Clinical Cardiology Alert 2005-05-01

Bad News About the COX-2 Inhibitors

There has been enormous controversy regarding the benefit/safety relationship of the COX-2 inhibitors, which were initially introduced in 1999. Recent issues of the New England Journal of Medicine contain numerous articles (3 original reports, 2 editorials) that deal with this complex and unhappy story.

Outcomes in Asymptomatic Mitral Regurgitation

Quantitating mitral regurgitation by echocardiography predicts clinical outcomes and those with an EROA of at least 40 mm² should be considered for surgery.

Retroperitoneal Hematoma After PCI

Small individuals and women are at risk for RPH and high femoral artery sticks are associated with this complication.

Intramural Hematoma of the Aorta

There is a 6% incidence of IMH among patients presenting as acute aortic syndromes and it is as lethal as AD, especially in the ascending aorta and, thus, surgery should be considered for patients with type A IMH.

Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

The data provide a picture of the evolving status of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in the period of 1995 through 2002.

Transtelephonic ECG Monitoring for Detecting Arrhythmia Recurrences After Radiofrequency Ablation

Routine daily transtelephonic ECG monitoring detects often asymptomatic arrhythmia episodes in a significant proportion of patients after radiofrequency ablation.

Routine Ambulatory ECG for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

In a community-based HCM cohort, ventricular and supraventricular tachyarrhythmias on AECG were frequent, but sudden death was uncommon.

Clinical Briefs in Primary Care Supplement

Pharmacology Watch: The FDA Pulls Another COX-2 Inhibitor Off the Market

The FDA has asked Pfizer to withdraw valdecoxib (Bextra) from the market due to safety concerns.

Clinical Cardiology Alert – May 1, 2005

May 1, 2005