Left-Ventricular Unloading With Impella During Refractory Cardiac Arrest Treated With Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is the implementation of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) during refractory cardiac arrest. The role of left-ventricular (LV) unloading with Impella in addition to VA-ECMO ("ECMELLA") remains unclear during ECPR. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to characterize patients with ECPR receiving LV unloading and to compare in-hospital mortality between ECMELLA and VA-ECMO during ECPR. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, and abstract websites of the three largest cardiology societies (American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and European Society of Cardiology). STUDY SELECTION: Observational studies with adult patients with refractory cardiac arrest receiving ECPR with ECMELLA or VA-ECMO until July 2023 according to the Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis checklist. DATA EXTRACTION: Patient and treatment characteristics and in-hospital mortality from 13 study records at 32 hospitals with a total of 1014 ECPR patients. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CI were computed with the Mantel-Haenszel test using a random-effects model. DATA SYNTHESIS: Seven hundred sixty-two patients (75.1%) received VA-ECMO and 252 (24.9%) ECMELLA. Compared with VA-ECMO, the ECMELLA group was comprised of more patients with initial shockable electrocardiogram rhythms (58.6% vs. 49.3%), acute myocardial infarctions (79.7% vs. 51.5%), and percutaneous coronary interventions (79.0% vs. 47.5%). VA-ECMO alone was more frequently used in pulmonary embolism (9.5% vs. 0.7%). Age, rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and low-flow times were similar between both groups. ECMELLA support was associated with reduced odds of mortality (OR, 0.53 [95% CI, 0.30-0.91]) and higher odds of good neurologic outcome (OR, 2.22 [95% CI, 1.17-4.22]) compared with VA-ECMO support alone. ECMELLA therapy was associated with numerically increased but not significantly higher complication rates. Primary results remained robust in multiple sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: ECMELLA support was predominantly used in patients with acute myocardial infarction and VA-ECMO for pulmonary embolism. ECMELLA support during ECPR might be associated with improved survival and neurologic outcome despite higher complication rates. However, indications and frequency of ECMELLA support varied strongly between institutions. Further scientific evidence is urgently required to elaborate standardized guidelines for the use of LV unloading during ECPR.

Critical care unit bed availability and postoperative outcomes: a multinational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Critical care beds are a limited resource, yet research indicates that recommendations for postoperative critical care admission based on patient-level risk stratification are not followed. It is unclear how prioritisation decisions are made in real-world settings and the effect of this prioritisation on outcomes. METHODS: This was a prespecified analysis of an observational cohort study of adult patients undergoing inpatient surgery, conducted in 274 hospitals across the UK and Australasia during 2017. The primary outcome was postoperative morbidity at day 7. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between critical care admission and patient and health system factors. The causal effect of critical care admission on outcome was estimated using variation in critical care occupancy as a natural experiment in an instrumental variable analysis. RESULTS: A total of 19,491 patients from 248 hospitals were eligible for analysis, of whom 2107 were directly admitted to critical care postoperatively. Postoperative morbidity occurred in 2829/19,491 (15%) patients. Increasing surgical risk was associated with critical care admission, as was increased availability of critical care beds (odds ratio (95%CI) 1.04 (1.01-1.06), p = 0.002) per available bed; however, the probability of admission varied significantly between hospitals (median odds ratio 3.05). There was no evidence of a difference in postoperative morbidity with critical care admission (odds ratio (95%CI) 0.91 (0.57-1.45), p = 0.710). DISCUSSION: Postoperative critical care admission is variable and related to bed availability. Statistical methods that adjust for unobserved confounding lowered the estimates of harm previously reported to have been associated with postoperative critical care admission. Our findings provide a rationale for a clinical trial which would evaluate any potential benefits for postoperative critical care admission for patients in whom there is no absolute indication for admission.

Characterization of Biomarkers of Thrombo-Inflammation in Patients with First-Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation.

Patients with first-diagnosed atrial fibrillation (FDAF) exhibit major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) during follow-up. Preclinical models have demonstrated that thrombo-inflammation mediates adverse cardiac remodeling and atherothrombotic events. We have hypothesized that thrombin activity (FIIa) links coagulation with inflammation and cardiac fibrosis/dysfunction. Surrogate markers of the thrombo-inflammatory response in plasma have not been characterized in FDAF. In this prospective longitudinal study, patients presenting with FDAF (n = 80), and 20 matched controls, were included. FIIa generation and activity in plasma were increased in the patients with early AF compared to the patients with chronic cardiovascular disease without AF (controls; p < 0.0001). This increase was accompanied by elevated biomarkers (ELISA) of platelet and endothelial activation in plasma. Pro-inflammatory peripheral immune cells (TNF-α+ or IL-6+) that expressed FIIa-activated protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) (flow cytometry) circulated more frequently in patients with FDAF compared to the controls (p < 0.0001). FIIa activity correlated with cardiac fibrosis (collagen turnover) and cardiac dysfunction (NT-pro ANP/NT-pro BNP) surrogate markers. FIIa activity in plasma was higher in patients with FDAF who experienced MACE. Signaling via FIIa might be a presumed link between the coagulation system (tissue factor-FXa/FIIa-PAR1 axis), inflammation, and pro-fibrotic pathways (thrombo-inflammation) in FDAF.

Calabadion 1 selectively reverses respiratory and central nervous system effects of fentanyl in a rat model.

BACKGROUND: We hypothesised that Calabadion 1, an acyclic cucurbit[n]uril molecular container, reverses fentanyl-induced respiratory depression and dysfunction of the CNS. METHODS: Experiments were conducted in male Sprague-Dawley rats. A constant-rate i.v. infusion of fentanyl (12.5 or 25 µg kg-1 over 15 min) was administered followed by an i.v. bolus of Calabadion 1 (0.5-200 mg kg-1) or placebo. The primary outcome was reversal of ventilatory and respiratory depression, assessed by pneumotachography and arterial blood gas analysis, respectively. Key secondary outcomes were effects on fentanyl-induced central nervous dysfunction quantified by righting reflex, balance beam test, and electromyography (EMG). RESULTS: Calabadion 1 reversed fentanyl-induced respiratory depression across the endpoints minute ventilation, pH, and Paco2 (P=0.001). Compared with placebo, Calabadion 1 dose dependently (P for trend <0.001) reversed fentanyl-induced hypoventilation {81.9 [5.1] (mean [standard error of the mean]) vs 45.5 [12.4] ml min-1; P<0.001}, acidosis (pH 7.43 [0.01] vs 7.28 [0.04]; P=0.005), and hypercarbia (Paco2 43.4 [1.6] vs 63.4 [8.1] mm Hg; P=0.018). The effective Calabadion 1 doses required to reverse respiratory depression by 50% and 90% (ED50Res and ED90Res) were 1.7 and 15.6 mg kg-1, respectively. Higher effective doses were needed for recovery of righting reflex (ED50CNS: 9.6 mg kg-1; ED90CNS: 86.1 mg kg-1), which was accelerated by Calabadion 1 (4.6 [0.3] vs 9.0 [0.7] min; P<0.001). Calabadion 1 also significantly accelerated recovery of full functional mobility and reversal of muscle rigidity. CONCLUSIONS: Calabadion 1 selectively and dose dependently reversed the respiratory system and CNS side-effects of fentanyl.

The Effects of Postoperative Residual Neuromuscular Blockade on Hospital Costs and Intensive Care Unit Admission: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade continues to be a frequent occurrence with a reported incidence rate of up to 64%. However, the effect of postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade on health care utilization remains unclear. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate the effects of postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade on hospital costs (primary outcome), intensive care unit admission rate, and hospital length of stay (secondary outcomes). METHODS: We performed a prespecified secondary analysis of data obtained in 2233 adult patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia. Postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade was defined as a train-of-four ratio <0.9 in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). Our confounder model adjusted for a variety of patient, surgical, and anesthesia-related factors. We fitted truncated negative binomial regression models for hospital cost and hospital length of stay analyses and a logistic regression model for our intensive care unit admission analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 457 (20.5%) patients in our cohort had residual neuromuscular blockade on admission to the PACU. Postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade was not independently associated with increased hospital costs (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 1.04, CI, 0.98-1.11; P = .22). There were significantly higher odds of intensive care unit admission in those with postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade compared to those without (adjusted odds ratio, 3.03, CI, 1.33-6.87; P < .01). Further, we found a trend toward increased hospital length of stay in patients with postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 1.09; P = .06). Sensitivity analysis using the same model in the day of surgery admissions and ambulatory surgery confirmed our findings. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade at PACU admission was not significantly associated with increased hospital costs, but was associated with higher rates of intensive care unit admission. These findings support the view that clinicians should continue to work to reduce the rate of postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade.

The Impact of Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Admission on Postoperative Hospital Length of Stay and Costs: A Prespecified Propensity-Matched Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: In this prespecified cohort study, we investigated the influence of postoperative admission to the intensive care unit versus surgical ward on health care utilization among patients undergoing intermediate-risk surgery. METHODS: Of adult surgical patients who underwent general anesthesia without an absolute indication for postoperative intensive care unit admission, 3530 patients admitted postoperatively to an intensive care unit were matched to 3530 patients admitted postoperatively to a surgical ward using a propensity score based on 23 important preoperative and intraoperative predictor variables. Postoperative hospital length of stay and hospital costs were defined as primary and secondary end points, respectively. RESULTS: Among patients with low propensity for postoperative intensive care unit admission, initial triage to an intensive care unit was associated with increased postoperative length of stay (incidence rate ratio, 1.69 [95% CI, 1.59-1.79]; P < .001) and hospital costs (incidence rate ratio, 1.92 [95% CI, 1.81-2.03]; P < .001). By contrast, postoperative intensive care unit admission of patients with high propensity was associated with decreased postoperative length of stay (incidence rate ratio, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.85-0.95]; P < .001) and costs (incidence rate ratio, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.88-0.97]; P = .001). Decisions regarding postoperative intensive care unit resource utilization were influenced by individual preferences of anesthesiologists and surgeons. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with an unclear indication for postoperative critical care, intensive care unit admission may negatively impact postoperative hospital length of stay and costs. Postoperative discharge disposition varies substantially based on anesthesia and surgical provider preferences but should optimally be driven by an objective assessment of a patient's status at the end of surgery.

Effects of Intraoperative Fluid Management on Postoperative Outcomes: A Hospital Registry Study.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the dose-response relationship between intraoperative fluid administration and postoperative outcomes in a large cohort of surgical patients. BACKGROUND: Healthy humans may live in a state of fluid responsiveness without the need for fluid supplementation. Goal-directed protocols driven by such measures are limited in their ability to define the optimal fluid state during surgery. METHODS: This analysis of data on file included 92,094 adult patients undergoing noncardiac surgery with endotracheal intubation between 2007 and 2014 at an academic tertiary care hospital and two affiliated community hospitals. The primary exposure variable was total intraoperative volume of crystalloid and colloid administered. The primary outcome was 30-day survival. Secondary outcomes were respiratory complications within three postoperative days (pulmonary edema, reintubation, pneumonia, or respiratory failure) and acute kidney injury. Exploratory outcomes were postoperative length of stay and total cost of care. Our models were adjusted for patient-, procedure-, and anesthesia-related factors. RESULTS: A U-shaped association was observed between the volume of fluid administered intraoperatively and 30-day mortality, costs, and postoperative length of stay. Liberal fluid volumes (highest quintile of fluid administration practice) were significantly associated with respiratory complications whereas both liberal and restrictive (lowest quintile) volumes were significantly associated with acute kidney injury. Moderately restrictive volumes (second quintile) were consistently associated with optimal postoperative outcomes and were characterized by volumes approximately 40% less than traditional textbook estimates: infusion rates of approximately 6-7 mL/kg/hr or 1 L of fluid for a 3-hour case. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative fluid dosing at the liberal and restrictive margins of observed practice is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, cost, and length of stay.

Dose-Dependent Protective Effect of Inhalational Anesthetics Against Postoperative Respiratory Complications: A Prospective Analysis of Data on File From Three Hospitals in New England.

OBJECTIVES: Inhalational anesthetics are bronchodilators with immunomodulatory effects. We sought to determine the effect of inhalational anesthetic dose on risk of severe postoperative respiratory complications. DESIGN: Prospective analysis of data on file in surgical cases between January 2007 and December 2015. SETTING: Massachusetts General Hospital (tertiary referral center) and two affiliated community hospitals. PATIENTS: A total of 124,497 adult patients (105,267 in the study cohort and 19,230 in the validation cohort) undergoing noncardiac surgical procedures and requiring general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation. INTERVENTIONS: Median effective dose equivalent of inhalational anesthetics during surgery (derived from mean end-tidal inhalational anesthetic concentrations). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Postoperative respiratory complications occurred in 6,979 of 124,497 cases (5.61%). High inhalational anesthetic dose of 1.20 (1.13-1.30) (median [interquartile range])-fold median effective dose equivalent versus 0.57 (0.45-0.64)-fold median effective dose equivalent was associated with lower odds of postoperative respiratory complications (odds ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.53-0.65; p < 0.001). Additionally, high inhalational anesthetic dose was associated with lower 30-day mortality and lower cost. Inhalational anesthetic dose increase and reduced risk of postoperative respiratory complications remained significant in sensitivity analyses stratified by preoperative and intraoperative risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative use of higher inhalational anesthetic doses is strongly associated with lower odds of postoperative respiratory complications, lower 30-day mortality, and lower cost of hospital care. The authors speculate based on these data that sedation with inhalational anesthetics outside of the operating room may likewise have protective effects that decrease the risk of respiratory complications in vulnerable patients.

Midodrine as adjunctive support for treatment of refractory hypotension in the intensive care unit: a multicenter, randomized, placebo controlled trial (the MIDAS trial).

BACKGROUND: Patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) are often treated with intravenous (IV) vasopressors. Persistent hypotension and dependence on IV vasopressors in otherwise resuscitated patients lead to delay in discharge from ICU. Midodrine is an oral alpha-1 adrenergic agonist approved for treatment of symptomatic orthostatic hypotension. This trial aims to evaluate whether oral administration of midodrine is an effective adjunct to standard therapy to reduce the duration of IV vasopressor treatment, and allow earlier discharge from ICU and hospital. METHODS: The MIDAS trial is an international, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial being conducted in the USA and Australia. We are targeting 120 patients. Adult patients admitted to the ICU who are resuscitated and otherwise stable on low dose IV vasopressors for at least 24 h will be considered for recruitment. Participants will be randomized to receive midodrine (20 mg) or placebo three times a day, in addition to standard care. The primary outcome is time (hours) from initiation of midodrine or placebo to discontinuation of IV vasopressors. Secondary outcomes include time (hours) from ICU admission to discharge readiness, ICU length of stay (LOS) (days), hospital LOS (days), rates of ICU readmission, and rates of adverse events related to midodrine administration. DISCUSSION: Midodrine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of symptomatic orthostatic hypotension. In August 2010, FDA proposed to withdraw approval of midodrine because of lack of studies that verify the clinical benefit of the drug. We obtained Investigational New Drug (IND 113,330) approval to study its effects in critically ill patients who require IV vasopressors but are otherwise ready for discharge from the ICU. A pilot observational study in a cohort of surgical ICU patients showed that the rate of decline in vasopressor requirements increased after initiation of midodrine treatment. We hypothesize that midodrine administration is effective to wean IV vasopressors and shorten ICU and hospital LOS. This trial may have significant implications on lowering costs of hospital care and obtaining FDA approval for new indications for midodrine. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered at clinicaltrials.gov on 02/09/2012 (NCT01531959).

Patient with a novel syndrome with multiple benign hepatic lesions and extrahepatic neoplasms.

Simultaneous occurrence of benign hepatic lesions of different types is a sporadic phenomenon. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first clinical case of a syndrome with simultaneous manifestations of three different entities of benign liver tumors (hepatocellular adenoma, focal nodular hyperplasia and hemangioma) with a novel mutation detected in the liver adenoma and in the presence of a number of further extrahepatic organ neoplasms. Furthermore, we describe for the first time the presence of liver epithelial cells of hepatocytic phenotype expressing cytokeratin 7 (CK7) at the border of the adenoma. These findings may be important for explaining pathogenesis of benign as well as malignant tumors based on genetic and histopathological features.

Accredited cardiac arrest centers facilitate eCPR and improve neurological outcome.

BACKGROUND: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains a frequent medical emergency with low survival rates even after a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Growing evidence supports formation of dedicated teams in scenarios like cardiogenic shock to improve prognosis. Thus, the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) recommended introduction of Cardiac Arrest Centers (CAC) in their 2015 guidelines. Here, we aimed to elucidate the effects of newly introduced CACs in Germany regarding survival rate and neurological outcome. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective observational cohort study was performed at three university hospitals and outcomes after OHCA were compared before and after CAC accreditation. Primary outcomes were survival until discharge and favorable neurological status (CPC 1 or 2) at discharge. RESULTS: In total 784 patients (368 before and 416 after CAC accreditation) were analyzed. Rates of immediate percutaneous coronary intervention (40 vs. 52%, p = 0.01) and implementation of extracorporeal CPR (8 vs. 13%, p < 0.05) increased after CAC accreditation. Likelihood of favorable neurological status at discharge was higher after CAC accreditation (71 vs. 87%, p < 0.01), whereas overall survival remained similar (35 vs. 35%, p > 0.99). CONCLUSION: CAC accreditation is linked to higher rates of favorable neurological outcome and unchanged overall survival.

Sex and Age Characteristics in Acute or Chronic Myocarditis A Descriptive, Multicenter Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the clinical features of myocarditis in various age groups is required to identify age-specific disease patterns. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine differences in sex distribution and clinical outcomes in patients with myocarditis of various ages. METHODS: Patients with acute or chronic myocarditis in 3 centers in Berlin, Germany from 2005 to 2021 and in the United States (National Inpatient Sample) from 2010 to 2019 were included. Age groups examined included "prepubescent" (below 11 years for females and below 13 years for males), adolescents (11 [female] or 13 [male] to 18 years), young adults (18-35 years), "middle-aged adults" (35-54 years), and older adults (age >54 years). In patients admitted to the hospital, hospital mortality, length of stay, and medical complication rates were examined. RESULTS: Overall, 6,023 cases in Berlin and 9,079 cases in the U.S. cohort were included. In both cohorts, there were differences in sex distribution among the 5 age categories, and differences in the distribution were most notable in adolescents (69.3% males vs 30.7% females) and in young adults (73.8% males vs 26.3% females). Prepubescent and older adults had the highest rates of in-hospital mortality, hospital length of stay, and medical complications. In the Berlin cohort, prepubescent patients had higher levels of leukocytes (P < 0.001), antistreptolysin antibody (P < 0.001), and NT-proBNP (P < 0.001) when compared to young adults. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found that sex differences in myocarditis and clinical features of myocarditis were age-dependent.

Pre-assembled ECMO: Enhancing efficiency and reducing stress in refractory cardiac arrest care.

Aim: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) by veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) during refractory cardiac arrest presents significant medical and psychological challenges for healthcare providers. Beyond managing cardiac arrest and preparing for potential coronary angiography, the ECMO circuit must be assembled and primed under strictly sterile conditions, contributing to additional psychological stress and potential delays in ECMO cannulation. This pragmatic study thought to evaluate whether pre-assembled and pre-primed ECMO circuits (pre-primed group) maintain sterility over a 21-day period, expedite ECMO initiation in ECPR patients and alleviate the psychological burden on the ECPR team, compared to newly assembled and primed ECMO circuits (on-demand group). Methods: In a prospective manner, ECMO circuits were either pre-assembled and pre-primed under sterile conditions, maintained for 21 days with culture samples taken every seventh day, or newly assembled and primed during the acute emergency situation. The transition from on-demand assembly and priming of ECMO circuits to pre-primed ECMO circuits occurred on January 1st, 2021. The interval between patients' arrival in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and the initiation of ECMO was recorded and retrospectively compared between the two treatment groups. The ECPR team, comprising experienced cardiologists and nurses, was prospectively surveyed using the modified Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-20). Results: All aseptically pre-assembled and pre-primed ECMO circuits demonstrated sterile cultures for aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms as well as fungal agents over the 21-day period: 0/120 positive cultures (0 %, 95 % CI for binomial probability 0-0.03). The time to ECMO initiation was significantly reduced in the pre-primed group compared to the on-demand group: 13 [IQR 9-17] versus 31 [IQR 27-44] minutes, P < 0.001. Responses from ECPR physicians and nurses on the PSQ-20 were similar across all items. With the use of pre-primed ECMO circuits, all ECPR professionals reported a greater sense of settled inner feeling, considerably less psychological tension, fewer worries and insecurities, as well as more effective ICU shifts with improved personal goal achievement. However, treating ECPR patients with pre-primed ECMO circuits did not lead to increased job satisfaction or higher physical energy levels. Conclusion: Aseptically pre-assembled and pre-primed ECMO circuits maintain sterility for multiple weeks, significantly reducing ECMO initiation times and alleviating psychological strain on the ECPR team. Consequently, implementing these circuits in ECPR centers could enhance both patient outcomes and healthcare provider well-being.

Lactate and lactate clearance as predictors of one-year survival in extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation - An international, multicentre cohort study.

AIM: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) can be considered in selected patients with refractory cardiac arrest. Given the risk of patient futility and high resource utilisation, identifying ECPR candidates, who would benefit from this therapy, is crucial. Previous ECPR studies investigating lactate as a potential prognostic marker have been small and inconclusive. In this study, it was hypothesised that the lactate level (immediately prior to initiation of ECPR) and lactate clearance (within 24 hours after ECPR initiation) are predictors of one-year survival in a large, multicentre study cohort of ECPR patients. METHODS: Adult patients with refractory cardiac arrest at three German and four Danish tertiary cardiac care centres between 2011 and 2021 were included. Pre-ECPR lactate and 24-hour lactate clearance were divided into three equally sized tertiles. Multivariable logistic regression analyses and Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to analyse survival outcomes. RESULTS: 297 adult patients with refractory cardiac arrest were included in this study, of which 65 (22%) survived within one year. The pre-ECPR lactate level and 24-hour lactate clearance were level-dependently associated with one-year survival: OR 5.40 [95% CI 2.30-13.60] for lowest versus highest pre-ECPR lactate level and OR 0.25 [95% CI 0.09-0.68] for lowest versus highest 24-hour lactate clearance. Results were confirmed in Kaplan-Meier analyses (each p log rank < 0.001) and subgroup analyses. CONCLUSION: Pre-ECPR lactate levels and 24 hour-lactate clearance after ECPR initiation in patients with refractory cardiac arrest were level-dependently associated with one-year survival. Lactate is an easily accessible and quickly available point-of-care measurement which might be considered as an early prognostic marker when considering initiation or continuation of ECPR treatment.

Application of Magnetocardiography to Screen for Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy and Monitor Treatment Response.

Background Inflammatory cardiomyopathy is one of the most common causes of sudden cardiac death in young adults. Diagnosis of inflammatory cardiomyopathy remains challenging, and better monitoring tools are needed. We present magnetocardiography as a method to diagnose myocardial inflammation and monitor treatment response. Methods and Results A total of 233 patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 45 (±18) years, and 105 (45%) were women. The primary analysis included 209 adult subjects, of whom 66 (32%) were diagnosed with inflammatory cardiomyopathy, 17 (8%) were diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, and 35 (17%) were diagnosed with other types of nonischemic cardiomyopathy; 91 (44%) did not have cardiomyopathy. The second analysis included 13 patients with inflammatory cardiomyopathy who underwent immunosuppressive therapy after baseline magnetocardiography measurement. Finally, diagnostic accuracy of magnetocardiography was tested in 3 independent cohorts (total n=23) and 1 patient, who developed vaccine-related myocarditis. First, we identified a magnetocardiography vector to differentiate between patients with cardiomyopathy versus patients without cardiomyopathy (vector of ≥0.051; sensitivity, 0.59; specificity, 0.95; positive predictive value, 93%; and negative predictive value, 64%). All patients with inflammatory cardiomyopathy, including a patient with mRNA vaccine-related myocarditis, had a magnetocardiography vector ≥0.051. Second, we evaluated the ability of the magnetocardiography vector to reflect treatment response. We observed a decrease of the pathologic magnetocardiography vector toward normal in all 13 patients who were clinically improving under immunosuppressive therapy. Magnetocardiography detected treatment response as early as day 7, whereas echocardiographic detection of treatment response occurred after 1 month. The magnetocardiography vector decreased from 0.10 at baseline to 0.07 within 7 days (P=0.010) and to 0.03 within 30 days (P<0.001). After 30 days, left ventricular ejection fraction improved from 42.2% at baseline to 53.8% (P<0.001). Conclusions Magnetocardiography has the potential to be used for diagnostic screening and to monitor early treatment response. The method is valuable in inflammatory cardiomyopathy, where there is a major unmet need for early diagnosis and monitoring response to immunosuppressive therapy.

Procedural success of transcatheter annuloplasty in ventricular and atrial functional tricuspid regurgitation.

Background: Transcatheter annuloplasty is meant to target annular dilatation and is therefore mainly applied in functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Due to recent recognition of varying disease pathophysiology and differentiation of ventricular and atrial functional TR (VFTR and AFTR), comparative data regarding procedural success for both disease entities are required. Methods: In this consecutively enrolled observational cohort study, 65 patients undergoing transcatheter annuloplasty with a Cardioband® device were divided into VFTR (n = 35, 53.8%) and AFTR (n = 30, 46.2%). Procedural success was assessed by comparing changes in annulus dilatation, vena contracta (VC) width, effective regurgitation orifice area (EROA), as well as reduction in TR severity. Results: Overall, improvement of TR by at least two grades was achieved in 59 patients (90.8%), and improvement of TR by at least three grades was realised in 32 patients (49.2%). Residual TR of ≤2 was observed in 52 patients (80.0%). No significant differences in annulus diameter reduction [VFTR: 11 mm (9-13) vs. AFTR: 12 mm (9-16), p = 0.210], VC reduction [12 mm (8-14) vs. 12 mm (7-14), p = 0.868], and EROA reduction [0.62 cm2 (0.45-1.10) vs. 0.54 cm2 (0.40-0.70), p = 0.204] were reported. Improvement by at least two grades [27 (90.0%) vs. 32 (91.4%), p = 1.0] and three grades [14 (46.7%) vs. 18 (51.4%), p = 0.805] was similar in VFTR and AFTR, respectively. No significant difference in the accomplishment of TR grade of ≤2 [21 (70.0%) vs. 31 (88.6%), p = 0.118] was noted. Conclusion: According to our results from a real-world scenario, transcatheter annuloplasty with the Cardioband® device may be applied in both VFTR and AFTR with evidence of significant procedural TR reduction.

Mortality and healthcare resource utilisation after cardiac arrest in the United States - A 10-year nationwide analysis prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM: Understanding the public health burden of cardiac arrest (CA) is important to inform healthcare policies, particularly during healthcare crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to analyse outcomes of in-hospital mortality and healthcare resource utilisation in adult patients with CA in the United States over the last decade prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The United States (US) National Inpatient Sample was utilised to identify hospitalised adult patients with CA between 2010 and 2019. Logistic and Poisson regression models were used to analyse outcomes by adjusting for 47 confounders. RESULTS: 248,754 adult patients with CA (without "Do Not Resuscitate"-orders) were included in this study, out of which 57.5% were male. In-hospital mortality was high with 51.2% but improved significantly from 58.3% in 2010 to 46.4% in 2019 (P < 0.001). Particularly, elderly patients, non-white patients and patients requiring complex therapy had a higher mortality rate. Although the average hospital LOS decreased by 11%, hospital expenses have increased by 13% between 2010 and 2019 (each P < 0.001), presumably due to more frequent use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS, e.g. ECMO from 2.6% to 8.7% or Impella® micro-axial flow pump from 1.8% to 14.2%). Strong disparities existed among patient age groups and ethnicities across the US. Of note, the number of young adults with CA and opioid-induced CA has almost doubled within the study period. CONCLUSION: Over the last ten years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, CA-related survival has incrementally improved with shorter hospitalisations and increased medical expenses, while strong disparities existed among different age groups and ethnicities. National standards for CA surveillance should be considered to identify trends and differences in CA treatment to allow for standardised medical care.

FOXO3A acts as immune response modulator in human virus-negative inflammatory cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammatory cardiomyopathy is characterised by inflammatory infiltrates leading to cardiac injury, left ventricular (LV) dilatation and reduced LV ejection fraction (LVEF). Several viral pathogens and autoimmune phenomena may cause cardiac inflammation.The effects of the gain of function FOXO3A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs12212067 on inflammation and outcome were studied in a cohort of patients with inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMi) in relation to cardiac viral presence. METHODS: Distribution of the SNP was determined in virus-positive and virus-negative DCMi patients and in control subjects without myocardial pathology. Baseline and outcome data were compared in 221 virus-negative patients with detection of cardiac inflammation and reduced LVEF according to their carrier status of the SNP. RESULTS: Distribution of SNP rs12212067 did not differ between virus-positive (n=22, 19.3%), virus-negative (n=45, 20.4 %) and control patients (n=18, 23.4 %), indicating the absence of susceptibility for viral infection or inflammation per se (p=0.199). Patients in the virus-negative DCMi group were characterised by reduced LVEF 35.5% (95% CI) 33.5 to 37.4) and increased LVEDD (LV end-diastolic diameter) 59.8 mm (95% CI 58.5 to 61.2). Within the group, SNP and non-SNP carriers had similarly impaired LVEF 39.2% (95% CI 34.3% to 44.0%) vs 34.5% (95% CI 32.4 to 36.5), p=0.083, and increased LVEDD 58.9 mm (95% CI 56.3 to 61.5) vs 60.1 mm (95% CI 58.6 to 61.6), p=0.702, respectively. The number of inflammatory infiltrates was not different in both SNP groups at baseline. Outcome after 6 months showed a significant improvement in LVEF and clinical symptoms in SNP rs12212067 carriers 50.9% (95% CI 45.4 to 56.3) versus non-SNP carriers 41.7% (95% CI 39.2 to 44.2), p≤0.01. The improvement in clinical symptoms and LVEF was associated with a significant reduction in cardiac inflammation (ΔCD45RO+ p≤0.05; ΔMac-1+ p≤0.05; ΔLFA-1+ p≤0.01; ΔCD54+ p≤0.01) in the SNP cohort versus non-SNP cohort, respectively. Subgroup analyses identified ΔMac-1+, ΔLFA-1+, ΔCD3+ and Δperforin+ as predictors for improvement in cardiac function in SNP-positive patients. CONCLUSION: FOXO3A might act as modulator of the cardiac immune response, diminishing cardiac inflammation and injury in pathogen-negative DCMi.

Safety and Healthcare Resource Utilization in Patients Undergoing Left Atrial Appendage Closure-A Nationwide Analysis.

Percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) has emerged as a non-pharmacological alternative for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) not suitable for anticoagulation therapy. Real-world data on peri-procedural outcomes are limited. The aim of this study was to analyze outcomes of peri-procedural safety and healthcare resource utilization in 11,240 adult patients undergoing LAAC in the United States between 2016 and 2019. Primary outcomes (safety) were in-hospital ischemic stroke or systemic embolism (SE), pericardial effusion (PE), major bleeding, device embolization and mortality. Secondary outcomes (resource utilization) were adverse discharge disposition, hospital length of stay (LOS) and costs. Logistic and Poisson regression models were used to analyze outcomes by adjusting for 10 confounders. SE decreased by 97% between 2016 and 2019 [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0-0.24] (p = 0.003), while a trend to lower numbers of other peri-procedural complications was determined. In-hospital mortality (0.14%) remained stable. Hospital LOS decreased by 17% (0.78-0.87, p < 0.001) and adverse discharge rate by 41% (95% CI 0.41-0.86, p = 0.005) between 2016 and 2019, while hospital costs did not significantly change (p = 0.2). Female patients had a higher risk of PE (OR 2.86 [95% CI 2.41-6.39]) and SE (OR 5.0 [95% CI 1.28-43.6]) while multi-morbid patients had higher risks of major bleeding (p < 0.001) and mortality (p = 0.031), longer hospital LOS (p < 0.001) and increased treatment costs (p = 0.073). Significant differences in all outcomes were observed between male and female patients across US regions. In conclusion, LAAC has become a safer and more efficient procedure. Significant sex differences existed across US regions. Careful considerations should be taken when performing LAAC in female and comorbid patients.