Bedside echocardiography to predict mortality of COVID-19 patients beyond clinical data: Data from the PROVAR-COVID study.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiac involvement seems to impact prognosis of COVID-19, being more frequent in critically ill patients. We aimed to assess the prognostic value of right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, evaluated by bedside echocardiography (echo), in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. METHODS: Patients admitted in 2 reference hospitals in Brazil from Jul to Sept/2020 with confirmed COVID-19 and moderate/severe presentations underwent clinical and laboratory evaluation, and focused bedside echo (GE Vivid-IQ), at the earliest convenience, with remote interpretation. The association between demographics, clinical comorbidities and echo variables with all-cause hospital mortality was assessed, and factors significant at p<0.10 were put into multivariable models. RESULTS: Total 163 patients were enrolled, 59% were men, mean age 64±16 years, and 107 (66%) were admitted to intensive care. Comorbidities were present in 144 (88%) patients: hypertension 115 (71%), diabetes 61 (37%) and heart failure 22 (14%). In-hospital mortality was 34% (N=56). In univariate analysis, echo variables significantly associated with death were: LV ejection fraction (LVEF, OR=0.94), RV fractional area change (OR=0.96), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE, OR=0.83) and RV dysfunction (OR=5.3). In multivariate analysis, after adjustment for clinical and demographic variables, independent predictors of mortality were age≥63 years (OR=5.53, 95%CI 1.52-20.17), LVEF<64% (OR=7.37, 95%CI 2.10-25.94) and TAPSE<18.5 mm (OR=9.43, 95% CI 2.57-35.03), and the final model had good discrimination, with C-statistic=0.83 (95%CI 0.75-0.91). CONCLUSION: Markers of RV and LV dysfunction assessed by bedside echo are independent predictors of mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, after adjustment for clinical variables.

Bedside echocardiography to predict mortality of COVID-19 patients beyond clinical data: Data from the PROVAR-COVID study

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Cardiac involvement seems to impact prognosis of COVID-19, being more frequent in critically ill patients. We aimed to assess the prognostic value of right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, evaluated by bedside echocardiography (echo), in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. METHODS: Patients admitted in 2 reference hospitals in Brazil from Jul to Sept/2020 with confirmed COVID-19 and moderate/severe presentations underwent clinical and laboratory evaluation, and focused bedside echo (GE Vivid-IQ), at the earliest convenience, with remote interpretation. The association between demographics, clinical comorbidities and echo variables with all-cause hospital mortality was assessed, and factors significant at p<0.10 were put into multivariable models. RESULTS: Total 163 patients were enrolled, 59% were men, mean age 64±16 years, and 107 (66%) were admitted to intensive care. Comorbidities were present in 144 (88%) patients: hypertension 115 (71%), diabetes 61 (37%) and heart failure 22 (14%). In-hospital mortality was 34% (N=56). In univariate analysis, echo variables significantly associated with death were: LV ejection fraction (LVEF, OR=0.94), RV fractional area change (OR=0.96), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE, OR=0.83) and RV dysfunction (OR=5.3). In multivariate analysis, after adjustment for clinical and demographic variables, independent predictors of mortality were age≥63 years (OR=5.53, 95%CI 1.52-20.17), LVEF<64% (OR=7.37, 95%CI 2.10-25.94) and TAPSE<18.5 mm (OR=9.43, 95% CI 2.57-35.03), and the final model had good discrimination, with C-statistic=0.83 (95%CI 0.75-0.91). CONCLUSION: Markers of RV and LV dysfunction assessed by bedside echo are independent predictors of mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, after adjustment for clinical variables.

Myocardial delayed enhancement by magnetic resonance imaging in patients with muscular dystrophy.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to analyze whether cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) can detect and quantify myocardial damage in the early stages of cardiomyopathy in muscular dystrophies (MD). BACKGROUND: Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disease that involves skeletal and cardiac tissues of humans. Cardiomyopathy is common, and death secondary to cardiac or respiratory diseases occurs early in life. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance is a reliable method for assessing global and regional cardiac function, allowing also for the detection of myocardial fibrosis (MF). METHODS: Ten patients with Duchenne or Becker dystrophies were studied by CMR. Physical examination, Chagas disease serological tests, electrocardiogram, chest radiograph, total creatine kinase, and Doppler echocardiogram were also obtained in all patients. RESULTS: Patients with MF had a lower ejection fraction than those without. Myocardial fibrosis (midwall and/or subepicardial) was observed in 7 of the 10 patients, and the lateral wall was the most commonly involved segment. There was moderate correlation between segmental MF and dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance can identify MF and may be useful for detecting the early stages of cardiomyopathy in MD. Future work will be needed to evaluate whether CMR can influence cardiomyopathy and outcomes.

Left ventricle diastolic dysfunction in diabetes: an update.

Diabetes mellitus, a disease that has been reaching epidemic proportions, is an important risk factor to the development of cardiovascular complication. Diabetes causes changes within the cardiac structure and function, even in the absence of atherosclerotic disease. The left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (VE) represents the earliest pre-clinical manifestation of diabetic cardiomyopathy, preceding the systolic dysfunction and being able to evolve to symptomatic heart failure. The doppler echocardiography has emerged as an important noninvasive diagnostic tool, providing reliable data in the stages of diastolic function, as well as for systolic function. With the advent of recent echocardiographic techniques, such as tissue Doppler and color M-mode, the accuracy in identifying the moderate diastolic dysfunction, the pseudonormal pattern, has significantly improved. Due to cardio-metabolic repercussions of DM, a detailed evaluation of cardiovascular function in diabetic patients is important, and some alterations may be seen even in patients with gestational diabetes.

Left ventricle diastolic dysfunction in diabetes: an update

Diabetes mellitus, a disease that has been reaching epidemic proportions, is an important risk factor to the development of cardiovascular complication. Diabetes causes changes within the cardiac structure and function, even in the absence of atherosclerotic disease. The left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (VE) represents the earliest pre-clinical manifestation of diabetic cardiomyopathy, preceding the systolic dysfunction and being able to evolve to symptomatic heart failure. The doppler echocardiography has emerged as an important noninvasive diagnostic tool, providing reliable data in the stages of diastolic function, as well as for systolic function. With the advent of recent echocardiographic techniques, such as tissue Doppler and color M-mode, the accuracy in identifying the moderate diastolic dysfunction, the pseudonormal pattern, has significantly improved. Due to cardiometabolic repercussions of DM, a detailed evaluation of cardiovascular function in diabetic patients is important, and some alterations may be seen even in patients with gestational diabetes.

O Diabetes Mellitus (DM), doença que vem atingindo proporções epidêmicas, é um importante fator de risco para o desenvolvimento de complicação cardiovascular. O DM leva a alterações cardíacas estruturais e funcionais, mesmo na ausência de doença aterosclerótica. A disfunção diastólica do ventrículo esquerdo (VE) representa a manifestação pré-clínica mais precoce da cardiomiopatia diabética, precedendo a disfunção sistólica e podendo progredir para insuficiência cardíaca sintomática. O Doppler ecocardiograma tem se mostrado uma importante ferramenta diagnóstica não-invasiva, fornecendo dados confiáveis dos estágios da função diastólica do VE, assim como da função sistólica. Com o advento de recentes técnicas de ecocardiografia, como o Doppler tecidual e o color M-mode, a acurácia em identificar a disfunção diastólica moderada, padrão pseudonormal, aumentou significativamente. Frente às repercussões cardiometabólicas do DM, é importante uma avaliação detalhada da função cardiovascular dos pacientes diabéticos, sendo que algumas alterações podem ser vistas até mesmo em pacientes com o diabetes gestacional.

[Function of the left atrium in Chagas' cardiomyopathy]. / Função do átrio esquerdo na miocardiopatia chagásica.

OBJECTIVE: To study the function of the left atrium in carriers of dilated cardiomyopathy of chagasic etiology and relate it to the diastolic function and to the functional class. METHODS: We studied 75 chagasic with cardiomyopathy patients from July to 1999 to May to 2001, submitted to clinical exams, electrocardiogram and transesophageal echocardiogram. The left atrium function was assessed by means of the velocities in the left atrial appendix and the atrial reverse in the pulmonary vein. The control group consisted of 20 normal patients. RESULTS: The age was 48 +/- 13 years old and 69% were men. Most of patients (88%) were in functional classes I and II, under a conventional treatment for cardiac insufficiency. The fraction of ejection of the left ventricle was 39 +/- 13%. The indicators of diastolic function associate to those of systolic function and the functional class. Patients with pseudonormal or restrictive pattern of diastolic dysfunction presented a larger diameter of the left atrium, lower flow velocities in the left atrial appendix and a longer duration of the atrial reverse. There was no difference among the patients with normal pattern and abnormal diastolic relaxation in relation to the control group. CONCLUSION: The left atrial function is an important parameter in the assessment of patients with chagasic myocardiopathy and it is related to the systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricle.

Funcão do átrio esquerdo na miocardiopatia chagásica / Function of the left atrium in the Chagas' cardiomyopathy

OBJETIVO: Estudar a funcão do átrio esquerdo em portadores de miocardiopatia dilatada de etiologia chagásica e correlacioná-la à funcão diastólica e à classe funcional. MÉTODOS: Estudados 75 portadores de miocardiopatia chagásica de julho de 1999 a maio de 2001, submetidos a exame clínico, eletrocardiograma e ecocardiograma transesofágico. A funcão do átrio esquerdo foi avaliada por meio das velocidades no apêndice atrial esquerdo e do reverso atrial na veia pulmonar. O grupo controle constou de 20 pacientes normais. RESULTADOS: A idade foi de 48n13 anos e 69 por cento eram homens. A maioria dos pacientes estava em classe funcional I e II (88 por cento), em tratamento convencional para insuficiência cardíaca. A fracão de ejecão do ventrículo esquerdo foi de 39n13 por cento. Os indicadores de funcão diastólica associaram-se aos de funcão sistólica e à classe funcional. Os portadores de padrão pseudonormal ou restritivo de disfuncão diastólica apresentavam maior diâmetro do átrio esquerdo, menores velocidades do fluxo no apêndice atrial esquerdo, e maior duracão do reverso atrial. Não houve diferenca entre os pacientes com padrão normal e relaxamento diastólico anormal em relacão ao grupo controle. CONCLUSAO: A funcão atrial esquerda constitui um importante parâmetro na avaliacão dos pacientes com miocardiopatia chagásica, e relaciona-se às funcões sistólica e diastólica do ventrículo esquerdo.

Valor prognóstico da disfunção diatólica em pacientes com miocardiopatia dilatada chagásica / Prognostic value of the diastolic dysfunction in patients with dilated chaga's cardiomyopathy

RESUMO: O determinante fundamental do prognóstico na doença de Chagas é o acometimento cardíaco. Entretanto, a história natural da cardiopatia chagásica não é bem definida, tornando-se importante identificar marcadores prognósticos relacionados à pior evolução. O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar o significado prognóstico da função diastólica na miocardiopatia dilatada chagásica. Os elegíveis para o estudo foram pacientes que apre-sentavam pelo menos duas reações sorológicas positivas para Trypanosoma cruzi e com miocamíopatia diagnosticada pelo Doppler ecocardiograma,sem outras patologias concomitantes. O estudo iniciou em julho de 1999 quando foram recrutados 75 pacientes para submeterem ao ecocardiograma transtorácico e transesofágico, até maio de 2001. Após a análise deste trabalho preliminar, o estudo prosseguiu, com a entrada de 18 novos pacientes,avaliados através do ecocardiograma transtorácico, terminando em janeiro de 2003. A variável de desfecho foi morte de origem cardiaca. O critério de término do acompanhamento foi morte ou conclusão do estudo. A história clínica, exame físico, eletrocardiograma foram obtidos em todos. O Doppler ecocardiograma foi empregado para quantificação objetiva da lesão miocárdica, avaliando as funções sistólica e diastólica. O grupo estudado constituiu-se de 59 homens (63,4 por cento) e 34 mulheres (36,6 por cento) com idade média de 47,3+-12,9 anos. Os pacientes foram acompanhados durante 21,1+-10,8 meses. Houve 15 mortes, todas de origem cardíaca. Um paciente desligou-se do estudo. A mortalidade associou-se aos pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca, avaliada pela classe funcional da NYHA (RR=12,3; IC=4,3-35,3; p=O,OOO) e sinais clínicos de congestão venosa sistêmica (RR=5,5;IC=1,9-16,3; p=0,002). Não houve diferença quanto às alterações do eletrocardíograma entre os grupos. Todas as variáveis que avaliaram o grau de comprometimento da função sistólica do ventrículo esquerdo, como diametros, áreas e volumes, foram diferentes entre os grupos. A fração de ejeção foi importante parametro preditor de morte (RR=0,9; IC=O, 8-0,9; p=O, 000). A função diastólica do ventrículo esquerdo se associou à disfunção sistólica(p

Volume de átrio esquerdo como preditor de morte em miocardiopatia chagásica dilatada / Left atrial volume as a predictor of death in chaga's dilated cardiomyopathy

RESUMO: A disfunção diastólica é fator prognóstico na miocardiopatia dilatada. O volume do átrio esquerdo (VAE) constitui um índice independente na avaliação de risco cardiovascular, correlacionando-se com a gravidade da disfunção diastólica. Todavia,a análise em conjunto do VAE e da função diastólica em pacientes com miocardiopatía Chagásica (MCh) ainda não foi descrita. Objetivo: Correlacionar o VAE com a função diastólica empacientes portadores de MCh. Métodos: Foram analisados os dados 60 pacientes com MCh de 1999 a 2002. História clínica, ECG, ecocardiogramas transtorácico (ETT) e transesofágico (ETE) foram obtidos. A função diastólica foi avaliada pela análise dos fluxos mitral e venoso pulmonar. O VAE foi obtido pelo método de área-comprimento em dois planos. O seguimento foi de 23+ - 10 meses e a variável de desfecho foi morte cardíaca. Resultados:A idade foi de 47+ - 13 anos com 43 homens e 18 mulheres. Cinqüenta e três pacientes estavam em classe funcional I e II da NYHA e 8 em classe III e IV.A fração de ejeção (FE) do VE foi de 40 + -12 por cento. A função diastólica foi normal em 25 por cento dos pacientes, RDA ocorreu em 31 por cento, Pseudonormal em 16 por centoe padrão restritivo em 13 por cento. Em 15 por cento a diástole não pode ser analisada. O VAE foi de 47+ - 2 ml/m2 Durante o seguimento, 10 pacientes morreram decausa cardíaca (50 por cento de forma súbita). O VAE foi um preditor de morte (RR= 1,061; IC 95 por cento: 1,025-1,099, p=0,001) e se associou à classe funcional(p=O,01). A disfunção diastólica associou-se ao VAE, sendo que o aumento do VAE acompánhou a gravidade da disfunção diastólica (p<0,001). Houve correlação entre o diâmetro do AE e seu volume (r=O,6; p=0,001). A velocidade de ejeção do fluxo no apêndice atrial esquerdo foi outro parâmetro que se correlacionou com o volume atrial (r=-0,7;p=0,001). Conclusão: O VAE associou-se com a disfunção diastólica e classe funcional em pacientescm MCh. O VAE mostrou-se ainda um importante preditor de morte nestes pacientes.

Morphofunctional characteristics of the right ventricle in Chagas' dilated cardiomyopathy.

Right ventricular involvement is a typical characteristic of Chagas' disease, and it has been described especially in the early stages of the disease. However, the role of right ventricular dysfunction in cardiac failure due to Chagas' cardiomyopathy has not been well established. Seventy-four patients with positive serology tests for Trypanosoma cruzi and Chagas' dilated cardiomyopathy characterized by left ventricular dilatation and systolic dysfunction were studied. Clinical history, physical exam, ECG, chest X-ray and Doppler echocardiogram with color flow mapping were obtained in all. Mean age was 47.5+/-12.9 and 51 were males (69%). Sixty-five patients (88%) were in NYHA functional classes I and II. Mild systolic dysfunction was present in 35 (47%) while in 18 (24%), dysfunction was moderate and in 21 (28%) it was severe. In 43 patients (58%), only the left ventricle was involved by echocardiographic criteria; the remaining 31 patients (42%) showed biventricular involvement. No patient had isolated involvement of the right ventricle. Greater dilation of the right ventricle was associated with larger diastolic (p<0.002) and systolic (p<0.001) diameters of the left ventricle. Systolic pulmonary artery pressure was obtained non-invasively in 54 patients. Pulmonary hypertension was associated with right ventricular dilation (p<0.005) and with systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle (p<0.001). In this group of patients with Chagas' dilated cardiomyopathy, right ventricular dysfunction was present when there was associated and significant involvement of the left ventricle and with higher levels of pulmonary pressure.