This Week in Cardiology August 21 2026 This Week in Cardiology
Aug 21, 2026
A critical look at mechanical CPR devices and the evidence behind their survival claims. A spirited discussion on why rigid atrial fibrillation performance measures can backfire. Close reads of recent LAAC trials and contrasting appraisals. A quick preview of upcoming ESC trial highlights on cardiac MRI and single‑risk AF management.
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Listener Suggests Anakinra Over IL-6 Blockade
- Listener Dr. Wayne Casemeyer suggested IL-6 blockade may be too downstream and mentioned Anakinra as a more proximal alternative.
- John Mandrola acknowledged he isn't an inflammation expert and welcomed more trials of different anti-inflammatory agents.
No Survival Benefit From Mechanical CPR Devices
- Multiple randomized trials and a registry before/after analysis show no survival benefit from mechanical CPR devices for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
- John Mandrola cited PARAMEDIC, CIRC, LINC, a Cochrane review, and a CARES-based agency-level study with flat or negative survival trends.
CPR Quality Is Only One Link In Survival Chain
- Good mechanical CPR is only one link in a long causal chain to survival — underlying disease, time to CPR/defibrillation, and post-arrest hospital care also matter.
- This causal complexity helps explain why marginal CPR improvements don't translate to better survival.