Ricerc@Sapienza

Introduction: The safety of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT), and particularly the dramatic issue of fatal reactions, has been an obstacle that limited the implementation of a therapy with unique characteristics of action on the causes of allergy. The introduction of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) was aimed at solving safety problems while maintaining clinical efficacy. Areas covered: For more than 20 years, SLIT has been based on allergen extracts in drops at low average doses.

Background Approximately two-thirds of patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) need long-term intravenous immunoglobulin. Subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIg) is an alternative option for immunoglobulin delivery, but has not previously been investigated in a large trial of CIDP. The PATH study compared relapse rates in patients given SCIg versus placebo. Methods Between March 12, 2012, and Sept 20, 2016, we studied patients from 69 neuromuscular centres in North America, Europe, Israel, Australia, and Japan.

Background: The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) is a relatively novel alternative to the transvenous ICD for the treatment of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, and is currently used in the clinical practice of several centers. The aim of this analysis was to describe current Italian practice regarding S-ICD implantation and its evolution over the years. Methods: We analyzed 607 consecutive patients (78% male, 48 ± 16 years) who underwent S-ICD implantation in 39 Italian centers from 2013 to 2017.

Purpose: Since subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) introduction, the pre-implant screening based on a dedicated manual ECG tool (MST) was required to assure adequate sensing by the S-ICD. A novel automated screening tool (AST) has been recently developed. We assessed and compared the pass rate with AST and MST, and we measured the agreement between screening tools. Methods: Three electrodes were positioned at locations mimicking the placement of the S-ICD, and ECG recordings were collected in the supine and standing postures at rest.

BACKGROUND: At the time of subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) implantation, successful termination of ventricular fibrillation (VF) is confirmed. A previous study reported cases of prolonged time to therapy during defibrillation testing.
OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the time to therapy, identify possible predictors of delay and investigate the impact of delayed therapy on VF conversion.
METHODS: We analyzed consecutive S-ICD patients who underwent initial conversion testing at a shock energy of 65J in 53 Italian centers.

Aims The traditional technique for subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) implantation involves three incisions and a subcutaneous pocket. Recently, a two-incision and intermuscular (IM) technique has been adopted. The PRAETORIAN score is a chest radiograph-based tool that predicts S-ICD conversion testing. We assessed whether the S-ICD implantation technique affects optimal position of the defibrillation system according to the PRAETORIAN score. Methods We analysed consecutive patients undergoing S-ICD implantation.