METHODS AND RESULTS: The primary outcome (risk of cardiac failure, pacemaker syndrome, or syncope related to the Micra system or procedure) was compared between successfully implanted patients from the Micra IDE trial with a primary pacing indication associated with AF or history of AF (AF group) and those without (non-AF group). Among 720 patients successfully implanted with Micra, 228 (31.7%) were in the non-AF group. Reasons for selecting VVI pacing in non-AF patients included an expectation for infrequent pacing (66.2%) and advanced age (27.2%). More patients in the non-AF group had a condition that precluded the use of a transvenous pacemaker (9.6% vs. 4.7%, P = 0.013). Atrial fibrillation patients programmed to VVI received significantly more ventricular pacing compared to non-AF patients (median 67.8% vs. 12.6%; P
METHODS: Radiation dose received at left outer canthus (LOC) and left eyelid (LE) were measured using Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor dosimeters on 35 patients who underwent diagnostic or cerebral embolization procedures.
RESULTS: The radiation dose received at the LOC region was significantly higher than the dose received by the LE. The maximum eye lens dose of 1492 mGy was measured at LOC region for an AVM case, followed by 907 mGy for an aneurysm case and 665 mGy for a diagnostic angiography procedure. Strong correlations (shown as R(2)) were observed between kerma-area-product and measured eye doses (LOC: 0.78, LE: 0.68). Lateral and frontal air-kerma showed strong correlations with measured dose at LOC (AKL: 0.93, AKF: 0.78) and a weak correlation with measured dose at LE. A moderate correlation was observed between fluoroscopic time and dose measured at LE and LOC regions.
CONCLUSIONS: The MOSkin dose-monitoring system represents a new tool enabling real-time monitoring of eye lens dose during neuro-interventional procedures. This system can provide interventionalists with information needed to adjust the clinical procedure to control the patient's dose.
KEY POINTS: Real-time patient dose monitoring helps interventionalists to monitor doses. Strong correlation was observed between kerma-area-product and measured eye doses. Radiation dose at left outer canthus was higher than at left eyelid.
DESIGN: Prospective study.
SETTING: University hospital.
PATIENT(S): Six hundred ten women undergoing SHG.
INTERVENTION(S): We performed SHG with six different types of catheters: Foleycath (Wembley Rubber Products, Sepang, Malaysia), Hysca Hysterosalpingography Catheter (GTA International Medical Devices S.A., La Caleta D.N., Dominican Republic), H/S Catheter Set (Ackrad Laboratories, Cranford, NJ), PBN Balloon Hystero-Salpingography Catheter (PBN Medicals, Stenloese, Denmark), ZUI-2.0 Catheter (Zinnanti Uterine Injection; BEI Medical System International, Gembloux, Belgium), and Goldstein Catheter (Cook, Spencer, IN).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): We assessed the reliability, the physician's ease of use, the time requested for the insertion of the catheter, the volume of contrast medium used, the tolerability for the patients, and the cost of the catheters.
RESULT(S): In 568 (93%) correctly performed procedures, no statistically significant differences were found among the catheters. The Foleycath was the most difficult for the physician to use and required significantly more time to position correctly. The Goldstein catheter was the best tolerated by the patients. The Foleycath was the cheapest whereas the PBN Balloon was the most expensive.
CONCLUSION(S): The choice of the catheter must be targeted to achieving a good balance between tolerability for the patients, efficacy, cost, and the personal preference of the operator.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the natural history of acute elevated Micra vs traditional transvenous lead thresholds.
METHODS: Micra study VVI patients with threshold data (at 0.24 ms) at implant (n = 711) were compared with Capture study patients with de novo transvenous leads at 0.4 ms (n = 538). In both cohorts, high thresholds were defined as >1.0 V and very high as >1.5 V. Change in pacing threshold (0-6 months) with high (1.0 to ≤1.5 V) or very high (>1.5 V) thresholds were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
RESULTS: Of the 711 Micra patients, 83 (11.7%) had an implant threshold of >1.0 V at 0.24 ms. Of the 538 Capture patients, 50 (9.3%) had an implant threshold of >1.0 V at 0.40 ms. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics between those with and without an implant threshold of >1.0 V, with the exception of left ventricular ejection fraction in the Capture cohort (high vs low thresholds, 53% vs 58%; P = .011). Patients with an implant threshold of >1.0 V decreased significantly (P < .001) in both cohorts. Micra patients with high and very high thresholds decreased significantly (P < .01) by 1 month, with 87% and 85% having 6-month thresholds lower than the implant value. However, when the capture threshold at implant was >2 V, only 18.2% had a threshold of ≤1 V at 6 months and 45.5% had a capture threshold of >2 V.
CONCLUSIONS: Pacing thresholds in most Micra patients with elevated thresholds decrease after implant. Micra device repositioning may not be necessary if the pacing threshold is ≤2 V.