Ciprofloxacin-Induced Cardiac Arrest

Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in the form of torsade des pointes occurred in a patient on chronic therapy with amiodarone and a baseline prolonged QT interval, only when ciprofloxacin was added for treatment of urinary tract infection and did not recur after discontinuation of the antibiotic.   Key Words: polymorphic ventricular tachycardia; torsade des pointes; ciprofloxacin; acquired long QT syndrome; amiodaron

Recognition and Management of Incomplete Stent Expansion Facilitated by StentBoost and Guideliner Tools

Suboptimal or incomplete coronary stent expansion is associated with increased restenosis rate and target vessel revascularization. Stent visualisation with plain fluoroscopy has become challenging due to reduction of stent strut thickness. Inability of stent or balloon delivery is a frequent cause of procedural failures in percutaneous coronary interventions. This case report highlights the role of a novel stent enhancing technique, StentBoost, in recognition and management of incomplete stent expansion and of the Guideliner catheter, which is an essential assist device in complex and challenging coronary interventions, especially via the radial access

Electrocardiographic Changes in a Patient With Pulmonary Embolism and Septic Shock

Various electrocardiography (ECG) abnormalities have been reported in patients who present with pulmonary embolism (PE). Severe sepsis is also associated with ECG changes that may mimic ST elevation myocardial infarction. We report a case of an elderly patient with PE and septic shock associated with striking ECG changes

[Case Report] Stress induced (Takotsubo) cardiomyopathy triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic

Stress induced (Takotsubo) cardiomyopathy (TC) represents an acute heart failure syndrome triggered by physical or emotional stressors. COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented health crisis resulting in fear, distress and anxiety, with emerging cardiovascular implications. COVID-19 related stress can act as potential trigger for TC. We present a case of an elderly female who developed TC due to stress surrounding COVID-19

Joint ESH excellence centers' national meeting on renal sympathetic denervation: A Greek experts' survey

Objective: The efficacy of renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) has been affirmed by a number of recent clinical studies, despite controversies in this field over the last five years. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that hypertension experts debate the merits of RDN by revealing and expressing their personal beliefs and perspectives regarding this procedure. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Greek leaders of the Hypertension Excellence Centers with the use of a closed-type questionnaire specifically designed to elicit information and evaluate the respondent’s views and perspectives about RDN efficacy, safety and ideal target patient population. Results: A total of 36 participants completed the survey. Based on the results, RDN was considered efficient (91.7%) and safe (94.5%), while the overwhelming majority of the participants felt confident in the long-term efficacy (88.9%) of the intervention and that it lacks reliable predictors of blood pressure response (94.5%). Patients with resistant (91.7%), ultra-resistant (94.4%), and uncontrolled hypertension (80.6%) were suggested as ideal candidates for RDN. Establishing a close co-operation between interventionalists and hypertension experts was considered essential to ensure the efficacy (97.2%) as well as the safety (97.3%) of the procedure. Conclusion: The vast majority of Greek hypertension experts surveyed were convinced of the efficacy and safety of RDN based on the preponderance of available scientific and clinical data. Identification of the ideal patient group remains controversial. Respondents generally agreed on the necessity of building close collaborative relationships between interventionalists and hypertension experts in order to improve RDN clinical outcome. (c) 2021 Hellenic Society of Cardiology. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)