Trends and outcomes of red blood cell transfusion in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: To examine temporal trends, predictors, and outcomes of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in the United States. METHODS: We used the National Inpatient Sample databases to identify TAVR procedures performed between January 2012 and September 2015 in the United States. Patients were propensity matched (within the strata of overt and no bleeding) on the likelihood of receiving RBC transfusion, and in-hospital outcomes were compared between the 2 groups in the matched cohort. RESULTS: Among 46,710 TAVR procedures performed during the study period, rates of RBC transfusion were 17.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 16.1%-18.5%). RBC transfusion rates decreased significantly from 29.5% during the first quarter of 2012 to 10.8% during the third quarter of 2015 (P < .001). Older age, female sex, peripheral vascular disease, chronic kidney disease, anemia, coagulopathy, and fluid/electrolyte disorders were associated with increased odds, whereas elective admission, obesity, and endovascular access were associated with decreased odds of RBC transfusion. In the propensity-matched cohort (7995 pairs with and without RBC transfusion), RBC transfusion was associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality, infection, and transient ischemic attack/stroke in patients without bleeding (odds ratio [OR]Mortality, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.31-4.02; ORInfection, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.03-4.39; ORTransient ischemic attack/Stroke, 3.36; 95% CI, 1.52-7.45), but not in those with overt bleeding (ORMortality, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.68-1.48; ORInfection, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.45-1.45; ORTransient ischemic attack/Stroke, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.74-1.85); Pinteraction < .05 for all. CONCLUSIONS: RBC transfusion is associated with worse clinical outcomes in TAVR patients without bleeding, but not in those with overt bleeding. The utility and optimal threshold for RBC transfusion in TAVR patients, especially among those with overt bleeding, warrants further prospective investigation.

Association Between Red Blood Cell Transfusion and Clinical Outcomes Among Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the association between postprocedural packed red blood cell transfusion and morbidity and mortality among patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 429 patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Propensity-score adjusted multivariable logistic and Cox regression models were used to determine the association of packed red blood cell transfusion with the composite endpoint of death, myocardial infarction, and stroke at 30 days and in hospital, and 1-year mortality. RESULTS: Patients receiving transfusions had a higher 30-day and in-hospital incidence of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke when compared with patients who did not receive transfusions (hazard ratio 2.03, 95% confidence interval: 1.02 to 4.07, p = 0.045; and hazard ratio 2.46, 95% confidence interval: 1.12 to 5.41, p = 0.025, respectively). Postprocedural transfusion was independently associated with 1-year mortality (hazard ratio 2.65, 95% confidence interval: 1.21 to 5.80, p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Packed red blood cell transfusion for patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement is associated with an increased incidence of adverse outcomes during hospitalization and at 30-day and 1-year follow-up.

Predictors of patient radiation exposure during transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) exposes patients to radiation. OBJECTIVES: We sought to identify factors associated with higher radiation exposure and to quantify their relative influence, which may inform reduction of this hazard. METHODS: All TAVR procedures at Rhode Island Hospital between March 20, 2012 and February 12, 2017 were included. Procedures were performed by two co-primary operators using a Siemens Artis Zeego system. Radiation metrics were generated by the imaging system. The primary metric was dose-area product (DAP, Gy*cm2 ), and secondary metrics were reference point air kerma (mGy) and fluoroscopy time (minutes). Data collected for the STS/ACC TVT Registry were utilized to develop a multivariable linear regression model predicting DAP. RESULTS: In 294 TAVRs, median DAP was 169 Gy*cm2 [interquartile range (IQR) 106-238]. The r2 values for the full 27-variable DAP model and reduced eight-variable model were 0.457 and 0.420, respectively. Valve area, aortic insufficiency, and procedure year (suggesting absence of a learning curve) were non-significant predictors in the full model, while increasing weight, cutdown transfemoral access, higher pre-procedure creatinine and hemoglobin, and vascular complications predicted higher DAP in both models. Results were unchanged when DAP was log-transformed. Secondary models for air kerma and fluoroscopy time revealed similar predictors. CONCLUSION: Factors associated with increased procedural complexity and duration as well as radiation attenuation and scatter predict increased patient radiation exposure during TAVR. Modification of procedural technique, especially using percutaneous femoral vascular access, may facilitate reduction in exposure.

High-Output Cardiac Failure and Coronary Steal With an Arteriovenous Fistula.

Creation of an arteriovenous access for hemodialysis can provoke a sequence of events that significantly affects cardiovascular hemodynamics. We present a 78-year-old man with end-stage renal disease and concomitant coronary artery disease previously requiring coronary artery bypass grafting including a left internal mammary graft to the left anterior descending artery, ischemic cardiomyopathy with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, and severe aortic stenosis who developed hypotension unresponsive to medical therapy after recent angioplasty of his ipsilateral arteriovenous fistula for high-grade outflow stenosis. This case highlights the long-term effects of dialysis access on the cardiovascular system, with special emphasis on complications such as high-output cardiac failure and coronary artery steal syndrome. Banding of the arteriovenous fistula provided symptomatic relief with a decrease in cardiac output. Avoidance of arteriovenous access creation on the ipsilateral upper extremity in patients with a left internal mammary artery bypass graft may prevent coronary artery steal syndrome.

Vascular complications associated with transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is now an accepted pathway for aortic valve replacement for patients who are at prohibitive, severe and intermediate risk for traditional aortic valve surgery. However, with this rising uptrend and adaptation of this new technology, vascular complications and their management remain an Achilles heel for percutaneous aortic valve replacement. The vascular complications are an independent predictor of mortality for patients undergoing TAVR. Early recognition of these complications and appropriate management is paramount. In this article, we review the most commonly encountered vascular complications associated with currently approved TAVR devices and their optimal percutaneous management techniques.

Comparison of everolimus-eluting and paclitaxel-eluting coronary stents in patients undergoing multilesion and multivessel intervention: the SPIRIT III (A Clinical Evaluation of the Investigational Device XIENCE V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System [EECSS] in the Treatment of Subjects With De Novo Native Coronary Artery Lesions) and SPIRIT IV (Clinical Evaluation of the XIENCE V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System in the Treatment of Subjects With De Novo Native Coronary Artery Lesions) randomized trials.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated outcomes following XIENCE V everolimus-eluting stent (EES) compared with the Taxus Express(2) paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) in patients undergoing multilesion and multivessel intervention. BACKGROUND: The optimal revascularization strategy for patients with multivessel disease is unknown. METHODS: The SPIRIT III (A Clinical Evaluation of the Investigational Device XIENCE V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System [EECSS] in the Treatment of Subjects With De Novo Native Coronary Artery Lesions) (n = 1,002) and SPIRIT IV (Clinical Evaluation of the XIENCE V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System in the Treatment of Subjects With De Novo Native Coronary Artery Lesions) (n = 3,690) trials enrolled patients with de novo lesions ≤ 28 mm in length and reference vessel diameter of 2.5 to 3.75 mm. The SPIRIT III trial enrolled patients with a single lesion in 1 or 2 coronary arteries, and the SPIRIT IV trial enrolled patients with up to 2 lesions in 3 different vessels (maximum 2 lesions per vessel). In both trials, patients were randomized 2:1 to EES vs. PES. Clinical outcomes to 1 year were analyzed in patients with single (n = 3,823) versus multiple (n = 765) treated vessels, and in those with single (n = 3,536) versus multiple (n = 1,052) treated lesions. RESULTS: Among patients with multivessel disease, EES compared with PES resulted in reduced rates of target vessel myocardial infarction (2.2% vs. 6.1%, p = 0.007) and ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization (4.2% vs. 8.0%, p = 0.04). Among patients undergoing multilesion stenting, EES compared with PES resulted in reduced rates of target vessel myocardial infarction (2.1% vs. 5.4%, p = 0.008) and ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization (3.7% vs. 7.4%, p = 0.01). The absolute benefits of EES versus PES in patients undergoing multivessel or multilesion intervention were greater than in those undergoing single-lesion, single-vessel intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The EES compared with PES provided significant improvements in clinical safety and efficacy outcomes. The absolute benefit provided by EES versus PES appears to be proportional to the complexity of coronary disease.