Topical Versus Intravenous Tranexamic Acid in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: The DEPOSITION Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Although intravenous tranexamic acid is used in cardiac surgery to reduce bleeding and transfusion, topical tranexamic acid results in lower plasma concentrations compared to intravenous tranexamic acid, which may lower the risk of seizures. We aimed to determine whether topical tranexamic acid reduces the risk of in-hospital seizure without increasing the risk of transfusion among cardiac surgery patients. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, double dummy, blinded, randomized controlled trial of patients recruited by convenience sampling in academic hospitals undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Between September 17, 2019, and November 28, 2023, a total of 3242 patients from 16 hospitals in 6 countries were randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to receive either intravenous tranexamic acid (control) through surgery or topical tranexamic acid (treatment) at the end of surgery. The primary outcome was seizure, and the secondary outcome was red blood cell transfusion. After the last planned interim analysis-when 75% of anticipated participants had completed follow up-the Data and Safety Monitoring Board recommended to terminate the trial, and upon unblinding, the Operations Committee stopped the trial for safety. RESULTS: Among 3242 randomized patients (mean age, 66.0 years; 77.7% male), in-hospital seizure occurred in 4 of 1624 patients (0.2%) in the topical group and in 11 of 1628 patients (0.7%) in the intravenous group (absolute risk difference, -0.5%; 95% CI, -0.9 to 0.03; P = .07). Red blood cell transfusion occurred in 570 patients (35.1%) in the topical group and in 433 (26.8%) in the intravenous group (absolute risk difference, 8.3%; 95% CI, 5.2 to 11.5; P = .007). The absolute risk difference in transfusion of ≥4 units of red blood cells in the topical group compared to the intravenous group was 8.2% (95% CI, 3.4 to 12.9). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients having cardiac surgery, topical administration of tranexamic acid resulted in an 8.3% absolute increase in transfusion without reducing the incidence of seizure, compared to intravenous tranexamic acid.

Tranexamic Acid in Patients Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative bleeding is common in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. Tranexamic acid is an antifibrinolytic drug that may safely decrease such bleeding. METHODS: We conducted a trial involving patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to receive tranexamic acid (1-g intravenous bolus) or placebo at the start and end of surgery (reported here) and, with the use of a partial factorial design, a hypotension-avoidance or hypertension-avoidance strategy (not reported here). The primary efficacy outcome was life-threatening bleeding, major bleeding, or bleeding into a critical organ (composite bleeding outcome) at 30 days. The primary safety outcome was myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery, nonhemorrhagic stroke, peripheral arterial thrombosis, or symptomatic proximal venous thromboembolism (composite cardiovascular outcome) at 30 days. To establish the noninferiority of tranexamic acid to placebo for the composite cardiovascular outcome, the upper boundary of the one-sided 97.5% confidence interval for the hazard ratio had to be below 1.125, and the one-sided P value had to be less than 0.025. RESULTS: A total of 9535 patients underwent randomization. A composite bleeding outcome event occurred in 433 of 4757 patients (9.1%) in the tranexamic acid group and in 561 of 4778 patients (11.7%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67 to 0.87; absolute difference, -2.6 percentage points; 95% CI, -3.8 to -1.4; two-sided P<0.001 for superiority). A composite cardiovascular outcome event occurred in 649 of 4581 patients (14.2%) in the tranexamic acid group and in 639 of 4601 patients (13.9%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.92 to 1.14; upper boundary of the one-sided 97.5% CI, 1.14; absolute difference, 0.3 percentage points; 95% CI, -1.1 to 1.7; one-sided P = 0.04 for noninferiority). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, the incidence of the composite bleeding outcome was significantly lower with tranexamic acid than with placebo. Although the between-group difference in the composite cardiovascular outcome was small, the noninferiority of tranexamic acid was not established. (Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and others; POISE-3 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03505723.).

Hypotension-Avoidance Versus Hypertension-Avoidance Strategies in Noncardiac Surgery : An International Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Among patients having noncardiac surgery, perioperative hemodynamic abnormalities are associated with vascular complications. Uncertainty remains about what intraoperative blood pressure to target and how to manage long-term antihypertensive medications perioperatively. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of a hypotension-avoidance and a hypertension-avoidance strategy on major vascular complications after noncardiac surgery. DESIGN: Partial factorial randomized trial of 2 perioperative blood pressure management strategies (reported here) and tranexamic acid versus placebo. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03505723). SETTING: 110 hospitals in 22 countries. PATIENTS: 7490 patients having noncardiac surgery who were at risk for vascular complications and were receiving 1 or more long-term antihypertensive medications. INTERVENTION: In the hypotension-avoidance strategy group, the intraoperative mean arterial pressure target was 80 mm Hg or greater; before and for 2 days after surgery, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors were withheld and the other long-term antihypertensive medications were administered only for systolic blood pressures 130 mm Hg or greater, following an algorithm. In the hypertension-avoidance strategy group, the intraoperative mean arterial pressure target was 60 mm Hg or greater; all antihypertensive medications were continued before and after surgery. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was a composite of vascular death and nonfatal myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery, stroke, and cardiac arrest at 30 days. Outcome adjudicators were masked to treatment assignment. RESULTS: The primary outcome occurred in 520 of 3742 patients (13.9%) in the hypotension-avoidance group and in 524 of 3748 patients (14.0%) in the hypertension-avoidance group (hazard ratio, 0.99 [95% CI, 0.88 to 1.12]; P = 0.92). Results were consistent for patients who used 1 or more than 1 antihypertensive medication in the long term. LIMITATION: Adherence to the assigned strategies was suboptimal; however, results were consistent across different adherence levels. CONCLUSION: In patients having noncardiac surgery, our hypotension-avoidance and hypertension-avoidance strategies resulted in a similar incidence of major vascular complications. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Canadian Institutes of Health Research, National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia), and Research Grant Council of Hong Kong.

Survey of multinational surgical management practices in tetralogy of Fallot.

BACKGROUND: A wide variety of surgical strategies are used in tetralogy of Fallot repair. We sought to describe the international contemporary practice patterns for surgical management of tetralogy of Fallot. METHODS: Surgeons from 18 international paediatric cardiac surgery centres (representing over 1800 tetralogy of Fallot cases/year) completed a Research Electronic Data Capture-based survey. Participating countries include: China (4), India (2), Nepal (1), Korea (1), Indonesia (1), Saudi Arabia (3), Japan (1), Turkey (1), Australia (1), United States of America (2), and Canada (1). Summary measures were reported as means and counts (percentages). Responses were weighted based on case volume/centre. RESULTS: Primary repair is the prevalent strategy (83%) with variation in age at elective repair (range). Approximately 47% of sites use patient age as a factor in determining the strategy, with age 90% of all trans-annular repairs. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort representing 11 countries, there is variation in tetralogy of Fallot surgical management with no consensus on standard of practice. A large international prospective cohort study would allow analysis of impact of underlying anatomy and repair strategy on early and late outcomes.

Aliskiren alone or with other antihypertensives in the elderly with borderline and stage 1 hypertension: the APOLLO trial.

AIMS: We studied the unclear question whether blood pressure (BP) lowering reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD) in elderly individuals with systolic BP <160 mm Hg. METHODS AND RESULTS: We initiated a randomized placebo-controlled stratified 2 × 2 factorial clinical trial evaluating the effects of BP lowering in 11 000 elderly individuals with systolic blood pressure (SBP) between 130 and 159 mm Hg, for 5 years. Following 5-week active run-in, participants were randomized to aliskiren (300 mg) or placebo, and to an additional antihypertensive [hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg) or amlodipine (5 mg)], or their respective placeboes. Study was terminated by sponsor after 1759 subjects (age 72.1 ± 5.2 years, 88% receiving at least one antihypertensive) were randomized and followed for 0.6 year. Study drugs were well tolerated with few serious adverse events during run-in and after randomization, with no significant differences between treatment groups. By design, three levels of BP reductions were achieved, adjusted mean BP reductions of 3.5/1.7 mm Hg (P < 0.001) by aliskiren, 6.8/3.3 mm Hg (P < 0.001) by hydrochlorothiazide or amlodipine, and 10.3/5.0 mm Hg (P < 0.001) by double therapy compared with placebo. Twenty-five major CVD events occurred. Non-significant trends towards fewer CVD events with greater BP reductions are evident: hazard ratios (HR) 0.82 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.37-1.81] for 3.5 mm Hg SBP reduction; HR 0.45 (95% CI: 0.19-1.04) for 6.8 mm Hg; and HR 0.25 (0.05-1.18) for 10.3 mm Hg reduction for primary composite of CV death, MI, stroke, or significant heart failure. CONCLUSIONS: Sizeable reductions in BP, with potential for substantial CVD reduction, can be safely achieved using combinations of BP drugs in the elderly with normal high and Stage 1 hypertension. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01259297.

Conduit selection and early graft failure in coronary artery bypass surgery: A post hoc analysis of the Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies (COMPASS) coronary artery bypass grafting study.

OBJECTIVES: Relative rates of early graft failure and conduit selection in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery remain controversial. Therefore, we sought to determine the incidence and determinants of graft failure of the left internal mammary artery (LIMA), radial artery, saphenous vein, and right internal mammary artery (RIMA) 1 year after CABG surgery. METHODS: A post hoc analysis of the Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies (COMPASS) CABG study, involving patients from 83 centers in 22 countries. We completed an analysis of 3480 grafts from 1068 patients who underwent CABG surgery with complete computed tomography angiography data. The primary outcome was graft failure as diagnosed by computed tomography angiography 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: Graft failure occurred in 6.4% (68/1068) for LIMA, 9.9% (9/91) for radial artery, 10.4% (232/2239) for saphenous vein, and 26.8% (22/82) for RIMA grafts. The RIMA had a greater rate of graft failure (26.8%) than radial artery (9.9%) and veins (10.4%) (adjusted odds ratio, 2.69; 95% confidence interval, 1.30-5.57; P = .008 and adjusted odds ratio, 2.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.33-3.21; P = .001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In this international trial dataset, LIMA and radial artery performed as expected, whereas vein grafts performed better. However, high rates of RIMA failure are worrisome and highlight the need for a thorough evaluation of the patency and safety of the RIMA in CABG surgery.

Telmisartan, ramipril, or both in patients at high risk for vascular events.

BACKGROUND: In patients who have vascular disease or high-risk diabetes without heart failure, angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors reduce mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular causes, but the role of angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) in such patients is unknown. We compared the ACE inhibitor ramipril, the ARB telmisartan, and the combination of the two drugs in patients with vascular disease or high-risk diabetes. METHODS: After a 3-week, single-blind run-in period, patients underwent double-blind randomization, with 8576 assigned to receive 10 mg of ramipril per day, 8542 assigned to receive 80 mg of telmisartan per day, and 8502 assigned to receive both drugs (combination therapy). The primary composite outcome was death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. RESULTS: Mean blood pressure was lower in both the telmisartan group (a 0.9/0.6 mm Hg greater reduction) and the combination-therapy group (a 2.4/1.4 mm Hg greater reduction) than in the ramipril group. At a median follow-up of 56 months, the primary outcome had occurred in 1412 patients in the ramipril group (16.5%), as compared with 1423 patients in the telmisartan group (16.7%; relative risk, 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94 to 1.09). As compared with the ramipril group, the telmisartan group had lower rates of cough (1.1% vs. 4.2%, P<0.001) and angioedema (0.1% vs. 0.3%, P=0.01) and a higher rate of hypotensive symptoms (2.6% vs. 1.7%, P<0.001); the rate of syncope was the same in the two groups (0.2%). In the combination-therapy group, the primary outcome occurred in 1386 patients (16.3%; relative risk, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.92 to 1.07); as compared with the ramipril group, there was an increased risk of hypotensive symptoms (4.8% vs. 1.7%, P<0.001), syncope (0.3% vs. 0.2%, P=0.03), and renal dysfunction (13.5% vs. 10.2%, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Telmisartan was equivalent to ramipril in patients with vascular disease or high-risk diabetes and was associated with less angioedema. The combination of the two drugs was associated with more adverse events without an increase in benefit. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00153101 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).

Skeletonized vs Pedicled Internal Mammary Artery Graft Harvesting in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A Post Hoc Analysis From the COMPASS Trial.

Importance: The relative safety and patency of skeletonized vs pedicled internal mammary artery grafts in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery are unknown. Objective: To investigate the association of skeletonized vs pedicled harvesting with internal mammary artery graft patency and clinical outcomes 1 year after CABG surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants: This study was a post hoc analysis of the multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies (COMPASS) clinical trial, which enrolled 27 395 patients from 602 centers in 33 countries from March 2013 through May 2016. Eligibility criteria for the trial included CABG surgery for coronary artery disease with at least 2 grafts implanted and an estimated glomerular filtration rate of at least 30 mL/min. A total of 1002 of 1448 patients were randomized to the CABG arm of the COMPASS trial and underwent skeletonized (282 [28.1%]) or pedicled (720 [71.9%]) internal mammary artery harvesting. The patients had evaluable angiography results 1 year after surgery. Data were analyzed from October 11, 2019, to May 14, 2020. Interventions: Patients underwent graft harvesting with either the pedicled technique or skeletonized technique. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was graft occlusion 1 year after CABG surgery, as assessed by computed tomography angiography. Results: A total of 1002 patients underwent skeletonized (282 [28.1%]; mean [SD] age, 65.9 [8.1] years; 229 men [81.2%]; 194 White patients [68.8%]) or pedicled (720 [71.9%]; mean [SD] age, 64.8 [7.6] years; 603 men [83.8%]; 455 White patients [63.2%]) internal mammary artery harvesting. Rates of internal mammary artery graft occlusion 1 year after CABG surgery were higher in the skeletonized group than in the pedicled group (33 of 344 [9.6%] vs 30 of 764 [3.9%]; graft-level adjusted odds ratio, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.39-4.20; P = .002), including the left internal mammary artery to left anterior descending artery (21 of 289 [7.3%] vs 25 of 725 [3.4%]; graft-level adjusted odds ratio, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.14-3.88, P = .02). After a mean follow-up of 23 months, skeletonized graft harvesting was also associated with a higher rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (20 [7.1%] vs 15 [2.1%]; adjusted hazard ratio, 3.19; 95% CI, 1.53-6.67; P = .002) and repeated revascularization (14 [5.0%] vs 10 [1.4%]; adjusted hazard ratio, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.10-6.88; P = .03). Conclusions and Relevance: This post hoc analysis of the COMPASS randomized clinical trial found that harvesting of the internal mammary artery during CABG surgery using a skeletonized technique was associated with a higher rate of graft occlusion and worse clinical outcomes than the traditional pedicled technique. Future randomized clinical trials are needed to establish the safety and patency of the skeletonized technique. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01776424.

Perioperative covert stroke in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Objectives: Covert stroke is a complication of coronary artery bypass graft surgery that is increasingly recognized as a serious problem. In noncardiac surgery settings, covert stroke is associated with the development of delirium, long-term cognitive decline, and future clinical stroke. Therefore, we sought to determine the feasibility of conducting a large, prospective cohort study of the influence of covert stroke on neurocognitive outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Methods: NeuroVISION Cardiac pilot was a prospective cohort study enrolling patients aged ≥21 years undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery to receive diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the brain after surgery to identify patients with covert stroke. Patients were screened for postoperative delirium in-hospital and were administered questionnaires of cognitive and global function (once before and twice after surgery). Regional cerebral oxygen saturation was recorded during surgery using near-infrared spectroscopy. Results: Between March 27, 2017, and February 11, 2018, 50 of 66 patients enrolled (76%) completed the brain magnetic resonance imaging (1 patient per week). Among the 49 patients included in the analysis, 19 (39%; 95% confidence interval, 26%-53%) experienced perioperative covert stroke and 3 (6%) had a clinical stroke within 30 days of surgery. Postoperative delirium occurred in 5 (26%) patients with covert stroke and in 3 (10%) patients who did not experience covert stroke. Conclusions: The NeuroVISION Cardiac pilot study established the feasibility of conducting a large, prospective cohort study of the determinants and consequences of covert stroke in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Rivaroxaban, Aspirin, or Both to Prevent Early Coronary Bypass Graft Occlusion: The COMPASS-CABG Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with recent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery are at risk for early graft failure, which is associated with a risk of myocardial infarction and death. In the COMPASS (Cardiovascular OutcoMes for People Using Anticoagulation StrategieS) trial, rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily plus aspirin 100 mg once daily compared with aspirin 100 mg once daily reduced the primary major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) outcome of cardiovascular death, stroke, or myocardial infarction. Rivaroxaban 5 mg twice daily alone did not significantly reduce MACE. OBJECTIVES: This pre-planned substudy sought to determine whether the COMPASS treatments are more effective than aspirin alone for preventing graft failure and MACE after CABG surgery. METHODS: The substudy randomized 1,448 COMPASS trial patients 4 to 14 days after CABG surgery to receive the combination of rivaroxaban plus aspirin, rivaroxaban alone, or aspirin alone. The primary outcome was graft failure, diagnosed by computed tomography angiogram 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: The combination of rivaroxaban and aspirin and the regimen of rivaroxaban alone did not reduce the graft failure rates compared with aspirin alone (combination vs. aspirin: 113 [9.1%] vs. 91 [8.0%] failed grafts; odds ratio [OR]: 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.82 to 1.57; p = 0.45; rivaroxaban alone vs. aspirin: 92 [7.8%] vs. 92 [8.0%] failed grafts; OR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.67 to 1.33; p = 0.75). Compared with aspirin, the combination was associated with fewer MACE (12 [2.4%] vs. 16 [3.5%]; hazard ratio [HR]: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.33 to 1.47; p = 0.34), whereas rivaroxaban alone was not (16 [3.3%] vs. 16 [3.5%]; HR: 0.99, CI: 0.50 to 1.99; p = 0.98). There was no fatal bleeding or tamponade within 30 days of randomization. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily plus aspirin or rivaroxaban 5 mg twice daily alone compared with aspirin alone did not reduce graft failure in patients with recent CABG surgery, but the combination of rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily plus aspirin was associated with similar reductions in MACE, as observed in the larger COMPASS trial. (Cardiovascular OutcoMes for People Using Anticoagulation StrategieS [COMPASS]; NCT01776424).

Rationale and design for the detection and neurological impact of cerebrovascular events in non-cardiac surgery patients cohort evaluation (NeuroVISION) study: a prospective international cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Covert stroke after non-cardiac surgery may have substantial impact on duration and quality of life. In non-surgical patients, covert stroke is more common than overt stroke and is associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Little is known about covert stroke after non-cardiac surgery.NeuroVISION is a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study that will characterise the association between perioperative acute covert stroke and postoperative cognitive function. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We are recruiting study participants from 12 tertiary care hospitals in 10 countries on 5 continents. PARTICIPANTS: We are enrolling patients ≥65 years of age, requiring hospital admission after non-cardiac surgery, who have an anticipated length of hospital stay of at least 2 days after elective non-cardiac surgery that occurs under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients are recruited before elective non-cardiac surgery, and their cognitive function is measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) instrument. After surgery, a brain MRI study is performed between postoperative days 2 and 9 to determine the presence of acute brain infarction. One year after surgery, the MoCA is used to assess postoperative cognitive function. Physicians and patients are blinded to the MRI study results until after the last patient follow-up visit to reduce outcome ascertainment bias.We will undertake a multivariable logistic regression analysis in which the dependent variable is the change in cognitive function 1 year after surgery, and the independent variables are acute perioperative covert stroke as well as other clinical variables that are associated with cognitive dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: The NeuroVISION study will characterise the epidemiology of covert stroke and its clinical consequences. This will be the largest and the most comprehensive study of perioperative stroke after non-cardiac surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01980511; Pre-results.