Prediction, prevention, and management of right ventricular failure after left ventricular assist device implantation: A comprehensive review

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are increasingly common across the heart failure population. Right ventricular failure (RVF) is a feared complication that can occur in the early post-operative phase or during the outpatient follow-up. Multiple tools are available to the clinician to carefully estimate the individual risk of developing RVF after LVAD implantation. This review will provide a comprehensive overview of available tools for RVF prognostication, including patient-specific and right ventricle (RV)-specific echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters, to provide guidance in patient selection during LVAD candidacy. We also offer a multidisciplinary approach to the management of early RVF, including indications and management of right ventricular assist devices in this setting to provide tools that help managing the failing RV

Patient outcomes and characteristics in a contemporary quaternary Canadian cardiac intensive care unit

BACKGROUND: The modern-day cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) has evolved to care for patients with acute critical cardiac illness. We describe the current population of cardiac patients in a quaternary CICU. METHODS: Consecutive CICU patients admitted to the CICU at the Toronto General Hospital from 2014 to 2020 were studied. Patient demographics, admission diagnosis, critical care resources, complications, in-hospital mortality, and CICU and hospital length of stay were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 8865 consecutive admissions occurred, with a median age of 64.9 years. The most common primary cardiac diagnoses were acute decompensated heart failure (17.8%), non ST-elevation myocardial infarction (16.8%), ST-elevation myocardial infarction (15.5%), and arrhythmias (14.7%). Cardiogenic shock was seen in 13.2%, and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in 4.1%. A noncardiovascular admission diagnosis accounted for 13.9% of the cases. Over the period studied, rates of admission were higher for cardiogenic shock (P < 0.001 for trend), with a higher use of critical care resources. Additionally, rates of admission were higher in female patients and those who had chronic kidney disease and diabetes. The in-hospital mortality rate of all CICU admissions was 13.2%, and it was highest in those with noncardiac conditions, compared to the rate in those with cardiac diagnoses (29.4% vs 10.6%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Given the trends of higher acuity of patients with cardiac critical illness, with higher use of critical care resources, education streams for critical care within cardiology, and alternative pathways of care for patients who have lower-acuity cardiac disease remain imperative to manage this evolving population

Knowledge translation in heart failure

The treatment of heart failure has expanded over the past three decades with large numbers of new medications and healthcare innovations available for these patients. At the same time, the prevalence of heart failure continues to increase across Canada and these patients are managed by a variety of clinicians from differing backgrounds in both primary care and hospital settings. Despite national recommendations advocating uptake of these new therapies, their utilization remains limited and inconsistent across the country. This review discusses the importance of knowledge translation in heart failure and examines the barriers to implementation of new therapies and models of care, providing a range of solutions to facilitate the delivery of guideline-directed care for heart failure patients

Remote management of heart failure: an overview of telemonitoring technologies

Technological advances have enabled increasingly sophisticated attempts to remotely monitor heart failure. This should allow earlier identification of decompensation, better adherence to lifestyle changes and medication and interventions (such as diuretic dosage changes) that reduce the need for hospitalisation. This review discusses telemonitoring approaches in heart failure, and the evidence for their impact. It is not difficult to collect data remotely, but converting more data into better decision-making that improves the outcome of care is challenging. Policy-makers and technology companies are enthusiastic about the potential of digital technologies to transform healthcare and bring expertise to the patient, rather than the other way round, but guideline writers are not yet convinced, due to the lack of consistent findings in randomised trials

Heart failure: classification and pathophysiology

Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome in which there are characteristic signs and symptoms (e.g. oedema, breathlessness, fatigue) resulting from an underlying abnormality of cardiac function. Understanding the cause of the cardiac dysfunction and the body's response to it is essential in effective management. HF can present acutely, for example as a consequence of an acute myocardial infarction, or in a chronic form in which acute decompensation can then occur. HF results in a plethora of changes in the heart, at the cellular, microscopic and macroscopic levels, with the heart remodelling in response to the abnormal conditions. The underlying cardiac dysfunction also triggers the activation of an array of neuro-hormonal compensatory mechanisms that can ultimately become deleterious to cardiac and other organ function; they include sodium and fluid retention, increased sympathetic tone, altered breathing patterns, arrhythmia and, in more advanced stages, an inflammatory state with immune activation