The shock team: a multidisciplinary approach to early patient phenotyping and appropriate care escalation in cardiogenic shock.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a highly morbid condition with mortality remaining greater than 30% despite improved pathophysiologic understanding and access to mechanical circulatory support (MCS). In response, shock teams modeled on successful multidisciplinary care structures for other diseases are being implemented nationwide. RECENT FINDINGS: Primary data supporting a benefit of shock team implementation on patient outcomes are relatively limited and entirely observational. Four single-center before-and-after studies and one multicenter registry study have demonstrated improved outcomes in patients with CS, potentially driven by increased pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) utilization and earlier (and more appropriate) initiation of MCS. Shock teams are also supported by a growing body of literature recognizing the independent benefit of the interventions they seek to implement, including patient phenotyping with PAC use and an algorithmic approach to CS care. Though debated, MCS is also highly likely to improve CS outcomes when applied appropriately, which further supports a multidisciplinary shock team approach to patient and device selection. SUMMARY: Shock teams likely improve patient outcomes by facilitating early patient phenotyping and appropriate intervention. Institutions should strongly consider adopting a multidisciplinary shock team approach to CS care, though additional data supporting these interventions are needed.

Outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in end stage liver and renal disease.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year outcomes post-transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in end stage liver disease (ESLD) and/or end stage renal disease (ESRD) compared with patients without these comorbidities. BACKGROUND: TAVR is an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement in patients with ESLD and ESRD, though current outcomes data are limited. METHODS: We compared 309 patients (N = 29 ESLD and/or ESRD, N = 280 control) age > 18 who underwent transfemoral TAVR from 2014 to 2020 have been compared. RESULTS: Patients with ESLD and ESRD were younger (69.9 ± 11.7 vs. 79.1 ± 9.8, p < .01) with higher STS-PROM scores (8.1 ± 6.7 vs. 4.6 ± 3.9, p < .01). ESRD and ESLD patients had similar rates of in-hospital major vascular complications (3.4% vs. 3.2%, p = .96), major bleeding events (3.4% vs. 3.2%, p = .95), and mortality (0.0% vs. 1.8%, p = .47). Mortality rates were similar at 30-days (3.4% vs. 2.1%, p = .65) with trend to higher mortality at 6-months (6.9% vs. 3.2%, p = .31) and 1-year (15.4% vs. 7.0%, p = .13). Readmission rates were higher in the ESLD and ESRD cohort at 6-months (53.2% vs. 28.6%, p < .01) and 1-year (65.4% vs. 41.0%, p = .02). One patient received dual kidney-liver transplant, 1 patient received a liver transplant, and 7 additional patients were listed for transplant. CONCLUSION: Patients with ESLD and/or ESRD who underwent TAVR had similar mortality at discharge and 30-days compared with patients without these comorbidities with a trend toward increased mortality at 1-year. This study suggests that TAVR is an option for aortic valve disease patients with ESRD and/or ESLD in order to remove cardiac barriers to liver or kidney transplant.

Supra-annular valve strategy for an early degenerated transcatheter balloon-expandable heart valve.

Currently, there are no recommendations regarding the selection of valve type for a transcatheter heart valve (THV)-in-THV procedure. A supra-annular valve design may be superior in that it results in a larger effective orifice area and may have a lower chance of valve thrombosis after THV-in-THV. In this report, we describe the use of a supra-annular valve strategy for an early degenerated THV.

Does minimalist transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement produce better survival in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

OBJECTIVES: To compare outcomes after minimalist and standard transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TF-TAVR) in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). BACKGROUND: TF-TAVR is increasingly performed with conscious sedation and transthoracic echocardiography guidance (minimalist). The safety/efficacy of this technique in patients with severe COPD is unknown. METHODS: We compared demographics, 30-day outcomes and 1-year survival of patients with severe COPD (FEV1% ≤50) who underwent minimalist vs. standard TF-TAVR between 2008 and 2015 at our institution. RESULTS: Of 88 patients with severe COPD, 46 underwent minimalist and 42 underwent standard TF-TAVR. There were no differences on baseline characteristics, except for more history of coronary artery bypass grafting (45.5% vs. 20.6%, P = 0.03) and less history of cerebrovascular disease (16.7% vs. 45.5%, P = 0.03) in the standard TF-TAVR. Seventeen minimalist TF-TAVR patients (41.0%) were transferred directly to the general medical ward with telemetry monitoring (without ICU stay); all standard TF-TAVR patients went to the ICU. Minimalist TF-TAVR patients had shorter procedure time (97 vs. 129 min, P < 0.001), ICU time (21.8 vs. 29.8 hr, P = 0.001) and length of stay (2 vs. 5 days, P = 0.001). There were no differences in procedure complications and 30-day mortality between groups. In our multivariate analysis, minimalist TF-TAVR (HR 0.28, 95%CI 0.08-0.97) and previous coronary revascularization (HR 0.24, 95%CI 0.09-0.65) were associated with increased 1-year survival. In contrast, moderate paravalvular leak (HR 7.73, 95%CI 1.94-30.84) was associated with decreased 1-year survival. CONCLUSION: In patients with severe COPD, Minimalist TF-TAVR results in less resource utilization and improved 1-year survival compared to standard approach. Our findings should be validated in a larger cohort of patients with severe COPD. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cardiovascular implantable electronic device lead safety: Harnessing real-world remote monitoring data for medical device evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Current methods to identify cardiovascular implantable electronic device lead failure include postapproval studies, which may be limited in scope, participant numbers, and attrition; studies relying on administrative codes, which lack specificity; and voluntary adverse event reporting, which cannot determine incidence or attribution to the lead. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether adjudicated remote monitoring (RM) data can address these limitations and augment lead safety evaluation. METHODS: Among 48,191 actively monitored patients with a cardiovascular implantable electronic device, we identified RM transmissions signifying incident lead abnormalities and, separately, identified all leads abandoned or extracted between April 1, 2019, and April 1, 2021. We queried electronic health record and Medicare fee-for-service claims data to determine whether patients had administrative codes for lead failure. We verified lead failure through manual electronic health record review. RESULTS: Of the 48,191 patients, 1170 (2.4%) had incident lead abnormalities detected by RM. Of these, 409 patients had administrative codes for lead failure, and 233 of these 409 patients (57.0%) had structural lead failure verified through chart review. Of the 761 patients without administrative codes, 167 (21.9%) had structural lead failure verified through chart review. Thus, 400 patients with RM transmissions suggestive of lead abnormalities (34.2%) had structural lead failure. In addition, 200 patients without preceding abnormal RM transmissions had leads abandoned or extracted for structural failure, making the total lead failure cohort 600 patients (66.7% with RM abnormalities, 33.3% without). Patients with isolated right atrial or left ventricular lead failure were less likely to have lead replacement and administrative codes reflective of lead failure. CONCLUSION: RM may strengthen real-world assessment of lead failure, particularly for leads where patients do not undergo replacement.

Development of a Risk Score to Predict New Pacemaker Implantation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to define risk factors and develop a predictive risk score for new pacemaker implantation (PMI) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). BACKGROUND: TAVR has become an accepted treatment alternative for patients with severe aortic stenosis at elevated surgical risk. New PMI is a common occurrence after TAVR and is associated with poorer outcomes. METHODS: All patients without prior valve procedures undergoing elective TAVR with the Edwards SAPIEN 3 at a single institution (n = 1,266) were evaluated. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate for predictors of PMI in this population in a derivation cohort of patients with complete data (n = 778), and this model was used to develop the Emory risk score (ERS), which was tested in a validation cohort (n = 367). RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients (7.3%) in the derivation cohort required PMI. In a regression model, history of syncope (odds ratio [OR]: 2.5; p = 0.026), baseline right bundle branch block (OR: 4.3; p < 0.001), QRS duration ≥138 ms (OR: 2.5; p = 0.017), and valve oversizing >15.6% (OR: 1.9; p = 0.041) remained independent predictors of PMI and were included in the ERS. The ERS was strongly associated with PMI (per point increase OR: 2.2; p < 0.001) with an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.778 (p < 0.001), which was similar to its performance in the derivation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: A history of syncope, right bundle branch block, longer QRS duration, and higher degree of oversizing are predictive of the need for PMI after TAVR. Additionally, the ERS for PMI was developed and validated, representing a simple bedside tool to aid in risk stratification for patients for undergoing TAVR.

Repeat Pulmonary Valve Replacement: Similar Intermediate-Term Outcomes With Surgical and Transcatheter Procedures.

OBJECTIVES: This study compares 30-day, 1-year, and 3-year echocardiographic findings and clinical outcomes of transcatheter pulmonary valve-in-valve replacement (TPVR) and repeat surgical pulmonary valve replacement (SPVR). BACKGROUND: In patients with adult congenital heart disease and previous pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) who require redo PVR, it is unclear whether TPVR or repeat SPVR is the preferred strategy. METHODS: We retrospectively identified 66 patients (TPVR, n = 36; SPVR, n = 30) with bioprosthetic pulmonary valves (PVs) who underwent either TPVR or repeat SPVR at Emory Healthcare from January 2007 to August 2017. RESULTS: The TPVR cohort had fewer men and more patients with baseline New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV. There was no difference in mortality, cardiovascular readmission, or post-procedural PV reintervention at 30 days, 1 year, or 3 years. Post-procedural echocardiographic findings showed no difference in mean PV gradients between the TPVR and SPVR groups at 30 days, 1 year, or 3 years. In the TPVR cohort, there was less right ventricular dysfunction at 30 days (2.9% vs. 46.7%; p < 0.01), despite higher baseline NYHA functional class in the SPVR cohort. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with bioprosthetic PV dysfunction who underwent either TPVR or SPVR, there was no difference in mortality, cardiovascular readmission, or repeat PV intervention at 30 days, 1 year, or 3 years. Additionally, TPVR and SPVR had similar intermediate-term PV longevity, with no difference in PV gradients or PVR. The TPVR cohort also had less right ventricular dysfunction at 30 days despite a higher baseline NYHA functional classification. These intermediate-term results suggest that TPVR may be an attractive alternative to SPVR in patients with previous bioprosthetic surgical PVs.

Predictors and Clinical Outcomes of Next-Day Discharge After Minimalist Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate predictors and safety of next-day discharge (NDD) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). BACKGROUND: Information about predictors and safety of NDD after TAVR is limited. METHODS: The study reviewed 663 consecutive patients who underwent elective balloon-expandable TAVR (from July 2014 to July 2016) at our institution. We first determined predictors of NDD in patients who underwent minimalist transfemoral TAVR. After excluding cases with complications, we compared 30-day and 1-year outcomes between NDD patients and those with longer hospital stay using Cox regression adjusting for the Predicted Risk of Mortality provided by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The primary endpoint was the composite of mortality and readmission at 1 year. RESULTS: A total of 150 patients had NDD after TAVR and 210 patients had non-NDD. Mean age and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality were 80.7 ± 8.8 years and 6.6 ± 3.7%, respectively. Predictors of NDD were male sex (odds ratio [OR]: 2.02; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28 to 3.18), absence of atrial fibrillation (OR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.02 to 2.57), serum creatinine (OR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.55 to 0.92), and age (OR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.93 to 0.98). As expected, 84% of patients with complications had non-NDD. After excluding cases with complications, there was no difference in hazard rates of the 30-day composite outcome between NDD and non-NDD (hazard ratio: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.20 to 1.91), but the hazard of the composite outcome at 1 year was significantly lower in the NDD group (hazard ratio: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.81). This difference in the composite outcome can be explained by the lower hazard of noncardiovascular related readmission in the NDD group. CONCLUSIONS: Factors predicting NDD include male sex, absence of atrial fibrillation, lower serum creatinine, and younger age. When compared with patients without complications with a longer hospital stay, NDD appears to be safe, achieving similar 30-day and superior 1-year clinical outcomes.

Comparison of Clinical and Echocardiographic Outcomes After Surgical Redo Mitral Valve Replacement and Transcatheter Mitral Valve-in-Valve Therapy.

OBJECTIVES: There are minimal data regarding clinical outcomes and echocardiographic findings after transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve replacement (TMVR) compared with redo surgical mitral valve replacement (SMVR). BACKGROUND: TMVR therapy has emerged as therapy for a degenerated bioprosthetic valve failure. METHODS: The authors retrospectively identified patients with degenerated mitral bioprostheses who underwent redo SMVR or TMVR at 3 U.S. institutions. The authors compared clinical and echocardiographic outcomes of patients who had TMVR with those of patients who underwent redo SMVR. RESULTS: Sixty-two patients underwent TMVR and 59 patients underwent SMVR during the study period. Mean age and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality (STS PROM) scores were significantly higher in patients with TMVR than in those with SMVR (age 74.9 ± 9.4 years vs. 63.7 ± 14.9 years; p < 0.001; STS PROM 12.7 ± 8.0% vs. 8.7 ± 10.1%; p < 0.0001). Total procedure time, intensive care unit hours, and post-procedure length of stay were all significantly shorter in the TMVR group. There was no difference in mortality at 1 year between the 2 groups (TMVR 11.3% vs. SMVR 11.9%; p = 0.92). Mean mitral valve pressure gradient and the grade of mitral regurgitation (MR) were similar between the TMVR group and the SMVR group (mitral valve pressure gradient 7.1 ± 2.5 mm Hg vs. 6.5 ± 2.5 mm Hg; p = 0.42; MR [≥moderate] 3.8% vs. 5.6%; p = 1.00) at 30 days. At 1 year, the mitral valve pressure gradient was higher in the TMVR group (TMVR 7.2 ± 2.7 vs. SMVR 5.5 ± 1.8; p = 0.01), although there was no difference in the grade of MR. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the higher STS PROM in TMVR patients, there was no difference in 1-year mortality between the TMVR and SMVR groups. Echocardiographic findings after TMVR were similar to SMVR at 30 days. There was a statistically significant difference in mitral gradient at 1 year, though this is likely not clinically important. TMVR may be an alternative to SMVR in patients with previous mitral bioprosthetic valves.

Readmission rates after transcatheter aortic valve replacement in high- and extreme-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: In high- or extreme-risk patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, readmissions have not been adequately studied and are the subject of increased scrutiny by healthcare systems. The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of 30-day and 1-year cardiac and noncardiac readmissions, identify predictors of readmission, and assess the association between readmission and 1-year mortality. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on 714 patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement from September 2007 to January 2015 at Emory University. RESULTS: Patients' median age was 83 years, and 46.6% were female. Early all-cause readmission for the cohort was 10.5%, and late readmission was 18.8%. Anemia was related to both early all-cause (hazard ratio [HR], 0.74) and cardiovascular-related readmission (HR, 0.60). A 23-mm valve implanted was associated with early all-cause readmission (HR, 1.73). Length of hospital stay was related to late all-cause (HR, 1.14) and cardiovascular-related readmission (HR, 1.21). Postoperative permanent stroke had an impact on late cardiovascular-related readmission (HR, 3.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-11.49). Multivariable analysis identified anemia as being associated with 30-day all-cause readmission, and anemia and postoperative stroke were associated with 30-day cardiovascular-related readmission. Readmissions seemed to be related to 1-year mortality (HR, 2.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.33-3.12). CONCLUSIONS: We show some baseline comorbidities and procedural complications that are directly associated with early and late readmissions, and anemia and postoperative stroke were associated with an increase in mortality. Moreover, we found that readmission was associated with double the hazard of death within 1 year. Whether treatment of identified risk factors could decrease readmission rates and mortality warrants further investigation.