Cardiology Letters, 2018 (vol. 27), issue 5

Idarucizumab for urgent reversal of dabigatran before orthotopic heart transplantation

Danková M, Lesný P, Luknár M, Lauko V, Gonçalvesová E

Cardiology Letters 2018, 27(5):238-241  

Background: The use of dabigatran in patients with atrial fibrillation enlisted for heart transplantation has been limited by unpredictable timing of surgery and high bleeding risk. Case presentation: A 58-year-old male patient on dabigatran for atrial fibrillation was enlisted for heart transplantation due to advanced heart failure. Upon notification of a suitable heart donor, we prepared the patient for surgery. The last dose of dabigatran was 16 hours prior to the haemocoagulation blood tests. We recorded prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT) and confirmed the presence of dabigatran at 31,3ng/ml. Before general...

Primary mediastinal liposarcoma and perioperative incidentalome

Bezak B, Artemiou P, Hulman M

Cardiology Letters 2018, 27(5):249-251  

Primary mediastinal liposarcomas, especially in the anterior mediastinum, are extremely rare. Patients usually present with dyspnea or tachypnea and chest pain. These symptoms can imitate ischemic heart disease. We present a case of an 81-year-old male with perioperative incidental finding of this tumor.

Inappropriate shocks from subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator induced by chest compressions

Cmorej PCH, Smržová E, Bulíková T, Peřan D, Kohlová A, Fleischmann O

Cardiology Letters 2018, 27(5):252-256  

This article focuses on the case of a 30-year-old patient with subcutaneous implantable cardioverterdefibrillator (S-ICD) implanted after heart transplantation who was resuscitated in a pre-hospital setting. The aim of the text is to introduce the topic of the inappropriate defibrillation shocks delivered by S-ICD due to wrong rhythm analysis of induced artefacts because of chest compressions. The S-ICD evaluated the artefacts from the chest compressions as a defibrillated rhythm despite the fact that the professional monitor-defibrillator of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) had evaluated the rhythm as asystole. The defibrillation shocks were delivered...

Kardiológia 2018

Murín J

Cardiology Letters 2018, 27(5):257-264  

Kardiológia v roku 2017. Koronárne intervencie

Steen Dalby Kristensen, Michael Maeng, Davide Capodanno, William Wijns

Cardiology Letters 2018, 27(5):225-237  

Do gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists have a lower risk of cardiovascular complications in comparison to agonists?

Valášková Z, Hulín I, Fillo J, El-Hassoun O, Mladosievičová B

Cardiology Letters 2018, 27(5):242-248  

Several studies have shown that the decreased testosterone levels in patients with prostate cancer who undergo androgen deprivation therapy with gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists can have increased risk of cardiovascular complications. The assumption that GnRH antagonists have a lower cardiovascular risk in comparison to agonists is not definitely demonstrated. It appears that therapy of hormone sensitive prostate cancer with GnRH antagonists is favourabe in patients with higher cardiovascular risk or a positive history of cardiovascular disease. This paper provides an update from clinical studies dealing with the cardiotoxicity of GnRH...