Aorttaläppäahtauman katetrihoito oli turvallista myös keskussairaaloissa

Lähtökohdat : Vuoden 2018 alussa voimaan tullut keskittämisasetus kielsi vaikean aorttaläppäahtauman hoitamisen TAVI-toimenpiteellä (transcatheter aortic valve implantation) sairaaloissa, joissa ei ole avosydänkirurgiaa. Ennen asetuksen voimaantuloa TAVI- oimenpiteet ehdittiin aloittaa neljässä keskussairaalassa. Menetelmät : Vuosina 2015–2018 TAVI-toimenpide tehtiin keskussairaalassa 174 potilaalle yhdellä itsestään laajentuvalla läppätyypillä. Yhtä lukuun ottamatta kaikki toimenpiteet suoritettiin paikallispuudutuksessa nivusvaltimon kautta sydänangiosalissa. Tulokset : Potilaiden keski-ikä oli 83 vuotta. Potilaat olivat hyvin oireisia; 80 %:lla oli vähintään NYHA (New York Heart Association) -luokan 3 oireisto. Hengenahdistusoireisto parani seurannassa 84 %:lla potilaista. 97 %:lla ei todettu merkittää läppäproteesin vierusvuotoa. Kirurgiaa vaatineita verisuonikomplikaatioita sattui kolmelle (1,7 %) potilaalle. Kaksi potilasta kuoli toimenpiteeseen (1,1 %). Viisi (2,9 %) potilasta kuoli 30 vuorokauden aikana ja yhdeksän (5,2 %) 12 kuukauteen mennessä. Päätelmät : Keskussairaaloissa ilman avosydänkirurgista valmiutta tehdyt TAVI-toimenpiteet olivat turvallisia. Tutkimuksen perusteella TAVI-toimenpiteiden keskittämisellä viiteen yliopistosairaalaan ei saavuteta hyötyä potilasturvallisuuden kannaltaPeer reviewe

Aorttaläppäahtauman katetrihoito oli turvallista myös keskussairaaloissa

Vertaisarvioitu.Lähtökohdat : Vuoden 2018 alussa voimaan tullut keskittämisasetus kielsi vaikean aorttaläppäahtauman hoitamisen TAVI-toimenpiteellä (transcatheter aortic valve implantation) sairaaloissa, joissa ei ole avosydänkirurgiaa. Ennen asetuksen voimaantuloa TAVI- oimenpiteet ehdittiin aloittaa neljässä keskussairaalassa. Menetelmät : Vuosina 2015–2018 TAVI-toimenpide tehtiin keskussairaalassa 174 potilaalle yhdellä itsestään laajentuvalla läppätyypillä. Yhtä lukuun ottamatta kaikki toimenpiteet suoritettiin paikallispuudutuksessa nivusvaltimon kautta sydänangiosalissa. Tulokset : Potilaiden keski-ikä oli 83 vuotta. Potilaat olivat hyvin oireisia; 80 %:lla oli vähintään NYHA (New York Heart Association) -luokan 3 oireisto. Hengenahdistusoireisto parani seurannassa 84 %:lla potilaista. 97 %:lla ei todettu merkittää läppäproteesin vierusvuotoa. Kirurgiaa vaatineita verisuonikomplikaatioita sattui kolmelle (1,7 %) potilaalle. Kaksi potilasta kuoli toimenpiteeseen (1,1 %). Viisi (2,9 %) potilasta kuoli 30 vuorokauden aikana ja yhdeksän (5,2 %) 12 kuukauteen mennessä. Päätelmät : Keskussairaaloissa ilman avosydänkirurgista valmiutta tehdyt TAVI-toimenpiteet olivat turvallisia. Tutkimuksen perusteella TAVI-toimenpiteiden keskittämisellä viiteen yliopistosairaalaan ei saavuteta hyötyä potilasturvallisuuden kannaltaPeer reviewe

Electrocardiogram as a predictor of sudden cardiac death in middle-aged subjects without a known cardiac disease

Background: Abnormal 12 lead electrocardiogram (ECG) findings and proposing its ability for enhanced risk prediction, majority of the studies have been carried out with elderly populations with prior cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to denote the association of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and various abnormal ECG morphologies using middle-aged population without a known cardiac disease. Methods: In total, 9511 middle-aged subjects (mean age 42 +/- 8.2 years, 52% males) without a known cardiac disease were included in this study. Risk for SCD was assessed after 10 and 30-years of follow-up. Results: Abnormal ECG was present in 16.3% (N = 1548) of subjects. The incidence of SCD was distinctly higher among those with any ECG abnormality in 10 and 30-year follow-ups (1.7/1000 years vs. 0.6/1000 years, P 100', left ventricular hypertrophy, and T-wave inversions were the most significant independent ECG risk markers for 10-year SCD prediction with up to 3-fold risk for SCD. Those with ECG abnormalities had a 1.3-fold risk (95% CI 1.07-1.57, P - 0.007) for SCD in 30-year follow-up, whereas QRST-angle > 100 degrees, LVH, ER 0.1 mV and 0.2 mV were the strongest individual predictors. Subjects with multiple ECG abnormalities had up to 6.6-fold risk for SCD (P <0.001). Conclusion: Several ECG abnormalities are associated with the occurrence of early and late SCD events in the middle-age subjects without known history of cardiac disease. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe

Electrocardiographic Risk Markers of Cardiac Death : Gender Differences in the General Population

Background Cardiac death is one of the leading causes of death and sudden cardiac death (SCD) is estimated to cause approximately 50% of cardiac deaths. Men have a higher cardiac mortality than women. Consequently, the mechanisms and risk markers of cardiac mortality are not as well defined in women as they are in men. Aim The aim of the study was to assess the prognostic value and possible gender differences of SCD risk markers of standard 12-lead electrocardiogram in three large general population samples. Methods The standard 12-lead electrocardiographic (ECG) markers were analyzed from three different Finnish general population samples including total of 20,310 subjects (49.9% women, mean age 44.8 +/- 8.7 years). The primary endpoint was cardiac death, and SCD and all-cause mortality were secondary endpoints. The interaction effect between women and men was assessed for each ECG variable. Results During the follow-up (7.7 +/- 1.2 years), a total of 883 deaths occurred (24.5% women, p 110 ms (p = 490 ms and T-wave inversions predicted SCD (p <0.047 and 0.033, respectively). In the interaction analysis, LVH (HR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.2-4.9; p = 0.014) was stronger predictor of primary endpoint in women than in men. Conclusion Several standard ECG variables provide independent information on the risk of cardiac mortality in men but not in women. LVH and T-wave inversions predict SCD also in women.Peer reviewe

Incidence of Sudden Cardiac Death and Life-Threatening Arrhythmias in Clinically Manifest Cardiac Sarcoidosis With and Without Current Indications for an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator

Background: Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) predisposes to sudden cardiac death (SCD). Guidelines for implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) in CS have been issued by the Heart Rhythm Society in 2014 and the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Heart Rhythm Society consortium in 2017. How well they discriminate high from low risk remains unknown. Methods: We analyzed the data of 398 patients with CS detected in Finland from 1988 through 2017. All had clinical cardiac manifestations. Histological diagnosis was myocardial in 193 patients (definite CS) and extracardiac in 205 (probable CS). Patients with and without Class I or IIa ICD indications at presentation were identified, and subsequent occurrences of SCD (fatal or aborted) and sustained ventricular tachycardia were recorded, as were ICD indications emerging first on follow-up. Results: Over a median of 4.8 years, 41 patients (10.3%) had fatal (n=8) or aborted (n=33) SCD, and 98 (24.6%) experienced SCD or sustained ventricular tachycardia as the first event. By the Heart Rhythm Society guideline, Class I or IIa ICD indications were present in 339 patients (85%) and absent in 59 (15%), of whom 264 (78%) and 30 (51%), respectively, received an ICD. Cumulative 5-year incidence of SCD was 10.7% (95% CI, 7.4%-15.4%) in patients with ICD indications versus 4.8% (95% CI, 1.2%-19.1%) in those without (chi(2)=1.834, P=0.176). The corresponding rates of SCD were 13.8% (95% CI, 9.1%-21.0%) versus 6.3% (95% CI, 0.7%-54.0%; chi(2)=0.814, P=0.367) in definite CS and 7.6% (95% CI, 3.8%-15.1%) versus 3.3% (95% CI, 0.5%-22.9%; chi(2)=0.680, P=0.410) in probable CS. In multivariable regression analysis, SCD was predicted by definite histological diagnosis (P=0.033) but not by Class I or IIa ICD indications (P=0.210). In patients without ICD indications at presentation, 5-year incidence of SCD, sustained ventricular tachycardia, and emerging Class I or IIa indications was 53% (95% CI, 40%-71%). By the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Heart Rhythm Society guideline, all patients with complete data (n=245) had Class I or IIa indications for ICD implantation. Conclusions: Current ICD guidelines fail to distinguish a truly low-risk group of patients with clinically manifest CS, the 5-year risk of SCD approaching 5% despite absent ICD indications. Further research is needed on prognostic factors, including the role of diagnostic histology. Meanwhile, all patients with CS presenting with clinical cardiac manifestations should be considered for an ICD implantation.Peer reviewe

Impact of age and sex on the long-term prognosis associated with early repolarization in the general population

BACKGROUND Early repolarization (ER) has been linked to the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the general population, although controversy remains regarding risks across various subgroups. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate whether age and sex influence the prognostic significance of ER. METHODS We evaluated the 12-lead electrocardiograms of 6631 Finnish general population subjects age >= 30 years (mean age 50.1 +/- 13.9 years; 44.5% men) for the presence of ER (J-point elevation >= 0.1 mV in >= 2 inferior/lateral leads) and followed them for 24.4 +/- 10.3 years. We analyzed the association between ER and the risk of SCD, cardiac death, and ad-cause mortality in subgroups according to age (= 50 years) and sex. RESULTS ER was present in 367 of the 3305 subjects age = 50 years. ER was not associated with any of the endpoints in the entire study population. After adjusting for clinical factors, ER was associated with SCD (hazard ratio [HR] 1.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-3.07) in subjects CONCLUSION ER is associated with SCD in subjects younger than 50 years, particularly in women, but not in subjects 50 years and older.Peer reviewe

Effectiveness of the Chest Strap Electrocardiogram to Detect Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a significant cause of cardioembolic strokes. AF is often symptomless and intermittent, making its detection challenging. The aim of this study was to assess the possibility to use a chest strap (Suunto Movesense) to detect AF both by cardiologists and automated algorithms. A single channel electrocardiogram (ECG) from a chest strap of 220 patients (107 AF and 111 sinus rhythm SR with 2 inconclusive rhythms) were analyzed by 2 cardiologists (Doc1 and Doc2) and 2 different algorithms (COSEn and AFE-vidence). A 3-lead Holter served as the gold standard ECG for rhythm analysis. Both cardiologists evaluated the quality of the chest strap ECG to be superior to the quality of the Holter ECG; pPeer reviewe

Gender differences in prevalence and prognostic value of fragmented QRS complex

Background: Fragmented QRS (fQRS) on 12-lead electrocardiogram(ECG) is associated with scarred myocardium and adverse outcome. However, the data on gender differences in terms of its prevalence and prognostic value is sparse. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether gender differences in fQRS exist among subjects drawn from populations with different risk profiles. Methods: We analyzed fQRS from 12-lead ECG in 953 autopsy-confirmed victims of sudden cardiac death (SCD) (78% men; 67.0 +/- 11.4 yrs), 1900 coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with angiographically confirmed stenosis of >= 50% (70% men; 66.6 +/- 9.0 yrs, 43% with previous myocardial infarction [MI]), and in 10,904 adults drawn from the Finnish adult general population (52% men; 44.0 +/- 8.5 yrs). Results: Prevalence of fQRS was associated with older age, male sex and the history and severity of prior cardiac disease of subjects. Among the general population fQRS was more commonly found among men in comparison to women (20.5% vs. 14.8%, p <0.001). The prevalence of fQRS rose gradually along with the severity of prior cardiac disease in both genders, yet remained significantly higher in the male population: subjects with suspected or known cardiac disease (25.4% vs. 15.8% p <0.001), CAD patients without prior MI (39.9% vs. 26.4%, p <0.001), CAD patients with prior MI (42.9% vs. 31.2%, p <0.001), and victims of SCD (56.4% vs. 44.4%, p <0.001). Conclusions: The prevalence of QRS fragmentation varies in different populations. The fragmentation is clearly related to the underlying cardiac disease in both genders, however women seem to have significantly lower prevalence of fQRS in each patient population in comparison to men. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.Peer reviewe

Incidence of Sudden Cardiac Death and Life-Threatening Arrhythmias in Clinically Manifest Cardiac Sarcoidosis With and Without Current Indications for an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator

Background:Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) predisposes to sudden cardiac death (SCD). Guidelines for implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) in CS have been issued by the Heart Rhythm Society in 2014 and the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Heart Rhythm Society consortium in 2017. How well they discriminate high from low risk remains unknown.Methods:We analyzed the data of 398 patients with CS detected in Finland from 1988 through 2017. All had clinical cardiac manifestations. Histological diagnosis was myocardial in 193 patients (definite CS) and extracardiac in 205 (probable CS). Patients with and without Class I or IIa ICD indications at presentation were identified, and subsequent occurrences of SCD (fatal or aborted) and sustained ventricular tachycardia were recorded, as were ICD indications emerging first on follow-up.Results:Over a median of 4.8 years, 41 patients (10.3%) had fatal (n=8) or aborted (n=33) SCD, and 98 (24.6%) experienced SCD or sustained ventricular tachycardia as the first event. By the Heart Rhythm Society guideline, Class I or IIa ICD indications were present in 339 patients (85%) and absent in 59 (15%), of whom 264 (78%) and 30 (51%), respectively, received an ICD. Cumulative 5-year incidence of SCD was 10.7% (95% CI, 7.4%-15.4%) in patients with ICD indications versus 4.8% (95% CI, 1.2%-19.1%) in those without (chi(2)=1.834, P=0.176). The corresponding rates of SCD were 13.8% (95% CI, 9.1%-21.0%) versus 6.3% (95% CI, 0.7%-54.0%; chi(2)=0.814, P=0.367) in definite CS and 7.6% (95% CI, 3.8%-15.1%) versus 3.3% (95% CI, 0.5%-22.9%; chi(2)=0.680, P=0.410) in probable CS. In multivariable regression analysis, SCD was predicted by definite histological diagnosis (P=0.033) but not by Class I or IIa ICD indications (P=0.210). In patients without ICD indications at presentation, 5-year incidence of SCD, sustained ventricular tachycardia, and emerging Class I or IIa indications was 53% (95% CI, 40%-71%). By the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Heart Rhythm Society guideline, all patients with complete data (n=245) had Class I or IIa indications for ICD implantation.Conclusions:Current ICD guidelines fail to distinguish a truly low-risk group of patients with clinically manifest CS, the 5-year risk of SCD approaching 5% despite absent ICD indications. Further research is needed on prognostic factors, including the role of diagnostic histology. Meanwhile, all patients with CS presenting with clinical cardiac manifestations should be considered for an ICD implantation.</p