the analysis, 520 patients used uninterrupted VKA and 117 patients minimally interrupted NOAC (dabigatran: n = 68; apixaban: n = 30; rivaroxaban, n = 14; edoxaban, n = 5). The rate of clinically relevant non-major bleeding was lower in the NOAC group in comparison to the VKA group (BARC type 2: 2.6% versus 8.3%, P = 0.03; ISTH: 0% versus 3.8%, P = 0.03). Rates of major bleeding were similar between groups (BARC type 3 to 5: 3.4% versus 4.2%, P = NS; ISTH: 6.0% versus 8.7%, P = NS; for NOAC and VKA groups, respectively). Rates of systemic embolism were 0% with minimally interrupted NOAC, and 0.6% with uninterrupted VKA (P = NS). CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing AF ablation, anticoagulation with minimally interrupted NOAC was associated with fewer clinically relevant non-major bleeding events in comparison with uninterrupted VKA without compromising thromboembolic safety.

Get the Picture: A Pilot Feasibility Study of Telemedical Wound Assessment Using a Mobile Phone in Cardiology Patients.

BACKGROUND: Postprocedural complications after elective cardiac interventions include hematomas and infections. Telemedical wound assessment using mobile phones with integrated cameras may improve quality of care and help reduce costs. AIMS: We aimed to study the feasibility of telemedical wound assessment using a mobile phone. The primary aim was the number of patients who were able to upload their pictures. Secondary aims were image interpretability, agreement between nurse practitioners, and patient evaluation of the intervention. METHODS: This is a prospective study of all consecutive patients who underwent an elective cardiac intervention. Patients were instructed to photograph their wound or puncture site after hospital discharge and upload the pictures to a secure email address 6 days after hospital discharge. Received photos were assessed by 2 nurse practitioners. The intervention was evaluated using a peer-reviewed questionnaire and photo assessment scheme. RESULTS: In total, 46 eligible patients were included in the study, with 5 screen failures (eg, clinical stay ≥ 6 days) and 1 patient lost to follow-up. Thirty-three of 40 patients (83%) were able to upload their pictures. Smartphone users were more successful in uploading their pictures compared with feature phone users (93% vs 55%, P < .01). Eighty-eight percent of the clinical pictures were interpretable. The interobserver variability had an agreement between 93% and 97%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients are able to take and upload the mobile clinical photos to the secure email address, and the vast majority was interpretable. Smartphone users were more successful than feature phone users in uploading their pictures. The interobserver variability was good.

[Domperidone to promote lactation]. / Domperidon ter bevordering van de lactatie.

- Breast milk is the best diet for all newborns, especially premature newborns.- In case of insufficient production of breast milk, feeding and extraction techniques should be optimized first, preferably supported by a lactation consultant. When supportive measures fail, domperidone to promote milk production can be considered.- The risk of side effects in newborns is negligible. The risk of maternal arrhythmias associated with QTc prolongation is low as long as domperidone is prescribed in low doses (10 mg tds).- In the absence of risk factors it is not necessary to routinely perform an ECG and, therefore, general practitioners can safely prescribe domperidone.- The effect of the treatment should be evaluated after 2 weeks. In case of prolonged treatment or use of higher dosages, it is recommended to perform an ECG to exclude QTc prolongation.

Current discharge management of acute coronary syndromes: data from the Rijnmond Collective Cardiology Research (CCR) study.

BACKGROUND: Medical discharge management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) remains suboptimal outside randomised trials and constitutes an essential quality benchmark for ACS. We sought to evaluate the rates of key guideline-recommended pharmacological agents after ACS and characteristics associated with optimal treatment at discharge. METHODS: The Rijnmond Collective Cardiology Research (CCR) registry is an ongoing prospective, observational study in the Netherlands that aims to enrol 4000 patients with ACS. We examined discharge and 1-month follow-up medication use among the first 1000 patients enrolled in the CCR registry. Logistic regression was performed to identify patient and hospital characteristics associated with collective guideline-recommended pharmacotherapy at hospital discharge. RESULTS: At discharge, 94 % of patients received aspirin, 100 % thienopyridines, 80 % angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin-II receptor blockers, 87 % ß-blockers, 96 % statins, and 65 % the combination of all 5 agents. ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, and enrolment in an interventional centre were positive independent predictors of 5-drug combination therapy at discharge. Negative independent predictors were unstable angina and advanced age. CONCLUSION: Current data from the CCR registry reflect a high quality of care for ACS discharge management in the Rotterdam-Rijnmond region. However, potential still remains for further optimisation.

Endovascular stenting for aortic (re)coarctation in adults.

Objectives. Stenting for native and recurrent coarctation (COA) in adults has become an important therapeutic strategy. In this prospective observational study we evaluated the intermediate-term outcome of stent implantation for either native or recurrent (re)COA in adults.Methods. All adults who underwent stent implantation in our institution between January 2003 and December 2008 were included. Diagnosis of (re)COA was based upon a combination of clinical signs, noninvasive imaging or invasive gradient measurements. NuMED stents were implanted under general anaesthesia.Results. Twenty-four patients (50% male) underwent stent implantation for native (n=6) or reCOA (n=18) at a median age of 36 (18 to 60) years. There was significant improvement in pre- versus post-stent invasive systolic gradient (19 vs. 0 mmHg, p<0.001) and COA diameter (10 vs. 16 mm, p<0.001). Acute complications (12.5%) included death due to aortic rupture despite immediate successful coverage with a covered stent (n=1) and groin haematoma (n=2). During a median follow-up period of 33 (8 to 77) months (n=22), late complications occurred in three patients (13.6%): stent migration to the ascending aorta (n=1), pseudoaneurysm at the site of the initial stent (n=1), and occluded external iliac artery (n=1). Stent implantation did not reduce the need for antihypertensive medication or blood pressure at last follow-up. Conclusion. COA stenting results in a significant gradient decrease and increase in vessel diameter. However, serious complications do occur and hypertension remains in the majority of patients. (Neth Heart J 2010;18:430-6.).

Pregnancy outcome in women with repaired versus unrepaired isolated ventricular septal defect.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the risks of pregnancy complications in women with repaired and unrepaired isolated ventricular septal defect (VSD). DESIGN: A retrospective multicentre study. SETTING: Tertiary centres in the Netherlands and Belgium. METHODS: Women were identified using two congenital heart disease registries. Eighty-eight women were identified who had experienced 202 pregnancies, including 46 miscarriages and nine terminations of pregnancy. Information on each completed pregnancy (n = 147; unrepaired VSD, n = 104; repaired VSD, n = 43) was obtained using medical records and telephone interviews. Data from the Generation R database (prospective cohort study; n = 9667) were used to determine the background risk (controls). Odds ratios and 95% CI were estimated using general estimation equation analysis adjusted for multiple pregnancies per woman, maternal age and parity status. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for developing pregnancy complications in relation to corrective status. RESULTS: Pregnancies in women with an unrepaired VSD were associated with a higher risk of pre-eclampsia (AOR 4.59, 95% CI 2.01-10.5, P < 0.001) compared with controls. No differences were observed when comparing women with repaired VSD and controls. Pregnancies in women with repaired VSD were associated with a higher risk of premature labour (AOR 4.02, 95% CI 1.12-14.4, P = 0.03) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births (AOR 4.09, 95% CI 1.27-13.2, P = 0.02) compared with women with unrepaired VSD. CONCLUSIONS: Women with unrepaired VSD are at increased risk of pre-eclampsia, which suggests that it is not a benign condition. In addition, women with repaired VSD are at increased risk of premature labour and SGA births compared with women with unrepaired VSD.

Comparison of pregnancy outcomes in women with repaired versus unrepaired atrial septal defect.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the risks of complications during pregnancy in women with repaired and unrepaired atrial septal defects (ASDs) without associated complex cardiac lesions. DESIGN: A retrospective multicentre study. SETTING: Tertiary centres in the Netherlands and Belgium. POPULATION: Women with ASD without associated complex cardiac lesions. METHODS: Women were identified using two congenital heart disease registries. One hundred women were identified who had 243 pregnancies, including 49 miscarriages and six terminations of pregnancy. Detailed information on each completed pregnancy (n = 188; unrepaired ASD, n = 133; repaired ASD, n = 55) was obtained using medical records and telephone interviews. In addition, data from the Generation R database (a prospective cohort study; n = 9667) were used to determine the background risk (control group). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for cardiac, obstetric and neonatal events controlled for multiple pregnancies per woman using general estimating equation analysis. RESULTS: Women with an unrepaired ASD had a higher risk of neonatal events (AOR = 2.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-7.89, P = 0.027) than women with a repaired ASD. The risk of cardiac and obstetric complications was comparable between women with unrepaired and repaired ASDs. Compared with the general population, women with an unrepaired ASD had higher risks of pre-eclampsia (AOR = 3.54, 95% CI 1.26-9.98, P = 0.017), small-for-gestational-age births (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI 1.15-3.30, P = 0.013) and fetal mortality (AOR = 5.55, 95% CI 1.77-17.4, P = 0.003). By contrast, no differences were observed when comparing women with a repaired ASD versus controls. CONCLUSIONS: Women with an unrepaired ASD are at increased risk of neonatal events in comparison with women with a repaired ASD. Compared with the general population, women with an unrepaired ASD are at increased risk of pre-eclampsia, small-for-gestational-age births and fetal mortality.

Oxidative susceptibility of low density lipoprotein from rabbits fed atherogenic diets containing coconut, palm, or soybean oils.

The oxidative susceptibilities of low density lipoproteins (LDL) isolated from rabbits fed high-fat atherogenic diets containing coconut, palm, or soybean oil were investigated. New Zealand white rabbits were fed atherogenic semisynthetic diets containing 0.5% cholesterol and either (i) 13% coconut oil and 2% corn oil (CNO), (ii) 15% refined, bleached, and deodorized palm olein (RBDPO), (iii) 15% crude palm olein (CPO), (iv) 15% soybean oil (SO), or (v) 15% refined, bleached, and deodorized palm olein without cholesterol supplementation [RBDPO(wc)], for a period of twelve weeks. Total fatty acid compositions of the plasma and LDL were found to be modulated (but not too drastically) by the nature of the dietary fats. Cholesterol supplementation significantly increased the plasma level of vitamin E and effectively altered the plasma composition of long-chain fatty acids in favor of increasing oleic acid. Oxidative susceptibilities of LDL samples were determined by Cu2(+)-catalyzed oxidation which provide the lag times and lag-phase slopes. The plasma LDL from all palm oil diets [RBDPO, CPO, and RBDPO(wc)] were shown to be equally resistant to the oxidation, and the LDL from SO-fed rabbits were most susceptible, followed by the LDL from the CNO-fed rabbits. These results reflect a relationship between the oxidative susceptibility of LDL due to a combination of the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E.

The short-chain homologue of dihydrolipoic acid, tetranordihydrolipoate, protects against iron-induced lipid peroxidation in the aqueous phase.

Because iron is involved in catalysis of many biological oxidations, it is important to investigate new and novel antioxidants in terms of their effect on iron-catalyzed oxidations. We investigated the effect of dihydrolipoic acid (6,8-dimercaptooctanoic acid (DHLA)), its homologues (4,6-dimercaptohexanoic acid (bisnorDHLA) and 2,4-dimercaptobutanoic acid (tetranorDHLA)) and methyl 6,8-dimercaptooctanoate (methylDHLA) on Fe(II)-citrate-catalyzed lipid peroxide-dependent lipid peroxidation in lipid-dispersed and liposome systems. In the lipid-dispersed system, tetranorDHLA inhibited conjugated diene formation induced by Fe(II)-citrate. In the presence of tetranorDHLA, oxygen was consumed more rapidly in the reaction mixture than in the presence of the other compounds, but the oxidation rate of Fe(II)-citrate in the reaction mixture was slower than in the presence of the other compounds. This suggests that tetranorDHLA inhibited lipid peroxidation by the oxidation of tetranorDHLA itself at the site where the lipid was oxidized.

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for differentiation of hospital isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Restriction enzyme analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was developed for differentiation of hospital isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Restriction patterns generated by SpeI digestion of genomic DNAs of 36 isolates from patients in two major teaching hospitals established 34 PFGE types. All strains were typable by this technique and the SpeI restriction patterns were reproducible, stable and easy to interpret. As PFGE profiles generated were heterogenous, the incidence of cross-infection appeared to be low in each of the hospitals. The higher discriminatory power of PFGE when compared to conventional restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) suggests that this technique will be very useful for epidemiological investigations of nosocomial K. pneumoniae outbreaks.