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BRU, P., ET AL.: Resumption of Right Atrial Isthmus Conduction Following Atrial Flutter Radiofrequency Ablation. Right atrial isthmus block is currently accepted as a success criterion of atrial flutter ablation. An electrophysiological study performed days after the ablation procedure may show recovery of con duction across the isthmus in some patients, followed by arrhythmia recurrence. However, few data are available on the time course of this recovery and on the monitoring of isthmus conduction at the end of the ablation procedure as a means of increasing the success rate of the procedure. Radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation was performed in 28 men and 7 women (mean age = 65 ± 11 years] presenting with com mon or clockwise atrial flutter (AFL) resistant to 2.9 ± 1.8 antiarrhythmic drugs. Underlying heart disease was present in 13 patients. The ablation procedure was performed with an 8-mm-tip catheter, by several 45-second applications at a target temperature of 65°C, directed to the isthmus between tricuspid annulus and inferior vena cava. Bidirectional isthmus block (BDB) was created with 4-24 RF applications in all but one patient. Special attention was paid to exclude incomplete block by meticulous mapping dur ing pacing at the coronary sinus os and at the low lateral right atrium every 5 minutes for 20 minutes there after. Conduction recovered across the isthmus in 5 patients at 10, 10,12,15, and 16 minutes, respectively, and further RF applications were needed to obtain stable block. At a follow-up of 17 ±10 months, AFL oc curred in the patient without, and in one patient with BDB. Thirty-three of the 34 patients (97%) with per sistent BDB remained free of arrhythmia recurrence. This study showed that conduction resumed across the isthmus within 20 minutes, after AFL ablation in 15% of the patients. The long-term results of the pro cedure can be optimized by ascertaining the persistence of BDB during that period of time. (PACE 2000; 23[Pt. Π]:1908 23[Pt. Π]: -1910 atrial flutter, radiofrequency ablation, isthmus conduction block

Background: In patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel disease, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for non-culprit lesions guided by FFR is superior to treatment of the culprit lesion alone. Whether deferring non-culprit PCI is safe in this specific context is questionable. We aimed to assess clinical outcomes at one-year in STEMI patients with multivessel coronary artery disease and an FFR-guided strategy for non-culprit lesions, according to whether or not ≥1 PCI was performed. Methods: Outcomes were analyzed in patients of the randomized FLOWER MI (Flow Evaluation to Guide Revascularization in Multivessel ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) trial in whom, after successful primary PCI, non-culprit lesions were assessed using FFR. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause death, non-fatal MI, and unplanned hospitalization with urgent revascularization at one year. Results: Among 1,171 patients enrolled in this study, 586 were assigned to the FFR-guided group: 388 (66%) of them had ≥1 PCI and 198 (34%) had no PCI. Mean FFR before decision (i.e., PCI or not) of non-culprit lesions were 0.75±0.10 and 0.88±0.06, respectively. During follow-up, a primary outcome event occurred in 16 of 388 patients (4.1%) in patients with PCI and in 16 of 198 patients (8.1%) in patients without PCI (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.42; 95% confidence interval, 0.20 to 0.88; P = 0.02). Conclusions: In patients with STEMI undergoing complete revascularization guided by FFR measurement, those with ≥1 PCI had lower event rates at 1 year, compared with patients with deferred PCI, suggesting that deferring lesions judged relevant by visual estimation but with FFR >0.80 may not be optimal in this context. Future randomized studies are needed to confirm this data.

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Aim To estimate the cost effectiveness and cost utility ratios of a restrictive vs liberal transfusion strategy in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with anemia. Methods and Results Patients (n = 666) with AMI and hemoglobin between 7-8 and 10 g/dL recruited in 35 hospitals in France and Spain were randomly assigned to a restrictive (n = 342) or a liberal (n = 324) transfusion strategy with 1-year prospective collection of resource utilization and quality of life using the EQ5D3L questionnaire. The economic evaluation was based upon 648 patients from the per-protocol population. The outcomes were 30-day and 1-year cost-effectiveness, with major adverse cardiovascular event averted (MACE) as the effectiveness outcome; and 1-year cost utility ratio. The 30-day incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was €33,065€ saved per additional MACE averted with the restrictive versus the liberal strategy, with an 84% probability for the restrictive strategy to be cost-saving and MACE reducing (i.e.dominant). At 1-year, the point estimate of the cost-utility ratio was 191,500 € saved per QALY gained; however cumulated MACE were outside the pre-specified non-inferiority margin, resulting in a decremental cost effectiveness ratio with a point estimate of €72,000 saved per additional MACE with the restrictive strategy. Conclusion In patients with acute myocardial infarction and anemia, the restrictive transfusion strategy was dominant (cost-saving and outcome-improving) at 30 days. At 1 year, the restrictive strategy remained cost-saving but clinical noninferiority on MACE was no longer maintained. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02648113.