Citations

Background: We aim to study the incidence of major complications related to procedure defined as in-hospital death, myocardial infarction, stroke, pericardial effusion or tamponade, percutaneous coronary intervention due to iatrogenic coronary dissection, or unplanned bypass surgery within 72 hours after diagnostic left heart catheterization (LHC; primary end point). Furthermore, all causes of in-hospital death after LHC were adjudicated and reported (secondary end point). Methods and Results: Diagnostic LHC procedures (aortic angiography; coronary, including graft, angiography; and left ventricular angiography) from January 1, 2002, through December 31, 2013, were identified using the clinical scheduling system at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, and complications were identified through electronic records. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision billing codes were used. Registration was queried to identify all-cause mortality. All events were reviewed and adjudicated. There were 43 786 diagnostic LHC procedures; 97.3% were coronary angiograms. The mean age of patients was 64.5 years (13.6), and the majority were male (61.5%). Primary end point was seen in 36 (0.082%) procedures or 8.2 of 10 000 LHCs. Combined right sided procedures with LHC did not increase the risk of major complications. Cardiogenic and septic shock, cardiac arrhythmia, and postsurgical complication were the most common causes of in-hospital death after LHC. Conclusions: The overall rates of major complications related to diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedures are extremely rare. The majority of the deaths occurring post-diagnostic LHC procedures were secondary to acute illness rather than directly related to diagnostic procedure.

Background Patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis and a history of chest radiation therapy represent a complex and challenging cohort. It is unknown how transcatheter aortic valve replacement ( TAVR ) compares with surgical aortic valve replacement in this group of patients, which was the objective of this study. Methods and Results We retrospectively reviewed all patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent either TAVR or surgical aortic valve replacement at our institution with a history of mediastinal radiation (n=55 per group). End points were echocardiographic and clinical outcomes in‐hospital, at 30 days, and at 1 year. Inverse propensity weighting analysis was used to account for intergroup baseline differences. TAVR patients had a higher STS score than surgical aortic valve replacement patients (5.1% [3.2, 7.7] versus 1.6% [0.8, 2.6], P <0.001) and more often ( P <0.01 for all) a history of atrial fibrillation (45.5% versus 12.7%), chronic lung disease (47.3% versus 7.3%), peripheral arterial disease (38.2% versus 7.3%), heart failure (58.2% versus 18.2%), and pacemaker therapy (23.6% versus 1.8%). Postoperative atrial fibrillation was less frequent (1.8% versus 27.3%; P <0.001) and hospital stay was shorter in TAVR patients (4.0 [2.0, 5.0] versus 6.0 [5.0, 8.0] days; P <0.001). The ratio of observed‐to‐expected 30‐day mortality was lower after TAVR as was 30‐day mortality in inverse propensity weighting–adjusted Kaplan–Meier analyses. Conclusions In patients with severe aortic stenosis and a history of chest radiation therapy, TAVR performs better than predicted along with less adjusted 30‐day all‐cause mortality, postoperative atrial fibrillation, and shorter hospitalization compared with surgical aortic valve replacement. These data support further studies on the preferred role of TAVR in this unique patient population.

Background The recent introduction of high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs‐cTn) assays has allowed clinicians to measure hs‐cTn before and after cardiac stress testing, but the hs‐cTn release pattern and potential utility in identifying inducible myocardial ischemia are unclear. We thus conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to improve our understanding of hs‐cTn release associated with exercise and pharmacological stress testing. Methods and Results Studies published between January 2008 and July 2016 that reported hs‐cTn change values (high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin T [hs‐cTnT] or high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin I [hs‐cTnI]) in relation to cardiac stress testing were searched and reviewed by 2 independent screeners. Primary outcomes were pooled estimates of absolute and relative hs‐cTn changes after cardiac stress test, stratified by the presence of inducible myocardial ischemia. This meta‐analysis included 11 studies (n=2432 patients). After exercise stress testing, hs‐cTnT increased by 0.5 ng/L or 11% (6 studies, n=406) and hs‐cTnI by 2.4 ng/L or 41% (4 studies, n=365) in patients with inducible myocardial ischemia versus hs‐cTnT by 1.1 ng/L or 18% (8 studies, n=629; P =0.29) and hs‐cTnI by 1.8 ng/L or 72% (4 studies, n=831; P =0.61) in patients who did not develop inducible myocardial ischemia. After pharmacological stress test, hs‐cTnT changed by −0.1 ng/L or −0.4% (6 studies, n=251) and hs‐cTnI by 2.4 ng/L or 32% (2 studies, n=108) in patients with inducible myocardial ischemia versus hs‐cTnT by 0.7 ng/L or 11% (5 studies, n=443, P =0.44) and hs‐cTnI by 1.7 ng/L or 38% (2 studies, n=116; P =0.62) in patients who did not develop inducible myocardial ischemia. Conclusions hs‐cTn rising patterns after exercise and pharmacological stress testing appear inconsistent and comparably small, and do not appear to be correlated with inducible myocardial ischemia.

Background Optimal management of patients with severe mitral stenosis ( MS ) and low transmitral gradient is incompletely understood. Methods and Results We examined 101 consecutive patients with severe rheumatic MS (mitral valve area ≤1.5 cm 2 ) who underwent balloon valvuloplasty. Low gradient was defined as mean transmitral gradient <10 mm Hg and low flow as stroke volume index ≤35 mL/m 2 by echocardiography. Symptoms and mortality data were collected. Systolic, diastolic, and arterial function were characterized by measuring left ventricular (LV) end‐systolic elastance, LV stiffness constant (β), diastolic capacitance (predicted LV end‐diastolic volume at a common LV filling pressure of 30 mm Hg), and effective arterial elastance. Low gradient (<10 mm Hg) was present in 55 patients, including low flow/low gradient in 11 and normal flow/low gradient in 44 patients, and high gradient was present in 46 patients. Participants with low‐flow/low‐gradient (LG) MS were older with higher rates of atrial fibrillation (64%) and subvalvular thickening, higher afterload, and decreased LV compliance with lower ejection fraction (57±10% versus 65±4% versus 63±6%, P =0.002) but similar end‐systolic elastance compared with patients with normal‐flow/ LG and high‐gradient MS . The normal‐flow/ LG group had larger mitral valve area and lower left atrial pressure by catheterization, as well as favorable long‐term outcomes compared with the low‐flow/ LG and high‐gradient MS group. A total of 40% of patients with LG MS had no symptomatic benefit from valvuloplasty compared with 18% of patients with high‐gradient MS ( P =0.02). Conclusions Presence of low gradient in patients with severe MS was associated with lesser symptomatic benefit from valvuloplasty. In the subset with low stroke volume index, this may be related to independent ventricular‐vascular uncoupling, decreased LV compliance, and high prevalence of atrial fibrillation in addition to intrinsic MS .

AbstractBackgroundTreatment of hemodynamically significant mitral annular calcification (MAC) using transcatheter approaches is in the early learning phase. The occurrence of paravalvular leak (PVL) following transcatheter mitral valve in MAC is common.AimsTo report the initial experience and techniques of percutaneous PVL closure after transcatheter valve in MAC.MethodsThis series includes five consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous PVL closure following transcatheter balloon expandable SAPIEN S3 valve in MAC.ResultsMean patient age was 73.6 ± 5.4 years (4 [80%] female), with average Society of Thoracic Surgeons score of 8.1 ± 2.8%. Three patients had a single PVL defect while two patients had two defects; all were located at the commissural sites. Closure was performed primarily for heart failure in four patients and hemolytic anemia in one patient. Transfemoral transseptal antegrade approach and Amplatz Vascular Plug (AVP)‐II occluders were utilized in all patients. Procedure success was achieved in three patients. One patient developed significant occluder related leaflet impingement and subsequent severe prosthetic mitral regurgitation requiring a second transcatheter mitral valve in valve implantation. The procedure was aborted in one patient due to difficulty crossing PVL defect after balloon post‐dilatation of SAPIEN prosthesis with 10 mL of additional volume. There was no in hospital or 30 day mortality or the need for emergent surgery.ConclusionEarly experience with percutaneous PVL closure of SAPIEN valve in MAC demonstrated feasibility of this approach. Careful procedure planning and monitoring for SAPIEN prosthesis leaflet impingement and frame instability is of utmost importance to increase the chances of procedural success.

Background and Purpose— Rates of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) are estimated to be highest globally in sub-Saharan Africa. However, outcomes of ICH are poorly described and standard prognostic markers for ICH have not been validated in the region. Methods— We enrolled consecutive patients with computed tomography-confirmed ICH at a referral hospital in southwestern Uganda. We recorded demographic, clinical, and radiographic features of ICH, and calculated ICH scores. We fit Poisson regression models with robust variance estimation to determine predictors of case fatality at 30 days. Results— We enrolled 73 individuals presenting with computed tomography-confirmed ICH (mean age 60 years, 45% [33/73] female, and 14% [10/73] HIV-positive). The median ICH score was 2 (interquartile range, 1–3; range, 0–5). Case fatality at 30 days was 44% (32/73; 95% CI, 33%–57%). The 30-day case fatality increased with increasing ICH score of 0, 1, and 5 from 17%, 23%, to 100%, respectively. In multivariable-adjusted models, ICH score was associated with case fatality (adjusted relative risk, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.23–1.78), as were HIV infection (adjusted relative risk, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.07–3.43) and female sex (adjusted relative risk, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.32–3.59). The ICH score moderately improved with the addition of a point each for female sex and HIV serostatus (0.81 versus 0.73). Conclusions— ICH score at admission is a strong prognostic indicator of 30-day case fatality in Uganda. Our results support its role in guiding the care of patients presenting with ICH in the region.

Early detection improves hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) outcomes, but better noninvasive surveillance tools are needed. We aimed to identify and validate methylated DNA markers (MDMs) for HCC detection. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing was performed on DNA extracted from 18 HCC and 35 control tissues. Candidate MDMs were confirmed by quantitative methylation‐specific PCR in DNA from independent tissues (74 HCC, 29 controls). A phase I plasma pilot incorporated quantitative allele‐specific real‐time target and signal amplification assays on independent plasma‐extracted DNA from 21 HCC cases and 30 controls with cirrhosis. A phase II plasma study was then performed in 95 HCC cases, 51 controls with cirrhosis, and 98 healthy controls using target enrichment long‐probe quantitative amplified signal (TELQAS) assays. Recursive partitioning identified best MDM combinations. The entire MDM panel was statistically cross‐validated by randomly splitting the data 2:1 for training and testing. Random forest (rForest) regression models performed on the training set predicted disease status in the testing set; median areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUCs; and 95% confidence interval [CI]) were reported after 500 iterations. In phase II, a six‐marker MDM panel (homeobox A1 [HOXA1], empty spiracles homeobox 1 [EMX1], AK055957 , endothelin‐converting enzyme 1 [ECE1], phosphofructokinase [PFKP], and C‐type lectin domain containing 11A [CLEC11A]) normalized by beta‐1,3‐galactosyltransferase 6 (B3GALT6) level yielded a best‐fit AUC of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.93‐0.99) with HCC sensitivity of 95% (88%‐98%) at specificity of 92% (86%‐96%). The panel detected 3 of 4 (75%) stage 0, 39 of 42 (93%) stage A, 13 of 14 (93%) stage B, 28 of 28 (100%) stage C, and 7 of 7 (100%) stage D HCCs. The AUC value for alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) was 0.80 (0.74‐0.87) compared to 0.94 (0.9‐0.97) for the cross‐validated MDM panel (P < 0.0001). Conclusion : MDMs identified in this study proved to accurately detect HCC by plasma testing. Further optimization and clinical testing of this promising approach are indicated.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is an important concept in the care of older adults although controversy remains regarding its defining features and clinical utility. Both the Fried phenotype and the Rockwood deficit accumulation approaches cast frailty as a “burden” without exploring the relative salience of its cardinal markers and their relevance to the patient. New multifactorial perspectives require a reliable assessment of frailty that can validly predict postoperative health outcomes. METHODS: In a retrospective study of 2828 unselected surgical patients, we used item response theory to examine the ability of 32 heterogeneous markers capturing limitations in physical, functional, emotional, and social activity domains to indicate severity of frailty as a latent continuum. Eighteen markers efficiently indicated frailty severity and were then subject to latent class analysis to derive discrete phenotypes. Next, we validated the obtained frailty phenotypes against patient-reported 30-day postoperative outcomes using multivariable logistic regression. Models were adjusted for demographics, comorbidity, type and duration of surgery, and cigarette and alcohol consumption. RESULTS: The 18 markers provided psychometric evidence of a single reliable continuum of frailty severity. Latent class analyses produced 3 distinct subtypes, based on patients’ endorsement probabilities of the frailty indicators: not frail (49.7%), moderately frail (33.5%), and severely frail (16.7%). Unlike the moderate class, severely frail endorsed emotional health problems in addition to physical burdens and functional limitations. Models adjusting for age, sex, type of anesthesia, and intraoperative factors indicated that severely frail (odds ratio, 1.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.42–2.50) and moderately frail patients (odds ratio, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.67) both had higher odds of experiencing postoperative complications compared to not frail patients. In a 3-way comparison, a higher proportion of severely frail patients (10.7%) reported poorer quality of life after surgery compared to moderately frail (9.2%) and not frail (8.3%) patients ( P < .001). There was no significant difference among these groups in proportions reporting hospital readmission (5.6%, 5.1%, and 3.8%, respectively; P = .067). CONCLUSIONS: Self-report frailty items can accurately discern 3 distinct phenotypes differing in composition and their relations with surgical outcomes. Systematically assessing a wider set of domains including limitations in functional, emotional, and social activities can inform clinicians on what precipitates loss of physiological reserve and profoundly influences patients’ lives. This information can help guide the current discussion on frailty and add meaningful clinical tools to the surgical practice.