On-admission Serum High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Level Independently Predicts In-Hospital Mortality and Adverse Cardiovascular Events in ST-elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: Inflammatory biomarkers are associated with adverse cardiovascular events during ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI). We aimed to investigate the role of inflammatory biomarkers, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and soluble ST-2 (sST2), for prediction of adverse cardiovascular events in STEMI. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study that consecutively enrolled patients with STEMI. Subjects were observed during hospitalization until discharge or fatal events happened. Adverse cardiovascular event was a compilation of cardiac mortality, acute heart failure, cardiogenic shock, reinfarction, and malignant ventricular arrhythmia. Blood samples were withdrawn on admission and inflammatory biomarkers (hs-CRP and sST2) were measured. The receiver operator characteristics curve and multivariable analysis were performed to determine which inflammatory biomarkers predict in-hospital adverse cardiovascular events and mortality. Result: Of 166 subjects, the in-hospital adverse cardiovascular events occurred in 41 subjects (24.6%) and mortality occurred in 16 subjects (9.6%). Subjects with in-hospital adverse cardiovascular events and mortality had a significantly higher hs-CRP level, but comparable sST2 level than subjects without events. The hs-CRP level was the most precise biomarkers to predict in-hospital adverse cardiovascular events (hs-CRP cut-off ≥2.75 mg/L) and mortality (hs-CRP cut-off ≥7 mg/L). Multivariable analysis indicated hs-CRP ≥2.75 mg/L as an independent predictor for in-hospital adverse cardiovascular events (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 2.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-7.39, P = .039) and hs-CRP ≥7 mg/L for mortality (adjusted OR: 5.45, 95% CI: 1.13-26.18, P = .034) in STEMI. Conclusion: On admission, hs-CRP level independently predicted in-hospital adverse cardiovascular events, at cut-off level ≥2.75 mg/L, and mortality, at cut-off level ≥7 mg/L, in STEMI patients.

Evaluation and Management of Reflex Vasovagal Syncope—A Review

Syncope is a symptom that is commonly encountered in the practice and may point to a cardiac or neurological diagnosis. The evaluation of syncope rests on a thorough clinical evaluation, aided by electrocardiogram (ECG) findings, followed by risk stratification of the particular case. Once high-risk factors have been ruled out, the patient can be further diagnosed as having a reflex syncope (RS), orthostatic hypotension, or cardiac syncope based on specific clues. If the initial evaluation is not confirmatory various diagnostic tests may be used to guide further management (eg, long-term ECG monitoring, tilt table testing, etc). The management should be based on the overall profile of the patient and not only on any single test. In this review, we discuss the evaluation of a patient with RS and give an overview of treatments available for the patients.

Current Status of Cardiac Transplantation in the 21st Century

Advanced heart failure is an entity where irreversible structural heart disease is associated with persistent, refractory symptoms and quantitative decrease in cardiopulmonary capacity. Despite advanced and comprehensive medical therapy, patients are at high risk of death due to cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest. Heart transplantation was developed as a surgical intervention to replace the failing recipient heart with a healthy heart from a recently deceased donor. In this article, we discuss the current state of cardiac transplantation, more than 5 decades after the first human cardiac transplantation was performed. Apart from an historical overview of the development of surgical techniques, we focus on appropriate patient selection, pretransplant evaluation, and recognition and treatment of post-transplant complications.

Spontaneous Spiral Dissection of Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery in a Young Female

The present case is unique and the first to describe the spiral nature of dissection in spontaneous coronary artery dissection in a young female which has not yet been described in the world literature.

Bradyarrhythmic Cardiac Arrest—A Rare Manifestation of Fexofenadine Cardiotoxicity

A 66-year-old diabetic, hypertensive, and hypothyroid female presented in the emergency department with cardiac arrest, for which cardiopulmonary resuscitation was immediately initiated. She had been on oral fexofenadine for 36 h prior to the event. Post successful resuscitation, her cardiac rhythm showed high-grade atrioventricular block. Patient was treated with mechanical ventilatory support and temporary transvenous pacing. No treatable cause could be identified, and she recovered completely following fexofenadine discontinuation, without need for a permanent pacemaker. She has remained asymptomatic during 1 year of follow-up with no documented arrhythmias. An electrophysiological study at 6 months revealed prolonged HV interval (70 ms) with 1:1 AV conduction and no inducible arrhythmias. This is probably the first reported case of fexofenadine-induced cardiac arrest in a patient without previous history of heart disease.