Angiographic success and procedural complications in patients undergoing retrograde percutaneous coronary chronic total occlusion interventions: A weighted meta-analysis of 3482 patients from 26 studies

Background

The efficacy and safety profile of retrograde chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has received limited study. We sought to perform a weighted meta-analysis of the success and complication rates of retrograde CTO PCI.

Methods

We conducted a meta-analysis of 26 studies published between 2006 and April 2013 reporting in-hospital outcomes of retrograde CTO PCI. Data on procedural success, frequency of death, emergent coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), perforation, tamponade, stent thrombosis, major vascular or bleeding events, contrast nephropathy, and radiation skin injury were collected.

Results

A total of 26 studies with 3482 patients and 3493 target CTO lesions were included. Primary retrograde CTO PCI was attempted in 52.4%. Pooled estimates of outcomes were as follows: procedural success 83.3% [95% confidence interval (CI): 79.0% to 87.7%]; death 0.7% (95% CI: 0.5% to 1.2%); urgent CABG 0.7% (95% CI: 0.4% to 1.2%); tamponade 1.4% (95% CI: 1.0% to 2.2%); collateral perforation 6.9% (95% CI: 4.6% to 10.4%); coronary perforation 4.3% (95% CI: 1.2% to 15.4%); donor vessel dissection 2% (95% CI: 0.9% to 4.5%); stroke 0.5% (95% CI: 0.2% to 1.0%); MI 3.1% (95% CI: 0.2% to 5.0%); Q wave MI 0.6% (95% CI: 0.4% to 1.1%); vascular access complications 2% (95% CI: 0.9% to 4.5%); contrast nephropathy 1.8% (95% CI: 0.8% to 3.7%); and wire fracture and equipment entrapment 1.2% (95% CI: 0.6% to 2.5%).

Conclusions

Retrograde CTO PCI is associated with high procedural success rate and acceptable risk for procedural complications.     

Coagulopathy in COVID‐19

The COVID‐19 pandemic has become an urgent issue in every country. Based on recent reports, the most severely ill patients present with coagulopathy, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)‐like massive intravascular clot formation is frequently seen in this cohort. Therefore, coagulation tests may be considered useful to discriminate severe cases of COVID‐19. The clinical presentation of COVID‐19‐associated coagulopathy is organ dysfunction primarily, whereas hemorrhagic events are less frequent. Changes in hemostatic biomarkers represented by increase in D‐dimer and fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products indicate the essence of coagulopathy is massive fibrin formation. In comparison with bacterial‐sepsis‐associated coagulopathy/DIC, prolongation of prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time, and decrease in antithrombin activity is less frequent and thrombocytopenia is relatively uncommon in COVID‐19. The mechanisms of the coagulopathy are not fully elucidated, however. It is speculated that the dysregulated immune responses orchestrated by inflammatory cytokines, lymphocyte cell death, hypoxia, and endothelial damage are involved. Bleeding tendency is uncommon, but the incidence of thrombosis in COVID‐19 and the adequacy of current recommendations regarding standard venous thromboembolic dosing are uncertain.     

Induction, Recovery, and Safety Characteristics of Sevoflurane in Children Undergoing Ambulatory Surgery: A Comparison with Halothane

Background: Sevoflurane is an inhalational anesthetic with characteristics suited for use in children. To determine whether the induction, recovery, and safety characteristics of sevoflurane differ from those of halothane, the following open-labeled, multicenter, randomized, controlled, phase III study in children undergoing ambulatory surgery was designed.

Methods: Three hundred seventy-five children, ASA physical status 1 or 2, were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive either sevoflurane or halothane, both in 60% N2 O and 40% O2. Anesthesia was induced using a mask with an Ayre's t piece or Bain circuit in four of the centers and a mask with a circle circuit in the fifth center. Maximum inspired concentrations during induction of anesthesia were 7% sevoflurane and 4.3% halothane. Anesthesia was maintained by spontaneous ventilation, without tracheal intubation. End-tidal concentrations of both inhalational anesthetics were adjusted to 1.0 MAC for at least 10 min before the end of surgery. Induction and recovery characteristics and all side effects were recorded. The plasma concentration of inorganic fluoride was measured at induction of and 1 h after anesthesia.

Results: During induction of anesthesia, the time to loss of the eyelash reflex with sevoflurane was 0.3 min faster than with halothane (P < 0.001). The incidence of airway reflex responses was similar, albeit infrequent with both anesthetics. The total MAC *symbol* h exposure to sevoflurane was 11% less than the exposure to halothane (P < 0.013), although the end-tidal MAC multiple during the final 10 min of anesthesia was similar for both groups. Early recovery as evidenced by the time to response to commands after sevoflurane was 33% more rapid than it was after halothane (P < 0.001), although the time to discharge from hospital was similar for both anesthetics. The mean (+/-SD) plasma concentration of inorganic fluoride 1 h after discontinuation of sevoflurane was 10.3+/-3.5 micro Meter. The overall incidence of adverse events attributable to sevoflurane was similar to that of halothane, although the incidence of agitation attributable to sevoflurane was almost threefold greater than that attributable to halothane (P < 0.004).     

African–Americans and Kidney Disease: New Insights into an Old Problem

Chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease are a growing epidemic, both in the United States and worldwide. African–Americans are disproportionately afflicted with kidney disease. The reasons for this disparity are multiple, but ultimately unclear. Not only are diabetes mellitus and hypertension more prevalent in African–Americans, but also end-organ damage from these processes appears also to be accelerated. Also, certain primary and secondary glomerular diseases are more prevalent and more severe in African–Americans than in Caucasians. Despite controlling for these factors and socioeconomic status, the increased prevalence of kidney disease in African–Americans is still not entirely explained. Recently, two studies identified certain alleles within the MYH9 gene locus that are more frequently expressed in African–Americans with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and non-diabetic renal disease. These studies emphasize the important role that genetic factors may play in explaining racial discrepancies in kidney disease, and represent exciting areas for new research.     

Airborne Infection with Bacillus anthracis��from Mills to Mail

The lack of identified exposures in 2 of the 11 cases of bioterrorism-related inhalation anthrax in 2001 raised uncertainty about the infectious dose and transmission of Bacillus anthracis. We used the Wells-Riley mathematical model of airborne infection to estimate 1) the exposure concentrations in postal facilities where cases of inhalation anthrax occurred and 2) the risk for infection in various hypothetical scenarios of exposure to B. anthracis aerosolized from contaminated mail in residential settings. These models suggest that a small number of cases of inhalation anthrax can be expected when large numbers of persons are exposed to low concentrations of B. anthracis. The risk for inhalation anthrax is determined not only by bacillary virulence factors but also by infectious aerosol production and removal rates and by host factors.     

Issues in Design and Implementation in an Urban Birth Cohort Study: The Syracuse AUDIT Project

The Syracuse AUDIT (Assessment of Urban Dwellings for Indoor Toxics) project is a birth cohort study of wheezing in the first year of life in a low-income urban setting. Such studies are important because of the documented serious risks to children's health and the lack of attention and published work on asthma development and intervention in communities of this size. We studied 103 infants of mothers with asthma, living predominantly in inner-city households. Our study combines measurements of a large panel of indoor environmental agents, in-home infant assessments, and review of all prenatal and postnatal medical records through the first year of life. We found multiple environmental pollution sources and potential health risks in study homes including high infant exposure to tobacco smoke. The prevalence of maternal smoking during pregnancy was 54%; postnatal environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure was nearly 90%. The majority (73%) of homes showed signs of dampness. Participants' lives were complicated by poverty, unemployment and single-parenthood. Thirty-three percent of fathers were not involved with their children, and 62% of subjects moved at least once during the study period. These socioeconomic issues had an impact on project implementation and led to modification of study eligibility criteria. Extensive outreach, follow up, and relationship-building were required in order to recruit and retain families and resulted in considerable work overload for study staff. Our experiences implementing the project will inform further studies on this and other similar populations. Future reports on this cohort will address the role of multiple environmental variables and their effects on wheezing outcome during the first year of life.Crawford, Hargrave, Liu, Anbar, Hall, Naishadham, Czerwinski, Webster, Lane, and Abraham are with the Department of Pathology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; Hunt is with the UNYSPEC Ltd., Baldwinsville, NY, USA.