Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) can lead to the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and impaired in-hospital and long-term outcomes among cardiac patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of repeated contrast media (CM) administration during a single hospitalization on the rate of CI-AKI. The study group (n = 138) comprised patients with different diagnoses who received CM more than once during hospitalization, while the control group (n = 153) involved CAD patients subject to a single CM dose. Following propensity score matching (PSM), both groups of n = 84 were evenly matched in terms of major baseline variables. CI-AKI was defined by an absolute increase in SCr ≥ 0.3 mg/dL or >50% relative to the baseline value within 48–72 h from the last CM dose. Patients in the study group were older, had a higher prevalence of diabetes and CKD, received a higher total volume of CM, had a lower left ventricular ejection fraction, lower prevalence of multivessel coronary artery disease (MV-CAD), and a trend towards a lower prevalence of arterial hypertension and smoking. SCr did not differ between the study and control groups at 72 h after the CM use. CI-AKI occurred in 18 patients in the study (13.0%) and in 18 patients (11.8%) in the control group (p = 0.741). The rate of CI-AKI was also comparable following the PSM (13.1% vs. 13.1%, p = 1.0). Logistic regression analysis revealed that CKD, diabetes mellitus, MV-CAD, age, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use, but not repeated CM use, were independent predictors of CI-AKI.

Background: Percutaneous pericardiocentesis represents a salvage procedure in case of cardiac tamponade and diagnostic procedure in chronic pericardial effusion of unknown source. The study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients subject to pericardiocentesis and the predictors of in-hospital mortality.Methods: The study represents a registry that covered consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous pericardiocentesis from 2011 to 2022 in high-volume tertiary reference center. Electronic health records were queried to obtain demographic and clinical variables. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality, while secondary endpoint was the need for recurrent pericardiocentesis.Results: Out of 132 456 patients hospitalized in the prespecified period, 247 patients were subject to percutaneous pericardiocentesis (53.9% women; median age of 66 years) who underwent 273 procedures. In-hospital death was reported in 14 patients (5.67%), while recurrent pericardiocentesis in 24 patients (9.72%). Iatrogenic cause was the most common etiology (42.5%), followed by neoplastic disease (23.1%) and idiopathic effusion (14.57%). In logistic regression analysis in-hospital mortality was associated with myocardial infarction (MI)-related etiology (p = 0.001) and recurrent/persistent cardiogenic shock (p = 0.001).Conclusions: Iatrogenic etiology and neoplastic disease seem to be the most common indications for pericardiocentesis, while in-hospital mortality was particularly high in patients with spontaneous tamponade in the course of MI.

Obesity constitutes a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) and modifies the efficacy of invasive AF treatment. Left atrial (LA) global longitudinal strain (GLS), which is measured using speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE), is one of the new methods that are helpful in evaluating the function of LA. The aim of the study was to evaluate LA function in obese and non-obese patients that were undergoing percutaneous pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) before and 6 months after the procedure. 89 patients (F/M: 31/58; mean age: 55.8 ± 9.8 years) with paroxysmal or persistent symptomatic AF that had been qualified for percutaneous PVI were prospectively enrolled in the study. Body mass index (BMI) constituted as a discriminating factor for the study groups: obese group: BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² (29 patients, F/M: 13/16, mean age: 55.13 ± 10.1 years) and non-obese group BMI < 30 kg/m² (60 patients, F/M: 18/42, mean age: 57.17 ± 9.0 years). Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) with LA GLS and segmental longitudinal strain were analysed 1 day before and 6 months after PVI. PVI efficacy was evaluated 6 months after PVI via a seven-day Holter monitoring. Baseline analysis revealed significantly lower two-chamber (2-Ch) LA GLS in the obese patients compared to the non-obese subjects (− 10.55 ± 3.7 vs − 13.11 ± 5.1, p = 0.004). Segmental strain analysis showed no significant differences between the groups. The data that was obtained 6 months after PVI showed a significantly lower 4-Ch LA GLS in the obese patients compared to the non-obese subjects (− 11.04 ± 5.0 vs − 13.91 ± 4.2, p = 0.02), which was accompanied by a significantly lower segmental 4-Ch LA function in the obese patients (med-sept: − 11.66 ± 11.2 vs − 15.97 ± 5.3, p = 0.04; api-sept: − 9.04 ± 6.3 vs − 13.62 ± 6.5, p < 0.001; api-lat: − 7.62 ± 4.0 vs − 13.62 ± 6.5, p < 0.001; med-lat: −9.31 + − 7.9 vs − 15.04 + − 6.3, p = 0.003, global: − 11.04 + − 5.0 vs − 13.91 + − 4.2, p = 0.02). PVI efficacy was confirmed in 52 (58.4%) patients and was similar in both groups. Comparison of the baseline and 6-month strain revealed no differences in LA GLS in either group. Differences in LA GLS before and after the procedure (delta LA GLS) were not obesity dependent. Apical-septal and apical-lateral strain in the obese group, which were measured in 4-Ch view, were significantly lower after the procedure compared to the baseline (p < 0.001). Obese patients with paroxysmal AF were characterised by impaired LA GLS, which is persistent and was accompanied by segmental dysfunction after PVI at the 6-month follow-up. PVI efficacy was comparable between the obese and non-obese patients.

DOI: 10.33963/KP.15673, Published online: November 04, 2020, Authors: Małgorzata Cichoń, Magdalena Mizia-Szubryt, Magdalena Olszanecka-Glinianowicz, Maria Bożentowicz-Wikarek, Aleksander J. Owczarek, Rafał Michalik, Katarzyna Mizia-Stec

Background and Objectives: Functional mitral regurgitation (F-MR) observed in patients with atrial fibrillation could affect the effectiveness of the sinus rhythm restoring procedures. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of F-MR on pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) efficacy in patient with preserved ejection fraction (EF). Materials and Methods: One hundred and thirty-six patients with EF ≥ 50% (65.4% males; mean age 56 ± 11 years) with symptomatic paroxysmal or persistent AF qualified for PVI were enrolled into the study. F-MR assessment was performed in transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal (TEE) echocardiography before the PVI procedure. PVI efficacy was evaluated in three-month and long-term follow-up. Results: F-MR was diagnosed in 74.3% patient in transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) (trace: 26.5%, mild: 43.4%, moderate: 3.7%, severe 0.7%) and 94.9% in transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) (trace: 17.6%, mild: 59.6%, moderate: 16.2%, severe: 1.5%). The PVI three-month efficacy was 75.7% in the three-month and 64% in the long-term observation. Severe F-MR in TEE at baseline was associated with lower three-month PVI efficacy (p = 0.012), while moderate to severe F-MR in TEE was related to inefficient PVI assessed in long-term follow-up (p = 0.041). Conclusions: Significant F-MR confirmed by TEE predicts three-month as well as long-term PVI efficacy.

Background: Unlike atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter (AFl) is thought to be relatively refractory to pharmacological cardioversion (PC), but the evidence is scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and efficacy of the PC of AFl with amiodarone in comparison to AF. Materials and methods: This retrospective study covered 727 patients with urgent consult for AF/AFl in a high-volume emergency department between 2015 and 2018. AFl was diagnosed in 222 (30.5%; median age: 68 (62; 75) years; 65.3% men). In a nested case-control study, 59 control patients with AF, matched in terms of age and sex with 60 AFl patients, were subject to PC with amiodarone. The primary endpoint was return of sinus rhythm confirmed using a 12-lead ECG. Results: The AFl population had a median CHA2DS2-VASc score of 3 (2; 4) and episode duration of 72 h (16; 120). In the AFl cohort, 36% of patients were initially subject to PC, 33.3% to electrical cardioversion (EC) and 40.5% to catheter ablation. In comparison to the AF group, the AFl patients required a longer hospitalization time, had a higher rate of EC (p < 0.001) and less frequent use of PC (p < 0.001) and, lower left ventricular ejection fraction (p < 0.001) and more pronounced cardiovascular risk factors. The efficacy of PC with amiodarone was significantly lower in AFl than AF group (39% vs. 65%, relative risk (RR) 0.60, p = 0.007). Conclusions: AFl patients shared a greater burden of comorbidities than AF patients, while the efficacy of PC in AFl was low. Patients should be initially managed with primary electrical cardioversion.