May 19th, 2014
Lytics in STEMI: A New Analysis of Data from FAST-MI
Nicolas Danchin, MD, PhD and John Ryan, MD
French researchers analyze data from FAST-MI and conclude that a fibrinolysis-based strategy may be valid for some patients with STEMI.
April 22nd, 2014
Large French Registry Lends Support To Pharmaco-Invasive Strategy For STEMI
Larry Husten, PHD
It is generally agreed that the best treatment for STEMI patients is immediate reperfusion with PCI. But for many patients primary PCI is not available within the time frame leading to the greatest benefit. Previous studies have found good short-term outcomes in patients who receive a pharmaco-invasive strategy, in which patients first receive fibrinolytic therapy and […]
October 31st, 2013
EUROMAX Meets Primary Endpoint But Editorialist Raises Questions
Larry Husten, PHD
When started during transport to the hospital during a heart attack, bivalirudin (Angiox, Medicines Company) improves clinical outcomes and reduces major bleeding, though at the cost of a small but significant risk in stent thrombosis. The results of the European Ambulance Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) Angiography) Trial (EUROMAX) were presented on Wednesday by Phillippe Gabriel […]
October 28th, 2013
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: October 28th
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topics include thrombus aspiration during STEMI, the effect of statins on mortality in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia, and more.
October 4th, 2013
A New Use for an Old Beta-Blocker?
Borja Ibanez, MD PhD
Borja Ibañez, lead investigator of the METOCARD-CNIC trial, discusses the effect of intravenous beta-blocker use before reperfusion in patients undergoing primary PCI.
September 26th, 2013
Scrutinizing the PRAMI Trial of “Preventive Angioplasty”
Victor Montori, MD, MSc
Victor Montori offers his analysis of the PRAMI trial and the many ramifications of stopping an investigation early.
September 13th, 2013
Should We Treat Nonculprit Lesions During PCI for STEMI?
David S Wald, MA MD FRCP, Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA and L. David Hillis, MD
CardioExchange’s Rick Lange and David Hillis interview David Wald about his group’s recently published findings from the PRAMI trial of “preventive” PCI in STEMI patients. Based on results of previous nonrandomized, observational studies, stenting non-infarct coronary stenoses during primary PCI has been discouraged. The Preventive Angioplasty in Acute Myocardial Infarction (PRAMI) trial in 465 STEMI patients assessed whether […]
September 5th, 2013
Should We Be Looking Beyond Door-to-Balloon Time?
Daniel Menees, MD, Hitinder Gurm, MBBS and Brahmajee Kartik Nallamothu, MD, MPH
Daniel Menees and Hitinder Gurm answer questions about their recent New England Journal of Medicine study that calls into question the emphasis on door-to-balloon time for acute MI patients undergoing PCI.
September 4th, 2013
Too Much Emphasis on Door-to-Balloon Time?
Larry Husten, PHD
One of the great medical advances in recent years has been the improved treatment of acute myocardial infarction. As the enormous benefits of earlier reperfusion became evident, medical systems in many parts of the world aimed to treat increasing numbers of patients in a shorter time frame. The door-to-balloon (D2B) time as a performance measure […]
September 1st, 2013
A TASTE of Registry-Based Randomized Trials
Ole Frobert, MD, PhD and Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM
Ole Fröbert discusses his study group’s registry-based randomized trial of pre-PCI thrombus aspiration in STEMI patients.
NEJM Journal Watch — Recent Cardiology Articles- Strategies and Criteria for the Diagnosis and Management of Myocarditis
- Sex-Based Disparity in CABG Outcomes: Are We Moving Toward Parity?
- Can Genetic and Social Risk Scores Improve Cardiac Risk Prediction?
- Extensive Ablation vs. Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
- Can a Novel Stent Design Improve Long-Term Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention?