Impact of Ticagrelor Versus Clopidogrel on Bleeding Outcomes of Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

BACKGROUND: Increased bleeding risks have been documented in patients exposed to P2Y12 inhibitors within 5 days of coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). This study aimed to determine the relative CABG bleeding risks of clopidogrel versus ticagrelor exposure and the proper time course of ticagrelor discontinuation prior to surgery. METHODS: Clinical outcomes were assessed in 2075 isolated CABG patients, including 375 who had received P2Y12 inhibitors within 5 days of surgery (155 clopidogrel, 213 ticagrelor, 7 prasugrel). BARC-4 CABG bleeding complications and perioperative blood product usage were assessed in propensity-matched P2Y12-inhibited and non-P2Y12-inhibited cohorts. RESULTS: P2Y12-inhibited patients (n = 375) in comparison to matched non-P2Y12-inhibited patients (n = 1138) had higher rates of re-operation for bleeding (3.8 % vs 1.3 %, p = 0.003), postoperative red blood cell transfusion ≥5 units (5.7 % vs 2.7 %, p = 0.007), and intraoperative and postoperative blood product utilization (42.3 % vs 27.1 %, p < 0.001; 41.8 % vs 32.2 %, p < 0.001, respectively). Univariate predictors of BARC-4 bleeding included clopidogrel (OR: 2.145, 95 % CI: 1.131-4.067, p = 0.019) and ticagrelor discontinued within 3 days of surgery (OR: 2.153, 95 % CI: 1.003-4.169, p = 0.049). Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that only clopidogrel exposure was an independent BARC-4 bleeding predictor (OR: 1.850, 95 % CI: 1.007-3.398, p = 0.048). Unadjusted ticagrelor patients with drug discontinuation 4-5 days prior to CABG only demonstrated higher rates of perioperative platelet transfusion, without additional signs of excessive bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Clopidogrel exposure within 5 days of CABG is an independent predictor of BARC-4 bleeding, whereas major ticagrelor bleeding effects are confined to drug exposure within 3 days of surgery.

Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients Treated With Systemic Steroids.

BACKGROUND: Chronic steroid therapy is associated with higher vascular complication rates in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The effect of corticosteroids on aortic annular complications has not been directly assessed in this population. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 1095 patients undergoing transfemoral TAVR was performed. Patients treated with chronic steroids at the time of the procedure (n = 99) were compared with those who received no steroids (n = 992). The primary outcome included a composite of aortic annular complications, defined as a combination of aortic annular rupture, aortic dissection/perforation, and left ventricular perforation. RESULTS: The primary outcome was significantly higher in the steroid group (4.0% vs 0.5%; P<.01). This finding was primarily driven by higher rates of acute annular rupture in the steroid group (2.0% vs 0.2%; P=.04). Steroid use was associated with higher rates of intraoperative cardiac arrest (5.1% vs 1.5%; P=.03), device capture/retrieval (4.0% vs 0.8%; P=.01), and emergent conversion to open heart surgery (4.0% vs 0.6%; P<.01). There were no differences with respect to in-hospital mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, need for permanent pacemaker, bleeding complications, minor vascular complications, hospital length of stay, hospital 30-day readmission, or 30-day echocardiographic findings. Additionally, within the steroid group, there were no significant differences between balloon-expandable vs self-expanding TAVR prostheses with respect to composite aortic annular complications. CONCLUSION: Chronic steroid therapy increases the risk of aortic annular complications in patients undergoing TAVR, with detrimental consequences including intraoperative cardiac arrest and conversion to open heart surgery. Steroid use should be considered in patient selection and determination of procedural technique for TAVR.

The impact of asthma on in-hospital outcomes of COVID-19 patients.

OBJECTIVE: The impact of asthma as a possible risk factor for adverse clinical outcomes in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of asthma on adverse clinical outcomes in a COVID-19 hospitalized cohort. METHODS: Retrospective, propensity-matched observational study of consecutive COVID-19-positive patients between February 24, 2020, and November 3, 2020 at a single health care system. RESULTS: In the initial population of 1925 patients, 4.4% presented with asthma. Propensity score matching reduced the total sample to n = 1045: 88 (8.4%) with asthma and n = 957 without asthma. A total of 164 (15.7%) patients died during the hospitalization, including 7 (8.0%) in the asthma group and 157 (16.4%), p = .037, in the non-asthmatic cohort. There was no difference between these groups in need for mechanical ventilation, length of stay on a ventilator, or hospital length of stay.Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that asthma was an independent predictor of lower mortality, while older age, BMI > 30 kg/m2, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and admission National Early Warning Score (NEWS) were significantly associated with an increased risk of in-hospital death. There were no significant differences between asthmatic and non-asthmatic cohorts with respect to need for mechanical ventilation, length of mechanical ventilation, serum markers of severe COVID-19 disease, or overall length of hospital stay. CONCLUSION: We conclude that asthma in hospitalized COVID-19 patients is associated with a lower risk of mortality and no increase in disease severity in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Use of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in the State of Connecticut.

BACKGROUND: Although prior national reports have identified trends in the underutilization of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in Afro-American and Latino populations, racial and ethnic healthcare disparities in TAVR use in the State of Connecticut have not been previously reported. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 1461 patients undergoing TAVR at our institute between from 2012 to 2020. Baseline demographics, procedural characteristics, clinical outcomes, median incomes and insurance coverage were compared between 1417 Caucasian and 44 minority patients, including 23 patients designated as Afro-American and 10 designated as Latino. Demographics of TAVR utilization at our institution were further compared to 6 additional Connecticut TAVR centers using Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) ChimeData detailing hospital discharges for DRG 266 and 267. RESULTS: In comparison to Caucasian patients, minority cohorts were younger (75.7 ± 9.0 vs 81.5 ± 5.1 years, p < 0.001) and had more co-morbidities including diabetes (64% vs 34%, p < 001), coronary artery disease (95% vs 78%, p = 0.039), end stage renal disease requiring dialysis (9% vs 3%, p = 0.009) and atrial fibrillation (77% vs 62%, p = 0.041). The two groups did not differ with respect to other risk factors or co-morbidities, baseline echocardiographic or CTA findings, STS risk score, or procedural technique. Minority patients had a longer length of hospital stay (9.5 ± 9.0 vs 6.4 ± 6.9 days, p = 0.003), but did not differ with respect to procedural complications. Socioeconomic differences between the two groups included lower median incomes and higher rates of Medicaid or no insurance coverage for minority versus Caucasian patients. CHA ChimeData revealed a similar underutilization of TAVR in minority subgroups in the remaining 6 Connecticut TAVR centers. CONCLUSIONS: Despite statewide demographics describing 10.7% and 15.7% of the total population as Afro-American and Latino, respectively, only 3.0% of the total TAVR procedures performed at a large Connecticut health care facility were performed in minority subgroups. Despite having a higher burden of co-morbidities, minority patients had similar outcomes compared to Caucasian patients. Similar racial and ethnic disparities in TAVR utilization were confirmed statewide using CHA ChimeData.

Benefit of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With Paradoxical Low-Flow Low-Gradient Versus High-Gradient Aortic Stenosis and Preserved Left Ventricular Function.

[Figure: see text].

Impact of Famotidine Use on Clinical Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: To compare outcomes in patients hospitalized with coronavirus (COVID-19) receiving famotidine therapy with those not receiving famotidine. METHODS: Retrospective, propensity-matched observational study of consecutive COVID-19-positive patients between February 24, 2020, and May 13, 2020. RESULTS: Of 878 patients in the analysis, 83 (9.5%) received famotidine. In comparison to patients not treated with famotidine, patients treated with famotidine were younger (63.5 ± 15.0 vs 67.5 ± 15.8 years, P = 0.021), but did not differ with respect to baseline demographics or preexisting comorbidities. Use of famotidine was associated with a decreased risk of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 0.37, 95% confidence interval 0.16-0.86, P = 0.021) and combined death or intubation (odds ratio 0.47, 95% confidence interval 0.23-0.96, P = 0.040). Propensity score matching to adjust for age difference between groups did not alter the effect on either outcome. In addition, patients receiving famotidine displayed lower levels of serum markers for severe disease including lower median peak C-reactive protein levels (9.4 vs 12.7 mg/dL, P = 0.002), lower median procalcitonin levels (0.16 vs 0.30 ng/mL, P = 0.004), and a nonsignificant trend to lower median mean ferritin levels (797.5 vs 964.0 ng/mL, P = 0.076). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that famotidine was an independent predictor of both lower mortality and combined death/intubation, whereas older age, body mass index >30 kg/m, chronic kidney disease, National Early Warning Score, and higher neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio were all predictors of both adverse outcomes. DISCUSSION: Famotidine use in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is associated with a lower risk of mortality, lower risk of combined outcome of mortality and intubation, and lower levels of serum markers for severe disease in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.(Equation is included in full-text article.).

Comparison of Benefit of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Patients With Low Gradient Versus High Gradient Aortic Stenosis and Left Ventricular Dysfunction.

Patients with low gradient severe aortic stenosis (LG-AS) often exhibit significant limitations in functional status and quality of life. We aimed to evaluate the clinical effect of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on LG-AS patients compared to those with high transvalvular gradients and similar left ventricular dysfunction. Retrospective analysis of records for all patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction <50% who underwent TAVI at our institution was performed. Patients were grouped according to their transvalvular gradient. Data were collected from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry. Clinical benefit endpoints included improvements in left ventricular ejection fraction and changes in the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire. Additional outcomes analyzed included 1-year all-cause mortality, stroke rates, rates of rehospitalization, need for a permanent pacemaker, and hospital length of stay. Two hundred three patients met our inclusion criteria. one hundred one LG-AS patients (mean transvalvular gradient <40 mm Hg) were compared to 102 patients with high transvalvular gradients (mean transvalvular gradient >40 mm Hg). LG-AS patients yielded similar improvements in left ventricular ejection fraction (43.5% ± 63.7 vs 37.7% ± 58.7; p = 0.525) and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire scores (423.51% ± 1257.02 vs 266.56% ± 822.81; p = 0.352). There were no differences between the groups with respect to 1-year mortality (16.8% vs 12.7%; p = 0.412), stroke rates, hospital length of stay, need for permanent pacemaker implantation or hospital readmissions. In conclusion, we found that TAVI is associated with comparable improvement in clinical and echocardiographic outcomes in LG-AS patients as compared to those with high gradient severe aortic stenosis.

Comparative Outcomes of Balloon-Expandable S3 Versus Self-Expanding Evolut Bioprostheses for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

To date, comparisons between the balloon-expandable Edwards Sapien S3 (S3) versus the self-expanding Evolut R or PRO (Evolut) valves have been limited with respect to procedural outcomes. We aim to compare the safety, efficacy, and procedural efficiency of the S3 versus the Medtronic Evolut bioprostheses in patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation for severe aortic stenosis. Retrospective analysis was performed of all consecutive transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedures performed through the transfemoral approach with either S3 or Evolut at our hospital between September 2015 and January 2019. A total of 581 patients were included. There were no significant differences between S3 (n = 452) and Evolut (n = 129) concerning in-hospital or 30-day safety outcomes. S3 was associated with significantly shorter fluoroscopy times, lower fluoroscopy Air Kerma, and higher contrast use. S3 had lower postprocedure aortic valve area (1.71 ± 0.45 vs 1.84 ± 0.50 cm2, p = 0.004), larger peak gradient at 30 days (10.7 ± 3.8 vs 7.0 ± 3.2 mm Hg, p <0.001), and lower aortic regurgitation (AR) rates postprocedure (47% vs 33%, p = 0.024) and at 30 days (50% vs 33%, p = 0.008), driven by mild AR. Device type was an independent predictor of AR postprocedure and at 30 days. Patients with ≥mild AR were more likely to have had Evolut valves (odds ratio = 2.94, p <0.001), especially in larger valves (>26 mm). Severe prosthesis-patient mismatch was higher in S3 (14.8% vs 7.9%, p <0.001). In conclusion, S3 is associated with less radiation exposure, higher contrast use, and lower incidence of AR at 30 days. Alternately, S3 has a higher transaortic gradient at 30 days, and higher levels of severe prosthesis-patient mismatch.

Propensity Matched Analysis Comparing Conscious Sedation Versus General Anesthesia in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Conscious sedation (CS) has been increasingly utilized in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We aim to compare safety, efficacy, efficiency, and direct cost outcomes of patients who underwent TAVI with general anesthesia (GA) to those with CS. Records for all adult patients undergoing transfemoral TAVI at our institution between February 2012 and September 2018 were retrospectively screened. Patients were grouped by anesthesia treatment (GA or CS) and propensity matched. Safety (in-hospital and 30-day mortality, in-hospital and 30-day stroke, cardiac arrest, need for permanent pacemaker, and composite bleed/vascular adverse events), efficacy (follow-up echocardiographic findings), efficiency (procedure duration, fluoroscopy time, radiation dose, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, hospital length-of-stay, and discharge to home), and direct cost outcomes were compared. A total of 589 patients met our inclusion criteria. Propensity matching yielded 154 GA patients and 154 CS patients. There were no differences in the safety outcomes of in-hospital or 30-day mortality, in-hospital or 30-day stroke, cardiac arrest, and need for permanent pacemaker between GA and CS groups. There was a significant reduction in composite bleeding/vascular events in the CS group (8.4% vs 19.5%, p < 0.01). There were no differences in the follow-up echocardiograms with respect to aortic valve area, left ventricular ejection fraction, and incidence of moderate or severe aortic regurgitation. The CS group had shorter procedural fluoroscopy times and radiation dose, shorter length-of-stay and ICU stay, with similar procedural duration. CS patients were more likely to be discharged to home (59.7% vs 74.7%, p < 0.01). Total direct costs for CS were decreased in almost every departmental category, with a mean 10.4% reduction in overall direct costs (p < 0.001). In conclusion, TAVI with CS is associated with less bleeding and vascular events, lower procedural radiation exposure, reduced length of hospitalization and ICU stay, and lower direct costs in comparison with TAVI with GA. These outcomes occur without sacrificing procedural efficacy or safety.

Prediction of Incident Delirium Using a Random Forest classifier.

Delirium is a serious medical complication associated with poor outcomes. Given the complexity of the syndrome, prevention and early detection are critical in mitigating its effects. We used Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) screening and Electronic Health Record (EHR) data for 64,038 inpatient visits to train and test a model predicting delirium arising in hospital. Incident delirium was defined as the first instance of a positive CAM occurring at least 48 h into a hospital stay. A Random Forest machine learning algorithm was used with demographic data, comorbidities, medications, procedures, and physiological measures. The data set was randomly partitioned 80% / 20% for training and validating the predictive model, respectively. Of the 51,240 patients in the training set, 2774 (5.4%) experienced delirium during their hospital stay; and of the 12,798 patients in the validation set, 701 (5.5%) experienced delirium. Under-sampling of the delirium negative population was used to address the class imbalance. The Random Forest predictive model yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC) of 0.909 (95% CI 0.898 to 0.921). Important variables in the model included previously identified predisposing and precipitating risk factors. This machine learning approach displayed a high degree of accuracy and has the potential to provide a clinically useful predictive model for earlier intervention in those patients at greatest risk of developing delirium.

Statin and Its Association With Delirium in the Medical ICU.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between statin use and the risk of delirium in hospitalized patients with an admission to the medical ICU. DESIGN: Retrospective propensity-matched cohort analysis with accrual from September 1, 2012, to September 30, 2015. SETTING: Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT. PATIENTS: An initial population of patients with an admission to a medical ICU totaling 10,216 visits were screened for delirium by means of the Confusion Assessment Method. After exclusions, a population of 6,664 was used to match statin users and nonstatin users. The propensity-matched cohort resulted in a sample of 1,475 patients receiving statin matched 1:1 with control patients not using statin. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Delirium defined as a positive Confusion Assessment Method assessment was the primary end point. The prevalence of delirium was 22.3% in the unmatched cohort and 22.8% in the propensity-matched cohort. Statin use was associated with a significant decrease in the risk of delirium (odds ratio, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.38-0.56). Considering the type of statin used, atorvastatin (0.51; 0.41-0.64), pravastatin (0.40; 0.28-0.58), and simvastatin (0.33; 0.21-0.52) were all significantly associated with a reduced frequency of delirium. CONCLUSIONS: The use of statins was independently associated with a reduction in the risk of delirium in hospitalized patients. When considering types of statins used, this reduction was significant in patients using atorvastatin, pravastatin, and simvastatin. Randomized trials of various statin types in hospitalized patients prone to delirium should validate their use in protection from delirium.

Analysis of multi-dimensional contemporaneous EHR data to refine delirium assessments.

Delirium is a potentially lethal condition of altered mental status, attention, and level of consciousness with an acute onset and fluctuating course. Its causes are multi-factorial, and its pathophysiology is not well understood; therefore clinical focus has been on prevention strategies and early detection. One patient evaluation technique in routine use is the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM): a relatively simple test resulting in 'positive', 'negative' or 'unable-to-assess' (UTA) ratings. Hartford Hospital nursing staff use the CAM regularly on all non-critical care units, and a high frequency of UTA was observed after reviewing several years of records. In addition, patients with UTA ratings displayed poor outcomes such as in-hospital mortality, longer lengths of stay, and discharge to acute and long term care facilities. We sought to better understand the use of UTA, especially outside of critical care environments, in order to improve delirium detection throughout the hospital. An unsupervised clustering approach was used with additional, concurrent assessment data available in the EHR to categorize patient visits with UTA CAMs. The results yielded insights into the most common situations in which the UTA rating was used (e.g. impaired verbal communication, dementia), suggesting potentially inappropriate ratings that could be refined with further evaluation and remedied with updated clinical training. Analysis of the patient clusters also suggested that unrecognized delirium may contribute to the poor outcomes associated with the use of UTA. This method of using temporally related high dimensional EHR data to illuminate a dynamic medical condition could have wider applicability.

Prediction of pneumonia 30-day readmissions: a single-center attempt to increase model performance.

BACKGROUND: Existing models developed to predict 30 days readmissions for pneumonia lack discriminative ability. We attempted to increase model performance with the addition of variables found to be of benefit in other studies. METHODS: From 133,368 admissions to a tertiary-care hospital from January 2009 to March 2012, the study cohort consisted of 956 index admissions for pneumonia, using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services definition. We collected variables previously reported to be associated with 30-day all-cause readmission, including vital signs, comorbidities, laboratory values, demographics, socioeconomic indicators, and indicators of hospital utilization. Separate logistic regression models were developed to identify the predictors of all-cause hospital readmission 30 days after discharge from the index pneumonia admission for pneumonia-related readmissions, and for pneumonia-unrelated readmissions. RESULTS: Of the 965 index admissions for pneumonia, 148 (15.5%) subjects were readmitted within 30 days. The variables in the multivariate-model that were significantly associated with 30-day all-cause readmission were male sex (odds ratio 1.59, 95% CI 1.03-2.45), 3 or more previous admissions (odds ratio 1.84, 95% CI 1.22-2.78), chronic lung disease (odds ratio 1.63, 95% CI 1.07-2.48), cancer (odds ratio 2.18, 95% CI 1.24-3.84), median income < $43,000 (odds ratio 1.82, 95% CI 1.18-2.81), history of anxiety or depression (odds ratio 1.62, 95% CI 1.04-2.52), and hematocrit < 30% (odds ratio 1.86, 95% CI 1.07-3.22). The model performance, as measured by the C statistic, was 0.71 (0.66-0.75), with minimal optimism according to bootstrap re-sampling (optimism corrected C statistic 0.67). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of socioeconomic status and healthcare utilization variables significantly improved model performance, compared to the model using only the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services variables.

Major adverse cardiac events among postpercutaneous coronary intervention patients on clopidogrel and proton pump inhibitors.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if concomitant use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and clopidogrel is associated with adverse events among postpercutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients. METHODS: This is a single-center, retrospective case-control study of 3,287 consecutive patients on clopidogrel who underwent PCI. Univariate and multivariate analyses determined if concomitant PPI and clopidogrel use was associated with major adverse cardiac events (MACE). RESULTS: There were significantly more deaths (3.0% vs 1.1%; P < 0.001), repeat revascularizations (3.8% vs 2.1%; P = 0.005) and MACE (7.1% vs 3.5%; P < 0.001) in the clopidogrel and PPI group. Cox regression revealed that PPI is an independent predictor of MACE (HR 1.70, 95% CI of 1.20-2.41; P = 0.003), mortality (HR 1.79; 95% CI 1.03-3.12, P = 0.038), and target-vessel revascularization (HR 1.75; 95% CI 1.12-2.72, P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant use of PPIs and clopidogrel among post PCI patients was associated with increased rates of all-cause mortality, target vessel revascularization, and combined MACE at nine months follow-up.

Comparison of outcomes and safety of "facilitated" versus primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Recent studies have documented that use of "facilitated" percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) may be harmful. In-hospital outcomes in 1,553 consecutive patients with STEMI without cardiogenic shock who underwent PCI at a single tertiary center within 6 hours of presentation were analyzed. The study group included 767 patients who underwent primary PCI who initially presented to the tertiary center and were triaged for emergent PCI and 786 patients who underwent facilitated PCI who were pretreated at a community hospital with a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa platelet inhibitor and/or intravenous thrombolytic therapy before transfer for catheter-based therapy. Compared with patients who underwent primary PCI, the facilitated PCI group had longer door-to-balloon times (162 +/- 57 vs 113 +/- 61 minutes), higher baseline infarct-vessel TIMI 3 flow rates (52.8% vs 25.4%; p <0.001), and no increase in major adverse in-hospital outcomes. In patients treated with door-to-balloon times >90 and < or =150 minutes, patients who underwent facilitated PCI had fewer composite major adverse clinical events (combined mortality, recurrent myocardial infarction, emergent repeated PCI, hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic stroke, and nonintracranial TIMI major bleeding) compared with patients who underwent primary PCI (relative risk 0.50, 95% confidence interval 0.26 to 0.96, p = 0.034). In conclusion, facilitated PCI can be safely used to increase pharmacologic reperfusion before catheter-based therapy in patients with STEMI without an increase in clinical hazard and with fewer major adverse clinical events in patients treated with door-to-balloon times >90 and < or =150 minutes.

Long-term efficacy and safety of sirolimus-eluting vs bare-metal stents.

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have documented persistent clinical benefit of sirolimus-eluting stents (SES)in reducing the need for target vessel revascularization without an increase in myocardial infarction (MI) or mortality, the long-term safety and efficacy of CYPHER stent use in routine clinical practice, including off-label stent implantation, remains uncertain. METHODS: We compared long-term clinical outcomes in 2,550 patients treated with one or more SES with 1,022 patients treated with one or more bare metal or heparin-coated stents (BMS). The study groups included 1,058 SES patients (41.5%) and 488 BMS patients (47.7%) with off-label indications. A propensity-score method was utilized to adjust for differences in baseline characteristics. Patients were followed for up to five years for the occurrence of all-cause mortality, MI and repeat target vessel revascularization. RESULTS: Compared to BMS patients, SES patients demonstrated significantly improved event-free survival with respect to all-cause mortality (RR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.80, P = 0.014) and repeat target vessel revascularization (RR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.99 to 3.73, P < 0.001), with no significant difference in the incidence of cumulative MI. A landmark analysis, examining composite adverse events occurring six months after stent implantation in the two study groups, demonstrated no increased late hazard associated with SES use (relative risk, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.80 to 1.46). CONCLUSIONS: Use of SES in routine clinical practice, including off-label indications, is associated with improved long-term mortality, reduced need for repeat target vessel revascularization and no increase in MI compared to BMS.

Drug-eluting stent implantation results in effective treatment of small coronary artery disease (DESIRE Small CAD).

OBJECTIVE: Sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) have been shown to significantly reduce restenosis in the treatment of lesions in large coronary arteries. We assessed and compared the in-hospital and long-term outcomes of patients treated with SES and bare-metal stents (BMS) for small coronary artery disease. METHODS: We compared 448 patients who underwent SES implantation in small coronary arteries (<2.5mm) with patients who received conventional BMS (n=124). In-hospital and nine-month events were evaluated. RESULTS: The rate of angiographic restenosis at nine months was significantly lower in the SES group (1.6% vs 9.9%, P<0.001) than in the BMS group. The overall rate of MACE was 4.3% in SES and 13.9% in BMS groups (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: As compared with BMS, SES placement in small coronary arteries is effective and associated with a marked reduction in restenosis rate and the subsequent need for target lesion revascularization at nine months.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of facilitated percutaneous coronary intervention compared with primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction transferred from community hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention ([PCI], percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty+stenting) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is regarded as superior to fibrinolysis even if it means that patients need to be transferred from one center to another to undergo the procedure. However, this inevitable delay between symptom onset and PCI, caused by the time required to travel, might increase the occurrence of cardiac events. A hybrid method called facilitated PCI uses fibrinolysis and/or glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors before transfer to a tertiary medical center where urgent PCI might be performed. This approach, however, has not been systematically evaluated. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness (combined end point of in-hospital mortality, reinfarction, stroke, or emergency revascularization) and cost-effectiveness of utilizing a bolus thrombolytic agent with GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor followed by transfer to a tertiary institution for facilitated PCI or standard of care transfer without primary PCI drugs among patients presenting to a community hospital with STEMI. METHODS: This was a prospective, single-center, cohort study comprising data from STEMI patients transferred from community hospitals to Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut, from the years 2000 to 2003. At the time of analysis, patients receiving primary PCI were matched (1:1) with those receiving facilitated PCI, utilizing propensity scores to assure similar demographics. The combined incidence of major adverse cardiac end points (MACE) and total hospital costs was compared between groups. Non-parametric bootstrapping was conducted to calculate CIs for the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and generate a quadrant analysis. RESULTS: Based on 254 propensity score-matched patients (127 facilitated PCI and 127 primary PCI), in-hospital MACE and total hospital costs were reduced by 61.3% and US 4563 dollars (2005), respectively, in patients receiving facilitated compared with primary PCI (P=0.021 and P=NS, respectively). Patients receiving facilitated PCI were more likely to have target lesion Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) III (normal) blood flow on cardiac catheterization than those receiving primary PCI (49.6% vs 30.7%; P=0.002). However, the rate of TIMI bleeding was similar in both groups (21.3% in the facilitated PCI group vs 18.9% in the primary PCI group). Nonsignificant reductions were observed in both intensive care unit (ICU) and total length of stay (LOS) (0.8 day and 1.0 day, respectively) compared with the primary PCI group. Bootstrap analysis revealed that of 25,000 samplings, facilitated PCI would likely be both more effective and less costly 94.6% of the time. CONCLUSIONS: The use of facilitated PCI in STEMI patients who initially presented to community hospitals and were transferred for PCI appeared to significantly reduce the incidence of MACE, and increase the likelihood of having baseline TIMI III blood flow at time of catheterization. Nonsignificant reductions were observed in total ICU and hospital LOS. However, there did not appear to be a significant effect on the incidence of bleeding in patients receiving facilitated PCI. Bootstrap analysis confirmed that facilitated PCI would be both a more effective and less costly strategy.

Impact of fluid balance on incidence of atrial fibrillation after cardiothoracic surgery.

Excessive fluid administration after cardiothoracic surgery has been proposed as a cause of postoperative atrial fibrillation. In this study, we observed that fluid balance and volume administered on postoperative day 2 was greater in patients who developed postoperative AF than in those who did not. We also found that net fluid balance on postoperative day 2 was an independent predictor of postoperative AF among patients not receiving prophylactic therapy.