Analysis of a nurse-provided on-call peritoneal dialysis support in an outpatient reference care centre.

BACKGROUND: To analyse the nature of medical or technical emergency issues of ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients calling a nurse-provided emergency PD support service of a reference centre that is provided all year in the after-hours. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed patients' chief complaint, urgency, resolution of and association to current PD treatment and modality directed to an on-call nurse-provided PD support service from 2015-2021 based on routinely collected health data. Calls were systematically categorized being technical/procedural-, medical-, material-related or type of correspondence. Call urgency was categorized to have "immediate consequence", inquiry was eligible for "processing next working day" or whether there was "no need for further action". Call outcomes were classified according to whether patients were able to initiate, resume or finalize their treatments or whether additional interventions were required. Unexpected adverse events such as patients' acute hospitalization or need for nurses' home visits were evaluated and quantified. RESULTS: In total 753 calls were documented. Most calls were made around 7:30 a.m. (5:00-9:00; median, 25-75th CI) and 6:30 p.m. (5:00-8:15). 645 calls were assigned to continuous ambulatory- (CAPD) or automated PD (APD). Of those, 430 calls (66.7%) had an "immediate consequence". Of those 77% (N = 331) were technical/procedural-, 12.8% (N = 55) medical- and 6.3% (N = 27) material related issues. 4% (N = 17) were categorized as other correspondence. Issues disrupting the course of PD were identified in 413 cases. In 77.5% (N = 320) patients were able to initiate, resume or finalize their treatment after phone consultation. Last-bag exchange was used in 6.1% enabling continued therapy in 83.6%. In 35 cases a nurse visit at patients' home or patients' visit to the practice at the earliest possible date were required, while hospitalization was required in seven medical category cases (5.4% and 1.09% of total assessed calls, respectively). CONCLUSION: The on-call PD-nurse provides patient support for acute and imminent issues enabling them to successfully initiate, resume or finalize their prescribed treatment. Nurses triage of acute conditions facilitated rapid diagnostics and therapy. Maintaining quality PD homecare, the provision of trained personnel is indispensable. The information gathered in this study may therefore be used as a foundation to tailor educational programs for nephrology nurses and doctors to further develop their competencies in PD.

Catheter navigation by intracardiac echocardiography enables zero-fluoroscopy linear lesion formation and bidirectional cavotricuspid isthmus block in patients with typical atrial flutter.

INTRODUCTION: One of the most helpful aspects of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) implementation in electrophysiological studies (EPS) is the real-time visualisation of catheters and cardiac structures. In this prospective study, we investigated ICE-guided zero-fluoroscopy catheter navigation during radiofrequency (RF) ablation of the cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) in patients with typical atrial flutter (AFL). METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty consecutive patients (mean age 72.9 ± 11.4 years, 23 male) with ongoing (n = 23) or recent CTI-dependent AFL underwent an EPS, solely utilizing ICE for catheter navigation. Zero-fluoroscopy EPS could be successfully accomplished in all patients. Mean EPS duration was 41.4 ± 19.9 min, and mean ablation procedure duration was 20.8 ± 17.1 min. RF ablation was applied for 6.0 ± 3.1 min (50W, irrigated RF ablation). Echocardiographic parameters, such as CTI length, prominence of the Eustachian ridge (ER), and depth of the CTI pouch on the ablation plane, were assessed to analyse their correlation with EPS- or ablation procedure duration. The CTI pouch was shallower in patients with an ablation procedure duration above the median (4.8 ± 1.1 mm vs. 6.4 ± 0.9 mm, p = 0.04), suggesting a more lateral ablation plane in these patients, where the CTI musculature is stronger. CTI length or ER prominence above the respective median did not correlate with longer EPS duration. CONCLUSIONS: Zero-fluoroscopy CTI ablation guided solely by intracardiac echocardiography in patients with CTI-dependent AFL is feasible and safe. ICE visualisation may help to localise the optimal ablation plane, detect and correct poor tissue contact of the catheter tip, and recognise early potential complications during the ablation procedure.

Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin Cutoff Value Selection and Acute Kidney Injury Classification System Determine Phenotype Allocation and Associated Outcomes.

Background: We explored the extent to which neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) cutoff value selection and the acute kidney injury (AKI) classification system determine clinical AKI-phenotype allocation and associated outcomes. Methods: Cutoff values from ROC curves of data from two independent prospective cardiac surgery study cohorts (Magdeburg and Berlin, Germany) were used to predict Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcome (KDIGO)- or Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of kidney function, End-stage (RIFLE)-defined AKI. Statistical methodologies (maximum Youden index, lowest distance to [0, 1] in ROC space, sensitivity≍specificity) and cutoff values from two NGAL meta-analyses were evaluated. Associated risks of adverse outcomes (acute dialysis initiation and in-hospital mortality) were compared. Results: NGAL cutoff concentrations calculated from ROC curves to predict AKI varied according to the statistical methodology and AKI classification system (10.6-159.1 and 16.85-149.3 ng/mL in the Magdeburg and Berlin cohorts, respectively). Proportions of attributed subclinical AKI ranged 2%-33.0% and 10.1%-33.1% in the Magdeburg and Berlin cohorts, respectively. The difference in calculated risk for adverse outcomes (fraction of odds ratios for AKI-phenotype group differences) varied considerably when changing the cutoff concentration within the RIFLE or KDIGO classification (up to 18.33- and 16.11-times risk difference, respectively) and was even greater when comparing cutoff methodologies between RIFLE and KDIGO classifications (up to 25.7-times risk difference). Conclusions: NGAL positivity adds prognostic information regardless of RIFLE or KDIGO classification or cutoff selection methodology. The risk of adverse events depends on the methodology of cutoff selection and AKI classification system.

A Molecular Biomarker-Based Triage Approach for Targeted Treatment of Post-COVID-19 Syndrome Patients with Persistent Neurological or Neuropsychiatric Symptoms.

Approximately 30% of COVID-19 cases may experience chronic symptoms, known as post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS). Common PCS symptoms can include fatigue, cognitive impairment, and persistent physical, neurological, and neuropsychiatric complaints. To improve healthcare and management of the current and future pandemics, we highlight the need for establishing interdisciplinary post-viral outpatient clinics comprised of specialists in fields such as psychiatry, psychotherapy, neurology, cardiology, pneumology, and immunology. In this way, PCS patients with a high health burden can receive modern diagnostics and targeted therapeutic recommendations. A key objective is to distinguish the "sick recovered" from the "healthy recovered." Our hypothesis is that there is a PCS subgroup with autoimmune-mediated systemic and brain-vascular dysregulation, which may lead to circulatory disorders, fatigue, cognitive impairment, depression, and anxiety. This can be clarified using a combination of specific antibody diagnostics and precise clinical, psychological, and apparative testing.

Confusion in a patient with premature ventricular complexes originating in the left ventricular summit.

Background: Premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) originating in the ventricular outflow tracts are mostly of benign character. Case Summary: We describe a rare case of pulmonary hypertension with severe hypoxaemia and confusion caused by a significant mitral regurgitation (MR) during PVC originating in the left ventricle summit. After successful PVC ablation, all above-mentioned clinical parameters had normalized. Discussion: Premature ventricular complexes originating in the outflow tracts should be considered as a potential though rare cause of severe MR and pulmonary hypertension.

[Innovative facultative seminar concepts regarding clinical teaching and preparing practice-oriented phases, such as medical clerkships and the final clinical internship from a surgical perspective]. / Innovative fakultative Seminarkonzepte besonders klinisch-praktisch ausgerichteter Lehre zur Famulatur- und PJ-Vorbereitung aus spezifisch chirurgischer Sicht.

BACKGROUND: Practice-oriented phases, such as the mandatory clinical traineeships and the final clinical internship, are of great importance in the teaching curriculum and skilful learning of medical students. AIM: With respect to the practical phases, such as clinical clerkship and medical internship, the concept of two innovative courses to prepare and evaluate these crucial training sections is presented including initial experiences from teaching practice. METHOD: A narrative review is given. RESULTS: A common aim of facultatively initiated lectures is a better qualification of medical students to fulfil the requirements of clerkship and the last practical year of the study of human medicine to facilitate taking first steps towards professional work as a clinical physician, in particular, the self-confidence of the medical students is to be substantially increased. The experiences obtained during clerkship and the last practical year influence interest, motivation and final choice for a certain medical speciality. In that respect, this period is of great importance for the whole professional career. The content of the preparation courses for the first medical clerkships and the final clinical internship provide a valuable contribution to prepare for challenging clinical work as a physician with sole responsibility. In particular, they aim to introduce students to the concept of a multiprofessional and extensive patient care. Taking into account the different practical experiences obtained in previous study sections, students are taught according to the overall aim to achieve an interdisciplinary competence in clinical care. CONCLUSION: The improvement of teaching and optimized preparation for practical phases in medical studies promotes a more successful learning process during the clerkship and last practical year.

Relation of left atrial function with exercise capacity and muscle endurance in patients with heart failure.

AIMS: Both left atrial strain (LAS) and skeletal muscle endurance demonstrate a linear relationship to peak VO2 . Less is known about the relationship between central (cardiac) and peripheral (muscle endurance) limitations of exercise capacity in patients with heart failure (HF). We investigated this relationship using novel cardiac markers such as LAS and left atrial emptying fraction (LAEF). METHODS AND RESULTS: We analysed echocardiographic measurements, cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), and isokinetic muscle function in 55 subjects with HF and controls [17 heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), 18 heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), and 20 healthy controls]. Patients with reduced LAEF showed reduced peak VO2 : 14.3 ± 3.5 vs. 18.5 ± 3.5 mL/min/kg, P = 0.003, and reduced muscle endurance (RME): 64.3 ± 23.9 vs. 88.5 ± 32.3 Nm/kg, P = 0.028. Patients with reduced LAS showed similar results. Neither left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) nor left atrial volume index (LAVI) was associated with RME. The area under the curve of LAS and LAEF in patients with HF in association with RME were (0.76 vs. 0.80) with 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.59-0.96, P = 0.012 vs. 0.63-0.98, P = 0.006, respectively). In a multiple linear regression, LAEF and working load measured during CPET (watt) were independent factors for RME after adjusting for age, LVGLS, and 6 min walk test (6MWT) [LAEF (B: 0.09, 95% CI: 1.01; 1.18, P = 0.024), working load (B: 0.05, 95% CI: 1.01; 1.08, P = 0.006)]. Peak torque of the left leg was associated with E/LAS (E: early diastolic) in patients with HFpEF (r = -0.6, P = 0.020). Endurance of the left leg was associated with LAEF (r = 0.79, P = 0.001) in patients with HFrEF. CONCLUSIONS: LAS/LAEF are potential cardiac markers in demonstrating the link between cardiac and peripheral limitations of exercise capacity. Thus, integrating LAS/LAEF in the evaluation of exercise intolerance in patients with HF could be useful.

An Intra-Cycle Optimal Control Framework for Ventricular Assist Devices Based on Atrioventricular Plane Displacement Modeling.

A promising treatment for congestive heart failure is the implementation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) that works as a mechanical pump. Modern LVADs work with adjustable constant rotor speed and provide therefore continuous blood flow; however, recently undertaken efforts try to mimic pulsatile blood flow by oscillating the pump speed. This work proposes an algorithmic framework to construct and evaluate optimal pump speed policies with respect to generic objectives. We use a model that captures the atrioventricular plane displacement, which is a physiological indicator for heart failure. We employ mathematical optimization to adapt this model to patient specific data and to find optimal pump speed policies with respect to ventricular unloading and aortic valve opening. To this end, we reformulate the cardiovascular dynamics into a switched system and thereby reduce nonlinearities. We consider system switches that stem from varying the constant pump speed and that are state dependent such as valve opening or closing. As a proof of concept study, we personalize the model to a selected patient with respect to ventricular pressure. The model fitting results in a root-mean-square deviation of about 6 mmHg. The optimization that considers aortic valve opening and ventricular unloading results in speed modulation akin to counterpulsation. These in silico findings demonstrate the potential of personalized hemodynamical optimization for the LVAD therapy.

Predictive Value of Plasma NGAL:Hepcidin-25 for Major Adverse Kidney Events After Cardiac Surgery with Cardiopulmonary Bypass: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and hepcidin-25 are involved in catalytic iron-related kidney injury after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. We explored the predictive value of plasma NGAL, plasma hepcidin-25, and the plasma NGAL:hepcidin-25 ratio for major adverse kidney events (MAKE) after cardiac surgery. METHODS: We compared the predictive value of plasma NGAL, hepcidin-25, and plasma NGAL:hepcidin-25 with that of serum creatinine (Cr) and urinary output and protein for primary-endpoint MAKE (acute kidney injury [AKI] stages 2 and 3, persistent AKI >48 hours, acute dialysis, and in-hospital mortality) and secondary-endpoint AKI in 100 cardiac surgery patients at intensive care unit (ICU) admission. We performed ROC curve, logistic regression, and reclassification analyses. RESULTS: At ICU admission, plasma NGAL, plasma NGAL:hepcidin-25, plasma interleukin-6, and Cr predicted MAKE (area under the ROC curve [AUC]: 0.77, 0.79, 0.74, and 0.74, respectively) and AKI (0.73, 0.89, 0.70, and 0.69). For AKI prediction, plasma NGAL:hepcidin-25 had a higher discriminatory power than Cr (AUC difference 0.26 [95% CI 0.00-0.53]). Urinary output and protein, plasma lactate, C-reactive protein, creatine kinase myocardial band, and brain natriuretic peptide did not predict MAKE or AKI (AUC <0.70). Only plasma NGAL:hepcidin-25 correctly reclassified patients according to their MAKE and AKI status (category-free net reclassification improvement: 0.82 [95% CI 0.12-1.52], 1.03 [0.29-1.77]). After adjustment to the Cleveland risk score, plasma NGAL:hepcidin-25 ≥0.9 independently predicted MAKE (adjusted odds ratio 16.34 [95% CI 1.77-150.49], P=0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma NGAL:hepcidin-25 is a promising marker for predicting postoperative MAKE.

Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin Measured on Clinical Laboratory Platforms for the Prediction of Acute Kidney Injury and the Associated Need for Dialysis Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: The usefulness of measures of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in urine or plasma obtained on clinical laboratory platforms for predicting acute kidney injury (AKI) and AKI requiring dialysis (AKI-D) has not been fully evaluated. We sought to quantitatively summarize published data to evaluate the value of urinary and plasma NGAL for kidney risk prediction. STUDY DESIGN: Literature-based meta-analysis and individual-study-data meta-analysis of diagnostic studies following PRISMA-IPD guidelines. SETTING & STUDY POPULATIONS: Studies of adults investigating AKI, severe AKI, and AKI-D in the setting of cardiac surgery, intensive care, or emergency department care using either urinary or plasma NGAL measured on clinical laboratory platforms. SELECTION CRITERIA FOR STUDIES: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and congress abstracts ever published through February 2020 reporting diagnostic test studies of NGAL measured on clinical laboratory platforms to predict AKI. DATA EXTRACTION: Individual-study-data meta-analysis was accomplished by giving authors data specifications tailored to their studies and requesting standardized patient-level data analysis. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Individual-study-data meta-analysis used a bivariate time-to-event model for interval-censored data from which discriminative ability (AUC) was characterized. NGAL cutoff concentrations at 95% sensitivity, 95% specificity, and optimal sensitivity and specificity were also estimated. Models incorporated as confounders the clinical setting and use versus nonuse of urine output as a criterion for AKI. A literature-based meta-analysis was also performed for all published studies including those for which the authors were unable to provide individual-study data analyses. RESULTS: We included 52 observational studies involving 13,040 patients. We analyzed 30 data sets for the individual-study-data meta-analysis. For AKI, severe AKI, and AKI-D, numbers of events were 837, 304, and 103 for analyses of urinary NGAL, respectively; these values were 705, 271, and 178 for analyses of plasma NGAL. Discriminative performance was similar in both meta-analyses. Individual-study-data meta-analysis AUCs for urinary NGAL were 0.75 (95% CI, 0.73-0.76) and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.79-0.81) for severe AKI and AKI-D, respectively; for plasma NGAL, the corresponding AUCs were 0.80 (95% CI, 0.79-0.81) and 0.86 (95% CI, 0.84-0.86). Cutoff concentrations at 95% specificity for urinary NGAL were>580ng/mL with 27% sensitivity for severe AKI and>589ng/mL with 24% sensitivity for AKI-D. Corresponding cutoffs for plasma NGAL were>364ng/mL with 44% sensitivity and>546ng/mL with 26% sensitivity, respectively. LIMITATIONS: Practice variability in initiation of dialysis. Imperfect harmonization of data across studies. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary and plasma NGAL concentrations may identify patients at high risk for AKI in clinical research and practice. The cutoff concentrations reported in this study require prospective evaluation.

Expression of the Novel Cardiac Biomarkers sST2, GDF-15, suPAR, and H-FABP in HFpEF Patients Compared to ICM, DCM, and Controls.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains an ongoing therapeutic and diagnostic challenge to date. In this study we aimed for an analysis of the diagnostic potential of four novel cardiovascular biomarkers, GDF-15, H-FABP, sST2, and suPAR in HFpEF patients compared to controls as well as ICM, and DCM. METHODS: In total, we included 252 stable outpatients and controls (77 DCM, 62 ICM, 18 HFpEF, and 95 controls) in the present study. All patients were in a non-decompensated state and on a stable treatment regimen. Serum samples were obtained and analyzed for GDF-15 (inflammation, remodeling), H-FABP (ischemia and subclinical ischemia), sST2 (inflammation, remodeling) and suPAR (inflammation, remodeling) by means of ELISA. RESULTS: A significant elevation of GDF-15 was found for all heart failure entities compared to controls (p < 0.005). Similarly, H-FABP evidenced a significant elevation in all heart failure entities compared to the control group (p < 0.0001). Levels of sST2 were significantly elevated in ICM and DCM patients compared to the control group and HFpEF patients (p < 0.0001). Regarding suPAR, a significant elevation in ICM and DCM patients compared to the control group (p < 0.0001) and HFpEF patients (p < 0.01) was observed. An AUC analysis identified H-FABP (0.792, 95% CI 0.713-0.870) and GDF-15 (0.787, 95% CI 0.696-0.878) as paramount diagnostic biomarkers for HFpEF patients. CONCLUSION: Based on their differences in secretion patterns, novel cardiovascular biomarkers might represent a promising diagnostic tool for HFpEF in the future.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to idiopathic ventricular fibrillation in patients with normal electrocardiograms: results from a multicentre long-term registry.

AIMS: To define the clinical characteristics and long-term clinical outcomes of a large cohort of patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) and normal 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs). METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients with ventricular fibrillation as the presenting rhythm, normal baseline, and follow-up ECGs with no signs of cardiac channelopathy including early repolarization or atrioventricular conduction abnormalities, and without structural heart disease were included in a registry. A total of 245 patients (median age: 38 years; males 59%) were recruited from 25 centres. An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) was implanted in 226 patients (92%), while 18 patients (8%) were treated with drug therapy only. Over a median follow-up of 63 months (interquartile range: 25-110 months), 12 patients died (5%); in four of them (1.6%) the lethal event was of cardiac origin. Patients treated with antiarrhythmic drugs only had a higher rate of cardiovascular death compared to patients who received an ICD (16% vs. 0.4%, P = 0.001). Fifty-two patients (21%) experienced an arrhythmic recurrence. Age ≤16 years at the time of the first ventricular arrhythmia was the only predictor of arrhythmic recurrence on multivariable analysis [hazard ratio (HR) 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.18-0.92; P = 0.03]. CONCLUSION: Patients with IVF and persistently normal ECGs frequently have arrhythmic recurrences, but a good prognosis when treated with an ICD. Children are a category of IVF patients at higher risk of arrhythmic recurrences.

Intracardiac echocardiography versus fluoroscopy for endovascular and endocardial catheter navigation during cryo-ablation of the slow pathway in AVNRT patients.

BACKGROUND: A new zero-fluoroscopy technique for electrophysiology catheter navigation relying on intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) has been recently reported (Ice&ICE trial). We investigated potential differences in efficacy, safety or procedural performance between conventional fluoroscopy- and ICE-guided cryothermal ablation (CA) in symptomatic AVNRT patients. METHODS: Clinical and electrophysiological data of AVNRT patients included in the Ice&ICE trial (22 patients, 16 females; =zero-fluoroscopy group) were compared to those of consecutive AVNRT patients, who underwent fluoroscopy-guided CA (25 patients, 17 females; = fluoroscopy group) during the last 2 years in our institution. RESULTS: Slow pathway ablation or modulation was successful in all patients. Fluoroscopy time and radiation dose in the fluoroscopy group were 11.2 ± 9.0 min and 20.3 ± 16.2Gycm2, whereas no fluoroscopy was used in the opposite group (p <  0.001, respectively). EPS duration was not different between the groups (zero-fluoroscopy:101.6 ± 40.2 min, fluoroscopy:99.4 ± 37.2 min, p = n.s.). Catheter placement time was significantly shorter in the fluoroscopy group (2.2 ± 1.6 min vs. 12.0 ± 7.5 min, p <  0.05), whereas cryo-application duration (from the first cryo-mapping to the last CA) was significantly shorter in the zero-fluoroscopy group (27.5 ± 37.0 min vs. 38.1 ± 33.9 min, p <  0.05). Mean cryo-mapping and CA applications were numerically lower in the zero-fluoroscopy group (CM:7.5 ± 5.7 vs. 8.8 ± 6.2; CA:3.1 ± 1.7 vs. 3.2 ± 2.0, p = n.s.). No major adverse events occurred in both groups. After 15.0 ± 4.2 months, arrhythmia recurrence was not different between the groups (4.5% vs. 8.0%, p = n.s.). CONCLUSIONS: Zero-fluoroscopy ICE-guided EP catheter navigation shows comparable efficacy and safety to fluoroscopic guidance during CA in AVNRT patients. ICE visualization of catheters and endocardial structures within the triangle of Koch shortens the cryo-application duration, though time needed for catheter placement is longer, when compared with conventional fluoroscopic guidance, which results in similar mean EPS duration with both navigation techniques. TRIAL REGISTRATION: (German Clinical Trials Register ID: DRKS00011360 ; Registration Date 14.12.2016).

Cerebrovascular events, bleeding complications and device related thrombi in atrial fibrillation patients with chronic kidney disease and left atrial appendage closure with the WATCHMAN™ device.

BACKGROUND: Impaired renal function increases the bleeding risk, leading to a conservative prescription and frequent discontinuation of oral anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Interventional left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) might be an alternative therapeutic strategy for these patients. METHODS: We aimed to prospectively assess cerebrovascular (CE) and bleeding events, as well as peri-procedural and long-term complications in a cohort of consecutive patients undergoing interventional LAAC using the WATCHMAN™ device, with focus on CKD patients. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-nine consecutive patients undergoing interventional LAAC were included in this analysis; 171 (90.5%) patients had a reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; patients for each CKD stage: II = 66; IIIa = 32; IIIb = 43; IV = 18; V = 12). During a follow-up of 310 patient years three (1.0%) patients suffered a CE (two strokes, one transitory ischemic attack) and five (1.6%) other ones a bleeding complication. The observed stroke rate was more than two-thirds and the bleeding risk more than half lower than expected. Device related thrombi (DRT) were detected in twelve (6.5%) patients; women had significantly more DRT than men (12.5% vs. 2.6%; p = 0.009). Patients with an eGFR< 30 ml/min/1.73m2 showed a trend to a higher DRT rate as compared to the opposite group (13.3% vs. 5.1%; p = 0.10). Thrombus resolved with temporary oral anticoagulation therapy in ten patients without sequelae; thrombus consolidation was confirmed by serial TEE controls in the remaining two patients. CONCLUSIONS: Atrial fibrillation patients with CKD have low CE and bleeding rates after LAAC with the WATCHMAN™ device. DRT risk is higher in female and patients with severe CKD. More frequent post-interventional TEE controls might be justified for early DRT detection and safe management of patients at high DRT risk. TRIAL REGISTRATION: (German Clinical Trials Register ID: DRKS00 010768 ; Registration Date 07.07.2016).

Cardiogenic Causes of Fever.

BACKGROUND: Persistent fever of unknown cause is only rarely of cardiac origin, but heart disease must be considered in the differential diagnosis. Aside from endocarditis, pericarditis and various other conditions may be responsible. METHODS: This review is based on pertinent articles retrieved by a selective search in PubMed and Google Scholar employing the term "fever" in combination with "myocardial infarction," "pericarditis," "endocarditis," and "postcardiac injury," with additional consideration of current cardiological guidelines. RESULTS: Endocarditis is associated with fever in 90% of cases, but 25-50% of patients also develop high body temperatures after acute myocardial infarction. In pericarditis, a temperature above 38°C indicates a poorer prognosis; if accompanied by other warning signs, it is an indication for hospitalization and pericardiocentesis. Fever can arise after cardiac surgical procedures as a manifestation of post - cardiotomy syndrome, a special type of perimyocarditis. There may be a latency period of up to 3 months. CONCLUSION: Fever can have both infectious and non-infectious cardiac causes. Its interpretation depends on the clinical context. The evidence base for treatment is sparse, and controlled trials are needed.

Serial Assessment of Natriuretic Peptides in Patients Undergoing Interventional Closure of the Left Atrial Appendage.

BACKGROUND: Closure of the left atrial appendage (LAA) to prevent cardioembolic events is an alternative therapy to oral anticoagulation in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. The LAA is an important source of natriuretic peptides and its exclusion from the circulation may alter the blood level of these hormones, thereby influencing their diagnostic value and clinical effects. METHODS: We aimed to prospectively assess potential changes in mid-regional pro A-type natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels 6 weeks and 6 months after interventional LAA closure using the WATCHMAN device. RESULTS: In 29 consecutive patients with successful LAA closure baseline MR-proANP level was 274±208pmol/l and decreased by -24.5±68 (p=0.07) and -15.0±44pmol/l (p=0.10) after 6 weeks and 6 months, respectively. The drop in the MR-proANP level after 6 weeks and 6 months was significant in patients with elevated (≥214pmol/l) baseline MR-proANP level (n=15: -54.3±78.0, p<0.01 and -31.8±45.4pmol/l, p=0.03, respectively) and those with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF<45%, n=7: -87.4±97.3, p=0.02 and -60.3±42.6pmol/l, p=0.01, respectively). Baseline NT-proBNP level (median 1054pg/ml; IQR 621-1977pg/ml), sodium, potassium, mean systolic or diastolic blood pressure did not change significantly in the mentioned patient groups. CONCLUSIONS: After LAA closure, MR-proANP level decreased significantly in patients with elevated baseline MR-proANP level or reduced LVEF, whereas NT-proBNP level remained unchanged, thereby altering the correlation coefficient between the two biomarkers. Our findings should be considered when using these biomarkers for diagnostic or prognostic evaluation in patients with interventional LAA closure.