Endovascular therapy is now considered as the standard of care for acute ischemic stroke caused by large vessel occlusion. The time between symptoms onset and reperfusion emerges as the most determinant factor for good clinical outcomes, much more strongly than even in acute myocardial infarction. The saying “time is brain” is even more relevant than…
What’s New in the European Guidelines on Peripheral Arterial Disease
Since the last version of the European guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral arterial disease in 2011, there have been many trials and registries that warrant guideline adjustments in many aspects. The first novelty is the teamwork that gave way to these guidelines, which were written in collaboration with the European Society of…
These were the 5 most read scientific articles of February
1) The CULPRIT-SHOCK Study Is Finally Published in NEJM and It Is Bound to Change Guidelines During SOLACI’s coverage of the TCT 2017 Congress in Denver, Colorado, we already mentioned some of the outcomes of this study that has arrived to revolutionize clinical practice, given the differences between its results and those of the classic SHOCK trial, which has marked…
What is the effect of statins on amputations, and survival in peripheral vascular disease?
The prevalence of peripheral arterial disease is between 15% and 20% of patients older than 65 years and its severity is greatly underestimated. In fact, annual mortality is higher in patients with peripheral arterial disease (8.2%) than in those after acute myocardial infarction (6.3%). Despite the above, medical advice and efforts to modify risk factors…
Radioprotection: 6 essential articles to keep you updated
1) On Radiation Protection: Editorial comment by Dr. Ariel Durán I am pleased to witness the increased amount of scientific papers in high impact journals addressing topics related to radiation protection or the harmful effects of radiation on our patients and primary or secondary operators. Similarly, it is my pleasure to see that SOLACI has…
On Radiation Protection: Editorial comment by Dr. Ariel Durán
Courtesy of Dr. Ariel Durán. I am pleased to witness the increased amount of scientific papers in high impact journals addressing topics related to radiation protection or the harmful effects of radiation on our patients and primary or secondary operators. Similarly, it is my pleasure to see that SOLACI has acknowledged this growing concern by…
Burnout Syndrome among Cardiologists
For the first time, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) has carried out a survey on this phenomenon, and more than 25% of Cardiologists have reported the characteristic symptoms of burnout. This syndrome is known, among other things, for chronic fatigue at work, low self-esteem and difficulty to focus, associated with stress and aggressiveness. These findings should be taken…
Radiation Exposure in Chronic Total Occlusions
Even in the hands of experienced operators, rechanneling and angioplasty of a chronic total occlusion (CTO) results in patients and the whole cath lab team receiving high doses of radiation, according to this registry presented at the American Heart Association 2017 Scientific Sessions. Up to 23% of patients who undergo rechanneling of a CTO receive…
Protective Shield RADPAD Reduces the Radiation Dose Received by Operators in the Cath Lab
Despite technological developments, all people working at a cath lab are inevitably exposed to radiation and its effects. The radiation dose received by the operator is highly variable depending on procedure type, experience level, equipment used, patient characteristics, etc. Exposure to this scatter radiation may have deterministic effects, such as the onset of cataracts or…
7 articles on angioplasty that can draw your attention
1) Balloon Angioplasty: A Reasonable Plan B for Chronic Thromboembolic Hypertension Thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension is caused by pulmonary artery stenosis caused by organized thrombi. The only treatment potentially healing for this disease is surgical thrombectomy. However, patients with lesions in very peripheral branches or high surgical risk patients with comorbidities might benefit from a plan B,…
Balloon Angioplasty: A Reasonable Plan B for Chronic Thromboembolic Hypertension
Thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension is caused by pulmonary artery stenosis caused by organized thrombi. The only treatment potentially healing for this disease is surgical thrombectomy. However, patients with lesions in very peripheral branches or high surgical risk patients with comorbidities might benefit from a plan B, such as balloon pulmonary angioplasty. The percentage of patients with chronic…