European Society of Cardiology quality indicators for the cardiovascular pre-operative assessment and management of patients considered for non-cardiac surgery. Developed in collaboration with the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care.

AIMS: To establish a set of quality indicators (QIs) for the cardiovascular (CV) assessment and management of patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery (NCS). METHODS AND RESULTS: The Quality Indicator Committee of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) in collaboration with Task Force members of the 2022 ESC Guidelines on CV assessment and management of patients undergoing NCS followed the ESC methodology for QI development. This included (1) identification, by constructing a conceptual framework of care, of domains of the CV assessment, and management of patients with risk factors or established cardiovascular disease (CVD) who are considered for or undergoing NCS, (2) development of candidate QIs following a systematic literature review, (3) selection of the final set of QIs using a modified Delphi method, and (4) evaluation of the feasibility of the developed QIs. In total, eight main and nine secondary QIs were selected across six domains: (1) structural framework (written policy), (2) patient education and quality of life (CV risk discussion), (3) peri-operative risk assessment (indication for diagnostic tests), (4) peri-operative risk mitigation (use of hospital therapies), (5) follow-up (post-discharge assessment), and (6) outcomes (major CV events). CONCLUSION: We present the 2022 ESC/ESAIC QIs for the CV assessment and management of patients with risk factors or established CVD who are considered for or are undergoing NCS y. These indicators are supported by evidence from the literature, underpinned by expert consensus, and align with the 2022 ESC Guidelines on CV assessment and management of patients undergoing NCS.

Assessment of myocardial function using MRI-based feature tracking in adults after atrial repair of transposition of the great arteries: Reference values and clinical utility.

BACKGROUND: Echocardiographic parameters of ventricular deformation of the systemic right ventricle (sRV) predict adverse clinical outcome in patients after atrial repair of transposition of the great arteries (TGA). We assessed myocardial deformation on cardiac MRI (CMR) and correlated these with clinical and conventional CMR parameters in TGA patients. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of CMR studies in 91 TGA patients (66% male; mean age 30.1±5.1years) at two tertiary adult congenital heart centers was conducted. Myocardial deformation was assessed by CMR-based feature tracking (FT), providing longitudinal (LS), radial (RS), and circumferential (CS) global strain for the sRV and the subpulmonary left ventricle. A subgroup of optimal TGA was defined (NYHA class I, NT-proBNP <300pg/ml, max. exercise work load ≥100watt, no significant clinical events) as a reference cohort. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between FT and conventional CMR parameters. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) correlated significantly with LV LS, RS, and CS (r between 0.24 and 0.34, p values between 0.03 and 0.005). sRVEF correlated with RV CS (r=0.56, p<0.001), and RV RS (r=0.32, p=0.007). QRS duration showed a negative correlation with RV CS (r=-0.53, p<0.001), LV RS (r=-0.34, p=0.008), and LV CS (r=-0.34, p=0.006). Reference values for the novel FT method in clinically optimal TGA patients are provided. CONCLUSION: Assessment of myocardial function using CMR-based FT is feasible in TGA patients. FT measurements related to important prognostic clinical parameters. Furthermore, we provide for the first time reference values for TGA patients in an optimal clinical status.

Symmetrical dimethylarginine outperforms CKD-EPI and MDRD-derived eGFR for the assessment of renal function in patients with adult congenital heart disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Adults with congenital heart disease exhibit a 3-fold higher mortality in the presence of chronic kidney disease, hence assessment of renal function is crucial in this patient population. Formulas for the estimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) have not been evaluated in this patient population. Therefore, this study compares different markers and equations for the estimation of renal function in adults with congenital heart disease. METHODS: Renal function was assessed in 102 patients using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation, the simplified MDRD equation, the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation and the Cockcroft-Gault formula. Additionally, symmetrical dimethylarginine (SDMA) was measured. Those parameters were compared to cystatin C-derived GFR using the Larsson equation. RESULTS: GFR estimates using the original MDRD (r = 0.465, p < 0.001) and the CKD-EPI equation (r = 0.462, p < 0.001) showed a similar strong correlation with the cystatin C-based eGFR equation, while eGFR using the simplified MDRD equation showed a slightly weaker correlation (r = 0.439, p < 0.001). The Cockcroft-Gault formula showed no correlation at all to the cystatin C-based eGFR (r = 0.144, p = 0.17). The strongest correlation was observed for SDMA and cystatin C-based eGFR (r = -0.552, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: GFR in adults with congenital heart disease should be estimated using the original MDRD or the CKD-EPI formula. SDMA seems to be a promising marker of renal function for this patient group.