Characterization of Myocardial Injury in Patients With COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial injury is frequent among patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and is associated with a poor prognosis. However, the mechanisms of myocardial injury remain unclear and prior studies have not reported cardiovascular imaging data. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to characterize the echocardiographic abnormalities associated with myocardial injury and their prognostic impact in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: We conducted an international, multicenter cohort study including 7 hospitals in New York City and Milan of hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who had undergone transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) and electrocardiographic evaluation during their index hospitalization. Myocardial injury was defined as any elevation in cardiac troponin at the time of clinical presentation or during the hospitalization. RESULTS: A total of 305 patients were included. Mean age was 63 years and 205 patients (67.2%) were male. Overall, myocardial injury was observed in 190 patients (62.3%). Compared with patients without myocardial injury, those with myocardial injury had more electrocardiographic abnormalities, higher inflammatory biomarkers and an increased prevalence of major echocardiographic abnormalities that included left ventricular wall motion abnormalities, global left ventricular dysfunction, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction grade II or III, right ventricular dysfunction and pericardial effusions. Rates of in-hospital mortality were 5.2%, 18.6%, and 31.7% in patients without myocardial injury, with myocardial injury without TTE abnormalities, and with myocardial injury and TTE abnormalities. Following multivariable adjustment, myocardial injury with TTE abnormalities was associated with higher risk of death but not myocardial injury without TTE abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with COVID-19 who underwent TTE, cardiac structural abnormalities were present in nearly two-thirds of patients with myocardial injury. Myocardial injury was associated with increased in-hospital mortality particularly if echocardiographic abnormalities were present.

Patent foramen ovale in patients with pulmonary embolism: A prognostic factor on CT pulmonary angiography?

BACKGROUND: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) represents a risk factor for mortality, but this has not been evaluated for CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA). The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship between PFO and mortality in patients with acute PE diagnosed on CTPA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 268 adults [173 women, mean age 61 (range 22-98) years] diagnosed with acute PE on non-ECG-gated 64-slice CTPA in 2012 at our medical center. The images were reviewed for PFO by a panel of cardiothoracic radiologists with an average of 11 years of experience (range 1-25 years). CT signs of right heart strain and PE level were noted. Transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE), when available (n = 207), were reviewed for PFO by a cardiologist with subspecialty training in advanced imaging and with 3 years of experience. The main outcome was 30-day mortality. Fischer's exact test was utilized to compare mortality. RESULTS: PFO prevalence on CTPA was 22% (58/268) and 4% (9/207) on TTE. Overall 30-day mortality was 6% (16/268), 9% (5/58) for patients with PFO and 5% (11/210) for those without (p = 0.35). CT signs of right heart strain trended with higher mortality, but statistically significant only for hepatic vein contrast reflux [14% (6/44) vs 4% (10/224), p = 0.03]; right ventricular (RV) to left ventricular (LV) diameter ratio >1 [8% (13/156) vs RV:LV ≤ 1 3% (3/112), p = 0.07], septal bowing [10% (4/42) vs without 5% (12/226), p = 0.30]. CONCLUSION: PFO was demonstrated on CTPA in a proportion similar to the known population prevalence, while routine TTE was less sensitive. Mortality was non-significantly higher in patients with acute PE and PFO in this moderate-sized study. A larger study to answer this clinically important question is worthwhile.

Left atrial thrombus and dense spontaneous echocardiographic contrast in patients on continuous direct oral anticoagulant therapy undergoing catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: Comparison of dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban.

BACKGROUND: Left atrial thrombus (LAT) and dense spontaneous echocardiographic contrast (SEC) detected by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients on continuous direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) therapy before catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) or atrial flutter (AFL) have been described. OBJECTIVE: We sought to compare rates of TEE-detected LAT and dense SEC among patients taking different DOACs. METHODS: We evaluated 609 consecutive patients from 3 tertiary hospitals (median age 65 years; interquartile range 58-71 years; 436 (72%) men) who were on ≥4 weeks of continuous DOAC therapy (dabigatran, n = 166 [27%]; rivaroxaban, n = 257 [42%]; or apixaban, n = 186 [31%]) undergoing TEE before catheter ablation of AF/AFL. Demographic, clinical, and TEE data were collected for each patient. RESULTS: Despite ≥4 weeks of continuous DOAC therapy, 17 patients (2.8%) had LAT and 15 patients (2.5%) had dense SEC detected by TEE. The rates of LAT were 3.0%, 3.5%, and 1.6% for patients on dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban, respectively (P = .482). The rates of dense SEC were 1.2%, 3.5%, and 2.2% for patients on dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban, respectively (P = .299). Congestive heart failure (odds ratio 4.4; 95% confidence interval 1.6-12; P = .003) and moderate/severe left atrial enlargement (odds ratio 3.1; 95% confidence interval 1.1-8.6; P = .026) were independent predictors of LAT. CONCLUSION: In this study, ∼3% of patients on continuous DOAC therapy had LAT detected before catheter ablation of AF/AFL. Specific DOAC therapy did not significantly affect the rates of LAT detection.

Left atrial thrombus despite continuous direct oral anticoagulant or warfarin therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation: insights into rates and timing of thrombus resolution.

PURPOSE: Left atrial thrombus (LAT) may be detected by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) or flutter (AFL) despite continuous anticoagulation therapy. We sought to examine the rates and timing of LAT resolution in response to changes in anticoagulation regimen. METHODS: A retrospective study of 1517 consecutive patients on ≥ 4 weeks continuous oral anticoagulation (OAC) undergoing TEE prior to either direct current cardioversion or catheter ablation for AF or AFL was performed. Patients who had LAT on index TEE imaging and had follow-up TEEs were analyzed. RESULTS: Despite ≥ 4 weeks of continuous anticoagulation therapy, 63 (4.2%) patients had LAT. Forty-four patients (median age 67 [IQR 58, 74]; 33 [75%] male; 25 [57%] on direct oral anticoagulant [DOAC]) had follow-up TEEs performed. Upon detection of LAT on index TEE, 8 patients switched from warfarin to a DOAC, 21 patients switched from a DOAC to warfarin or another DOAC, and 15 patients remained on the same OAC. Over median 4.2 months (IQR 2.9, 6.6), LAT resolution was seen in 25 (57%) patients. Of the 25 patients who had LAT resolution, 7 (28%) required TEE imaging > 6 months after index TEE to show clearance of thrombus. Rates of LAT resolution were similar between patients who had alterations in OAC and those who did not (52 vs. 60%; P = 0.601). CONCLUSIONS: After initial detection of left atrial thrombus despite uninterrupted anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation or flutter, > 40% patients have persistent clot despite additional extended anticoagulation.

Left heart chamber quantification in obese patients: how does larger body size affect echocardiographic measurements?

BACKGROUND: Accurate normalization of cardiac chamber size in the obese population is a challenge. The aim of this study was to develop and assess the performance of allometric models for scaling left heart chamber sizes, including left atrial anteroposterior dimension (LADAP), left atrial volume (LAV), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), in an obese population. METHODS: To normalize left heart chamber measurements (Y: LADAP, LAV, LVEDV, and LVEDD) to body size variables (X: height, weight, body mass index, and body surface area), both isometric models (Y = aX) and optimal allometric models (Y = aX(b)) were tested. A logarithmic transformation (LnY = Lna + b × LnX) and ordinary least squares linear regression was performed to estimate the allometric scaling exponents. Pearson's correlation coefficients were obtained for measured and indexed left chamber sizes using both isometric and allometric models against body size variables. Gender-specific allometric models were also derived as sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: A total of 717 healthy obese subjects were included in the analysis. The mean body surface area and body mass index were 2.3 m(2) and 42.2 kg/m(2), respectively. Measured LADAP, LAV, LVEDD, and LVEDV were positively correlated with body size variables. Allometric scaling of LADAP, LAV, LVEDD, and LVEDV showed stronger correlation with measured chamber sizes compared with isometric scaling. The overcorrection caused by isometric scaling significantly improved after allometric models were used. The sensitivity analysis showed no significant differences in scaling exponents between men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Normalizing cardiac chamber measurements with allometric scaling methods is superior to the use of isometric methods in removing the effects of body size and minimizing overcorrection in the obese population. Using an allometric model with height provides the most accurate results.