Luís Soares

Comparison of ischemic and bleeding risk scores in non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes.

Objectives: Compare the discriminatory performance of two validated ischemic risk scores and a bleeding risk score for in-hospital adverse events across the spectrum of non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS). Material and methods: Single center, 516 consecutive patients admitted with the diagnosis of NSTE-ACS. The following risk scores were calculated for each patient: TIMI, GRACE and CRUSADE. The following in-hospital endpoints were used: major bleeding (as defined by the CRUSADE criteria); recurrent ischemia (re-infarction or recurrent angina); and death. Discriminatory performance was measured by the c-statistic and compared. Results: There were 36 major bleeding events, 34 recurrent ischemic events and 10 deaths. TIMI RS, GRACE RS, and CRUSADE RS demonstrated fair discriminatory accuracy for major bleeding (c-statistic = 0.64, 0.58, and 0.61, respectively). GRACE and CRUSADE risk scores demonstrated a better performance than TIMI RS for predicting in-hospital death (c-statistic = 0.92 and 0.86, respectively versus c-statistic = 0.63, P < 0.001). For the combined endpoint of in-hospital death or recurrent ischemia there was no statistically significant difference between CRUSADE RS, GRACE RS, and TIMI RS (c-statistic = 0.58, 0.57, and 0.62, respectively). Conclusion: Both ischemic and bleeding risk scores are able to predict in-hospital bleeding, ischemic and fatal events.

Implicações do índice de dispersão eritrocitária no risco de eventos hemorrágicos em doentes com síndrome coronária aguda sem supradesnivelamento do segmento ST

INTRODUCTION Higher values of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) have recently been associated with worse outcome in patients with cardiovascular disease. However, its relation to bleeding events in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes has not been established. AIM To determine the prognostic value of RDW in patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndromes, particularly regarding the risk of major bleeding. METHODS We analyzed 513 consecutive patients admitted with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes. The population was divided into tertiles of baseline RDW and clinical, laboratory characteristics and adverse events were analyzed for each group. The primary outcome was defined as the occurrence of major bleeding (according to the Crusade bleeding score). The predictive value of RDW for risk of major bleeding was determined. RESULTS The mean RDW was 15.13%±1.62%. Patients in the third tertile were older and more frequently had renal dysfunction or previous coronary revascularization. Higher values of RDW were associated with greater risk of major bleeding and in-hospital death. RDW >15.7% was an independent predictor of bleeding events (odds ratio 3.1, 95% CI 1.4-6.9). CONCLUSIONS In a population of patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes, RDW was associated with higher in-hospital mortality and was an independent predictor of in-hospital major bleeding.

Cardiac magnetic resonance in a patient with MRI-conditional pacemaker

An implanted pacemaker is generally considered a contraindication for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The increasing number of indications for MRI and the rising prevalence of implanted cardiac pacemakers have prompted the recent development of MRI-conditional pacemaker systems. We present the case of a 68-year-old woman with left ventricular hypertrophy, hypertension, aortic valve stenosis and a family history of cardiac amyloidosis, who developed complete heart block. In view of the foreseeable need for cardiac MRI, an MRI-conditional dual chamber pacemaker was implanted. The MRI scan confirmed moderate left ventricular hypertrophy and aortic valve stenosis, and showed no delayed enhancement suggestive of amyloid heart disease. This case illustrates the feasibility of cardiac MRI in this setting and the usefulness of the recently introduced MRI-conditional pacemaker systems.

Padrão de Brugada em doente medicada com lamotrigina

The authors report the case of a 52-year-old woman with depressive syndrome, treated with lamotrigine for about five months, who went to the emergency department for atypical precordial pain. The electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed a 2-mm downsloping ST-segment elevation and negative T waves in V1 and V2. Due to suspicion of ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome, cardiac catheterization was performed, which revealed normal coronary arteries. The initial ECG was suggestive of type 1 Brugada pattern, but subsequent serial ECGs were less typical. A flecainide test showed the same pattern. After discontinuation of lamotrigine reversal of the typical Brugada ECG pattern was observed. Although not currently contraindicated in Brugada syndrome, the antidepressant lamotrigine blocks sodium channels, which are usually inactivated in heart cell membranes in Brugada syndrome, and may be responsible for the expression of type 1 Brugada pattern.

Falha de integridade dos elétrodos de desfibrilhação Riata e Riata ST: um problema atual

Riata and Riata ST silicone defibrillation leads are prone to externalization of conductors due to inside-out abrasion in the high-voltage system, causing structural damage which may be accompanied by electrical failure. These situations are easily detected by fluoroscopy or radiology and by inspection of intracardiac electrograms and/or measurement of impedance. However, older pulse generators do not automatically perform all the measurements needed to assess the integrity of the high-voltage electrical system, nor do they have patient notifier alerts in case of dysfunction. The authors describe the case of a patient in whom structural damage was detected on fluoroscopy during pulse generator replacement. They discuss the best strategy in these patients, considering current knowledge of this dysfunction.