Association of peripheral artery disease with in-hospital outcomes after endovascular transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and its association with in-hospital outcomes after endovascular transcatheter aortic valve replacement (EV-TAVR). BACKGROUND: TAVR is an established treatment for patients at prohibitive, high, or intermediate surgical risk. PAD is a significant comorbidity in the determination of surgical risk. However, data on association of PAD with outcomes after EV-TAVR are limited. METHODS: Patients in the National Inpatient Sample who underwent EV-TAVR between January 1, 2012 and September 30, 2015 were evaluated. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 51,685 patients underwent EV-TAVR during the study period. Of these, 12,740 (24.6%) had a coexisting diagnosis of PAD. The adjusted odds for in-hospital mortality [OR 1.08 (95% CI 0.83-1.41)], permanent pacemaker implantation [OR 0.98 (0.85-1.14)], conversion to open aortic valve replacement [OR 1.05 (0.49-2.26)], or acute myocardial infarction [OR 1.31(0.99-1.71)] were not different in patients with versus without PAD. However, patients with PAD had greater adjusted odds of vascular complications [OR 1.80 (1.50-2.16)], major bleeding [OR 1.20 (1.09-1.34)], acute kidney injury (AKI) [OR 1.19 (1.05-1.36)], cardiac complications [aOR 1.21 (1.01-1.44)], and stroke [OR 1.39(1.10-1.75)] compared with patients without PAD. Length of stay (LOS) was significantly longer for patients with PAD [7.23 (0.14) days vs. 7.11 (0.1) days, p < 0.001]. CONCLUSION: Of patients undergoing EV-TAVR, ~25% have coexisting PAD. PAD was not associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality but was associated with higher risk of vascular complications, major bleeding, AKI, stroke, cardiac complications, and longer LOS.

Staged versus index procedure complete revascularization in ST-elevation myocardial infarction: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Complete revascularization of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel coronary artery disease reduces adverse events compared to infarct-related artery only revascularization. Whether complete revascularization should be done as multivessel intervention during index procedure or as a staged procedure remains controversial. METHOD: We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing outcomes of multivessel intervention in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel coronary artery disease as staged procedure versus at the time of index procedure. Composite of death or myocardial infarction was the primary outcome. Mantel-Haenszel risk ratios were calculated using random effect model. RESULTS: Six randomized studies with a total of 1126 patients met our selection criteria. At a mean follow-up of 13 months, composite of myocardial infarction or death (7.2% vs 11.7%, RR: 1.66, 95%CI: 1.09-2.52, P = 0.02), all cause mortality (RR: 2.55, 95%CI: 1.42-4.58, P < 0.01), cardiovascular mortality (RR: 2.8, 95%CI: 1.33-5.86, P = 0.01), and short-term (<30 days) mortality (RR: 3.54, 95%CI: 1.51-8.29, P < 0.01) occurred less often in staged versus index procedure multivessel revascularization. There was no difference in major adverse cardiac events (RR: 1.14, 95%CI: 0.88-1.49, P = 0.33), repeat myocardial infarction (RR: 1.14, 95%CI: 0.68-1.92, P = 0.61), and repeat revascularization (RR: 0.92, 95%CI: 0.66-1.28, P = 0.62). CONCLUSION: In patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel coronary artery disease, a strategy of complete revascularization as a staged procedure compared to index procedure revascularization results in reduced mortality without an increase in repeat myocardial infarction or need for repeat revascularization.

Pre-existing medical comorbidity is not associated with neurological outcomes in patients undergoing targeted temperature management following cardiac arrest.

The prognostic significance of chronic medical illness in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest who undergo targeted temperature management (TTM) remains largely unknown. We sought to assess the association between overall burden of pre-existing medical comorbidity and neurological outcomes in survivors of cardiac arrest undergoing TTM. We analyzed a prospectively collected cohort of 314 patients treated with TTM following cardiac arrest at a tertiary care hospital between 2007 and 2014. Overall burden of medical comorbidity was approximated with the use of the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Poor neurological outcome at hospital discharge, defined as a cerebral performance category (CPC) score >2, was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included death prior to hospital discharge and at 1 year following cardiac arrest. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between CCI scores and outcomes. A poor neurological outcome at hospital discharge was observed in 193 (61%) patients. One hundred and seventy-nine (57%) patients died prior to hospital discharge and a total of 195 (62%) patients had died at 1-year post-arrest. In multivariable logistic regression, elevated CCI scores were not associated with increased odds of poor neurological outcomes (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.90-1.19, p = 0.608) or death (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.86-1.13, p = 0.816) at hospital discharge. No association was seen between CCI scores and death at 1-year post-arrest (OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.95-1.26, p = 0.220). Increasing burden of medical comorbidity, as defined by CCI scores, is not associated with neurological outcomes or survival in patients treated with TTM.

Temperature variability during targeted temperature management is not associated with neurological outcomes following cardiac arrest.

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies on comatose survivors of cardiac arrest undergoing targeted temperature management (TTM) have shown similar outcomes at multiple target temperatures. However, details regarding core temperature variability during TTM and its prognostic implications remain largely unknown. We sought to assess the association between core temperature variability and neurological outcomes in patients undergoing TTM following cardiac arrest. METHODS: We analyzed a prospectively collected cohort of 242 patients treated with TTM following cardiac arrest at a tertiary care hospital between 2007 and 2014. Core temperature variability was defined as the statistical variance (i.e. standard deviation squared) amongst all core temperature recordings during the maintenance phase of TTM. Poor neurological outcome at hospital discharge, defined as a Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) score>2, was the primary outcome. Death prior to hospital discharge was assessed as the secondary outcome. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between temperature variability and neurological outcome or death at hospital discharge. RESULTS: A poor neurological outcome was observed in 147 (61%) patients and 136 (56%) patients died prior to hospital discharge. In multivariable logistic regression, increased core temperature variability was not associated with increased odds of poor neurological outcomes (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.11-1.38, p=0.142) or death (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.12-1.53, p=0.193) at hospital discharge. CONCLUSION: In this study, individual core temperature variability during TTM was not associated with poor neurological outcomes or death at hospital discharge.

Risk of Recurrent Neurologic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack in Patients with Cryptogenic Stroke and Intrapulmonary Shunt.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cardio-embolic phenomenon is believed to underlie a significant proportion of cryptogenic strokes. We recently showed that intrapulmonary shunt (IPS) was associated with cryptogenic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA). We hypothesized that patients with prior cryptogenic stroke or TIA that had an IPS were at a higher risk for recurrent ischemic events. METHODS: The population included subjects with cryptogenic cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or TIA. Inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years, sinus rhythm, and clinically indicated transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Exclusion criteria were hemorrhagic CVA, septal defect, and patent foramen. Patients were followed from index TEE. RESULTS: Of 71 patients, 8 were lost to follow-up. A total of 23 patients had and 40 were without IPS. Average follow-up duration was 38.3 ± 19.2 months. Groups were similar at baseline. There was no significant difference in the recurrence of ischemic CVA or TIA in the IPS versus non-IPS groups (0% vs. 7.5%; P = NS). There was no difference between the incidence of hemorrhagic CVA in the IPS and non-IPS groups (4.3% vs. 5.0%; P = NS). The proportion of patients on warfarin in the IPS group was significantly higher compared to the non-IPS group (17.4% vs. 0%; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with IPS and cryptogenic stroke or TIA did not have a higher recurrence of ischemic cerebral events. Warfarin was significantly higher at follow-up in the IPS compared to the non-IPS group, which may explain these findings. A study randomizing patients with IPS and cryptogenic stroke or TIA to warfarin or no warfarin would be of great interest.

Safety and Feasibility of Induction Immunosuppression When Driveline Infection Is an Indication for Cardiac Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data on the use of induction immunosuppression in patients with active infections undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). We hypothesized that induction immunosuppression in patients with ventricular assist device (VAD) undergoing OHT with localized active driveline infection (DLI) does not lead to worse outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed our database for bridge-to-transplant VAD patients who underwent OHT and received induction therapy. Patients were stratified into those with and without active DLI at the time of OHT and followed up till death or at least 30 months after OHT. Posttransplant length of stay (LOS), frequency of infections, and mortality were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients (30 males) with mean age of 57.5 ± 13 years with VAD underwent OHT during the study period. Twelve had active DLI. Mean follow-up was 46.4 ± 23.1 months. In the DLI versus non-DLI group, there was no difference in mortality (17 vs. 23%, p = NS), LOS (16.3 ± 5.4 vs. 17.2 ± 13.7, p = NS), postoperative renal function, incidence of hyperacute or late rejection or infection either in the first month (25 vs. 23%, p = NS) or during entire follow-up (92 vs. 88%, p = NS). No patient in the DLI group had infections attributable to the same organism responsible for pretransplant DLI. CONCLUSION: In patients with active DLI, induction immunosuppression after OHT did not increase LOS, infections, or mortality after at least 30 months of follow-up and therefore it appears to be a safe and feasible therapeutic option.

Determination of the optimum number of cardiac cycles to differentiate intra-pulmonary shunt and patent foramen ovale by saline contrast two- and three-dimensional echocardiography.

INTRODUCTION: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) and intra-pulmonary shunt (IPS) are potential causes of stroke. The most optimum cardiac cycle cutoff for bubbles to appear in the left heart on saline contrast transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) as criteria to differentiate the 2 entities is unknown. METHODS: Ninety-five adult patients had saline contrast transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), two-dimensional (2D) and 3DTTE. Sensitivity and specificity of each cardiac cycle as cutoff to differentiate a PFO and IPS were obtained. RESULTS: Transesophageal echocardiography showed IPS in 28 and PFO in 15 patients. If bubbles appeared in the left heart within the first 4 cardiac cycles (the 4th cardiac cycle rule) as compared to alternate cutoffs, a PFO was most accurately diagnosed by both 2D and 3DTTE. Bubbles appearing at or after the 5th cardiac cycle most accurately determined an IPS. 3D versus 2DTTE had a trend for a higher sensitivity (61% vs. 36%, P = 0.06), but similar specificity (94% vs. 91%) for IPS. Accuracy of 3DTTE was 84% and 2DTTE was 75% (P = 0.08) for IPS. For PFO, 2DTTE sensitivity (87%) and specificity (98%) did not differ (P = NS) from that of 3DTTE sensitivity (73%) and specificity (100%). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates for the first time that the 4th cardiac cycle rule differentiates PFO and IPS most optimally by 2D and 3DTTE. 3DTTE appears to have higher sensitivity for diagnosing IPS. These data suggest that 3DTTE is preferable when IPS is to be diagnosed. Both methods are similar for diagnosing PFO.

Trends and In-Hospital Outcomes of Patients Admitted with ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Chronic Total Occlusions: Insights from a National Database.

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) is seen in a minority of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients and is implicated in poor outcomes due to "double jeopardy." There is no large national data evaluating the trend and outcomes of STEMI patients who have a CTO (STEMI-CTO). We analyzed the Nationwide In-patients sample database from 2008 to 2011 and compared the trends, clinical characteristics, and in-hospital outcomes of STEMI patients with and without CTO. An increasing trend of CTO was seen in STEMI patients from 2008 to 2011. STEMI-CTO patients were younger, more likely develop cardiogenic shock, undergo percutaneous coronary intervention and thrombolysis. In this large, contemporary, national database, we also found that STEMI-CTO patients were more likely to have iatrogenic cardiac & vascular complications and undergo percutaneous mechanical circulatory support. We did not find significant difference in in-hospital deaths between STEMI-CTO patients and those without CTO.

Comparison of Transcatheter Pulmonic Valve Implantation With Surgical Pulmonic Valve Replacement in Adults (from the National Inpatient Survey Dataset).

There are no large reports of comparative outcomes of transcatheter pulmonic valve implantation (TPVI) and surgical pulmonic valve replacement (SPVR). Prospective studies are unlikely to be feasible in the future also. Thus, we utilized a large adult inpatient database to compare the two with respect to temporal trends, in hospital outcomes and costs. Data from the National Inpatient Sample database from 2003 to 2014 was analyzed to extract patients who underwent TPVI and SPVR using unique ICD 9-CM codes. In-hospital outcomes and charges were then analyzed. All charges were converted to 2018 dollars and a loss of wages analysis was performed using the Bureau of Labor Statistics published median weekly wages. A total of 8,449 and 555 SPVR and TPVI discharges were identified. 5.8% SPVR procedures were done in rural setting versus 1.8% of TPVI. Complications including in-hospital mortality (2.3 vs 0.9%; p = 0.02) were higher in SPVR group. Length of stay was significantly shorter for the TPVI group (1 vs 5 days; p <0.001), which also contributed to lower loss of wages ($1028.57 vs $6042.86; p <0.001) with similar hospital charges. In conclusion, volumes of both TPVI and SPVR are increasing across adult hospitals in the United States, reflecting an overall increase in the adult congenital heart disease population. TPVI offers improved short-term outcomes and decreased loss of wages through shorter recovery time in this real-world database analysis.

Incidence and Predictors of Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease and the Role of Cardiac Troponin Assays in Patients with Unstable Angina.

In a time when cardiac troponin assays are widely used to detect myocardial injury, data remain scarce concerning the incidence and predictors of substantial obstructive coronary artery disease that causes unstable angina. This retrospective single-center study included consecutive patients hospitalized for unstable angina from January 2015 through January 2016. Patients with troponin I levels above the upper reference limit and those who did not undergo angiography were excluded. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of obstructive coronary artery disease that warranted revascularization and of major adverse cardiac events up to 6 months after discharge from the hospital. Of the 114 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 46 (40%) had obstructive coronary artery disease. In the univariate analysis, male sex, white race, history of coronary artery disease, prior revascularization, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease, aspirin use, long-acting nitrate use, and Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction score ≥3 were associated with obstructive coronary artery disease. History of coronary artery disease, prior revascularization, hyperlipidemia, and long-acting nitrate use were associated with major adverse cardiac events. Male sex was an independent predictor of obstructive coronary artery disease (adjusted odds ratio=4.82; 95% CI, 1.79-13; P=0.002) in the multivariate analysis. Our results showed that coronary artery disease warranting revascularization is present in a considerable proportion of patients who have unstable angina. The association that we found between male sex and obstructive coronary artery disease suggests that the risk stratification of patients presenting with unstable angina may need to be refined to improve outcomes.

Aortic pseudoaneurysm & endocarditis caused by Aerococcus viridans: A case report and literature review.

Aerococcus viridans is a gram positive microaerophilic lactic acid coccus which is known to cause an infection in lobsters called Gaffkaemia. Consumption of gaffekaemia affected lobsters is considered to be safe if properly cooked even though there hasn't been any research on potential transmission by this route. Though uncommon, A. viridans is capable of causing a virulent endocarditis associated with aortic valve destruction and abscess. There have been 11 worldwide reported cases of infective endocarditis, of which 6 were aortic and only one of them had aortic pseudoaneurysm (APA). We review these cases and also present the case of a 32-year-old young man with no risk factors who presented initially with native valve endocarditis with aerococcus viridans and subsequently with large aortic pseudo-aneurysm.

Meta-Analysis of Aspirin Versus Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Although aspirin monotherapy is considered the standard of care after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), more recent evidence has suggested a benefit with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after CABG. We performed a meta-analysis of observational studies and randomized controlled trials comparing outcomes of aspirin monotherapy with DAPT in patients after CABG. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to surgical technique (i.e., on vs off pump) and clinical presentation (acute coronary syndrome vs no acute coronary syndrome). Random effects overall risk ratios (RR) were calculated using the DerSimonian and Laird model. Eight randomized control trials and 9 observational studies with a total of 11,135 patients were included. At a mean follow-up of 23 months, major adverse cardiac events (10.3% vs 12.1%, RR 0.84, confidence interval [CI] 0.71 to 0.99), all-cause mortality (5.7% vs 7.0%, RR 0.67, CI 0.48 to 0.94), and graft occlusion (11.3% vs 14.2%, RR 0.79, CI 0.63 to 0.98) were less with DAPT than with aspirin monotherapy. There was no difference in myocardial infarction, stroke, or major bleeding between the 2 groups. In conclusion, DAPT appears to be associated with a reduction in graft occlusion, major adverse cardiac events, and all-cause mortality, without significantly increasing major bleeding compared with aspirin monotherapy in patients undergoing CABG.

Eptifibatide-Induced Profound Thrombocytopenia After Percutaneous Intervention for Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Challenging Clinical Scenario.

Eptifibatide is a glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitor used mostly in the treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The GP IIb/IIIa antagonists occupy the fibrinogen binding site at the GP IIb/IIIa and block thrombocyte aggregation independent of the initial activation pathway. Severe thrombocytopenia has been reported with eptifibatide use. Thrombocytopenia after ACS can have multiple etiologies. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has also been implicated in immune-mediated thrombocytopenia. In this manuscript, we report a case of acute severe thrombocytopenia secondary to eptifibatide use in a patient with a history of HIV infection who presented with an ST elevation myocardial infarction. We also review the differential diagnosis and suggest management strategies in this challenging clinical scenario.

Acute Mitral Regurgitation After Removal of an Impella Device.

Acute mitral regurgitation is a very rare complication of an Impella device. We report a case of a 52-year-old man who had an Impella CP device placed for cardiogenic shock and developed acute mitral regurgitation after removal of the Impella. This was managed with the placement of TandemHeart device.

Beyond Anthracyclines: Preemptive Management of Cardiovascular Toxicity in the Era of Targeted Agents for Hematologic Malignancies.

Advances in drug discovery have led to the use of effective targeted agents in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Drugs such as proteasome inhibitors in multiple myeloma and tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myeloid leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma have changed the face of treatment of hematologic malignancies. There are several reports of cardiovascular adverse events related to these newer agents. Both "on-target" and "off-target" effects of these agents can cause organ-specific toxicity. The need for long-term administration for most of these agents requires continued monitoring of toxicity. Moreover, the patient population is older, often over 50 years of age, making them more susceptible to cardiovascular side effects. Additional factors such as prior exposure to anthracyclines often add to this toxicity. In light of their success and widespread use, it is important to recognize and manage the unique side effect profile of targeted agents used in hematologic malignancies. In this article, we review the current data for the incidence of cardiovascular side effects of targeted agents in hematologic malignancies and discuss a preemptive approach towards managing these toxicities.

Prognostic Significance of Early Rehospitalization After Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.

Short-term complications, particularly rehospitalization, after a diagnosis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) are poorly described. We sought to characterize the rates, causes, clinical associations, and prognostic implications of early rehospitalization in this patient population. We performed a retrospective observational study of all adult subjects diagnosed with TTC at an academic tertiary care hospital from 2005 to 2015. The primary outcome was rehospitalization within 30 days of index discharge. Multivariable logistic regression was used to test for association between clinical variables and rehospitalization. Association between rehospitalization and survival after index discharge was assessed as a secondary outcome using a multivariable Cox proportional hazard model. Two hundred sixty-three subjects met the inclusion criteria for the study. There were 38 rehospitalizations among 32 subjects (12%). Ninety-five percent of rehospitalizations were due to nonheart failure causes, and 76% were related to noncardiovascular complaints. In multivariable analysis, recent hospitalization before TTC diagnosis and increased length of index hospitalization were associated with greater risk of rehospitalization (odds ratio 4.58, 95% CI 1.97 to 10.65, p <0.001 and odds ratio 1.05, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.10, p = 0.026, respectively). Early rehospitalization after TTC was associated with decreased survival (hazard ratio 3.17, 95% CI 1.53 to 6.56, p = 0.002).

Effect of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease on In-Hospital Mortality and Clinical Outcomes After ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

There is controversy regarding in-hospital mortality, revascularization, and other adverse outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation (STEMI) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We queried the 2003 to 2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample databases to identify patients aged ≥18 years with a primary diagnosis of STEMI. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the association of COPD with in-hospital clinical outcomes. Patients with COPD comprised 13.2% of 2,120,005 patients with STEMI. COPD was associated with older age, Medicare insurance, greater co-morbidities, and lower socioeconomic status. Compared with non-COPD patients, patients with COPD had higher inpatient mortality even after adjustment for multiple potential other factors (12.5% vs 8.6%, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.13, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.15, p <0.001). Patients with COPD were more likely to develop new-onset heart failure (AOR 2.01, 95% CI 1.99 to 2.03), cardiogenic shock (AOR 1.24, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.26), and acute respiratory failure (AOR 2.46, 95% CI 2.43 to 2.50) during their hospital stay. Patients with COPD were less likely to undergo diagnostic angiographies and any revascularization procedures. The mean length of stay (6.0 vs 4.6 days; p <0.001) was greater in patients with COPD, as were hospital average hospital charges ($63,956 vs $58,536; p <0.001). In conclusion, among patients with STEMI, COPD is associated with a greater risk of in-hospital mortality, new-onset heart failure, acute respiratory failure, and cardiogenic shock.