The role of periprocedural hemodynamic variables during carotid stenting for the mid-term general mortality in advanced age patients

Introduction: Carotid stenting may produce significant bradycardia and/or hypotension. This may have negative short- and long-term effects for the elderly high-risk patients. Their cerebral hemodynamics is with exhausted adaptive capacity because of the multiple cardiovascular risk factors, advanced age, and significant stenosis. Aim: This was a retrospective study aimed at finding whether periprocedural hypoperfusion or hypotension at the time of carotid stenting had any significance for the acute neurological outcome and mid-term general mortality in advanced-age patients who were at high risk for surgical endarterectomy. Materials and methods: We studied 138 consecutive patients with significant carotid stenosis from January 2015 to July 2019. The mean (SD) age was 67.41 (10.70) years. The mean follow-up period was 31 months (922 days). The patients were hemodynamically monitored periprocedurally according to a local protocol. Vasopressors were added if a prolonged hypotension was measured. Statistical data were analyzed using SPSS IBM v. 19 (p=0.05, CI 95%). Results: The male patients were 94 (68%). The number of patients with hypotension periprocedurally or in the first 6 hours post-procedure was 55 (42%). The mean blood pressures were 135/83 mmHg before, 116/76 mmHg during, and 121/73 mmHg after the procedure. Kaplan-Maier analysis showed no significant differences in the mid-term general mortality rate between patients with and patients without transitory hypotension. There wasn’t any difference in the postprocedural neurological outcome either. Conclusions: The presence of hypotension during carotid stenting was not linked to a negative neurological outcome. It also did not increase mid-term all-cause mortality in elderly patients (mean age, 67 years). The finding could be attributed to the relatively brief period of hypotension, the prompt administration of vasopressors, or the prevention of brain edema and hyper-reperfusion during carotid stenting in terms of elevated blood pressure; however, this remains to be determined

Pneumonia and acute myocarditis revealing COVID-19 infection in histopathology

Засягането на сърцето е често срещано състояние сред пациенти, хоспитализирани с COVID-19, и е свързано с по-висок риск от болнична смъртност. От първите анализирани случаи в Китай е забелязан повишен сърдечен тропонин при значителна част от пациентите, което предполага увреждане на миокарда като възможен патогенен механизъм, допринасящ за тежко заболяване и смъртност. Лекарите трябва да обърнат внимание на възможността за миокардит в случаите на COVID-19. Представяме ви първи възможен случай на миокардит, свързан със SARS-CoV-2, потвърден с аутопсиен преглед. Припокриването с остър коронарен синдром, остра декомпенсирана сърдечна недостатъчност трябва да се вземе предвид при сегашното състояние на епидемията COVID-19. Cardiac injury is a common condition among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and it is associated with a higher risk of in-hospital mortality. Since the first data analyses in China, elevated cardiac troponin has been noted in a substantial proportion of patients, implicating myocardial injury as a possible pathogenic mechanism contributing to severe illness and mortality. Physicians need to pay heed to the possibility of myocarditis in cases of COVID-19. We present a first possible SARS-CoV-2 associated myocarditis case, confirmed by autopsy examination. The overlap with acute coronary syndrome, acute decompensated heart failure should be taken into consideration in the current state to COVID-19 epidemics

Аortic regurgitation – hemodynamic changes and evaluation

Клапните сърдечни заболявания са водеща причина за нарушения в качеството и продължителността на живот. Епидемиологията им варира значително в целия свят. От изключително важно значение е познаването на хемо- динамичните промени, до които водят. Това позволява правилно изработване на статегия относно бъдещи интер- венции върху клапния апарат. През последните години се отбелязва изключителен напредък в разработването  на различни методики в сферата на оперативно и интервенционалното лечение на клапните заболявания. В този раздел ние се спираме основно на аортната регургитация и нейната значимост. Valvular diseases are a leading cause of morbidity, mortality and impaired quality of life in all over the world with different epidemiology. It is extremely important to know the hemodynamic changes for the proper development of a strategy for future interventions. The recent years shows progress in various methodologies of the field of surgery and interventional treatments of valvular diseases. In this section, we focus mainly on aortic regurgitation and its clinical significance

Serum biomarkers for pulmonary hypertension

Налице са значими изследвания и научни разработки, свързани с патофизиологията на пулмоналната хипертония (ПХ), вследствие на което се увеличават възможностите за терапевтичното и повлияване. Традиционните методи за диагностика и мониториране на ПХ включват ехокардиография и дясна сърдечна катетеризация, допълнени от оценка на функционалния клас по NYHA и 6-минутен тест с ходене (6 MWT). Нарастващият брой циркулаторни биомаркери, които се повишават при ПХ може да подпомогне клиницистите както в диагностиката, така и при оценка тежестта на заболяването и отговора от лечението. In the fi eld of development of pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension, there are growing number of signifi cant recent advances, which leads to new therapeutic agents. Traditional methods of diagnosing and monitoring this condition have comprised echocardiography and right heart catheterization, in addition to functional measures, such as estimation of functional class and the 6-min walk test. An increasing number of biomarkers have been described that are elevated in pulmonary hypertension and which may assist the clinician in diagnosis and in the assessment of disease severity and response to treatment.

The role of periprocedural hemodynamic variables during carotid stenting for the mid-term general mortality in advanced age patients

Introduction: Carotid stenting may produce significant bradycardia and/or hypotension. This may have negative short- and long-term effects for the elderly high-risk patients. Their cerebral hemodynamics is with exhausted adaptive capacity because of the multiple cardiovascular risk factors, advanced age, and significant stenosis. Aim: This was a retrospective study aimed at finding whether periprocedural hypoperfusion or hypotension at the time of carotid stenting had any significance for the acute neurological outcome and mid-term general mortality in advanced-age patients who were at high risk for surgical endarterectomy. Materials and methods: We studied 138 consecutive patients with significant carotid stenosis from January 2015 to July 2019. The mean (SD) age was 67.41 (10.70) years. The mean follow-up period was 31 months (922 days). The patients were hemodynamically monitored periprocedurally according to a local protocol. Vasopressors were added if a prolonged hypotension was measured. Statistical data were analyzed using SPSS IBM v. 19 (p=0.05, CI 95%). Results: The male patients were 94 (68%). The number of patients with hypotension periprocedurally or in the first 6 hours post-procedure was 55 (42%). The mean blood pressures were 135/83 mmHg before, 116/76 mmHg during, and 121/73 mmHg after the procedure. Kaplan-Maier analysis showed no significant differences in the mid-term general mortality rate between patients with and patients without transitory hypotension. There wasn’t any difference in the postprocedural neurological outcome either. Conclusions: The presence of hypotension during carotid stenting was not linked to a negative neurological outcome. It also did not increase mid-term all-cause mortality in elderly patients (mean age, 67 years). The finding could be attributed to the relatively brief period of hypotension, the prompt administration of vasopressors, or the prevention of brain edema and hyper-reperfusion during carotid stenting in terms of elevated blood pressure; however, this remains to be determined

Endovascular treatment of subclavian artery stenosis

Най-честата локализация за атеросклерозата на горните крайници са артерия субклавия и трункус брахиоцефаликус. Сигнификантната стеноза на артерия субклавия се среща прибрилизително при 2% от популацията и в 7-11% от пациентите с манифестно сърдечно-съдово заболяване. Реваскуларизацията е показана при симптомни пациенти или асимптомни с коронарно заболяване с планирана оперативна реваскуларизация. Освен атеросклероза други причини за изявата на стеноза на артерия субклавия включват дисекация, предизвикана от радиация, възпаление на фибромускулатурата и различни васкулити, особено артериит на Такаясу. Лявата подключична артерия е около четири пъти по-вероятно да бъде засегната, отколкото дясната. Среща се обикновено на възраст над 50 години и в 1,5-2 пъти по-често при мъжете, отколкото при жените. Заболяването на подключичната артерия обикновено е огнищно и лезията е предимно в първите 2 cm проксимален сегмент от началото на аортата. Между 2016-2021 г. в Клиниката по кардиология и ангиология ние лекувахме едноваскуларно 81 пациенти (41 мъже и 40 жени, средна възраст 64 ± 11) чрез балонна дилатация и/или първично стентиране последвано от балонна постдилатация. Постигнахме висока техническа успеваемост (93.8%) и незабавен клиничен успех със само няколко минимални усложнения. The most common localizations for upper extremity atherosclerosis are the subclavian artery and the brachiocephalic trunk. Significant stenosis of the subclavian artery occurs in 2% of the population and in 7-11% of patients with manifest cardiovascular disease. Revascularization is indicated in symptomatic or asymptomatic patients with coronary disease with planned surgical revascularization. In addition to atherosclerosis, other causes of the appearance of subclavian artery stenosis include dissection, radiation-induced inflammation of the fibromusculature, and various vasculities, especially Takayasu arteritis. The left subclavian artery is about four times more commonly affected than the right. It usually occurs over the age of 50 years and in 1.5-2 times more common in men than in women. Disease of the subclavian artery is usually focal and the lesion is predominantly in the first 2 cm proximal to the origin of the aorta. Between 2016-2021 in the clinic of cardiology and angiology we treated endovascularly 81 patients (41 men and 40 females, median age 64 ± 11) with either intraluminal balloon dilatation and/or primary stent implantation followed by balloon post dilatation. We achieved a high technical success rate (93.8%) and immediate clinical success, with only a few minor complications.

Intracoronary electrocardiogram to guide percutaneous interventions in coronary bifurcations - a proof of concept: The FIESTA (Ffr vs. IcEcgSTA) study

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of the intracoronary electrocardiogram (icECG) to detect ischaemia during bifurcation lesion percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with fractional flow reserve (FFR) as a reference. Methods and results: Patients with significant bifurcation lesions defined as FFR ≤0.80 were included. FFR and icECG were performed in the main vessel (MV) and side branch (SB) before and after provisional stenting. icECG was recorded with an uninsulated proximal wire end connected to a unipolar lead. The diagnostic accuracy of the icECG for the detection of ischaemia in the SB after MV stenting was determined with FFR as a reference. Overall, 37 patients were included. Seventeen bifurcations had an SB FFR ≤0.80 after MV stenting and 20 patients had an ST-segment elevation on the icECG. There was significant correlation between SB FFR and ST-segment elevation on the icECG (r=-0.533, p<0.001). The diagnostic accuracy of icECG ST-elevation to detect functionally significant SB stenosis revealed an AUC of 0.71 (95% CI: 0.64-0.80) with a sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 75% with a positive predictive value of 75% and negative predictive value of 88%. Neither SB FFR nor icECG correlated with SB percent diameter stenosis after MV stenting. Conclusions: Intracoronary ECG has a good ability to predict functionally significant stenosis at the SB after MV stenting during bifurcation PCI. This method provides a novel strategy to assess the significance of an SB lesion without the need of a pressure wire