Journal of Transcatheter Interventions

ABSTRACT COVID-19 continues to overwhelm healthcare systems. During the peak of the pandemic, cardiac catheterization labs across the world observed a significant decrease in procedure volumes due to several reasons, including reallocation of medical resources, deployment of interventional cardiologists to the COVID-19 wards, and physician and patient concerns about viral transmission. In particular, structural heart disease interventions experienced a significant reduction in volume by more than 90%. To address these challenges, healthcare systems employed new safety measures and protocols, including […]

ABSTRACT Background Cardiovascular diseases are an important cause of death worldwide, and ischemic heart diseases account for a considerable number of these deaths. COVID-19, a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, may pose important cardiovascular complications and implications, including acute coronary syndromes. This study aimed to compare prevalence data of acute coronary syndromes during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020) to the previous year (2019). Methods This is a retrospective, descriptive, analytical, and cross-sectional study, with variables acquired through the analysis of the […]

ABSTRACT Background Palliative care is a set of procedures for patients and families facing terminal or advanced illnesses. Numerous studies have already evaluated the role of palliative care and indications in outpatient or emergency settings. Nonetheless, data referring to the role of palliative care during a pandemic, such as COVID-19, are lacking. This study aimed to analyze the profile of deaths by COVID-19 at a tertiary reference cardiology hospital, and to identify the factors associated with more frequent indication of […]

ABSTRACT The reduction of care for acute coronary syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic is recognized. We describe a case of a patient with dextrocardia and situs solitus, a rare condition that occurs in adults in up to 1:900 thousand cases, admitted due to acute coronary syndrome in the context of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Some of the particularities of the congenital condition are described, such as epidemiology, associated structural abnormalities, and the strategy to perform the examination, as well as the […]

ABSTRACT Background The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was characterized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, with high fatality rate. The number of registered cases has skyrocketed, as well as the number of deaths. Half of the patients with COVID-19 have chronic conditions, especially cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, followed by diabetes mellitus, increasing their morbidity and mortality. Several studies have demonstrated this correlation, however a […]

ABSTRACT The disease caused by COVID-2019 has caused an impact on worldwide realities, including care of patients at clinics and hospitals. The medical societies have recommended patients in stable clinical conditions to stay at home, in order to reduce exposure of healthcare teams and patients. Elective cardiac catheterization procedures should be postponed; however, if performed, some measures must be taken, such as minimizing the number of staff in the room, testing patients for COVID-19 and using appropriate personal protection equipment. […]

ABSTRACT Aware of the new evidence and lessons on progress of the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in Brazil and all over the world, and of its impact in the routine of Interventional Cardiology, we have updated the positioning of the Sociedade Brasileira de Hemodinâmica e Cardiologia Intervencionista to reinforce the practical orientations and detail some specific aspects related to protection of healthcare workers and indication of procedures in the cath lab.

ABSTRACT With rapid dissemination throughout the world, the pandemics caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, known by the acronym COVID-19, has already been declared as of community transmission in all Brazilian states. Considering the reports of electrocardiographic and echocardiographic changes, myocardial injury and type 2 myocardial infarction observed in infected patients, the practical activities and management of cath lab, as well as care of individuals with cardiovascular diseases must be addressed. The purpose of this document is to summarize measures […]