Control of cardiac chronotropic function in patients after heart transplantation: effects of ivabradine and metoprolol succinate on resting heart rate in the denervated heart.

BACKGROUND: Patients after heart transplantation (HTX) present with sinus tachycardia due to graft denervation. As elevated heart rates negatively affect survival, the aim of this study was to analyze the effects of ivabradine vs metoprolol succinate on heart rate, left ventricular (LV) mass and survival following HTX. METHODS: This observational retrospective single-center study assessed 84 patients continuously receiving either ivabradine (n = 40) or metoprolol succinate (n = 44) within 2 years after HTX. Patients with dual therapy (ivabradine and metoprolol succinate), other beta blockers, amiodarone, or digitalis were excluded. Patient characteristics, post-transplant medication, heart rates, LV mass, and survival were investigated. RESULTS: Analysis of patient characteristics, immunosuppressive drug regimen, and post-transplant medication showed no significant differences between groups except for ivabradine and metoprolol succinate. Baseline heart rates differed not significantly between patients treated with ivabradine [87.0 beats per minute (bpm)] and metoprolol succinate (86.2 bpm; P = 0.6395). At 2-year follow-up, patients with ivabradine (76.7 bpm) had a significantly lower heart rate compared to baseline (P < 0.0001) and to metoprolol succinate (82.0 bpm; P = 0.0283). LV mass in patients receiving ivabradine was lower at 2-year follow-up compared to baseline (P = 0.0067) and patients receiving metoprolol succinate (P = 0.0179). Patients with ivabradine had a superior 2-year survival after HTX (P = 0.0049). CONCLUSION: Treatment with ivabradine in patients within 2 years after HTX significantly reduced post-transplant heart rate and LV mass and was associated with a superior survival in comparison with patients receiving metoprolol succinate.

Alteraciones electrocardiográficas en pacientes con hemorragia intracerebral espontánea / Electrocardiographic changes in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage

Introducción: desde la última centuria se estudia la asociación entre eventos cerebrovasculares hemorrágicos y alteraciones electrocardiográficas, así como el valor de estas como factor pronóstico de mortalidad. Objetivo: caracterizar las alteraciones electrocardiográficas en pacientes con hemorragia intracerebral espontánea a su llegada al Servicio de Urgencias. Material y Método: se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo de corte transversal de las alteraciones electrocardiográficas agudas en pacientes con hemorragia cerebral durante el período de enero del 2010 hasta diciembre del 2011 en el Hospital Comandante Manuel Fajardo de La Habana. Resultados: se observó un predominio del sexo femenino y la media de edad fue de 70 años, las alteraciones electrocardiográficas más frecuentes fueron la taquicardia sinusal, el aplanamiento o inversión de la onda T y la bradicardia sinusal. Las dos terceras partes de los pacientes que presentaron dichas alteraciones fallecieron. Conclusiones: cerca de 50 por ciento de los pacientes presentó cambios electrocardiográficos. Estos predominaron en pacientes femeninos, y se observó una relación estadísticamente significativa con los egresados fallecidos(AU)

Introduction: for the last hundred years the relationship between hemorrhagic cerebrovascular events and electrocardiographic alterations has been studied, as well as their significance as a prognostic factor for mortality. Objective: to characterize the electrocardiographic alterations in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage at their arrival to the Emergency Room. Material and Method: an observational descriptive and transverse study was carried out between January 2010 and December 2011 in Comandante Manuel Fajardo University Hospital. Results: it was found a predominance of females, with an average age of 70 years. The most frequent electrocardiographic alterations were sinus tachycardia, sinus bradycardia, and flat or inverted T waves. Around two thirds of the patients with these changes died in the hospital. Conclusions: nearly 50 percent of patients presented with electrocardiographic anomalies on admittance. They prevailed in female patients and a statistically significant difference was found between them and adverse outcomes(AU)

Neuromuscular comorbidity, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation as prognostic factors in left ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction.

BACKGROUND: There is some controversy concerning the prognosis of patients with left ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction (LVHT). LVHT is frequently associated with neuromuscular disorders (NMDs). The aim of this study was to assess cardiac and neurological findings as predictors of mortality in patients with LVHT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included patients with LVHT diagnosed between June 1995 and January 2014 in one echocardiographic laboratory. They underwent a baseline cardiologic examination and were invited for a neurological examination. Between January and February 2014, their survival status was assessed. RESULTS: LVHT was diagnosed in 220 patients (68 female, aged 52 ± 17 years) with a prevalence of 0.35 %/year. During a follow-up of 72 ± 61 months, 65 patients died. The mortality was 5 %/year. A neurological investigation was performed on 173 patients (79 %) and revealed specific NMDs in 31 (14 %), NMD of unknown etiology in 103 (47 %), and normal findings in 39 (18 %) patients. In multivariate analysis, the predictors of mortality were increased age (p = 0.0001), presence of a specific NMD (p = 0.0062) or NMD of unknown etiology (p = 0.0062), heart failure NYHA III (p = 0.0396), atrial fibrillation (p = 0.0022), and sinus tachycardia (p = 0.0395). CONCLUSIONS: LVHT patients should undergo systematic neurological examinations. Whether an optimal therapy of heart failure and atrial fibrillation will improve the prognosis of LVHT patients needs to be addressed in further studies.

Significance of new-onset prolonged sinus tachycardia in a medical intensive care unit: a prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: Few data are available on sinus tachycardia among medical intensive care unit (ICU) patients. We investigated new critical illnesses related to new-onset prolonged sinus tachycardia (NOPST) and the relationship of NOPST with ICU mortality. METHODS: The heart rate (HR) of all enrolled patients was monitored hourly over a 12-month period, and NOPST was defined as sinus tachycardia (>100 beats/min) with an increase in HR of more than 20% from the baseline value lasting longer than 6 hours. RESULTS: Among the 522 patients enrolled, the average mean HR was 96.1 ± 18.4 beats/min. Fifty-two (10.0%) patients met the criteria for NOPST; pneumonia, delirium, septic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, catheter-related infections, and mechanical ventilator-related problems were related to the occurrence of NOPST. The ICU mortality rate in patients with a NOPST duration of more than 72 hours was higher compared with other patients with NOPST (60.0% vs 18.5%; P = .002). A high daily mean HR rather than NOPST was a significant predictor of ICU mortality (odds ratio, 1.415; 95% confidence interval, 1.177-1.700). CONCLUSIONS: Although NOPST was not associated with ICU mortality, it indicates the presence of new critical events in the medical ICU setting.

Diltiazem to treat sinus tachycardia in critically ill patients: a four-year experience.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether an intravenous infusion of the calcium channel blocker diltiazem was effective and safe in treating sinus tachycardia in critically ill adult patients with contraindications to beta-blockers or in whom beta-blockers were ineffective. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: University medical center. PATIENTS: The records of 171 surgical intensive care unit patients with sinus tachycardia treated with intravenous diltiazem were evaluated. INTERVENTIONS: In all patients with sinus tachycardia (heart rate >100 beats/min), heart rate control with intravenous diltiazem was attempted after adequate intravascular volume expansion, pain, and anxiety control. In all patients, beta-blockade either was contraindicated or (in 7%) had failed. Intravenous diltiazem was administered as a slow 10-mg bolus dose (0.1-0.2 mg/kg ideal body weight), and then an infusion was started at 5 or 10 mg/hr and increased up to 30 mg/hr, as needed, to decrease heart rate to <100 beats/min. Variables retrospectively collected included demographic data, preinfusion blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and preinfusion pressure-rate quotients (pressure-rate quotient = mean arterial pressure / heart rate). Intravenous bolus dose, when given, and diltiazem infusion rate and time necessary to achieve the target heart rate also were recorded. The lowest heart rate recorded within 24 hrs from the initiation of the infusion and the time necessary to achieve the lowest heart rate after beginning the infusion were recorded. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Of 171 patients studied, 97 (56%) were classified as responders. Multiple linear regression suggested that response could be predicted by age, pressure-rate quotients, baseline mean arterial pressure, and central nervous system failure. In the responders, a heart rate <100 beats/min was achieved in an average of 2 hrs, at a mean diltiazem infusion of 13.3 mg/hr. The lowest rate reached by the responders in a 24-hr period averaged 86 beats/min and was achieved in 4.8 hrs with a mean infusion rate of 14.8 mg/hr. Both target and lowest rate values were statistically different from baseline heart rate. CONCLUSION: Diltiazem was effective in achieving short-term control of heart rate in 56% of the patients, virtually without adverse effects, where beta-blockade was contraindicated or ineffective.

Heart rate and late mortality in cardiac transplant recipients.

There are currently 104 patients at this centre who have survived at least 3 months after orthotopic cardiac transplantation. Seven of these long-term survivors have subsequently died and in three cases death was sudden and unexpected. All three of these patients had been noted to have inappropriately high resting heart rates (> 130 b.min-1). The rhythm was sinus tachycardia, supraventricular tachycardia or both intermittently. The heart rates of all 104 long-term survivors were recorded from ECGs taken at routine follow-up visits every 3 months for one year and annually thereafter. The overall mean heart rate was 100 +/- 13.2 b.min-1. Four patients, including the three identified above, had mean heart rates greater than the 95th centile. The mortality rate in this group is 75%. Four deaths have occurred in the remaining 100 patients (P < 0.001). In our series, an inappropriately high resting heart rate due to sinus tachycardia or supraventricular tachycardia in long-term survivors of cardiac transplantation, is an adverse prognostic sign.