Sensitization during short-term mechanical circulatory support. Determinants, therapeutic management, and outcomes after heart transplant.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The development of human-leukocyte antigen antibodies is a well-known adverse effect of the use of long-term ventricular assist devices (VADs). The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of sensitization during short-term mechanical circulatory support with VAD (CentriMag), its determinants, and its impact on posttransplant outcomes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients who were bridged to transplant with short-term VAD from 2009 to 2019. Sensitization was defined as a calculated panel-reactive antibody> 10%. The endpoints included overall survival and rejection-free survival. RESULTS: A total of 89 patients (median age 56.0 [interquartile range, 50.0-59.9] years, 16.8% female) received a short-term VAD as a bridge to transplant. The median duration of support was 23.6 [interquartile range, 16.6-35.0] days. Eleven patients (12.4%) became sensitized during support. The only factor significantly associated with sensitization was female sex (OR, 8.67; 95%CI, 1.93-38.8; P=.005). Of the 89 patients, 21 patients died during support; 68 patients underwent heart transplant. After a mean follow-up of 49.6 ±31.2 months, 8 patients (11.8%) died and 20 (29.4%) had at least 1 rejection episode. On multivariate analysis, sensitization was an independent predictor of acute rejection (HR, 3.64; 95%CI, 1.42-9.33; P=.007), with a nonstatistically significant trend to higher mortality (HR, 4.07; 95%CI, 0.96-17.3; P=.057). CONCLUSIONS: Sensitization with short-term VADs can occur and is significantly associated with female sex and with rejection. Sensitization also showed a nonstatistically significant trend to higher mortality.

Spanish Heart Transplant Registry. 31th Official Report of the Heart Failure Association of the Spanish Society of Cardiology.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The present report describes the clinical characteristics and outcomes of heart transplants in Spain and updates the data to 2019. METHODS: We describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of heart transplants performed in Spain in 2019, as well as trends in this procedure from 2010 to 2018. RESULTS: In 2019, 300 transplants were performed (8794 since 1984; 2745 between 2010 and 2019). Compared with previous years, the most notable findings were the decreasing rate of urgent transplants (38%), and the consolidation of the type of circulatory support prior to transplant, with an almost complete disappearance of counterpulsation balloon (0.7%), stabilization in the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (9.6%), and an increase in the use of ventricular assist devices (29.0%). Survival from 2016 to 2018 was similar to that from 2013 to 2015 (P=.34). Survival in both these periods was better than that from 2010 to 2012 (P=.002 and P=.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Heart transplant activity has remained stable during the last few years, as have outcomes (in terms of survival). There has been a trend to a lower rate of urgent transplants and to a higher use of ventricular assist devices prior to transplant.

Impact of drug eluting stents on the clinical practice of revascularisation of coronary artery disease.

AIMS: Drug-eluting stents (DES) have shown to reduce restenosis rates in all lesional subsets. This has expanded the application of percutaneous intervention (PCI). In this study we address the impact of the high DES penetration on the management of patients referred for coronary angiography. METHODS AND RESULTS: We have studied the cohorts of patients referred for coronary angiography in 2000-2001 prior to DES availability, and in 2005-2006 with a 73% DES implementation. In 2000-1 of 2,458 coronary angiographic studies, 84% had significant lesions (>50%), 56% had PCI, 8.8% had CABG and in 443 (18%) with significant lesions no revascularisation was attempted. In 2005-6 out of 2,600 angiographies, 84% had significant lesions, 64% had PCI, 6% had CABG and in 312 (12%) with significant lesions no revascularisation was done. The increase in PCI, the reduction in CABG and the decrease in non-revascularised diseased cases were all significant (p<0,001). The PCI and CABG groups in 2005-6 compared to 2000-1 had a more complex lesion profile with, however, less in-stent restenotic lesions treated (10% vs 4.2%; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The wide clinical introduction of DES was associated with a significant increase in patients undergoing any kind of revascularisation, increasing the PCI volume to the detriment of CABG activity. Patients with PCI in 2006 had more complex lesions treated, whereas restenosis was less frequent.

Everolimus-related pulmonary toxicity in heart transplant recipients.

Pulmonary toxicity (PT) is emerging as a frequent and serious complication of sirolimus, a proliferation signal inhibitor (PSI) used in solid-organ transplantation. Everolimus is a more recently developed PSI with molecular structure very similar to that of sirolimus. Surprisingly, although experience with everolimus is increasing and becoming substantial, there remains very little information about everolimus-related PT. Herein we report 2 heart transplant recipients who developed a non-infectious pulmonary syndrome after everolimus treatment was started. Transbronchial pulmonary biopsy specimens showed typical interstitial pneumonitis, and everolimus discontinuation resulted in rapid clinical and radiological improvement. Although PT seems to be more common after sirolimus exposure, everolimus is by no means spared from this potentially lethal complication and should always be suspected in the relevant clinical setting.

[Management of syncope in the emergency department without hospital admission: usefulness of an arrhythmia unit coordinated protocol]. / Manejo del síncope en el servicio de urgencias sin ingreso hospitalario: utilidad de un protocolo coordinado con la unidad de arritmias.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The main aim of this study was to demonstrate that a protocol for managing syncope in the emergency department that is based on the early detection of heart disease enables patients to be diagnosed quickly and with few admissions, without there being a negative impact on prognosis. METHODS: The study was performed prospectively in 199 consecutive patients (54% male; mean age, 67 [17] years) who presented with syncope at the emergency department of our hospital during a 17-month period. A two-step diagnostic algorithm was developed in which patients initially underwent clinical and electro-cardiographic assessment, and thereafter were submitted to a diagnostic protocol that involved carrying out a sequence of diagnostic tests in the emergency room to avoid hospital admission. RESULTS: A presumptive diagnosis was established in 120 (60%) patients during the initial assessment. After completion of the diagnostic protocol, 78% of patients were given a clear diagnosis within a mean stay of 19 [15] h in the emergency department. Some 10% of patients were admitted. Three patients died during a mean follow-up period of 237 days. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a protocol for managing syncope in the emergency department that was based on screening patients according to the presence of heart disease enabled a large percentage to receive a diagnosis. Moreover, the majority of patients could be discharged rapidly from the emergency department without there being any negative impact on medium-term prognosis.

[Two-year clinical follow-up in 200 patients receiving sirolimus-eluting stents in lesions at a high risk of restenosis]. / Seguimiento clínico a 2 años de 200 pacientes tratados con stent liberador de rapamicina en lesiones de alto riesgo de reestenosis.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Sirolimus-eluting stents (SESs) have been shown to reduce the rate of restenosis significantly in all types of coronary lesion. However, reports of late cases of thrombosis and restenosis have raised questions about long-term outcome in patients treated with these stents. Our aim was to evaluate long-term outcome in patients undergoing SES placement in lesions at a high risk of restenosis. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Since SESs became available, we have used them to treat lesions at risk of restenosis. We studied clinical outcomes in consecutive patients treated with SESs who were followed up for more than 2 years. RESULTS: The study included 200 patients (age 60[11] years, 22% diabetics) who were treated between June 2002 and April 2003 for 309 lesions: 16% were total occlusions, 16.8% in-stent restenoses, 28% diffuse lesions, and 30% small-vessel lesions. The total stent length per patient was 29 (16) mm and the mean diameter was 2.78 (0.27) mm. In a mean clinical follow-up period of 29 (3.2) months (range 24-34 months), there were four deaths, two (1%) of which were cardiac, four (2%) non-fatal infarctions, four (2%) in-stent thromboses (all occurred late, at 3, 7, 26 and 31 months), four (2%) cases requiring target lesion revascularization (at 3, 5, 14 and 15 months), and six (3%) requiring revascularization of a new lesion. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term follow-up of patients undergoing SES placement in lesions at a high risk of restenosis revealed a very low restenosis rate. However, the incidence of late thrombosis appeared to be elevated and warrants further evaluation in larger studies.

[Cardiac cephalgia: an underdiagnosed condition? ]. / Cefalea cardíaca: 'una entidad infradiagnosticada?

Cardiac cephalgia, or headache occurring as manifestation of myocardial ischemia, has only recently been recognized as a distinct entity. In patients with known ischemic cardiopathy, its diagnosis depends on the presence of severe headache that is accompanied by nausea, worsened by physical exercise, and only ceases with nitrate administration. We report on two patients who met diagnostic criteria for this entity. In both, headache was the only symptom of coronary ischemia, and delayed its diagnosis. Headache occurred both at rest and during exertion, and resolved only after the administration of nitrates. Cardiac cephalgia should be suspected in patients with a history of ischemic cardiopathy who present with de novo headache, even when thoracic pain is absent, especially if the headache improves with nitrates. Differential diagnosis with migraine is crucial to avoid the administration of vasoconstrictors.