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Background Late Gadolinium Enhancement (LGE) MRI of ventricular scar has been shown to be accurate for detection and characterization of arrhythmia substrates. However, the majority of patients referred for ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), which obscures image integrity and the clinical utility of MRI. Objective To develop and validate a wideband LGE MRI technique for device artifact removal. Methods A novel wideband LGE MRI technique was developed to allow for improved scar evaluation on patients with ICDs. The wideband technique and the standard LGE MRI were tested on 18 patients with ICDs. VT ablation was performed in 13 of 18 patients with either endocardial and/or epicardial approach and the correlation between the scar identified on MRI and electroanatomical mapping was analyzed. Results Hyper-intensity artifact was present in 16/18 of patients using standard MRI, which was eliminated using the wideband LGE and allowed for MRI interpretation in 15/16 patients. All patients had ICD lead characteristics confirmed as unchanged post- MRI and had no adverse events. LGE scar was seen in 11/18 patients. Among the 15 patients where wideband LGE allowed visualization of myocardium, 10 had LGE scar and 5 had normal myocardium in the regions with image artifacts when using the standard LGE. The left ventricular scar size measurements using wideband MRI and EAM were correlated with R2=0.83, P=0.00003. Conclusions The wideband LGE-MRI improves the ability to visualize myocardium for clinical interpretation, which correlated well with EAM findings during VT ablation.

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OBJECTIVES We sought to determine which transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) measurements most strongly predict heart failure (HF) and to develop an index for risk stratification in outpatients with coronary artery disease (CAD). BACKGROUND Many TTE measurements have been shown to be predictive of HF, and they might be useful if aggregated into a risk-prediction index. METHODS We performed TTE in 1,024 outpatients with stable CAD enrolled in the Heart and Soul study and followed them for 4.4 years. With Cox proportional hazard models, we evaluated the association of 15 TTE measurements with subsequent HF hospital stay. Those measurements that independently predicted HF were combined into an index. Variables were defined as normal or abnormal on the basis of dichotomous cutoffs determined from the American Society of Echocardiography. Abnormal variables in each measurement were assigned points on the basis of strength of association with HF. RESULTS Of the 15 variables, 5 measurements were independent predictors of HF: left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left atrial volume index (LAVI), mitral regurgitation (MR), left ventricular outflow tract velocity-time integral (VTILVOT), and diastolic dysfunction (DD). In multivariate analysis, each of the 5 measurements independently predicted HF: LVMI >90 g/m2 (hazard ratio [HR]: 4.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.3 to 7.2, p < 0.0001); pseudo-normal or restrictive DD (HR: 2.9; 95% CI: 1.8 to 4.5, p < 0.0001); VTILVOT <22 mm (HR: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.4 to 3.5, p = 0.0004); mild, moderate, or severe MR (HR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.2 to 2.8, p = 0.009); and LAVI >29 ml/m2 (HR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.0 to 2.5, p = 0.06). Combining these measurements, the Heart Failure Index ranged from 0 to 8, representing risk as follows: 3 points for LVMI, 2 points for DD, and 1 point for VTILVOT, MR, and LAVI. Among participants with 0 to 2 points: 4% had HF hospital stays (reference); 3 to 4 points: 10% (HR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.3 to 4.4, p = 0.003); 5 to 6 points: 24% (HR: 6.2; 95% CI: 3.6 to 10.6, p < 0.0001); 7 to 8 points: 48% (HR: 13.7; 95% CI: 7.2 to 25.9, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS We identified 5 TTE measurements that independently predict HF in patients with stable CAD and combined them as an index that might be useful for risk stratification and serial observations.

BACKGROUND Ablation has become an important option for treatment of ventricular tachycardia (VT). The influence of procedure duration on outcomes remains unexamined. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of procedure duration on outcomes and complications over an 8-year period METHODS Patients referred for scar-mediated VT ablation from 2004 to 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. Procedure duration was defined as the time from the insertion of catheters through the femoral vein to the time of their withdrawal. Procedure duration was analyzed in relationship with baseline and intraoperative covariates, acute procedural outcomes, complications, and 6-month clinical outcomes. RESULTS One hundred forty-eight patients underwent VT ablation with mean procedure duration of 5.7 ± 1.8 hours. VT recurrence and survival at 6 months were 46% and 82%, respectively, and were not associated with procedure duration. Hospital mortality increased with intraoperative intraaortic balloon pump insertion (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 13.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.35–79.94, P = .004) and was improved with successful ablation of the clinical VT as a procedural end-point (adjusted OR 0.13, 95% Cl 0.03–0.54, P = .005). The association between procedure duration and hospital mortality remained after adjusting for significant baseline variables (adjusted OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.14–2.68, P = .0098) and intraoperative variables (adjusted OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.12–2.29, P = .0104). CONCLUSION Hospital mortality was significantly increased by unsuccessful clinical VT ablation as a procedural end-point and intraoperative intraaortic balloon pump insertion. However, after adjusting for significant baseline and intraoperative covariates, procedure duration still was associated with increased hospital mortality. Procedure duration had no impact on VT recurrence and survival at 6 months.

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A 16-year-old boy with severe congenital unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia is described in whom mental retardation occurred as an isolated neurological deficit. The diagnosis of Crigler-Najjar type 1 syndrome was supported by an extreme and persistent elevation of serum unconjugated bilirubin (650 mumol/l), failure of administered phenobarbitone to lower serum bilirubin concentration and family history of a similarly affected sibling. Hepatic bilirubin UDP-glucuronyl transferase activity determined in vitro by a sensitive new enzyme assay was found to be absent using bilirubin or bilirubin monoglucuronide as substrate. Phototherapy for 12 hours each night produced a partial but highly significant reduction in serum bilirubin concentration, which was not influenced further by the administration of cholestyramine.