Perceptions on Specialist Palliative Care Involvement During and After Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Qualitative Study.

IMPORTANCE: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an exceptional physical situation and may lead to significant psychological, spiritual, and social distress in patients and their next of kin. Furthermore, clinicians might experience distress related to a CPR event. Specialist palliative care (sPC) integration could address these aspects but is not part of routine care. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore perspectives on sPC integration during and after CPR. A needs assessment for sPC, possible triggers indicating need, and implementation strategies were addressed. DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A multiprofessional qualitative semistructured focus group study was conducted in a German urban academic teaching hospital. Participants were clinicians (nursing staff, residents, and consultants) working in the emergency department and ICUs (internal medicine and surgical). ANALYSIS: The focus groups were recorded and subsequently transcribed. Data material was analyzed using the content-structuring content analysis according to Kuckartz. RESULTS: Seven focus groups with 18 participants in total were conducted online from July to November 2022. Six main categories (two to five subcategories) were identified: understanding (of palliative care and death), general CPR conditions (e.g., team, debriefing, and strains), prognosis (e.g., preexisting situation, use of extracorporeal support), next of kin (e.g., communication, presence during CPR), treatment plan (patient will and decision-making), and implementation of sPC (e.g., timing, trigger factors). CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions about the need for sPC to support during and after CPR depend on roles, areas of practice, and individual understanding of sPC. Although some participants perceive CPR itself as a trigger for sPC, others define, for example, pre-CPR-existing multimorbidity or complex family dynamics as possible triggers. Suggestions for implementation are multifaceted, especially communication by sPC is emphasized. Specific challenges of extracorporeal CPR need to be explored further. Overall, the focus groups show that the topic is considered relevant, and studies on outcomes are warranted.

Pathological findings associated with the updated European Society of Cardiology 2022 guidelines for preoperative cardiac testing: an observational cohort modelling study.

BACKGROUND: In 2022, the European Society of Cardiology updated guidelines for preoperative evaluation. The aims of this study were to quantify: (1) the impact of the updated recommendations on the yield of pathological findings compared with the previous guidelines published in 2014; (2) the impact of preoperative B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) use for risk estimation on the yield of pathological findings; and (3) the association between 2022 guideline adherence and outcomes. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of MET-REPAIR, an international, prospective observational cohort study (NCT03016936). Primary endpoints were reduced ejection fraction (EF<40%), stress-induced ischaemia, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). The explanatory variables were class of recommendations for transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), stress imaging, and guideline adherence. We conducted second-order Monte Carlo simulations and multivariable regression. RESULTS: In total, 15,529 patients (39% female, median age 72 [inter-quartile range: 67-78] yr) were included. The 2022 update changed the recommendation for preoperative TTE in 39.7% patients, and for preoperative stress imaging in 12.9% patients. The update resulted in missing 1 EF <40% every 3 fewer conducted TTE, and in 4 additional stress imaging per 1 additionally detected ischaemia events. For cardiac stress testing, four more investigations were performed for every 1 additionally detected ischaemia episodes. Use of NT-proBNP did not improve the yield of pathological findings. Multivariable regression analysis failed to find an association between adherence to the updated guidelines and MACE. CONCLUSIONS: The 2022 update for preoperative cardiac testing resulted in a relevant increase in tests receiving a stronger recommendation. The updated recommendations for TTE did not improve the yield of pathological cardiac testing.

Association between early postoperative hypoalbuminaemia and outcome after orthotopic heart transplantation.

OBJECTIVES: In patients undergoing heart transplantation (HTX), preoperative liver impairment and consecutive hypoalbuminaemia are associated with increased mortality. The role of early postoperative hypoalbuminaemia after HTX is unclear. This study investigated the association between early postoperative hypoalbuminaemia and 1-year mortality as well as 'days alive and out of hospital' (DAOH) after HTX. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent HTX at the University Hospital Duesseldorf, Germany, between 2010 and 2022. The main exposure was serum albumin concentration at intensive care unit (ICU) arrival. The primary endpoints were mortality and DAOH within 1 year after surgery. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed and logistic and quantile regression models with adjustment for 13 a priori defined clinical risk factors were conducted. RESULTS: Out of 241 patients screened, 229 were included in the analysis (mean age 55 ± 11 years, 73% male). ROC analysis showed moderate discrimination for 1-year mortality by postoperative serum albumin after HTX [AUC = 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66-0.83]. The cutoff for serum albumin at ICU arrival was 3.0 g/dl. According to multivariate logistic and quantile regression, there were independent associations between hypoalbuminaemia and mortality/DAOH [odds ratio of 4.76 (95% CI: 1.94-11.67) and regression coefficient of -46.97 (95% CI: -83.81 to -10.13)]. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative hypoalbuminaemia <3.0 g/dl is associated with 1-year mortality and reduced DAOH after HTX and therefore might be used for early postoperative risk re-assessment in clinical practice.

Possible effect of the early administration of tranexamic acid on myocardial injury in patients with severe trauma.

Hemodynamic stabilization plays a crucial role in the treatment of patients suffering from severe trauma. Current guidelines recommend the early administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) for bleeding control. While less blood loss can result in less end-organ damage, including myocardial injury, TXA also exhibits prothrombotic effects with potentially adverse myocardial effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the administration of TXA and myocardial injury in patients with severe trauma. We conducted a monocentric cohort study including severely injured patients ≥ 18 years [defined by Injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 16], who were admitted to a tertiary care hospital between 2016 and 2019. Primary outcome measure was myocardial injury according to the fourth Universal Definition (= high sensitive troponin T ≥ 14 ng/l). Secondary endpoints were in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality. Main exposure was defined as administration of TXA during prehospital period. We conducted multivariate logistic regression models including predefined covariables. A total of 368 patients were screened. Among the 297 included patients (72% male, age. 55?21 years), 119 (40%) presented myocardial injury at hospital arrival. TXA was administered to 20/297 (7%) patients in the prehospital setting, and in 96/297 (32%) patients during pre-or in-hospital period. MACE incidence was 9% (26/297) and in-hospital mortality was 26% (76/297). The adjusted odds ratios (OR) for prehospital TXA and myocardial injury, MACE and mortality were 0.75 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.25-2.23], 0.51 [95%CI: 0.06-4.30] and 0.84 [0.21-3.33], respectively. In the present cohort of patients suffering from severe trauma, prehospital TXA did not affect the incidence of myocardial injury.

Postoperative high-sensitivity troponin T predicts 1-year mortality and days alive and out of hospital after orthotopic heart transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Orthotopic heart transplantation (HTX) is the gold standard to treat end-stage heart failure. Numerous risk stratification tools have been developed in the past years. However, their clinical utility is limited by their poor discriminative ability. High sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) is the most specific biomarker to detect myocardial cell injury. However, its prognostic relevance after HTX is not fully elucidated. Thus, this study evaluated the predictive value of postoperative hsTnT for 1-year survival and days alive and out of hospital (DAOH) after HTX. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent HTX at the University Hospital Duesseldorf, Germany between 2011 and 2021. The main exposure was hsTnT concentration at 48 h after HTX. The primary endpoints were mortality and DAOH within 1 year after surgery. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, logistic regression model and linear regression with adjustment for risk index for mortality prediction after cardiac transplantation (IMPACT) were performed. RESULTS: Out of 231 patients screened, 212 were included into analysis (mean age 55 ± 11 years, 73% male). One-year mortality was 19.7% (40 patients) and median DAOH was 298 days (229-322). ROC analysis revealed strongest discrimination for mortality by hsTnT at 48 h after HTX [AUC = 0.79 95% CI 0.71-0.87]. According to Youden Index, the cutoff for hsTnT at 48 h and mortality was 1640 ng/l. After adjustment for IMPACT score multivariate logistic and linear regression showed independent associations between hsTnT and mortality/DAOH with odds ratio of 8.10 [95%CI 2.99-21.89] and unstandardized regression coefficient of -1.54 [95%CI -2.02 to -1.06], respectively. CONCLUSION: Postoperative hsTnT might be suitable as an early prognostic marker after HTX and is independently associated with 1-year mortality and poor DAOH.

Association between hypotension and myocardial injury in patients with severe trauma.

PURPOSE: During resuscitation of patients with severe trauma, guidelines recommend permissive hypotension prior to surgical bleeding control. However, hypotension may be associated with reduced organ perfusion and multiple organ dysfunction, e.g. myocardial injury. The association between hypotension and myocardial injury in trauma patients is underexplored. We hypothesized that hypotension is associated with myocardial injury in this population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included patients ≥ 18 years suffering from severe trauma [defined as Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥ 16] that were treated in the emergency department resuscitation room between 2016 and 2019. Primary endpoint was the incidence of myocardial injury defined as high-sensitive troponin T > 14 ng/l. Main exposure was the duration of arterial hypotension during resuscitation period defined as mean arterial pressure < 65 mmHg. RESULTS: Out of 368 patients screened, 343 were analyzed (73% male, age: 55 ± 21, ISS: 28 ± 12). Myocardial injury was detected in 143 (42%) patients. Overall in-hospital mortality was 26%. Multivariate binary logistic regression with forced entry of nine predefined covariables revealed an odds ratio of 1.29 [95% confidence interval 1.16-1.44]; p = 0.012) for the association between the duration of hypotension and myocardial injury. CONCLUSION: The duration of hypotension during resuscitation period is independently associated with the incidence of myocardial injury in patients with severe trauma.

Myocardial Injury Is Associated with the Incidence of Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients with Severe Trauma.

BACKGROUND: Severe trauma potentially results in end-organ damage such as myocardial injury. Data suggest that myocardial injury is associated with increased mortality in this cohort, but the association with the incidence of in-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACE) remains undetermined. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study including adult patients with severe trauma treated at the University Hospital Duesseldorf between January 2016 and December 2019. The main exposure was myocardial injury at presentation. Endpoints were in-hospital incidence of MACE and incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) within 72 h. Discrimination of hsTnT for MACE and AKI was examined by the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and the area under the curve (AUC). We conducted multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: We included 353 patients in our final analysis (72.5% male (256/353), age: 55 ± 21 years). The AUC for hsTnT and MACE was 0.68 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.59-0.78]. The AUC for hsTnT and AKI was 0.64 [95% (CI): 0.55-0.72]. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for myocardial injury and MACE was 2.97 [95% (CI): 1.31-6.72], and it was 2.14 [95% (CI): 1.03-4.46] for myocardial injury and AKI. CONCLUSION: Myocardial injury at presentation in patients with severe trauma is independently associated with the incidence of in-hospital MACE and AKI.

Validation of days alive and out of hospital as a new patient-centered outcome to quantify life impact after heart transplantation.

The number of patients waiting for heart transplantation (HTX) is increasing. Thus, identification of outcome-relevant factors is crucial. This study aimed to identify perioperative factors associated with days alive and out of hospital (DAOH)-a patient-centered outcome to quantify life impact-after HTX. This retrospective cohort study screened 187 patients who underwent HTX at university hospital Duesseldorf, Germany from September 2010 to December 2020. The primary endpoint was DAOH at 1 year. Risk factors for mortality after HTX were assessed in univariate analysis. Variables with significant association were entered into multivariable quantile regression. In total, 175 patients were included into analysis. Median DAOH at 1 year was 295 (223-322) days. In univariate analysis the following variables were associated with reduced DAOH: recipient or donor diabetes pre-HTX, renal replacement therapy (RRT), VA-ECMO therapy, recipient body mass index, recipient estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and postoperative duration of mechanical ventilation. After adjustment, mechanical ventilation, RRT, eGFR and recipient diabetes showed significant independent association with DAOH. This study identified risk factors associated with reduced DAOH at 1-year after HTX. These findings might complement existing data for outcome of patients undergoing HTX.

Evaluation of clinical outcomes in patients treated with heparin or direct thrombin inhibitors during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The number of patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) devices is increasing. Anticoagulation therapy is crucial to prevent thrombosis during ECMO therapy. Predominantly, heparin has been used as primary anticoagulant but direct thrombin inhibitors (DTI) have been established as alternatives. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate clinical outcomes in patients treated with heparin compared to different DTI during ECMO. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted. Full scientific articles were sought for inclusion if heparin anticoagulation was compared to DTI (argatroban/bivalirudin) in ECMO patients. Risk of bias was assessed by Newcastle Ottawa scale. Primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Bleeding events, thrombotic events, hours of ECMO support, days of hospital stay, percentage of time within therapeutic range and time to therapeutic range were extracted from full texts as secondary endpoints. Results were presented as Forrest-plots. GRADE was used for confidence assessment in outcomes. RESULTS: Systematic search identified 4.385 records, thereof 18 retrospective studies for a total of 1942 patients, complied with the predefined eligibility criteria:15 studies investigated bivalirudin and 3 studies investigated argatroban versus heparin. Risk of bias was high for most studies. In-hospital mortality, major bleeding events and pump-related thrombosis were less frequent in DTI group as compared to heparin [mortality-OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.54-0.86; major bleeding-OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.29-0.81; pump thrombosis-OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.40-0.76]. Additionally, percentage of time within therapeutic range was higher for DTI [SMD 0.54, 95% CI 0.14-0.94]. GRADE approach revealed a very low level of certainty for each outcome. CONCLUSION: In this meta-analysis, DTI and especially bivalirudin showed beneficial effects on clinical outcomes in ECMO patients as compared to heparin. However, due to the lack of randomized trials, certainty of evidence is low. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This systematic review and meta-analysis was prospectively registered at PROSPERO data base (reference number CRD42021237252 ).

Impact of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation of Donors on Days Alive and Out of Hospital after Orthotopic Heart Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: The number of patients waiting for heart transplantation (HTX) is increasing. Optimizing the use of all available donor hearts is crucial. While mortality seems not to be affected by donor cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the impact of donor CPR on days alive and out of hospital (DAOH) is unclear. METHODS: This retrospective study included adults who underwent HTX at the University Hospital Duesseldorf, Germany from 2010-2020. Main exposure was donor-CPR. Secondary exposure was the length of CPR. The primary endpoint was DAOH at one year. RESULTS: A total of 187 patients were screened and 171 patients remained for statistical analysis. One-year mortality was 18.7%. The median DAOH at one year was 295 days (interquartile range 206-322 days). Forty-two patients (24.6%) received donor-CPR hearts. The median length of CPR was 15 (9-21) minutes. There was no significant difference in DAOH between patients with donor-CPR hearts versus patients with no-CPR hearts (CPR: 291 days (211-318 days) vs. no-CPR: 295 days (215-324 days); p = 0.619). Multivariate linear regression revealed that there was no association between length of CPR and DAOH (unstandardized coefficients B: -0.06, standard error: 0.81, 95% CI -1.65-1.53, p = 0.943). CONCLUSIONS: Donor CPR status and length of CPR are not associated with reduced DAOH at one year after HTX.

Days alive and out of hospital after left ventricular assist device implantation.

AIMS: Implantation of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as a bridge to transplant or as destination therapy is increasing. The selection of suitable patients and outcome assessment belong to the key challenges. Mortality has traditionally been a focus of research in this field, but literature on quality of life is very limited. This study aimed to identify perioperative factors influencing patients' life as measured by days alive and out of hospital (DAOH) in the first year after LVAD implantation. METHODS AND RESULTS: This retrospective single-centre cohort study screened 227 patients who underwent LVAD implantation at the University Hospital Duesseldorf, Germany, between 2010 and 2020. First, the influence of 10 prespecified variables on DAOH was investigated by univariate analysis. Second, multivariate quantile regression was conducted including all factors with significant influence on DAOH in the univariate model. Additionally, the impact of all variables on 1 year mortality was investigated using Kaplan-Meier curves to oppose DAOH and mortality. In total, 221 patients were included into analysis. As pre-operative factors, chronic kidney disease (CKD), pre-operative mechanical circulatory support (pMCS), and Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) stadium < 3 were associated with lower DAOH at 1 year [CKD: 280 (155-322) vs. 230 (0-219), P = 0.0286; pMCS: 294 (155-325) vs. 243 (0-293), P = 0.0004; INTERMACS 1: 218 (0-293) vs. INTERMACS 2: 264 (6-320) vs. INTERMACS 3: 299 (228-325) vs. INTERMACS 4: 313 (247-332), P ≤ 0.0001]. Intra-operative additional implantation of a right ventricular assist device (RVAD) was also associated with lower DAOH [RVAD: 290 (160-325) vs. 174 (0-277), P ≤ 0.0001]. As post-operative values that were associated with lower DAOH, dialysis and tracheotomy could be identified [dialysis: 300 (252-326) vs. 186 (0-300), P ≤ 0.0001; tracheotomy: 292 (139-325) vs. 168 (0-269), P ≤ 0.0001]. Multivariate analysis revealed that all of these factors besides pMCS were independently associated with DAOH. According to Kaplan-Meier analysis, only post-operative dialysis was significantly associated with increased mortality at 1 year (survival: no dialysis 89.4% vs. dialysis 70.1%, hazard ratio: 0.56, 95% confidence interval: 0.33-0.94; P = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that there can be a clear discrepancy between hard endpoints such as mortality and more patient-centred outcomes reflecting life impact. DAOH may relevantly contribute to a more comprehensive selection process and outcome assessment in LVAD patients.

Neutrophil-lymphoycyte-ratio, platelet-lymphocyte-ratio and procalcitonin for early assessment of prognosis in patients undergoing VA-ECMO.

The use of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is increasing, but mortality remains high. Early assessment of prognosis is challenging and valid markers are lacking. This study aimed to investigate Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Platelet-Lymphocyte-Ratio (PLR) and Procalcitonin (PCT) for early assessment of prognosis in patients undergoing VA-ECMO. This retrospective single-center cohort study included 344 consecutive patients ≥ 18 years who underwent VA-ECMO due to cardiogenic shock. Main exposures were NLR, PLR and PCT measured within 24 h after VA-ECMO initiation. The primary endpoint was all-cause in-hospital mortality. In total, 92 patients were included into final analysis (71.7% male, age 57 ± 14 years). In-hospital mortality rate was 48.9%. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve revealed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.65 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53-0.76] for NLR. The AUCs of PLR and PCT were 0.47 [95%CI 0.35-0.59] and 0.54 [95%CI 0.42-0.66], respectively. Binary logistic regression showed an adjusted odds ratio of 3.32 [95%CI 1.13-9.76] for NLR, 1.0 [95%CI 0.998-1.002] for PLR and 1.02 [95%CI 0.99-1.05] for PCT. NLR is independently associated with in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing VA-ECMO. However, discriminative ability is weak. PLR and PCT seem not to be suitable for this purpose.

Life impact of VA-ECMO due to primary graft dysfunction in patients after orthotopic heart transplantation.

AIMS: Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is a feared complication after heart transplantation (HTX). HTX patients frequently receive veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) until graft recovery. Long-term mortality of patients weaned from VA-ECMO after HTX is comparable with non-ECMO patients. However, impact on quality of life is unknown. This study investigated days alive and out of hospital (DAOH) as patient-centred outcome in HTX patients at 1 year after surgery. METHODS AND RESULTS: This retrospective single-centre cohort study included patients who underwent HTX at the University Hospital Düsseldorf, Germany, from 2010 to 2020. Main exposure was VA-ECMO due to PGD. VA-ECMO and non-VA-ECMO patients were compared regarding the primary endpoint DAOH at 1 year after HTX. Subgroup analysis for patients weaned from VA-ECMO was performed. In total, 144 patients were included into analysis; 1 year mortality was significantly lower in non-ECMO patients [non-ECMO 14.3% (14/98) vs. VA-ECMO 34.8% (16/46), adjusted hazard ratio: 0.32, 95% confidence interval: 0.15-0.74; P = 0.002]. Mortality did not differ significantly between patients weaned from VA-ECMO and non-ECMO patients [non-ECMO 14.3% (14/98) vs. VA-ECMO (weaned) 18.9% (7/37), adjusted hazard ratio: 0.72, 95% confidence interval: 0.27-1.90; P = 0.48]. DAOH were significantly higher in non-ECMO patients compared with VA-ECMO patients and patients weaned from VA-ECMO [non-ECMO vs. VA-ECMO: median 310 (inter-quartile range 277-327) days vs. 243 (0-288) days; P < 0.0001; non-ECMO vs. VA-ECMO (weaned): 310 (277-327) days vs. 253 (208-299) days; P < 0.0001]. These results were still significant after multivariable adjustment with forced entry of predefined covariables. CONCLUSIONS: Despite similar survival rates, VA-ECMO due to PGD has a relevant life impact as defined by DAOH in the first year after HTX. As a more patient-centred endpoint, DAOH may contribute to a more comprehensive assessment of outcome in HTX patients.

Incidence and prognosis of myocardial injury in patients with severe trauma.

PURPOSE: Severe trauma can lead to end organ damages of varying severity, including myocardial injury. In the non-cardiac surgery setting, there is extensive evidence that perioperative myocardial injury is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The impact of myocardial injury on outcome after severe trauma has not been investigated adequately yet. We hypothesized that myocardial injury is associated with increased in-hospital mortality in patients with severe trauma. MATERIALS/METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included patients ≥ 18 years with severe trauma [defined as injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 16] that were admitted to the resuscitation room of the Emergency Department of the University Hospital Duesseldorf, Germany, between 2016 and 2019. The main endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Main exposure was myocardial injury at arrival [defined as high-sensitive troponin T (hsTnT) > 14 ng/l]. For statistical analysis, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and multivariate binary logistic regression were performed. RESULTS: Out of 368 patients, 353 were included into statistical analysis (72.5% male, age: 55 ± 21, ISS: 28 ± 12). Overall in-hospital mortality was 26.1%. Myocardial injury at presentation was detected in 149 (42.2%) patients. In-hospital mortality of patients with and without myocardial injury at presentation was 45% versus 12.3%, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) for hsTnT and mortality was 0.76 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71-0.82]. The adjusted odds ratio of myocardial injury for in-hospital mortality was 2.27 ([95%CI 1.16-4.45]; p = 0.017). CONCLUSION: Myocardial injury after severe trauma is common and independently associated with in-hospital mortality. Thus, hsTnT might serve as a new prognostic marker in this cohort.

Risk Factors for Acute Kidney Injury Requiring Renal Replacement Therapy after Orthotopic Heart Transplantation in Patients with Preserved Renal Function.

Acute kidney injury (AKI), requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT). is a serious complication after orthotopic heart transplantation (HTX). In patients with preexisting impaired renal function, postoperative AKI is unsurprising. However, even in patients with preserved renal function, AKI requiring RRT is frequent. Therefore, this study aimed to identify risk factors associated with postoperative AKI requiring RRT after HTX in this sub-cohort. This retrospective cohort study included patients ≥ 18 years of age with preserved renal function (defined as preoperative glomerular filtration rate ≥ 60 mL/min) who underwent HTX between 2010 and 2021. In total, 107 patients were included in the analysis (mean age 52 ± 12 years, 78.5% male, 45.8% AKI requiring RRT). Based on univariate logistic regression, use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, postoperative infection, levosimendan therapy, duration of norepinephrine (NE) therapy and maximum daily increase in tacrolimus plasma levels were chosen to be included into multivariate analysis. Duration of NE therapy and maximum daily increase in tacrolimus plasma levels remained as independent significant risk factors (NE: OR 1.01, 95%CI: 1.00-1.02, p = 0.005; increase in tacrolimus plasma level: OR 1.18, 95%CI: 1.01-1.37, p = 0.036). In conclusion, this study identified long NE therapy and maximum daily increase in tacrolimus plasma levels as risk factors for AKI requiring RRT in HTX patients with preserved renal function.

Fibrinogen-Albumin-Ratio is an independent predictor of thromboembolic complications in patients undergoing VA-ECMO.

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) supports patients suffering from refractory cardiogenic shock. Thromboembolic complications (TeC) are common in VA-ECMO patients and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Valid markers to predict TeC in VA-ECMO patients are lacking. The present study investigated the predictive value of baseline Fibrinogen-Albumin-Ratio (FAR) for in-hospital TeC in patients undergoing VA-ECMO. This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent VA-ECMO therapy due to cardiogenic shock at the University Hospital Duesseldorf, Germany between 2011 and 2018. Main exposure was baseline FAR measured at initiation of VA-ECMO therapy. The primary endpoint was the in-hospital incidence of TeC. In total, 344 patients were included into analysis (74.7% male, mean age 59 ± 14 years). The in-hospital incidence of TeC was 34%. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve of FAR for in-hospital TeC revealed an area under the curve of 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.61-0.74]. Youden index determined a cutoff of 130 for baseline FAR. Multivariate logistic regression revealed an adjusted odds-ratio of 3.72 [95% CI 2.26-6.14] for the association between FAR and TeC. Baseline FAR is independently associated with in-hospital TeC in patients undergoing VA-ECMO. Thus, FAR might contribute to the prediction of TeC in this cohort.

Serum phosphate and phosphate-regulatory hormones in COPD patients.

BACKGROUND: Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) regulates phosphate metabolism by increasing renal phosphate excretion and decreasing 1.25-dihydroxyvitamin D synthesis. Reports about hypophosphatemia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suggest altered phosphate metabolism. Therefore, we hypothesized that disturbances in phosphate-regulatory hormones such as FGF23 and parathyroid hormone (PTH) are present in COPD patients. METHODS: We investigated 40 COPD patients (63.5 ± 9.9 years, 27 male), each matched with two age- and sex-matched controls without any primary lung disease. COPD patients underwent lung function testing in advance. All patients had a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) > 60 mL/min/1.73m2. We measured concentrations of intact FGF23 (iFGF23) and c-terminal FGF23 (c-term FGF23), phosphate, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in COPD patients and controls. RESULTS: Phosphate (1.0 ± 02 vs. 1.1 ± 0.2 mmol/L; p = 0.027), PTH (54.2 ± 29.4 vs. 68.7 ± 31.8 pg/mL; p = 0.002) and iFGF23 (46.3 ± 29.0 vs. 57.5 ± 33.5 pg/mL; p = 0.026 ) levels were significantly lower in COPD patients compared with controls. There was a significant negative correlation between c-term FGF23 and total lung capacity (r = - 0.4; p = 0.01), and between c-term FGF23 and CRP in COPD patients (r = 0.48; p = 0.002). iFGF23 and c-term FGF23 were positively correlated with phosphate and PTH in the control group. CONCLUSION: We confirmed lower average serum phosphate levels in COPD patients compared with controls. However, our data do not suggest a causative role for FGF23 or PTH in COPD because levels of both phosphate-lowering hormones appear to be adaptively decreased as well. Therefore, further investigations are needed to identify the pathogenesis of low phosphate levels in patients with COPD and the relationship between phosphate-regulatory hormones and disease progression.