Hearts (Basel, Switzerland)最新文献

{"title":"The History and Challenges of SCP-ECG: The Standard Communication Protocol for Computer-Assisted Electrocardiography","authors":"P. Rubel, J. Fayn, P. Macfarlane, D. Pani, A. Schlögl, A. Värri","doi":"10.3390/hearts2030031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/hearts2030031","url":null,"abstract":"Ever since the first publication of the standard communication protocol for computer-assisted electrocardiography (SCP-ECG), prENV 1064, in 1993, by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), SCP-ECG has become a leading example in health informatics, enabling open, secure, and well-documented digital data exchange at a low cost, for quick and efficient cardiovascular disease detection and management. Based on the experiences gained, since the 1970s, in computerized electrocardiology, and on the results achieved by the pioneering, international cooperative research on common standards for quantitative electrocardiography (CSE), SCP-ECG was designed, from the beginning, to empower personalized medicine, thanks to serial ECG analysis. The fundamental concept behind SCP-ECG is to convey the necessary information for ECG re-analysis, serial comparison, and interpretation, and to structure the ECG data and metadata in sections that are mostly optional in order to fit all use cases. SCP-ECG is open to the storage of the ECG signal and ECG measurement data, whatever the ECG recording modality or computation method, and can store the over-reading trails and ECG annotations, as well as any computerized or medical interpretation reports. Only the encoding syntax and the semantics of the ECG descriptors and of the diagnosis codes are standardized. We present all of the landmarks in the development and publication of SCP-ECG, from the early 1990s to the 2009 International Organization for Standardization (ISO) SCP-ECG standards, including the latest version published by CEN in 2020, which now encompasses rest and stress ECGs, Holter recordings, and protocol-based trials.","PeriodicalId":93563,"journal":{"name":"Hearts (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48476711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early Graft Failure after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A Case of Anastomosis Detachment Due to Fibromuscular Dysplasia","authors":"A. Vecchi, R. Maragliano, F. Sessa, C. Beghi, R. De Ponti, B. Castiglioni","doi":"10.3390/hearts2030030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/hearts2030030","url":null,"abstract":"Fibromuscular dysplasia is a non-atherosclerotic, non-inflammatory arteriopathy, considered a rare cause of coronary artery disease. Although familial cases have been described, no specific gene association has been detected so far. When the coronary vessels are involved, the main clinical scenarios are stable angina, acute coronary syndromes, left ventricular dysfunction, and sudden death. Specific clinical and angiographic findings may suggest this as the underlying disease, but certain diagnosis histological. The involvement of the lower and upper limbs is unusual; however, it may have decisive clinical implications for the most appropriate revascularization method and the selection of the arterial graft to be used.","PeriodicalId":93563,"journal":{"name":"Hearts (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42069928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fractional Flow Reserve Derived from Computer Tomography in Asymptomatic Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Albuminuria without Significant Coronary Artery Stenosis—A Surrogate for Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction?","authors":"J. Lambrechtsen, L. Heinsen, J. Larsson, G. Pararajasingam, K. Egstrup","doi":"10.3390/hearts2030029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/hearts2030029","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) patients with albuminuria have coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). Fractional flow reserve assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography (FFRct) is dependent on the structure and function of the microcirculation and is likely influenced by CMD. We aimed to evaluate if asymptomatic patients with T2D who had no significant coronary artery stenosis but had been diagnosed with albuminuria had lower value of nadir FFRct compared to asymptomatic patients with T2D and no albuminuria. Methods and results: This was a cross-sectional study which compared the mean nadir FFRct values in coronary arteries in patients with T2D who had no symptoms of angina. The T2D patients were divided into two groups (albuminuria and no albuminuria) with albuminuria being defined as albumin–creatinine-ratio (ACR) ≥30 milligram per gram. The nadir FFRct values were compared between the two groups for left anterior descendent artery (FFRct-LAD), circumflex artery (FFRct-CX), and right coronary artery (FFRct-RCA) by using a two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum (Mann–Whitney) test. Ninety-eight patients without albuminuria and 26 patients with albuminuria were included. No significant differences in mean values were detected for FFRct-CX 0.86 ± 0.07 and 0.88 ± 0.0, FFRct-RCA 0.88 ± 0.05 and 0.88 ± 0.07, or for FFRct-LAD 0.82 ± 0.07 and 0.82 ± 0.07 in patients with albuminuria and without albuminuria, respectively. Conclusion: In this observational study, we did not find that FFRct was affected by CMD. Therefore, it is not a surrogate for microvascular dysfunction in asymptomatic T2D patients with albuminuria.","PeriodicalId":93563,"journal":{"name":"Hearts (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3390/hearts2030029","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43710530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Excitation and Contraction of the Failing Human Heart In Situ and Effects of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: Application of Electrocardiographic Imaging and Speckle Tracking Echo-Cardiography","authors":"Christopher M. Andrews, G. Singh, Y. Rudy","doi":"10.3390/HEARTS2030027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/HEARTS2030027","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the success of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) for treating heart failure (HF), the rate of nonresponders remains 30%. Improvements to CRT require understanding of reverse remodeling and the relationship between electrical and mechanical measures of synchrony. The objective was to utilize electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI, a method for noninvasive cardiac electrophysiology mapping) and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) to study the physiology of HF and reverse remodeling induced by CRT. We imaged 30 patients (63% male, mean age 63.7 years) longitudinally using ECGI and STE. We quantified CRT-induced remodeling of electromechanical parameters and evaluated a novel index, the electromechanical delay (EMD, the delay from activation to peak contraction). We also measured dyssynchrony using ECGI and STE and compared their effectiveness for predicting response to CRT. EMD values were elevated in HF patients compared to controls. However, the EMD values were dependent on the activation sequence (CRT-paced vs. un-paced), indicating that the EMD is not intrinsic to the local tissue, but is influenced by factors such as opposing wall contractions. After 6 months of CRT, patients had increased contraction in native rhythm compared to baseline pre-CRT (baseline: −8.55%, 6 months: −10.14%, p = 0.008). They also had prolonged repolarization at the location of the LV pacing lead. The pre-CRT delay between mean lateral LV and RV electrical activation time was the best predictor of beneficial reduction in LV end systolic volume by CRT (Spearman’s Rho: −0.722, p < 0.001); it outperformed mechanical indices and 12-lead ECG criteria. HF patients have abnormal EMD. The EMD depends upon the activation sequence and is not predictive of response to CRT. ECGI-measured LV activation delay is an effective index for CRT patient selection. CRT causes persistent improvements in contractile function.","PeriodicalId":93563,"journal":{"name":"Hearts (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3390/HEARTS2030027","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41354952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Non-Coding RNAs in the Cardiac Action Potential and Their Impact on Arrhythmogenic Cardiac Diseases","authors":"E. Lozano-Velasco, A. Aránega, D. Franco","doi":"10.3390/hearts2030026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/hearts2030026","url":null,"abstract":"Cardiac arrhythmias are prevalent among humans across all age ranges, affecting millions of people worldwide. While cardiac arrhythmias vary widely in their clinical presentation, they possess shared complex electrophysiologic properties at cellular level that have not been fully studied. Over the last decade, our current understanding of the functional roles of non-coding RNAs have progressively increased. microRNAs represent the most studied type of small ncRNAs and it has been demonstrated that miRNAs play essential roles in multiple biological contexts, including normal development and diseases. In this review, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the functional contribution of non-coding RNAs, primarily microRNAs, to the normal configuration of the cardiac action potential, as well as their association to distinct types of arrhythmogenic cardiac diseases.","PeriodicalId":93563,"journal":{"name":"Hearts (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44475885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Outcomes of Patients Who Have Incidental Non-Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia Identified on Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Interrogation","authors":"Aditya Narain, C. Kwok, Caterina Liggett-Wright, Joseph Mayer, Dan Darlington, F. Ahmed, T. Phan, D. Barker","doi":"10.3390/hearts2030024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/hearts2030024","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) is an arrhythmia prevalent in both structurally normal and abnormal hearts. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective clinical audit of patients followed-up in a device clinic with one or more incidental NSVT episodes recorded on their device between November 2017 and August 2018 and followed up patients for outcomes until January 2019. Results: A total of 83 patients were included in the analysis with one or more episodes of NSVT on device interrogation. Those identified to have NSVT were more likely to be male (74.7%) and there was a mean of 14.2 beats per episode and a mean of 3.7 episodes for each patient. Only 24.7% of patients had electrolytes checked within 4 weeks of episode detection and 18.3% had an echocardiogram post-episode. The majority of patients (73.5%) were followed up again in the pacing clinic but had no changes in medication, or other management implemented. In terms of outcomes, 81.7% of patients had no admission to hospital, mortality, or shock during the follow-up period. Conclusions: Most patients who developed NSVT did not have an extra follow-up, medication review, or investigation. Despite this, outcomes such as admission, shock, or death were uncommon.","PeriodicalId":93563,"journal":{"name":"Hearts (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3390/hearts2030024","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42511287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hidden under the Surface: A Rare Cause of Repeated Syncope in a Patient with Recent Pacemaker Implantation","authors":"Leticia Barrios, D. Dilling-Boer, A. Jacobs, O. Ghekiere, P. Timmermans","doi":"10.3390/HEARTS2020023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/HEARTS2020023","url":null,"abstract":"A 66-year-old woman received a pacemaker implantation because of syncope with documented sinus arrest and junctional bradycardia. Three weeks later the pacemaker analysis revealed episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. Coronary angiography and invasive coronary assessment showed diffuse moderate stenosis but no significant ischemia. Three months later she experienced a new syncope and the pacemaker analysis showed runs of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia at the time of syncope. The combination of brady- and tachyarrhythmias raised concern for cardiac sarcoidosis. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) scan showed increased FDG uptake in the basal segments compatible with inflammatory disease. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed late gadolinium enhancement in the same region of the PET-avid lesions. Diagnostic electrophysiologic study could induce VT. The diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis was made, for which high dose corticosteroids were prescribed and an upgrade to a dual chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator was performed. Because of the localization of the lesions, an endomyocardial biopsy was not performed. All the lesions regressed completely on PET-scan after treatment with high dose corticosteroids.","PeriodicalId":93563,"journal":{"name":"Hearts (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3390/HEARTS2020023","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45659930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"BRASH: Case Report and Review of Literature","authors":"Sauradeep Sarkar, N. Rapista, A. Rout, R. Chaudhary","doi":"10.3390/hearts2030025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/hearts2030025","url":null,"abstract":"BRASH syndrome is characterized by bradycardia, renal failure, AV nodal blockade, shock, and hyperkalemia. The proposed mechanism involves a vicious cycle between AV nodal blockers, hyperkalemia, and renal failure and was first described in 2016. We present a case of a 52-year-old woman who presented with progressively worsening shortness of breath and hypertensive urgency who subsequently developed profound bradycardia and shock that was refractory to resuscitative measures, she was diagnosed with BRASH syndrome. In this article, we explore the predisposing factors and challenges faced during the management of patients with BRASH syndrome.","PeriodicalId":93563,"journal":{"name":"Hearts (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3390/hearts2030025","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48383924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Stenting as Palliation of Critical Tetralogy of Fallot: Techniques and Results","authors":"A. Pizzuto, Magdalena Cuman, N. Assanta, E. Franchi, C. Marrone, V. Pak, G. Santoro","doi":"10.3390/HEARTS2020022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/HEARTS2020022","url":null,"abstract":"Background. Despite current trends toward early primary repair, the surgical systemic-to-pulmonary shunt is still considered the first-choice palliation in patients with critical tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and duct-dependent pulmonary circulation unsuitable for primary repair. However, stenting of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) is nowadays emerging as an effective alternative to surgical palliation in selected patients. Methods and results. RVOT stenting is usually performed from a venous route, either femoral or, in selected cases, the right internal jugular vein. Less frequently, mostly in pulmonary infundibular/valvar atresia, this procedure can be performed using a hybrid surgical/interventional approach by surgical exposure of the RVOT, puncture of the atretic valve, and stent deployment under direct vision. The size and type of the most appropriate stent may be chosen, based on ultrasound measurements of the RVOT, to cover the right ventricular infundibulum completely and, at the same time, sparing the pulmonary valve, unless significant pulmonary valve annulus hypoplasia and/or supra-valvular stenosis is a significant component of the obstruction. In the large series so far published, early mortality of RVOT stenting is less than 2%, comparing favourably with either Blalock-Thomas-Taussig shunt or early primary repair. In addition, morbidity and clinical sequelae of this approach do not significantly differ from surgical palliation, even if RVOT stenting shows lesser durability and a higher rate of trans-catheter re-interventions over a mid-term follow-up. Finally, similar but more balanced pulmonary artery growth than surgical palliation following RVOT stenting is reported over a mid-term follow-up. Conclusions. RVOT stenting is a technically feasible, well-tolerated, and effective palliation in critical TOF. This approach is cost-effective with respect to surgical palliation either in high-risk neonates or whenever a short-term pulmonary blood flow source is anticipated due to the early surgical repair. It effectively increases pulmonary blood flow, improves arterial saturation, and promotes balanced pulmonary artery growth over a mid-term follow-up.","PeriodicalId":93563,"journal":{"name":"Hearts (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3390/HEARTS2020022","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45150221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"For the Evaluation of Pacific Island Athletes, an ECG and Echocardiography Are Highly Recommended","authors":"J. Chatard","doi":"10.3390/HEARTS2020021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/HEARTS2020021","url":null,"abstract":"Physical exercise increases the relative risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in athletes when compared to a non-sporting population. Pre-participation evaluation (PPE) of athletes is thus of major importance. For Pacific Island athletes, medical guidelines recommend an echocardiography to complement a PPE including personal and family history, a physical examination and a resting twelve-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). Indeed, silent rheumatoid heart diseases found in up to 7.6% of adolescents give rise to severe valve lesions, which are the main causes of SCD in Pacific Island athletes. This short review examines the incidence rate of SCD in Pacific Island athletes and indicates how a questionnaire, physical examination, ECG and echocardiography can prevent it.","PeriodicalId":93563,"journal":{"name":"Hearts (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3390/HEARTS2020021","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49003300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}