3^rd World Heart Congress April 19-20, 2018 Amsterdam, Netherlands

Anass Assaidi, Medical Doctor (PhD Medicine), is an Assistant Professor of Interventional Cardiology at Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences and Cheikh Khalifa ibn Zaid Hospital. He is a Graduate Cardiologist from Aix Marseille II University and Casablanca Medicine University, got Interuniversity Diploma of "Pediatric and Congenital Cardiology" in 2012 from Aix-Marseille II University, “Echocardiography" from Bordeaux II University and "Endovascular treatment of valvular heart disease" from Paris V University. He is an active member of European, French & Moroccan Societies of Cardiology and Member of the Interventional Cardiology Reflection Group. He participated in many research projects related to cardiovascular diseases and author of several publications.

Introduction: Several studies confirm that combining ivabradine with beta-blockers, reduce more effectively the heart rate in patients with heart failure and/or angina than beta-blockers alone. Methods: Non-interventional cohort study, conducted in Morocco cardiology clinical practice, in patients with heart failure or angina treated with ivabradine in combination with beta-blockers. The primary outcome, measured at 1 and 4 months, were HR, NYHA classification, and SEATTLE quality of life questionnaire for angina patients. Results: 497 patients were included, their mean age was 65.6±10.3 years, mean HR was 89.4±14.5 bpm and 61.6% were male. 10.9% treated with less than the initial beta-blockers dosage, 56.8% under initial dosage, 21.9% under less than recommended dosage and 10.4% under recommended dose. After 4 months, the mean HR showed a significant reduction of 27±13.8 bpm (p<0.0001) and no statistical significant difference (p=0.46) observed between beta-blockers dosages which was respectively 26.2±0.8, 28.2±2, 32.2±2, and 26.08±1.3, for initial, recommended, less than initial and less than recommended dosage. 42% of patients became NYHA I, 55% NYHA II, only 4% were NYHA III and no patient remained NYHA IV regardless of BB dosages. There was no-significant difference associated to the BB dose (p=0.53) in the 5 SAQ domain-scores between baseline (V0) and 4 months follow up visit (V2). Conclusion: In this study, ivabradine was effective in reducing HR in CHF and angina patients over a period of 4 months irrespective of the dose of beta-blockers. There was a marked shift from higher to lower NYHA classes independently of the BB administered dose.

Jana Mrzílková has completed her MD and Post-doctoral studies from Charles University, Prague, Czech republic. She is the Director of Experimental Micro CT laboratory at Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech republic. She has published more than 8 papers in reputed journals and has been also involved in neuroscience research.

During past years, several staining methods were developed in order to increase the contrast of soft tissues. However, most of these methods are complicated, time-consuming and use toxic contrast agents. One of the best and mostly used contrasts agents for soft tissue imaging are aqueous solutions of osmium tetroxide, phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) or phosphotungstic acid (PTA). Osmium tetroxide is very toxic, does not stain well if samples have been in alcohol and also its penetration is slow. PTA penetrates tissues slowly also, but it is less toxic, simpler to use and effectively stains alcohol-stored samples. PMA gives better contrast among different tissues, but requires longer incubation; conversely, its contrast between different tissues was superior. Our goal was to create a simple, cheap and stable fixation method for ex-vivo soft tissues scanning in micro-CT, a method which would give sufficient contrast among soft tissues in organs. Ethanol provided contrast enhancement in both studied organs in all used types of fixation. Fixation in 97% ethanol enhanced contrast among the tissues already after 72 hours, however, it caused hardening of the organs and in some cases even rupture of the specimens. Fixation in 50% ethanol provided best results after 336 hours, and details were not visualized as well as in 97% ethanol; conversely, samples were not that stiff. Best results provided fixation in a row of ascending ethanol concentrations; all organs were visualized in great details without being damaged.

Graeme Wertheimer has completed his Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Tasmania. He graduated as the Valedictorian of the Health Faculty. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor and it was successfully removed surgically. This motivated him to pursue a Medical Career and he is currently a final year Medical Student at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney. He has completed a first-class honors project and this manuscript will make up part of his MD in which he will be graduating in 2018.

Background: Limited data are available on the clinical management of atrial fibrillation (AF) and its outcomes from an Australian perspective. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the appropriateness of antithrombotic prescribing for patients who presented with a diagnosis of AF to the Hawkesbury St. John of God Hospital, NSW Australia. Methods: This retrospective observational study reviewed patients admitted to St. John of god Hawkesbury Hospital (SJOGH) with AF between June 2016 and June 2017. We calculated stroke risk using the CHA2DS2-VASc score based on medical records and reviewed the appropriateness of oral anticoagulant (OAC) prescribing compared to the 2016 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines. Patients were excluded if they had only one episode of AF that reverted either spontaneously or upon cardioversion without any documented recurrences. Results: A total of 200 patients (18 years) were included, with 180 (90%) deemed eligible for anticoagulation. Of these 72.8% (n=131) were prescribed an OAC. A total of 40.0% of patients at low risk of stroke and 68.4% at intermediate risk were prescribed an OAC, respectively. Apixaban was the direct oral anticoagulant of choice with 36.6% of patients prescribed an OAC receiving apixaban. Warfarin was prescribed for 25.1% of the patients prescribed an OAC. Conclusions: The underutilization of anticoagulant medication in high risk groups and over utilization in low risk groups remains an ongoing issue in contemporary AF management and highlights the need to improve AF related stroke prevention in our jurisdiction.