In this population at high risk of restenosis, aggressive PM by CB and/or RA before DES implantation provides excellent mid-term outcomes with only 3.4% TLR and 2.1% ST.

In STEMI patients with a large thrombus burden and failed manual aspiration, administration of low dose intracoronary thrombolysis is safe and reduces trhombus burden, as a result improving in epicardial flow and myocardial reperfusion.

Although programmed ventricular stimulation seems to predict adverse outcome, serial drug testing is unreliable in guiding therapy. The type of workload imposed on the ventricles influences outcome, being worse in patients with left ventricular volume overload. Therefore, implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator should be considered early for the management of these patients.

The objective was to develop a non-invasive method for continuously monitoring respiratory rate (RR) based on tracheal sounds. 25 volunteers and 36 patients with chronic pulmonary diseases were enrolled in a clinical study. Tracheal sounds were acquired using a contact piezoelectric sensor placed on the examinee's throat and analyzed using a combined investigation of the sound envelope and frequency content. RR estimates were compared to reference measurements taken from a pneumotachometer coupled to a face mask worn by the examinee. RR was also manually counted by a respiratory technician. Two types of breathing (mouth and nose) and three different positions were studied (fowler, semi-fowler and supine). RR estimated in volunteers had a success rate (SR) of 96%, a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.99 and a standard error of the estimate (SEE) of 0.56. The RR estimated in patients was comparable or slightly better (SR = 85%, r = 0.93 and SEE = 1.49) than those obtained by manual count (SR = 82%, r = 0.91, SEE = 1.58), which is the method widely used in clinical settings. No significant difference in the capacity to estimate RR was found related to posture and breathing type, making this method useful for continuous monitoring.

Spectral changes in the signal-averaged QRS complex are more prominent in anterior than inferior infarctions. Combination of late potential analysis and wavelet correlation functions increases the prognostic value for serious arrhythmic events after myocardial infarction.