Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta

About: Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta is a facility organization based out in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Atrial fibrillation. The organization has 758 authors who have published 1459 publications receiving 44418 citations.

Canadian Registry of ICD Implant Testing procedures (CREDIT): current practice, risks, and costs of intraoperative defibrillation testing.

Abstract: Defibrillation Testing at ICD Implantation.Background: There is uncertainty about the proper role of defibrillation testing (DT) at the time of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) insertion. Methods: A prospective registry was conducted at 13 sites in Canada between January 2006 and October 2007. Objectives: To document the details of DT, the reasons for not conducting DT, and the costs and complications associated with DT. Results: DT was conducted at implantation in 230 of 361 patients (64%). DT was more likely to be conducted for new implants compared with impulse generator replacements (71% vs 32%, P = 0.0001), but was similar for primary and secondary prevention indications (64% vs 63%, P = NS). Among patients not having DT, the reason(s) given were: considered unnecessary (44%); considered unsafe, mainly due to persistent atrial fibrillation (37%); lack of an anesthetist (20%); and, patient or physician preference (6%). When performed, DT consisted of a single successful shock ≥ 10J below maximum device output in 65% of cases. A 10J safety-margin was met by 97% of patients, requiring system modification in 2.3%. Major perioperative complications occurred in 4.4% of patients having DT versus 6.6% of patients not having DT (P = NS). ICD insertion was $844 more expensive for patients having DT (P = 0.16), largely due to increased costs ($28,017 vs $24,545) among patients having impulse generator replacement (P = 0.02). Conclusions: DT was not performed in a third of ICD implants, usually due to a perceived lack of need or relative contraindication. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 21, pp. 177-182, February 2010)

Current state of cardiac amyloidosis.

Abstract: Purpose of reviewCardiac amyloidosis, an infiltrative restrictive cardiomyopathy once thought to be universally fatal, is now increasingly recognized as less rare than previously thought. This update is intended to provide a review of newer aspects of the presentation, diagnosis and treatment of car

Improving coronary artery bypass grafting: a systematic review and meta-analysis on the impact of adopting transit-time flow measurement.

Abstract: textDespite there being numerous studies of intraoperative graft flow assessment by transit-time flow measurement (TTFM) on outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), the adoption of contemporary TTFM is low. Therefore, on 31 January 2018, a systematic literature search was performed to identify articles that reported (i) the amount of grafts classified as abnormal or which were revised or (ii) an association between TTFM and outcomes during follow-up. Random-effects models were used to create pooled estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of (i) the rate of graft revision per patient, (ii) the rate of graft revision per graft and (iii) the rate of graft revision among grafts deemed abnormal based on TTFM parameters. The search yielded 242 articles, and 66 original articles were included in the systematic review. Of those articles, 35 studies reported on abnormal grafts or graft revisions (8943 patients, 15 673 grafts) and were included in the meta-analysis. In 4.3% of patients (95% CI 3.3–5.7%, I 2 = 73.9) a revision was required and 2.0% of grafts (95% CI 1.5–2.5%; I 2 = 66.0) were revised. The pooled rate of graft revisions among abnormal grafts was 25.1% (95% CI 15.5–37.9%; I 2 = 80.2). Studies reported sensitivity ranging from 0.250 to 0.457 and the specificity from 0.939 to 0.984. Reported negative predictive values ranged from 0.719 to 0.980 and reported positive predictive values ranged from 0.100 to 0.840. This systematic review and meta-analysis showed that TTFM could improve CABG procedures. However, due to heterogeneous data, drawing uniform conclusions appeared challenging. Future studies should focus on determining the optimal use of TTFM and assessing its diagnostic accuracy.

Monitoring foods and beverages provided and sold in public sector settings.

Abstract: This paper outlines a step-wise framework for monitoring foods and beverages provided or sold in publicly funded institutions. The focus is on foods in schools, but the framework can also be applied to foods provided or sold in other publicly funded institutions. Data collection and evaluation within this monitoring framework will consist of two components. In component I, information on existing food or nutrition policies and/or programmes within settings would be compiled. Currently, nutrition standards and voluntary guidelines associated with such policies/programmes vary widely globally. This paper, which provides a comprehensive review of such standards and guidelines, will facilitate institutional learnings for those jurisdictions that have not yet established them or are undergoing review of existing ones. In component II, the quality of foods provided or sold in public sector settings is evaluated relative to existing national or sub-national nutrition standards or voluntary guidelines. Where there are no (or only poor) standards or guidelines available, the nutritional quality of foods can be evaluated relative to standards of a similar jurisdiction or other appropriate standards. Measurement indicators are proposed (within ‘minimal’, ‘expanded’ and ‘optimal’ approaches) that can be used to monitor progress over time in meeting policy objectives, and facilitate comparisons between countries.