The prognostic value of postoperative platelet levels in elderly patients after valve replacement surgery: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Further research is needed to assess the risk and prognosis after valve replacement surgery in elderly patients. This study aims to assess the prognostic value of platelet levels following valve replacement in elderly patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 3814 elderly individuals who underwent valve replacement surgery, categorized into quartiles based on postoperative platelet levels. Univariate and multiple regression analysis were used to assess the risk factors associated with postoperative platelet levels and in-hospital death.The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was utilized to establish the postoperative platelet level threshold indicative of in-hospital mortality risk, while the Kaplan-Meier curve compared the one-year postoperative survival among patients with differing postoperative platelet levels. RESULTS: The low postoperative platelet levels group had a higher incidence of massive bleeding (> 400 ml), necessitating platelet transfusion and prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass during surgery (P < 0.001). However, postoperative occurrences of heart failure and stroke did not achieve statistical significance (P > 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis disclosed an association between postoperative platelet levels and in-hospital death (OR: 2.040, 95% CI: 1.372-3.034, P < 0.001). Over the one-year follow-up, patients with low platelet levels postoperatively had poorer overall survival than patients with higher platelet levels (P < 0.001) CONCLUSION: Postoperative platelets can serve as a prognostic indicator after valve surgery in elderly patients as a simple and easily available biochemical indicator. Enhanced monitoring and management postoperative platelet level in the elderly may be beneficial to improve the survival outcome of patients.

Early Acute Kidney Injury Recovery in Elderly Patients Undergoing Valve Replacement Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to determine the incidence, contributing factors, and prognostic implications of acute kidney injury (AKI) recovery patterns in patients who experienced AKI after valve replacement surgery (VRS). DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. SETTING: The work took place in a postoperative care center in a single large-volume cardiovascular center. PARTICIPANTS: Patients undergoing VRS between January 2010 and December 2019 were enrolled. INTERVENTION: Patients were categorized into three groups based on their postoperative AKI status: non-AKI, AKI with early recovery (less than 48 hours), and persistent AKI. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome was in-hospital major adverse clinical events. The secondary outcomes included in-hospital and 1-year mortality. A total of 4,161 patients who developed AKI following VRS were included. Of these, 1,513 (36.4%) did not develop postoperative AKI, 1,875 (45.1%) experienced AKI with early recovery, and 773 (18.6%) had persistent AKI. Advanced age, diabetes, New York Heart Association III-IV heart failure, moderate-to-severe renal dysfunction, anemia, and AKI stages 2 and 3 were identified as independent risk factors for persistent AKI. In-hospital major adverse clinical events occurred in 59 (3.9%) patients without AKI, 88 (4.7%) with early AKI recovery, and 159 (20.6%) with persistent AKI (p < 0.001). Persistent AKI was independently associated with an increased risk of in-hospital adverse events and 1-year mortality. In contrast, AKI with early recovery did not pose additional risk compared with non-AKI patients. CONCLUSIONS: In patients who develop AKI following VRS, early AKI recovery does not pose additional risk compared with non-AKI. However, AKI lasting more than 48 hours is associated with an increased risk of in-hospital and long-term adverse outcomes.

The effect of perioperative diuretic administration on acute kidney injury in patients with acute myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention: a real-world retrospective study.

PURPOSE: The relationship between diuretic use and contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) after contrast exposure remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a retrospective analysis using propensity score matching (PSM) to investigate the effect of perioperative diuretic administration on contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: A total of 1894 patients with AMI who underwent PCI were retrospectively analyzed using PSM and multivariate models. Depending on whether diuretics were used, the patients were divided into two groups: the perioperative diuretic group (497 patients, 26.2%) and the non-diuretic group (1397 patients, 73.8%). And the relationship between perioperative diuretic administration and CI-AKI was evaluated by multiple regression models. Furthermore, Kaplan Meier survival curve ratio was used to evaluate and compare overall postoperative survival between the two groups. RESULTS: Most patients who received diuretics were older (67 vs. 60 years, respectively, p < 0.001) and women (22.5% vs. 15.2%, p < 0.001) and had combined hypertension (62.8% vs. 47%, p < 0.001), atrial fibrillation (5.4% vs. 1.8%, p < 0.001), stroke (9.3% vs. 4.9%, p < 0.001), and diabetes mellitus (33.4% vs. 23.6%, p < 0.001) compared to those who did not. After the baseline characteristics were balanced using the PSM model, no significant difference was observed in the incidence of postoperative CI-AKI (22.7% vs. 19.5%, p = 0.356) and major cardiovascular adverse events (21.5% vs. 18.7%, p = 0.398). Multiple regression analysis showed no association between perioperative diuretic administration and postoperative CI-AKI occurrence (odds ratio: 1.14, 95% confidence interval: 0.86-1.51, p = 0.371). Further subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis confirmed the above findings. CONCLUSION: We found no significant association between perioperative diuretic administration and postoperative CI-AKI in patients with AMI who underwent PCI.

Red blood cell distribution width: A severity indicator in patients with COVID-19.

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) was frequently assessed in COVID-19 infection and reported to be associated with adverse outcomes. However, there was no consensus regarding the optimal cutoff value for RDW. Records of 98 patients with COVID-19 from the First People's Hospital of Jingzhou were reviewed. They were divided into two groups according to the cutoff value for RDW on admission by receiver operator characteristic curve analysis: ≤11.5% (n = 50) and >11.5% (n = 48). The association of RDW with the severity and outcomes of COVID-19 was analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the RDW was a good discrimination factor for identifying COVID-19 severity (area under the curve = 0.728, 95% CI: 0.626-0.830, p < 0.001). Patients with RDW > 11.5% more frequently suffered from critical COVID-19 than those with RDW ≤ 11.5% (62.5% vs. 26.0%, p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed RDW to be an independent predictor for critical illness due to COVID-19 (OR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.27-4.55, p = 0.007). A similar result was obtained when we included RDW > 11.5% into another model instead of RDW as a continuous variable (OR = 5.41, 95% CI: 1.53-19.10, p = 0.009). RDW, as an inexpensive and routinely measured parameter, showed promise as a predictor for critical illness in patients with COVID-19 infection. RDW > 11.5% could be the optimal cutoff to discriminate critical COVID-19 infection.

The effect of preoperative statin treatment on acute kidney injury in elderly patients undergoing valve replacement surgery.

PURPOSES: The effects of preoperative statin treatment on acute kidney injury (AKI) remain controversial, and current clinical evidence regarding statin use in the elderly undergoing valve replacement surgery (VRS) is insufficient. The present study aimed to investigate the association between preoperative statin treatment and AKI after VRS in the elderly. METHODS: Three thousand seven hundred ninety-one elderly patients (≥ 60 years) undergoing VRS were included in this study and divided into 2 groups, according to the receipt of statin treatment before the operation: statin users (n = 894) and non-users (n = 2897). We determined the associations between statin use, AKI, and other adverse events using a multivariate model and propensity score-matched analysis. RESULTS: After propensity score-matched analysis, there was no difference between statin users and non-users in regard to postoperative AKI (72.5% vs. 72.4%, p = 0.954), in-hospital death (5.7% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.650) and 1-year mortality (log-rank = 0, p = 0.986). The multivariate analysis showed that statin use was not an independent risk factor for postoperative AKI (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.90-1.17, p = 0.733), in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.75-1.68, p = 0.568), or 1-year mortality (HR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.70-1.28, p = 0.715). CONCLUSION: Preoperative statin treatment did not significantly affect the risk of AKI among elderly patients undergoing VRS.

Prognostic value of D-dimer for adverse outcomes in patients with infective endocarditis: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Increased D-dimer levels have been shown to correlate with adverse outcomes in various clinical conditions. However, few studies with a large sample size have been performed thus far to evaluate the prognostic value of D-dimer in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). METHODS: 613 patients with IE were included in the study and categorized into two groups according to the cut-off of D-dimer determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for in-hospital death: > 3.5 mg/L (n = 89) and ≤ 3.5 mg/L (n = 524). Multivariable regression analysis was used to determine the association of D-dimer with in-hospital adverse events and six-month death. RESULTS: In-hospital death (22.5% vs. 7.3%), embolism (33.7% vs 18.2%), and stroke (29.2% vs 15.8%) were significantly higher in patients with D-dimer > 3.5 mg/L than in those with D-dimer ≤ 3.5 mg/L. Multivariable analysis showed that D-dimer was an independent risk factor for in-hospital adverse events (odds ratio = 1.11, 95% CI 1.03-1.19, P = 0.005). In addition, the Kaplan-Meier curve showed that the cumulative 6-month mortality was significantly higher in patients with D-dimer > 3.5 mg/L than in those with D-dimer ≤ 3.5 mg/L (log-rank test = 39.19, P < 0.0001). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that D-dimer remained a significant predictor for six-month death (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.05-1.18, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: D-dimer is a reliable prognostic biomarker that independently associated with in-hospital adverse events and six-month mortality in patients with IE.

The association of baseline N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide with short and long-term prognosis following percutaneous coronary intervention in non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome with multivessel coronary artery disease: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is strongly correlated with the complexity of coronary artery disease and the prognosis of patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS), However, it remains unclear about the prognostic value of NT-proBNP in patients with NSTE-ACS and multivessel coronary artery disease (MCAD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Therefore, this study aimed to reveal the relationship between NT-proBNP levels and the prognosis for NSTE-ACS patients with MCAD undergoing successful PCI. METHODS: This study enrolled 1022 consecutive NSTE-ACS patients with MCAD from January 2010 to December 2014. The information of NT-proBNP levels was available from these patients. The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause death. In addition, the 3-year follow-up all-cause death was also ascertained. RESULTS: A total of 12 (1.2%) deaths were reported during hospitalization. The 4th quartile group of NT-proBNP (> 1287 pg/ml) showed the highest in-hospital all-cause death rate (4.3%) (P < 0.001). Besides, logistic analyses revealed that the increasing NT-proBNP level was robustly associated with an increased risk of in-hospital all-cause death (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 2.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.16-7.03, P = 0.022). NT-proBNP was able to predict the in-hospital all-cause death (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.888, 95% CI = 0.834-0.941, P < 0.001; cutoff: 1568 pg/ml). Moreover, as revealed by cumulative event analyses, a higher NT-proBNP level was significantly related to a higher long-term all-cause death rate compared with a lower NT-proBNP level (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The increasing NT-proBNP level is significantly associated with the increased risks of in-hospital and long-term all-cause deaths among NSTE-ACS patients with MCAD undergoing PCI. Typically, NT-proBN P > 1568 pg/ml is related to the all-cause and in-hospital deaths.

Prognostic value of central venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide difference in patients with bloodstream infection.

Background: Bloodstream infection (BSI) are prone to circulation disorders, which portend poor outcome. The central venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide difference (Pcv-aCO2) is a biomarker for circulation disorders, but the prognostic value of Pcv-aCO2 in BSI patients remains unclear. This study was to investigate the association of Pcv-aCO2 with adverse events in BSI patients. Methods: The patients with BSI between August 2014 and August 2017 were prospectively enrolled. Clinical characteristic and laboratory results were collected. We analyzed the association of the level of Pcv-aCO2 with clinical variables and 28-day mortality. Results: A total of 152 patients were enrolled. The Pcv-aCO2 was positively correlated with white blood cell count (r=0.241, p=0.003), procalcitonin (r=0.471, p<0.001), C-reactive protein (r=0.192, p=0.018), lactate (r=0.179, p=0.027), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (r=0.318, p<0.001) and Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation II score (r=0.377, p<0.001), while that was negatively correlated with central venous oxygen saturation (r=-0.242, p<0.001) and platelet (r=-0.205, p=0.011). Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that patients with Pcv-aCO2 >6mmHg had a worse prognosis than those without (log rank=32.10, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed Level of Pcv-aCO2 was an independent risk factor for 28-day mortality (HR: 3.10, 95% CI: 1.43-6.74, p=0.004). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of Pcv-aCO2 for prediction of 28-day mortality in patients with BSI was 0.794. Pcv-aCO2>6 mmHg had 81.1% sensitivity and 78.8% specificity for predicting 28-day mortality. Conclusion: Pcv-aCO2 may be a simple and valuable biomarker to assessment of 28-day mortality in patients with BSI.

Comparison of Prognostic Value Among 4 Risk Scores in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: Findings from the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-ACS (CCC-ACS) Project.

BACKGROUND Accurate risk assessment and prospective stratification are of great importance for treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, the optimal risk evaluation systems for predicting different type of ACS adverse events in Chinese population have not been established. MATERIAL AND METHODS Our data were derived from the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-ACS (CCC-ACS) Project, a multicenter registry program. We incorporated data on 44 750 patients in the study. We compared the performance of the following 4 different risk score systems with regard to prediction of in-hospital adverse events: the Global Registry for Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score system; the age, creatinine and ejection fraction (ACEF) risk score system, and its modified version (AGEF), and the Canada Acute Coronary Syndrome (C-ACS) risk assessment system. RESULTS Admission AGEF risk score was a better prognosis index of potential for in-hospital mortality for patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) than GRACE risk score (AUC: 0.845 vs 0.819, P=0.012), ACEF (AUC: 0.845 vs 0.827, P=0.014), C-ACS (AUC: 0.845 vs 0.767, P<0.001). In patients with non-ST segment-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS), there was no statistically significant difference between the GRACE risk scale and AGEF (AUC: 0.853 vs 0.832, P=0.140) for in-hospital death. CONCLUSIONS AGEF risk score showed a non-inferior utility compared with the other 3 scoring systems in estimating in-hospital mortality in ACS patients.

Incidence, Risk Factors and Subsequent Prognostic Impact of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Infective Endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Few studies with a large sample size have been performed to evaluate the incidence, risk factors and prognostic value of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with infective endocarditis (IE).Methods and Results:A total of 1,063 IE patients were included and 83 developed new AF. Compared with no-AF, the incidence of in-hospital death (6.0% vs. 22.9%, P<0.001) was higher in patients with new-onset AF. New-onset AF was independently associated with increased risk of in-hospital (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=3.92, P=0.001) and 1-year death (adjusted hazard ratio=2.91, P=0.001), while prior AF was not an independent factor. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis demonstrated new-onset AF mainly affected short-term death (180 days). Age (OR=1.04, P<0.001), rheumatic heart disease (OR=1.88, P=0.022), NYHA Class III or IV (OR=2.09, P=0.003), and left atrial diameter (LAD; OR=1.05, P=0.006) were independent risk factors for development of new AF. CONCLUSIONS: New-onset AF, not prior AF, was a prognostic factor in IE patients, which was mainly associated with increased risk of short-term death. Patients with concomitant rheumatic heart disease, poor cardiac function, and larger LAD had higher risk of developing new AF.

Association of in-hospital intensive statins dosage and death in arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease with percutaneous coronary intervention: insights of multicentre cohort from China.

PURPOSE: In-hospital statin dosage-related effect remains unknown for patients with arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). This study aimed to determine the associations of different in-hospital intensive statins dosages with the prognosis for patients in the era of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: From January 2010 to December 2014, consecutive ASCVD patients receiving PCI were enrolled from five centres in China. All the enrolled patients were classified into high-dose (40 mg atorvastatin or 20 mg rosuvastatin) or low-dose (20 mg atorvastatin or 10 mg rosuvastatin) intensive statin group. In-hospital all-cause death was the primary outcome. RESULTS: Of the 7008 patients included in this study, 5248 received low-dose intensive statins (mean age, 64.28 ± 10.39; female, 25.2%), whereas 1760 received high-dose intensive statins (mean age, 63.68 ± 10.59; female, 23.1%). There was no significant difference in the in-hospital all-cause death between the two groups (adjusted OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.43-3.72; P = 0.665). All-cause death was similar between the two groups during the 30-day follow-up period (adjusted HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.55-2.97; P = 0.571). However, the high-dose intensive statins were tightly associated with the reduction in in-hospital dialysis (adjusted OR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.01-0.81; P = 0.030). Besides, primary analyses were confirmed by subgroup analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The in-hospital high-dose intensive statins are not associated with the lower risk of in-hospital or 30-day all-cause death among ASCVD patients undergoing PCI. Given the robust beneficial effect of high-dose intensive statins with in-hospital dialysis, an individualized high-dose intensive statin therapy can be rational in specified populations.

Prognostic of different glomerular filtration rate formulas in patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention: insights from a multicenter observational cohort.

BACKGROUND: The relationships of renal dysfunction (RD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) with prognosis have been well established among non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) patients who receive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but the efficacy of different estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) formulas for predicting the prognosis is unknown. METHODS: The cohort originated from a retrospective data, which consecutively enrolled 8197 patients. The eGFR was calculated by the Cockcroft-Gault, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), CKD Epidemiology Collaboration-creatinine, CKD Epidemiology Collaboration-Cys-C, CKD Epidemiology Collaboration-Cys-C-creatinine and a modified abbreviated MDRD (c-aGFR) equations in Chinese CKD patients. Patients were excluded if the eGFR could not be obtained by one of the formulas. Patients were categorized as having normal renal function, mild RD, moderate RD, severe RD, or kidney failure to compare prognosis. The primary outcome was the in-hospital net adverse clinical events (NACE). The secondary outcomes were NACE and all-cause death during follow-up. RESULTS: In total, 2159 NSTE-ACS patients (age: 64.23 ± 10.25 years; males: 73.7%) were enrolled. 39 (1.8%) patients with in-hospital NACE were observed. During the 3.23 ± 1.55-year follow-up, 1.7% death and 4.2% NACE were observed in 1 year. The percentage of severe RD patients ranged from 15.4 to 39.2% according to different calculation formulas. A high prevalence of in-hospital NACE was observed in the severe RD groups (ranging from 8 to 14.3% for different formulas). Multiple regression analysis showed that a high eGFR is a protect factor against NACE and all-cause death regardless of the formula use. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed similar predictive performance of the c-aGFR when compared to other formulas (in-hospital NACE: AUC = 0.612, follow-up NACE: AUC = 0.622, and follow-up death: AUC = 0.711). CONCLUSIONS: Severe RD results in a high prevalence of in-hospital NACE in NSTE-ACS patients after PCI regardless of the formulas use. Different formulas have a similar ability to predict in-hospital and long-term prognosis in NSTE-ACS patients. The c-aGFR formula is the simplest and a more convenient formula for use in practice.

The prognostic nutritional index might predict clinical outcomes in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) had been associated with adverse outcomes in numerous clinical conditions. However, its influence on idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) was not determined. This aim of this study was to determine the predictive ability of PNI in patients with idiopathic DCM. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 1021 consecutive patients with idiopathic DCM were retrospectively included and divided into three groups based on admission PNI tertiles: <41.7 (n = 339), 41.7-47.3 (n = 342), >47.3 (n = 340). The association of PNI with in-hospital major adverse clinical events (MACEs) and death during follow-up was evaluated. In-hospital mortality (2.9% vs. 1.5% vs. 0.0%, respectively; p = 0.006) and MACEs (13.6% vs. 6.7% vs. 3.5%, respectively; p < 0.001) decreased from the lowest to the highest PNI tertile. The optimal cut-off value of PNI to predict in-hospital MACEs was 44.0 (area under the curve: 0.689; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.626-0.753; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that a PNI≤44.0 was an independent risk factor of in-hospital MACEs (odd ratio: 2.86; 95% CI: 1.64-4.98; p < 0.001) and all-cause mortality at a median follow-up of 27 months (hazard ratio: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.11-2.49; p = 0.013). In addition, patients with a PNI≤44.0 had a lower cumulative survival rate during follow-up (log-rank: 35.62; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The PNI was an independent risk factor for in-hospital MACEs and all-cause mortality at a median follow-up of 27 months in patients with idiopathic DCM; hence, it may be considered a tool for risk assessment.

Effect of conjugated bilirubin on clinical outcomes in infective endocarditis.

Liver dysfunction is associated with adverse events in infective endocarditis (IE). However, few studies have explored the predictive value of conjugated bilirubin (CB) in IE. We aimed to investigate the nature of the link between CB and adverse prognosis in patients with IE. Consecutive patients with IE between January 2009 and July 2015 were enrolled. Multivariate analysis was performed to confirm whether CB was an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes. In all, 1010 patients were included and divided into two groups according to admission CB level (µmol/L): normal (≤ 7.0, n = 820) and elevated (> 7.0, n = 190) CB groups. In-hospital mortality (5.0% vs. 22.1%, p < 0.001) and major adverse cardiac events (16.8% vs. 36.3%, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in patients with increased CB. A possible J-shaped relationship was found between CB and in-hospital events. Further, CB had more predictive power than total bilirubin in predicting in-hospital death (AUC 0.715 vs. 0.674, p = 0.010). Elevated CB was an independent predictor of in-hospital death (adjusted OR = 2.62, 95%CI 1.40-4.91, p = 0.003). Moreover, CB (increment 1 µmol/L) was independently associated with higher long-term mortality. Kaplan-Meier curves indicated that patients with elevated CB were associated with higher cumulative rate of long-term death (log-rank = 21.47, p < 0.001). CB, a biomarker of liver function, was a relatively powerful predictor of in-hospital and long-term adverse prognosis of IE and could likely comprise a novel risk evaluation strategy.

The prognostic value of postoperative blood glucose in non-diabetic patients with rheumatic heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Blood glucose (BG) is a risk factor of adverse prognosis in non-diabetic patients in several conditions. However, a limited number of studies were performed to explore the relationship between postoperative BG and adverse outcomes in non-diabetic patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD). METHODS: We identified 1395 non-diabetic patients who diagnosed with having RHD, and underwent at least one valve replacement and preoperative coronary angiography. BG was measured at admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) after surgery. The association of postoperative BG level with in-hospital and one-year mortality was accordingly analyzed. RESULTS: Included patients were stratified into four groups according to postoperative BG level's (mmol/L) quartiles: Q1 (< 9.3 mmol/L, n = 348), Q2 (9.3-10.9 mmol/L, n = 354), Q3 (10.9-13.2 mmol/L, n = 341), and Q4 (≥ 13.2 mmol/L, n = 352). The in-hospital death (1.1% vs. 2.3% vs. 1.8% vs. 8.2%, P < 0.001) and MACEs (2.0% vs. 3.1% vs. 2.6% vs. 9.7%, P < 0.001) were significantly higher in the upper quartiles. Postoperative BG > 13.0 mmol/L was the best threshold for predicting in-hospital death (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.707, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.634-0.780, P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that postoperative BG > 13.0 mmol/L was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 3.418, 95% CI: 1.713-6.821, P < 0.001). In addition, Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that the risk of one-year death was increased for a postoperative BG > 13.2 (log-rank = 32.762, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Postoperative BG, as a routine test, could be served as a risk measure for non-diabetic patients with RHD.

Risk prediction in infective endocarditis by modified MELD-XI score.

The suitability of the model for end-stage liver disease excluding international normalized ratio (MELD-XI) score to predict adverse outcomes in infective endocarditis (IE) patients remains uncertain. This study was performed to explore the prognostic value of the MELD-XI score and modified MELD-XI score for patients with IE. A total of 858 patients with IE were consecutively enrolled and classified into two groups: MELD-XI ≤ 10 (n = 588) and MELD-XI > 10 (n = 270). Multivariate analysis was performed to determine risk factors independent of MELD-XI score. Higher MELD-XI score was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (15.6 vs. 4.8%, p < 0.001) and major adverse clinical events (33.3 vs. 18.4%, p < 0.001). MELD-XI score was an independent predictor of in-hospital death (odds ratio [OR] = 1.06, 95% CI, 1.02-1.10, p = 0.005). Based on a multivariate analysis, NYHA class III or IV (3 points), C-reactive protein > 9.5 mg/L (4 points), and non-surgical treatment (6 points) were added to MELD-XI score. Modified MELD-XI score produced higher predictive power than previous (AUC 0.823 vs. 0.701, p < 0.001). The cumulative incidence of long-term mortality (median 29 months) was significantly higher in patients with modified MELD-XI score > 13 than those without (log-rank = 25.30, p < 0.001). Modified MELD-XI score was independently associated with long-term mortality (hazard ratio = 1.08, 95% CI, 1.04-1.12, p < 0.001). MELD-XI score could be used as a risk assessment tool in IE. Furthermore, modified MELD-XI score remained simple and more effective in predicting poor prognosis.

Novel Risk Biomarker for Infective Endocarditis Patients With Normal Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction　- Monocyte to High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio.

BACKGROUND: The monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) appears to be a newly emerging inflammatory marker. However, its prognostic value in patients with infective endocarditis (IE) and normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) has been unclear.Methods and Results:We enrolled consecutive patients with IE and normal LVEF and divided into 3 groups based on the tertiles of MHR. Of 698 included patients, 44 (6.3%) died while in hospital. The occurrence of in-hospital death (3.9%, 4.3%, and 10.8%, P=0.003) and of major adverse clinical events (MACEs) (15.6%, 20.9%, and 30.6%, P<0.001) increased from the lowest to the highest MHR tertiles, respectively. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that MHR had good predictive value for in-hospital death (area under the curve [AUC] 0.670, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58-0.76, P<0.001) and was similar to C-reactive protein (AUC 0.670 vs. 0.702, P=0.444). Furthermore, MHR >21.3 had a sensitivity of 74.4% and specificity of 57.6% for predicting in-hospital death. Multiple analysis showed that MHR >21.3 was an independent predictor of both in-hospital (odds ratio 3.98, 95% CI 1.91-8.30, P<0.001) and long-term death (hazard ratio 2.29, 95% CI 1.44-3.64, P<0.001) after adjusting for age, female, diabetes mellitus, estimated glomerular filtration rate <90 mL/min/1.73 m2, and surgical treatment. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients with MHR >21.3 had an increased rate of long-term death compared to those without (P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated MHR was independently associated with in-hospital and long-term death in patients with IE and normal LVEF.

The impact of admission neutrophil-to-platelet ratio on in-hospital and long-term mortality in patients with infective endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with increased neutrophil and reduced platelet counts. We assessed the relationship between the neutrophil-to-platelet ratio (NPR) on admission and adverse outcomes in patients with IE. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with IE between January 2009 and July 2015 (n=1293) were enrolled, and 1046 were finally entered into the study. Study subjects were categorized into four groups according to NPR quartiles: Q1<18.9 (n=260); Q2: 18.9-27.7 (n=258); Q3: 27.7-43.3 (n=266); and Q4>43.3 (n=262). Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to identify risk factors for long-term mortality; the optimal cut-off was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: Risk of in-hospital death increased progressively with NPR group number (1.9 vs. 5.0 vs. 9.8 vs. 14.1%, p<0.001). The follow-up period was a median of 28.8 months, during which 144 subjects (14.3%) died. Long-term mortality increased from the lowest to the highest NPR quartiles (7.6, 11.8, 17.4, and 26.2%, respectively, p<0.001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that lgNPR (HR=2.22) was an independent predictor of long-term mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that subjects in Q4 had an increased long-term mortality compared with the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Increased NPR was associated with in-hospital and long-term mortality in patients with IE. As a simple and inexpensive index, NPR may be a useful and rapid screening tool to identify IE patients at high risk of mortality.

Additive prognostic value of left ventricular ejection fraction to the TIMI risk score for in-hospital and long-term mortality in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction.

To investigate whether the addition of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) to the TIMI risk score enhances the prediction of in-hospital and long-term death in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. 673 patients with STEMI were divided into three groups based on TIMI risk score for STEMI: low-risk group (TIMI ≤3, n = 213), moderate-risk group (TIMI 4-6, n = 285), and high-risk group (TIMI ≥7, n = 175). The predictive value was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine risk predictors. The rates of in-hospital death (0.5 vs 3.2 vs 10.3 %, p < 0.001) and major adverse cardiovascular events (14.6 vs 22.5 vs 40.6 %, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in high-risk group. Multivariate analysis showed that TIMI risk score (OR 1.24, 95 % CI 1.04-1.48, P = 0.015) and LVEF (OR 3.85, 95 % CI 1.58-10.43, P = 0.004) were independent predictors of in-hospital death. LVEF had good predictive value for in-hospital death (AUC: 0.838 vs 0.803, p = 0.571) or 1-year death (AUC: 0.743 vs 0.728, p = 0.775), which was similar to TIMI risk score. When compared with the TIMI risk score alone, the addition of LVEF was associated with significant improvements in predicting in-hospital (AUC: 0.854 vs 0.803, p = 0.033) or 1-year death (AUC: 0.763 vs 0.728, p = 0.016). The addition of LVEF to TIMI risk score enhanced net reclassification improvement (0.864 for in-hospital death, p < 0.001; 0.510 for 1-year death, p < 0.001). LVEF was associated with in-hospital and long-term mortality in STEMI patients and had additive prognostic value to TIMI risk score.

Brain natriuretic peptide for prevention of contrast-inducednephropathy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a serious complication and associated with poor clinical outcomes. The protective value of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) administration on CIN is still controversial in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary angiography (CAG). We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for BNP in preventing CIN. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov for RCTs comparing administration of BNP versus non-BNP for preventing CIN. Publication bias was assessed by funnel plots. Relative risk (RR) was calculated for incidence of CIN and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) using the random or fixed effect model according to heterogeneity analysis. RESULTS: There were five RCTs with 1441 patients in this analysis. BNP treatment was associated with lower incidence of CIN (RR = 0.38, 95 % CI 0.27-0.54, p < 0.001) and MACEs (RR = 0.47, 95 % CI 0.24-0.95, p = 0.034) with no significant heterogeneity (I 2 = 0 %, p = 0.701; I 2 = 60 %, p = 0.113, respectively). Similar results were seen in subgroup analysis. Prophylactic BNP significantly decreased the incidence of CIN after cardiac catheterization in the studies of regarding sodium chloride as placebo (I 2 = 0 %, RR = 0.39, 95 % CI 0.27-0.56, p < 0.001) or JADAD score > 3 (I 2 = 0 %, RR = 0.38, 95 % CI 0.21-0.68, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Preprocedural BNP treatment significantly decreased the incidence of CIN and short-term MACEs in patients undergoing PCI or CAG.