Regional differences in optimal contact force (CF) to prevent acute pulmonary vein reconnection (APVR) during catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) remain unclear.The purpose of this study was to evaluate regional difference in optimal CF during AF ablation.This single-center observational study evaluated data from 57 consecutive drug-refractory AF patients (mean age, 62 ± 11 years; 43 males) who underwent initial pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using the THERMOCOOL® SMARTTOUCH™ (Biosense Webster, Diamond Bar, CA, USA) catheter from June to August 2013. APVR was defined as the time-dependent reconnection >20 minutes after initial PVI and/or reconnection evoked by intravenous adenosine administration (20 mg). Point-by-point relationships between the reconnected points and their CF values were evaluated.Total 72 gaps causing APVR were observed. Of a total of 4,421 ablation points, 285 (6.4%) were associated with APVR. The average CF value of the points with APVR was significantly lower than that of those without (APVR vs. no APVR; 7.5 ± 6.7 g vs. 9.9 ± 8.4 g; P < 0.0001). The areas under the curve and optimal CF values differed between segments (range 0.593-0.761 and 10-22 g, respectively). The optimal CF value was highest in bottom of the right PV and posterosuperior right PV segments (22 g) and lowest in posteroinferior right PV segment (10 g).There was a regional difference in optimal CF values to prevent APVR, and the optimal CF value to prevent APVR with >95% probability was 10-22 g, depending on the individual peri-PV segments.
Abstract Aims Interatrial shunts are under evaluation as a treatment for heart failure (HF); however, their in vivo flow performance has not been quantitatively studied. We aimed to investigate the fluid dynamics properties of the 0.51 cm orifice diameter Ventura shunt and assess its lumen integrity with serial transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Methods and results Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and bench flow tests were used to establish the flow‐pressure relationship of the shunt. Open‐label patients from the RELIEVE‐HF trial underwent TEE at shunt implant and at 6 and 12 month follow‐up. Shunt effective diameter (D eff ) was derived from the vena contracta , and flow was determined by the continuity equation. CFD and bench studies independently validated that the shunt's discharge coefficient was 0.88 to 0.89. The device was successfully implanted in all 97 enrolled patients; mean age was 70 ± 11 years, 97% were NYHA class III, and 51% had LVEF ≤40%. Patency was confirmed in all instances, except for one stenotic shunt at 6 months. D eff remained unchanged from baseline at 12 months (0.47 ± 0.01 cm, P = 0.376), as did the trans‐shunt mean pressure gradient (5.1 ± 3.9 mmHg, P = 0.316) and flow (1137 ± 463 mL/min, P = 0.384). TEE measured flow versus pressure closely correlated ( R 2 ≥ 0.98) with a fluid dynamics model. At 12 months, the pulmonary/systemic flow Qp/Qs ratio was 1.22 ± 0.12. Conclusions When implanted in patients with advanced HF, this small interatrial shunt demonstrated predictable and durable patency and performance.
Abstract Background The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is an established test to assess the functional exercise performance and the 6-minute walk distance is strongly correlated with the functional capacity and the prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF). Also, the hypoxia during 6MWT is reported to be associated with severity of pulmonary diseases. However, no study has reported the clinical implication of sequential changes in percutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO2) during 6MWT was not investigated in HF patients. Purpose To prospectively clarify the association between sequential changes in SpO2 during 6MWT and prognosis in patients with HF. Methods In this prospective observational study, 50 patients admitted to our hospital with acute heart failure were enrolled. The 6MWT was performed at the time before discharge, after hemodynamic stability was confirmed. The average of SpO2 was calculated from data obtained at rest (3 minutes just before the test) and during 6MWT by employing the wearable pulse-oximeter which are designed to record and store the SpO2 value every seconds. Alternations in SpO2 (Δ SpO2) were analyzed by subtracting the average during 6MWT from that at rest. Patients were followed 1 year for composite outcome of heart failure-hospitalization and death). Results The mean age of participants was 78.8 years, and 23 (46%) were female. The mean EF was 46.1% and the number of the patients with EF≧50, 50>EF>40, 40≧EF were 22, 6, and 22, respectively. Mean NT-proBNP was 4374.5pg/ml. The mean walk distance was 250 ± 112m and the mean Δ SpO2 was 2.88 ± 4.3%. All cases were classified by walk distance and Δ SpO2; long- (>220m) vs. short-distance group (≦220m) and low- (<3.5%) vs. high-ΔSpO2 group (≧3.5%). There were no significant differences in cardiac parameters and respiratory function between long- and short-distance group as well as between low- and high-ΔSpO2 group. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that cardiac event rate was higher in the short-distance group than in the long-distance group (HR = 2.89, CI = 1.24-6.71, p = 0.014), and higher in the high-Δ SpO2 group than in the low-ΔSpO2 group (HR = 3.49, CI = 1.55-7.83, p = 0.002) (Figure 1A and 1B). When these classifications were combined, the patients with short-distance and low-ΔSpO2 showed remarkably high event rate of 91% (Figure 2). Conclusions This study showed that, compared to walk distance, ΔSpO2 was more predictive of prognosis of heart failure patients, and that the combination of ΔSpO2 and walk distance may identify the highest risk group. The elucidation of the usefulness of continuous SpO2monitoring during 6MWT as the marker for severity of heart failure and treatment effect warrants further investigation.Figure1Figure 2
Qing-Dai (QD) treatment of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) sometimes causes pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, the relationship of QD treatment to pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) in patients with UC has not been clarified.
A case of sudden unexpected natural death in a 6-year-old girl was reported. She was found in dead with vomiting on her bed in the morning on 24. December. Autopsy did not reveal any injuries and abnormalities on her appearance. Small amount of light yellowish mucus in her nose, trachea and bronchus was found. Brain was slightly edematous (1395 g in weight). Liver was 750 g in weight and focal yellowish lesions were observed on its cut surfaces. Microscopically fatty degeneration (granulous fatty deposits) was observed in hepatocytes. Immunohistochemical staining of mitochondria in heart showed no staining microscopically, and degeneration and breakdown of mitochondria were found electromicroscopically. From the results of autopsy and histopathological findings, her cause of death was diagnosed as the Reye's syndrome.