Citations

Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). There is limited data regarding the outcomes of AF catheter ablation in HCM patients. In this study, we aimed to synthesize all available evidence on the effectiveness of ablation of AF in patients with HCM compared to those without HCM. Methods and results We systematically reviewed bibliographic databases to identify studies published through February 2023. We included cohort studies with available quantitative information on rates of recurrent atrial arrhythmias, anti-arrhythmic drug (AAD) therapy, and repeat ablation procedures after initial AF ablation in patients with vs without HCM. Estimates were combined using random-effects meta-analysis models and reported as risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Eight studies were included in quantitative synthesis (262 HCM and 642 non-HCM patients). During median follow-up 13–54 months across studies, AF recurrence rates ranged from 13.3% to 92.9% in HCM and 7.6% to 58.8% in non-HCM patients. The pooled RR for recurrent atrial arrhythmia after the first AF ablation in HCM patients compared to non-HCM controls was 1.498 (95% CI = 1.305–1.720; P < 0.001). During follow-up, HCM patients more often required AAD therapy (RR = 2.844; 95% CI = 1.713–4.856; P < 0.001) and repeat AF ablation (RR = 1.544; 95% CI = 1.070–2.228; P = 0.02). The pooled RR for recurrent atrial arrhythmias after the last AF ablation was higher in patients with HCM than those without HCM (RR = 1.607; 95% CI = 1.235–2.090; P < 0.001). Conclusions Compared to non-HCM patients, those with HCM had higher rates of recurrent atrial arrhythmias, AAD use, and need for repeat AF ablation after initial ablation of AF.

BACKGROUND: The outcomes of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in adults with congenital heart disease are not well described. METHODS: In a retrospective study of adult patients with congenital heart disease who underwent catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation between 2000 and 2020 at Mayo Clinic, procedural characteristics and outcomes were collected. The primary outcomes were atrial arrhythmia (AA) recurrence following a 3-month blanking period and repeat ablation. An arrhythmia clinical severity score was assessed pre- and post-ablation based on the duration of arrhythmia episodes, symptoms, cardioversion frequency, and antiarrhythmic drug use. RESULTS: One hundred forty-five patients (age, 57±12 years; 28% female; 63% paroxysmal atrial fibrillation) underwent 198 ablations with a median follow-up of 26 months (interquartile range, 14–69). One hundred ten, 26, and 9 patients had simple, moderate, and complex congenital heart disease, respectively. All patients underwent pulmonary vein isolation, and non–pulmonary vein targets were ablated in 79 (54%). AA recurrence at 12 months was 37% (95% CI, 29%–45%). On univariate analysis, increasing left atrial volume index was associated with higher odds of AA recurrence (odds ratio, 1.03 [1.00–1.06] per 1 mL/m 2 increment; P =0.05). Noninducibility of atrial flutter was predictive of decreased odds of AA recurrence (odds ratio, 0.43 [0.21–0.90]; P =0.03). A second ablation was performed in 43 patients after a median of 20 (interquartile range, 8–37) months. Arrhythmia clinical severity scores improved following ablation, reflecting a decrease in symptoms, cardioversions, and antiarrhythmic drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation is feasible and effective in patients with adult congenital heart disease and reduces symptoms. Recurrence of AA frequently requires repeat ablation.

Abstract Background and Aims Colchicine is an anti-inflammatory drug that may prevent post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF). The effect of this drug has been inconsistently shown in previous clinical trials. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of colchicine vs. placebo to prevent POAF in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods and results A systematic search of EMBASE, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted from inception till April 2023. The primary outcome was the incidence of POAF after any cardiac surgery. The secondary outcome was the rate of drug discontinuation due to adverse events and adverse gastrointestinal events. Risk ratios (RR) were reported using the Mantel Haenszel method. A total of eight RCTs comprising 1885 patients were included. There was a statistically significant lower risk of developing POAF with colchicine vs. placebo (RR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.59–0.82; P < 0.01, I2 = 0%), and this effect persisted across different subgroups. There was a significantly higher risk of adverse gastrointestinal events (RR: 2.20; 95% CI: 1.38–3.51; P < 0.01, I2 = 55%) with no difference in the risk of drug discontinuation in patients receiving colchicine vs. placebo (RR: 1.33; 95% CI: 0.93–1.89; P = 0.11, I2 = 0%). Conclusion This meta-analysis of eight RCTs shows that colchicine is effective at preventing POAF, with a significantly higher risk of adverse gastrointestinal events but no difference in the rate of drug discontinuation. Future studies are required to define the optimal duration and dose of colchicine for the prevention of POAF.

Introduction: Obesity is associated with a higher burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) and related complications. Hypothesis: Bariatric surgery in patients with AF is associated with a reduction in mortality and long-term complications at 1 year. Methods: Patients with AF who underwent bariatric surgery were identified by analyzing the nationwide readmission database and incorporating the validated ICD-10 CM codes from October 2015 to December 2019. We performed the propensity score matching to adjust the confounders and cox proportional hazard regression to generate hazard ratios. Moreover, we generated Kaplan Meier curves for time-to-event analysis. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 1 year, whereas secondary endpoints were ischemic stroke, major bleeding, and AF readmission at 1 year. Results: Out of 892488 obese patients with AF, 18766 underwent bariatric surgery. After propensity score matching, 18764 patients were identified in each group. At 1-year, patients undergoing bariatric surgery had a significant reduction in mortality (2.18% vs. 2.73%, HR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.85-0.96, p=0.001). Additionally, risk of ischemic stroke was also reduced (1.98% vs. 2.29%, HR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.86-0.97, p=0.01), whereas no difference was noted in AF readmissions (4.02% vs. 3.34%, HR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.92-1.04, p=0.49) and risk of major bleeding was increased (5.74% vs. 3.42%, HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.10-1.25, p<0.0001) at 1 year in AF patients with bariatric surgery. (Figure 1) Conclusions: Bariatric surgery in patients with AF was associated with a reduction in 1-year mortality and ischemic stroke. However, the risk of major bleeding was noted to be increased and no difference was noted in AF readmission at 1 year.

Introduction: Ventricular storms are managed with a combination of antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD) and ablation therapy. This study examines outcomes in patients who required cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) admission for ventricular storms. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 200 random adult patients who admitted to the CICU at Mayo Clinic Rochester in 2016-2017 for ventricular storm. Continuous variables were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U test. Categorical variables were analyzed with Fisher's exact test. Results: Of the 200 patients, 33 (16.5%) patients underwent ablation and AAD therapy for ventricular arrhythmias; 167 underwent AAD therapy alone. The patients in the ablation group were significantly younger (median of 60.3 vs. 72.7, U=1570, p&lt;.001), had a lower Charlson Comorbidity Index (3.56 vs. 5.21, U=1916, p=.005), and a higher BMI (31.6 vs. 28.2, U=2028, p=.032). There was no difference in sex and race (white vs. non-white) between the two groups. The patients in the ablation groups had a significantly lower in-hospital mortality (0% vs. 20%, p=.001) and higher 1-year survival (91% vs. 63%, p=.001). There was no difference in length of stay in the CICU, length of stay in the hospital, or rate of hospital readmission within one year of discharge. Conclusions: Our study indicates that critically ill patients who undergo ablation and AAD for ventricular arrhythmias have decreased mortality compared to patients who underwent AAD therapy alone. More research is needed to elucidate whether this survival benefit is secondary to differences in treatment or baseline comorbidities in the two groups. Table 1: Characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing ventricular storm treatment. Data is reported either as median or number of occurrences (%). Antiarrhythmic drug (AAD), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Body Mass Index (BMI), Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), Length of Stay in days (LOS). * Significance with p values &lt; .05

BACKGROUND: Differentiation of wide QRS complex tachycardias (WCTs) into ventricular tachycardia (VT) and supraventricular wide QRS tachycardia (SWCT) through 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation is one of the most critical yet challenging tasks in clinical practice. Recent research highlights novel automated methods that successfully diagnose WCTs. We sought to directly compare the diagnostic efficacy of these novel automated WCT differentiation methods (i.e., WCT Formula, VT Prediction Model, and WCT Formula II) to traditional ECG interpretation approaches (i.e., Brugada and Vereckei aVR algorithms). METHODS: A collection of paired WCT and baselined ECGs were retrospectively analyzed. Next, an electrophysiologist blindly and prospectively applied the Brugada and Vereckei aVR algorithms. Separately, computerized measurements were used to apply the three automated WCT differentiation methods. The diagnostic performance of each method was then evaluated. RESULTS: 213 WCTs (111 VT and 102 SWCT) from 105 patients were analyzed. The WCT Formula demonstrated superior overall accuracy (84.7% vs. 64.8%), specificity (86.2% vs. 35.3%), positive predictive value (PPV) (85.7% vs. 60.7%), and positive (+) likelihood ratio (LR) (6.06 vs. 1.42) compared to Vereckei aVR algorithm. Similarly, the WCT Formula attained higher specificity (86.2% vs. 61.8%), PPV (85.7% vs. 71.9%), and (+) LR (6.06 vs. 2.36) than the Brugada algorithm. The WCT Formula II demonstrated superior overall accuracy (89.2% vs. 64.8%), specificity (84.3 % vs. 35.3%), PPV (86.7% vs. 60.7%), and positive (+) LR (5.97 vs.1.42) compared to Vereckei aVR algorithm as well as higher specificity (84.3 % vs. 61.8 %), PPV (86.7% vs. 71.9%), and (+) LR (5.97 vs. 2.36) than the Brugada algorithm. The VT prediction model yielded superior specificity (79.4% vs. 35.3%), PPV (79.8 vs. 60.7%) and (+) LR (3.63 vs.1.42) compared to the Vereckei aVR algorithm but did not demonstrate superior diagnostic performance to the Brugada algorithm. CONCLUSIONS: Novel automated WCT differentiation methods achieved similar or superior diagnostic performance metrics compared to traditional ECG interpretation approaches.

Introduction: Patients with a history of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at a higher risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). There is a lack of evidence supporting catheter ablation in this group and predictors of procedural outcomes are unknown. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that patients with a history of IBD have worse procedural outcomes with more peri-procedural complications, especially in those whose disease is less well controlled. Methods: A single-center 1:1 propensity matched study of patients with no history of IBD and patients with IBD who underwent primary AF catheter ablation from January 2010 to December 2021 was conducted. The primary outcome was procedural efficacy defined by clinical AF recurrence and repeat catheter ablation. The secondary outcome was an assessment of safety looking at eight peri-procedural events. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine predictors of AF recurrence. Results: Our cohort was comprised of 94 patients, 47 patients with a history of IBD (mean age 64.7 ± 6.4 years) and 47 patients with no history of IBD (66.7 ± 7.1 years). Both groups had similar echocardiographic, baseline, and arrhythmia characteristics. All patients underwent pulmonary vein isolation and procedural endpoints were ascertained in all patients. At one-year post-ablation, the study group was statistically more likely to develop AF recurrence (OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.09 - 4.86, p=0.03) but were equally likely to undergo repeat catheter ablation (OR 2.56, 95% CI 0.62 - 10.6, p=0.19). Procedural safety was statistically similar in both groups. Four patients in the study group and three patients in the control group developed subcutaneous hematomas at the site of instrumentation (p=0.70). Multivariate analysis found pre-procedural c-reactive protein (CRP) (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00 - 1.12) and AF diagnosis to ablation time (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.03 - 1.24) were independent predictors of post-procedure AF recurrence. Conclusions: Our study suggests patients with IBD are at a higher risk of developing AF recurrence after catheter ablation. Multivariate analysis showed CRP and AF diagnosis to time to ablation were both independent risk factors.

Introduction: There is a variation in cardiovascular outcomes between rural and urban hospitals such as higher mortality for AF. Whether such a relationship exists for safety and outcomes of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) device implantation is unknown. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that LAAO procedure in rural hospitals is associated with worse in-hospital outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional examination of patients who were hospitalized for LAAO procedure was performed in the National Inpatient Sample between 2016 and 2019 to compare in-hospital outcomes in patients admitted to urban vs rural hospitals. ICD 10 PCS code 02L73DK was used to identify hospitalizations with LAAO procedure. The cohort was further stratified into rural and urban hospitals. Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the association and statistical analyses were performed using weighted values. Results: A total of 61,390 hospitalizations for LAAO procedures were identified during the study period. From these, 1185 (1.93%) hospitalizations occurred in rural hospitals. Baseline characteristics and inpatient outcomes are shown in Table 1. LAAO in rural hospitalizations was associated with significantly higher in-hospital mortality [OR 2.94 (1.17-7.14), p<0.001*]. This associated persisted even after adjusting for significant baseline characteristics [aOR 3.55 (1.42-8.84), p=0.006*). Conclusions: In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients undergoing LAAO in rural hospital. Further studies are needed to validate these findings in a prospective manner.

Background: Recognition of the causes of early mortality after atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation is essential for the improvement of patient safety. Objective: This study sought to determine the causes of early mortality (≤90-days) after AF ablation and to further understand the circumstances surrounding death after the procedure. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of AF ablation from January 1, 2013, to December 1, 2021 at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Phoenix, and Jacksonville). Causes of death were identified through a comprehensive chart review of the electronic health record from within the Mayo Clinic system and outside records when available. Results: A total of 6,723 patients were included in the study. The 30-day and 90-day all-cause mortality rates were 0.09% and 0.22%, respectively. Among all 90-day deaths, majority of the deaths (73.3%) did not have a direct relationship with the procedure. Sudden death was the most common cause of early death (20%), followed by peri-procedural stroke (13%), respiratory failure (13%), atrioesophageal fistula (13%), infection (7%), heart failure (7%), and traumatic brain injury (7%). The 90-day mortality rate directly due to AF ablation procedural complications was 0.06%. Most of the early deaths (93.3%) occurred after discharge from index hospitalization, among which 64.3% were readmitted before their death, 14% died at home, and 7% were discharged on comfort care and died in hospice. The main reason for readmission leading to death was respiratory failure (33%). Conclusion: Atrial fibrillation ablation procedure has a 90-day mortality of 0.22% and the most common cause of early mortality was sudden death. The majority (73.3%) of early mortality was not directly associated with a procedural complication, and the mortality rate due to complications associated with the AF ablation procedure was 0.06%.

Background: Recognition of the causes of early mortality after ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction is an essential step toward improving post-procedural outcomes. Objective: This study sought to determine the causes of early mortality (≤30-days) after VT ablation in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and to understand further the circumstances surrounding death after the procedure. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing VT ablation in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction from January 1, 2013, to November 10, 2021, at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Phoenix, and Jacksonville). Causes of death were identified through a detailed chart review of the electronic health record within the Mayo Clinic system and outside records. Results: A total of 503 patients (mean age 63 ± 13 years, 11.2% female) with EF <50% were included in the study. The 30-day all-cause mortality rate was 5% (n=25), and the mortality rate due to a procedural complication was 0.4%. Among all 30-day deaths, recurrent VT was the most common primary cause of death (44%). This was followed by decompensated heart failure (28%), procedure-related death (8%), cerebrovascular accident (CVA) (4%), and infection (4%). Most patients (91%) who died from VT had the VT recurrence within three days of the ablation. 76% of patients with early mortality had delayed referral for VT ablation, and 72% opted for comfort care before death. Conclusions: The overall early mortality (≤30-days) rate after catheter ablation of VT in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction was 5%, but the death rate directly due to a procedural complication was only 0.4%. The most common cause of death was recurrent VT, followed by heart failure. Further research into ablation strategies is vital to improving the safety, efficacy, and durability of VT ablation.