Reducing cardiac tamponade caused by temporary pacemaker perforation in transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac tamponade caused by temporary right ventricular (RV) pacemaker perforation is a rare but serious complication in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). AIMS: To study the incidence of temporary pacemaker related cardiac tamponade in TAVR, and the relation to the type of pacemaker lead used in periprocedural temporary transvenous pacing. METHODS: A single center registry of transfemoral TAVRs in 2014-2020. Main inclusion criterion was peri-operative use of a temporary RV pacing lead. Main exclusion criteria were a preoperatively implanted permanent pacemaker or the exclusive use of left ventricular guidewire pacing. Incident cardiac tamponade was classified as pacemaker lead related, or other. Patients were grouped according to type of temporary RV pacing wire. RESULTS: 810 patients were included (age 80.5 ± 7.3 [mean ± standard deviation], female 319, 39.4%). Of these, 566 (69.9%) received a standard RV temporary pacing wire (RV-TPW), and 244 (30.1%) received temporary RV pacing through a permanent, passive pacemaker lead (RV-TPPL). In total, 18 (2.2%) events of cardiac tamponade occurred, 12 (67%) were pacemaker lead related. All pacemaker lead-related cardiac tamponades occurred in the group who received a standard RV-TPW and none in the group who received RV-TPPL (n = 12 [2.1%] vs. n = 0 [0%], p = 0.022). No difference in cardiac tamponade due to other causes was seen between the groups (p = 0.82). CONCLUSIONS: The use of soft-tip RV-TPPL was associated with a lower risk of pacemaker related cardiac tamponade in TAVR. When perioperative pacing is indicated, temporary RV-TPPL may contribute to a significant reduction of cardiac tamponade in TAVR.

Women have better long-term prognosis than men after cardiac resynchronization therapy.

AIMS: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves prognosis in patients with moderate-to-severe heart failure, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, and wide QRS complexes. However, CRT may be under-utilized in women and data on long-term follow-up are still scarce. The aim was to investigate long-term mortality and hospitalization and prognostic impact of gender after CRT. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data on 619 consecutive patients (19% women) that received CRT at a single centre between 1998 and 2008 were collected from electronic medical records and national death and hospitalization registries up to 2010. The primary endpoint was death of any cause and the secondary endpoint was combined death of any cause or heart failure hospitalization. Over a mean follow-up of 1320 ± 786 days, 215 (35%) patients reached the primary endpoint and 437 (71%) the secondary endpoint. Overall, 1-, 5-, and 10-year survivals were 91, 63, and 39%, respectively. Female gender was the only independent predictor of all-cause mortality; hazard ratio (HR) 0.44 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.21-0.90; P= 0.025]. Women also had a trend towards lower risk for the secondary endpoint, HR 0.68 (95% CI, 0.45-1.04; P= 0.072). CONCLUSION: In this registry analysis, patients with CRT had similarly high short-term survival to those in controlled trials, and this favourable prognosis was sustained over the long term.Women had lower all-cause mortality than men.

Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Infections; Long-Term Outcome after Extraction and Antibiotic Treatment.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to examine the treatment outcome for patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infections after extraction. METHODS: Patients who underwent CIED extractions due to an infection at Karolinska University Hospital 2006-2015 were analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 165 patients were reviewed, 104 (63%) with pocket infection and 61 (37%) with systemic infection. Of the patients with systemic infection, 34 and 25 patients fulfilled the criteria for definite and possible endocarditis, respectively. Complications after extraction occurred only in one patient. Reimplantation was made after a mean of 9.5 days and performed in 81% of those with pocket infection and 44.3% in systemic infection. Infection with the new device occurred in 4.6%. The mean length of hospital stay for patients with pocket infection was 5.7 days, compared to 38.6 days in systemic infection. One-year mortality was 7.7% and 22.2% in pocket infection and systemic infection, respectively. Patients with Staphylococcus aureus infection had a higher mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the majority of the patients had a pocket CIED infection, with a short hospital stay. Patients with a systemic infection, and S. aureus etiology, had a prolonged hospital stay and a higher mortality.