Findings of remote monitoring of implantable cardioverter defibrillators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring of cardiac implantable electronic devices was highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic considering the high volume of in-person visits for regular follow-up. Recent recommendations highlight the important role of remote monitoring to prevent exposure to the virus. This study compared remote monitoring of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) in patients whose in-person annual visit was substituted for a remote monitoring session with patients who were already scheduled for a remote monitoring session. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional observational study of 329 consecutive patients between 20 March and 24 April 2020. Group 1 included 131 patients whose in-person annual visit was substituted for a remote monitoring session. Group 2 included 198 patients who underwent a remote monitoring session as scheduled in their usual device follow-up. The time interval since the last in-person visit was 13.3 ± 3.2 months in group 1 and 5.9 ± 1.7 months in group 2 (P < .01). RESULTS: In group 1, 15 patients (11.5%) experienced a clinical event compared to 15 patients (7.6%) in group 2 (P = .25). Nineteen patients (14.5%) required a physician intervention in group 1 compared to 19 patients (9.6%) in group 2 (P = .22). Two patients (1.5%) in group 1 and four patients (2.0%) in group 2 required an early in-person follow-up visit during the pandemic (P > .99). CONCLUSION: Remote monitoring of ICDs is useful to identify clinical events and allows physicians to treat patients appropriately during the COVID-19 pandemic regardless of the time interval since their last in-person visit. It reduces significantly in-person visit for regular follow-up.

Severity of Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Patients With Tachycardia-Induced Cardiomyopathy: Impacts on Remodeling After Atrial Flutter Ablation.

Tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy is defined as a reversible left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction (SeD) resulting from a sustained fast heart rate. LV remodeling in patients with severe LV dysfunction at diagnosis remains poorly understood. In this retrospective cohort study, we described LV remodeling in 50 patients who underwent atrial flutter ablation. These patients were divided into severe LV SeD (LV ejection fraction [EF] ≤30%) and LV nonsevere SeD (LVEF 31% to 50%) at baseline. All continuous variables are expressed as median and interquartile range. LVEF was 18% (13 to 25) and 38% (34 to 41) in the SeD (n = 29) and LV nonsevere SeD (n = 21) groups, respectively. At baseline, patients with SeD had higher LV end-diastolic diameter (56 [54 to 59] vs 49 mm [47 to 52], p <0.01), LV end-systolic diameter (48 [43 to 51] vs 36 mm [34 to 41], p <0.01), LV end-diastolic volume (71 [64 to 85] vs 56 ml/m2 [46 to 68], p <0.01), LV end-systolic volume (56 [53 to 70] vs 36 ml/m2 [27 to 42], p <0.01), and lower tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (12 [10 to 13] vs 16 mm [13 to 19], p <0.01). At last follow-up, LVEF was not statistically significantly different between groups. However, LV end-systolic diameter (36 [34 to 39] vs 32 mm [32 to 34], p = 0.01) and LV end-systolic volume (29 [26 to 35] vs 25 ml/m2 [20 to 29], p = 0.02) remained larger in the SeD group. Seven patients (14%), all from the SeD group, had a LVEF ≤35% 2 months after rhythm control, and reverse remodeling was observed up to 9 months. In conclusion, more than half of patients with tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy and atrial flutter had LVEF ≤30% at baseline. LVEF recovery and LV remodeling were observed beyond 2 months, highlighting the importance of rhythm control and early guideline-directed medical therapy in these patients.

Blood Disorders in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Review.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is well established for treating patients with severe aortic stenosis considered at intermediate to high surgical risk. Blood disorders such as anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acquired type 2A von Willebrand disease are relatively frequent in TAVR candidates, and multiple studies to date have highlighted their potential clinical association with mortality and/or bleeding complications post-TAVR. The present review provides an overview of various blood disorders observed pre- and post-TAVR, with special focus on their incidence, etiology, clinical association, and management.