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Comparison of four electrocardiographic criteria for the detection of cardiac abnormalities in Singapore athletes

Sudden cardiac death in athletes during exercise is rare, with an estimated incidence of 1–2 per 100,000 people per year in young athletes,1 and...

Improving electrocardiogram interpretation in Asian athletes: A call to action

The field of sports cardiology has evolved substantially over the past 2 decades due to improved understanding of the athlete’s heart, causes of sudden...

Outcomes of selexipag for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in an Asian population

Dear Editor, Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive condition characterised by increased pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance, resulting in right ventricular dysfunction...

Suboptimal adherence to medical therapy in patients undergoing lower limb angioplasty in Singapore

Dear Editor, Chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI) is the advanced stage of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and patients with this condition face a very high risk...

Approach to bradyarrhythmias: A proposed algorithm

Bradyarrhythmias are common and occur in both physiological and pathological states. Bradycardia is defined as a heart rate of fewer than 60 beats per...

Ablation therapies for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and patient-level network meta-analysis

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a pertinent health condition that is seeing a sustained rise in global incidence and prevalence.1 In particular, paroxysmal AF (PAF),...

Catheter ablation as first-line treatment for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

Pharmacotherapy has been the mainstay of atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment. As AF progresses from paroxysmal to persistent, electrical and structural remodelling of the atria...

Impact of aortic annular size and valve type on haemodynamics and clinical outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation

The management of severe aortic stenosis (AS) in patients with small aortic annulus (SAA) represents a therapeutic challenge due to the increased mortality and...

Sex and ethnicity modified high 1-year mortality in patients in Singapore with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinically significant arrhythmia and is associated with increased risks of stroke, dementia, heart failure (HF) and death.1...

Different strokes for different folks

Atrial fibrillation (AF) remains the most common arrhythmia since William Harvey’s observation of fibrillating auricles in open chest animal models in 1628. Willem Einthoven...

Activating Code Crimson in the emergency department: Expediting definitive care for trauma patients with severe haemorrhage in Singapore

Public healthcare institutions (PHIs) in Singapore have a range of policies and guidelines for the management of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED)...

Nationwide study of the characteristics of frequent attenders with multiple emergency department attendance patterns

Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a growing issue that threatens public health in various parts of the world,1 including the US,2 UK,3 Australia,4 Japan5...

Interaction of sex and diabetes in Asian patients with heart failure with mildly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common comorbidity worldwide with global prevalence among adults above 18 years of age increasing from 4.7% in 1980 to...

Frequent attenders to multiple emergency departments in Singapore

The problem of overcrowding, of which access block is one of the main causes, continues to plague emergency departments (EDs) worldwide.1 Some of its...

Impact of sex and diabetes in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction

With increasing global awareness of sex differences in the heart failure population and the new entity of heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction...

Iatrogenic atrial septal defect after catheter ablation—to close or not to close?

Dear Editor, Transseptal access to the left heart is increasingly performed for electrophysiological procedures and for structural heart disease interventions such as balloon mitral valvuloplasty...

Cardiac sarcoidosis: Difficulties in diagnosis and treatment

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem, granulomatous disorder of unknown aetiology. It affects the lungs in 90% of cases, but is also known to affect other...

Epidemiological trends and outcomes of children with aural foreign bodies in Singapore

Aural foreign bodies (FBs) commonly present to the emergency department (ED) worldwide. Children represent the majority of the population, believed to be due to...

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Singapore: Can we do better?

Cardiac arrests are unpredictable events that frequently result in death or significant residual morbidity among survivors. These sudden events affect not only the individual,...

Sepsis and cardiovascular events: The story so far

Sepsis is a state of life-threatening organ dysfunction that results from a dysregulated host immune response to infection.1 Sepsis is a common condition that...

Previous history of hyperthyroidism in emergency department patients with atrial fibrillation does not increase the risk of thromboembolism and death

Dear Editor, Atrial fibrillation (AF) is frequently encountered in the emergency department (ED) and is a major risk factor for thromboembolic events. The clinical decision...

Determinants of emergency department utilisation by older adults in Singapore: A systematic review

Older adults in Singapore contribute to a disproportionately higher number of visits to the emergency department (ED), mirroring trends around the world.1,2 For instance,...

Pre- and apnoeic high-flow oxygenation for rapid sequence intubation in the emergency department (the Pre-AeRATE trial): A multicentre randomised controlled trial

Critically ill patients in the emergency department (ED) have shorter safe apnoea times due to physiological distress from decreased cardiac output, increased shunting and...

Pressures, indexes and peripheral arterial disease: Time to rethink our approach?

Most patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are asymptomatic. Despite the absence of symptoms, these patients have a significantly increased risk of death and...

A Review of Pedestrian Fatalities in Singapore from 1990 to 1994

Fatal road accidents are by no means uncommon in Singapore, a modern tropical metropolis with a population of approximately 3 million. Statistics provided by...

Drug Treatment of Hypercholesterolaemia

Serum cholesterol has been established as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). There is a linear association between serum cholesterol level...

Goldberger’s Triad in Dilated Cardiomyopathy—Can it Predict the Severity of Left Ventricular Dysfunction?

In 1982, Goldberger described a novel electrocardiogram (ECG) triad that was highly specific for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure (attributable to...

Thyroid Storm Presenting as Jaundice and Complete Heart Block

Thyroid storm is defined as a severe and often life-threatening exacerbation of thyrotoxicosis which is usually characterised by hyperthermia, tachycardia, severe agitation and altered...

Simultaneous Transcatheter Valvuloplasty and Amplatzer Septal Occlusion for Pulmonary Valvar Stenosis and Secundum Atrial Septal Defect

Congenital pulmonary valvar stenosis (PVS) and secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) are relatively common forms of congenital heart disease (CHD). Since the first successful...

Electrocardiographic Abnormalities in Combined Hypercalcaemia and Hypokalaemia—Case Report

The electrocardiographic abnormalities in isolated hypercalcaemia and hypokalaemia have been well documented in the literature. However, electrocardiogram (ECG) findings in combined hypercalcaemia and hypokalaemia...

Five Paediatric Case Reports of the Use of Adenosine in Supraventricular Tachycardia

Adenosine has been shown to be effective in terminating supraventricular tachycardia in adults and children. However, the use of adenosine has not been previously...

Patients Admitted to an Intensive Care Unit for Poisoning

The study of poisoning has been relatively neglected in Singapore. A check through the Infogate database of the National University of Singapore Library revealed...

Survival after Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in the General Wards—The Results of a Dedicated “Code” Team

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is widely practised for cardiopulmonary arrests with variable success. The initial intention was to defibrillate patients with ventricular fibrillation after acute...

Interventional Electrophysiology and its Role in the Treatment of Cardiac Arrhythmia

Cardiac arrhythmias are disorders of the electrical system of the heart which can present as benign ectopics or as life-threatening arrhythmias and sudden cardiac...

Incessant Ectopic Atrial Tachycardia and Tachycardia-related Cardiomyopathy: Therapeutic Options and Potential for Cure

Incessant ectopic atria tachycardia (IEAT) is a rare and insidious arrhythmia which is frequently misdiagnosed and if untreated, leads to ‘exhaustion’ of the myocardium...

Intracoronary Brachytherapy: The Beginning of the End of Restenosis?

Restenosis remains a major clinical problem 20 years after the introduction of coronary angioplasty by Andreas Gruentzig in the treatment of coronary artery disease....

The Effect of Fenofibrate on Insulin Sensitivity and Plasma Lipid Profile in Non diabetic Males with Low High Density Lipoprotein/Dyslipidaemic Syndrome

Hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance have been postulated to relate directly to both hypertension and coronary artery disease in type II diabetes and possibly also...

Homocysteine and Atherosclerotic Disease: The Epidemiologic Evidence

Homocysteine is a thiol-containing amino acid formed during the metabolism of methionine. The metabolic fate of homocysteine may be influenced by the alterations in...

T Wave Alternans and Acute Rheumatic Myocarditis: A Case Report

T wave alternans, an electrical cardiac alternans in which there is a beat-to-beat variation in the amplitude, shape or the polarity of the T...

Trends in Mortality, Incidence, Hospitalisation, Cardiac Procedures and Outcomes of Care for Coronary Heart Disease in Singapore, 1991-1996

In line with trends in many high-income countries, Singapore has experienced some declines in mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) since the 1980s. Whether...

Extent and Appropriateness of Emergency Department Services Usage by Foreign Workers in Singapore

Singapore employs more than 350,000 foreign workers currently. With this influx of foreign workers into our city-state which has limited land and resources, it...

Drowning and Near-drowning—Some Lessons Learnt

Drowning is defined as suffocation from submersion in a liquid with death within the first twenty-four hours. Near-drowning implies that recovery has occurred, at...

Initial Experience With an Autocapture Pacemaker System

The longevity of a pacemaker generator varies directly with the total deliverable amount of electrical charge (Q, in coulombs) and inversely with the rate...

The Differential Diagnosis of Supraventricular Tachycardia Using Clinical and Electrocardiographic Features

Noninvasive evaluation of the mechanism of the arrhythmia is important in the management of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). It guides one in the choice of...

Cardiac Marker Point-of-care Testing: Evaluation of Rapid On-site Biochemical Marker Analysis for Diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction

In the present era of revascularisation therapy, rapid and accurate diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is important, as these patients may benefit from...

Cardiovascular Disease: Genes and Public Health

The excitement surrounding the Human Genome Project and its impending completion has raised expectations of the possibilities for genetics in common disease. It is...

Incidence of Ischaemic Heart Disease and Stroke in Chinese, Malays and Indians in Singapore: Singapore Cardiovascular Cohort Study

Comparisons of disease frequency in different ethnic groups help to unravel the contributions of nature and nurture in their aetiology and to identify environmental...

Technetium-99m Sestamibi for the Assessment of Myocardial Salvage Following Reperfusion Therapy in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Reperfusion therapy for acute myocardial infarction is feasible with thrombolytic therapy as well as acute percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Both modalities of treatment...

Initial Experience of Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Supraventricular Tachycardia in Paediatric Patients

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is well-recognised as one of the commonest rhythm disorders in children. There may be few symptoms, but many experience palpitations,...

Diagnosis of Pacemaker Lead Infection Using Transoesophageal Echocardiography: A Case Report

The expanding indications for permanent cardiac pacing mandate an awareness of the potential complications associated with device implantation. After failure of pacing and sensing,...

Preparing for the silver boom: A falls prevention tool for older adults in the emergency department

Each year, 28–35% of community dwelling adults over 65 years fall.1 This figure increases to about 50% for those above 80 years old.2 Falls...

Pericarditis and myocarditis after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination in a nationwide setting

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in much morbidity and mortality worldwide. The development of mRNA vaccines has heralded much hope in...

Isolated Non-compaction of Ventricular Myocardium: A Report of Three Cases

Non-compaction of ventricular myocardium is a rare morphogenic arrest of compaction of the ventricular myocardial fibres during intrauterine life. Usually, the left ventricle is...

Impairment of Endothelial Function—A Possible Mechanism for Atherosclerosis of a High-fat Meal Intake

The impairment of endothelial vasodilatory function has been considered an early event in atherogenesis. This has been studied in association with various cardiovascular risk...

Book Review

The above is a textbook of medicine written by Singapore doctors and published in Singapore. It is difficult not to be over-enthusiastic about it...

Intravenous Adrenaline or Vasopressin in Sudden Cardiac Arrest: A Literature Review

Of the approximately 15,000 deaths that occur in Singapore every year, about 25% are from cardiac causes; of which, some 30% to 40% occur...

A Preliminary Study of the Utility of Combined Cardiac Markers in the Evaluation of Patients Presenting Early with Suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome

The management of patients presenting with chest pain of recent onset can prove to be a diagnostic challenge. These patients vary from having atypical...

Homocysteine, Folate and Vitamin B12 as Risk Factors for Acute Myocardial Infarction in a Southeast Asian Population

Since the beginning of the last decade, hyperhomocysteinaemia has been identified as a risk factor for acute coronary syndromes. A few large prospective studies...

Audit of Total Parenteral Nutrition in an Adult Surgical Intensive Care

Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) may contribute to good outcome in selected groups of patients. Parenteral nutrition is highly effective in reversing effects attributable to...

Myocardial Infarction in Singapore: A Nationwide 10-year Study of Multiethnic Differences in Incidence and Mortality

Rapid urbanisation and increasing affluence have improved the socioeconomic status of Asians. This, however, has brought with it new socioeconomic and medical problems resulting...

Acute Coronary Syndrome—Factors Causing Delayed Presentation at the Emergency Department

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) refers to a continuum of clinical entities ranging from unstable angina pectoris (UAP) to Q-wave myocardial infarction. Mortality rates from...

The Acute Presentation of Pulmonary Thromboembolism: A Retrospective Viewpoint

Pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) has historically been considered a rarity in the Asian population. Although well studied in the West, Asian literature on this condition...

Rheumatic Heart Diseases in Pregnancy

Rheumatic heart disease comprises acute rheumatic fever following group A beta-haemolytic streptococcal infection of the tonsillopharynx, and its long-term sequelae of heart valve fibrosis...

Allopurinol Hypersensitivity Syndrome and Acute Myocardial Infarction—Two Case Reports

Allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome is an idiosyncratic drug reaction characterised by an acute and severe multiorgan disease. It usually begins 2 to 6 weeks (up...

Two Case Reports on Incessant Left Ventricular Tachycardia: Curative Therapy with Radiofrequency Ablation

Left ventricular tachycardia is a recognisable condition in patients with otherwise structurally normal heart. It may arise from various foci in the left ventricle. This...

Prevention of Restenosis after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: The Continuing Challenge

Since Andreas Gruntzig first demonstrated its use in humans in 1977, the utilisation of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) has grown tremendously throughout the...

Emergency Department Usage by Community Step-Down Facilities – Patterns and Recommendations

It is projected that elderly persons will make up 18.4% of Singapore’s population by the year 2030. Currently, there are 5189 residents staying in...

Critically Ill Elderly Who Require Mechanical Ventilation: The Effects of Age on Survival Outcomes and Resource Utilisation in the Medical Intensive Care Unit of a General Hospital

Increasing life expectancy and ageing of the “post-war baby boomer” generation have led to the rapidly ageing demographic of many Asian countries. Singapore’s elderly...

Public Disclosure of Healthcare Performance Information and Its Application to the Singapore Context

It has been said that apart from the prevention of diseases, the best chance of improving health is through improving the quality of care...

A Case Series of Sotalol-induced Torsade de Pointes in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation – A Tale with a Twist

In the light of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial (CAST) which suggested that class I antiarrhythmics may be linked to an increase in mortality,...

Immediate and Mid-Term Safety and Efficacy of Single Lead VDD Pacemakers for Patients with Atrioventricular Block and Normal Sinus Node Function—A Single Centre Experience

In patients requiring a cardiac pacemaker for any indication, the ideal goal of therapy is to achieve atrioventricular (AV) synchrony. This replicates the normal...

Torsades de pointes in a woman presenting with syncope

A 57-year-old woman presented with first onset syncope, which was witnessed by her family members. It occurred in the middle of a conversation and...

Stress among emergency medicine residents during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

Dear Editor, The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted medical education1,2 and distressed clinicians.3,4 Understanding the impact of this pandemic on emergency medicine (EM) residents’ experience of...

Spironolactone Does Not Prevent Restenosis After Coronary Stenting in Humans

High restenosis rate, which has been documented to occur in approximately 30% to 50% of cases, still remains a major concern, although percutaneous transluminal...

Nuclear Cardiology in Singapore: A Review

The past decade has witnessed significant advances and rapid growth in the field of nuclear cardiology. In Singapore, our experience has been similar to...

Stem Cell Cardiomyoplasty: State-of-the-Art

Congestive heart failure (CHF) remains the most common diagnosis made in cardiology wards today. At present, no long-term therapeutic option for end-stage CHF is...

Medical Therapy in Heart Failure – Is Polypharmacy Necessary?

The clinical syndrome of heart failure is recognised by a characteristic pattern of haemodynamic, renal, neural and hormonal responses. Heart failure is the end-stage...

Coronary Artery Disease: Comprehensive Evaluation by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major health problem worldwide. With advances in CAD intervention and improvements in treatment and management of CAD, there...

Drug-eluting Stents: The End of Restenosis?

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the preferred revascularisation approach for most patients with coronary artery disease because, with comparable clinical outcomes in selected patients,...

Coronary Artery Ectasia: A Ten-year Experience in a Tertiary Hospital in Singapore

Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is the abnormal dilatation of a segment of the coronary artery to a diameter of at least 1.5 times that...

Pilot Survey of the Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure in Primary Care: A Singaporean Perspective

Congestive heart failure is an increasingly common disorder and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries around the world. It is...

High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein is Predictive of Medium-term Cardiac Outcome in High-risk Asian Patients Presenting With Chest Pain Syndrome Without Myocardial Infarction

Patients with chest pain often pose a diagnostic conundrum to the attending physician especially when symptoms are not typical of angina and the electrocardiogram...

Cardiovascular Medicine and Surgery in Singapore: The Next Lap

Fourteen years ago, an editorial in the Annals announced the coming of age of cardiology in Singapore. Among the issues raised in that editorial...

Work-related Injury Sustained by Foreign Workers in Singapore

Singapore has a resident population of 3.26 million and 0.53 million foreign workers. Of these half a million foreigners, 450,000 are work permit holders,...

Clinical Indications for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanning

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide a broad framework for clinicians considering the use of positron emission tomography (PET) scanning for their...

Clinical Applications of Positron Emission Tomography in Cardiology: A Review

Ischaemic heart disease associated with depressed left ventricular function is a common clinical management dilemma. There is overwhelming evidence that such patients have a...

Positron Emission Tomography – A Vital Component of Molecular Imaging

Contemporary medical imaging is progressing towards quantification of tissue function in addition to merely providing anatomical information, as illustrated by the rising use of...

16th Seah Cheng Siang Memorial Lecture – The Changing Face of Cardiology Practice, Training and Research in Singapore

Professor Seah Cheng Siang was one of the most illustrious physicians of his era. During his professional career, he held the following positions: Head,...

Building Collaboration in Cardiac Imaging

Publicity about new developments in medical technology is not at all unusual. But the degree with which multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) for coronary artery...

Guidelines on Cardiac CT in Singapore (2006)

The heart is difficult to image because of its complex wall motion and variability of the cardiac cycle. Recent advances in 16 and 64-slice...

Potentially Fatal Paracetamol Overdose and Successful Treatment with 3 Days of Intravenous N-acetylcysteine Regime – A Case Report

Paracetamol overdose is one of the most common drug overdose in both children and adults in Singapore. Doses of paracetamol exceeding 150 mg/kg in...

Clinical Cases Seen in Tsunami Hit Banda Aceh – From a Primary Health Care Perspective

Earthquakes and tsunamis can cause massive destruction over large areas, affecting the lives of many in areas hit by such disasters. The local health...

The Association of Smoking with Components of the Metabolic Syndrome in Non-diabetic Patients

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is conceptualised as a constellation of physiologic or anthropometric abnormalities. Typically, it includes excess weight, hyperglycaemia, elevated blood pressure, low concentration...

Hepatitis B Virus Infection and the Risk of Coronary Atherosclerosis

Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease, is the leading cause of death for both men and women. CAD is usually caused...

Observational Study to Determine Factors Associated with Blood Sample Haemolysis in the Emergency Department

Haemolysis of blood samples leads to inaccurate results and often necessitates a repeat sample. Escalating workloads and finite resources are an increasing problem in...

Concomitant Coronary Artery Disease Among Asian Ischaemic Stroke Patients

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality following ischaemic stroke. The annual risk for myocardial infarction following ischaemic stroke is approximately...

Renal Artery Embolism in a Patient with Vague Abdominal Pain

Thromboembolism is a well-known complication of mitral stenosis especially when it is associated with cardiac dysrhythmias. However, renal artery embolism is a disease that...

Clinical Characteristics of Renal Infarction in an Asian Population

Renal infarction is a rare disease. Domanovits et al reported an incidence rate of 0.007% (17/248,842) during a study period of 45 months. This article...

Risk Factor Profile and Treatment Patterns of Patients with Atherothrombosis in Singapore: Insight from the REACH Registry

Atherothrombosis is a global problem that affects every ethnic group. It can lead to ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction or vascular death. This article is available...

Non-compaction Cardiomyopathy Presenting with Classical Angina Pectoris

Non-compaction cardiomyopathy (NCC) is an unclassified cardiomyopathy, previously known as “spongy left ventricular myocardium”. It is characterised by prominent myocardial trabeculations and deep intertrabecular...

A Case of Myopericarditis in a Patient with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Community-acquired Pneumonia

We described a healthy and physically active 41-year-old man who presented to a private practitioner with right axillary pain and fever. Physical examination revealed...

Angioplasty in Critical Limb Ischaemia: One-year Limb Salvage Results

Critical limb ischaemia (CLI) is the most severe form of peripheral vascular disease where there is inadequate blood flow to a limb to maintain...

The Relation Between Insulin Resistance Determined by Haemostatic Modelling and Slow Coronary Flow

Slow coronary flow (SCF) is a well recognised clinical entity, characterised by delayed opacification of coronary arteries in the presence of normal coronary angiogram....

Improving Access to Outpatient Cardiac Care at the National Heart Centre – A Partnership Between Specialists and Primary Care

There is evidence that shows that the use of healthcare delivered by private providers, particularly procedures and hospital care, depends on supply. For example,...

Pattern and Outcome of Subsidised Referrals to Cardiology Specialist Outpatient Clinics

Singapore faces an increasing demand for public healthcare from an ageing population in need of chronic care. At our cardiology specialist outpatient clinics, the...

Phaeochromocytoma the Great Mimicker: A Case Report

Phaeochromocytomas are catecholamine producing neuroendocrine tumours that can manifest a variety of symptoms which mimic other diseases. They are also known for their “rule...

The Angiographic Aspects of Myocardial Bridges in Turkish Patients who have Undergone Coronary Angiography

Myocardial bridge, intramural coronary artery, coronary artery over bridging and myocardial loop are essentially the different terms used to designate the same phenomenon. Myocardial...

Characteristics of unplanned hospitalisations among cancer patients in Singapore

Cancer is a pervasive global problem with growing healthcare utilisation and costs.1-3 This situation is similar in Singapore where cancer incidence is on the...

The case for better hospitalisation selection in cancer patients

Public hospital occupancy rates and resource utilisation in Singapore are perennially high. In the last 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been...

Management of Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Reperfusion Options

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death globally. More than 920,000 myocardial infarctions (MI) are diagnosed annually in the United States. Of these,...

A Case of Acute Myocardial Infarction 24 hours after Acute Ischaemic Stroke

It is well known that thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) may lead to disintegration of pre-existing intracardiac thrombi with subsequent cerebral embolisation. It...

Reply from Author: Putting the Wedge under Pressure

We thank the authors for their interest in our study and their insightful comments. We agree that filling pressures such as the central venous...

Putting the Wedge under Pressure

We would like to thank Dr Huck Chin Chew et al for sharing their findings and we are appreciative of their work, “Oesophageal Doppler...

The Growing Burden of Cardiovascular Disease: Role of the Arterial-Cardiac Interaction

World Heart Day was inaugurated to increase global awareness that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the world’s leading cause of death, claiming, according to the...

Comparison of Cardiac Output Measurement by Arterial Waveform Analysis and Pulmonary Artery Catheter in Mitral Stenosis

Cardiac output (CO) is a vital measurement that influences clinical decision-making. Although thermodilution via a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) is considered the gold standard...

Epidemiology of Snakebites from A General Hospital in Singapore: A 5-year Retrospective Review (2004-2008)

Snakes are present even in an industrialised country like Singapore. A bite from a venomous snake can inflict much morbidity and occasionally, it can...

Unusual Pacemaker Lead Placement in an Unsuspecting Heart

A 51-year-old man, with a negative cardiac medical history, presented with symptomatic 2:1 atrioventricular block. A permanent pacemaker was implanted. This article is available only...

Are New Resuscitation Guidelines Better? Experience of an Asian Metropolitan Hospital

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a substantial public health burden that has poor prognosis. Patients who receive “good” and “high-quality” cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have...

An Eight Year Review of Exercise-related Cardiac Arrests

Exercise-related cardiac arrest is uncommon, however it is devastating when it occurs in otherwise healthy adults. In young adults, vigorous physical exercise trigger cardiac...

Embolised Injection Needle Fragment to the Heart, Mimicking a Subcutaneous Charm Needle

Embolisation of a fragmented injection needle to the heart is rare, even in intravenous drug abusers. The presence of an embolised needle fragment to...

Transcatheter Closure of Atrial Septal Defects – Is Balloon Sizing Still Necessary?

Device closure of atrial septal defects through the transcatheter approach has now been well accepted as an option to surgical treatment. A range of...

Factors Affecting the B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Levels in Stroke Patients

The term “stroke” comprises all diseases in which a region of the brain is transiently or continuously affected by ischaemia or haemorrhage, and/or in...

Eighteen-Month Clinical Safety and Efficacy Outcomes of Sirolimus-, Paclitaxel- and Zotarolimus-drug Eluting Stents in Diabetic Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Complex Coronary Artery Stenosis

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have higher incidence of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality compared with non-diabetic patients. The underlying mechanism is due to the...

Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes for Contrast-induced Nephropathy After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients with Normal Serum Creatinine

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a common complication post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). CINis associated with increased morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospitalisation and long-term renal impairment. This article...

Brachial Approach for Coronary Angiography and Intervention: Totally Obsolete, or a Feasible Alternative When Radial Access is Not Possible?

The possible methods of reaching the coronary vasculature using a percutaneous technique are limitless: the radial, femoral, brachial, ulnar, subclavian and axillary arteries, and...

A 5-year Profile of Trauma Admissions to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit of a Tertiary Hospital in Singapore

Our tertiary hospital has a 9-bed Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) that caters to all surgical disciplines except Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (which has...

Angioplasty on an Infarct-related Anomalous Right Coronary Artery Arising from Posterior Coronary Sinus

A 60-year-old chronic smoker had delayed presentation (>18 hours) of acute inferior myocardial infarction with electrocardiogram showing 1.0 mm ST-segment elevation in leads II,...

Complete Atrioventricular Block Complicating Acute Anterior Myocardial Infarction can be Reversed with Acute Coronary Angioplasty

Complete atrioventricular block (AVB) develops in more than 5% of patients with myocardial infarction (MI). These patients have poorer outcomes compared to those without...

Acute Myocardial Infarction in Pregnant Women

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. It typically occurs in middle-aged or elderly people with cardiovascular risk...

Risk Stratification for Sudden Cardiac Death after Acute Myocardial Infarction

In today’s modern era of evidence-based medicine and interventional cardiology, most patients who suffer an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are started on medication with...

Adjunctive Pharmacologic Agents and Mechanical Devices in Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) has been shown to be superior to thrombolysis in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI), with...

Management of Antiplatelet Therapy During Acute Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: New Strategies and Therapeutics

Platelet adhesion, activation, and aggregation are stimulated during an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), the result of intimal injury due to rupture of an atherosclerotic...

Risk Assessment Models in Acute Coronary Syndromes and Their Applicability in Singapore

Strategies for managing cardiovascular disease are evolving rapidly. This evolution and improvement in care is responsible for reducing mortality especially in patients presenting with...

Current Trends in Diagnostic Biomarkers of Acute Coronary Syndrome

Advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have led to the marked increase in development of biomarkers for diagnosis,...

Update on Clinical Imaging of Coronary Plaque in Acute Coronary Syndrome

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) encompasses the clinical spectrum of unstable angina (UA) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Most ACS are precipitated by luminal thrombi...

Panic Attack and its Correlation with Acute Coronary Syndrome – More Than Just a Diagnosis of Exclusion

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a life-threatening condition which benefits from prompt evaluation and proper treatment, such that it would be considered negligent for...

Research on Psychoneuroimmunology: Does Stress Influence Immunity and Cause Coronary Artery Disease?

In recent decades, there has been increasing interest in exploring the relationship between psychological stress and various health conditions. An enlarging body of evidence...

Clinical and Angiographic Findings of Complete Atrioventricular Block in Acute Inferior Myocardial Infarction

Complete atrioventricular block (AVB) complicates inferior wall myocardial infarction (MI) in 11% to 15% of cases. It usually clusters with conditions indicative of poor...

Reperfusion Strategy and Mortality in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction among Patients with and without Impaired Renal Function

Randomised controlled trials have demonstrated better outcomes with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) over fi brinolytic therapy in the treatment of ST-segment elevation myocardial...

Gender Disparity in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Acute Coronary Syndromes – Does it Still Exist in Contemporary Practice?

Globally, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the single most common cause of death among women; and in parallel with an increasing life expectancy, the proportion...

The Impact of Gender on the Outcomes of Invasive versus Conservative Management of Patients with Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Recent studies have suggested differences in clinical outcomes between men and women following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Some studies have indicated poorer survival of...

Framingham Risk Score Inadequately Predicts Cardiac Risk in Young Patients Presenting with a First Myocardial Infarction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The Framingham Risk Score (FRS) was derived from the Framingham Heart Study...

Acute Coronary Syndrome: from Epidemiology to Treatment

The term “acute coronary syndrome” (ACS) was introduced a decade ago to describe a spectrum of conditions resulting in acute myocardial ischaemia. It comprises...

Off-Pump versus On-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Procedures: Postoperative Renal Complications in an Asian Population

To date, the major part of routine cardiac surgery is performed using extracorporeal circulation with cardioplegic arrest. Regardless the technique of cardioplegia, temporary renal...

Catheter Entrapment During Cardiac Electrophysiology Study

A 50-year-old man underwent cardiac electrophysiology study for palpitations. Under fluoroscopic guidance, 1 deflectable decapolar and 2 quadripolar diagnostic catheters were introduced smoothly into the...

Factors reducing inappropriate attendances to emergency departments before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicentre study

Since the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported in China in late December 2019, the pandemic has spread throughout the world,...

Treatment of Coronary In-stent Restenosis with Drug-eluting Balloon Catheter: Real-world Outcome and Literature Review

Dear Editor, Currently, coronary stent implantation is employed in approximately 90% of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) cases. Despite the use of drug-eluting stents (DES), coronary...

Cognitive Aspect of Diagnostic Errors

It was an unusually busy ward round. The newly promoted registrar was keen to review the patients handed over to him. But there were...

Electrocardiograph Changes, Troponin Levels and Cardiac Complications After Orthopaedic Surgery

Following orthopaedic surgery, approximately 5% of patients sustain cardiac complications which leads to increased morbidity and mortality. The mortality rate after hip fracture is...

Use of the Sole Flap to Convert an Above Knee Amputation to a Below Knee Amputation in Trauma

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF) are performed for decompression of the spine when the primary compressive...

Long-term Outcomes of Medical Therapy Versus Coronary Revascularisation in Patients with Intermediate Stenoses Guided by Pressure Wire

Although coronary angiography has been used as the “gold standard” imaging technique for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, it is essentially a lumenogram...

Chest Pain, Something is Not Right…Or Left

A 46-year-old female was referred for evaluation of central chest pain unrelated to exertion. She was known to have diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia....

Emergency Medicine Residency Programme in Singapore—Where Are We at Since Inception?

It has been 4.5 years since the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME-I) accredited competency-based emergency medicine residency programmes were started in July...

Pharmacomechanical Thrombolysis versus Surgical Thrombectomy for the Treatment of Thrombosed Haemodialysis Grafts

Permanent dialysis vascular access is the primary route for haemodialysis in patients with chronic renal failure, usually through an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) or an...

A Novel “Box Lesion” Minimally Invasive Totally Thoracoscopic Surgical Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

  Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common and severe cardiac arrhythmia. It affects 0.4% to 1% of the general population, and the prevalence of...

Improved door-to-balloon time for primary percutaneous coronary intervention for patients conveyed via emergency ambulance service

Early reperfusion of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has been shown to result in better outcomes,1-3 and guidelines for treatment of STEMI recommend a...

Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy: The emerging role of cardiac amyloid imaging

Transthyretin amyloidosis (or ATTR amyloidosis) is an under-recognised multisystemic disorder, arising from misfolding of transthyretin proteins into insoluble amyloid fibrils. As amyloid fibrils deposit...

New-onset cardiovascular risk factors following liver transplantation: A cohort analysis in Singapore

Malnutrition is well described in liver cirrhosis. The hyperdynamic circulation and altered metabolism in cirrhosis result in a hypercatabolic state which accelerates tissue breakdown....

A review of child sexual abuse cases presenting to a paediatric emergency department

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a global public health issue with adverse short- and long-term repercussions. Formal definitions of CSA and the age for...

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in post-COVID-19 patients: A case series

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with thromboembolic phenomenon in the early phase of disease. Growing evidence suggests a hypercoagulable state as well...

Medical management of PAD: Expand or consolidate?

In this issue of the Annals, a rapid review of adherence to evidence-based medical treatment highlights an important and underappreciated aspect of the management...

Attendance for ischaemic stroke before and during COVID-19 lockdown in Singapore

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has impacted healthcare systems worldwide. Globally, visits to the emergency department have fallen as much as 25% during...

Health-seeking behaviour of foreign workers in Singapore: Insights from emergency department visits

Singapore employs a large foreign worker (FW) population, defined as non-Singapore citizens and non-permanent residents working locally. Holders of “work permit” (WP), the work...

Dynamic mitral regurgitation treated with MitraClip

The dynamic nature of mitral regurgitation (MR) has been well appreciated but clinically under-recognised. In addition, evidence on therapeutic options for dynamic MR has...

Percutaneous paravalvular leak repair for severe aortic regurgitation after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)

Paravalvular leaks (PVLs) are not uncommon after surgical valve replacement. The need for re-operation for clinically significant leaks is between 1 and 3%. Percutaneous...

Impact of dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation and myResponder mobile app on bystander resuscitation

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with a global incidence of 62 cases per 100,000 person-years. In addition, there...

Community-level interventions for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Singapore: Yay or nay?

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a leading cause of mortality and a significant public health problem globally. In Singapore, OHCA affected 11,061 adults between...

Circulatory collapse from rupture of splenic artery aneurysm: A case study

Splenic artery aneurysms (SAAs) are uncommon and often asymptomatic. However, ruptured SAAs can be rapidly fatal. We reviewed the literature on SAAs and highlighted...

Emergency airway management in a Singapore centre: A registry study

Emergency airways often present with little warning, and the need for airway management is necessary for a successful resuscitation. This is in contrast to...

Cerebral venous thrombosis in a patient with mild COVID-19 infection

Emerging reports suggest venous and arterial thromboembolic diseases can complicate recovery from COVID-19. Postulated mechanisms include hypercoagulability, hypoxia, immobilisation, excessive inflammation and diffuse intravascular...

Decrease in emergency department attendances during COVID-19 especially in school-going children

Health-seeking behaviour varies during a pandemic. Early reports have suggested reduced attendances at emergency departments (EDs), especially in paediatric patients and in patients with...

Virtual reality mobile application to improve videoscopic airway training: A randomised trial

Emergency airway management is a keystone of emergency medicine practice and critical skill in residency training. An accredited emergency attending is expected to handle...

Paediatric emergency department attendances during COVID-19 and SARS in Singapore

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020, with over 110 million cumulative cases...

Epidemiology and risk stratification of minor head injuries in school-going children

Head injuries are common childhood injuries that present to paediatric emergency departments. Falls are the most common cause in young children, while contact sports...