The use of sacubitril/valsartan in anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy: A mini case series.

BACKGROUND: Sacubitril/valsartan has been shown to significantly reduce cardiovascular mortality and hospitalizations due to heart failure in adult patients with reduced ejection fraction when compared to enalapril. To the best of our knowledge, the combination of sacubitril (neprilysin inhibitor) and valsartan (angiotensin receptor blocker) has not been evaluated in patients with chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy, as these patients were excluded from the recent pivotal trial, PARADIGM-HF. However, current guidelines for the evaluation and management of cardiovascular complications of cancer therapy, published by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, direct clinicians to the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Heart Failure Guidelines for the management of cancer patients who develop clinical heart failure or an asymptomatic decline in left ventricular ejection fraction (e.g. >10% reduction from baseline or left ventricular ejection fraction <53%), which could include the use of sacubitril/valsartan. METHODS: Retrospective descriptive comparative case study of two patients treated with sacubitril/valsartan. RESULTS: We present data from two patients who experienced anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy and were successfully managed with sacubitril/valsartan after suboptimal responses to traditional evidence-based heart failure therapies. Both patients demonstrated some recovery of function and normalization of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide levels. Sacubitril/valsartan was well tolerated with minimal side effects. To date, neither patient has required hospitalization or additional clinic interventions for heart failure. CONCLUSIONS: While further large scale studies are required to determine a comprehensive safety and efficacy profile, we report two cases of anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy survivors managed with sacubitril/valsartan with minimal side effects and no hospitalizations.

Endovascular Aortic Repair of Primary Adult Coarctation: Implications and Challenges for Postoperative Nursing.

Endovascular aortic repair is a relatively new surgical technique used to treat a variety of aortic pathologies. Aortic coarctation traditionally has been managed with open surgical repair, involving a large posterolateral thoracotomy, cardiopulmonary bypass, and replacement of the narrowed section of the aorta with a dacron graft. Recent advances in minimally invasive aortic surgery have allowed for repair of the diseased section with an endovascular stent placed percutaneously through the groin under intraoperative fluoroscopic guidance. In this paper, the authors willfocus on the implicationsfor postoperative nursing care after endovascular repair of aortic coarctation using a case study of a 17-year-old male. This novel technique required education of the health care team with respect to implications for practice, understanding potential complications, discharge planning and follow-up. With any new surgical technique there are many questions and challenges that health care professionals raise. The main concerns expressed from the health care team stemmed from a lack of understanding of the disease pathology, and the different risk profile associated with an endovascular repair in contrast to an open repair. The authors will address these concerns in detail.

Safety and efficacy of prophylactic negative pressure wound therapy following open saphenous vein harvest in cardiac surgery: a feasibility study.

Objectives: Surgical site complications following great saphenous vein (GSV) harvest presents a significant risk of morbidity. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has shown promise in the treatment and prophylaxis of open wounds and surgical incisions but has not been studied following GSV harvest. We performed a feasibility study examining the use of NPWT following GSV harvest for coronary bypass surgery. Methods: Sixty-four patients were recruited in this single-centre, single-blind, randomized controlled trial. The primary endpoint assessed feasibility by examining rates of device complication and malfunction. Secondary endpoints included rates of surgical site infection, lower leg complications, discharge date, and quality of life at discharge and 6 weeks. NPWT was delivered using the Prevena NPWT device. Results: There were no complications associated with NPWT which required intervention aside from discontinuation. NPWT was tolerated in 91% (30/33) of patients for the duration of treatment with an average of 4.8 days (±1.45 days). Device malfunction which required discontinuation was 6% (2/33) and involved a malfunctioning pressure sensor and did not affect patient care or present safety concerns. One patient had allergic contact dermatitis to the adhesive and had the device removed. NPWT patients had an earlier date of discharge (6 vs 10 days, P = 0.008), increased ability for self-care ( P = 0.0234) and quality of life ( P = 0.039) at initial assessment, and increased mobility at initial and follow-up assessment ( P = 0.0117 and 0.0123). Conclusions: The use of NPWT following GSV harvest is safe, well tolerated and improves postoperative recovery with prolonged impact on mobility at 6 weeks. Clinical trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01698372 ; registration number: NCT01698372.