Approach to Interpreting Common Laboratory Pathology Tests in Transgender Individuals.

CONTEXT: As the number of transgender (trans) people (including those who are binary and/or nonbinary identified) seeking gender-affirming hormone therapy rises, endocrinologists are increasingly asked to assist with interpretation of laboratory tests. Many common laboratory tests such as hemoglobin, iron studies, cardiac troponin, and creatinine are affected by sex steroids or body size. We seek to provide a summary of the impact of feminizing and masculinizing hormone therapy on common laboratory tests and an approach to interpretation. CASES: Case scenarios discussed include 1) hemoglobin and hematocrit in a nonbinary person undergoing masculinizing hormone therapy; 2) estimation of glomerular filtration rate in a trans woman at risk of contrast-induced nephropathy; 3) prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in a trans woman; and 4) chest pain in a trans man with a cardiac troponin concentration between the reported male and female reference ranges. CONCLUSIONS: The influence of exogenous gender-affirming hormone therapy on fat and muscle distribution and other physiological changes determines interpretation of laboratory tests that have sex-specific differences. In addition to affirmative practice to ensure a patient's name, gender, and pronoun are used appropriately, we propose that once individuals have commenced gender-affirming hormone therapy, the reference range of the affirmed gender be reported (and specified by treating clinicians) except for PSA or cardiac troponin, which are dependent on organ size. While suggestions may be challenging to implement, they also represent an opportunity to lead best practice to improve the quality of care and experiences of healthcare for all trans people.

Global vascular guidelines on the management of chronic limb-threatening ischemia.

Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) is associated with mortality, amputation, and impaired quality of life. These Global Vascular Guidelines (GVG) are focused on definition, evaluation, and management of CLTI with the goals of improving evidence-based care and highlighting critical research needs. The term CLTI is preferred over critical limb ischemia, as the latter implies threshold values of impaired perfusion rather than a continuum. CLTI is a clinical syndrome defined by the presence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in combination with rest pain, gangrene, or a lower limb ulceration >2 weeks duration. Venous, traumatic, embolic, and nonatherosclerotic etiologies are excluded. All patients with suspected CLTI should be referred urgently to a vascular specialist. Accurately staging the severity of limb threat is fundamental, and the Society for Vascular Surgery Threatened Limb Classification system, based on grading of Wounds, Ischemia, and foot Infection (WIfI) is endorsed. Objective hemodynamic testing, including toe pressures as the preferred measure, is required to assess CLTI. Evidence-based revascularization (EBR) hinges on three independent axes: Patient risk, Limb severity, and ANatomic complexity (PLAN). Average-risk and high-risk patients are defined by estimated procedural and 2-year all-cause mortality. The GVG proposes a new Global Anatomic Staging System (GLASS), which involves defining a preferred target artery path (TAP) and then estimating limb-based patency (LBP), resulting in three stages of complexity for intervention. The optimal revascularization strategy is also influenced by the availability of autogenous vein for open bypass surgery. Recommendations for EBR are based on best available data, pending level 1 evidence from ongoing trials. Vein bypass may be preferred for average-risk patients with advanced limb threat and high complexity disease, while those with less complex anatomy, intermediate severity limb threat, or high patient risk may be favored for endovascular intervention. All patients with CLTI should be afforded best medical therapy including the use of antithrombotic, lipid-lowering, antihypertensive, and glycemic control agents, as well as counseling on smoking cessation, diet, exercise, and preventive foot care. Following EBR, long-term limb surveillance is advised. The effectiveness of nonrevascularization therapies (eg, spinal stimulation, pneumatic compression, prostanoids, and hyperbaric oxygen) has not been established. Regenerative medicine approaches (eg, cell, gene therapies) for CLTI should be restricted to rigorously conducted randomizsed clinical trials. The GVG promotes standardization of study designs and end points for clinical trials in CLTI. The importance of multidisciplinary teams and centers of excellence for amputation prevention is stressed as a key health system initiative.

[Position paper on the theoretical basis, practical application and health economic evaluation of the functional assessment of coronary lesions endorsed by the Italian Society of Invasive Cardiology (SICI-GISE)]. / Documento di posizione della Società Italiana di Cardiologia Invasiva-Gruppo Italiano Studi Emodinamici (SICI-GISE) sulle basi teoriche, applicazioni pratiche e valutazione economico-sanitaria dell'utilizzo della guida di pressione intracoronarica.

Functional assessment of coronary lesions has become an integral part of routine practice in most cath labs. Such evaluation is performed using a pressure wire that allows measurement of fractional flow reserve (FFR). The latter has received a class I indication with level of evidence A according to the most recent European guidelines on myocardial revascularization for the assessment of angiographically moderate coronary lesions. The present document has the following objectives: 1) to summarize the theoretical basis of FFR; 2) to provide a guideline for vasodilator therapy; 3) to summarize scientific evidence supporting FFR; 4) to provide a model of health economy evaluation focusing on resource sparing associated with the use of FFR.

Requirement for cardiac telemetry during intravenous phenytoin infusion: guideline fact or guideline fiction?

Guidelines recommend the use of cardiac telemetry when phenytoin is administered intravenously. Clinical areas where telemetry is available may not always be the most suitable place to monitor and treat these sick patients. We sought to clarify the evidence regarding the need for cardiac telemetry during intravenous infusion of phenytoin.

Preoperative assessment of patients for lung cancer surgery.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this work was to present and analyze the latest published documents about the functional evaluation of patients undergoing lung resection and review articles from the past two years addressing the same topic. RECENT FINDINGS: In 2009 and 2010, two important task forces, appointed by international scientific societies, have published documents to guide the preoperative evaluation and risk stratification of lung resection candidates. In both documents, cardiac evaluation is prioritized. Detailed cardiologic guidelines have been proposed. After this first step, functional assessment should include a spirometric assessment, asystematic measurement of carbon monoxide diffusion capacity and a cardiopulmonary exercise test evaluation. Differences in the relative importance of these tests in the two guidelines were discussed. Most recent evidences focused on the role of cardiopulmonary exercise test and the use of several direct and indirect ergometric parameters that may refine risk assessment. SUMMARY: The use of evidence-based clinical guidelines on preoperative evaluation is recommendable. Nevertheless, scientific evidence is still suboptimal in this field. Aggregate analyses on larger series are needed to improve risk stratification.

ACCF/SCAI/STS/AATS/AHA/ASNC/HFSA/SCCT 2012 appropriate use criteria for coronary revascularization focused update: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation Appropriate Use Criteria Task Force, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, American Heart Association, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, and the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography.

The American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF), Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, along with key specialty and subspecialty societies, conducted an update of the appropriate use criteria (AUC) for coronary revascularization frequently considered. In the initial document, 180 clinical scenarios were developed to mimic patient presentations encountered in everyday practice and included information on symptom status, extent of medical therapy, risk level as assessed by noninvasive testing, and coronary anatomy. This update provides a reassessment of clinical scenarios the writing group felt to be affected by significant changes in the medical literature or gaps from prior criteria. The methodology used in this update is similar to the initial document, and the definition of appropriateness was unchanged. The technical panel scored the clinical scenarios on a scale of 1 to 9. Scores of 7 to 9 indicate that revascularization is considered appropriate and likely to improve patients' health outcomes or survival. Scores of 1 to 3 indicate revascularization is considered inappropriate and unlikely to improve health outcomes or survival. Scores in the mid-range (4 to 6) indicate a clinical scenario for which the likelihood that coronary revascularization will improve health outcomes or survival is uncertain. In general, as seen with the prior AUC, the use of coronary revascularization for patients with acute coronary syndromes and combinations of significant symptoms and/or ischemia is appropriate. In contrast, revascularization of asymptomatic patients or patients with low-risk findings on noninvasive testing and minimal medical therapy are viewed less favorably. The technical panel felt that based on recent studies, coronary artery bypass grafting remains an appropriate method of revascularization for patients with high burden of coronary artery disease (CAD). Additionally, percutaneous coronary intervention may have a role in revascularization of patients with high burden of CAD. The primary objective of the appropriate use criteria is to improve physician decision making and patient education regarding expected benefits from revascularization and to guide future research.

[Evaluation of the potential organ donor with special regards to heart donation]. / Der potentielle Organspender - Evaluierung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Herzentnahme.

Regarding limited availability of organ donors for heart transplantation, it is necessary to discuss optimal donor evaluation and donor management. In this manuscript general donor-related parameters as well as heart-specific parameters are discussed regarding international literature. In addition, "marginal" donors and in contrast "optimal" donors are defined. Donor management including optimal hemodynamic management and additional specific intensive care aspects are presented. Exact donor evaluation allows for matching the organ to the most suitable recipient and is therefore especially in the context of marginal donors a crucial step within transplantation process.

AANA Journal course: Update for nurse anesthetists--Part 4--preoperative cardiac evaluation.

This AANA Journal course discusses the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) guideline on perioperative cardiovascular evaluation for noncardiac surgery. The intent of the ACC/AHA guideline is to assist clinicians in clinical decision making by describing a range of generally acceptable approaches for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of cardiac diseases. Optimizing the anesthetic management of the cardiac patient undergoing noncardiac surgery is becoming increasingly important: as the percentage of Americans older than 65 years continues to grow, so does the prevalence of cardiac disease in this population. Simply accepting a preoperative cardiology clearance for the cardiac patient undergoing noncardiac surgery provides little information that can be used for risk assessment and management of anesthesia. While national practice patterns vary significantly, there is an important need to standardize cost-effective preoperative cardiac evaluation. By using evidence-based studies, the ACC/AHA guideline delineates methods to objectively categorize cardiovascular risk and use data from the cardiology consultation to refine anesthetic management. Use of the guideline can lead to more efficient evaluation of the noncardiac patient with cardiac disease, which can decrease morbidity, mortality, and cost.

Functional testing after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have examined the diagnostic abilities of various functional tests to assess graft stenosis or the progression of coronary artery disease after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. However, a meta-analysis of these studies has not been performed. OBJECTIVES: To pool the results of studies examining the diagnostic abilities of exercise treadmill testing (ETT), stress myocardial perfusion imaging and stress echocardiography to predict graft stenosis or progression of disease in the native circulation post-CABG. METHODS: A MEDLINE search was conducted to identify studies examining post-CABG functional testing for the diagnosis of graft stenosis or progression of native disease. Sensitivities and specificities of these studies were pooled, and predictive values and likelihood ratios were calculated. RESULTS: A pooled analysis demonstrates that for the identification of graft stenosis or progression of native disease, ETT alone has a sensitivity of 45% (95% CI 36% to 54%) and a specificity of 82% (95% CI 68% to 95%). The use of stress myocardial perfusion imaging increased the sensitivity to 68% (95% CI 51% to 86%) and specificity to 84% (95% CI 78% to 91%). The use of stress echocardiography also resulted in an increased sensitivity of 86% (95% CI 78% to 94%) and specificity of 90% (95% CI 84% to 95%). CONCLUSION: If post-CABG functional testing is performed, stress ventricular imaging is superior to ETT alone for the diagnosis of graft stenosis or progression of disease in the native vessels.

Determinantes Cardiovasculares de la Capacidad Aeróbica

Con el propósito de determinar los principales factores condicionantes de la capacidad aeróbica funcional, se estudiaron 326 pruebas de esfuerzo realizadas ocn fines diagnósticos en pacientes remitidos para estudio de problemas cardiovasculares. En todos se aplicó el protocolo de Bruce y se calcularon los parámetros de respuesta al ejercicio según los criterios de este autor. La muestra incluyó 95 mujeres y 231 hombres. En 252 pacientes (76 por ciento) se presentó una respuesta normal de la presión arterial con el ejercicio, 60 (18 por ciento) mostraron una respuesta moderadamente hipertensiva y 20 (6 por ciento) una respuesta definitivamente hipertensiva. El promedio de capacidad aeróbica en pacientes normotensos fue 96 por ciento, en los que presentaron moderada respuesta hipertensiva 92 por ciento y en quienes tuvieron una respuesta definitivamente hipertensiva 78.6 por ciento (p=0.0015). En 83 pacientes hubo evidencia electrocardiográfica de isquemia. El promedio de capacidad aeróbica en estos pacientes fue de 90.62 en comparación con 95.65 de los que no presntaron isquemia (p=0.026). En 35 pacientes fue referida la angina y el promedio de capacidad aeróbica en este grupo fue de 80.4 (p=0.000023). La presencia de arritmia en forma independiente no afectó significativamente la capacidad aeróbica, con promedios de 89.3 en arritmias supra y ventriculares y 94.1 en pacientes sin arritmias. Se concluye que la presencia de angina y una curva de presión arterial de ascenso rápido son los principales limitantes de la capacidad de ejercicio. Los signos de isquemia aunque más frecuentes que el síntoma angina, y la hipertensión arterial de ascenso moderado la limitan en menor grado. La obesidad y las arritmias ventriculares simples no limitan la capacidad de ejercicio aeróbico