Peak frequency analysis distinguishes nearfield from farfield signals during pulmonary vein isolation.

Background: Identifying nearfield and farfield signals is critical to mapping and ablating cardiac arrhythmias. This assessment is qualitative, depending on the "sharpness" of pulmonary vein (PV) electrograms. Electrogram peak frequency (PF) analysis is hypothesized to be a quantitative measure of signal proximity.

Successful Treatment of Confirmed Severe Bupropion Cardiotoxicity With Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Initiation Prior to Cardiac Arrest.

Bupropion is a substituted cathinone (β-keto amphetamine) norepinephrine/dopamine reuptake inhibitor andnoncompetitive nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist that is frequently used to treat major depressive disorder. Bupropion overdose can cause neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity, the latter of which is thought to be secondary to gap junction inhibition and ion channel blockade. We report a patient with a confirmed bupropion ingestion causing severe cardiotoxicity, for whom prophylactic veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was successfully implemented.

Safety and effects of SGLT-2 inhibitor use among LVAD patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

SGLT-2 inhibitors have been shown to confer reduced risk of adverse cardiovascular events in patients with heart failure, and have also been studied preliminarily among heart transplant patients, with overall positive findings. Use of SGLT-2 inhibitors among patients with durable mechanical circulatory support has not been studied. Here we present our results from a combined retrospective cohort of LVAD patients on SGLT-2 inhibitors at two major academic centers, which showed a good safety profile but prompted questions for further investigation.

Assessment and validation of a novel fast fully automated artificial intelligence left ventricular ejection fraction quantification software.

Background: Quantification of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is operator-dependent, time-consuming, and error-prone. LVivoEF by DIA is a new artificial intelligence (AI) software, which displays the tracking of endocardial borders and rapidly quantifies LVEF. We sought to assess the accuracy of LVivoEF compared to cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) as the reference standard and to compare LVivoEF to the standard-of-care physician-measured LVEF (MD-EF) including studies with ultrasound enhancing agents (UEAs).

Racial and ethnic differences in severity of coronary calcification among patients undergoing PCI: Results from a single-center multiethnic PCI registry.

Background: Although population-based studies have demonstrated racial heterogeneity in coronary artery calcium (CAC) burden, the degree to which such associations extend to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) cohorts remains poorly characterized. We sought to evaluate the associations between race/ethnicity and CAC in a PCI population.

Methods: This single center retrospective study analyzed 1025 patients with prior CAC who underwent PCI between January 1, 2012 and May 15, 2020.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome After Primary Cytomegalovirus Infection in a Patient With a Heart Transplant.

A 56-year-old man underwent cardiac transplantation in April 2018. His post-operative course was uncomplicated and he had normal allograft function. On December 2019 he was admitted for fever and diarrhea and was found to have cytomegalovirus infection.

Standardized Use of the Stanford Integrated Psychosocial Assessment for Transplantation in LVAD Patients.

Background: Increased psychosocial risk portends poor outcomes following heart transplantation. The Stanford Integrated Psychosocial Assessment for Transplantation (SIPAT) is a validated, psychosocial risk assessment tool that helps stratify candidates for transplantation. We assessed the impact of psychosocial factors as measured by the SIPAT on clinical outcomes following left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation at our institution.

Initial presentation of human papillomavirus-related head and neck cancer: A retrospective review.

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been identified as a risk factor for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) and a cause of the recent dramatic rise in the incidence of this disease. HPV-positive OPSCC typically affects a younger population and has no validated screening test. This study aims to outline the common presenting signs of HPV-positive OPSCC.

Impact of Community-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation on Clinical Parameters of Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programmes have been shown to improve patient outcomes, but vary widely in their components. The impact of Singapore's CR programme on clinical outcomes is currently not known.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a community-based CR programme on important clinical parameters in patients with cardiovascular disease in Singapore.

Seasonal variations in nocturnal changes in blood pressure between Ireland and Singapore.

Background: Normal blood pressure (BP) follows a circadian rhythm, with dipping of BP at night. However, knowledge is limited in how the nocturnal dipping in hypertensive patients changes with the seasons. The study aims to examine the pattern of seasonal changes of nocturnal dip in an Irish population and furthermore, to compare it to the pattern observed near the equator where such seasonal variations are minimal, by also studying a Singaporean population.

Large pulmonary artery aneurysm associated with Marfan syndrome.

Pulmonary artery aneurysms are rare, and published data on the subject are limited. The first case of Marfan syndrome associated with a large pulmonary artery aneurysm complicated by pulmonary artery thrombi and pulmonary hypertension is described. Serial echocardiograms showed progressive dilation of the aneurysm, which reached a massive size of 90 mm.

Trends in mortality from acute myocardial infarction in the coronary care unit.

Introduction: The treatment and outcome of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has evolved greatly over the past few decades. We compared the mortality and complication rates of patients with AMI admitted to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) in 2002 to previously reported data.

Materials And Methods: All data for AMI patients admitted to National Heart Centre CCU in 2002 were collected through the Singapore Cardiac Data Bank, including demographics, in hospital complications and mortality.