Impact of chronic thrombocytopenia on healthcare resource utilization, in-hospital outcomes, and costs following percutaneous coronary intervention of chronic total occlusion: a nationwide propensity weighted analysis.

BACKGROUND: Data on the impact of chronic thrombocytopenia (CT) on outcomes following chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) is limited. Most studies are case reports and focused on postprocedural thrombocytopenia. The purpose of this present study is to assess the impact of CT (> one year) on health resource utilization (HRU), in-hospital outcomes, and cost following CTO PCI. METHODS: We used discharge data from the 2016-2018 National Inpatient Sample and propensity score-weighted approach to examine the association between CT and HRU among patients undergoing CTO PCI. HRU was measured as a binary indicator defined as a length of stay greater than seven days and/or discharge to a non-home setting. The cost was measured as total charges standardized to 2018 dollars. Both outcomes were assessed using generalized linear models adjusted for survey year, and baseline characteristics. RESULTS: Relative to its absence, the presence of CT following CTO PCI was associated with a 4.8% increased probability of high HRU (Population Average Treatment Effect (PATE) estimate = 0.048; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.041-0.055; P<0.001) and approximately $18,000 more in total hospital charges (PATE estimate = +$18,297.98; 95% CI = $15,101.33-$21,494.63, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Among chronic total occlusion patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, those with chronic thrombocytopenia had higher resource use, including total hospital charges, and worse in-hospital outcomes when compared with those without chronic thrombocytopenia.

ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Caused by 5-Fluorouracil-Related Cardiotoxicity.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) and its prodrug, capecitabine, are commonly used chemotherapeutic agents for solid tumor management. While these agents can present with adverse side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and myelosuppression, they can also, less commonly, cause cardiovascular toxicity. This toxicity may manifest as cardiac arrhythmias, myocarditis, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and even death. The management of 5-FU-related cardiotoxicity includes early recognition of symptom manifestation so that medication can be discontinued promptly and symptoms can be addressed appropriately. Here, we describe the case of a 72-year-old male who developed coronary vasospasm and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction shortly after the initiation of chemotherapy with 5-FU.

Comparative Healthcare Resource Utilization of Percutaneous Mechanical Circulatory Support Using Impella Versus Intra-aortic Balloon Pump Use for Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome and Cardiogenic Shock Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: Insights From National Inpatient Sample.

The use of percutaneous mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices, including Impella and Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), in patients with cardiogenic shock has increased in recent times. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the choice of an MCS device on healthcare resource utilization. We queried the National Inpatient Sample registry between October 2016 and December 2018 to identify adults admitted for acute coronary syndrome-related cardiogenic shock and who received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The study population was segregated into Impella and IABP groups using ICD 10 diagnosis codes. The primary endpoint was high healthcare resource utilization (HRU), while secondary outcomes included periprocedural complications. Propensity scoring matching was used to determine which patients in the Impella cohort had similar health to IABP patients. During the study period, 439,610 patients were admitted who received hemodynamic support using, Impella or IABP on account of acute coronary syndrome complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS). The median age (years) of the Impella cohort and IABP cohorts were similar (64.1 vs 65.1, P = 0.08). Gender distribution of the Impella CS patients was like IABP patients with female majorities in both groups, (71.9% vs 67.9%, P = 0.05). Impella CS patients had a higher representation of those with hypertension (P = 0.002), smoking (P = 0.040), obesity (P = 0.034), diabetes mellitus (P = 0.009), CHF (P = 0.030), COPD (P = 0.034), chronic liver disease (P = 0.028), and chronic kidney disease (P = 0.031). 1:1 Propensity score matching identified 2620 Impella patients' comparable severity index with the IABP patients. Patients with hemodynamic support using Impella had higher healthcare resource utilization, (HRU), the surrogate of length of stay (LOS) ≥7 or nonhome disposition at discharge, when compared with those with IABP (57.41% vs 42.76%, P < 0.0001). Impella CS patients had higher in-hospital mortality as compared to the IABP patients (55.45% vs 45.86%, P < 0.0001). Impella CS patients developed more periprocedural complications, including vascular injury (4.8% vs 1.4%, P < 0.0001), acute kidney injury (58.36% vs 41.64%, P < 0.0001), end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis (8.75% vs 1.25%, P = 0.002) when compared to the IABP patients. Among patients with ACS undergoing PCI and receiving MCS devices, those receiving Impella demonstrated higher healthcare resource utilization, higher LOS ≥7 days, and more nonhome disposition at discharge compared to patients receiving IABP. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate factors associated with these findings.

The role of multidetector CT scan in the management of prosthetic aortic valve thrombosis: A case report.

Key Clinical Message: In this case report, the utility of MDCT in elucidating the pathophysiology and etiology of prosthetic aortic valve dysfunction allowed us to distinguish thrombosis from pannus as an etiology of prosthetic valve dysfunction. MDCT also guided the success of therapy. Abstract: The diagnosis and management of prosthetic aortic valve thrombosis (PAVT) is challenging. The accurate diagnosis of this entity and its prompt management is vital to improving the prognosis of PAVT patients. Multidetector CT plays a central role in this effort. We present a case of PAVT in which the use of MDCT was useful in guiding management.

Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Outcomes in Older Adults.

Background Complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is increasingly performed in older adults (age ≥75 years) with stable ischemic heart disease. However, little is known about clinical outcomes. Methods and Results We derived a cohort of older adults undergoing elective PCI for stable ischemic heart disease across a large health system. We compared 12-month event-free survival (freedom from all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and major bleeding), all-cause death, target lesion revascularization, and bleeding events for patients receiving complex versus noncomplex PCI and derived risk estimates with Cox regression models. We included 513 patients (mean age, 81±5 years). Patients receiving complex PCI versus noncomplex PCI did not significantly differ across a host of clinical characteristics including cardiovascular disease features, noncardiac comorbidities, guideline-directed medical therapy use, and frailty. Patients receiving complex PCI versus noncomplex PCI experienced worse event-free survival (80.4% versus 86.8%), which was not significant in adjusted analyses (hazard ratio [HR], 1.38 [95% CI, 0.88-2.16]). All-cause death at 1 year for patients undergoing complex PCI was nearly double that seen for patients receiving noncomplex PCI (10.2% versus 5.9%), and the risk was significant in models adjusted for clinical characteristics (HR, 1.97 [95% CI, 1.02-3.79]). Target lesion revascularization risk was lower for patients receiving complex PCI (2.2% versus 3.5%, adjusted HR), but bleeding events were not statistically different between groups (25.3% versus 20.5%; P=0.19). Conclusions Complex PCI in older adults with stable ischemic heart disease was associated with lower risk of target lesion revascularization but higher all-cause death compared with noncomplex PCI.

Angiographic Lesion Discordance in Women Presenting With Ischemic Heart Disease: Comparison of Visual Assessment, Quantitative Coronary Angiography, and Quantitative Flow Ratio.

BACKGROUND: Although visual assessment of stenosis severity is routinely used to guide coronary revascularization, there are concerns about its accuracy, especially in women, who present a higher variability in coronary anatomy and ischemic heart disease (IHD). The aim of this study was to assess whether quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and quantitative flow ratio (QFR) could provide better discrimination of coronary stenosis severity and functional significance than visual assessment alone in women with IHD. METHODS: Coronary angiography was performed in a cohort of women with ischemic symptoms and non-invasive stress perfusion imaging. Visual assessment was done by blinded operators in clinical practice, while QCA and QFR were analyzed in an independent core laboratory. RESULTS: Ninety-nine consecutive patients with 101 lesions were included in the registry, and QFR was successfully measured in 81 lesions (80.2%). Visual assessment provided higher readings of angiographic severity than QCA in 50.5% (n = 51) of lesions. Mean absolute difference between QCA and visual assessment was significantly higher in lesions with >70% diameter stenosis (DS) (25.3 ± 7.3%), compared with both the 40%-55% (9.3 ± 6.8%; P<.001) and the <40% groups (7.0 ± 6.0%; P<.001). QFR was >0.80 in 33.3% of lesions with visually defined >70% DS, while all lesions with QCA-defined >70% DS had QFR ≤0.80. CONCLUSIONS: Interventional cardiologists' visual assessment results in a higher degree of coronary stenosis than QCA. Among women with ischemic symptoms and non-invasive stress perfusion imaging, additional lesion assessment by QCA and QFR may improve operators' ability to determine which patients and lesions will benefit from coronary revascularization.

Early Spontaneous Resolution of an Iatrogenic Acute Type A Aortic Dissection.

Acute aortic dissection is a rare but devastating complication during cardiac catheterization. We present the case of an elderly female who incurred a Stanford Type A/DeBakey Type I acute aortic dissection extending into the arch vessels and descending aorta likely occurring during right coronary artery engagement for angioplasty. The patient was treated successfully by immediately sealing the entrance of the dissection via the placement of a stent and anti-impulse therapy. Follow-up computed tomography scan showed complete resolution of the dissection within one month.