Interhospital Variation in Admissions Managed With Critical Care Therapies or Invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring in Tertiary Cardiac Intensive Care Units: An Analysis From the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network Registry.

BACKGROUND: Wide interhospital variations exist in cardiovascular intensive care unit (CICU) admission practices and the use of critical care restricted therapies (CCRx), but little is known about the differences in patient acuity, CCRx utilization, and the associated outcomes within tertiary centers. METHODS: The Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network is a multicenter registry of tertiary and academic CICUs in the United States and Canada that captured consecutive admissions in 2-month periods between 2017 and 2022. This analysis included 17 843 admissions across 34 sites and compared interhospital tertiles of CCRx (eg, mechanical ventilation, mechanical circulatory support, continuous renal replacement therapy) utilization and its adjusted association with in-hospital survival using logistic regression. The Pratt index was used to quantify patient-related and institutional factors associated with CCRx variability. RESULTS: The median age of the study population was 66 (56-77) years and 37% were female. CCRx was provided to 62.2% (interhospital range of 21.3%-87.1%) of CICU patients. Admissions to CICUs with the highest tertile of CCRx utilization had a greater burden of comorbidities, had more diagnoses of ST-elevation myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, or cardiogenic shock, and had higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores. The unadjusted in-hospital mortality (median, 12.7%) was 9.6%, 11.1%, and 18.7% in low, intermediate, and high CCRx tertiles, respectively. No clinically meaningful differences in adjusted mortality were observed across tertiles when admissions were stratified by the provision of CCRx. Baseline patient-level variables and institutional differences accounted for 80% and 5.3% of the observed CCRx variability, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In a large registry of tertiary and academic CICUs, there was a >4-fold interhospital variation in the provision of CCRx that was primarily driven by differences in patient acuity compared with institutional differences. No differences were observed in adjusted mortality between low, intermediate, and high CCRx utilization sites.

Family Engagement in the Adult Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: A Survey of Family Engagement Practices in the Cardiac Critical Care Trials Network.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular and critical care professional societies recommend incorporating family engagement practices into routine clinical care. However, little is known about current family engagement practices in contemporary cardiac intensive care units (CICUs). METHODS: We implemented a validated 12-item family engagement practice survey among site investigators participating in the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network, a collaborative network of CICUs in North America. The survey includes 9 items assessing specific engagement practices, 1 item about other family-centered care practices, and 2 open-ended questions on strategies and barriers concerning family engagement practice. We developed an engagement practice score by assigning 1 point for each family engagement practice partially or fully adopted at each site (max score 9). We assessed for relationships between the engagement practice score and CICU demographics. RESULTS: All sites (N=39; 100%) completed the survey. The most common family engagement practices were open visitation (95%), information and support to families (85%), structured care conferences (n=82%), and family participation in rounds (77%). The median engagement practice score was 5 (interquartile range, 4). There were no differences in engagement practice scores by geographic region or CICU type. The most commonly used strategies to promote family engagement were family presence during rounds (41%), communication (28%), and family meetings (28%). The most common barriers to family engagement were COVID-related visitation policies (38%) and resource limitations (13%). CONCLUSIONS: Family engagement practices are routinely performed in many CICUs; however, considerable variability exists. There is a need for strategies to address the variability of family engagement practices in CICUs.

Prognostic significance of haemodynamic parameters in patients with cardiogenic shock.

AIMS: Invasive haemodynamic assessment with a pulmonary artery catheter is often used to guide the management of patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) and may provide important prognostic information. We aimed to assess prognostic associations and relationships to end-organ dysfunction of presenting haemodynamic parameters in CS. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network is an investigator-initiated multicenter registry of cardiac intensive care units (CICUs) in North America coordinated by the TIMI Study Group. Patients with CS (2018-2022) who underwent invasive haemodynamic assessment within 24 h of CICU admission were included. Associations of haemodynamic parameters with in-hospital mortality were assessed using logistic regression, and associations with presenting serum lactate were assessed using least squares means regression. Sensitivity analyses were performed excluding patients on temporary mechanical circulatory support and adjusted for vasoactive-inotropic score. Among the 3603 admissions with CS, 1473 had haemodynamic data collected within 24 h of CICU admission. The median cardiac index was 1.9 (25th-75th percentile, 1.6-2.4) L/min/m2 and mean arterial pressure (MAP) was 74 (66-86) mmHg. Parameters associated with mortality included low MAP, low systolic blood pressure, low systemic vascular resistance, elevated right atrial pressure (RAP), elevated RAP/pulmonary capillary wedge pressure ratio, and low pulmonary artery pulsatility index. These associations were generally consistent when controlling for the intensity of background pharmacologic and mechanical haemodynamic support. These parameters were also associated with higher presenting serum lactate. CONCLUSION: In a contemporary CS population, presenting haemodynamic parameters reflecting decreased systemic arterial tone and right ventricular dysfunction are associated with adverse outcomes and systemic hypoperfusion.

The role of proprotein convertase subtillisin/kexin type 9 in placental salvage and lipid metabolism in women with preeclampsia.

INTRODUCTION: Preeclampsia is associated with decreased maternal low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), which is essential for fetal growth. The underlying mechanisms for decreased LDL-c in preeclampsia remain unknown. Proprotein convertase subtillisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) regulates serum LDL-c via LDL receptor (LDL-R) degradation. We describe the possible role of PCSK9 in lipid metabolism in all compartments of the parturient (maternal blood, placental tissue, and fetal blood) in pregnancies with and without preeclampsia. METHODS: This is an observational study examining PCSK9 levels in maternal sera, umbilical cord blood, and PCSK9 protein content in placental tissue in three different locations (maternal placental interface, fetal placental interface, and umbilical cord) in women with and without preeclampsia at >23 weeks gestation. RESULTS: 68 parturients with preeclampsia and 55 without preeclampsia were enrolled. Maternal serum LDL-c (116.6 ± 48.9 mg/dL vs 146.1 ± 47.1 mg/dL, p = 0.0045) and PCSK9 (83 [61.8127.6] ng/mL vs 105.3 [83.5142.9] ng/mL, p = 0.011) were also reduced in the preeclamptics versus controls. There were no differences in PCSK9 protein content between preeclamptics and controls at comparative placental interfaces. However, PCSK9 protein content increased between the preeclampsia maternal placental interface (1.87 ± 0.62) and the preeclampsia umbilical cord (2.67 ± 1.08, p = 0.0243). DISCUSSION: PCSK9 levels are lower in maternal sera in preeclampsia when compared to controls. Placental PCSK9 protein content in preeclampsia increases from the maternal interface to the umbilical cord; however, this is not seen in controls. This suggests a potential compensatory mechanism for PCSK9 which allows for higher circulating fetal LDL-c levels in preeclampsia.

Temporal trends of arrhythmias at delivery hospitalizations in the United States: Analysis from the National Inpatient Sample, 2009-2019.

Background: Cardiac arrhythmias are associated with increased maternal morbidity. There are limited data on trends of arrhythmias among women hospitalized for delivery. Materials and methods: We used the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to identify delivery hospitalizations for individuals aged 18-49 years between 2009 to 2019 and utilized coding data from the 9th and 10th editions of the International Classification of Diseases to identify supraventricular tachycardias (SVT), atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter, ventricular tachycardia (VT), and ventricular fibrillation (VF). Arrhythmia trends were analyzed by age, race-ethnicity, hospital setting, and hospital geographic regions. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic characteristics with arrhythmias. Results: Among 41,576,442 delivery hospitalizations, the most common arrhythmia was SVT (53%), followed by AF (31%) and VT (13%). The prevalence of arrhythmia among delivery hospitalizations increased between 2009 and 2019. Age > 35 years and Black race were associated with a higher arrhythmia burden. Factors associated with an increased risk of arrhythmias included valvular disease (OR: 12.77; 95% C1:1.98-13.61), heart failure (OR:7.13; 95% CI: 6.49-7.83), prior myocardial infarction (OR: 5.41, 95% CI: 4.01-7.30), peripheral vascular disease (OR: 3.19, 95% CI: 2.51-4.06), hypertension (OR: 2.18; 95% CI: 2.07-2.28), and obesity (OR 1.69; 95% CI: 1.63-1.76). Delivery hospitalizations complicated by arrhythmias compared with those with no arrhythmias had a higher proportion of all-cause in-hospital mortality (0.95% vs. 0.01%), cardiogenic shock (0.48% vs. 0.00%), preeclampsia (6.96% vs. 3.58%), and preterm labor (2.95% vs. 2.41%) (all p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Pregnant individuals with age > 35 years, obesity, hypertension, valvular heart disease, or severe pulmonary disease are more likely to have an arrhythmia history or an arrhythmia during a delivery hospitalization. Delivery hospitalizations with a history of arrhythmia are more likely to be complicated by all-cause in-hospital mortality, cardiovascular, and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). These data highlight the increased risk associated with pregnancies among individuals with arrhythmias.

Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network (CCCTN): a cohort profile.

AIMS: The aims of the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network (CCCTN) are to develop a registry to investigate the epidemiology of cardiac critical illness and to establish a multicentre research network to conduct randomised clinical trials (RCTs) in patients with cardiac critical illness. METHODS AND RESULTS: The CCCTN was founded in 2017 with 16 centres and has grown to a research network of over 40 academic and clinical centres in the United States and Canada. Each centre enters data for consecutive cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) admissions for at least 2 months of each calendar year. More than 20 000 unique CICU admissions are now included in the CCCTN Registry. To date, scientific observations from the CCCTN Registry include description of variations in care, the epidemiology and outcomes of all CICU patients, as well as subsets of patients with specific disease states, such as shock, heart failure, renal dysfunction, and respiratory failure. The CCCTN has also characterised utilization patterns, including use of mechanical circulatory support in response to changes in the heart transplantation allocation system, and the use and impact of multidisciplinary shock teams. Over years of multicentre collaboration, the CCCTN has established a robust research network to facilitate multicentre registry-based randomised trials in patients with cardiac critical illness. CONCLUSION: The CCCTN is a large, prospective registry dedicated to describing processes-of-care and expanding clinical knowledge in cardiac critical illness. The CCCTN will serve as an investigational platform from which to conduct randomised controlled trials in this important patient population.

Racial Disparities in Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes by Maternal Nativity and Length of US Residence in an Urban Low-Income Population in the United States.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Racial/ethnic differences in GDM prevalence have been described, but disparities by nativity and duration of US residence are not well studied. Methods: We analyzed data from 6088 women (mean age: 27.5 years [standard deviation: 6.3 years]) from the Boston Birth Cohort who self-identified as non-Hispanic Black (NHB; n = 2697), Hispanic (n = 2395), or non-Hispanic White (NHW; n = 996). Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined the cross-sectional association of nativity and duration of US residence (< 10 vs ≥ 10 years) with GDM within each race/ethnicity group. Results: Foreign-born NHB, NHW, and Hispanic women with a duration of US residence of < 10 years had a lower prevalence of CVD risk factors than those with US residence of ≥ 10 years, respectively, as follows: smoking (NHB: 1.7% vs 3.1%; NHW: 5.7% vs 8.1%; Hispanic: 0.4% vs 2.6%); obesity (NHB: 17.1% vs 23.4%; NHW: 3.8% vs 15.6%; Hispanic: 10.9% vs 22.7%); and severe stress (NHB: 8.7% vs 11.9%; NHW: 5.7% vs 28.1%; Hispanic: 3.8% vs 7.3%). In analyses adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and CVD risk factors, foreign-born NHB women with a duration of US residence of < 10 years had higher odds of having GDM (adjusted odds ratio: 1.60, 95% confidence interval: 0.99-2.60), compared with their US-born counterparts, whereas foreign-born Hispanic women with a duration of US residence of < 10 years had lower odds of having GDM (adjusted odds ratio: 0.54, 95% confidence interval: 0.32-0.91). The odds of having GDM in Hispanic and NHB women with a duration of US residence of ≥ 10 years were not significantly different from those of their US-born counterparts. Conclusions: The "healthy immigrant effect" and its waning with longer duration of US residence apply to the prevalence of GDM among Hispanic women but not NHB women. Further research on the intersectionality of race and nativity-based disparities is needed.

Introduction: Le diabète sucré gestationnel (DSG) est associé à l'augmentation du risque de maladies cardiovasculaires (MCV). Les différences raciales/ethniques dans la prévalence du DSG ont été décrites, mais les disparités selon le lieu de naissance et la durée de résidence aux É.-U font l'objet de peu d'études. Méthodes: Nous avons analysé les données de 6 088 femmes (âge moyen : 27,5 ans [écart type : 6,3 ans]) de la Boston Birth Cohort qui ont déclaré être noires non hispaniques (NNH; n = 2 697), hispaniques (n = 2 395) ou blanches non hispaniques (BNH; n = 996). À l'aide de la régression logistique multivariée, nous avons examiné l'association transversale entre le lieu de naissance et la durée de résidence aux É.-U. (< 10 vs ≥ 10 ans), et le DSG dans chaque groupe racial/ethnique. Résultats: Les femmes NNH, BNH et hispaniques nées à l'étranger qui avaient une durée de résidence aux É.-U. de < 10 ans avaient une prévalence plus faible des facteurs de risque de MCV que celles qui avaient une résidence aux É.-U. de ≥ 10 ans, et ce, de façon respective comme suit : le tabagisme (NNH : 1,7 % vs 3,1 %; BNH : 5,7 % vs 8,1 %; hispaniques : 0,4 % vs 2,6 %); l'obésité (NNH : 17,1 % vs 23,4 %; BNH : 3,8 % vs 15,6 %; hispaniques : 10,9 % vs 22,7 %); le stress important (NNH : 8,7 % vs 11,9 %; BNH : 5,7 % vs 28,1 %; hispaniques : 3,8 % vs 7,3 %). Lors de l'ajustement des caractéristiques sociodémographiques et des facteurs de risque de MCV, les femmes NNH nées à l'étranger qui avaient une durée de résidence aux É.-U. de < 10 ans montraient une plus grande probabilité d'avoir le DSG (rapport de cotes ajusté : 1,60, intervalle de confiance à 95 % : 0,99-2,60) que leurs homologues nées aux É.-U., alors que les femmes hispaniques nées à l'étranger qui avaient une durée de résidence aux É.-U. de < 10 ans montraient une plus faible probabilité d'avoir le DSG (rapport de cotes ajusté : 0,54, intervalle de confiance à 95 % : 0,32-0,91). La probabilité que les femmes hispaniques et NNH qui avaient une durée de résidence aux É.-U. de ≥ 10 ans aient le DSG n'était pas significativement différente de celles de leurs homologues nées aux É.-U. Conclusions: L'« effet de l'immigrant en bonne santé ¼ et son déclin associé à la plus longue durée de résidence aux É.-U. s'appliquent à la prévalence du DSG chez les femmes hispaniques, mais non chez les femmes NNH. D'autres recherches sur l'intersectionnalité entre la race et les disparités selon le lieu de naissance sont nécessaires.

Racial Differences in Delivery Outcomes Among Women With Peripartum Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare idiopathic cardiomyopathy associated with pregnancy that occurs more frequently among Black women. However, less is known about the association of race/ethnicity with outcomes at the time of delivery in women with PPCM. Methods: We used data from the 2016-2018 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to identify women with a diagnosis of PPCM based on International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) codes. Using adjusted logistic regression, the association of race with PPCM and adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes with PPCM was evaluated across racial/ethnic groups (White, Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander). Results: Among 11,304,996 delivery hospitalizations, PPCM was present in 8735 (0.08%). After adjusting for CV risk factors (chronic hypertension, diabetes, and obesity) and socioeconomic factors (insurance status, hospital income, and residential income), Black and Native American women had greater adjusted odds of developing PPCM (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.89; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.66-2.15; aOR 1.60; 95% CI 1.02-2.50, respectively), compared with White women. In stratified analysis of CV events, however, Asian/Pacific Islander women with PPCM were the most likely to have CV complications (aOR 98; 95% CI 29-333 for pulmonary edema). Conclusions: In the US, at the time of delivery hospitalization, Black and Native American women are the most likely to develop PPCM, despite adjustment for CV and socioeconomic risk factors, but Asian women have higher odds of having CV complications.

Introduction: La cardiomyopathie du péripartum (CMPP) est une rare cardiomyopathie idiopathique associée à la grossesse qui apparaît plus fréquemment chez les femmes noires. Toutefois, on en connaît peu sur l'association entre la race/l'origine ethnique et les issues au moment de l'accouchement chez les femmes atteintes d'une CMPP. Méthodes: Nous avons utilisé les données de la base de données de l'échantillon national des données de patients hospitalisés (NIS, de l'anglais National Inpatient Sample) de 2016-2018 pour trouver les femmes qui avaient un diagnostic de CMPP selon les codes de la Classification internationale des maladies, 10e révision (CIM-10). À l'aide de la régression logistique ajustée, nous avons évalué l'association de la race à la CMPP et les événements cardiovasculaires (CV) indésirables entre les groupes raciaux/ethniques (Blanches, Noires, Hispaniques, Asiatiques/îliennes du Pacifique). Résultats: Parmi les 11 304 996 hospitalisations liées à l'accouchement, on a noté la présence de la CMPP 8 735 (0,08 %) fois. Après l'ajustement des facteurs de risque CV (hypertension chronique, diabète et obésité) et des facteurs socioéconomiques (statut en matière d'assurances, indemnités journalières en cas d'hospitalisation et revenu familial), le risque relatif ajusté (RRa) des femmes noires et autochtones de manifester une CMPP était plus élevé (RRa 1,89; intervalle de confiance [IC] à 95 % 1,66-2,15; RRa 1,60; IC à 95 % 1,02-2,50, respectivement) que les femmes blanches. Toutefois, dans l'analyse stratifiée des événements CV, les femmes asiatiques et des îles du Pacifique qui avaient une CMPP étaient plus susceptibles d'avoir des complications CV (RRa 98; IC à 95 % 29-333 pour l'œdème pulmonaire). Conclusions: Aux É.-U., lors des hospitalisations liées à l'accouchement, les femmes noires et autochtones sont les plus susceptibles de manifester une CMPP, en dépit de l'ajustement des facteurs de risque CV et des facteurs socioéconomiques, mais les femmes asiatiques ont un risque plus élevé d'avoir des complications CV.

The Association of Preterm Birth With Maternal Nativity and Length of Residence Among Non-Hispanic Black Women.

Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is associated with future cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and disproportionally affects non-Hispanic Black (NHB) women. Limited data exist on the influence of length of US residence on nativity-related disparities in PTB. We examined PTB by maternal nativity (US born vs foreign born) and length of US residence among NHB women. Methods: We analyzed data from 2699 NHB women (1607 US born; 1092 foreign born) in the Boston Birth Cohort, originally designed as a case-control study. Using multivariable logistic regression, we investigated the association of PTB with maternal nativity and length of US residence. Results: In the total sample, 29.1% of women delivered preterm (31.4% and 25.6% among US born and foreign born, respectively). Compared with foreign born, US-born women were younger (25.8 vs 29.5 years), had higher prevalence of obesity (27.6% vs 19.6%), smoking (20.5% vs 4.9%), alcohol use (13.2% vs 7.4%), and moderate to severe stress (73.5% vs 59.4%) (all P < 0.001). Compared with US-born women, foreign-born women had lower odds of PTB after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, alcohol use, stress, parity, smoking, body mass index, chronic hypertension, and diabetes (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65-0.97). Foreign-born NHB women with < 10 years of US residence had 43% lower odds of PTB compared with US-born (aOR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.43-0.75), whereas those with ≥ 10 years of US residence did not differ significantly from US-born women in their odds of PTB (aOR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.54-1.07). Conclusions: The prevalence of CVD risk factors and proportion of women delivering preterm were lower in foreign-born than US-born NHB women. The "foreign-born advantage" was not observed with ≥ 10 years of US residence. Our study highlights the need to intensify public health efforts in exploring and addressing nativity-related disparities in PTB.

Introduction: L'accouchement avant terme (AAT) est associé à un risque futur de maladie cardiovasculaire (MCV) et touche disproportionnellement les femmes noires non hispaniques (NNH). Les données sur l'influence de la durée de résidence aux É.-U. sur les disparités de l'AAT liées au lieu de naissance sont limitées. Nous avons examiné l'AAT en fonction du lieu de naissance de la mère (née aux É.-U. vs née à l'étranger) et la durée de résidence aux É.-U. chez les femmes NNH. Méthodes: Nous avons analysé les données de 2 699 femmes NNH (1 607 nées aux É.-U.; 1 092 nées à l'étranger) de la Boston Birth Cohort, conçue à l'origine comme une étude cas-témoins. À l'aide de la régression logistique multivariée, nous avons examiné l'association de l'AAT au lieu de naissance de la mère et à la durée de résidence aux É.-U. Résultats: Dans l'échantillon total, 29,1 % des femmes qui avaient accouché avant terme (soit 31,4 % des femmes nées aux É.-U. et 25,6 % des femmes nées à l'étranger). Comparativement aux femmes nées à l'étranger, les femmes nées aux É.-U. étaient plus jeunes (25,8 vs 29,5 ans), montraient une prévalence plus élevée d'obésité (27,6 % vs 19,6 %), du tabagisme (20,5 % vs 4,9 %), de la consommation d'alcool (13,2 % vs 7,4 %) et de stress modéré à important (73,5 % vs 59,4 %) (toutes les valeurs P < 0,001). Comparativement aux femmes nées aux É.-U., les femmes nées à l'étranger avaient un risque inférieur d'AAT après l'ajustement des caractéristiques sociodémographiques, de la consommation d'alcool, du stress, de la parité, du tabagisme, de l'indice de masse corporelle, de l'hypertension chronique et du diabète (ratio d'incidence approché ajusté [RIAa], 0,79; intervalle de confiance [IC] à 95 %, 0,65-0,97). Les femmes NNH nées à l'étranger de < 10 ans de résidence aux É.-U. avaient une probabilité 43 % plus faible d'AAT que les femmes nées aux É.-U. (RIAa, 0,57; IC à 95 %, 0,43-0,75), tandis que les femmes de ≥ 10 ans de résidence aux É.-U. ne montraient pas de différence significative dans leur probabilité d'AAT par rapport aux femmes nées aux É.-U. (RIAa, 0,76; IC à 95 %, 0,54-1,07). Conclusions: La prévalence des facteurs de risque de MCV et la proportion de femmes qui accouchent avant terme étaient plus faibles chez les femmes NNH nées à l'étranger que chez les femmes NNH nées aux É.-U. L'« avantage d'être nées à l'étranger ¼ n'était pas observé lors de ≥ 10 ans de résidence aux É.-U. Notre étude illustre la nécessité d'intensifier les efforts de santé publique pour explorer et remédier aux disparités liées au lieu de naissance dans l'AAT.

Prevention Starts in the Womb: Opportunities for Addressing Cardiovascular Risk Factors During Pregnancy and Beyond.

Early identification and mitigation of sex-specific cardiovascular disease risk factors is a potential trajectory-changing strategy to improve lifelong cardiovascular health in women. These sex-specific risk factors include adverse pregnancy outcomes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and premature menopause. We start by discussing the impact and management of risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes as an upstream intervention for cardiovascular disease risk reduction and then address the long-term effect and mitigation of sex-specific risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

The Effect of Chaplain Patient Navigators and Multidisciplinary Family Meetings on Patient Outcomes in the ICU: The Critical Care Collaboration and Communication Project.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of a chaplain patient navigator in improving outcomes and reducing costs in the ICU setting. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial at a large, urban, academic community hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. SETTING/PATIENTS: All patients admitted to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Cardiac and Medical ICUs between March 2015 and December 2015. INTERVENTIONS: Patients in the intervention group were assigned a chaplain patient navigator to facilitate communication, offer support, and setup multidisciplinary family meetings. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcomes were hospital and ICU length of stay. Secondary outcomes included total and ICU charges, 60- and 90-day readmission rates, and the number of palliative care consults. For all outcomes, patients were included in the intention-to-treat analyses only if they remained in the ICU greater than 24 hours. In total, 1,174 were randomly assigned to "usual care" (n = 573) or to the intervention (n = 601). In the intervention group, 44.8% (269/601) had meetings within 24 hours of admission and, of those patients, 32.8% (88/268) took part in the larger multidisciplinary family meeting 2-3 days later. The intervention group had longer mean adjusted hospital length of stay (7.78 vs 8.63 d; p ≤ 0.001) and mean ICU length of stay (3.65 vs 3.87 d; p = 0.029). In addition, they had greater total and ICU charges. There were no differences in other outcomes. Of note, only differences in total and ICU charges remained when controlling for case-mix index, which were greater in the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: Although the chaplain patient navigator anecdotally enhanced communication, our study found an increase in hospital and ICU length of stay as well as cost. Since other studies have shown benefits in some clinical outcomes, projects focused on patient navigators may learn lessons from our study in order to better prioritize family meetings, gather indicators of communication quality, and identify the optimal patient navigator operational context.

Interconception Care for Primary Care Providers: Consensus Recommendations on Preconception and Postpartum Management of Reproductive-Age Patients With Medical Comorbidities.

Severe maternal morbidity and mortality continue to increase in the United States, largely owing to chronic and newly diagnosed medical comorbidities. Interconception care, or care and management of medical conditions between pregnancies, can improve chronic disease control before, during, and after pregnancy. It is a crucial and time-sensitive intervention that can decrease maternal morbidity and mortality and improve overall health. Despite these potential benefits, interconception care has not been well implemented by the primary care community. Furthermore, there is a lack of guidelines for optimizing preconception chronic disease, risk stratifying postpartum chronic diseases, and recommending general collaborative management principles for reproductive-age patients in the period between pregnancies. As a result, many primary care providers, especially those without obstetric training, are unclear about their specific role in interconception care and may be unsure of effective methods for collaborating with obstetric care providers. In particular, internal medicine physicians, the largest group of primary care physicians, may lack sufficient clinical exposure to medical conditions in the obstetric population during their residency training and may feel uncomfortable in caring for these patients in their subsequent practice. The objective of this article is to review concepts around interconception care, focusing specifically on preconception care for patients with chronic medical conditions (eg, chronic hypertension, chronic diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, venous thromboembolism, and obesity) and postpartum care for those with medically complicated pregnancies (eg, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus, excessive gestational weight gain, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and peripartum mood disorders). We also provide a pragmatic checklist for preconception and postpartum management.

Cardiovascular and Obstetric Delivery Complications in Pregnant Women With Valvular Heart Disease.

Women with valvular heart disease may be more likely to have adverse obstetric and cardiovascular complications during pregnancy. Most current recommendations focus on stenotic lesions with less guidance regarding regurgitant lesions. We aimed to compare adverse events at delivery for women with various stenotic and regurgitant valvular diseases. We used the 2016 to 2018 National Inpatient Sample data to compare demographics, comorbidities, and obstetric and cardiovascular complications during delivery hospitalizations. After adjusting for clinical and socioeconomic factors, logistic regression was performed to investigate associations between valvular disease and outcomes. Among >11.2 million deliveries, 20,349 were in women with valvular disease. Women with valvular disease were older, had longer length of stays, and higher costs associated with delivery. They had higher prevalence of underlying cardiovascular comorbidities compared with women without valvular disease (hypertension: 5.1 vs 0.25%; pulmonary hypertension: 7.0 vs <0.1%). At delivery, they had higher adjusted odds of obstetric events including preeclampsia and/or eclampsia (aOR 1.9 [1.8 to 2.2]) and intrapartum/postpartum hemorrhage (aOR 1.4 [1.2 to 1.6]), and cardiovascular events including peripartum cardiomyopathy (aOR 65 [53 to 78]), pulmonary edema (aOR 17 [13 to 22]), acute ischemic heart disease (aOR 19 [12 to 30]) and arrhythmias (aOR 22 [19 to 27]). There were valve lesion-specific differences in the magnitude of risk but both stenotic and regurgitant lesions were associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular complications. In conclusion, pregnant women with stenotic and regurgitant valvular disease have a greater burden of cardiovascular comorbidities and increased odds of obstetric and cardiovascular events at delivery. These women may benefit from specialized care from a Cardio-Obstetrics team.

Incidence of essential hypertension but not echocardiographic abnormalities at four years with a history of preeclampsia with severe features.

INTRODUCTION: Women with preeclampsia are more likely to have abnormal echocardiographic parameters at the time of diagnosis and are more likely to have hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases (CVD) later in life. Screening for future CVD in preeclamptic women would assist in appropriately risk stratifying and identifying high risk women for preventive management; however, the timing of screening and the screening factors are unknown. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this project are to 1) assess incidence of essential hypertension 4 years after pregnancy in preeclampsia with severe features (PEC) 2) identify predictive echocardiographic variables at the time of PEC diagnosis and 3) assess the rate of echocardiographic abnormalities 4 years after developing PEC. STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective longitudinal study observing the incidence of essential hypertension in women within 4 years of a pregnancy complicated by PEC. We further looked at echocardiographic variables at the time of PEC diagnosis and at 4 years after PEC pregnancy in women with and without subsequent incident essential hypertension. The primary outcome measure is the incidence of essential hypertension within 4 years of PEC pregnancy, defined as a systolic blood pressure ≥ 130 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure ≥ 80 mmHg. Secondary imaging outcomes include the persistence of abnormal echocardiographic parameters. Clinical secondary outcomes are new diagnoses of severe CVD, including coronary artery disease, stroke, arrhythmia, heart failure, or inpatient hospital admission for CVD. RESULTS: Of the 33 enrolled women with PEC, 48% (16/33) developed incident essential hypertension within 4 years of delivery. These women had thicker left ventricular posterior walls on their initial antenatal echocardiogram when compared to the 52% (17/33) who did not develop hypertension (1.0 cm [0.9-1.1 cm] vs 0.9 cm [0.7-0.9 cm]. p < 0.016). However, these abnormal echocardiographic variables resolved in the 16 women who underwent 4-year follow-up echocardiography. CONCLUSION: Women who develop PEC have a high incidence of essential hypertension within 4 years of delivery. The group who develops essential hypertension are more likely to have evidence of adverse cardiac remodeling at the time of PEC diagnosis; however, neither group have cardiac echocardiographic abnormalities 4 years postpartum. Because this is a small study, larger long-term cohort studies are needed to confirm these echocardiographic and clinical findings.

Relationship of Preeclampsia With Maternal Place of Birth and Duration of Residence Among Non-Hispanic Black Women in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in the United States. It disproportionately affects non-Hispanic Black (NHB) women, but little is known about how preeclampsia and other cardiovascular disease risk factors vary among different subpopulations of NHB women in the United States. We investigated the prevalence of preeclampsia by nativity (US born versus foreign born) and duration of US residence among NHB women. METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Boston Birth Cohort (1998-2016), with a focus on NHB women. We performed multivariable logistic regression to investigate associations between preeclampsia, nativity, and duration of US residence after controlling for potential confounders. RESULTS: Of 2697 NHB women, 40.5% were foreign born. Relative to them, US-born NHB women were younger, in higher percentage current smokers, had higher prevalence of obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2) and maternal stress, but lower educational level. The age-adjusted prevalence of preeclampsia was 12.4% and 9.1% among US-born and foreign-born women, respectively. When further categorized by duration of US residence, the prevalence of all studied cardiovascular disease risk factors except for diabetes was lower among foreign-born NHB women with <10 versus ≥10 years of US residence. Additionally, the odds of preeclampsia in foreign-born NHB women with duration of US residence <10 years was 37% lower than in US-born NHB women. In contrast, the odds of preeclampsia in foreign-born NHB women with duration of US residence ≥10 years was not significantly different from that of US-born NHB women after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of preeclampsia and other cardiovascular disease risk factors is lower in foreign-born than in US-born NHB women. The healthy immigrant effect, which typically results in health advantages for foreign-born women, appears to wane with longer duration of US residence (≥10 years). Further research is needed to better understand these associations.

Presentation and outcomes of sepsis in the cardiac intensive care unit.

The prevalence of sepsis is increasing in subspecialty intensive care units, including the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU). The clinical characteristics and outcomes of CICU patients with sepsis are not well understood. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of sepsis patients in the CICU compared to other ICUs using the PROGRESS registry. CICU-sepsis patients were older with fewer acute organ failures (median 2 v. 3, p < 0.001), lower SOFA scores (median 7 v. 9, p < 0.001), and more comorbidities. The use of fluid resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, and renal replacement were similar. Mortality was 47.3% for CICU-sepsis patients compared to 43.6% for sepsis patients in other ICU (P = 0.37). We conclude that, in a prior cohort of septic patients, sepsis in CICU patients had outcomes that are comparably poor to sepsis in other ICUs. Septic CICU patients presented with fewer acute organ failures, but more chronic comorbidities. Contemporary data as well as novel interventions and investigations targeted specifically to cardiac patients with sepsis should be prioritized.