Rural versus urban outcomes following transcatheter aortic valve implantation: The importance of the heart team.

BACKGROUND: Rural patients face known healthcare disparities and worse cardiovascular outcomes compared to urban residents due to inequitable access and delayed care. Few studies have assessed rural-urban differences in outcomes following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI). We compared short-term post-TAVI outcomes between rural and urban patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of n = 413 patients who underwent TAVI at our large academic medical center, between 2011 and 2020 (rural/urban patients = 93/320. Rural/urban males = 53/173). Primary outcomes were all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality. Secondary outcomes included stroke/transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, acute kidney injury, bleeding, vascular complications, and length of stay. RESULTS: The mean age in years was 77 [IQR 70-82] for rural patients and 78 [IQR 72-84] for urban patients. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups, except for a greater frequency of active smokers and diabetics as well as a greater body mass index in the rural group. There were no statistically significant differences in all-cause or cardiovascular mortality between the groups. There was also no statistically significant difference in secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: Rural and urban patients had no statistically significant difference in all-cause mortality or cardiovascular mortality following TAVI. Given its minimally invasive nature and quality-centric, multidisciplinary care provided by the TAVI Heart Teams, TAVI may be the preferred modality for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis in rural populations.

Left atrial thrombus after placement of watchman device.

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular rhythm with increased risk of morbidityand mortality. Commonly due to thromboembolism at the left atrialappendage. Guideline therapy for atrial fibrillation is anticoagulation.Alternative treatment includes closure with the Watchman device. Wepresent a case of Watchman device-related thrombus seven monthsafter placement.

Use of the CHA2DS2-VASc Score in Assessing Transradial Approach Failure.

BACKGROUND: Radial access is now considered the preferred approach for coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention because of the low risk of vascular complications. However, radial access failure is not uncommon, leading to crossover to a different access site. The CHA2DS2-VASc score is used to estimate stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation. Our study aimed to assess the CHA2DS2-VASc score in predicting failure of the transradial approach, resulting in crossover to transfemoral access (TFA) for coronary angiography. METHODS: We performed a single-center, non-randomized, retrospective study. The study included 1775 patients who underwent coronary angiography with or without subsequent percutaneous intervention between July 2018 and October 2019. The study population was divided into three groups based on the CHA2DS2-VASc score: low (≤2), intermediate (3-4), and high score (≥5) groups. The association between the CHA2DS2-VASc score and radial access failure was evaluated and compared between the groups. RESULTS: A total of 197 patients (11.1%) had crossover to the femoral artery. A large percentage of patients (19.2%) had radial access failure in the high CHA2DS2-VASc score group (≥5) compared with 12.5% in the intermediate score group (3-4) and only 6.3% in the low score group (≤2). The highest crossover rate (42.9%) was observed in patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 8. Higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores were also associated with increased fluoroscopy time, contrast administration, and radiation exposure. CONCLUSION: The CHA2DS2-VASc score can predict failure of the transradial approach, with a score of ≥5 having the highest correlation of failure requiring crossover to TFA.

Comparison of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Outcomes Between Normal-Flow, Low-Gradient Severe Aortic Stenosis and Normal-Flow, High-Gradient Severe Aortic Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Normal flow low gradient severe aortic stenosis (NFLG-AS) with preserved ejection fraction is the most prevalent form of low gradient severe aortic stenosis. Despite the increased prevalence, the clinical outcomes and management strategy of NFLG-AS remain controversial. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) outcomes of patients with NFLG-AS compared with normal flow high gradient severe aortic stenosis (NFHG-AS). METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 394 patients who underwent TAVI between January 2011 to September 2020. Among 394 patients, 232 patients had NFLG-AS, and 162 patients had NFHG-AS. The primary outcomes included all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality. In addition, multiple secondary outcomes were evaluated, including stroke, myocardial infarction, duration of hospital stay, new-onset atrial fibrillation, temporary or permanent pacemaker requirement, major bleeding, blood transfusion, vascular complications, acute kidney injury, hemodialysis requirement, symptom improvement, and repeat hospitalizations due to any cardiac disease. RESULTS: The cumulative six months incidence of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality were similar between and NFLG-AS and NFHG-AS (4.32% vs. 5.17%, P = 0.71 and 2.47% vs. 2.59%, P = 0.94 respectively). There was no difference in the rates of stroke, myocardial infarction, duration of hospital stay, new-onset atrial fibrillation, temporary or permanent pacemaker requirement, major bleeding, blood transfusion, vascular complications, acute kidney injury, hemodialysis requirement, and symptom improvement between the two groups. However, patients with NFLG-AS compared to NFHG-AS had more frequent cardiac-related repeat hospitalizations (19.14% vs. 11.64%, P = 0.04%). CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality between NFLG-AS and NGHG-AS six months post-TAVI. However, patients undergoing TAVI with NFLG-AS had significantly higher rates of cardiac-related repeat hospitalizations.

Rate of Recovery of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in a Real-World Population of Patients Receiving a Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the rate of early improvement in ejection fraction (EF) within 21 - 60 days among patients with cardiomyopathy who were provided with a wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD). METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients who received a WCD at our institution to determine the rate of improvement in left ventricular EF (LVEF) to ≥ 35-40%. Among 990 patients who received a WCD during the study period, 101 had an echocardiogram performed during the subsequent 21 - 60 days. Patients were stratified according to their initial EF, as well as age, gender, number of heart failure medications, and ischemic vs. nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the influence of these variables on the subsequent improvement in EF. RESULTS: There were 39 patients who had improvement in their EF to ≥ 35-40%. The only significant predictor of EF recovery was the initial EF. There was a direct correlation between initial EF category and the likelihood of improvement in EF. For every unit increase in initial EF category, the odds of improvement increased 1.73 times (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22 - 2.45). Age (P = 0.20), gender (P = 0.10), ischemic cardiomyopathy (P = 0.40), and number of heart failure medications at the time of WCD placement (P = 0.26) were not significant predictors of improved LVEF. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a rate of improvement in EF to ≥ 35-40% of 39% within 21 - 60 days of placement of a WCD among patients with both ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy. The only significant clinical predictor of EF improvement was initial EF.

Comparing Echocardiographic Modalities in Native-Valve Infective Endocarditis Due to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus in People Who Inject Drugs.

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Current IE guidelines recommend transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) over transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) to diagnose infective endocarditis. Management of IE in people who inject drugs (PWID) in many medical centers is mainly conservative with prolonged intravenous antibiotics. Cardiac valve replacement in these patients remains controversial, given the high risk of reinfection. This study's purpose is to evaluate whether obtaining sequential TEE after TTE in PWID with MRSA native-valve IE changes the management plan in these patients. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of patients who are 18 years of age or older and inject drugs with definite MRSA IE between 2013 and 2019 were studied. Their echocardiographic reports and overall management plans were reviewed. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-six patients met the inclusion criteria. TTE was performed in 121 patients and, of these patients, 69 (57%) had detectable valvular vegetations while 52 (43%) did not. Of the 52 patients with a negative TTE, 44 underwent TEE, 28 (53%) of which showed vegetation. A total of 18 (14%) patients underwent surgery. Of these, six (33%) patients had a positive TTE only, with no subsequent TEE. Ten (56%) patients had both a positive TTE and TEE, and two (11%) patients had a negative TTE but positive TEE. CONCLUSION: In this retrospective cohort, obtaining a sequential TEE after a TTE in PWID with proven MRSA native IE by modified Duke's criteria changed the management plan in two patients. The decision to perform a TEE in these patients needs to be individualized. Larger studies are needed to better evaluate the role of TEE in this patient population.