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BMJ Open Jun 2024The need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training dissemination in the community could be resolved by mass school training programmes. However, the availability... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVES
The need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training dissemination in the community could be resolved by mass school training programmes. However, the availability of instructors remains an unsolved problem. Our purpose was to investigate the effects of three different instructor types: healthcare professionals, schoolteachers and peer students, on CPR skills retention of secondary school students 6 months after training.
DESIGN
The study was designed as a prospective randomised single-blinded controlled trial. The study ended before reaching the target sample size for the schoolteacher arm.
SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
Students from three different secondary schools in Heraklion, Greece, were recruited to attend CPR training.
INTERVENTIONS
All participants received a manual and a digital video disc demonstrating the CPR/automated external defibrillator (AED) algorithm, followed by hands-on training. They were randomly assigned to receive training by either healthcare professionals, schoolteachers or peer students, who had previously been trained appropriately.
OUTCOME MEASURES
CPR knowledge and skill retention were evaluated immediately (secondary outcome) and 6 months after training (primary outcome), using a knowledge questionnaire, skill checklists and feedback device.
RESULTS
408 students (199 girls - two non-binary) were enrolled in the study with a median age of 13 (IQR 12-14) years. A total of 255 students (125 girls) were reassessed at 6 months. Preliminary analysis of the data revealed no statistically significant differences between the three groups regarding factual knowledge immediately after training (p=0.226) and at 6 months (p=0.867). Immediately after training, more students trained by healthcare professionals or teachers performed safe defibrillation (p<0.000); however, this finding was dissipated at 6-month reassessment (p=0.202). Compliance with the CPR algorithm and the quality of hands-only CPR were not different (p>0.05) among the groups.
CONCLUSIONS
The type of instructor did not affect the CPR knowledge and skill retention of students 6 months after training. Schoolchildren acting as peer instructors could be an effective alternative to healthcare professionals and schoolteachers, although further studies are needed.
Topics: Humans; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; Female; Male; Peer Group; Feasibility Studies; Adolescent; Prospective Studies; Students; Single-Blind Method; Child; Greece; Schools; School Teachers; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Retention, Psychology; Health Personnel
PubMed: 38858144
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075961 -
Cureus May 2024This case report delineates the clinical trajectory and management strategies of a 59-year-old Hispanic male diagnosed with a left ventricular pseudoaneurysm (LVPA)...
This case report delineates the clinical trajectory and management strategies of a 59-year-old Hispanic male diagnosed with a left ventricular pseudoaneurysm (LVPA) following a delayed presentation of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), for which reperfusion treatment was not administered. Initially, an echocardiogram demonstrated an extensive anterolateral myocardial infarction, severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction, and an early-stage left ventricular apical aneurysm with thrombus, leading to the initiation of warfarin. Metabolic myocardial perfusion imaging via positron emission tomography indicated a substantial myocardial scar without viability, guiding the decision against revascularization. Post discharge, the patient, equipped with a wearable cardioverter defibrillator for sudden cardiac death prevention, experienced symptomatic ventricular tachycardia, which was resolved with defibrillator shocks. Subsequent imaging revealed an acute LVPA adjacent to the existing left ventricular aneurysm. Given the high surgical risk, conservative management was elected, resulting in thrombosis and closure of the pseudoaneurysm after two weeks. The patient eventually transitioned to home hospice, surviving an additional five months. This report underscores the complexities and therapeutic dilemmas in managing post-MI LVPA patients who are ineligible for surgical intervention.
PubMed: 38854241
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60026 -
ESC Heart Failure Jun 2024Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a common mode of death in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation is...
AIMS
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a common mode of death in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation is established treatment for SCD prevention, but current eligibility criteria based on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class may be due for reconsideration given the increasing effectiveness of pharmacological therapy. We sought to reconsider the risk stratification of SCD in patients with symptomatic CHF.
METHODS
In total, 1,676 consecutive patients (74 ± 13 years old; 56% male) with NYHA class II or III CHF between 2008 and 2015 were enrolled for this prospective study. The endpoint was SCD.
RESULTS
During a median (interquartile range) follow-up period of 25 (4-70) months, 198 (11.8%) patients suffered SCD. Of those events, 23% occurred within 3 months of discharge. In the adjusted analyses, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 30 ml/min/1.73 m [hazard ratio (HR) 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-2.70, P = 0.01] and LVEF ≤ 35% (HR 2.31, 95% CI 1.47-3.66, P < 0.01) were independent risk predictors of SCD. Addition of eGFR to LVEF significantly improved prediction of SCD in the C-index (P = 0.04), and in two metrics, net reclassification improvement (P = 0.01) and integrated discrimination improvement (P = 0.03). The predictive power of eGFR declined time-dependently over 2 years.
CONCLUSIONS
The addition of eGFR to current eligibility criteria may be useful for risk assessment of SCD, although its predictive power wanes over time. Roughly a quarter of the SCD occurred within 3 months after discharge in patients with CHF.
PubMed: 38853765
DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.14892 -
The Egyptian Heart Journal : (EHJ) :... Jun 2024Underutilization of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) to prevent sudden cardiac death (SCD) in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients remains an issue...
BACKGROUND
Underutilization of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) to prevent sudden cardiac death (SCD) in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients remains an issue across several geographies. A better understanding of risk factors for SCD in post-MI patients from regions with low ICD adoption rates will help identify those who will benefit from an ICD. This analysis assessed risk factors for all-cause and cardiovascular-related mortality in post-MI patients from the Improve Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Bridge Trial.
RESULTS
For the entire cohort, the overall 1-year mortality rate was 5.9% (88/1491) and 3.4% (51/1491) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, respectively, with 76.5% of all cardiac deaths being from SCD. A multivariate model determined increased age, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), increased time from myocardial infarction to hospital admission, being female, being from Southeast Asia (SEA), and having coronary artery disease to be significant risk factors for all-cause mortality. The risk factors for cardiovascular-related mortality revealed increased age, reduced LVEF, and being from SEA as significant risk factors.
CONCLUSIONS
We show several characteristics as being predictors of cardiovascular-related mortality in post-MI patients from the Improve SCA Bridge study. Patients who experience an MI and present with these characteristics would benefit from a referral to an electrophysiologist for further SCD risk stratification and management and possible subsequent ICD implantation to reduce unnecessary death.
PubMed: 38849606
DOI: 10.1186/s43044-024-00505-2 -
European Journal of Case Reports in... 2024Inappropriate therapy is a frequent adverse consequence of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Inappropriate therapy often occurs due to the misinterpretation of...
UNLABELLED
Inappropriate therapy is a frequent adverse consequence of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Inappropriate therapy often occurs due to the misinterpretation of sinus tachycardia or atrial fibrillation/flutter with rapid atrioventricular conduction by the device. Current implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) mechanisms integrate various discriminators into algorithms to differentiate supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) from ventricular tachycardia (VT), to prevent such occurrences. A 40-year-old man suffered seizures and cardiac arrest abruptly, without prior complaints of chest pain. Without delay, he initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), resulting in the regaining of spontaneous circulation. The patient had previously received a single-chamber ICD due to recurring VT and a prior episode of cardiac arrest. The patient had a medical background of coronary artery disease with complete revascularisation and no previous occurrence of SVT. Interrogating the ICD revealed captured non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) and SVT events but no VT episode or shock therapy. During the specified time period, the patient underwent an electrophysiological study, and no SVT was induced with the normal function of the atrioventricular and sinoatrial nodes. Various causes can lead to errors in morphology discrimination criteria in single-chamber ICDs. Extending the detection interval is highly recommended to avoid misclassification of ICDs.
LEARNING POINTS
This highlights the crucial significance of precise classification of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and ventricular tachycardia (VT) using a single-chamber implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) discriminator to guarantee prompt and appropriate therapy delivery.The morphology criterion used in single-chamber ICDs may have potential limits and inaccuracies, which might result in the misdiagnosis of VT as SVT.Further study and enhancement of differentiation algorithms, paired with precise programming and prolonged detection durations are essential to reduce such misclassifications and improve patient outcomes.
PubMed: 38846652
DOI: 10.12890/2024_004526 -
European Journal of Case Reports in... 2024Cardiac sarcoidosis can cause a wide range of symptoms, including shortness of breath, chest pain, oedema, and fatal arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia (VT)....
BACKGROUND
Cardiac sarcoidosis can cause a wide range of symptoms, including shortness of breath, chest pain, oedema, and fatal arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia (VT). Because the symptoms can be nonspecific, diagnosing cardiac sarcoidosis can be challenging. Treatment options may include corticosteroids to reduce inflammation, immunosuppressive drugs to prevent further damage, medications to control symptoms, ablation procedures, and defibrillators to prevent cardiac arrest.
CASE
A 60-year-old woman who has sarcoidosis affecting multiple organs including cardiac sarcoidosis, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy with reduced ejection fraction, and hypertension, was admitted with tachycardia, shortness of breath, and a recently fired automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD). Three months prior, the patient was admitted for a syncopal episode and diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis through cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), which demonstrated active inflammation, and an AICD was implanted. During this admission, the patient had an episode of ventricular tachycardia and was treated with amiodarone and lidocaine. The patient received steroids, sacubitril/valsartan, and methotrexate. After 48 hours of observation, the patient was discharged without further events.
CONCLUSION
Cardiac sarcoidosis is a rare but serious disease that can lead to life-threatening cardiac complications such as ventricular tachycardia. Early diagnosis and aggressive management are crucial for improving outcomes and preventing sudden cardiac death. AICD implantation as a secondary prevention in cardiac sarcoidosis might prevent cardiac arrest."
LEARNING POINTS
Cardiac sarcoidosis can present with non-specific symptoms and lead to life-threatening arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia, emphasising the importance of early diagnosis and aggressive management to prevent sudden cardiac death.A multidisciplinary approach involving imaging modalities such as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans, along with histological findings, is crucial for accurately diagnosing cardiac sarcoidosis, as endomyocardial biopsy alone has low sensitivity.Implantation of an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) as a secondary prevention measure should be considered in cardiac sarcoidosis patients, even in elderly individuals with mildly to moderately reduced ejection fraction, to prevent fatal arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
PubMed: 38846646
DOI: 10.12890/2024_004469 -
CJC Open May 2024Patients resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are at high risk of recurrence, posing a substantial burden on healthcare systems. Despite the...
BACKGROUND
Patients resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are at high risk of recurrence, posing a substantial burden on healthcare systems. Despite the established benefit of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy in many such patients, and recommendations by guidelines, few studies have described the proportion of OHCA patients who receive guideline-concordant care.
METHODS
The Canadian Institute for Health Information Discharge Abstract Database dataset was used to identify OHCA patients admitted to hospitals across Canada, excluding Quebec. We analyzed all patients without a probable ischemic or bradycardia etiology of cardiac arrest, who survived to discharge, to estimate the ICD implantation rates in patients who were to have an ICD.
RESULTS
Between 2013 and 2017, a total of 10,435 OHCA patients who were admitted to the hospital were captured in the database; 4486 (43%) survived to hospital discharge, and 2580 survivors (57.5%) were to receive an ICD. Among these patients, 757 (29.3%) received an ICD during their index admission or within 30 days after discharge from the hospital. The ICD implantation rate during index admission increased from 13.8% in 2013 to 19.6% in 2017 (-value for time trend < 0.05). The rate of ICD implantations in patients was higher in urban than in rural settings (19.5% vs 11.1%) and in teaching vs community hospitals (34.7% vs 9.8%).
CONCLUSIONS
Although ICD implantation rates show an increasing trend among patients with OHCA who are likely eligible for secondary prevention, significant underutilization of ICDs persists in these patients.
PubMed: 38846442
DOI: 10.1016/j.cjco.2023.12.011 -
Radiology. Cardiothoracic Imaging Jun 2024Purpose To demonstrate the myocardial strain characteristics of patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), based on revised Task Force...
Purpose To demonstrate the myocardial strain characteristics of patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), based on revised Task Force Criteria (rTFC), and to explore the prognostic value of strain analysis in ARVC. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included 247 patients (median age, 38 years [IQR, 28-48 years]; 167 male, 80 female) diagnosed with ARVC, based on rTFC, between 2014 and 2018. Patients were divided into "possible" ( =25), "borderline" ( = 40), and "definite" ( = 182) ARVC groups following rTFC. Biventricular global strain parameters were calculated using cardiac MRI feature tracking (FT). The primary outcome was defined as a composite of cardiovascular events, including cardiovascular death, heart transplantation, and appropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator discharge. Univariable and multivariable cumulative logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were used to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of right ventricle (RV) strain parameters. Results Patients with definite ARVC had significantly reduced RV global strain in all three directions compared with possible or borderline groups (all < .001). RV global longitudinal strain (GLS) was an independent predictor for disease (odds ratio, 1.09 [95% CI: 1.02, 1.16]; = .009). During a median follow-up of 3.4 years (IQR, 2.0-4.9 years), 55 patients developed primary end point events. Multivariable analysis showed that RV GLS was independently associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular events (hazard ratio, 1.15 [95% CI: 1.07, 1.24]; < .001). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with RV GLS worse than median had a higher risk of combined cardiovascular events (log-rank < .001). Conclusion RV GLS derived from cardiac MRI FT demonstrated good diagnostic and prognostic value in ARVC. MR Imaging, Image Postprocessing, Cardiac, Right Ventricle, Cardiomyopathies, Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy, Revised Task Force Criteria, Cardiovascular MR, Feature Tracking, Cardiovascular Events © RSNA, 2024.
Topics: Humans; Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Adult; Retrospective Studies; Prognosis; Heart Ventricles; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Ventricular Function, Right
PubMed: 38842456
DOI: 10.1148/ryct.230292 -
Heart Rhythm O2 May 2024Cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infections are a common indication for device extraction. Early diagnosis and complete system removal are crucial to...
BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infections are a common indication for device extraction. Early diagnosis and complete system removal are crucial to reduce morbidity and mortality. The lack of clear infectious symptoms makes the diagnosis of pocket infections challenging and may delay referral for extraction.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to determine if inflammatory biomarkers can help diagnose CIED isolated pocket infection.
METHODS
We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing transvenous lead extraction for CIED infection at the University of California San Diego from 2012 to 2022 (N = 156). Patients were classified as systemic infection (n = 88) or isolated pocket infection (n = 68). Prospectively collected preoperative procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein, and white blood cell count were compared between groups.
RESULTS
Pairwise comparisons revealed that the systemic infection group had a higher PCT than the control group ( .001) and the pocket infection group ( .009). However, there was no significant difference in PCT value between control subjects and isolated pocket infection subjects. Higher white blood cell count was only associated with systemic infection when compared with our control group ( .018).
CONCLUSION
In patients diagnosed with CIED infections requiring extraction, inflammatory biomarkers were not elevated in isolated pocket infection. Inflammatory markers are not predictive of the diagnosis of pocket infections, which ultimately requires a high level of clinical suspicion.
PubMed: 38840769
DOI: 10.1016/j.hroo.2024.04.007