Citations

Introduction/Background: Patients admitted with sepsis are at risk of developing septic cardiomyopathy (SCM), which may elevate their risk of short-term mortality. However, the effect of SCM on long-term outcomes after sepsis is poorly understood. This study explores whether patients with sepsis and SCM have worse long-term outcomes compared to those without SCM. Research Questions/Hypothesis: What are the long-term major adverse cardiovascular events, including death, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MACE) 36 months after ICU discharge for septic patients with abnormal global left ventricular strain (LV GLS)? Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 396 sepsis patients from August 2018 to September 2022, approved by the Mayo Clinic IRB. Patient demographics, comorbidities, echo parameters, and outcomes were collected. Due to the expected non-linear relation between LV GLS and Hazard Ratio (HR) of MACE we employed Cox regression analysis with Restricted Cubic Splines. Secondly, we divided the population into 2 groups, patients with and without normal LV GLS (between -23 and -16). The effect of non-normal LV GLS on MACE was evaluated using Cox regression weight by inverse probability weighting (IPWT) analysis after propensity score assessment, adjusting for diabetes, hypertension, BMI, history of stroke or myocardial infarction, chronic kidney disease, age, and sex. Results: Demographic variables did not differ significantly based on normal versus abnormal LV GLS. In the restricted cox regression with cubic spline models, we observed that patients with normal values had HR lower than one compared with patients without normal values (Figure 1). Secondly, we found that the HR of MACE in patients with normal LV GLS was significantly lower in the crude analysis (HR 0.66 [CI 95% 0.5, 0.86]; p<0.01) and in the analysis adjusted by IPWT (HR 0.7 [CI 95% 0.53, 0.92]; p=0.01). Conclusion: Sepsis patients with abnormal global left ventricular strain (LV GLS) have a higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) within 36 months post-ICU discharge compared to those with normal strain. LV GLS values outside the range of -23 to -16 are associated with increased risk. Monitoring LV GLS in sepsis patients is important for identifying those at elevated risk for long-term cardiovascular complications.

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.

Background: Antithrombotic regimens play a pivotal role in averting complications and ischemic incidents post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in MI (myocardial infarction) patients. Bivalirudin stands as a viable alternative to unfractionated heparin in this cohort, demonstrating the efficacy and safety profiles. Aim: We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of bivalirudin versus unfractionated heparin in post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in MI (myocardial infarction) patients. Research Question : What is the efficacy and safety of Bivalirudin compared to unfractionated heparin in patients with MI undergoing PCI, specifically in terms of major bleeding, cardiovascular mortality, and other major adverse cardiovascular events? Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, including MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov, and EBSCOhost/CINAHL, from January 1, 2000, through May 29, 2024, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated Bivalirudin versus unfractionated heparin and with a study population of patients with MI undergoing PCI. Data extraction was done using a spreadsheet, and data analysis was done using RevMan 5.4.1 for meta-analysis. The primary efficacy and safety endpoints were major bleeding, major cardiovascular events, cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, and stroke. Results: Our analysis included 11 RCTs, encompassing a total of 40,919 participants. When compared with unfractionated heparin, bivalirudin was associated with a significant reduction in major bleeding events (RR 0.66 [0.55 to 0.80]; p < 0.0001) and cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.79 [0.67 to 0.92]; p < 0.003). However, there were no significant differences between Bivalirudin and unfractionated heparin in terms of major adverse cardiovascular events (RR 1.02 [0.91 to 1.13]; p = 0.76), all-cause mortality (RR 0.89 [0.78 to 1.01]; p = 0.08), MI (RR 0.99 [0.85 to 1.15]; p = 0.90), stent thrombosis (RR 1.12 [0.53 to 2.40]; p = 0.76), or stroke (RR 0.96 [0.73 to 1.26]; p = 0.75). Conclusion: Our meta-analysis indicates that in patients with MI undergoing PCI, Bivalirudin is associated with lower rates of major bleeding and cardiovascular mortality compared to unfractionated heparin. However, there were no significant differences observed in major adverse cardiovascular events, all-cause mortality, MI, stroke, or stent thrombosis between the two treatment groups.