Accuracy of Noninvasive Blood Pressure Monitoring in Critically Ill Adults.

Background: Blood pressure (BP) is routinely invasively monitored by an arterial catheter in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, the available data comparing the accuracy of noninvasive methods to arterial catheters for measuring BP in the ICU are limited by small numbers and diverse methodologies. Purpose: To determine agreement between invasive arterial blood pressure monitoring (IABP) and noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) in critically ill patients. Methods: This was a single center, observational study of critical ill adults in a tertiary care facility evaluating agreement (≤10% difference) between simultaneously measured IABP and NIBP. We measured clinical features at time of BP measurement inclusive of patient demographics, laboratory data, severity of illness, specific interventions (mechanical ventilation and dialysis), and vasopressor dose to identify particular clinical scenarios in which measurement agreement is more or less likely. Results: Of the 1852 critically ill adults with simultaneous IABP and NIBP readings, there was a median difference of 6 mm Hg in mean arterial pressure (MAP), interquartile range (1-12), P < .01. A logistic regression analysis identified 5 independent predictors of measurement discrepancy: increasing doses of norepinephrine (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.10 [95% confidence interval, CI 1.08-1.12] P = .03 for every change in 5 µg/min), lower MAP value (aOR 0.98 [0.98-0.99] P < .01 for every change in 1 mm Hg), higher body mass index (aOR 1.04 [1.01-1.09] P = .01 for an increase in 1), increased patient age (aOR 1.31 [1.30-1.37] P < .01 for every 10 years), and radial arterial line location (aOR 1.74 [1.16-2.47] P = .04). Conclusions: There was broad agreement between IABP and NIBP in critically ill patients over a range of BPs and severity of illness. Several variables are associated with measurement discrepancy; however, their predictive capacity is modest. This may guide future study into which patients may specifically benefit from an arterial catheter.

COVID-19 Symptoms by Variant Period in the North Carolina COVID-19 Community Research Partnership, North Carolina, USA.

In North Carolina, USA, the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant was associated with changing symptomology in daily surveys, including increasing rates of self-reported cough and sore throat and decreased rates of loss of taste and smell. Compared with the pre-Delta period, Delta and Omicron (pre-BA.4/BA.5) variant periods were associated with shorter symptom duration.

Health-Status Outcomes with Invasive or Conservative Care in Coronary Disease.

BACKGROUND: In the ISCHEMIA trial, an invasive strategy with angiographic assessment and revascularization did not reduce clinical events among patients with stable ischemic heart disease and moderate or severe ischemia. A secondary objective of the trial was to assess angina-related health status among these patients. METHODS: We assessed angina-related symptoms, function, and quality of life with the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) at randomization, at months 1.5, 3, and 6, and every 6 months thereafter in participants who had been randomly assigned to an invasive treatment strategy (2295 participants) or a conservative strategy (2322). Mixed-effects cumulative probability models within a Bayesian framework were used to estimate differences between the treatment groups. The primary outcome of this health-status analysis was the SAQ summary score (scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health status). All analyses were performed in the overall population and according to baseline angina frequency. RESULTS: At baseline, 35% of patients reported having no angina in the previous month. SAQ summary scores increased in both treatment groups, with increases at 3, 12, and 36 months that were 4.1 points (95% credible interval, 3.2 to 5.0), 4.2 points (95% credible interval, 3.3 to 5.1), and 2.9 points (95% credible interval, 2.2 to 3.7) higher with the invasive strategy than with the conservative strategy. Differences were larger among participants who had more frequent angina at baseline (8.5 vs. 0.1 points at 3 months and 5.3 vs. 1.2 points at 36 months among participants with daily or weekly angina as compared with no angina). CONCLUSIONS: In the overall trial population with moderate or severe ischemia, which included 35% of participants without angina at baseline, patients randomly assigned to the invasive strategy had greater improvement in angina-related health status than those assigned to the conservative strategy. The modest mean differences favoring the invasive strategy in the overall group reflected minimal differences among asymptomatic patients and larger differences among patients who had had angina at baseline. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and others; ISCHEMIA ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01471522.).

Characterisation of infection-induced SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence amongst children and adolescents in North Carolina.

Few prospective studies have documented the seropositivity among those children infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. From 2 April 2021 to 24 June 2021, we prospectively enrolled children between the ages of 2 and 17 years at three North Carolina healthcare systems. Participants received at least four at-home serological tests detecting the presence of antibodies against, but not differentiating between, the nucleocapsid or spike antigen. A total of 1,058 participants were enrolled in the study, completing 2,709 tests between 1 May 2021 and 31 October 2021. Using multilevel regression with poststratification techniques and considering our assay sensitivity and sensitivity, we estimated that the seroprevalence of infection-induced antibodies among unvaccinated children and adolescents aged 2-17 years in North Carolina increased from 15.2% (95% credible interval, CrI 9.0-22.0) in May 2021 to 54.1% (95% CrI 46.7-61.1) by October 2021, indicating an average infection-to-reported-case ratio of 5. A rapid rise in seropositivity was most pronounced in those unvaccinated children aged 12-17 years, based on our estimates. This study underlines the utility of serial, serological testing to inform a broader understanding of the regional immune landscape and spread of infection.

Preexisting frailty and outcomes in older patients with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the prevalence and prognostic impact of preexisting frailty on acute care and in-hospital outcomes in older adults in the setting of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: Preexisting frailty was assessed at baseline in consecutive AMI patients ≥65 years of age treated at 778 hospitals participating in the NCDR ACTION Registry between January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016. Three domains of preexisting frailty (cognition, ambulation, and functional independence) were abstracted from chart review and summed in 2 ways: an ACTION Frailty Scale based on responses to 6 groups adapted from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scale and an ACTION Frailty Score derived by summing a rank score of 0-2 assigned for each grade (total ranged between 0 to 6). Multivariable logistic regression examined the association between assigned frailty by score or scale and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Among 143,722 older AMI patients, 108,059 (75.2%) were fit and/or well and 6,484 (4.5%) were vulnerable to frailty, while 7,527 (5.2%) had mild, 3,913 (2.7%) had moderate, 2,715 had (1.9%) severe, and 632 (0.4%) had very severe frailty according to the ACTION Frailty Scale, while 14,392 (10.0%) could not be categorized due to incomplete ascertainment. Frail patients were older, more frequently female, of non-white race and/or ethnicity, and less likely to be treated with guideline-recommended therapies. Increasing severity of frailty by this scale was associated with a step-wise higher risk for in-hospital mortality (P-trend < .001). Patient categories of the ACTION Frailty Score provided similar results. After adjustment, each 1-unit increase in Frailty Score was associated with a 12% higher mortality risk (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.10-1.15). CONCLUSIONS: Among older patients with acute myocardial infarction, frailty is common and independently associated with in-hospital mortality. These findings show the importance of pragmatic evaluation of frailty in hospital-level quality scores, guideline recommendations, and incorporation into other registry data collection efforts.

Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients with Inflammatory Cardiomyopathies Receiving Mechanical Circulatory Support: An STS-INTERMACS Registry Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Durable mechanical circulatory support (MCS) therapy improves survival in patients with advanced heart failure. Knowledge regarding the outcomes experienced by patients with inflammatory cardiomyopathy (CM) who receive durable MCS therapy is limited. METHODS AND RESULTS: We compared patients with inflammatory CM with patients with idiopathic dilated CM enrolled in the STS-INTERMACS registry. Among 19,012 patients, 329 (1.7%) had inflammatory CM and 5978 had idiopathic dilated CM (31.4%). The patients with inflammatory CM were younger, more likely to be White, and women. These patients experienced more preoperative arrhythmias and higher use of temporary MCS. Patients with inflammatory CM had a higher rate of early adverse events (<3 months after device implant), including bleeding, arrhythmias, non-device-related infections, neurologic dysfunction, and respiratory failure. The rate of late adverse events (≥3 months) was similar in the 2 groups. Patients with inflammatory CM had a similar 1-year (80% vs 84%) and 2-year (72% vs 76%, P = .15) survival. Myocardial recovery resulting in device explant was more common among patients with inflammatory CM (5.5% vs 2.3%, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with inflammatory CM who received durable MCS appear to have a similar survival compared with patients with idiopathic dilated CM despite a higher early adverse event burden. Our findings support the use of durable MCS in an inflammatory CM population.

Beta-blockers and Ambulatory Inotropic Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Continuous infusion of ambulatory inotropic therapy (AIT) is increasingly used in patients with end-stage heart failure (HF). There is a paucity of data concerning the concomitant use of beta-blockers (BB) in these patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients discharged from our institution on AIT. The cohort was stratified into 2 groups based on BB use. The 2 groups were compared for differences in hospitalizations due to HF, ventricular arrhythmias and ICD therapies (shock or antitachycardia pacing). RESULTS: Between 2010 and 2017, 349 patients were discharged on AIT (95% on milrinone); 74% were males with a mean age of 61 ± 14 years. BB were used in 195 (56%) patients, whereas 154 (44%) did not receive these medications. Patients in the BB group had longer duration of AIT support compared to those in the non-BB group (141 [1-2114] vs 68 [1-690] days). After adjusting for differences in baseline characteristics and indication for AIT, patients in the BB group had significantly lower rates of hospitalizations due to HF (hazard ratio [HR] 0.61 (0.43-0.86); P = 0.005), ventricular arrhythmias (HR 0.34 [0.15-0.74]; P = 0.007) and ICD therapies (HR 0.24 [0.07-0.79]; P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: In patients with end-stage HF on AIT, the use of BB with inotropes was associated with fewer hospitalizations due to HF and fewer ventricular arrhythmias.

Safety gaps in medical team communication: Closing the loop on quality improvement efforts in the cardiac catheterization lab.

Closed-loop communication (CLC) is a fundamental aspect of effective communication, critical in the cardiac catheterization laboratory (cath lab) where physician orders are verbal. Complete CLC is typically a hospital and national mandate. Deficiencies in CLC have been shown to impair quality of care. Single center observational study, CLC for physician verbal orders in the cath lab were assessed by direct observation during a 5-year quality improvement effort. Performance feedback and educational efforts were used over this time frame to improve CLC, and the effects of each intervention assessed. Responses to verbal orders were characterized as complete (all important parameters of the order repeated, the mandated response), partial, acknowledgment only, or no response. During the first observational period of 101 cases, complete CLC occurred in 195 of 515 (38%) medication orders and 136 of 235 (50%) equipment orders. Complete CLC improved over time with various educational efforts, (p < 0.001) but in the final observation period of 117 cases, complete CLC occurred in just 259 of 328 (79%) medication orders and 439 of 581 (76%) equipment orders. Incomplete CLC was associated with medication and equipment errors. CLC of physician verbal orders was used suboptimally in this medical team setting. Baseline data indicate that physicians and staff have normalized weak, unreliable communication methods. Such lapses were associated with errors in order implementation. A subsequent 5-year quality improvement program resulted in improvement but a sizable minority of unacceptable responses. This represents an opportunity to improve patient safety in cath labs.

Estimating the optimal individualized treatment rule from a cost-effectiveness perspective.

Optimal individualized treatment rules (ITRs) provide customized treatment recommendations based on subject characteristics to maximize clinical benefit in accordance with the objectives in precision medicine. As a result, there is growing interest in developing statistical tools for estimating optimal ITRs in evidence-based research. In health economic perspectives, policy makers consider the tradeoff between health gains and incremental costs of interventions to set priorities and allocate resources. However, most work on ITRs has focused on maximizing the effectiveness of treatment without considering costs. In this paper, we jointly consider the impact of effectiveness and cost on treatment decisions and define ITRs under a composite-outcome setting, so that we identify the most cost-effective ITR that accounts for individual-level heterogeneity through direct optimization. In particular, we propose a decision-tree-based statistical learning algorithm that uses a net-monetary-benefit-based reward to provide nonparametric estimations of the optimal ITR. We provide several approaches to estimating the reward underlying the ITR as a function of subject characteristics. We present the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and provide practical guidelines by comparing their performance in simulation studies. We illustrate the top-performing approach from our simulations by evaluating the projected 15-year personalized cost-effectiveness of the intensive blood pressure control of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) study.

Survey of Adherence with COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors During the 2020 Thanksgiving and Winter Holidays Among Members of the COVID-19 Community Research Partnership.

Prevention behaviors represent important public health tools to limit spread of SARS-CoV-2. Adherence with recommended public health prevention behaviors among 20000 + members of a COVID-19 syndromic surveillance cohort from the mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States was assessed via electronic survey following the 2020 Thanksgiving and winter holiday (WH) seasons. Respondents were predominantly non-Hispanic Whites (90%), female (60%), and ≥ 50 years old (59%). Non-household members (NHM) were present at 47.1% of Thanksgiving gatherings and 69.3% of WH gatherings. Women were more likely than men to gather with NHM (p < 0.0001). Attending gatherings with NHM decreased with older age (Thanksgiving: 60.0% of participants aged < 30 years to 36.3% aged ≥ 70 years [p-trend < 0.0001]; WH: 81.6% of those < 30 years to 61.0% of those ≥ 70 years [p-trend < 0.0001]). Non-Hispanic Whites were more likely to gather with NHM than were Hispanics or non-Hispanic Blacks (p < 0.0001). Mask wearing, reported by 37.3% at Thanksgiving and 41.9% during the WH, was more common among older participants, non-Hispanic Blacks, and Hispanics when gatherings included NHM. In this survey, most people did not fully adhere to recommended public health safety behaviors when attending holiday gatherings. It remains unknown to what extent failure to observe these recommendations may have contributed to the COVID-19 surges observed following Thanksgiving and the winter holidays in the United States.

Rationale and design of the Women's Ischemia Trial to Reduce Events in Nonobstructive CAD (WARRIOR) trial.

BACKGROUND: Approximately half of all women with anginal symptoms and/or signs of ischemia and no obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA) referred for coronary angiography have elevated risk for major adverse cardiac events (MACE), poor quality of life and resource consumption. Yet, guidelines focus on symptom management while clinical practice typically advocates only reassurance. Pilot studies of INOCA subjects suggest benefit with intensive medical therapy (IMT) that includes high-intensity statins and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I) or receptor blockers (ARB) to provide the rationale for a randomized pragmatic trial to limit MACE. METHODS: The Women's IschemiA TRial to Reduce Events In Non-ObstRuctive CAD is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, blinded outcome evaluation (PROBE design) of a pragmatic strategy of IMT vs usual care (UC) in 4,422 symptomatic women with INOCA (NCT03417388) in approximately 70 United States sites. The hypothesis is that IMT will reduce the primary outcome of first occurrence of MACE by 20% vs. UC at ∼2.5 year followup. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, time to return to "duty"/work, healthcare utilization, angina, cardiovascular death and individual primary outcome components over 3 years follow-up. The study utilizes web-based data capture, e-consents, single IRB and centralized pharmacy distribution of strategy medications directly to patients' homes to reduce site and patient burden. A biorepository will collect blood samples to assess potential mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this trial will provide important data necessary to inform guidelines regarding how best to manage this growing and challenging population of women with INOCA.

National trends and 30-day readmission rates for next-day-discharge transcatheter aortic valve replacement: An analysis from the Nationwide Readmissions Database, 2012-2016.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has evolved toward a minimalist approach, resulting in shorter hospital stays. Real-world trends of next-day discharge (NDD) TAVR are unknown. This study aimed to evaluate underlying trends and readmissions of NDD TAVR. METHODS: This study was derived from the Nationwide Readmissions Database from 2012 to 2016. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revisions, codes were used to identify patients. Any discharge within 1 day of admission was identified as NDD. NDD TAVR trends over the years were analyzed, and any admissions within 30 days were considered readmissions. A hierarchical logistic regression model was used to identify predictors of readmission. RESULTS: Of 49,742 TAVR procedures, 3,104 were NDD. The percentage of NDD TAVR increased from 1.5% (46/3,051) in 2012 to 12.2% (2,393/19,613) in 2016. However, the 30-day readmission rate remained the same over the years (8.6%). The patients' mean age was 80.3 ±â€¯8.4 years. Major readmission causes were heart-failure exacerbation (16%), infections (9%), and procedural complications (8%). In 2016, there were significantly higher late conduction disorder and gastrointestinal bleeding readmission rates than in 2012-2015. Significant predictors of readmission were anemia, baseline conduction disease, cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, neoplastic disorders, and discharge to facility. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of NDD TAVR increased over the years; however, readmission rates remained the same, with a higher rate of conduction abnormality-related hospitalizations in 2016. Careful discharge planning that includes identification of baseline factors that predict readmission and knowledge of etiologies may further prevent 30-day readmissions.

Cost-Effectiveness of Intensive versus Standard Blood-Pressure Control.

BACKGROUND: In the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), adults at high risk for cardiovascular disease who received intensive systolic blood-pressure control (target, <120 mm Hg) had significantly lower rates of death and cardiovascular disease events than did those who received standard control (target, <140 mm Hg). On the basis of these data, we wanted to determine the lifetime health benefits and health care costs associated with intensive control versus standard control. METHODS: We used a microsimulation model to apply SPRINT treatment effects and health care costs from national sources to a hypothetical cohort of SPRINT-eligible adults. The model projected lifetime costs of treatment and monitoring in patients with hypertension, cardiovascular disease events and subsequent treatment costs, treatment-related risks of serious adverse events and subsequent costs, and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) for intensive control versus standard control of systolic blood pressure. RESULTS: We determined that the mean number of QALYs would be 0.27 higher among patients who received intensive control than among those who received standard control and would cost approximately $47,000 more per QALY gained if there were a reduction in adherence and treatment effects after 5 years; the cost would be approximately $28,000 more per QALY gained if the treatment effects persisted for the remaining lifetime of the patient. Most simulation results indicated that intensive treatment would be cost-effective (51 to 79% below the willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000 per QALY and 76 to 93% below the threshold of $100,000 per QALY), regardless of whether treatment effects were reduced after 5 years or persisted for the remaining lifetime. CONCLUSIONS: In this simulation study, intensive systolic blood-pressure control prevented cardiovascular disease events and prolonged life and did so at levels below common willingness-to-pay thresholds per QALY, regardless of whether benefits were reduced after 5 years or persisted for the patient's remaining lifetime. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and others; SPRINT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01206062 .).

An integrated approach to simulating the vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque.

Analyses of individual atherosclerotic plaques are mostly descriptive, relying, for example, on histological classification by spectral analysis of ultrasound waves or staining and observing particular cellular components. Such passive methods have proved useful for characterizing the structure and vulnerability of plaques but have little quantitative predictive power. Our aim is to introduce and discuss a computational framework to provide insight to clinicians and help them visualize internal plaque dynamics. We use partial differential equations (PDEs) with macrophages, necrotic cells, oxidized lipids, oxygen concentration, and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) as primary variables coupled to a biomechanical model to describe vessel growth. The model is deterministic, providing mechanical, morphological, and histological characteristics of an atherosclerotic vessel at any desired future time point. We use our model to create computer-generated animations of a plaque evolution that are in qualitative agreement with published serial ultrasound images and hypothesize possible atherogenic mechanisms. A systems biology model consisting of five differential equations is able to capture the morphology of necrotic cores residing within vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque. In the context of the model, the distribution of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) particles, endothelial inflammation, plaque oxygenation (via the presence of vasa vasora), and intimal oxygenation are four important factors that drive changes in core morphology.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this article, we propose a quantitative framework to describe the evolution of atherosclerotic plaque. We use partial differential equations (PDEs) with macrophages, necrotic cells, oxidized lipids, oxygen concentration, and PDGF as primary variables coupled to a biomechanical model to describe vessel growth. A feature of our method is that it outputs color-coded vessel sections corresponding to regions of the plaque that are necrotic and fibrous, qualitatively similar to images generated by enhanced intravascular ultrasound.

Facilitating the identification of patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction and heart failure and the assessment of their readmission risk through the Patient Navigator Program.

BACKGROUND: Optimal transition care mitigates early hospital readmission risk. Given limited resources, hospitals need to identify patients with high readmission risk. This article examines whether a coordinated quality improvement campaign can help achieve this objective. METHODS: The American College of Cardiology Patient Navigator Program, a 2-year quality improvement campaign, sought to assess the impact of transition care interventions on 30-day readmission rates for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or heart failure (HF) at 35 hospitals. This article examines the change in 2 of the 36 performance metrics the campaign tracked: the number of AMI and HF patients identified predischarge and those whose readmission risk was assessed. RESULTS: The number of facilities identifying AMI and HF patients predischarge increased from 24 (68.6%) and 28 (80.0%), respectively, at baseline, to 34 (97.1%) (P = .0016) and 34 (97.1%) (P = .014), respectively, at 2 years. The number of facilities assessing the readmission risk of AMI and HF patients risk increased from 9 (25.7%) and 11 (31.4%), respectively, at baseline, to 32 (91.4%) (P < .0001) and 33 (94.5%) (P < .0001), respectively, at 2 years. Importantly, baseline reporting of performance for both metrics was poor, with >25% of the hospitals missing data. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a coordinated quality improvement campaign may increase the number of facilities identifying AMI and HF patients predischarge and assessing their readmission risk. Further research is needed to determine if increased identification reduces 30-day readmission or facilitates improvement in other important clinical outcomes.

The IMPact on Revascularization Outcomes of intraVascular ultrasound-guided treatment of complex lesions and Economic impact (IMPROVE) trial: Study design and rationale.

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown in clinical trials, registries, and meta-analyses to reduce recurrent major adverse cardiovascular events after PCI. However, IVUS utilization remains low. An increasing number of high-risk or complex coronary artery lesions are treated with PCI, and we hypothesize that the impact of IVUS in guiding treatment of these complex lesions will be of increased importance in reducing major adverse cardiovascular events while remaining cost-effective. The "IMPact on Revascularization Outcomes of intraVascular ultrasound-guided treatment of complex lesions and Economic impact" trial (registered on clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04221815) is a multicenter, international, clinical trial randomizing subjects to IVUS-guided versus angiography-guided PCI in a 1:1 ratio. Patients undergoing PCI involving a complex lesion are eligible for enrollment. Complex lesion is defined as involving at least 1 of the following characteristics: chronic total occlusion, in-stent restenosis, severe coronary artery calcification, long lesion (≥28 mm), or bifurcation lesion. The clinical investigation will be conducted at approximately 120 centers in North America and Europe, enrolling approximately 2,500 to 3,100 randomized subjects with an adaptive design. The primary clinical end point is the rate of target vessel failure at 12 months, defined as the composite of cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization. The co-primary imaging end point is the final post-PCI minimum stent area assessed by IVUS. The primary objective of this study is to assess the impact of IVUS guidance on the PCI treatment of complex lesions.

Safety gaps in medical team communication: Results of quality improvement efforts in a cardiac catheterization laboratory.

OBJECTIVES: To assess closed-loop communications (readback), a fundamental aspect of effective communication, among cardiovascular teams and assess improvement efforts. BACKGROUND: Effective communication within teams is essential to assure safety and optimal outcomes. Readback of verbal physician orders is a hospital and national requirement. METHODS: Single-center observational study, where the readback responses to physician verbal orders in the catheterization laboratory were characterized over three distinct time intervals from 2015 to 2017. Performance feedback and focused education on the value of readbacks was provided to the teams in two waves, with subsequent remeasurement. Responses to verbal orders were characterized as complete (all important parameters of the order repeated for verification), partial, acknowledgement only, or no response. Changes in readback performance after quality interventions were assessed. RESULTS: During the first-observational period of 101 cases, complete readback occurred in 195 of 515 (38%) medication orders and 136 of 235 (58%) equipment orders. After initial quality improvement efforts, 102 cases were observed. In these, 298 of 480 (62%) medication orders had complete readback, and 210 of 420 (50%) equipment orders had complete readback. After additional quality improvement efforts, 168 cases were observed. In these, 506 of 723 (70%) medication orders had complete readback, and 630 of 1,061 (59%) equipment orders had complete readback. Overall, medication order readback improved over time (correlation = 0.26 [-0.30, -0.21]; p < 0.001), but equipment order readback did not (correlation = 0.02 [-0.07, 0.03]; p = 0.44). CONCLUSIONS: Closed-loop communication of physician verbal orders was used infrequently in this medical team setting and proved difficult to fully improve. This is an important safety gap.

Incidence, predictors and impact of stroke on mortality among patients with acute coronary syndromes following percutaneous coronary intervention-Results from the PROMETHEUS registry.

BACKGROUND: Stroke represents a potentially calamitous complication among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous intervention (PCI). Data on the distribution of stroke occurrence post-PCI and its impact on mortality are scarce. OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine the incidence, predictors and impact of stroke on mortality in ACS patients undergoing PCI. METHODS: A total of 19,914 ACS patients underwent PCI in the PROMETHEUS multicenter observational study. We calculated the cumulative stroke incidence at 30 days and 1 year using the Kaplan Meier method. We also compared the distribution of stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and bleeding across time and evaluated their overlap. Predictors of stroke were identified through multivariable Cox-regression. Stroke, MI, and bleeding were assessed as time-updated covariates to estimate how each impacts subsequent mortality. RESULTS: We found that 244 patients had a stroke within 1 year, a cumulative incidence of 1.5%. Previous cerebrovascular disease was the strongest predictor for post-PCI stroke, followed by ST-elevation MI presentation, hypertension, non-ST-elevation MI presentation, smoking, female sex, and age. Mortality risk was significantly higher among those who had a stroke versus those who did not (adjusted HR 4.84, p < .0001). However, the association attenuated over time with a much larger effect in the first 30 days of its occurrence (adjusted HR 17.7; 95% CI: 12.3-25.4, p < .0001) versus beyond 30 days (adjusted HR 1.22; 95% CI: 0.6-2.46, p = .58). CONCLUSIONS: Stroke occurrence within 1 year was not uncommon for ACS patients undergoing PCI. When compared with MI and bleeding, stroke had a substantial impact on mortality that attenuated rapidly over time.

Status of Hypertension in China: Results From the China Hypertension Survey, 2012-2015.

BACKGROUND: Although the prevalence of hypertension (HTN) continues to increase in developing countries, including China, recent data are lacking. A nationwide survey was conducted from October 2012 to December 2015 to assess the prevalence of HTN in China. METHODS: A stratified multistage random sampling method was used to obtain a nationally representative sample of 451 755 residents ≥18 years of age from 31 provinces in mainland China from October 2012 to December 2015. Blood pressure (BP) was measured after resting for 5 minutes by trained staff using a validated oscillometric BP monitor. HTN was defined as systolic BP (SBP) ≥140 mm Hg/or diastolic BP (DBP) ≥90 mm Hg or use of antihypertensive medication within 2 weeks. Pre-HTN was defined as SBP 120 to 139 mm Hg and DBP 80 to 89 mm Hg without antihypertensive medication. HTN control was defined as SBP <140 mm Hg and DBP<90 mm Hg. In addition, the prevalence of HTN (SBP ≥130 or DBP ≥80 mm Hg) and control rate (SBP <130 and DBP <80 mm Hg) of HTN were also estimated according to the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association High Blood Pressure Guideline. RESULTS: Overall, 23.2% (≈244.5 million) of the Chinese adult population ≥18 years of age had HTN, and another 41.3% (≈435.3 million) had pre-HTN according to the Chinese guideline. There were no significant differences of HTN prevalence between urban and rural residents (23.4% versus 23.1%, P=0.819). Among individuals with HTN, 46.9% were aware of their condition, 40.7% were taking prescribed antihypertensive medications, and 15.3% had controlled HTN. Calcium channel blockers were the most commonly used antihypertensive medication (46.5%) as monotherapy, and 31.7% of treated hypertensive patients used ≥2 medications. The prevalence of HTN based on the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline was twice as high as that based on 2010 Chinese guideline (46.4%), whereas the control rate fell to 3.0%. CONCLUSIONS: In China, there is a high prevalence of HTN and pre-HTN, and awareness, treatment, and control of HTN were low. Management of medical therapy for HTN needs to improve.