Interobserver reliability of echocardiography for prognostication of normotensive patients with pulmonary embolism.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the interobserver reliability of echocardiographic findings of right ventricle (RV) dysfunction for prognosticating normotensive patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). METHODS: A central panel of cardiologists evaluated echocardiographic studies of 75 patients included in the PROTECT study for the following signs: RV diameter, RV/left ventricular (LV) diameter ratio, hypokinesis of the RV free wall, and tricuspid plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). Investigators used intraclass correlation to assess agreement between the measurements of the central panel and each of the local cardiologists. Investigators used the single weighted kappa statistic to test for agreement between readers of interpretation of RV enlargement and RV hypokinesis. RESULTS: The two observers had fair agreement (k = 0.45) for RV enlargement assessed by the RV diameter, and good agreement (k = 0.65) for RV enlargement assessed by the RV/LV diameter ratio. The interobserver reliability of the assessment whether hypokinesis of the RV free wall is present was good (к = 0.70), and whether RV dysfunction (assessed by TAPSE measurement) is present was very good (k = 0.86). The intraclass correlation for the RV/LV diameter ratio was fair (0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37-0.69), for the RV diameter was good (0.70; 95% CI, 0.56-0.80), and for the TAPSE measurement was very good (0.85; 95% CI, 0.77-0.90). On Bland-Altman analysis, the mean differences for RV diameter, RV/LV diameter ratio and TAPSE measurement were 2.33 (±5.38), 0.06 (±0.23) and 0.08 (±2.20), respectively. CONCLUSION: TAPSE measurement is the least user dependent and most reproducible echocardiographic finding of RV dysfunction in normotensive patients with PE.

Combinations of prognostic tools for identification of high-risk normotensive patients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism.

BACKGROUND: In haemodynamically stable patients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE), studies have not evaluated the usefulness of combining the measurement of cardiac troponin, transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), and lower extremity complete compression ultrasound (CCUS) testing for predicting the risk of PE-related death. METHODS: The study assessed the ability of three diagnostic tests (cardiac troponin I (cTnI), echocardiogram, and CCUS) to prognosticate the primary outcome of PE-related mortality during 30 days of follow-up after a diagnosis of PE by objective testing. RESULTS: Of 591 normotensive patients diagnosed with PE, the primary outcome occurred in 37 patients (6.3%; 95% CI 4.3% to 8.2%). Patients with right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) by TTE and concomitant deep vein thrombosis (DVT) by CCUS had a PE-related mortality of 19.6%, compared with 17.1% of patients with elevated cTnI and concomitant DVT and 15.2% of patients with elevated cTnI and RVD. The use of any two-test strategy had a higher specificity and positive predictive value compared with the use of any test by itself. A combined three-test strategy did not further improve prognostication. For a subgroup analysis of high-risk patients, according to the pulmonary embolism severity index (classes IV and V), positive predictive values of the two-test strategies for PE-related mortality were 25.0%, 24.4% and 20.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In haemodynamically stable patients with acute symptomatic PE, a combination of echocardiography (or troponin testing) and CCUS improved prognostication compared with the use of any test by itself for the identification of those at high risk of PE-related death.

Comparison of pharmacological treatment alone vs. treatment combined with implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy in patients older than 75 years.

AIMS: Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) reduces mortality in selected patients. However, its role in patients older than 75 years is not well established. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a retrospective, non-randomized study using a historical cohort from a single centre. Between January 2008 and July 2014, we assessed patients aged ≥75 years with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 35%, identifying 385 patients with a Class I or IIa recommendation for ICD implantation. At the decision of the patient or attending cardiologists, 92 patients received an ICD. To avoid potential confounding factors, we used propensity-score matching. Finally, 126 patients were included (63 with ICD). The mean age was 79.1 ± 3.1 years (86.5% male). As compared with the medical therapy group, the ICD patients had a lower percentage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (19.0% vs. 38.1%, P < 0.05) and more frequent use of beta-blockers (BBs) (85.7 vs. 70.0%, P < 0.05). Other treatments were otherwise similar in both groups. There were no differences related to age, aetiology, or other co-morbidities. During follow-up (39.2 ± 22.4 months), total mortality was 46.0% and cardiovascular events (death or hospitalization) occurred in 66.7% of the patients. A multivariate analysis revealed that only BB therapy was shown to be an independent protective variable with respect to mortality [hazard ratio 0.4 (0.2-0.7)]. ICD therapy did not reduce overall mortality or the rate of cardiovascular events. CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, the use of ICD, as compared with medical therapy, in patients older than 75 years did not demonstrate any benefit. Well-designed randomized controlled studies in patients older than 75 years are needed to ascertain the value of ICD therapy.

Comparison of pharmacological treatment alone versus treatment combined with cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients over 75 years.

BACKGROUND: The role of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients aged ≥75 years is not well established. METHODS: We identified 607 patients aged ≥75 years with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of ≤35 %, of whom 78 met the guidelines for indication of CRT. Based on the decision of the patients or attending cardiologists, 34 patients received a CRT defibrillator (CRT-D). RESULTS: The age of patients with a CRT indication was 80 ± 4 years, and 73 % were males. As compared with patients on medical therapy, CRT-D patients were younger (79 ± 3 vs. 83 ± 4, P < 0.001), had lower LVEF (23 ± 7 vs. 27 ± 7 %, P = 0.008) and higher rate of decompensated heart failure episodes (77 vs. 55 %, P = 0.04), were more frequently New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III-IV (53 vs. 25 %, P = 0.01), and were more likely to be on beta-blockers (88 vs. 66 %, P = 0.023), anticoagulants (61 vs. 32 % P = 0.02), and anti-aldosterone drugs (82 vs. 50 %, P = 0.003). After a median follow-up of 26 months, seven patients in the CRT-D group (21 %) and 20 non-CRT patients (46 %) died (hazard ratio (HR) 0.16 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.06-0.46]). The end point of mortality or hospitalization was not reduced because of a similar rate of hospitalizations for heart failure of CRT-D patients. Four CRT-D patients (12 %) had received appropriate device therapy, and one had been inappropriately discharged. During follow-up, 44 % of CRT-D patients improved their LVEF by >40 %. CONCLUSION: CRT-D is potentially of benefit in terms of mortality in our population; this effect persists after correction for use of beta-blockers. In patients ≥75 years, CRT indications should be similar to those accepted for younger subjects.

A strategy combining imaging and laboratory biomarkers in comparison with a simplified clinical score for risk stratification of patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the performance of two prognostic models-the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) model and the simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI)-in predicting short-term mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). METHODS: We compared the test characteristics of the ESC model and the sPESI for predicting 30-day outcomes in a cohort of 526 patients with objectively confirmed PE. The primary end point of the study was all-cause mortality. The secondary end point included all-cause mortality, nonfatal symptomatic recurrent VTE, or nonfatal major bleeding. RESULTS: Overall, 40 of 526 patients died (7.6%; 95% CI, 5.3%-9.9%) during the first month of follow-up. The sPESI classified fewer patients as low risk (31% [165 of 526], 95% CI, 27%-35%) compared with the ESC model (39% [207 of 526], 95% CI, 35% to 44%; P < .01). Importantly however, low-risk patients based on the sPESI had no 30-day mortality compared with 3.4% (95% CI, 0.9-5.8) in low-risk patients by the ESC model. The secondary end point occurred in 1.8% of patients in the sPESI low-risk and 5.8% in the ESC low-risk group (difference, 4.0 percentage points; 95% CI, 0.2-7.8). The prognostic ability of the ESC model remained significant in the subgroup of patients at high-risk according to the sPESI model (OR 1.95, 95% CI, 1.41 to 2.71, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Both the sPESI and the ESC model successfully predict 30-day mortality after acute symptomatic PE, but exclusion of an adverse early outcome does not appear to require routine imaging procedures or laboratory biomarker testing.

[Incidence of symptomatic and asymptomatic chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension]. / Incidencia de hipertensión pulmonar tromboembólica crónica sintomática y asintomática.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the incidence of long-term symptomatic and asymptomatic chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) in a cohort of patients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE), and the potential risk factors for its diagnosis. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, long-term, follow-up study in 110 consecutive patients with an acute episode of pulmonary embolism (PE). All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) two years after the diagnosis of PE was made. If systolic pulmonary artery pressure exceeded 40 mm Hg and there was evidence of residual PE either by ventilation-perfusion or CT scan, patients underwent right heart catheterisation to confirm the diagnosis. In asymptomatic patients, right heart catheterisation was performed if a repeated TTE still demonstrated persistent pulmonary hypertension six months after the first. RESULTS: CTEPH was diagnosed in 10 (6 patients during follow-up, and 4 at the end of the study) of the 110 patients (9.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.7 to 14.5%). All patients showed symptoms related to the disease according to a structured questionnaire. In the multivariate regression analysis, only concomitant age (relative risk [RR] 1.2 per age; 95% CI, 1.0 to 1.3; P=0.03) and previous PE (RR 5.7; IC 95%, 1.5 a 22.0; P=0.01) were independent predictors of CTEPH. CONCLUSIONS: CTEPH cumulative incidence appears to be higher than previously reported. All patients had symptoms related to the disease.