BackgroundReducing readmission after catheter ablation (CA) in atrial fibrillation (AF) is important.Methods and ResultsWe utilized National Readmission Data (NRD) 2010–2014. AF was identified by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification (ICD‐9‐CM) diagnostic code 427.31 in the primary field, while first CA of AF was identified via ICD‐9‐procedure code 37.34. Any admission within 30 or 90 days of index admission was considered a readmission. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to adjust for confounders. The primary outcomes were 30‐ and 90‐day readmissions and the secondary outcome was AF recurrence. In total, 1 128 372 patients with AF were identified from January 1, 2010 to September 30, 2014. Of which 37 360 (3.3%) underwent CA. Patients aged ≥65 years and female sex were less likely to receive CA for AF. Overall, 10.9% and 16.5% of CA patients were readmitted within 30 and 90 days post‐CA, respectively. Most common causes of readmissions were arrhythmia (AF, atrial flutter), heart failure, pulmonary causes (pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and bleeding complications (gastrointestinal bleed, intracranial hemorrhage). Patients with diabetes mellitus, heart failure, coronary artery disease (CAD), chronic pulmonary and kidney disease, prior stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), female sex, length of stay ≥2 and disposition to the facility were prone to higher 30‐ and 90‐day readmissions post‐CA. Predictors of increase in AF recurrence post‐CA were female sex, diabetes mellitus, chronic pulmonary disease, and length of stay ≥2. Trends of 90‐day readmission and AF recurrence were found to improve over the study period.ConclusionsWe identified several demographic and clinical factors associated with the use of CA in AF, and short‐term outcomes of the same, which could potentially help in the patient selection and improve outcomes.

Highly active anti-retroviral treatment has changed the dimensions of the outcomes for patients suffering from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, HIV infection is still an ailment which is spreading throughout the world extensively. Given the confinements of the present restorative methodologies and the non-availability of any strategic vaccination against HIV, there is a squeezing need to build a therapeutic treatment.Viral tropism for HIV includes CD4+ cells, macrophages, and microglial cells, and it is through binding with co-receptors C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) and C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4). While these cell types are present in all individuals, there are rare cases that stayed uninfected even after getting exposed to an overwhelming load of HIV. Research revealed a homozygous 32-base pair deletion (Δ32/Δ32) in CCR5. After careful consideration, a hypothesis was proposed a few years back that a cure for HIV disease is possible, through hematopoietic stem cells transplantation from a donor homozygous for the CCR5-Δ32 deletion.Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) based quality treatment may serve as a promising tool as these perpetual, self-renewing progenitor cells could be modified to oppose HIV infection. If done properly, the changed HSCs would offer the permanent creation of genetically modified cells that are resistant to HIV infection and/or have improved hostility to viral action which will eventually clear the contaminated cells.The purpose of this review is to concentrate on two facets of HSC genetic treatment for potentially life-threatening HIV infection: building HIV-resistant cells and designing cells that can target HIV disease. These two strategic approaches can be the frontline of a quality treatment plan against HIV infection and, as an individual treatment or a combination thereof, has been proposed to possibly destroy HIV altogether.