• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.200-208
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• 2015

Objective: Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are typically managed with dual antiplatelet therapy of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and $P2Y_{12}$ receptor inhibitor. In this study, we discussed current and previous antiplatelet therapy guidelines and compared with guidelines of the USA (ACC/AHA), Europe (ESC) and Korea (KSC). Method: This study investigated from ACC/AHA Joint Guidelines (the USA), ESC Clinical Practice Guidelines (Europe) and Korea Society of Interventional Cardiology (Korea) web site, respectively. Results: It is significant that difference between the current and the previous guidelines was integration of terminology from clopidogrel to $P2Y_{12}$ receptor inhibitors since prasugrel and ticagrelor, new antiplatelet drugs, has been added. The other difference was all three guidelines has differences in dose of aspirin. The most notable difference was class of recommendation(COR) in $P2Y_{12}$ receptor inhibitors. ACC/AHA and Korean guidelines recommend clopidogrel, prasugrel, and ticagrelor with COR IB; whereas, ESC recommend prasugrel and ticagrelor with IB which is higher than clopidogrel with IC. Conclusion: This research addresses important movement to revise the Korean existing guideline recommendations. New Korean antiplatelet therapy guideline should be avoiding obvious differences in ACC/AHA and ESC guidelines and harmonizing international guidelines.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.84-95
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• 2016

Objective: Atrial fibrillation (AF) guidelines have been published in the USA and Europe. Recently, the USA and Europe have updated their guidelines, respectively. These new AF guidelines help in addressing key management issues in clinical situations. This study, therefore, systematically compared guidelines for rate and rhythm control pharmacotherapy of patients with AF between the USA (American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association, ACC/AHA) and Europe (European Society of Cardiology, ESC). Methods: This study investigated and compared American guidelines (2014) and European guidelines (2010 and 2012). Results: Generally, there are four meaningful differences between ACC/AHA and ESC guidelines. Important differences are treatment classification system, level of recommendation, drug list, and dosage. In addition, ACC/AHA described pharmacokinetic drug interactions for antiarrhythmic drugs. ESC emphasized ECG and atrioventricular nodal slowing as feature of antiarrhythmic drugs. Conclusion: This research addresses important use of anti-arrhythmic drugs and movement to accept recent recommendations in Korea. For the successful application of the guidelines, a role of pharmacists is crucial in clinical situation.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.276-283
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• 2017

Objective: Dyslipidemia is recognized as a prominent risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases but it is manageable through therapeutic and lifestyle intervention. Interpreting the latest guidelines is essential for an application of recommendation from guidelines into clinical practice. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the most recent guidelines on dyslipidemia treatment recommendations in Korea and USA. Methods: This study analyzed and compared 2015 Korean guidelines for the management of dyslipidemia, 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guideline and 2016 supportive guidelines from ACC. Results: A comparison was made focused on the following: target patients based on cardiovascular risk assessment, target goal, and treatment strategies including statin and non-statin therapies. Four target patient groups by risk were suggested in 2015 Korean guideline and cardiovascular risk factors were also considered for initiation of lipid lowering therapy. Titrated statin regimen was recommended by Korean guideline to reach LDL cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol target level. In 2013 ACC/AHA guideline, four statin benefit group was introduced considering ASCVD risk and high intensity statin or intermediate intensity statin use were recommended without dose titration. 2016 update was to support non-statin therapy based on updated evidence and new consideration of ezetimibe, PCSK9-inhibitor and bile acid sequestrant was brought up. Conclusion: Guidelines are continuously updating as new and important clinical data are constantly released along with the advent of newly approved drugs for lipid disorder. This article provides resources that facilitates uptake of these recommendations into clinical practice.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.114-117
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• 2005

As the indication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has expanded to the more difficult and complicated cases, frequent restenosis is still expected after PCI. According to AHA/ACC guideline of the present time, routine use of myocardial perfusion single photon emission tomography (SPECT) is not recommended after coronary intervention, but symptom itself or exercise EKG is not enough for the detection of restensis or for the prediction of event-free survival. In high risk and/or symptomatic subjects, direct coronary angiography is required myocardial perfusion SPECT could detect restenosis in 79% of the patients if performed 2 to 9 months after PCI. Reversible perfusion decrease in the myocardial perfusion SPECT is known to be the major prognostic indicator of major adrerse cardiac event in PCI patients and also the prognosis is benign in the patients without reversible perfusion decrease. Though the cumulated specificity is 79% in the literature and optimal timing of myocardial perfusion SPECT is in controversy, SPECT is recommended even in asymptomatic patients at 3 to 9 months after PCI. Considering the evidences recently reported in the literature, myocardial perfusion SPECT is useful for risk stratification and detection of coronary artery restenosis requiring re-intervention in the asymptomatic patients after PCI.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.113-122
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• 2012

ACC/AHA/SCAI Guideline recommends for administration dual antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent (DES) to prevent restenosis and stent thrombosis in patients with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Recently triple antiplatelet therapy including cilostazol is known to reduce restenosis and stent thrombosis significantly after DES implantation. However, there is lack of data providing the efficacy of triple antiplatelet therapy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical effects of the triple therapy after DES implantation compared with the dual therapy. This retrospective study collected data from medical charts of 251 patients who received DES implantation between Jul 2006 and Jun 2008. They received either dual antiplatelet therapy (N = 154 clopidogrel and aspirin; Dual group) or triple antiplatelet therapy (N = 97 cliostazol, clopidogrel and aspirin; Triple group). Major adverse cardiac event rates (MACE, included total death, myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization) at 12 months, 24 months, stent thrombosis, rates of bleeding complications and adverse drug reactions were compared between these two groups. Compared with the dual group, the triple group had a similar incidence of the MACE rates at 24months (12.3% vs. 12.4%, p = 0.99). There is no difference in overall stent thrombosis between two groups (Dual group 2.6% vs. Triple group 4.1%, p = 0.5). Subgroup analysis showed that diabetic patients got more benefit in reducing MACE rates but, there is no statistical difference. Bleeding complications and adverse drug effects were not different significantly. As compared with dual antiplatelet therapy, triple antiplatelet therapy did not reduce the 12-months, 24-months MACE rates and stent thrombosis. Bleeding complications and adverse drug effects were not different.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.319-336
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of two interventional methods, overlapping drug-eluting stents (DES) and long DES, for long-term clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A total of 438 patients with AMI (65.9±11.0 years, 306 males) from June 2008 to March 2019 who had diffuse long coronary artery lesion, more than 30mm were divided into two groups; group I (overlapped DES group; n=140) and group II (long DES group; n=298). We compared the incidences of major adverse cardiac events [MACEs; cardiac death, myocardial infaction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR) and stent thrombosis (ST)] during 12 months between the two groups. Everolimus-eluting stent was more commonly used in group II than in group I (28.1% vs. 51.8% p<0.001). Mean lesion diameter was slightly longer in group II (3.1±0.3mm vs. 3.2±0.3mm, p=0.042), and prevalence of ACC/AHA lesion type C was higher in group I (41.7% vs. 25.4%, p<0.001). Incidences of MACEs during 12 months were higher in group I than group II (18.5% vs. 14.4%, p=0.034). The rates of cardiac death (2.1% vs. 4.4%, p=0.667), MI (5.0% vs. 2.7%, p=0.260) and stent thrombosis rate (0.7% vs. 1.7%, p=0.669) were similar between the two groups. However, TLR rate was higher in group I (10.7% vs. 5.6%, p=0.041). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, presence of diabetes mellitus [Hazard ratio (HR) 2.383, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.332-4.260, p=0.003] and use of paclitaxel-eluting stent (HR) 2.367, 95% CI 1.371-4.086, p=0.002) were independent predictors of 12-month MACEs, without significant differences in prevalence between the two groups. In AMI patients with diffuse long lesion, TLR rate was higher in the overlapped DES group during 12-month follow-up. Presence of diabetes and use of paclitaxel-eluting stent were independent predictors of MACEs.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.273-281
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• 1999

Purpose: We investigated whether myocardial SPECT had additional usefulness to clinical, functional or surgical indices for the preoperative evaluation of cardiac risks in noncardiac surgery. Materials and Methods: 118 patients (M: F=66: 52, $62.7{\pm}10.5$ years) were studied retrospectively. Eighteen underwent vascular surgeries and 100 nonvascular surgeries. Rest T1-20l/ stress Tc-99m-MIBI SPECT was performed before operation and cardiac events (hard event: cardiac death and myocardial infarction; soft event: ischemic ECG change, congestive heart failure and unstable angina) were surveyed through perioperative periods ($14.6{\pm}5.6$ days). Clinical risk indices, functional capacity, surgery procedures and SPECT findings were tested for their predictive values of perioperative cardiac events. Results: Perioperative cardiac events occurred in 25 patients (3 hard events and 22 soft events). Clinical risk indices, surgical procedure risks and SPECT findings but functional capacity were predictive of cardiac events. Reversible perfusion decrease was a better predictor than persistent decrease, Multivariate analysis sorted out surgical procedure risk (p=0.0018) and SPECT findings (p=0.0001) as significant risk factors. SPECT could re-stratify perioperative cardiac risks in patients ranked with surgical procedures. Conclusion : We conclude that myocardial SPECT provides additional predictive value to surgical type risks as well as clinical indexes or functional capacity for the prediction of preoperative cardiac events in noncardiac surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2004

Background: Infective endocarditis shows higher operative morbidity and mortality rates than other cardiac diseases. The vast majority of studies on infective endocarditis have been made on aortic endocarditis, with little attention having been paid to infective endocarditis on the mitral valve. This study attempts to investigate the clinical aspects and operative results of infective endocarditis on the mitral valve. Meterial and Method: The subjects of this study consist of 23 patients who underwent operations for infective endocariditis on the mitral valve from June 1995 to May 2003. Among them, 2 patients suffered from prosthetic valvular endocarditis and the other 21 from native valvular endocarditis. The subjects were evenly distributed age-wise with an average age of 44.8$\pm$15.7 (11∼66) years. Emergency operations were performed on seventeen patients (73.9%) due to large vegetation or instable hemodynamic status. In preoperative examinations, twelve patients exhibited congestive heart failure, four patients renal failure, two patients spleen and renal infarction, and two patients temporary neurological defects, while one patient had a brain abscess. Based on the NYHA functional classification, seven patients were determined to be at Grade II, 9 patients at Grade III, and 6 patients at Grade IV. Vegetations were detected in 20 patients while mitral regurgitation was dominant in 19 patients with 4 patients showing up as mitral stenosis dominant on the preoperative echocardiogram. Blood cultures for causative organisms were performed on all patients, and positive results were obtained from ten patients, with five cases of Streptococcus viridance, two cases of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, and one case each of Corynebacteriurn, Haemophillis, and Gernella. Operations were decided according to the AA/AHA guidelines (1988). The mean follow-up period was 27.6 $\pm$23.3 (1 ∼ 97) months. Result: Mitral valve replacements were performed on 43 patients, with mechanical valves being used on 9 patients and tissue valves on the other 4. Several kinds of mitral valve repair or mitral valvuloplasty were carried out on the remaining 10 patients. Associated procedures included six aortic valve replacements, two tricuspid annuloplasty, one modified Maze operation, and one direct closure of a ventricular septal defect. Postoperative complications included two cases of bleeding and one case each of mediastinitis, low cardiac output syndrome, and pneumonia. There were no cases of early deaths, or death within 30 days following the operation. No patient died in the hospital or experienced valve related complications. One patient, however, underwent mitral valvuloplasty 3 months after the operation. Another patient died from intra-cranial hemorrhage in the 31st month after the operation. Therefore, the valve-related death rate was 4.3%, and the valve-related complication rate 8.6% on mid-term follow-up. 1, 3-, and 5-year valve- related event free rates were 90.8%, 79.5%, and 79.5%, respectively, while 1, follow-up. 1, 3-, and 5-year valve- related event free rates were 90.8%, 79.5%, and 79.5%, respectively, while 1, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 100%, 88.8%, and 88.8%, respectively. Conclusion: The findings suggest that a complete removal of infected tissues is essential in the operative treatment of infectious endocarditis of the mitral valve. It is also suggested that when infected tissues are completely removed, neither type of material nor method of operation has a significant effect on the operation result. The postoperative results also suggest the need for a close follow-up observation of the patients suspected of having brain damage, which is caused by preoperative blood contamination or emboli from vegetation, for a possible cerebral vascular injury such as mycotic aneurysm.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.619-626
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• 2010

Background: The indications and the optimal time of surgery of infective endocarditis are controversial. We report the surgical results of our hospital during the last 10 years with literature review. Material and Method: Between January 2000 and December 2009, we enrolled 23 infective endocarditis patients who underwent surgery, and analyzed retrospectively. In the preoperative blood culture, 8 cases (34.8%) were positive. The average preoperative antibiotics treatment period was $20.78{\pm}16.00$ days. There were 12 (52.2%) urgent operations. The average follow up period was $49.26{\pm}33.21$ months. Result: 20 mechanical valve replacements were performed, 9 in aortic position, 8 in mitral position and 3 in the both positions. The other procedures were one mitral valvuloplasty, one infected myxoma extirpation, and one infected pacemaker lead removal with debridement. The average period of postoperative intravenous antibiotic treatment was $24.39{\pm}15.98$ days. There were 5 complications, including 2 cases of postoperative bleeding, one postcardiotomy syndrome, one cerebral ischemia, and a low cardiac output syndrome. There were statistically significant postoperative improvement in NYHA class, left ventricle end diastolic/end systolic volume, and left atrium size (p-value < 0.05). Conclusion: We could obtain the satisfactory results without any moftalities by using sufficient preoperative antibiotics in hemodynamically stable patients, and by prompt surgery in unstable patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.430-438
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• 2008

Background: All the patients with mechanical valves require warfarin therapy in order to prevent them from developing thromboembolic complications. According to the ACC/AHA practice guidelines, after AVR with bileaflet mechanical prostheses in patients with no risk factors, warfarin is indicated to achieve an INR of 2.0 to 3.0. After MVR with any mechanical valve, warfarin is indicated to achieve an INR of 2.5 to 3.5. But in our clinical experience, bleeding complications (epistaxis, hematuria, uterine bleeding, intracerebral hemorrhage etc.) frequently developed in patients who maintained their INR within this value. So, we retrospectively reviewed the patients with bileaflet mechanical heart valve prosthesis and we determined the optimal anticoagulation value. Material and Method: From January 1984 to February 2007, 311 patients have been followed up at a national medical center. We classified the AVR patients (n=60) into three groups as follows: an INR from 1.5 to 2.0 in Group I, an INR from 2.0 to 2.5 in Group II and an INR from 2.5 to 3.0 in Group III. We classified the MVR (n=171) and DVR (n=80) patients into four groups as follows: an INR from 1.5 to 2.0 in Group I, an INR from 2.0 to 2.5 in Group II, an INR from 2.5 to 3.0 in Group III and an INR from 3.0 to 3.5 in Group III. We compared the groups for their thromboembolic and bleeding complications by means of the Kaplan Meier method. Result: In the AVR patients, 2 thromboembolic complications and 4 bleeding complications occurred and the log rank test failed to identify any statistical significance between the groups for thethromboembolic complication rate, but groups I and II had lower bleeding complication rates than did group III. Thirteen thromboembolic complication and 15 bleeding complication occurred in the MVR and DVR patients, and the log rank test also failed to identify statistical significance between the groups for the thromboembolic complication rate, but groups I and II had lower bleeding complication rates that did groups III and IV. Conclusion: The thromboembolic complication rate was not statistically different between groups I and II and groups III and IV, but the bleeding complication rates of groups I and II were lower than those of groups III and IV. So this outcome encouraged us to continue using our low intensive anticoagulation regime, that is, an INR of 1.5 to 2.5.