The effect of heparin after primary percutaneous coronary intervention on short-term clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Background: Doing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the first hours of myocardial infraction (MI) is effective in re-establishment of blood flow. Anticoagulation treatment should be prescribed in patients undergoing PCI to decrease the side effects of ischemia. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of heparin prescription after PCI on short-term clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Materials: This randomized clinical trial study was conducted at Imam Ali cardiovascular center at Kermanshah university of medical science (KUMS), Iran. Between April 2019 to October 2019, 400 patients with STEMI which candidate to PCI were enrolled. Patients randomly divided in two groups: intervention group (received 5,000 units of heparin after PCI until first 24 hours, every 6 hours) and control group (did not receive heparin). Data were collected using a checklist developed based on the study's aims. Differences between groups were assessed using independent t-tests and chi-square (or Fisher exact tests).Result: Observed that, mean prothrombin time (PT) (13.30±1.60 vs. 12.21±1.15, p<0.001) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) (35.30±3.08 vs. 34.41±3.01, p=0.003) were significantly higher in intervention group compared to control group. Thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade 0/1 after primary PCI was significantly more frequently in control group (5.5% vs. 1.0%, p=0.034). The mean of ejection fraction (EF) after PCI (47.58±7.12 vs. 45.15±6.98, p<0.001) was significantly higher in intervention group. Intervention group had a statistically significant shorter length of hospital stay (4.71±1.03 vs. 6.12±1.10, p<0.001). There was higher incidence of re-vascularization (0% vs. 3.0%; p=0.013) and re-MI (0% vs. 2.5%; p=0.024) in the control group.Conclusion: Performing primary PCI with receiving heparin led to improve TIMI flow and consequently better EF. Receiving heparin is associated with lower risk of re-MI and re-vascularization

Daily, Monthly, and Seasonal Pattern of ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Occurrence in Western Iran; a Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Determining seasonal pattern of AMI may contribute to disease prevention and better treatment.&nbsp;Objective: The present study was conducted to investigate daily, monthly, and seasonal pattern for symptoms҆ onset in the patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and also other possible associated factors.&nbsp;Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 777 patients diagnosed with STEMI admitted at the Imam Ali Cardiovascular Hospital affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah province, Iran from March 2018 to February 2019. Data were collected using a checklist developed based on the study's objectives. Differences between subgroups were assessed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukeys҆ post‐hoc test and Chi-Square test (or Fishers҆ exact test).&nbsp;Results: Out of 777 patients, 616 (79.3%) of them were male. Mean age of the patients was (mean±SD) equal to 60.93±12.86 years old. Occurrence of STEMI was most common in winter (38.4%), followed by autumn (27.8%), spring (22.9%), and summer (10.9%), respectively. Monthly occurrence of AMI was at the highest level in January (10.8%) and December (9.9%), and it was at the lowest level in July (4.9 %). Most patients were admitted on Fridays (15.8%) and Wednesdays (15.6%). Hypercholesterolemia, prior congestive heart failure (CHF), prior MI, prior stroke, prior atrial fibrillation (AF), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides, total cholesterol, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), and creatine kinase myocardial band (CK-MB) were significantly associated with seasonal pattern of STEMI (p-value&lt;0.05).&nbsp;Conclusions: Results of the present study on Iranian patients with STEMI revealed that AMI occurred more frequently on Wednesdays and Fridays and during winter from December to January compared to the other days of the week, months, and seasons

An Updated Review on Advances in Hydrogel-Based Nanoparticles for Liver Cancer Treatment

More than 90% of all liver malignancies are hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), for which chemotherapy and immunotherapy are the ideal therapeutic choices. Hepatocellular carcinoma is descended from other liver diseases, such as viral hepatitis, alcoholism, and metabolic syndrome. Normal cells and tissues may suffer damage from common forms of chemotherapy. In contrast to systemic chemotherapy, localized chemotherapy can reduce side effects by delivering a steady stream of chemotherapeutic drugs directly to the tumor site. This highlights the significance of controlled-release biodegradable hydrogels as drug delivery methods for chemotherapeutics. This review discusses using hydrogels as drug delivery systems for HCC and covers thermosensitive, pH-sensitive, photosensitive, dual-sensitive, and glutathione-responsive hydrogels. Compared to conventional systemic chemotherapy, hydrogel-based drug delivery methods are more effective in treating cancer