Category: Cardiology

RE-LY trial: In patients with AF, dabigatran given at a dose of 110 mg was associated with stroke rates similar to warfarin, but with less major bleeding.

Tripling the dose was found to be useful in those with heterozygous mutation producing clopidogrel resistance, while it was not useful in homozygous cases.

Ticagrelor is an antiplatelet agent belonging to a new class known as cyclopentyl triazolo-pyrimidines (CPTP) acting as a reversible allosteric antagonist.

AF ablation on therapeutic anticoagulation is being studied more often with an end point of less thromboembolism and acceptable bleeding risk.

Programmed stimulator for electrophysiology (EP) study is used to give pacing at particular rates and protocols as needed.

Cardiac lesions in Behcet disease can be involve all three layers - pericarditis, myocarditis and endocarditis, with poor prognosis.

Nuclear imaging of the heart is useful in risk stratification. A normal perfusion image after adequate stress would mean a cardiac event rate of < 1%.

Reduction in myocardial systolic velocity (Sa) by tissue Doppler can be noted within as short as fifteen seconds of myocardial ischemia.

Rheolytic thrombectomy is done when there is contraindication to systemic thrombolysis in patients with pulmonary embolism and right ventricular dysfunction

Maximal acceptable contrast dose is calculated as 5 ml of contrast per Kg of body weight divided by the baseline serum creatinine level in mg per deciliter.