• Bedside and fluoroscopy guided techniques are commonly used for PICC placement. • Catheter malposition is the major technical issue with the bedside technique. • Catheter malposition occurred in 53% of patients with the bedside technique.

A FPD >140 ms is a marker of AF recurrences after RFCA and probably reflects the extent of atrial remodelling.

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Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) has known a widespread application over the last decade and is now an effective and valuable therapeutic option in refractory cardiogenic shock of various etiologies. In this subgroup of critically ill and unstable patients in cardiogenic shock, VA-ECMO allows, on the one hand, temporary hemodynamic stabilization with improvement of endorgan function and, on the other hand, gives the time to perform complementary diagnostic exams and to decide the therapeutic strategy in these high-risk candidates for immediate long-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS) implantation. VA-ECMO could also be suggested as a rescue therapeutic option for refractory cardiac arrest. It showed promising results in the specific setting of in-hospital cardiac arrest and survival rates with good neurological outcome are reported between 20% and 40%. Conversely, there are contrasting data in the literature about survival after VA-ECMO for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, as results are highly dependent on low-flow time. The aim of the present report is to offer an overview of different cannulation techniques of VA-ECMO.

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Aims: Our aim was to compare the safety and efficacy of a novel, ultrathin strut, biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (BP-SES) with a thin strut, durable polymer everolimus-eluting stent (DP-EES) in a pre-specified subgroup of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) enrolled in the BIOSCIENCE trial. Methods and results:The BIOSCIENCE trial is an investigator-initiated, single-blind, multicentre, randomised non-inferiority trial (NCT01443104). Randomisation was stratified according to the presence or absence of STEMI. The primary endpoint, target lesion failure (TLF), is a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, and clinically indicated target lesion revascularisation within 12 months. Between February 2012 and May 2013, 407 STEMI patients were randomly assigned to treatment with BP-SES or DP-EES. At one year, TLF occurred in seven (3.4%) patients treated with BP-SES and 17 (8.8%) patients treated with DP-EES (RR 0.38, 95% CI: 0.16-0.91, p=0.024). Rates of cardiac death were 1.5% in the BP-SES group and 4.7% in the DP-EES group (RR 0.31, 95% CI: 0.08-1.14, p=0.062); rates of target vessel myocardial infarction were 0.5% and 2.6% (RR 0.18, 95% CI: 0.02-1.57, p=0.082), respectively, and rates of clinically indicated target lesion revascularisation were 1.5% in the BP-SES group versus 2.1% in the DP-EES group (RR 0.69, 95% CI: 0.16-3.10, p=0.631). There was no difference in the risk of definite stent thrombosis.Conclusions: In this pre-specified subgroup analysis, BP-SES was associated with a lower rate of target lesion failure at one year compared to DP-EES in STEMI patients. These findings require confirmation in a dedicated STEMI trial. KEYWORDS• acute myocardial infarcation • biodegradable polymer • durable polymer • everolimus-eluting stents • sirolimus-eluting stents

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BackgroundSeveral chemotherapy molecules, monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, have been linked to Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC).Case presentationIn this article, we describe the case of a 45-year-old woman who developed TC after receiving an intra-arterial and intra-venous polychemotherapy for locally advanced epidermoid carcinoma of the anal canal. This is the first described case of TC associated with intra-arterial chemotherapy.ConclusionsA review of the literature points to 5-fluorouracil as the most common molecule associated with TC and highlights the potential risk associated with rechallenging patient with the same drug.