The use of antimicrobials in Italian heavy pig fattening farms

Data on antimicrobial use (AMU) in heavy pig production (>150 kg) are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the AMU in this production. Data from 2015 were collected for 143 fattening farms. The AMU was estimated through a treatment index per 100 days (TI100) using the defined daily dose animal for Italy (DDDAit). When possible, a comparison with the European Medicines Agency's defined daily doses for animals (DDDvet) was performed. The median TI100 was 10.7 (range, 0.2-49.5). Group treatments represented 94.6% of overall consumption. The AMU calculated using DDDAit and DDDvet were strongly correlated (rho = 0.976; p < 0.001). The AMU was negatively correlated with injectables use (rho = -0.46, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with oral products (rho = 0.21, p = 0.014), premixes (rho = 0.26, p = 0.002), and mortality (rho = 0.18; p = 0.027). Farm size was negatively correlated with AMU (rho = -0.29, p < 0.001). Smaller farms were more frequently above the median TI100 (odds ratio = 2.3, 95% confidence interval = 1.2-4.7), suggesting that they may have lower biosecurity and management standards. The results of this study should provide useful insights for the development of an Italian monitoring system

Percutaneous treatment of patients with heart diseases: selection, guidance and follow-up. A review

Aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation, patent foramen ovale, interatrial septal defect, atrial fibrillation and perivalvular leak, are now amenable to percutaneous treatment. These percutaneous procedures require the use of Transthoracic (TTE), Transesophageal (TEE) and/or Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE). This paper provides an overview of the different percutaneous interventions, trying to provide a systematic and comprehensive approach for selection, guidance and follow-up of patients undergoing these procedures, illustrating the key role of 2D echocardiography

ECMO for COVID-19 patients in Europe and Israel

Since March 15th, 2020, 177 centres from Europe and Israel have joined the study, routinely reporting on the ECMO support they provide to COVID-19 patients. The mean annual number of cases treated with ECMO in the participating centres before the pandemic (2019) was 55. The number of COVID-19 patients has increased rapidly each week reaching 1531 treated patients as of September 14th. The greatest number of cases has been reported from France (n = 385), UK (n = 193), Germany (n = 176), Spain (n = 166), and Italy (n = 136) .The mean age of treated patients was 52.6 years (range 16–80), 79% were male. The ECMO configuration used was VV in 91% of cases, VA in 5% and other in 4%. The mean PaO2 before ECMO implantation was 65 mmHg. The mean duration of ECMO support thus far has been 18 days and the mean ICU length of stay of these patients was 33 days. As of the 14th September, overall 841 patients have been weaned from ECMO support, 601 died during ECMO support, 71 died after withdrawal of ECMO, 79 are still receiving ECMO support and for 10 patients status n.a. . Our preliminary data suggest that patients placed on ECMO with severe refractory respiratory or cardiac failure secondary to COVID-19 have a reasonable (55%) chance of survival. Further extensive data analysis is expected to provide invaluable information on the demographics, severity of illness, indications and different ECMO management strategies in these patients

Stenosi aortica severa inoperabile trattata con successo mediante impianto di valvola aortica per via percutanea

Patients with severe calcific aortic stenosis are occasionally not amenable to surgery because of advanced age or severe co-morbidities. Percutaneous aortic valve dilation is used but has only limited time relief. While preclinical evidence on percutaneous aortic valve replacement seems promising, only very limited clinical data are available worldwide. We hereby present the first case of percutaneous aortic valve replacement successfully performed in Italy in a 74-year-old high-risk female. This case emphasizes the technical challenges inherent to this procedure and its promising role in selected very high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis, notwithstanding the early and long-term risk of adverse events. © 2005 CEPI Srl

Prosthesis-patient mismatch after transcatheter implantation of contemporary balloon-expandable and self-expandable valves in small aortic annuli

Background: Evidence of clinical impact of PPM after TAVI is conflicting and might vary according to the type of valve implanted. Aims: To assess the clinical impact of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with balloon-expandable (BEV) and self-expandable valves (SEV) in patients with small annuli. Methods: TAVI-SMALL 2 enrolled 628 patients in an international retrospective registry, which included patients with severe aortic stenosis and small annuli (annular perimeter &lt;72 mm or area &lt;400 mm2 ) treated with transfemoral TAVI at 16 high-volume centers between 2011 and 2020. Analyses were performed comparing patients with less than moderate (n = 452), moderate (n = 138), and severe PPM (n = 38). Primary endpoint was incidence of all-cause mortality. Predictors of all-cause mortality and PPM were investigated. Results: At a median follow-up of 380 days (interquartile range: 210-709 days), patients with severe PPM, but not moderate PPM, had an increased risk of all-cause mortality when compared with less than moderate PPM (log-rank p = 0.046). Severe PPM predicted all-cause mortality in patients with BEV (hazard ratio [HR]: 5.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.27-21.2) and intra-annular valves (IAVs, HR: 4.23, 95% CI: 1.28-14.02), and it did so with borderline significance in the overall population (HR: 2.89, 95% CI: 0.95-8.79). Supra-annular valve (SAV) implantation was the only predictor of severe PPM (odds ratio: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.13-0.83). Conclusions: Patients with small aortic annuli and severe PPM after TAVI have an increased risk of all-cause mortality at early term follow-up, especially after IAV or BEV implantation. TAVI with SAV protected from severe PPM

Predictors and Clinical Impact of Prosthesis-Patient Mismatch After Self-Expandable TAVR in Small Annuli

Y OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to define predictors of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) and its impact on mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with self-expandable valves (SEVs) in patients with small annuli.BACKGROUND TAVR seems to reduce the risk for PPM compared with surgical aortic valve replacement, especially in patients with small aortic annuli. Nevertheless, predictors and impact of PPM in this population have not been clarified yet.METHODS Predictors of PPM and all-cause mortality were investigated using multivariable logistic regression analysis from the cohort of the TAVI-SMALL (International Multicenter Registry to Evaluate the Performance of Self-Expandable Valves in Small Aortic Annuli) registry, which included patients with severe aortic stenosis and small annuli (annular perimeter &lt;72 mm or area &lt; 400 mm(2) on computed tomography) treated with transcatheter SEVs: 445 patients with (n = 129) and without (n = 316) PPM were enrolled.RESULTS Intra-annular valves conferred increased risk for PPM (odds ratio [OR]: 2.36; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16 to 4.81), while post-dilation (OR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.25-0.84) and valve oversizing (OR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.28-1.00) seemed to protect against PPM occurrence. At a median follow-up of 354 days, patients with severe PPM, but not those with moderate PPM, had a higher all-cause mortality rate compared with those without PPM (log-rank p = 0.008). Multivariable Cox regression confirmed severe PPM as an independent predictor of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 4.27; 95% CI: 1.34 to 13.6).CONCLUSIONS Among patients with aortic stenosis and small aortic annuli undergoing transcatheter SEV implantation, use of intra-annular valves yielded higher risk for PPM; conversely, post-dilation and valve oversizing protected against PPM occurrence. Severe PPM was independently associated with all-cause mortality. (C) 2021 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation

Effect of Chronic Kidney Disease on 5-Year Outcome in Patients With Heart Failure and Secondary Mitral Regurgitation Undergoing Percutaneous MitraClip Insertion

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is strongly related to outcomes in cardiovascular diseases. Limited data are available regarding the independent prognostic role of CKD after transcatheter mitral valve repair with MitraClip. We sought to evaluate the real impact of CKD in a large series of patients with heart failure (HF) and secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR) who underwent MitraClip treatment. The study included 565 patients with severe SMR from a multicenter international registry. Patients were stratified into 3 groups according to estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) assessment before MitraClip implantation: normal eGFR (≥60&nbsp;ml/min/1.73&nbsp;m2) (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;196), mild-to-moderate CKD (30 to 59&nbsp;ml/min/1.73&nbsp;m2) (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;267), and severe CKD (&lt;30&nbsp;ml/min/1.73&nbsp;m2) (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;102). The primary end point was a composite of overall death and the first rehospitalization for HF, the secondary end points were overall death, cardiac death, and first rehospitalization for HF. CKD was present in about 2/3 of patients. At 5-year Kaplan-Meier analysis, primary clinical end point occurred in 60% of patients with normal eGFR, compared with 73% cases in patients with mild-to-moderate CKD and 91% in patients with severe CKD (p&nbsp;&lt;0.001). Long-term overall death rate significantly decreased with increasing eGFR, and cardiac death and rehospitalization for HF rates. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified severe CKD as the strongest independent predictor of adverse outcome (hazard ratio 2.136, 95% confidence interval 1.164 to 3.918, p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.014). In conclusion, CKD affected about 2/3 of patients who underwent MitraClip treatment for severe SMR, and it was a strong and independent predictor of 5-year adverse outcomes

Clinical outcomes in women and men with small aortic annuli undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation: A multicenter, retrospective, propensity score-matched comparison

Background: Sex-specific characteristics in patients with aortic stenosis and small annuli undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) might affect clinical outcomes and hemodynamics. Methods: TAVI-SMALL 2 international retrospective registry included 1378 patients with severe aortic stenosis and small annuli (annular perimeter <72 mm or area < 400 mm2) treated with transfemoral TAVI at 16 high-volume centers between 2011 and 2020. Women (n = 1233) were compared with men (n = 145). One-to-one propensity score (PS) matching resulted in 99 pairs. Primary endpoint was incidence of all-cause mortality. Incidence of pre-discharge severe prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) and its association with all-cause mortality were investigated. Binary logistic and Cox regression were performed to adjust the treatment effect for PS quintiles. Results: Incidence of all-cause mortality at a median follow-up of 377 days did not differ between sex in the overall (10.3 vs. 9.8%, p = 0.842) and PS-matched (8.5 vs. 10.9%, p = 0.586) populations. After PS matching, pre-discharge severe PPM was numerically higher in women vs. men (10.2 vs. 4.3%), even though no evidence of a difference was found (p = 0.275). Within the overall population, women with severe PPM suffered a higher incidence of all-cause mortality when compared to those with less than moderate PPM (log-rank p = 0.024) and less than severe PPM (p = 0.027). Conclusions: No difference in all-cause mortality at medium-term follow-up was observed between women and men with aortic stenosis and small annuli undergoing TAVI. Incidence of pre-discharge severe PPM was numerically higher in women than men, and it was associated with increased all-cause mortality in women