Meta-analysis of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in combination with intra-aortic balloon pump vs. extracorporeal membrane oxygenation only in patients with cardiogenic shock due to acute myocardial infarction

BackgroundIncidence and mortality of cardiogenic shock (CS) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remain high despite substantial therapy improvements in acute percutaneous coronary intervention over the last decades. Unloading the left ventricle in patients with Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) can be performed by using an intra-aortic balloon pumps’ (IABP) afterload reduction, which might be especially beneficial in AMI patients with CS.ObjectiveThe objective of this meta-analysis was to assess the effect of VA-ECMO + IABP vs. VA-ECMO treatment on the mortality of patients with CS due to AMI.MethodsA systematic literature search was performed using EMBASE, COCHRANE, and MEDLINE databases. Studies comparing the effect of VA-ECMO + IABP vs. VA-ECMO on mortality of patients with AMI were included. Meta-analyses were performed to analyze the effect of the chosen treatment on 30-day/in-hospital mortality.ResultsTwelve studies were identified by the literature search, including a total of 5,063 patients, 81.5% were male and the mean age was 65.9 years. One thousand one hundred and thirty-six patients received treatment with VA-ECMO in combination with IABP and 2,964 patients received VA-ECMO treatment only. The performed meta-analysis showed decreased mortality at 30-days/in-hospital after VA-ECMO + IABP compared to VA-ECMO only for patients with cardiogenic shock after AMI (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.30–0.44, P≤0.001). Combination of VA-ECMO + IABP was associated with higher rates of weaning success (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.16–0.53, P < 0.001) without an increase of vascular access complications (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.35–2.08, P = 0.72).ConclusionIn this meta-analysis, combination therapy of VA-ECMO + IABP was superior to VA-ECMO only therapy in patients with CS due to AMI. In the absence of randomized data, these results are hypothesis generating only

CD risk stratification studies - EU-CERT-ICD and the European perspective

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE: In patients with ischemic or non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and impaired left ventricular ejection fraction, treatment with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) has been shown to improve survival and guidelines recommend their use for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death. Experts disagree regarding the validity of decade-old trial results as the basis for this recommendation, therefore, reconsideration of prophylactic ICD treatment is needed. EU-CERT-ICD, DANISH-ICD AND DO-IT: In order to update the evidence on prophylactic ICD treatment, several prospective studies are underway in Europe. The prospective EU-CERT-ICD cohort study (NCT 02064192) is enrolling 2500 patients and compares patients undergoing first ICD implantation with controls with an earlier clinical decision to go without ICD implantation strictly unrelated to the study. The DANISH ICD study (NCT 00542945) has randomized 1000 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and an LVEF ≤35% (1:1 ICD implantation vs. control). The prospective DO-IT multicenter registry will include 1500 ICD patients in multiple Dutch high-volume implanting centers. Due to the widespread use of ICD therapy, new randomized trials seem not straightforward to envisage in many countries. CONCLUSION: The above described ICD studies will provide additional evidence regarding the effectiveness of primary prophylactic ICDs in Europe and may have an impact on ICD treatment guidelines. They could also help to design randomized trials in low risk patients

Hemodiafiltration Treatment for Severe Valproic Acid Intoxication: Case Report and Updated Systematic Literature Review

Background: Valproic acid (VPA) has been approved for the treatment of seizure disorders. It is also commonly used in psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia spectrum disorders. With increasing administration, reports of intoxications are more frequently reported. The most common findings of VPA intoxication are central nervous system depression, respiratory depression, hypotension, metabolic acidosis, and elevated lactate, among others.Methods: We describe a case report of VPA intoxication with hemodiafiltration (HDF) as extracorporeal treatment (ECTR) for removal of VPA. This treatment modality has only rarely been reported in the current literature. In addition, we performed an updated systematic literature review (SLR) of additional cases on the topic ranging from December 1st, 2014 to April 20th, 2018. We searched MEDLINE and Web of Science for relevant references.Results: In the presented case, VPA intoxication occurred in a 46-year-old female patient after oral ingestion of 56 g of VPA. In addition to vasopressors and endotracheal intubation, we administered L-Carnitine (L-Car) and performed hemodiafiltration treatment. After intravenous therapy with L-Car and simultaneous HDF sessions, we observed full recovery without neurological sequelae. The SLR identified 8 additional articles reporting favorable outcomes with extracorporeal treatments in most cases.Conclusion: HDF and other extracorporeal procedures are safe and effective therapeutic options in patients with VPA intoxication. The choice of ECTR modality mainly depends on local experience and the setting. In the present case, ingestion of 56 g was successfully treated with HDF. These findings are in line with several other case reports describing positive outcomes. Extracorporeal treatment, including HDF, should be considered early in the management of VPA intoxication. Supporting evidence is emerging, but it is of limited quality

ICD risk stratification studies -EU-CERT-ICD and the European perspective ☆-NC- ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Abstract Background and rationale: In patients with ischemic or non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and impaired left ventricular ejection fraction, treatment with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) has been shown to improve survival and guidelines recommend their use for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death. Experts disagree regarding the validity of decade-old trial results as the basis for this recommendation, therefore, reconsideration of prophylactic ICD treatment is needed. EU-CERT-ICD, DANISH-ICD and DO-IT: In order to update the evidence on prophylactic ICD treatment, several prospective studies are underway in Europe. The prospective EU-CERT-ICD cohort study (NCT 02064192) is enrolling 2500 patients and compares patients undergoing first ICD implantation with controls with an earlier clinical decision to go without ICD implantation strictly unrelated to the study. The DANISH ICD study (NCT 00542945) has randomized 1000 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and an LVEF ≤35% (1:1 ICD implantation vs. control). The prospective DO-IT multicenter registry will include 1500 ICD patients in multiple Dutch high-volume implanting centers. Due to the widespread use of ICD therapy, new randomized trials seem not straightforward to envisage in many countries. Conclusion: The above described ICD studies will provide additional evidence regarding the effectiveness of primary prophylactic ICDs in Europe and may have an impact on ICD treatment guidelines. They could also help to design randomized trials in low risk patients

Insights into permanent pacemaker implantation following TAVR in a real-world cohort.

BACKGROUND:Permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) following TAVR is a frequent post interventional complication and its management remains controversial. OBJECTIVE:We sought to elucidate the electrophysiological, procedural, and clinical baseline parameters that are associated with and perhaps predict the need for PPI after TAVR in a heterogeneous-valve-type real-world cohort. METHODS:Overall, 494 patients receiving TAVR at our center from April 2009 to August 2015 were screened. ECG analyses and clinical parameters were collected prospectively. RESULTS:Overall, 401 patients in this all-comers real-world TAVR cohort with a PPI rate of 16% were included. The mean age was 82 years, and the mean duration to PPI was 5.5 days. A large proportion of Edwards SAPIEN valves (81%), DirectFlow, CoreValve, and Portico were implanted. The main indications for PPI were atrioventricular (AV) block III, AV-block Mobitz type II, bradycardic atrial fibrillation and persistent sinus bradycardia. Between groups with and without PPI, significant differences were noted in the prevalence of post TAVR balloon dilatation, resting heart rate, QRS interval, PR interval with a cut-off of >178 ms, left anterior fascicular block and RBBB in univariate analyses. In the subsequent multiple regression analysis, post TAVR balloon dilatation and a PR interval with a cut-off of >178 ms were significant predictors of PPI. CONCLUSION:This real-world cohort differs from others in its size and heterogeneous valve selection, and indicates for the first time that patients with post balloon dilatation or prolonged PR interval are at a higher risk for pacemaker dependency after TAVR

Incidence and Clinical Impact of Device-Associated Thrombus and Peri-Device Leak Following Left Atrial Appendage Closure With the Amplatzer Cardiac Plug

OBJECTIVES Routine device surveillance after successful left atrial appendage closure is recommended to evaluate for intermediate to late complications. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and clinical impact of these complications on cardiovascular events. METHODS Centers participating in the Amplatzer Cardiac Plug multicenter study were requested to submit their post-procedural transesophageal echocardiograms for independent adjudication. Thirteen of 22 centers contributed all their post-procedural echocardiograms, which included 344 from 605 consecutive patients. These images were submitted to a core laboratory and reviewed by 2 independent experts for peri-device leak, device-associated thrombus, device embolization, device migration, left atrial appendage thrombus, and left atrial thrombus. Clinical events were prospectively collected by each center. RESULTS Of the 344 transesophageal echocardiograms, 339 were deemed analyzable. Patients' mean age was 74.4 ± 7.5 years, and 67.3% were men. The mean CHADSscore was 2.7 ± 1.3, the mean CHADS-VASc score was 4.3 ± 1.5, and the mean HAS-BLED score was 3.0 ± 1.2. Amplatzer Cardiac Plug implantation was successful in all patients. Periprocedural major adverse events occurred in 2.4%. Median clinical follow-up duration was 355 days (range 179 to 622 days). Follow-up transesophageal echocardiography was performed after a median of 134 days (range 88 to 227 days). Device-associated thrombus was observed in 3.2% and peri-device leak in 12.5% (5.5% minimal, 5.8% mild, 0.6% moderate, 0.6% severe). Neither device-associated thrombus nor peri-device leak was associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular events. Independent predictors of device-associated thrombus were smoking (odds ratio: 5.79; p = 0.017) and female sex (odds ratio: 4.22; p = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS Following successful left atrial appendage closure with the Amplatzer Cardiac Plug, the presence of peri-device leak was relatively low, and device-associated thrombus was infrequent. Neither was associated with increased risk for thromboembolism

Short- and Long-Term Outcomes of Patients with Postoperative Arrhythmia after Liver Surgery

Background: New-onset postoperative arrhythmia (PA) has previously been described as a pivotal risk factor for postoperative morbidity and mortality after visceral surgery. However, there is a lack of data concerning liver surgery. The incidence and impact of new-onset postoperative arrhythmia after liver surgery was, therefore, analyzed in a monocentric study. Methods: In total, n = 460 patients (221 female, 239 male) who underwent liver surgery between January 2012 and April 2020 without any prior arrhythmia in their medical history were included in this retrospective analysis. Clinical monitoring started with the induction of anesthesia and was terminated with discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU) or intermediate care unit (IMC). Follow-up included documentation of complications during the hospital stay, as well as long-term survival analysis. Results: Postoperative arrhythmia after liver surgery was observed in 25 patients, corresponding to an incidence of 5.4%. The occurrence of arrhythmia was significantly associated with intraoperative complications (p p p p p < 0.001). Conclusions: New-onset postoperative arrhythmia after liver surgery has an incidence of only 5.4% but is significantly associated with higher postoperative morbidity and poorer overall survival

A nationwide analysis of reperfusion therapies for pulmonary embolism in older patients with frailty

BACKGROUND: Reperfusion therapy is challenging in the elderly. Catheter-directed therapies are an alternative for higher-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) patients if systemic thrombolysis (ST) is contraindicated or has failed. Their safety has not been evaluated in specific vulnerable populations. AIMS: We aimed to assess the safety of reperfusion therapies in elderly and frail patients in the real world. METHODS: In the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2016 to 2020, we identified hospitalisations of patients ≥65 years with PE and defined a frailty subgroup using the Johns Hopkins Adjusted Clinical Groups frailty-defining diagnosis indicator. We investigated reperfusion therapies (ST, catheter-directed thrombolysis [CDT], catheter-based thrombectomy [CBT], surgical embolectomy [SE]) and their associated safety outcomes (overall and major bleeding). RESULTS: Among 980,245 hospitalisations of patients ≥65 years with PE (28.0% frail), reperfusion therapies were used in 4.9% (17.6% among high-risk PE). ST utilisation remained stable, while the use of catheter-directed therapies increased from 1.7% in 2016 to 3.2% in 2020. Among all hospitalisations with reperfusion, CDT, compared to ST, was associated with reduced major bleeding (5.8% vs 12.2%, odds ratio [OR] 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.49-0.70); these results also applied to frail patients. CBT, compared to SE, was also associated with reduced major bleeding (11.0% vs 22.4%, OR 0.63, 95% CI: 0.43-0.91), but not among frail patients. These differences were particularly significant in patients with non-high-risk PE. Differences persisted for overall bleeding as well. CONCLUSIONS: Catheter-directed therapies may be a safer alternative to classical reperfusion therapies for elderly and frail patients with PE requiring reperfusion treatment