Clinical

This channel newsfeed includes clinical content on treating patients or the clinical implications in a variety of cardiac subspecialties and disease states. The channel includes news on cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology, heart failure, electrophysiology, hypertension, structural heart disease, use of pharmaceuticals, and COVID-19.

Dexcom issues new recall for CGM apps due to safety risk—users urged to update immediately
The FDA has categorized this as a Class I recall. If patients update their phone or watch apps as needed, they can continue to use these devices like normal.
Cardiologist sues hospital after he was allegedly let go for sharing safety concerns
The veteran interventional cardiologist claims he was pushed out after repeatedly asking for more coverage from cardiothoracic surgeons in addition to other improvements. The hospital, meanwhile, described the lawsuit as a “collection of false allegations."
Why all heart patients should be vaccinated against the flu, COVID-19, RSV
The American College of Cardiology has shared new recommendations highlighting the protective benefits of a variety of vaccines. The new guidance also examines how to speak with patients who are hesitant to be vaccinated.
Heart surgeons see more potential in AI than colleagues from other fields
Cardiac surgeons see significant value in AI's ability to assist clinicians with administrative tasks and patient selection. When it comes to making clinical decisions, however, there is still a certain amount of skepticism.
New Apple Watch Ultra 3 makes early hypertension detection a priority
"This tool empowers patients and clinicians to work together, putting prevention at the center of care," said Ami B. Bhatt, MD, ACC chief innovation officer. "What we really want to do is create patient agency and reach as many people as we can for earlier detection of high blood pressure."

Risk calculator predicts mortality for PAD patients using EHR data

An automated risk calculator derived solely from variables in an electronic health record (EHR) accurately predicted five-year survival in a community-based cohort of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), researchers reported Dec. 1 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

AFib signals worse outcomes in patients with ICDs

Atrial fibrillation could be an independent predictor of worse outcomes in heart patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), according to a meta-analysis published this November in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

FFR fails to improve CABG outcomes in randomized trial

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) assessment before coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) didn’t improve outcomes compared to angiography-guided surgery, Danish researchers reported Nov. 26 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Cancer patients 3 times more likely to die in-hospital after PCI

A team in the U.K. published research Nov. 30 suggesting cancer patients are at an elevated risk for major bleeding events and in-hospital death following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the most common interventional treatment in patients with coronary heart disease.

Blacks with AFib 37% less likely to receive DOACs

Regardless of clinical and socioeconomic factors, black patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are significantly less likely than whites and Hispanics to receive appropriate treatment with oral anticoagulants (OACs), researchers reported Nov. 28 in JAMA Cardiology.

Direct transfer to resuscitation center doubles odds of OHCA survival

People who experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are nearly twice as likely to survive if they are transferred directly to a hospital with 24-hour capability to perform PCI or targeted temperature management (TTM) versus another center, according to a meta-analysis published Nov. 28 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Report: Death rates tripled in 2-year span at Florida pediatric heart program

The Tampa Bay Times published a lengthy investigative piece Nov. 28 about recent problems at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, where the heart surgery unit saw a tripling in its mortality rate from 2015 to 2017.

Man sues Hawaii over near-fatal MI triggered by false missile alert

A man who says his nearly fatal myocardial infarction was triggered by January’s false missile alert in Hawaii is now suing the state and then-administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency for damages, CBS News reported.

Clinical

Dexcom issues new recall for CGM apps due to safety risk—users urged to update immediately

Cardiologist sues hospital after he was allegedly let go for sharing safety concerns

Why all heart patients should be vaccinated against the flu, COVID-19, RSV

Heart surgeons see more potential in AI than colleagues from other fields

New Apple Watch Ultra 3 makes early hypertension detection a priority