Segmental radiofrequency ablation of pulmonary vein ostia for patients with refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation using multi-slice spiral computed tomography guidance

INTRODUCTION Pulmonary veins(PV)may play an importantrole in both the initiation and maintenance of parox-ysmal atrial fibrillation(AF)(Fynn and Kalman,2004).Curative treatment of patients with paroxys-mal AF is possible by radiofrequency ablation,mak-ing segmental or linear lesions around the ostia ofPVs using a3-dimentional mapping system(Carto)(Pappone et al.,2000;2001;Oral et al.,2003).Multi-slice spiral computed tomography(MSCT)could generate a3-dimentional image of left atrium…     

Non-pulmonary vein foci induced before and after pulmonary vein isolation in patients undergoing ablation therapy for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: incidence and clinical outcome

Objective

To evaluate the incidence and clinical outcome of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) plus isoproterenol (ISP)-induced non-pulmonary vein (PV) foci before and after circumferential PV isolation (CPVI) during index ablation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF).

Methods

In 80 consecutive patients undergoing catheter ablation for drug-refractory, symptomatic PAF at our hospital from April 2010 to January 2011, atrial fibrillation (AF) was provoked with ATP (20 mg) and ISP (20 μg/min) administration before and after CPVI. The spontaneous initiation of AF was mapped and recorded.

Results

Before ablation, AF mostly originating from PVs (PV vs. non-PV, 36/70 vs. 3/70; P<0.01) was induced in 39 patients with sinus rhythm. CPVI significantly suppressed AF inducibility; however, more non-PV foci were provoked (post-CPVI vs. pre-CPVI, 13/76 vs. 3/70; P=0.016). Patients with pre- and post-CPVI induced AF (n=49) were divided according to non-PV foci being induced (group N, n=17) or not (group P, n=32). After mean (19.2±8.2) months follow-up, 88.2% (15/17) and 65.6% (21/32) of patients in groups N and P, respectively, were free from AF recurrence (P=0.088).

Conclusions

ATP+ISP administration effectively provokes non-PV foci, especially after CPVI in PAF patients. Although in this study difference did not achieve statistical significance, supplementary ablation targeting non-PV foci might benefit clinical outcome.     

Effect of corticosteroids on atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation: a meta-analysis

Objective

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to explore the effect of corticosteroids on atrial fibrillation (AF) following catheter ablation.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for published articles describing the effect of corticosteroids in preventing AF recurrence after catheter ablation. Data on study and patient were extracted. Risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by use of a random-effect model, and P values of <0.05 were considered significant.

Results

Two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and three cohort studies involving 846 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Within one month of catheter ablation, corticosteroid use was associated with a declined risk of recurrence of AF in RCT (RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.85, P=0.005), but without significant effect in cohort studies (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.30, P=0.94). After three months of catheter ablation, corticosteroids did not have a significant effect in the prevention of late recurrence of AF in either RCT (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.59, P=0.49) or cohort studies (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.31, P=0.78).

Conclusions

Our meta-analysis suggested that periprocedural administration of corticosteroids of catheter ablation was associated with reduction of early but not late recurrence of AF.

     

High accuracy in automatic detection of atrial fibrillation for Holter monitoring

Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been considered as a growing epidemiological problem in the world, with a substantial impact on morbidity and mortality. Ambulatory electrocardiography (e.g., Holter) monitoring is commonly used for AF diagnosis and therapy and the automated detection of AF is of great significance due to the vast amount of information provided. This study presents a combined method to achieve high accuracy in AF detection. Firstly, we detected the suspected transitions between AF and sinus rhythm using the delta RR interval distribution difference curve, which were then classified by a combination analysis of P wave and RR interval. The MIT-BIH AF database was used for algorithm validation and a high sensitivity and a high specificity (98.2% and 97.5%, respectively) were achieved. Further, we developed a dataset of 24-h paroxysmal AF Holter recordings (n=45) to evaluate the performance in clinical practice, which yielded satisfactory accuracy (sensitivity=96.3%, specificity=96.8%).     

Value of the adenosine test for diagnosis of dual AV nodal physiology in patients with AV nodal reentrant tachycardia

Objectives: This study was aimed at assessing the value of the adenosine test for noninvasive diagnosis of dual AV nodal physiology (DAVNP) in patients with AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). Methods: 53 patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) were given incremental doses of adenosine intravenously during sinus rhythm before electrophysiological study. The adenosine test was repeated on a subset of 18 patients with AVNRT after radiofrequency catheter ablation. Results: Sudden increments of PR interval of more than 60 msec between two consecutive beats were observed in 26 (83.9%) of 31 patients with typical AVNRT and 2 (9.1%) of 22 patients with AVRT and AT (P<0.01). The maximal PR increment between 2 consecutive beats in the AVNRT group (105±45ms) was significantly greater than that in the AVRT and AT group (20±13ms) (P<0.01). In postablation adenosine test, DAVNP was eliminated in all 8 patients who underwent slow pathway abolition that EPS showed the slow pathway disappeared and 4 of 10 patients who underwent slow pathway modification that EPS showed the slow pathway persisted. Six of 10 patients who exhibited persistent duality showed a marked reduction in the number of beats conducted in the slow pathway after adenosine injection (P<0.01). Conclusions: Administration of adenosine during sinus rhythm may be a useful bedside test for diagnosis of DAVNP in high percentage of patients with typical AVNRT and additionally for evaluating the effects of radiofrequency ablation.     

先天性巨大房缺的外科治疗

目的:探讨巨大房缺手术治疗特殊性,提高巨大房缺的手术安全性和治疗效果。方法:通过对23例巨大房缺的手术治疗(其中常规体外循环下纠治17例、不停跳下纠治6例,补片修补17例、直接修补6例),对其术前诊断、病情和并发畸形的估计、手术方法和经验教训等进行总结分析。结果:22例手术顺利,治愈出院.仅1例围术期死亡;但发现术前心脏彩超对房缺的大小、分型、合并畸形的诊断等有一定的局限性,易于误诊、漏诊。结论:巨大房间隔缺损外科治疗疗效确实,安全性高,但应提高对其常常合并肺静脉异位引流的认识,以免造成手术困难、甚至发生危险。     

足底静脉泵预防脊柱创伤术后DVT的有效性评价

目的：探讨足底静脉泵在预防脊柱创伤术后深静脉血栓形成的有效性和安全性。方法：将2011年6月至2012年7月收治的脊柱损伤患者86例,随机分为观察组和对照组,每组各43例。术后均给予常规药物预防和护理干预,观察组在此基础上增加给予足底静脉泵物理干预。分别于术前和术后7d行下肢彩色多普勒超声检查,比较两组患者DVT发生率、下肢肿胀和D-二聚体含量。结果：术后7d,两组患者下肢肿胀明显缓解,其中观察组下肢周径差值仅为（1．3±0．3）cm,显著小于对照组（P〈0.05）,且D-二聚体含量呈下降趋势,仅为（0．6±0．1）ng／L,显著低于对照组（P〈0．01）。两组患者术后7d深静脉血栓发生率分别为2．3％和18．6％,观察组较低（P〈0．05）,两组在治疗过程中均未出现明显的不良反应。结论：足底静脉泵在预防脊柱创伤术后深静脉血栓形成中具有较好的临床效果且能够安全、够快速缓解腿部肿胀,值得临床推广。     

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery （VATS） for bilateral primary spontaneous pneumothorax

Objective:To review our experience of the treatment of bilateral primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Materials and methods: Retrospective chart review was followed by an on-clinic or telephone interview. Patients were cared for by one thoracic surgeon in four medical centers or community hospitals in Northern and Central Taiwan. Thirteen patients with bilateral PSP underwent bilateral VATS simultaneously or sequentially from July 1994 to December 2005. Results: Twelve males and one female, with age ranging from 15 to 36 years (mean 23.1 years), were treated with VATS for bilateral PSP, under the indications of bilateral pneumothoracis simultaneously (n=4) or sequentially (n=9). The interval between the first and second contra-lateral VATS procedure for non-simultaneous PSP patients ranged from 7 d to 6 years. Eleven of 13 patients (84.6%) had prominent pulmonary bullae/blebs, and underwent bullae resection with mechanical or chemical pleurodesis. The mean operative time was (45.6±18.3) min (range 25-96 min) and (120.6±28.7) min (range 84-166 min) respectively for the non-simultaneous (second VATS for the recurrence of contralateral side after first VATS) and simultaneous (bilateral VATS in one operation) procedures. There was no postoperative mortality. However, prolonged air leakage (>7 d) occurred in one patient (7.7%) who recovered after conservative treatment. The mean duration of chest tube drainage was 3.1 d and the median follow up period was 3.4 years. Conclusions: VATS is a safe and effective procedure in the treatment of bilateral PSP. Bilateral VATS is only recommended for patients with simultaneously bilateral PSP, because the incidence of recurrence, even with visible bullae, was not so high in my group and in some previous literature. Bilateral VATS in a supine position should only be used in selective cases, because of possible pleural adhesion or hidden bullae on the posterior side.     

Endoscopic vein harvest in elective off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting

While traditional open vein harvest was related to postoperative wound complications, endoscopic vein harvest was developed to minimize the morbidity in the greater saphenous vein harvest procedure. In this study, these two procedures were compared for postoperative wound healing and long-term graft patency. We reviewed all consecutive patients undergoing elective off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting from January 2004 to December 2005 and collected data regarding wound complications and coronary events. Wound complications included dehiscence, excessive discharge, edema, altered sensation, cellulitis, hema-toma, pain scale, and superlicial and deep wound infection. Coronary events were defined as diagnosis of myocardial infarction during the first year's follow-up. A total of 392 patients were included in our series, among whom 44 were excluded from the study due to emergent operation, preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump support, or the greater saphenous vein varicose characteristic, 78 belonged to open vein harvest group, and 270 to endoscopic vein harvest group. Wound complications were significantly less in the endoscopic group (5.2%) compared to the open group (19.2%) (P=0.0002). There was no significant difference on preopera-tive risk factors, total operative time, or hospitalization days. During one-year follow-up, both the early and late graft patency rates were similar between the two groups. Endoscopic vein harvest is safe and effective, which carries less risk for wound complica-tions and is associated with better satisfaction and cosmetic result than the traditional greater saphenous vein harvest procedure. The endoscopic vein harvest also demonstrates a great long-term patency.     

Clinical considerations of anticoagulation therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) increases the risk of stroke. New anticoagulation agents have recently provided alternative and promising approaches. This paper reviews the current state of anticoagulation therapy in AF patients, focusing on various clinical scenarios and on comparisons, where possible, between western and eastern populations.     

Risk analysis of new oral anticoagulants for gastrointestinal bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage in atrial fibrillation patients: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background

Antithrombotic therapy using new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) has been generally shown to have a favorable risk-benefit profile. Since there has been dispute about the risks of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), we sought to conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis using Bayesian inference to analyze the risks of GIB and ICH in AF patients taking NOACs.

Methods

We analyzed data from 20 randomized controlled trials of 91 671 AF patients receiving anticoagulants, antiplatelet drugs, or placebo. Bayesian network meta-analysis of two different evidence networks was performed using a binomial likelihood model, based on a network in which different agents (and doses) were treated as separate nodes. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were modeled using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods.

Results

Indirect comparisons with the Bayesian model confirmed that aspirin+clopidogrel significantly increased the risk of GIB in AF patients compared to the placebo (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.01–0.92). Warfarin was identified as greatly increasing the risk of ICH compared to edoxaban 30 mg (OR 3.42, 95% CI 1.22–7.24) and dabigatran 110 mg (OR 3.56, 95% CI 1.10–8.45). We further ranked the NOACs for the lowest risk of GIB (apixaban 5 mg) and ICH (apixaban 5 mg, dabigatran 110 mg, and edoxaban 30 mg).

Conclusion

Bayesian network meta-analysis of treatment of nonvalvular AF patients with anticoagulants suggested that NOACs do not increase risks of GIB and/or ICH, compared to each other.

     

血脂对老年慢性心房颤动患者缺血性中风的影响

目的探讨血脂对老年慢性心房颤动(chronic atrial fibrillation,CAF)患者发生缺血性中风的影响.方法对资料完整的182例老年(＞60岁)CAF患者进行前瞻性研究,分析血脂与缺血性中风的关系.结果老年CAF患者血清胆固醇和甘油三酯增高、高密度脂蛋白降低与缺血性中风有明显关系(P＜0.05),其中胆固醇增高与缺血性中风关系最显著(P＜0.001).结论血脂异常是老年CAF患者发生缺血性中风的重要危险因素.     

Inhibitive effects of anti-oxidative vitamins on mannitol-induced apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells

Objective： Study blood vessel injury and gene expression indicating vascular endothelial cell apoptosis induced by mannitol with and without administration of anti-oxidative vitamins. Methods： Healthy rabbits were randomly divided into four groups. Mannitol was injected into the vein of the rabbit ear in each animal. Pre-treatment prior to mannitol injection was per- formed with normal saline （group B）, vitamin C （group C） and vitamin E （group D）. Blood vessel injury was assessed under electron and light microscopy. In a second experiment, cell culture specimen of human umbilical vein endothelial cells were treated with mannitol. Pre-treatment was done with normal saline （sample B）, vitamin C （sample C） and vitamin E （sample D）. Total RNA was extracted with the original single step procedure, followed by hybridisation and analysis of gene expression. Results： In the animal experiment, serious blood vessel injury was seen in group A and group B. Group D showed light injury only, and normal tissue without pathological changes was seen in group C. Of all 330 apoptosis-related genes analysed in human cell culture specimen, no significant difference was seen after pre-treatment with normal saline, compared with the gene chip without pre-treatment. On the gene chip pre-treated with vitamin C, 45 apoptosis genes were down-regulated and 34 anti-apoptosis genes were up-regulated. Pre-treatment with vitamin E resulted in the down-regulation of 3 apoptosis genes. Conclusion： Vitamin C can protect vascular endothelial cells from mannitol-induced injury.     

Serious response during tilt-table test in elderly and its prophylactic management

INTRODUCTION Tilt-table test (TTT) has been widely accepted asone of the main measures for diagnosing vasovagalsyncope (VVS), with 30%?90% positive rate andabove 90% specificity (Ren et al., 1998). Althoughnon-invasive, TTT may have risks, especially to theelders or in isoproterenol-provocative test. Evensudden deaths were reported in TTT by Grubb andKosinski (1997). This article summarizes the seriousresponses in TTT.OBJECTS AND METHODSObjects Seventy-six elder…     

Experimental study on rehydration conditions of freeze-dried platelets

A rehydration process for freeze-dried human platelets was studied on 1 ml of samples. The effects of prehydration duration, prehydration temperature, an rehydration solution on the recovery rate, mean platelet volume （MPV）, and platelet distribution width （PDW） were investigated. The mass changes during the prehydration process were also studied. Three prehydration durations： 0, 1.5, and 3.5 h, and two rehydration solutions： platelet-poor plasma and phosphate-buffered saline （PBS）, were tested. It was found that： （1） the prehydration was of significance; （2） 1.5 h of prehydration had better effects than 3.5 h of prehydration; （3） as a rehydration solution, the platelet-poor plasma behaved better than the PBS. The impacts of prehydration duration and temperature on the results were studied. There was almost no difference between 35 and 37 ℃. Among all the prehydration durations tested, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min, the best result was achieved with the time duration of 15 min. The weights of prehydrated platelets at the end of each test were measured and the water contents were calculated. After 15 min ofprehydration, the water contents in the samples were about （4.8±0.01）% and （5.27±0.29）% （w/w） corresponding to the conditions of 35 and 37 ℃, respectively. These results will be helpful for further studies on the freeze-drying of mammalian cells.     

脾切除后门静脉系统血栓形成中的彩超应用

目的探讨超声在脾切除后门静脉系统血栓形成中的应用价值。方法彩色多谱勒超声在脾切除术后动态监测门静脉系统3个月。结果脾切除术后门静脉系统血栓形成24例，发病率为6．9％。术后3～20天发病。结论彩色多普勒超声检查能客观反映血栓部位、梗阻程度和血流动力学改变，为临床治疗提供客观的评价及远期随访手段。     

Elevated high sensitive C-reactive protein and apelin levels after percutaneous coronary intervention and drug-eluting stent implantation

Objective:Percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI) triggers an acute inflammatory response,while sirolimus is known to have anti-inflammatory properties;the inflammatory system response to PCI after sirolimus-eluting stent placement remains unclear.The purpose of this study is to determine the changes in high sensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP) and apelin after PCI procedure and drug-eluting stent implantation in patients with and without reduced left ventricular systolic function.Methods:Forty-eight consecutive patients undergoing PCI at the Beijing Anzhen Hospital between July and September 2006 were recruited.Sirolimus-eluting stents were employed in all patients.Blood samples were drawn immediately before and 24 h after the procedure.Plasma hs-CRP and apelin levels were determined by enzyme immunoassay.Results:Paired t-test revealed a significant increase in both hs-CRP and apelin post-procedure(P=0.006 and P0.0001,respectively).Patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) had significantly lower baseline apelin levels compared to those with normal ventricular function [(46.8±10.8) vs.(72.0±8.4) pg/ml,P0.001].However,apelin increased to a level similar to the level of those with normal left ventricular systolic function 24 h after the PCI procedure [(86.7±11.6) vs.(85.1±6.1) pg/ml,P=0.72].Conclusions:hs-CRP and apelin levels increased after PCI and sirolimus-eluting stent implantation.Patients with impaired left ventricular systolic function had significantly lower baseline apelin levels,which increased significantly after PCI.     

慢性肺源性心脏病合并冠心病27例临床分析

目的探讨肺源性心脏病合并冠心病的临床特点、心电图变化及转归。方法对27例肺心病合并冠心病患者临床资料进行回顾性分析。结果临床上多表现为不典型性心绞痛、夜间阵发性呼吸困难、胸闷及心悸;心电图示持续性缺血ST-T改变、Ⅱ-Ⅲ度房室传导阻滞,心界向左或左下扩大,心电轴不偏或左偏。结论慢性肺源性心脏病合并冠心病症状、体征相互掩盖,病情复杂,容易误诊和漏诊,所以明确诊断尤为重要。     

不同分子量壳聚糖的制备及其抑菌性能的研究

本实验在超声波条件下用过氧化氢降解壳聚糖制备低分子量壳聚糖,研究了过氧化氢用量、温度、时间、pH值等对壳聚糖溶液粘均分子量的影响,并对降解产物进行红外光谱分析。探讨了降解产物对大肠杆菌、白色念珠菌、枯草芽孢杆菌的抑菌性能。实验结果表明,超声波协同过氧化氢氧化降解壳聚糖的较适宜条件为:1%(w/v)的壳聚糖溶液,加入3%(v/v)的过氧化氢溶液,pH值约为5.0,数控超声清洗仪工作功率为80%,频率为40kHz,温度设定为(50.0±2.0)℃,随着降解时间不同可得到不同粘均分子量的壳聚糖。降解得到的产物对三种细菌均有抑制生长的效果,其中粘均分子量为5.0×104的壳聚糖的抑菌能力最强,且对大肠杆菌的抑制作用最强。     

Systematic comparison of the effectiveness of radial artery and saphenous vein or right internal thoracic artery coronary bypass grafts in non-left anterior descending coronary arteries

Coronary artery bypass grafting surgery is increasingly being carried out on patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease, but the best grafting candidate for non-left anterior descending coronary arteries is unclear. This research sought to systematically compare the efficacies and safeties of coronary bypass with radial artery and other available grafts. A systematic literature retrieval was performed for all clinical trials comparing the outcomes of coronary artery bypass surgery with radial artery and other grafts in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. Seven eligible clinical studies, comparing radial artery and great saphenous vein grafts, were found between 1966 and 2010: one prospective non-randomized and six prospective randomized trials. The pooling analysis obtained a relative risk of 0.507 (P<0.05) of graft occlusion in radial arteries compared with great saphenous veins. There was a significantly lower infection rate in arms (i.e., harvest sites for radial arteries) relative to legs (harvest sites for veins), with a pooled relative risk of 0.140 (P<0.05). From the reports on mortality after follow-up ranging from one year to six years, there was no significant difference in mortality between the two graft types (P=0.927). In addition, four cohort controlled trials for radial and right internal thoracic artery grafts were included. The radial graft was associated with less cardiac related events relative to the right internal thoracic artery graft (P=0.014), but with comparable mortality and comparable rates of repeat percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Subjects with radial arteries seemed to have a lower occlusion rate and a lower graft harvest site infection rate than those with great saphenous veins. Moreover there were fewer cardiac related events with radial arteries relative to the right internal thoracic artery grafts. More studies are needed to confirm these findings concerning the favorable outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting with radial arteries on long-term patency and mortality.