Ternus, Bradley

Patients are admitted to the hospital for hemodynamic optimization before left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of hemodynamic optimization using an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) in ambulatory heart failure patients before LVAD placement. This retrospective single-center study included 199 noninotrope-dependent patients who underwent durable LVAD implantation between January 1, 2007 and April 10, 2017. Invasive hemodynamic as well as the primary composite end-point of stage 2 or 3 acute kidney injury, right ventricular failure, and 30-day mortality were compared between patients with and without an IABP. Median age was 64 (interquartile range [IQR], 57–71) years and 165 (82.9%) were male; 72 (36.2%) received an IABP. Patients treated with an IABP had worse baseline exercise capacity and hemodynamic parameters. Patients with an IABP had greater relative reduction in pulmonary artery mean pressure (−16% vs. −2%; p ≤ 0.001). The primary composite end-point was not different between patients who had an IABP and those who did not (20.8% vs. 20.5%; p = 0.952), as were each of the individual end-points. Despite worse baseline hemodynamic parameters and exercise capacity, ambulatory heart failure patients who received an IABP before LVAD implantation had more favorable reductions in pulmonary artery pressures without an increase in the composite end-point. These results suggest that IABP use before LVAD implantation may mitigate the risk of postoperative complications in ambulatory patients.

ABSTRACT Background: Lactate is a prognostic marker in critically ill patients, although currently available illness severity scores do not include lactate as a predictive parameter. We sought to describe the association between lactate and hospital mortality in patients admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) with cardiac arrest (CA) and shock. Methods: Retrospective observational analysis of Mayo Clinic CICU patients admitted from 2007 to 2018 with measured lactate on admission, including patients with and without CA or shock. We examined hospital mortality as a function of admission lactate in patients. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine predictors of hospital mortality. Results: We included 3,042 patients with a median age of 70 years (IQR 60–80), including 41% females, 26% with CA, and 39% with shock. The median APACHE-IV predicted mortality was 24% (IQR 11–51%), and the median admission lactate was 1.8 mmol/L (IQR 1.1–3.0). Hospital mortality occurred in 23% of patients and rose progressively with higher admission lactate, including in patients with and without CA or shock. After multivariable adjustment for clinical characteristics, therapies, and illness severity, a higher lactate remained associated with increased hospital mortality (adjusted OR 1.13 per mmol/L, 95% CI 1.06–1.20, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Admission lactate levels are strongly associated with increased hospital mortality among CICU patients, including those with and without CA or shock. The prognostic value of lactate levels is independent of established ICU prognostic scores and dependent on admission diagnosis, which may help inform clinicians caring for CICU patients.

Structural heart disease (SHD) emergencies include acute deterioration of a stable lesion or development of a new critical lesion. Structural heart disease emergencies can produce heart failure and cardiogenic shock despite preserved systolic function that may not respond to standard medical therapy and typically necessitate surgical or percutaneous intervention. Comprehensive Doppler echocardiography is the initial diagnostic modality of choice to determine the cause and severity of the underlying SHD lesion. Patients with chronic SHD lesions which deteriorate due to intercurrent illness (eg, infection or arrhythmia) may not require urgent intervention, whereas patients with an acute SHD lesion often require definitive therapy. Medical stabilization prior to definitive intervention differs substantially between stenotic lesions (aortic stenosis, mitral stenosis, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction) and regurgitant lesions (aortic regurgitation, mitral regurgitation, ventricular septal defect). Patients with regurgitant lesions typically require aggressive afterload reduction and inotropic support, whereas patients with stenotic lesions may paradoxically require β-blockade and vasoconstrictors. Emergent cardiac surgery for patients with decompensated heart failure or cardiogenic shock carries a substantial mortality risk but may be necessary for patients who are not eligible for catheter-based percutaneous SHD intervention. This review explores initial medical stabilization and subsequent definitive therapy for patients with SHD emergencies.

Background Clinical investigations of shock in cardiac intensive care units (CICUs) have primarily focused on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (AMICS). Few studies have evaluated the full spectrum of shock in contemporary CICUs. Methods and Results The Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network is a multicenter network of advanced CICUs in North America. Anytime between September 2017 and September 2018, each center (n=16) contributed a 2-month snap-shot of all consecutive medical admissions to the CICU. Data were submitted to the central coordinating center (TIMI Study Group, Boston, MA). Shock was defined as sustained systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg with end-organ dysfunction ascribed to the hypotension. Shock type was classified by site investigators as cardiogenic, distributive, hypovolemic, or mixed. Among 3049 CICU admissions, 677 (22%) met clinical criteria for shock. Shock type was varied, with 66% assessed as cardiogenic shock (CS), 7% as distributive, 3% as hypovolemic, 20% as mixed, and 4% as unknown. Among patients with CS (n=450), 30% had AMICS, 18% had ischemic cardiomyopathy without AMI, 28% had nonischemic cardiomyopathy, and 17% had a cardiac cause other than primary myocardial dysfunction. Patients with mixed shock had cardiovascular comorbidities similar to patients with CS. The median CICU stay was 4.0 days (interquartile range [IQR], 2.5–8.1 days) for AMICS, 4.3 days (IQR, 2.1–8.5 days) for CS not related to AMI, and 5.8 days (IQR, 2.9–10.0 days) for mixed shock versus 1.9 days (IQR, 1.0–3.6) for patients without shock ( P <0.01 for each). Median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores were higher in patients with mixed shock (10; IQR, 6–13) versus AMICS (8; IQR, 5–11) or CS without AMI (7; IQR, 5–11; each P <0.01). In-hospital mortality rates were 36% (95% CI, 28%–45%), 31% (95% CI, 26%–36%), and 39% (95% CI, 31%–48%) in AMICS, CS without AMI, and mixed shock, respectively. Conclusions The epidemiology of shock in contemporary advanced CICUs is varied, and AMICS now represents less than one-third of all CS. Despite advanced therapies, mortality in CS and mixed shock remains high. Investigation of management strategies and new therapies to treat shock in the CICU should take this epidemiology into account.