Cardiology Commons^™

Determinants Of Early Mortality After Congenital Heart Surgery: A 7-Year Single-Center Experience In Saudi Arabia, Saud Abdulaziz Bahaidarah, Jowana Mahmoud Aljinaid, Amal Ahmad Alzahrani, Jana Mohammad Banjer, Lujain Abdulsalam Kofiyah, Nesmah Amin Noaman, Rahaf Adel Badkook, Raghad Abdulaziz Aljabri, Raghad Saeed Alghamdi, Renad Mohammed Alamoudi, Sarah Salem Bawazir, Gaser Abdelmohsen Abdelmohsen

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Objectives:

To determine predictors of early mortality among pediatric patients undergoing congenital heart surgery at a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia.

Methods:

This retrospective cohort study included 955 pediatric patients who underwent congenital heart surgery at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, between January 2017 and December 2023. Demographic, clinical, operative, and postoperative variables were collected.

Results:

Overall mortality was 4.9%. Mortality was higher among neonates and infants and among patients with RACHS categories 4–6. Non-survivors had longer cardiopulmonary bypass times and more frequent delayed chest closure. Postoperative complications, including the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), depressed cardiac function, …

Time For A New Whole-Person Care Pathway For Chest Pain Admissions, Dana Kajan, Sabbir Mirza, Alexander M. Ruiz, Anthony Degennaro, Mohamad S. Saad

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Emergency department (ED) visits for chest pain are common and costly, and ED workup often shows no clear cardiac etiology in low-risk patients. Emerging evidence suggests that social determinants of health (SDOH) such as loneliness, social isolation, and food insecurity contribute to cardiovascular outcomes and chest pain presentations.

Methods

We interviewed 114 patients (>18 years) presenting with chest pain and a thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) score less than 4 at our community teaching hospital ED. Structured questionnaires assessed the SDOH triad of loneliness, social isolation, and food insecurity. Dependent variables included systolic blood pressure (SBP) at admission, …

Miopati Atrium, Fibrilasi Atrium, Dan Stroke: Mengungkap Hubungan Tersembunyi, Muhammad Yamin, Mohamad Syahrir Azizi, Anneira Amanda Putri

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia and has been long recognized as a cause for atrial thrombus formation leading to cardioembolic stroke. However, recent studies reveal that the relationship between atrial fibrillation and stroke is an association rather than a temporal relationship. Left atrial thrombus formation is associated with vascular risk factor, atrial remodeling, and thrombogenesis. Various atrial electrical and structural markers of atrial myopathy have been linked to ischaemic stroke, even in the absence of AF. In addition to the CHA2DS2-VASc score as a consideration for anticoagulant administration, accurate atrial myopathy markers are needed to allow early …

Arrhythmia Burden And Clinical Responses Under Continuous Monitoring In Heart Failure: Observations From The Alleviate-Hf Trial., Rami Kahwash, Javed Butler, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, David Zhang, Jonathan Dukes, Madhu Reddy, Rachel M Kaplan, Anish Amin, Rahul Kanwar, Shantanu Sarkar, Verla Laager, Jennifer Wehking, Brian Van Dorn, Bart Gerritse, Nirav Patel, Aimee Laechelt, Michael R Zile, Alleviate-Hf Investigators

OhioHealth Research Institute Articles

BACKGROUND: Arrhythmia burden in ambulatory patients with symptomatic heart failure (HF) without cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is not well defined, and it remains uncertain whether device-guided remote congestion management modifies arrhythmia occurrence.

OBJECTIVES: The goal was to assess whether arrhythmia burden differed between randomized congestion-management strategies and characterize the occurrences and associations of insertable cardiac monitor (ICM)-detected arrhythmias with therapeutic actions and clinical events.

METHODS: In ALLEVIATE-HF, patients with NYHA functional class II-III HF with any ejection fraction (EF) and a recent HF event, without prior CIEDs, underwent ICM implantation and were randomized to ICM-guided, physician-directed, nurse-facilitated congestion management …

Risk-Based Nurse-Managed Personalized Heart Failure Interventions: The Alleviate-Hf Trial., Javed Butler, Rami Kahwash, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, David Zhang, Jonathan W Dukes, Madhu Reddy, Anupam Basuray, Elie Gharib, Bart Gerritse, Aimee Laechelt, Jennifer Wehking, Shantanu Sarkar, Brian Van Dorn, Nirav Patel, Verla Laager, Michael R Zile, Alleviate-Hf Investigators

Heart and Vascular Articles

BACKGROUND: Early identification of worsening heart failure (HF) may improve outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess if insertable cardiac monitor (ICM)-based high-risk detection combined with centrally managed, nurse-facilitated, individually protocolized diuretic interventions is safe and improves HF outcomes.

METHODS: A Reveal LINQ (Medtronic) ICM with an investigational HF risk-status software was implanted in participants with HF who were randomized 1:1 to an intervention arm (high-risk HF alert triggering protocolized diuretic regimen) or an observation arm (standard care). The primary safety endpoint was intervention-related serious adverse events and the primary efficacy endpoint was a 5-component hierarchical composite including cardiovascular death …

Comments On The Letter – Intraoperative Tissue Oxygenation And Postoperative Creatinine Rise: Interpreting The Microcirculatory Context, Bhakti Banerjee, Haripada Das, Lini Srivastava, Snigdha Pramanik, Diptimay Majumder

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

No abstract for this article type.

Intraoperative Tissue Oxygenation And Postoperative Creatinine Rise: Interpreting The Microcirculatory Context, Bedirhan Buğra Bayıcı,, Fatih Kızılyel

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

No Abstract for this article type

Patent Ductus Arteriosus Spasm During Percutaneous Device Occlusion In Infants And Children, Hani M. Adel, Ashraf K. Mahmoud

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background: Spasm of ductus arteriosus is an uncommon but significant phenomenon associated with transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) occlusion. It can lead to procedural failure, improper device sizing, or even embolization of the occluder device as the spasm subsides post-procedure. Aim of this study is to report the frequency, features, management and outcome of PDA spasm during device closure in a single Egyptian center.

Patients and methods: Over about 3 years, 200 infants and children underwent percutaneous device occlusion. The echocardiographic and catheterization data of patients who developed spasm of PDA before or during or shortly after anesthesia …

Mimickers Of Atrial Fibrillation: When All Irregular Rhythms Are Not Atrial Fibrillation, Tirumala Nischal Jasty, Devi Parvathy Jyothi Ramachandran Nair

Transformative Medicine

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and carries important therapeutic implications, particularly regarding anticoagulation and stroke prevention. However, AFib remains frequently misdiagnosed, often due to overreliance on automated electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretations and failure to recognize alternative causes of rhythm irregularity. This review highlights the fundamental ECG characteristics required for the diagnosis of AFib and emphasizes that not all irregular rhythms represent atrial fibrillation. Through a representative clinical case and discussion of common mimickers—including Mobitz I (Wenckebach) atrioventricular block, premature atrial contractions, blocked premature atrial contractions, multifocal atrial tachycardia, and sinus arrhythmia—we demonstrate key electrocardiographic features that …

Real-World Outcomes Of Dedicated Leaflet Modification For Bioprosthetic Valve-In-Valve Tavr: A 150-Patient Commercial Experience., Raj R Makkar, Aakriti Gupta, Ignacio Inglessis, Curtiss T Stinis, Pradeep K Yadav, Vinod H Thourani, Stanley J Chetcuti, Matthew Summers, Vivek Patel, Bassem M Chehab, Apurva Patel, Gilbert H L Tang, Sahil Khera, Michael Rinaldi, Trevor Simard, Jeffrey Southard, Benjamin R Stripe, Brian Whisenant, Keith Allen, Yoseph Rozenman, Danny Dvir, Carlos E Sanchez, Jeffrey Popma, Martin B Leon, Philippe Généreux

Heart and Vascular Articles

BACKGROUND: Coronary obstruction during valve-in-valve (ViV) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is infrequent but catastrophic. Mechanical splitting of bioprosthetic leaflets may mitigate this risk, but real-world experience remains limited.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this is to evaluate procedural performance and in-hospital outcomes of a dedicated mechanical leaflet-splitting device in ViV TAVR.

METHODS: Consecutive postapproval cases were performed at 28 centers from February to November 2025. Patients were selected for elevated risk based on preprocedural computed tomography criteria, including virtual valve-to-coronary distance ≤4 mm and/or virtual valve-to-sinotubular junction distance ≤3 mm. Procedural outcomes were assessed among patients in whom splitting was …

Intermittent Fasting In Chronic Heart Failure: A Systematic Review Of Safety And Physiological Outcomes, Zulrahman Erlangga, Prenali Dwisthi Sattwika

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Interest in intermittent fasting has expanded substantially due to its reported metabolic effects. However, whether such dietary patterns are safe for individuals living with chronic heart failure remains unclear. This issue is particularly relevant for patients who fast for religious observance, including Ramadan. We therefore performed a systematic review to evaluate the clinical safety and physiological implications of intermittent fasting in stable heart failure populations. The review protocol adhered to established reporting standards for systematic reviews. Multiple electronic databases were systematically searched from inception through December 2025 to identify studies evaluating intermittent fasting in adults with chronic heart failure. Both …

Safety Evaluation Of Dofetilide Administration Per Enteral Tube., Megan E Labreck, Katherine Crawford, David M Nemer, Auroa Badin, Anish Amin

Heart and Vascular Articles

No abstract provided.

Electronic Health Record Alerts To Improve Lipid Lowering After A Recent Myocardial Infarction, Dean G. Karalis, Benjamin Richter, Scott Hessen, Patrick Moeller, Laney K. Jones

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: This observational, quality initiative evaluated the impact of changing from a passive (dismissible) to an active (nondismissible without action) electronic health record alert on guideline-recommended lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) prescriptions in patients with recent myocardial infarction at risk for secondary events.

METHODS: We sequentially recruited a retrospective passive-alert (February 2018-July 2019; n=733) and a prospective active-alert (August 2020-January 2022; n=587) cohort of patients who triggered an alert to intensify LLT or order a low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) test if they had a recent myocardial infarction (within 12 months) and elevated (≥70 mg/dL) or missing LDL-C. Prescribed LLTs and cumulative percentages of …

Differential Roles Of Moesin And Vasp In Β-Catenin-Associated Networks During Zebrafish Heart Regeneration, Allen Rutman

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

With cardiovascular disease remaining as the leading cause of mortality worldwide, it is largely due to the limited regenerative capacity of the human heart. However, zebrafish (Danio rerio) can fully regenerate cardiac tissue following injury, providing a valuable model for studying the mechanisms of heart repair. To investigate these mechanisms, we used proteomics methods in the past. Proximity labeling is a technique that identifies proteins based on their physical proximity to a protein of interest. It can be applied in organisms and in living cells (Roux et al., 2012; Cho et al., 2020). We used proximity labeling to characterize protein …

Apolipoprotein B100 Predicts Cardiovascular And Limb Events In Type 2 Diabetes Patients With Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia, Federico Biscetti, Maria Margherita Rando, Maria Anna Nicolazzi, Flavia Angelini, Roberto Iezzi, Luis H. Eraso, Paul J. Dimuzio, Dario Pitocco, Massimo Massetti, Antonio Gasbarrini, Andrea Flex

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) undergoing lower extremity revascularization (LER) face high risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and major adverse limb events (MALE), despite guideline-directed lipid-lowering therapy. Apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB100), reflecting total atherogenic particle number, may identify residual risk beyond LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C). Therefore, we investigated whether baseline ApoB100 levels independently predict MACE and MALE beyond conventional risk factors in this high-risk population.

METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, 167 T2DM patients with CLTI undergoing LER were followed for 12 months with visits at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-procedure. …

Nurses’ Knowledge Regarding Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Prevention Bundle In Adult Cardiac Care Units, Marwa Abdo

Nursing

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is among the most common ICU infections for ventilated patients, associated with increased mortality (20-50%), morbidity, and health care costs. Nurses' knowledge of VAP prevention bundles is vital to reducing its incidence in critical care areas. Aim: To assess Nurses’ knowledge regarding the ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention bundle in Adult Cardiac Care Units. Study design: A cross-sectional study design was used. Setting: This study was conducted in both the adult cardiac intensive care unit and the cardiac care unit at Aswan Heart Centre–Magdy Yacoub Foundation, Egypt. Subject: A convenience sample of 67 nurses was selected. Data collection tool: …

Intravenous Atropine In Reducing Reperfusion Arrhythmias, Conduction Abnormalities, And Hypotension In Inferior St-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Mohamed Ismail Rashed, Islam Mahmoud Bastawy, Ahmed Lotfy Mohamed, Mohamed Gamaleldin Elewa

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Objectives: Inferior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is frequently complicated by vagally mediated bradyarrhythmias and hypotension during reperfusion, contributing to increased morbidity. The Bezold–Jarisch reflex has been implicated in this hemodynamic instability; however, evidence supporting prophylactic atropine remains limited. The study evaluated whether intravenous atropine administered immediately before reperfusion reduces clinically meaningful bradyarrhythmias, hypotension, early sustained ventricular arrhythmias, and inpatient major adverse cardiovascular events in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods: In this prospective single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, adults presenting within 12 hours of symptom onset with inferior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction were randomized 1:1 to intravenous …

Right Ventricular–Pulmonary Artery Coupling Predicts Early Myocardial Strain Improvement In Sglt2 Inhibitor-Treated Hfref, Mohammad Ali Hammad, Ramy Magdy Elgamal, Arwa Mohsen Abouelkhir, Osama Abouelfetouh Elshaer, Mohamed Shokry Fahmy, Reda Nabil Dawoud, Reda Biomy, Mohamed Kamal Salama

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background: While sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors clearly benefit left ventricular recovery in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), their rapid effects on right ventricular (RV) function remain poorly characterized. This prospective observational study investigated the timeline and markers of biventricular changes shortly after SGLT2 inhibitor initiation.

Methods:In this prospective observational study, 50 adults with HFrEF (LVEF

Results:After 3 months, NT-proBNP levels decreased significantly (1116.5 vs 913.5 pg/mL, P

Conclusions: In this prospective observational study without a control group, SGLT2 inhibitor initiation was associated with coordinated biventricular improvements within three months in HFrEF patients. The baseline TAPSE/PASP ratio …

Comments On The Letter “Bridging The Gap: The Critical Next Steps For Implementing Genetic Risk Scores In Myocardial Infarction Prevention In Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Saeed

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

No Abstract for this article type.

Bridging The Gap: The Critical Next Steps For Implementing Genetic Risk Scores In Myocardial Infarction Prevention In Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Almohammadi

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

No Abstract for this article type.