Citations

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is associated with limited blood flow reserve due to reduced cardiac output (Q). HF is also associated with generalized respiratory muscle weakness, despite patients being exposed to an increased work and cost of breathing due primarily to increased flow resistive work from an altered breathing pattern. We hypothesized that the use of a respiratory training device during aerobic exercise training would positively impact patients with HF by training the inspiratory muscles and modifying their respiratory response to exercise. Methods: 15 subjects completed all study visits (age 67.5±10.0 yr, Ht 179.3±6.1cm, BMI 28.8±5.7 m/cm 2 ). Patients diagnosed with HF and currently enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) completed the Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire (MLHFQ), pulmonary function testing, and measures during exercise that included Q (soluble gas method), ventilation (V E ) and respiratory gas exchange. Measures were made at baseline and after completion of CR. Participants were randomized to no respiratory resistance (NR) or mild-moderate inspiratory resistance (MR, 15 to 20 cmH 2 O) provided by a respiratory resistance mask (Training Mask Co., Cadillac, MI) worn during aerobic portions of CR. Results: Participants completed on average 23.9 ± 2.5 CR sessions with 10 subjects in the MR group and 5 in the NR group. The MR group had a decrease on the MLHFQ score of 19.9±26.9 and the NR group had a decrease of 6.0±23.4 (p=0.330). At a matched workload of 30 Watts (W), V E declined by 4.0±7.0 L/min and increased by 2.2±13.1 L/min for subjects in the MR and NR groups, respectively (p=0.06). Respiratory rate (RR) decreased in MR by 1.2± 4.9 and decreased in NR by 0.67± 5.9 (p>0.05). Heart rate at 30W decreased with time in both the MR and NR groups 10.4±12.4 and 3.9±8.9 respectively (p=0.036, no difference between groups). Stroke volume at 30W tended to increase for both MR and NR (p>0.05, no difference between groups). Conclusion: The addition of moderate inspiratory resistance to the aerobic training during CR was well tolerated by HF patients and preliminarily suggests trends toward improved ventilatory responses when assessed during submaximal exercise.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine whether selection of treatment for children with infantile spasms (IS) varies by race/ethnicity.MethodsThe prospective US National Infantile Spasms Consortium database includes children with IS treated from 2012 to 2018. We examined the relationship between race/ethnicity and receipt of standard IS therapy (prednisolone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, vigabatrin), adjusting for demographic and clinical variables using logistic regression. Our primary outcome was treatment course, which considered therapy prescribed for the first and, when needed, the second IS treatment together.ResultsOf 555 children, 324 (58%) were non‐Hispanic white, 55 (10%) non‐Hispanic Black, 24 (4%) non‐Hispanic Asian, 80 (14%) Hispanic, and 72 (13%) other/unknown. Most (398, 72%) received a standard treatment course. Insurance type, geographic location, history of prematurity, prior seizures, developmental delay or regression, abnormal head circumference, hypsarrhythmia, and IS etiologies were associated with standard therapy. In adjusted models, non‐Hispanic Black children had lower odds of receiving a standard treatment course compared with non‐Hispanic white children (odds ratio [OR], 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.20–0.89; p = 0.02). Adjusted models also showed that children with public (vs. private) insurance had lower odds of receiving standard therapy for treatment 1 (OR, 0.42; CI, 0.21–0.84; p = 0.01).InterpretationNon‐Hispanic Black children were more often treated with non‐standard IS therapies than non‐Hispanic white children. Likewise, children with public (vs. private) insurance were less likely to receive standard therapies. Investigating drivers of inequities, and understanding the impact of racism on treatment decisions, are critical next steps to improve care for patients with IS. ANN NEUROL 2022;92:32–44

Background Pectus excavatum is the most common chest wall deformity. There is still controversy about cardiopulmonary limitations of this disease and benefits of surgical repair. This study evaluates the impact of pectus excavatum on the cardiopulmonary function of adult patients before and after a modified minimally invasive repair. Methods and Results In this retrospective cohort study, an electronic database was used to identify consecutive adult (aged ≥18 years) patients who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing before and after primary pectus excavatum repair at Mayo Clinic Arizona from 2011 to 2020. In total, 392 patients underwent preoperative cardiopulmonary exercise testing; abnormal oxygen consumption results were present in 68% of patients. Among them, 130 patients (68% men, mean age, 32.4±10.0 years) had post‐repair evaluations. Post‐repair tests were performed immediately before bar removal with a mean time between repair and post‐repair testing of 3.4±0.7 years (range, 2.5–7.0). A significant improvement in cardiopulmonary outcomes ( P <0.001 for all the comparisons) was seen in the post‐repair evaluations, including an increase in maximum, and predicted rate of oxygen consumption, oxygen pulse, oxygen consumption at anaerobic threshold, and maximal ventilation. In a subanalysis of 39 patients who also underwent intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography at repair and at bar removal, a significant increase in right ventricle stroke volume was found ( P <0.001). Conclusions Consistent improvements in cardiopulmonary function were seen for pectus excavatum adult patients undergoing surgery. These results strongly support the existence of adverse cardiopulmonary consequences from this disease as well as the benefits of surgical repair.

The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR Kp ) infections in nosocomial settings remains a public health challenge. High-risk clones such as clonal group 258 (CG258) are particularly concerning due to their association with bla KPC carriage, which can severely complicate antimicrobial treatments.

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CR Ab ) constitutes a major threat to public health. To elucidate the molecular and clinical epidemiology of CR Ab in the United States, clinical CR Ab isolates were collected along with data on patient characteristics and outcomes, and bacterial isolates underwent whole-genome sequencing and antibiotic susceptibility phenotyping.

Background/Introduction: More than moderate tricuspid regurgitation (TR) at baseline is associated with worse outcome in MitraClip patients. The presence of iatrogenic ASD (iASD) may cause right-sided volume overload and lead to adverse events. However, the real effects of iASD are not well-investigated in these patients who are vulnerable to right-sided volume overload. Methods: Patients with more than moderate TR who underwent a successful MitraClip procedure in the period from June 2014 to September 2020 were identified from the Mayo institutional NCDR database. Follow-up transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) at about 1 year after the procedure was used to determine the presence of iASD, and speckle-tracking strain analysis was done. Patients were grouped according to the presence of iASD (iASD+ group vs. iASD- group) for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 141 consecutive patients were included for the final analysis (iASD+ group n=44 and iASD- group n=97). The mean age was 79.3 ± 8.8 years, and 72.3% were male. Follow-up echocardiography and speckle-tracking strain data did not show a significant difference in either left or right ventricular function in conventional echocardiographic parameters and strain. LA reservoir strain (13.7 ± 6.9 vs 11.5±7.5, P=0.0418) was the only parameter with significant difference among the two groups. Details are summarized in Table 1 . Conclusion: The presence of iASD can decompress the left atrium, but does not affect left or right ventricular strain function in MitraClip patients with more than moderate baseline TR.