Clinical articles

Early identification of atrial fibrillation (AF), especially when asymptomatic, is increasingly important when there are interventions that can reduce the risk of stroke. One mobile ECG device that has the potential for doing just that is the AliveCor® device, which is non-invasive and easy to use. We aimed to assess its utility in primary care by establishing its sensitivity and specificity, and consider the predictive value for identifying AF in a general practice population.

We used the device on a population known to have AF in order to calculate the sensitivity, and on a population who did not have AF at the time of recording, to establish specificity. Using the known prevalence of AF in a UK population, we were able to calculate the predictive values for identification of AF. All AliveCor® traces we compared with a gold-standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG).

The device has a high sensitivity and specificity in the hands of experienced clinicians. In particular, the sensitivity was consistently high, which would ensure a high true-positive rate of identification. Furthermore, the negative predictive value in populations with a prevalence of AF as in the UK is sufficiently high to be useful.

In conclusion, the AliveCor® device should be considered as an option for early identification of patients with unknown AF. It has a high negative-predictive value and is sufficiently sensitive to be useful in a general practice population, but does not rule out the need for a definitive ECG in suspected cases.

We present a review of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in the presence of a mechanical mitral valve. We conclude that in patients with a prior mechanical prosthesis, TAVI is feasible and can be carried out without complication. Based on proof of feasibility, evidence to date would suggest that patients with mechanical prostheses be actively considered for TAVI going forward. 

Data have suggested that in vivo cardiac orientation has the greatest effect on the cardiac electric field, and, thus, surface electrical activity. We sought to determine the correlation between in vivo cardiac orientation using cardiac computed tomography (CT) and the electrical cardiac axis in the frontal plane determined by surface electrocardiogram (ECG). 

Patients aged between 30 and 60 years old with a normal body mass index (BMI), who underwent CT coronary angiography between July 2010 and December 2012 were included. Patients with diabetes, hypertension, arrhythmias, structural heart disease or thoracic deformities were excluded. In vivo cardiac orientation was determined along the long axis and correlated with the electrical cardiac axis on surface ECG.

There were 59 patients identified, with 47% male, mean age of 49.9 years and a mean BMI of 22.39 kg/m². The mean cardiac axis on CT was 38.1 ± 7.8°, while the mean electrical cardiac axis on ECG was 51.8 ± 26.6°. Bi-variate analysis found no correlation between the two readings (Pearson r value 0.12, p=0.37).

We conclude, there is no simple relationship between the anatomical cardiac axis and the ECG determined electrical axis of the heart. The electrical axis of the heart, however, showed more variability, reflecting possible underlying conduction disturbances.

Using the left trans-radial artery access route for coronary and bypass angiography has been frowned upon by the majority of operators due to several catheter changes during the procedure, patient discomfort because of spasm, positioning of the patients left arm and longer radiation exposure times, to name a few reasons. This short scientific article demonstrates one of a series of 22 cases where a single catheter was successfully used via this access route.

A 26-year-old man presented to the emergency department with central chest pain radiating to the left arm. An electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed inferior ST elevation. He had no major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but habitually used synthetic cannabinoids (AKB48 and 5F-AKB48). A subsequent coronary angiogram showed occlusions in four obtuse marginal branches of the left circumflex artery and a large clot in the distal right coronary artery. The patient was treated with aspirin, ticagrelor, rivaroxaban and tirofiban infusion, and these occlusions were demonstrated to have resolved on a follow-up angiogram. The patient admitted smoking 5F-AKB48 four hours before the onset of chest pain. This case further strengthens the association between the use of synthetic cannabinoids and embolic-appearing myocardial infarction. This is the first report of myocardial infarction associated with the currently ‘legal-high’ 5F-AKB48, and may indicate the need for tighter regulation of this compound.

It is widely accepted that end-of-life care for non-cancer conditions has lagged behind that for cancer. The purpose of this survey was to evaluate the confidence of trainees in managing end-of-life issues. An online questionnaire was distributed to all registrar-grade British Junior Cardiac Association members in the UK.

A total of 219 trainees responded. Overall, 73% of trainees feel the care they provide patients with advanced heart failure is poor/adequate. Over 50% of trainees do not feel equipped to discuss advanced-care planning and end-of-life issues. There are 45% who report receiving no training in palliation of advanced heart failure symptoms, while 57% are unhappy with current provision of training. Trainees’ suggestions include more workplace-based supervision with additional regional and national training days, closer links with local hospices, and fellowships for cardiology trainees in palliative care.

Despite being part of the national curriculum for training in cardiology since 2010, trainees’ level of confidence in delivering end-of-life care in advanced heart failure and discussing prognosis is poor. This could be rectified by closer links with palliative care and formal teaching programmes.

Cardiac screening in the community is limited by time, resources and cost. We evaluated the efficacy of a novel smartphone application to provide a rapid electrocardiogram (ECG) screening method on the Island of Jersey, population 98,000.

Members of the general public were invited to attend a free heart screening event, held over three days, in the foyer of Jersey General Hospital. Participants filled out dedicated questionnaires, had their blood pressure checked and an ECG recorded using the AliveCor (CA, USA) device attached to an Apple (CA, USA) iPhone 4 or 5. 

There were 989 participants aged 12–99 years evaluated: 954 were screened with the ECG application. There were 54 (5.6%) people noted to have a potential abnormality, including suspected conduction defects, increased voltages or a rhythm abnormality requiring further evaluation with a 12-lead ECG. Of these, 23 (43%) were abnormal with two confirming atrial fibrillation and two showing atrial flutter. Other abnormalities detected included atrial and ventricular ectopy, bundle branch block and ST-segment abnormalities. In addition, increased voltages meeting criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) on 12-lead ECG were detected in four patients leading to one diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

In conclusion, this novel ECG application was quick and easy to use and led to the new diagnoses of arrhythmia, bundle branch block, LVH and cardiomyopathy in 23 (2.4%) of the total patients screened. Due to its highly portable nature and ease of use, this application could be used as a rapid screening tool for cardiovascular abnormalities in the community.

Sustainability of health benefits from cardiac rehabilitation (CR) requires adequate changes in lifestyles. Preventive medicine highlights a triadic guideline referring to cardioprotective behaviour, avoidance of associated polymorbid developments (e.g. depression), and improvement of life-quality. To assess the influence of long-term CR management (in Austria phase 4) offered by the Austrian Heart Association (ÖHV) on changes in lifestyles according to the INTERHEART CHD-risk parameters, a questionnaire measuring the extent of phase 4 influences on lifestyle modifications according to the INTERHEART parameters physical activity, stress, nutrition, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and alcohol was developed. Data were gained from a non-preselected sample of cardiac patients with various diagnoses (n=204; age 41–91, average 71.8; standard variation 7.8, 48% cardiovascular). 

ÖHV activities were found to exert a strong influence on health sports (various indoor and outdoor aerobic activities and mobility exercises), stress-reduction, and nutritional adjustment, contrasting low influence on the awareness of diabetes risks and alcohol/nicotine consumption. Social inclusion is considered an important life-quality factor supporting also the sense of security. 

Long-term CR management is an efficient instrument for cardioprotective lifestyle modification. The important influence on patients requires especially high sports cardiologic standards and psycho-educational competence. Close collaboration between different phases/stages of CR, as well as similar international organisation should be fostered. 

While the primary aims of cardiac surgical procedures are to improve survival and ameliorate symptoms, chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) is a prevalent problem requiring focused attention. Recent years have seen a global emphasis on the development and implementation of self-management (SM) interventions to combat the negative consequences of multiple chronic conditions, including chronic pain. This short report makes recommendations for optimising SM following cardiac surgery to improve pain and related functional outcomes and reduce the risk and impact of CPSP.

This paper describes the experiences of developing a non-medical, non-catheter laboratory (cath lab) based implantable loop recorder (ILR) service. ILRs are small subcutaneous single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring devices that are placed in a left pectoral pocket under local analgesia. Traditionally, devices have been implanted by medical staff in the cath lab. Each implant can take between 30 and 45 minutes depending on operator skill and patient anatomy. The development of this service has had several major patient and organisational benefits that include shorter waiting times, less cancellations and increased flexibility to implant ‘urgent’ devices in transient loss of consciousness (TLOC). The latter has reduced length of stay within our emergency assessment unit (EAU). Moreover, this service means that the department has been able to undertake more procedures in the cath lab. Data from 2013–14 suggest that an additional 32 × four-hour cath lab sessions were made available for alternative use. Adverse events (infection/erosion) are comparable with published data at less than 1%. To conclude, non-medical, non-cath lab based implantation is safe, cost-effective and has the potential to improve patient experience while increasing both cardiologist and cath lab capacity.