Cardiac Disease

Caregivers provide essential support for people living with advanced heart or lung disease, including daily tasks, emotional support, and help with medical care. Although their role is vital, caregivers often experience high levels of stress, fatigue, and challenges with their own health and well-being. This study will test whether it is possible and practical to offer an 8-week wellness program for caregivers that is delivered virtually in their homes. The program includes personalized strategies for physical activity or exercise, healthy eating, and stress management. It will be tailored to the individual needs and schedules of caregivers and supported by regular virtual check-ins with health professionals. We will evaluate whether caregivers find the program acceptable, safe, and feasible to follow. This includes looking at how many caregivers agree to participate, how many complete the program, whether they can follow the activities, and whether they are satisfied with the experience. The study will also explore whether participating in the program may lead to improvements in caregiver quality of life, stress, and confidence in the caregiving role.

SOCRATES is part of Boston Scientific's (BSC) Post-market surveillance system. The implementation of such systems is mandatory per local regulations such as the Regulation '(EU) 2017/745 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2017 on medical devices' or short Medical Device Regulation (MDR). The SOCRATES design is therefore based on the BSC's commitment as well as external regulatory requirements to proactively and systematically gather, record and analyze relevant data on the quality, performance and safety of devices throughout their entire lifetime.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of LBBA pacing/sensing in patients implanted with the Tendril STS 2088TC or UltiPace LPA1231 lead through 6 months post-implant.

Neonatal screening procedures for potentially life-threatening congenital cardiovascular diseases (i.e., duct-dependent systemic or pulmonary circulation), currently implemented at the national level, rely primarily on cardiovascular physical examination performed by a neonatologist. More recently, this approach has been complemented by the assessment of hemoglobin oxygen saturation at both the upper and lower extremities (pre- and post-ductal saturation) in order to improve diagnostic sensitivity, although this practice has not yet been uniformly adopted nationwide. Converging evidence indicates that these screening strategies are affected by significant limitations in both sensitivity (failure to identify affected individuals) and specificity (false-positive findings in healthy subjects). These limitations are associated with substantial overall costs for the healthcare system. Failure to correctly identify affected neonates may result in increased morbidity and mortality, whereas overdiagnosis leads to unnecessary second-level diagnostic investigations and imposes a considerable psychological burden on families, who remain understandably anxious until diagnostic confirmation is achieved. The aim of the present research project (proof-of-concept study) is to develop a digital classifier capable to categorize heart sounds with commercially available digital stethoscopes into a binary classification system distinguishing physiological from pathological sounds. The derivation phase will be followed by a prospective validation phase, in which the classifier will be applied to assess its diagnostic performance. This phase will also evaluate the economic impact of the digital screening approach compared with standard practice. During the derivation phase, neonates with known cardiovascular status, as determined by prior echocardiographic assessment (including both healthy subjects and those with congenital heart disease), will be enrolled. Heart sounds will be recorded in a quiet environment under standard clinical conditions, without sedation. Digital recordings will be stored in WAV format and analyzed to develop a binary classification algorithm capable of distinguishing healthy from pathological cases. Following development, the classifier will be prospectively applied to a validation cohort of neonates undergoing conventional cardiovascular screening (clinical examination and pre- and post-ductal pulse oximetry), followed by classification using the digital tool under investigation. All participants will subsequently undergo confirmatory echocardiography. Diagnostic performance metrics, including sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and likelihood ratios, will be calculated for both the digital and conventional screening modalities. Furthermore, the number of missed pathological cases and the number of unnecessary second-level investigations resulting from false-positive findings will be used to define the economic benefit profile of the proposed screening strategy. Monte Carlo simulation techniques will be employed to extrapolate these findings at the national level, using ISTAT data on birth rates and disease prevalence. It is anticipated that the development of a digital classifier for the binary classification of neonatal heart sounds will be feasible. Moreover, it is expected that this tool will demonstrate superior diagnostic performance compared with current neonatal screening strategies, with beneficial implications not only for the accurate identification of affected and healthy neonates but also for reducing overall healthcare costs associated with missed diagnoses and inappropriate overdiagnosis.

This randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intraoperative and early postoperative hemoadsorption using the Efferon® LPS device in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass in reducing the incidence and severity of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in the postoperative period. Each patient in the treatment group will undergo two hemoadsorption sessions: first during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) at the time of cardiac surgery, with the duration determined by the CPB time, and second within 24 hours postoperatively, for a minimum duration of 6 hours.

MANCAVA sets out fundamental methodologies for characterizing human fundamental physiological system interactions at a whole-body level, particularly focusing on the interplay among cortical brain activity, autonomic function, and cerebrovascular autoregulatory mechanisms. By investigating the complex, time-varying mechanisms underlying the multisystem dynamic interactions, novel methods linking various brain areas and reflex functions to target organs and districts such as heart and circulatory system are proposed with the clinical aim linked to the emerging topic of depression. In this scenario, proper new mathematical tools will allow a significant leap from the current state of the art, paving the way towards a new understanding of leading comorbid contributors to global diseases such as cardiac and cerebrovascular morbidity in mood disorders. In turn, this will provide an integration among physiological and psychological dimensions for a more holistic view on depression. Researchers, professionals, and patients will all benefit from a comprehensive assessment of brain-mind-body interplay, leading to the new extended definition of default mode/mood network, neurovascular-evoked responses to autonomic stimuli, brain-autonomic consequences of emotional responses, and physiological substrates of depressive states.

The primary objective of this study is to establish a data repository that will be permissive of quality improvement studies/observations specific to postoperative mortality outcomes for geriatric patients with orthopedic injuries based on Orthopedic Hip Frailty Score and preoperative cardiac clearance predictors.

Coagulopathic-induced bleeding after cardiopulmonary bypass in cardiac surgery patients is common and is associated with adverse outcomes in cardiac surgery. The hypothesis of the study is that FEIBA will be a more effective treatment than standard of care (FFP) in cardiac surgery patients who have coagulopathic-induced bleeding. This study is being conducted to determine the efficacy of FEIBA versus FFP as first line therapy in correcting coagulopathic induced microvascular bleeding in cardiac surgery patients.

Single center, open-label, phase IV clinical trial to study the application of radiomics in molecular imaging for diagnosis and follow-up of CVDIs. The study will include three populations: * Retrospective cohort (2018-2025) * Prospective cohort (2026-2027) * Control group (prospective)

Patients undergoing cardiac catheterization will be randomized to 3 groups: no anticoagulant, low dose anticoagulant and high dose anticoagulant.

The overall goal of this study is to assess the implementation of the Ask Questions about Clinical Trials (ASQ-CT) brochure, a patient-focused communication tool previously demonstrated to improve patient-provider communication about clinical trials. Participants will be given the ASQ-CT brochure at Time 1 (baseline) and participants will complete a questionnaire at three timepoints, baseline (Time 1), Pre-Research Visit (Time 2), and Post-Research Visit (Time 3).

The use of a graft from the left internal thoracic artery to the left anterior descending artery has become the gold standard for the indication of coronary artery bypass grafting. However, choosing a graft for the second-best coronary artery, focusing on long-term patency, is still a challenge. The saphenous vein using the "no-touch" technique is an alternative to a radial artery graft, but there is little evidence, especially in women. This randomized clinical study aims to compare the patency of these grafts in the second-best coronary artery in women undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

By enrolling patients who underwent cardiac MR(Magnetic Resonance) examinations at our center and using randomized allocation, the patients were divided into a study group and a control group. The study group underwent scanning using AI-based(Artificial Intelligence-based) cardiac MRI(Magnetic Resonance Imaging) sequences, while the control group was scanned using non-AI cardiac MRI sequences

All patients will be completed collection of demographic data, clinical data, and be observed for inflammatory organ damage, oxygenation index or SpO2/ FIO2, WBC, NEU, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interleukin-8 (IL-1β/6/8), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), myoglobin (Myo), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), neutrophil elastase (NE), myeloperoxidase (MPO), APACHE II score, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), total bilirubin, Murray lung injury score, serum creatinine, eGFR, mechanical ventilation time, ICU length of stay, drug-related gastrointestinal reactions, and 30-day and 90-day all-cause mortality, among other indicators.

OPTIC is a prospective, open-label, non-randomized study of multiple medications administered to approximately 2000 children in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU) per routine clinical car by their treating provider. The purpose of this study is to characterize the PK of drugs routinely administered to children per standard of care using opportunistic and scavenged samples. The prescribing of drugs to children will not be part of this protocol. After the child/adult (\<21 years of age) is consented/enrolled, demographic and clinical data will be extracted from the EHR. Biospecimen information (including date and time of sample collection) will be collected. Data analysis will be conducted on all participants with at least 2 evaluable samples. The protocol represents minimal risk to the children/adults who provide body fluid for this study, including potential loss of confidentiality (samples will be assigned a unique accession number) and risks associated with blood draws. Adverse Events (AEs)/Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) caused by the study specimen collections will be monitored and recorded in the Electronic Data Capture (EDC) system.

* Primary Objective: To evaluate the effects of complementary exercise protocols in cardiac rehabilitation (CR), such as inspiratory muscle training (IMT), by assessing inspiratory muscle strength. * Secondary Objectives: To assess functional capacity, quality of life (QoL), and pulmonary function.

This is a prospective, randomized study. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of post-surgical pain control of a type of peripheral nerve block, Rectus Sheath Block. 1. Does the rectus sheath block decrease opioid consumption postoperatively after cardiac surgery? 2. Does the rectus sheath block decrease VAS pain scores postoperatively after cardiac surgery? Study participants will be assigned to receive either rectus sheath block or no block.

REDUCING INFLAMMATION IN ISCHEMIC STROKE WITH COLCHICINE, AND TICAGRELOR IN HIGH-RISK PATIENTS-EXTENDED TREATMENT IN ISCHEMIC STROKE.

The survival after intrahospital cardiac arrest has been reported to 15%. In Norway this varies between 16 and 23%.). Many factors are associated with survival after cardiac arrest, both intra- and prehospital. Recent studies have not included information about individual patient factors and the outcome after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In the current hospital, we are able to record patient specific information related to a cardiac arrest/CPR situation, and thereby be able to assess patient-related factors associated with both detection, treatment and outcome of CPR.

Torsades de Pointes (TdP) are potentially fatal ventricular arrhythmias that are promoted by prolonged ventricular repolarization (Long QT, LQT). The different forms of LQT result from inhibition of cardiac potassium currents (IKr and IKs) or activation of a late sodium current (INaL). These alterations may be either congenital (3 types: cLQT-1: IKs, cLQT-2: IKr, cLQT-3: INaL) or drug-induced (diLQT, via inhibition of IKr). More than 100 medications have received marketing authorization despite a known risk of TdP, due to a favorable benefit-risk ratio (e.g., hydroxychloroquine). QTc, which represents the duration of ventricular repolarization (in milliseconds) - defined as the time from the beginning of the QRS complex to the end of the T wave, corrected for heart rate - is prolonged in all forms of LQT. Specific T-wave abnormalities, depending on the altered ion currents, have been described and can help differentiate the various types of congenital or drug-induced LQT. However, screening for LQT and TdP risk, both at the individual and population levels, currently relies mainly on isolated QTc evaluation and genetic testing, which often takes considerable time to return. Thus, limiting ECG analysis to QTc measurement alone offers low predictive value, as the ECG contains a wealth of additional information beyond a single interval. The investigator recently demonstrated that artificial intelligence (AI)-based ECG analysis using deep-learning convolutional neural networks can detect more discriminative features of the ECG for predicting the type of LQT and the risk of TdP, going beyond QTc alone. Using these techniques, the investigator developed a model with probabilistic modules capable of: predicting TdP risk, identifying LQT subtypes (scores ranging from 0 to 100%), and quantitatively measuring ECG parameters such as QTc, heart rate, PR, and QRS duration. The objective of this project is to prospectively validate our model in real-world conditions across various departments within AP-HP, for: Automatic measurement of QTc, and Identification and classification of LQT types and TdP risk.

This is a multi-center, retrospective study evaluating the performance of an artificial intelligence-enabled electrocardiography (AI-ECG) algorithm in detecting reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF ≤ 40%). All included patients from participating hospitals must have undergone a digital 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and an echocardiogram with assessment of LVEF within seven days. The AI-ECG algorithm will be applied to evaluate its diagnostic performance, which will be further assessed across subgroups stratified by demographic characteristics and clinical factors.

This study aims to compare the efficacy and quality of pain relief provided by the high-dose serratus anterior plane (SAP) block with the standard SAP block in preventing and treating acute postoperative pain after total endoscopic aortic or mitral valve surgery.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes at least 1.8 million European deaths annually, exceeding fatalities from cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes. Consequently, the fight against CVD has become the main priority of the World Health Organization. In the pursuit of understanding and treating CVD, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has remained the only modality capable of providing a comprehensive assessment of the heart's function and structure without harmful radiation. Unfortunately, current CMR systems remain too slow, too complex, require highly trained specialists and, as such, have presented a barrier to a wider adoption of CMR. The aim of CARDIO-IRM is to unleash the full potential of CMR to transform patient trajectories by introducing a fast, one-click, fully automated, and comprehensive imaging pipeline applicable to diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy selection in cardiology.

The primary aim of this study is to test and assess the implementation and effectiveness of continuous wireless vital signs monitoring with real-time alerts on: The frequency of patients monitored with adequate data quality as adequate clinical user satisfaction in the initial versus the last part of the trial (primary outcome).

The goal of this observational study is to enroll all patients evaluated at the specialized Cardiogenetic Center within the Cardiology Department of the University of Ferrara, Italy. The primary aim of the registry is to collect comprehensive clinical, genetic, and electrophysiological data from individuals with suspected or confirmed arrhythmogenic conditions. By systematically documenting patient demographics, family history, clinical presentations, diagnostic findings, and treatment outcomes, the registry seeks to enhance our understanding of the genetic basis and clinical implications of genetically driven arrhythmias and systemic syndromes. This registry will facilitate long-term follow-up of enrolled patients to assess the natural history of arrhythmogenic disorders and the effectiveness of various therapeutic interventions. Additionally, it aims to identify potential risk factors associated with adverse outcomes, such as sudden cardiac death or major arrhythmic events.