In the crucial early stages of a possible myocardial infarction (MI), EMTs on the scene now rely on slow and unreliable proprietary technology to transmit vital ECG data to physicians at a hospital for evaluation. But a new iPhone app using standard cell phone networks may help speed the process and, ultimately, cut delays in…

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First results in human patients of a novel leadless pacemaker were presented last week at the HRS meeting in Denver by Vivek Reddy.  Pacemaker leads are the most common source of complications associated with pacemakers today. The self-contained device is delivered via catheter to the right ventricle, to which it is attached with a fixation mechanism.  The device…

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Encouraging long-term results from the PROTECT AF trial comparing the Watchman left atrial appendage closure device to warfarin in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients were presented yesterday at the Heart Rhythm Society meeting in Denver. Previously the main results of the trial, published in the Lancet, demonstrated that the Watchman was noninferior to warfarin, but the total number of…

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Although elective PCI for most low-risk patients is extremely safe, overnight observation is still standard practice in the U.S., largely due to the lack of evidence demonstrating that same-day discharge is safe. Now a new meta-analysis, published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, provides support for same-day discharge in carefully selected…

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John Ryan interviews Stacie Daugherty, lead author of a study recently published online by JACC on differences in rates of bleeding and bleeding avoidance strategies (BAS) between women and men undergoing PCI. THE STUDY Investigators used data from the CathPCI registry to analyze the use of BAS (radial access, bivalirudin, vascular closure devices, or any…

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The FDA’s Circulatory System Devices advisory panel gave a tepid endorsement to Abbott Laboratories’ MitraClip device on Wednesday. The panel met to evaluate use of the novel device in patients with significant symptomatic mitral regurgitation (MR) who  have been determined by a cardiac surgeon to be too high risk for open mitral valve surgery and in whom existing…

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Two controversial trials testing PFO closure in patients with cryptogenic stroke missed their primary endpoints but contained suggestions of possible benefit.

Brahmajee Nallamothu discusses his study group’s analysis comparing the accuracy of visually interpreted coronary angiography and quantitative coronary angiography.

CardioExchange’s Rick Lange and David Hillis ask Frans Van de Werf, principal investigator for the STREAM study, about his study group’s findings and their implications for clinical practice. THE STUDY In the STREAM trial, investigators compared two treatment strategies in STEMI patients presenting early after symptom onset who were unable to undergo primary PCI within…

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Walking the walk on TAVR