Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Post-Surgical Mediastinitis in Adults Consensus Guidelines of the Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Infections (SEICAV), the Spanish Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (SECTCV) and the Biomedical Research Centre Network for Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES).

This is a consensus document of the Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Infections (SEICAV), the Spanish Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (SECTCV) and the Biomedical Research Centre Network for Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES). These three entities have brought together a multidisciplinary group of experts that includes anaesthesiologists, cardiac and cardiothoracic surgeons, clinical microbiologists, infectious diseases and intensive care specialists, internal medicine doctors and radiologists. Despite the clinical and economic consequences of sternal wound infections, to date, there are no specific guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and management of mediastinitis based on a multidisciplinary consensus. The purpose of the present document is to provide evidence-based guidance on the most effective diagnosis and management of patients who have experienced or are at risk of developing a post-surgical mediastinitis infection in order to optimise patient outcomes and the process of care. The intended users of the document are health care providers who help patients make decisions regarding their treatment, aiming to optimise the benefits and minimise any harm as well as the workload.

Infective endocarditis in patients with solid organ transplantation. A nationwide descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Solid organ transplantation (SOT) implies immunosuppression and frequent health care contact. Our aim was to compare the characteristics of patients with infective endocarditis (IE) and SOT against those without SOT. METHODS: We used data from the Spanish Collaboration on Endocarditis during the period 2008-2018. RESULTS: We identified 4794 cases of IE, 85 (1.8%) in SOT (56 kidney, 18 liver, 8 heart, 3 lung). Thirteen patients with other transplantation types (bone marrow, hematopoietic precursors, and cornea) were excluded from the analysis. Compared with patients without SOT, patients with SOT had lower median age (61 vs. 69 years, p<0.001), more comorbidities (mean age-adjusted Charlson index 5.7±2.9 vs. 4.9±2.9, p=0.004), a lower prevalence of native valvular heart disease (29.4 vs. 45.4%, p=0.003), more in-hospital and healthcare-related IE (70.5% vs. 36.3%, p<0.001) and staphylococcal etiology (57.7% vs. 39.7%, p=0.001). Patients with SOT had more frequent kidney function worsening (47.1% vs. 34.6%, p=0.02), septic shock (25.9% vs. 12.1 %, p<0.001), sepsis (27.1% vs. 17.2%, p=0.02), and less surgery indication (54.1% vs 66.3%, p=0.02) and surgery (32.9% vs. 46.3%, p=0.01) than patients without SOT. There were no significant differences in mortality: inhospital (30.6% SOT vs. 25.6% without SOT, p=0.31), 1-year (38.8% SOT vs. 31.9% without SOT, p=0.18). CONCLUSIONS: Most IE in SOT recipients are nosocomial and over 70% are health care-related. Half have previously normal heart valves and almost 60% are due to Staphylococcus spp. infections. Mortality seems to be similar to non-SOT counterparts.

Prognostic assessment of valvular surgery in active infective endocarditis: multicentric nationwide validation of a new score developed from a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Several risk prediction models have been developed to estimate the risk of mortality after valve surgery for active infective endocarditis (IE), but few external validations have been conducted to assess their accuracy. We previously developed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of IE-specific factors for the in-hospital mortality rate after IE valve surgery, whose obtained pooled estimations were the basis for the development of a new score (APORTEI). The aim of the present study was to assess its prognostic accuracy in a nationwide cohort. METHODS: We analysed the prognostic utility of the APORTEI score using patient-level data from a multicentric national cohort. Patients who underwent surgery for active IE between 2008 and 2018 were included. Discrimination was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, and the calibration was assessed using the calibration slope and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Agreement between the APORTEI and the EuroSCORE I was also analysed by Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), the Bland-Altman agreement analysis and a scatterplot graph. RESULTS: The 11 variables that comprised the APORTEI score were analysed in the sample. The APORTEI score was calculated in 1338 patients. The overall observed surgical mortality rate was 25.56%. The score demonstrated adequate discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.75; 95% confidence interval 0.72-0.77) and calibration (calibration slope = 1.03; Hosmer-Lemeshow test P = 0.389). We found a lack of agreement between the APORTEI and EuroSCORE I (concordance correlation coefficient = 0.55). CONCLUSIONS: The APORTEI score, developed from a systematic review and meta-analysis, showed an adequate estimation of the risk of mortality after IE valve surgery in a nationwide cohort.

Effect of the type of surgical indication on mortality in patients with infective endocarditis who are rejected for surgical intervention.

AIM: To evaluate the effect of the type of surgical indication on mortality in infective endocarditis (IE) patients who are rejected for surgery. METHODS AND RESULTS: From January 2008 to December 2016, 2714 patients with definite left-sided IE were attended in the participating hospitals. One thousand six hundred and fifty-three patients (60.9%) presented surgical indications. Five hundred and thirty-eight patients (32.5%) presented surgical indications but received medical treatment alone. The indications for surgery in these patients were uncontrolled infection (366 patients, 68%), heart failure (168 patients, 31.3%) and prevention of embolism (148 patients, 27.6%). One hundred and thirty patients (24.2%) presented more than one indication. The mortality during hospital admission was 60% (323 patients). The in-hospital mortality of patients whose indication for surgery was heart failure, uncontrolled infection or risk of embolism was 75.6%, 61.4% and 54.7%, respectively (p < 0.001). Surgical indications due to heart failure (OR: 3.24; CI 95%: 1.99-5.9) or uncontrolled infection (OR: 1.83; CI 95%: 1.04-3.18) were independently associated with a fatal outcome during hospital admission. Mortality during the first year was 75.4%. The mortality during the first year in patients whose indication for surgery was heart failure, uncontrolled infection or risk of embolism was 85.9%, 76.7% and 72.7%, respectively (p = 0.016). Surgical indication due to heart failure (OR: 3.03; CI 95%: 1.53-5.98) were independently associated with fatal outcome during the first year. CONCLUSIONS: The type of surgical indication is associated with mortality in IE patients who are rejected for surgical intervention.

Early surgical treatment in patients with pulmonary embolism and thrombus-in-transit.

BACKGROUND: Floating right heart thrombi (RHT) are in transit from the legs to the pulmonary arteries and thus are a severe form of venous thromboembolism (VTE), with a high early mortality rate without treatment. There is a lack of evidence-based recommendations for its management. The objective of this study is to describe our experience in the surgical management of thrombus-in-transit and pulmonary embolism (PE) in a tertiary hospital. METHODS: We recruited four patients with thrombus-in-transit and PE treated with early surgical embolectomy and anticoagulation. Epidemiologic, laboratory, imaging and clinical data of the thromboembolic episode and the subsequent course were collected. RESULTS: The sample included 3 males and 1 female, with a mean age of 49.7. The most frequent initial symptoms were dyspnea, syncope, chest pain and signs of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) found the thrombus-in-transit in all the cases. The inicial treatment was unfractionated heparin (UFH) and urgent right atriectomy and manual removal of the thrombi. Three patients needed perioperative infusion of vasopressor drugs. All patients had right heart dysfunction at the time of diagnosis. The mean scoring in the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) was 90. All patients survived after 30 days of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Early surgical embolectomy of thrombus-in-transit is an effective option of management in selected patients, although the current evidence to support this approach is not definitive.

Infections in patients after Berlin Heart® EXCOR assist device implantation.

OBJECTIVES: Berlin Heart® EXCOR devices (BHED) are ventricular assist devices (VAD) used mainly as a bridge to heart transplantation (HT) in pediatric population. The aim of our study is to report the infections diagnosed in adult patients undergoing a BHED implantation. METHODS: Adult patients receiving a BHED between Jul 2009 and Oct 2017 at our institution were included. Infections were classified according to the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation definitions in VAD-Specific (VAD-S), VAD-Related (VAD-R) and non-VAD (N-VAD). RESULTS: Fifteen patients underwent BHED implantation, which was maintained for a mean of 92 (19-195) days. Infection occurred in 13 patients who developed 36 infectious episodes: 5 VAD-S (5 cannula infections); 8 VAD-R (5 bloodstream infections and 3 mediastinitis) and 24 N-VAD (7 urinary tract infections, 6 Cytomegalovirus diseases and others). Overall, 27 (75%) were bacterial, 7 (19.4%) were viral and there was one (2.7%) fungal infection. Eleven patients underwent HT and all of them developed at least one infection after it. In 3 cases, all VAD-R or VAD-S infections were caused by the same etiology as before HT. Their median time of appearance was on day +6 (3-11) after BHED removal and HT. Overall mortality was 6/15 (40%). None of the deaths were related to VAD Infection. CONCLUSIONS: Infection complicated BHED implantation in 86.7% of the patients. Overall, 13.9% were specific of BHED and 22.2% were related. However, infections did not preclude HT in any case and carried no attributable mortality.

Intracardiac thrombosis in Behçet's Disease successfully treated with immunosuppressive agents: A case of vascular pathergy phenomenon.

Behçet's Disease (BD) is a rare multi-systemic inflammatory disorder classified as a systemic vasculitis of unknown aetiology. Vascular involvement occurs in approximately 5-51.6% cases, affecting venous and arterial vessels. Cardiac involvement is rare in BD (6%). There have been published approximately 93 cases of BD associated with intracardiac thrombosis, with different treatments and courses. We present a case of a 35-year-old spanish male that, after a percutaneous pharmacomechanical thrombectomy with venous stent placement, developed high fever and extensive venous thrombosis despite anticoagulation including intracardiac thrombosis (ICT) in the right ventricle and pulmonary embolism that leaded to the diagnosis of BD. The patient was successfully treated with immunosuppressants, achieving the complete resolution of ICT. We hypotesize that the endovenous procedure could have acted as a trigger for the posterior acute attack of the disease, representing a 'vascular pathergy phenomenon'. Vascular BD has to be suspected in cases of thrombosis recurrence despite correct anticoagulation, and intense immunosuppressive treatment should be considered.

Una causa reversible de fracaso ventricular derecho agudo tras el trasplante cardiaco / A reversible cause of acute right ventricular failure after heart transplant

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Endocarditis in patients with ascending aortic prosthetic graft: a case series from a national multicentre registry.

OBJECTIVES: Endocarditis in patients with ascending aortic prosthetic graft (AAPG) is a life-threatening complication. The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical presentation and prognosis of patients with AAPG endocarditis included in a large prospective infectious endocarditis multicentre study. METHODS: From January 2008 to April 2015, 3200 consecutive patients with infectious endocarditis according to the modified Duke criteria, were prospectively included in the 'Spanish Collaboration on Endocarditis Registry (GAMES)' registry. Twenty-seven definite episodes of endocarditis (0.8%) occurred in patients with AAPG. RESULTS: During the study period, 27 cases of endocarditis were detected in patients with AAPG. The median age of patients was 61 years [interquartile range (IQR) 51-68 years] and 23 (85.2%) patients were male. The median time from AAPG surgery to the episode of AAPG infection was 24 months (IQR 6-108 months). The most frequently isolated micro-organisms were coagulase-negative staphylococci and S. aureus (11 patients, 40.7%). Four patients (14.8%) underwent medical treatment, whereas surgery was performed in 21 (77.7%). Two patients (7.4%) died before surgery could be performed. The median hospital stay prior to surgery was 7 days (IQR 4-21 days). Surgery consisted of replacing previous grafts with a composite aortic graft (10 cases) or aortic homograft (2 patients), and removal of a large vegetation attached to the valve of a composite tube (1 case). Nine patients had an infected aortic valve prosthesis without evidence of involvement of the AAPG. Isolated redo-aortic valve replacement was performed in 8 (88.9%) of these patients. Reinfection occurring during 1 year of follow-up was not detected in any patient. Two patients (7.4%) died while awaiting surgery and 6 did so after surgery (22.2%). A New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class IV was associated with mortality in patients undergoing surgery (P < 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Most cases of endocarditis in patients with AAPG occur late after initial surgery. Mortality rate of patients with AAPG endocarditis who undergo surgery is acceptable. NYHA Class IV before surgery is associated with an increased postoperative mortality.

Current Epidemiology and Outcome of Infective Endocarditis: A Multicenter, Prospective, Cohort Study.

The aim of the study was to describe the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics and identify the risk factors of short-term and 1-year mortality in a recent cohort of patients with infective endocarditis (IE).From January 2008, multidisciplinary teams have prospectively collected all consecutive cases of IE, diagnosed according to the Duke criteria, in 25 Spanish hospitals.Overall, 1804 patients were diagnosed. The median age was 69 years (interquartile range, 55-77), 68.0% were men, and 37.1% of the cases were nosocomial or health care-related IE. Gram-positive microorganisms accounted for 79.3% of the episodes, followed by Gram-negative (5.2%), fungi (2.4%), anaerobes (0.9%), polymicrobial infections (1.9%), and unknown etiology (9.1%). Heart surgery was performed in 44.2%, and in-hospital mortality was 28.8%. Risk factors for in-hospital mortality were age, previous heart surgery, cerebrovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, Staphylococcus or Candida etiology, intracardiac complications, heart failure, and septic shock. The 1-year independent risk factors for mortality were age (odds ratio [OR], 1.02), neoplasia (OR, 2.46), renal insufficiency (OR, 1.59), and heart failure (OR, 4.42). Surgery was an independent protective factor for 1-year mortality (OR, 0.44).IE remains a severe disease with a high rate of in-hospital (28.9%) and 1-year mortality (11.2%). Surgery was the only intervention that significantly reduced 1-year mortality.

Implante transapical de prótesis valvular mitral sobre bioprótesis degeneradas / Transapical valve-in-valve implantation in failed mitral bioprostheses

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[The value of an intervention for improving secondary prevention in patients undergoing cardiac surgery]. / Evaluación de una intervención para mejorar la prevención secundaria en pacientes sometidos a cirugía cardiaca.

Given that treatment for secondary prevention in patients undergoing cardiac surgery is underused, we devised a hospital intervention to increase its implementation. The intervention involved all physicians in the department of cardiac surgery agreeing to complete a report on each patient before hospital discharge. The document recorded the indications for the recommended treatments, and prompted for details of the drugs prescribed, the doses used, the reasons for not prescribing the recommended drugs, if that was the case, and the use of alternative medicines. The efficacy of the intervention was evaluated by comparing the rate of drug use in the year in which it was introduced (2003, n=341) with retrospective data on the rate in the previous year (n=369). The rates of use of aspirin, statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and beta-blockers by patients who required them all showed an absolute increase, of 13.4%, 38.3%, 21.8%, and 21.5%, respectively. In conclusion, the introduction of a simple and inexpensive intervention was able to significantly increase the use of drugs for secondary prevention in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Evaluación de una intervención para mejorar la prevención secundaria en pacientes sometidos a cirugía cardiaca / The Value of an Intervention for Improving Secondary Prevention in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery

Dada la infrautilización de los tratamientos de prevención secundaria en pacientes sometidos a cirugía cardiaca, se diseñó una intervención hospitalaria para mejorar su empleo consistente en el compromiso de los miembros del servicio de cirugía cardiaca de cumplimentar antes del alta hospitalaria un formulario que recordaba las indicaciones de los tratamientos recomendados, preguntaba por su prescripción, la dosis empleada, la causa de no prescribir, si era el caso, y el uso de fármacos alternativos. Su eficacia se evaluó comparando la tasa de utilización de los fármacos el año de su uso, 2003 (n = 341), con la del año previo, obtenida retrospectivamente (n =369). El uso de ácido acetilsalicílico, estatinas, inhibidoresde la convertasa angiotensínica y bloqueadores betaen candidatos ideales aumentó en total el 13,4, el 38,3, el 21,8 y el 21,5% respectivamente. En conclusión, una intervención sencilla y barata fue capaz de mejorar significativamente el empleo de fármacos de prevención secundaria en pacientes sometidos a cirugía cardiaca

Given that treatment for secondary prevention inpatients undergoing cardiac surgery is underused, wedevised a hospital intervention to increase itsimplementation. The intervention involved all physiciansin the department of cardiac surgery agreeing to completea report on each patient before hospital discharge. Thedocument recorded the indications for the recommendedtreatments, and prompted for details of the drugsprescribed, the doses used, the reasons for notprescribing the recommended drugs, if that was the case,and the use of alternative medicines. The efficacy of theintervention was evaluated by comparing the rate of druguse in the year in which it was introduced (2003, n=341)with retrospective data on the rate in the previous year(n=369). The rates of use of aspirin, statins, angiotensinconverting enzyme inhibitors, and beta-blockers by patients who required them all showed an absolute increase, of 13.4%, 38.3%, 21.8%, and 21.5%,respectively. In conclusion, the introduction of a simpleand inexpensive intervention was able to significantlyincrease the use of drugs for secondary prevention inpatients undergoing cardiac surgerya

[Ventricular assist devices as a bridge to transplantation]. / Asistencia ventricular mecánica como puente al trasplante.

We carried out an analysis of the results obtained in patients (n=23) who received a ventricular assist device before heart transplantation between 1988 and 2005. Their mean age was 52.5 (8.4) years. Reasons for inclusion in the transplantation waiting list were postcardiotomy referral (n=10), myocardial infarction (n=5), primary graft dysfunction (n=7), and dilated cardiomyopathy (n=1). Different types of ventricular assist device were used: the Abiomed 5000 (n=13), the Biomed Comunidad de Madrid (n=9), and the BioMedicus (n=1). The mean transplantation waiting time was 3.0 (2.4) days. In-hospital complications were neurological (n=7), infectious (n=12), renal (n=3), hemorrhagic (n=3), and respiratory (n=2). In-hospital mortality was 39.1% (n=9). Kaplan-Meier analysis gave a 1-year survival rate of 55.2% and a 5-year survival rate of 32.2%. In patients who were discharged home, the 1-year survival rate was 92.3%. Careful patient selection is essential for obtaining good results.

Asistencia ventricular mecánica como puente al trasplante / Ventricular assist devices as a bridge to transplantation

Se analizan los resultados obtenidos en los pacientes con trasplante de corazón tras recibir asistencia ventricular entre 1988 y 2005 (n = 23). La edad media fue de 52,5 ± 8,4 años. Los motivos de inclusión en la lista de trasplante fueron: poscardiotomía (n = 10), infarto de miocardio (n = 5), disfunción primaria del injerto (n = 7) y miocardiopatía dilatada (n = 1). Los modelos de asistencia fueron BioMed Comunidad de Madrid (n = 9), ABIOMED 5000 (n = 13) y BioMedicus (n = 1). El tiempo en alerta cero fue de 3 ± 2,4 días. Las complicaciones intrahospitalarias fueron: neurológicas (n = 7), infecciosas (n = 12), renales (n = 3), hemorrágicas (n = 3) y respiratorias (n = 2). La mortalidad intrahospitalaria fue del 39,1% (n = 9). El análisis de Kaplan-Meier mostró una supervivencia al año del 55,2% y a los 5 años del 32,2%. En los pacientes que recibieron el alta domiciliaria, la supervivencia al año fue del 92,3%. Una adecuada selección de los pacientes es vital para la obtención de buenos resultados

We carried out an analysis of the results obtained in patients (n=23) who received a ventricular assist device before heart transplantation between 1988 and 2005. Their mean age was 52.5 (8.4) years. Reasons for inclusion in the transplantation waiting list were postcardiotomy referral (n=10), myocardial infarction (n=5), primary graft dysfunction (n=7), and dilated cardiomyopathy (n=1). Different types of ventricular assist device were used: the Abiomed 5000 (n=13), the Biomed Comunidad de Madrid (n=9), and the BioMedicus (n=1). The mean transplantation waiting time was 3.0 (2.4) days. In-hospital complications were neurological (n=7), infectious (n=12), renal (n=3), hemorrhagic (n=3), and respiratory (n=2). In-hospital mortality was 39.1% (n=9). Kaplan-Meier analysis gave a 1-year survival rate of 55.2% and a 5-year survival rate of 32.2%. In patients who were discharged home, the 1-year survival rate was 92.3%. Careful patient selection is essential for obtaining good results

Doppler-derived ejection intraventricular pressure gradients provide a reliable assessment of left ventricular systolic chamber function.

BACKGROUND: Ejection intraventricular pressure gradients are caused by the systolic force developed by the left ventricle (LV). By postprocessing color Doppler M-mode (CDMM) images, we can measure noninvasively the ejection intraventricular pressure difference (EIVPD) between the LV apex and the outflow tract. This study was designed to assess the value of Doppler-derived EIVPDs as noninvasive indices of systolic chamber function. METHODS AND RESULTS: CDMM images and pressure-volume (conductance) signals were simultaneously acquired in 9 minipigs undergoing pharmacological interventions and acute ischemia. Inertial, convective, and total EIVPD curves were calculated from CDMM recordings. Peak EIVPD closely correlated with indices of systolic function based on the pressure-volume relationship: peak elastance (within-animal R=0.98; between-animals R=0.99), preload recruitable stroke work (within-animal R=0.81; between-animals R=0.86), and peak of the first derivative of pressure corrected for end-diastolic volume (within-animal R=0.88; between-animals R=0.91). The correlation of peak inertial EIVPD with these indices was also high (all R>0.75). Load dependence of EIVPDs was studied in another 5 animals in which consecutive beats obtained during load manipulation were analyzed. During caval occlusion (40% EDV reduction), dP/dtmax, ejection fraction, and stroke volume significantly changed, whereas peak EIVPD remained constant. Aortic occlusion (40% peak LV pressure increase) significantly modified dP/dtmax, ejection fraction, and stroke volume; a nearly significant trend toward decreasing peak EIVPD was observed (P=0.06), whereas inertial EIVPD was unchanged (P=0.6). EIVPD beat-to-beat and interobserver variabilities were 2+/-12% and 5+/-11%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Doppler-derived EIVPDs provide quantitative, reproducible, and relatively load-independent indices of global systolic chamber function that correlate closely with currently available reference methods.