Trends in transcatheter aortic valve implantation practice and clinical outcomes at an Irish tertiary referral centre.

OBJECTIVE: A paucity of data exists on how transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) practice has evolved in Ireland. This study sought to analyse temporal trends in patient demographics, procedural characteristics, and clinical outcomes at an Irish tertiary referral centre. METHODS: The prospective Mater TAVI database was divided into time tertiles based on when TAVI was performed: Group A, November 2008-April 2013; Group B, April 2013-September 2017; and Group C, September 2017-February 2022. Patient and procedural characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared across groups. RESULTS: A total of 1063 (Group A, 59; Group B, 268; and Group C:, 736) patients were treated with TAVI during the study period (mean age 81.1±7.4, mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons score 5.9±5.1).Conscious sedation (Group A, 0%; Group B, 59.9%; and Group C, 90.2%, p<0.001) and femoral artery access (Group A, 76.3%; Group B, 90.7%; and Group C, 96.6%, p<0.001) were used more frequently over time. The median length of hospital stay reduced from 9 days (IQR 7, 18) in Group A to 2 days (IQR 2, 3) in Group C. In-hospital death was numerically higher in Group A compared with Group C (6.8% vs 1.9%, p=0.078). At 1-year follow-up, the rate of death and/or stroke was similar in Group A and Group C (20.3% vs 12.0%, adjusted HR 1.49, 95% CI (0.59 to 3.74)). CONCLUSION: There was exponential growth in TAVI procedural volume during the study period. A minimalist approach to TAVI emerged, and this was associated with significantly shorter procedure duration and hospital stay. Clinical outcomes at 1-year follow-up did not change significantly over time.

Correlation of aortic valve annular plane assessment by on-table three-dimensional rotational angiography and preprocedural computed tomography.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the correlation between the aortic valve annular plane (AVAP) obtained by preprocedural computed tomography (CT) with on-table three-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA), in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). BACKGROUND: Accurate assessment of the AVAP is critical during TAVR procedures to enable optimal positioning and minimize complications. Most commonly, preprocedural CT has been used to determine the AVAP. However, this can differ from the actual AVAP obtained during the TAVR procedure. METHODS: Consecutive TAVR patients at a single center undergoing both preprocedural CT and 3DRA were included in the study. The AVAP assessment by CT was performed using 3mensio software (Pie Medical Imaging). 3DRA assessment was performed using DynaCT (Siemens). RESULTS: A total of 100 patients were included in the analysis. A difference of ≥5° and ≥10° in both the LAO/RAO and cranial/caudal components of the AVAP projection angle as assessed by CT and 3DRA was recorded in 39% and 10% of patients, respectively. The concordance correlation coefficient for the LAO/RAO and cranial/caudal implantation angles was 0.519 (95% CI: 0.377-0.661) and 0.558 (95% CI: 0.432-0.684), respectively. CONCLUSION: Correlation between preprocedural CT and on-table 3DRA in the prediction of the actual AVAP at the time of TAVR implantation is moderate.

Clinical experience with trans-catheter aortic valve implantation at a tertiary hospital in the Republic of Ireland.

INTRODUCTION: There is a paucity of published data on the clinical experience with trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in the Republic of Ireland. We sought to examine the clinical outcomes of patients with medium-term follow-up treated with TAVI at our institution. METHODS: A prospective TAVI registry was used to assess the baseline demographics, procedural variables and clinical outcomes of patients treated with TAVI between the inception of the programme in 2008 and November 2017. RESULTS: A total of 354 patients (mean age 80.9 ± 8.1 years, 58% male, mean STS score 6.1 ± 4.3%) were treated during the study period. Major in-hospital outcomes included in-lab death (n = 2, 0.6%), stroke (n = 8, 2.2%), device embolisation (n = 4, 1.2%), permanent pacemaker implantation (n = 22, 6.2%) and major vascular complication (n = 2, 0.6%). The median length of hospital stay was 4 days (IQR 2-8 days). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of freedom from death at 30 days and 1 year for the entire cohort was 97 ± 1% and 85.4 ± 2.3%, respectively. Trans-femoral access was associated with a significantly lower rate of death and/or stroke at 1 year compared to trans-apical access (84.9 ± 2.4% versus 60 ± 8.9%, p = 0.0005). There was no significant difference in freedom from death and/or stroke at 1 year between balloon-expandable and self-expanding valves (81.6 ± 2.6% versus 84.4 ± 7.4%, p = 0.63). CONCLUSION: This study documents low complication rates and favourable rates of survival following TAVI in a consecutive series of patients undergoing TAVI at a tertiary referral centre in the Republic of Ireland. These data support the application of this therapy in the Irish context.

Transaortic TAVI Is a Valid Alternative to Transapical Approach.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) can be performed via a number of different anatomical approaches based on patient characteristics and operator choice. The aim of this study was to compare procedural outcomes between transaortic (TAo) and transapical (TA) approaches in an effort to establish whether any differences exist. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the current literature reporting outcomes for patients undergoing TAo and TA TAVI was performed to compare outcomes using each vascular approach to valve deployment. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies and 1736 patients were included. A total of 193 patients underwent TAo and 1543 TA TAVI. No significant difference in 30-day mortality was identified (TAo 9.4, TA 10.4 p = 0.7). There were no significant differences identified between TAo and TA TAVI in procedural success rate (96.3% vs. 93.7% p = 0.3), stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) incidence (1.8% vs. 2.3% p = 0.7), major bleed (5.8% vs. 5.5% p = 0.97) or pacemaker insertion rates (6.1% vs. 7.4% p = 0.56). In addition, the incidence of clinically significant paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) was the same between groups (6.7% vs. 11% p = 0.43). CONCLUSION: Comparison of TAo and TA approaches revealed equivalent outcomes in 30-day mortality, procedural success, major bleeding, stroke/TIA incidence, pacemaker insertion rates and paravalvular leak. Heart teams should be familiar with the use of both TA and TAo access and tailor their selection on a case-to-case basis.

Is local anesthesia the optimum strategy in retrograde transcatheter aortic valve implantation? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Retrograde transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) can be performed under local anesthesia (LA) or general anesthesia (GA); however, a wide variation in practice exists. METHODS: PubMed was searched between 2009 and 2013. Data were extracted from eligible studies. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed using DerSimonian Laird between-study variance. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference identified between groups based on age or EuroSCORE. There was no statistically significant difference seen in all-cause mortality, or complication rates between groups. Mean procedural duration was 36 minutes shorter in the LA group (p = 0.001). There was increased vasopressor use in the GA group (odds ratio 3.92; p = 0.017). Mean hospital stay was 3.41 days shorter in the LA group (p = 0.018). CONCLUSION: Results suggest that the use of LA for retrograde TAVI is feasible. There are several potential benefits associated, shorter procedural duration, and hospital stay with lower vasopressor requirements. Further studies and randomized trials are mandatory to confirm the presented findings and to identify those patients for whom LA would be appropriate.

Is valve choice a significant determinant of paravalular leak post-transcatheter aortic valve implantation? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is associated with poor survival. The two main valve delivery systems used to date differ significantly in both structure and deployment technique. The primary objective of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies identifying PVR in patients post-TAVI using Medtronic CoreValve (MCV) and Edward Sapien (ES) valves in order to identify whether a significant difference exists between valve types. The secondary objective was to identify additional factors predisposing to PVR to provide an overview of the other associated considerations. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the current literature to identify PVR rate in patients with MCV and ES valves was performed. We also sought to examine other factors predisposing to PVR. RESULTS: A total of 5910 patients were identified from 9 studies. PVR rates for MCV and ES were analysed. MCV was associated with a higher PVR rate of 15.75% [95% confidence interval (CI) 12.48-19.32] compared with ES 3.93% [95% CI 1.05-8.38]. We separately reviewed predisposing factors associated with PVR. A formal comparison of the MCV and ES valve leakage rates by mixed-effects meta-regression with a fixed-effect moderator variable for valve type (MCV or ES) suggested a statistically significant difference in leakage rate between the two valve types (P = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: Unfavourable anatomical and pathological factors as well as valve choice have an impact on rates of PVR. Additionally, certain anatomical features dictate valve choice. A direct comparison of all the predisposing factors at this time is not possible and will require prospective multivariate analysis. There is, however, a significant difference in the PVR rates between valves based on the published observational data available to date. The ES valve associated with a lower incidence of PVR overall; therefore, we conclude that valve choice is indeed a significant determinant of PVR post-TAVI.

The Brady Bunch? New evidence for nominative determinism in patients' health: retrospective, population based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain whether a name can influence a person's health, by assessing whether people with the surname "Brady" have an increased prevalence of bradycardia. DESIGN: Retrospective, population based cohort study. SETTING: One university teaching hospital in Dublin, Ireland. PARTICIPANTS: People with the surname "Brady" in Dublin, determined through use of an online telephone directory. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Prevalence of participants who had pacemakers inserted for bradycardia between 1 January 2007 and 28 February 2013. RESULTS: 579 (0.36%) of 161,967 people who were listed on the Dublin telephone listings had the surname "Brady." The proportion of pacemaker recipients was significantly higher among Bradys (n=8, 1.38%) than among non-Bradys (n=991, 0.61%; P=0.03). The unadjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for pacemaker implantation among individuals with the surname Brady compared with individuals with other surnames was 2.27 (1.13 to 4.57). CONCLUSIONS: Patients named Brady are at increased risk of needing pacemaker implantation compared with the general population. This finding shows a potential role for nominative determinism in health.

A global perspective on psychosocial risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Worldwide, there is variation in the incidence CVD with the greater burden being borne by low and middle-income countries. Traditional risk factors do not fully explain the CVD risk in populations, and there is increasing awareness of the impact the social environment and psychological factors have on CVD incidence and outcomes. The measurement of psychosocial variables is uniquely complex as variables are difficult to define objectively and local understanding of psychosocial risk factors may be subject to cultural influences. Notwithstanding this, there is a growing evidence base for the independent role they play in the pathogenesis of CVD. Consistent associations have been seen for general psychological stress, work-related stress, locus of control and depression with CVD risk. Despite the strength of this association the results from behavioural and pharmacological interventions have not clearly resulted in improved outcomes.

Deficiencies in patients' comprehension of implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy.

BACKGROUND: Patients receive education before implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation. Patients' understanding of ICD therapy requires investigation. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was carried out at two implant centers where patients are educated during a consenting process pre-ICD implantation. Questionnaires examining understanding of ICD therapy were completed during telephone interviews of patients with ICDs. RESULTS: Of 75 patients interviewed, 62 (83%) were male. The median age at time of ICD implantation was 64 years (standard deviation [SD] = 9.4; range: 29-82 years). The median interval from implantation to interview was 3 years (SD = 1.9; range: 0.1-9.0 years). Despite 83% (62 of 75) claiming to understand the reason for ICD implantation, no patient suggested arrhythmia termination when describing the indication. Of shock recipients, 60% (12 of 20) felt poorly prepared for shock therapy. Of patients who experienced a device-related complication, 83% (10 of 12) reported feeling inadequately forewarned of complications. Excluding patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (n = 6), 65% (45 of 69), 52% (36 of 69), 50% (35 of 69), and 61% (42 of 69) believe their ICD reduces risk of heart attack and improves breathing, exercise capacity, and heart function, respectively. Ninety-three percent (70 of 75) are satisfied with their decision to accept ICD therapy. Only 12% (9 of 75) believe they will want to inactivate therapies in setting of terminal illness. CONCLUSIONS: Despite preimplantation education, patient comprehension of the risks and benefits of ICD therapy is poor. Patients' expectations of ICD therapy may be inappropriate. Education strategies before and after implantation require improvement.

The Dublin cardiac arrest registry: temporal improvement in survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest reflects improved pre-hospital emergency care.

AIMS: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) survival remains poor, estimated at 3-7%. We aim to describe the incidence of OOHCA, survival from OOHCA, and the impact of improved pre-hospital care on survival from OOHCA. METHODS AND RESULTS: A retrospective registry was established using multi-source information to assess survival from cardiac arrest following the introduction of several improvements in pre-hospital emergency medical care from 2003. Survival from OOHCA, from asystole/pulseless electrical activity, and from ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation was estimated. Adjusted per 100 000 population annual incidence rates from national population census data were calculated. Mean and median emergency medical services (EMS) response times to OOHCA calls were assessed. A total of 962 OOHCAs occurred from 1 January 2003 until 31 December 2008. Sixty-nine per cent (69%, n = 664) were male. Seventy-two per cent (72%, n = 693) occurred at home with 28% occurring in a public venue. Of these public venues, 33.9% (91 of 268) had an automated external defibrillator available. Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was in progress when emergency services arrived in 11% (n = 106) of the cases. Nineteen per cent (19.4%, n = 187) had a known prior cardiac history or chest pain prior to circulatory collapse. Overall survival to hospital discharge improved significantly from 2.6 to 11.3%, P = 0.001. Survival from ventricular fibrillation (VF) to hospital admission, rose from 28.6 to 86.3%, P = 0.001. Survival to hospital discharge from VF improved from 21.4 to 33%, P = 0.007. Mean EMS response times to the scene of arrest decreased from 9.18 to 8.34 min. Emergency medical services scene time, reflecting acute pre-hospital medical care, rose from 14.46 to 18.12 min. The adjusted incidence of OOHCA for our catchment population declined from 109.4 to 88.2 per 100,000 population between 2003 and 2008. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of OOHCA has declined but importantly, survival to hospital discharge has improved dramatically. Reduction in ambulance response time, resulting in earlier initiation of basic and advanced life support and earlier defibrillation, was associated with an increase in the proportion of victims found in VF rather than asystole and likely accounted for most of the improvement. Further improvements in response times and public education to improve bystander CPR rates should remain a priority.

Contemporary management of and outcomes from cardiac device related infections.

AIMS: To describe the incidence and management of cardiac device infection. Infection is a serious, potentially fatal complication of device implantation. The numbers of device implants and infections are rising. Optimal care of device infection is not well defined. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively identified cases of device infection at our institution between 2000 and 2007 by multiple source record review, and active surveillance. Device infection was related to demographics, clinical, and procedural characteristics. Descriptive analysis was performed. From 2000 to 2007, a total of 2029 permanent pacemakers and 1076 biventricular/implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) or ICDs were implanted. Thirty-nine cases of confirmed device infections were identified--27 pacemaker and 12 bivent/ICD or ICD infections, giving an infection rate of 1.25%. Median time from implant or revision to presentation was 150 days (range 2915 days, IQR25% 35-IQR75% 731). Ninety percent of patients presented with generator-site infections. The most common organism was methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (30.8%), followed by coagulase negative Staphylococcus (20.5%). Complete device extraction occurred in 82%. Of these, none had relapse, and mortality was 7.4% (n = 2/27). With partial removal or conservative therapy (n = 13), relapse occurred in 67% (n = 8/12), with mortality of 8.4% (n = 1/12). Median duration of antibiotics was 42 days (range 47 days, IQR25% 28-IQR75% 42 days). Re-implantation of a new device occurred in 54%, at a median of 28 days (range 73 days, IQR25% 8.5-IQR75% 35 days). Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus infection predicted mortality (P < 0.004, RR 37, 95% CI 5.3-250). Median follow-up was 36 months. CONCLUSION: Cardiac device infection is a rare complication, with significant morbidity and mortality. Complete hardware removal with appropriate duration of antimicrobial therapy results in the best outcomes for patients.

Transcriptome of hypertension-induced left ventricular hypertrophy and its regression by antihypertensive therapies.

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), a common consequence of systemic hypertension associated with poor clinical outcome, is also a potentially reversible condition. Here, we probed the molecular pathways that underpin the development of LVH and their modulation by antihypertensive regimens that reversed LVH. Spontaneously hypertensive rats were studied at 12 (early LVH) and 48 weeks (late LVH), respectively, with normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats as age-matched controls. Three treatment groups were maintained for 36 weeks on the following regimens: (1) quinapril, (2) doxazosin and quinapril combination, and (3) losartan. Gene expression profiling was performed with Affymetrix microarrays (GeneChip Rat-230A) and primary function-focused average linkage hierarchical cluster analysis. Of the 15 696 gene sequences expressed on the Affymetrix GeneChip Rat-230A, there was significant alteration in the expression of 295 (1.9%) of these transcripts in 'early' LVH and 143 (0.9%) in 'late' LVH. The predominant changes in gene expression were seen in metabolism, cell growth/proliferation, signal transduction, development and muscle contraction/cytoskeleton functional groups. Although sharing many effects on gene expression, the three treatments showed different expression profiles. Despite significant regression of LVH with treatment, 31 LVH-associated transcripts were unchanged by any of the treatment groups. Our data suggest that LVH regression does not normalize the LVH transcriptome. Therefore, regression of hypertension-induced LVH is associated with a distinct gene expression profile, suggesting the effect of both treatment and a previously unknown specific myocardial physiology after regression of LVH.

Dobutamine stress echo-induced apical ballooning (Takotsubo) syndrome.

AIMS: We report a case of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) resulting in transient apical ballooning syndrome to highlight this rare condition as a potential complication of DSE. BACKGROUND: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or transient apical ballooning syndrome, is a recently described form of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction induced by stress. Clinically it can mimic acute coronary syndrome in its presentation. It is characterized by an atypical distribution of LV dysynergy with apical ballooning and compensatory basal hyperkinesis. Coronary angiography is normal. It has preponderance in females. Although the aetiology of Takotsubo syndrome remains obscure catecholamine release appears to be the principal trigger. RESULTS: We report a case of dobutamine-induced transient LV apical ballooning in a woman without coronary disease, during a dobutamine stress echocardiogram. There was evidence of ventricular recovery by 72 h. To our knowledge, only three other case reports describe dobutamine-induced Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. CONCLUSION: Dobutamine stress echocardiography is a widely performed diagnostic test, however, it can rarely result in presumed catecholamine-induced transient apical ballooning syndrome.

Pseudo atrial flutter.

Atrial flutter typically has a cycle length of 200 ms (300 cycles/min or 5 Hz); with 4:1 conduction through the AV node, this would lead to a ventricular rate of 75 bpm. We present a case of a patient with a Parkinsonian tremor at a frequency of 300 cycles/min that masqueraded as atrial flutter on the limb leads of a 12-lead ECG. He had presented with a respiratory tract infection and his bedside rhythm monitor appeared to show atrial flutter. This appeared consistent on a printed (lead II) rhythm strip. His intrinsic sinus rate was coincidentally 75 bpm, which added to the confusion in the initial assessment of his rhythm (mistaken to be atrial flutter with 4:1 AV conduction). Advice was sought regarding management of his atrial 'arrhythmia' and the appropriateness of anticoagulation and cardioversion. A 12-lead ECG was performed and assessment of this revealed normal sinus rhythm. He therefore avoided unnecessary therapy.