Hannon, Rachel

Prehabilitation with Impella 5.5 offers hemodynamic support while allowing early mobilization, yet its overall effect on post-transplant recovery remains unclear. The aim was to assess recovery during Impella 5.5–supported prehabilitation and determine its association with early post-heart transplant outcomes, including a potential dose–response relationship with ambulatory activity. We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study of adults bridged to transplant with Impella 5.5 between April 1, 2022 and September 30, 2024. Daily walking distance, recorded by nursing staff, served as the intervention. Primary outcome was postoperative hospital length of stay (LOS); the secondary outcome was time to extubation. Fine–Gray competing-risk models, adjusted for age, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, and days of Impella support, assessed associations. Longitudinal recovery trajectories were analyzed with linear mixed-effects models incorporating restricted cubic splines. Among 82 eligible patients, 65 met the inclusion criteria. Patients who walked farther during Impella 5.5 support in the intensive care unit (ICU) had shorter hospital stays and were taken off the ventilator sooner after transplantation. The overall recovery peaked during the first 2–3 weeks of support, with smaller recovery thereafter, indicating that most functional recovery occurred early during prehabilitation.

Heart transplantation is a well-established treatment for end-stage heart failure, but many patients present in poor physical condition, complicating outcomes. The Impella 5.5 device, used in cardiogenic shock, may support pretransplant rehabilitation by stabilizing organ function and promoting functional improvement. This retrospective cohort study assessed the relationship between functional status, measured by standardized Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care Basic Mobility (AM-PAC) scores, and days alive outside the hospital within 30 days post-transplant (DAOH-30). Patients who received Impella 5.5 support before transplantation between January 2019 and October 2023 were included, excluding those without AM-PAC scores within 24 hours pretransplant. Among 65 patients, the median DAOH-30 was 15 days (interquartile range [IQR], 8–19). Higher pretransplant standardized AM-PAC scores correlate with increased DAOH-30 (adjusted coefficient 0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.01–0.6; p = 0.04), as did AM-PAC score improvement during rehabilitation (adjusted coefficient 0.35; 95% CI = 0.01–0.6; p = 0.04). Extended rehabilitation was associated with greater functional gains. These findings suggest that better pretransplant functional status and rehabilitation-related improvements were associated with increased DAOH-30. The Impella 5.5 device facilitates rehabilitation and may enhance post-transplant outcomes. Further research should refine strategies to optimize rehabilitation and recovery in this high-risk population.

Introduction/Background: Patients with heart failure and those waiting for a heart transplant often experience a significant decrease in their ability to perform daily activities and exercise, leading to a lower quality of life. Although exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (EBCR) is a possible treatment option, its effectiveness has not been well measured, resulting in limited adoption. Research Questions/Hypothesis: Could physical rehabilitation before receiving a heart transplant improve functional status and better outcomes? Goals/Aims: Our objective is to evaluate the effect of pre-transplant physical therapy on the standardized improvement of AM-PAC scores, measured from the earliest pre-transplant assessment to the most recent pre-transplant evaluation. Our second objective is to assess the impact of the latest Pre-Transplant AM-PAC Score on the number of hospital-free days following transplantation. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on 91 heart transplant patients who received Impella support from January 2019 to April 2023, approved by the Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board. We collected data on demographics, AMPAC scores, and outcomes at three time points. Continuous variables were compared using the T-test or Mann-Whitney test, and categorical variables using the Chi-square or Fisher's exact test. We used a linear regression model to investigate the relationship between rehabilitation duration and AMPAC scores. Quantile regression was preferred due to the non-normal distribution of the outcome, hospital-free days. Results: We conducted a linear regression analysis and found a statistically significant association between increased hours spent in PT and greater improvement. After one hour of physical therapy, there was an average increase of 1.07 (95% CI 0.1, 2; p=0.03) in AMPAC scoore. We also compared the change in the AMPAC score with hospital-free days, and it was statistically significant in quantile regression analysis, indicating an increase of 0.28 (95% CI 0.2, 0.55; P=0.03) points in the AMPAC Score, corresponding to an additional hospital-free day. Conclusion: Increased hours spent in physical therapy show a significant positive association with greater improvement in standardized AM-PAC Mobility scores and hospital-free days. These findings encourage increasing uptake and support of cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is often used in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with refractory hypoxemia. There is limited literature highlighting the development of right ventricular (RV) failure while on ECMO. We conducted a retrospective multicenter observational study including 70 patients who were placed on veno-venous (VV)-ECMO for respiratory failure at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, and Mayo Clinic, Rochester, between January 2018 and June 2022 and had at least two post-ECMO transthoracic echoes. The primary outcomes were the incidence and progression of RV dysfunction and dilatation. The secondary outcome was in-patient mortality. Among 70 patients in our cohort, 60.6% had a normal RV function at the time of ECMO placement, whereas only 42% had a normal RV function at the second post-ECMO echo. On multinomial regression, a moderate decrease in RV function was associated with ECMO flow (odds ratio [OR] = 2.32, p = 0.001) and ECMO duration (OR = 1.01, p = 0.01). A moderately dilated RV size was also associated with ECMO flow (OR = 2.62, p < 0.001) and ECMO duration (OR = 1.02, p = 0.02). An increasing degree of RV dysfunction was associated with worse outcomes. Our study showed that the increasing duration and flow of VV-ECMO correlated with progressive RV dilatation and dysfunction, which were associated with poor survival.

Abstract Background Impella is an advanced ventricular assist device frequently used as a bridge to heart transplantation. The association of Impella with increased rates of gout flares has not been studied. Our primary aim is to determine the rates of gout flares in patients on Impella support. Methodology A retrospective study was conducted between January 2017 and September 2022 involving all patients who underwent heart transplantation. The cohort was divided into groups based on Impella support for statistical analysis. In patients receiving Impella support, outcome measures were compared based on the development of gout flares. Results 213 patients were analyzed, with 19.71% supported by Impella. Impella and non-Impella groups had similar age, race, and BMI, but more males were in the Impella group. Gout and chronic kidney disease were more prevalent in Impella-supported patients, while coronary artery disease was less common. The incidence of gout flare was significantly higher in Impella patients (31% vs. 5.3%). The Impella group had an adjusted odds ratio for in-hospital gout flare of 8.069 (95% CI = 2.13–35.08, P = 0.003). Impella-supported patients with gout flares had longer intensive care unit and hospital stays but no difference in mortality or other outcomes. Conclusion Our study is the first to identify the potential association between Impella support and increased rates of gout flares in hospitalized patients. Future studies are required to confirm this association and further elucidate the biological pathways. It is imperative to consider introducing appropriate measures to prevent and promptly manage gout flares in Impella-supported patients.

Abstract Carditis is a rare complication of Lyme disease and usually presents in the early dissemination phase, several weeks after exposure to a tick bite. Conduction abnormalities are the most common manifestation of Lyme carditis. The presentation can vary from atrioventricular conduction delay (first-degree atrioventricular conduction block) to life-threatening situations, such as a complete heart block. Although such manifestations occur late, our case report describes an interesting case where the patient developed a complete heart block in the setting of acute Lyme disease. An elevated IgM with negative IgG Lyme serology titer, an unusual finding, initially led us to face a diagnostic dilemma. Our suspicion of a tick bite was affirmed when we detected a positive titer for Babesia microti, an organism carried by the same tick and a common co-infection with Lyme disease. The patient improved with antibiotic therapy and temporary pacemaker support during the initial few days of admission.