Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Relationship Between Procedural Volume and Outcomes

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an integral treatment modality for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) as well as chronic stable coronary artery disease (CAD) not responsive to optimal medical therapy. This coupled with studies on the feasibility and safety of performing PCI in centers without on-site surgical backup led to widespread growth of PCI centers. However, this has been accompanied by a recent steep decline in the volume of PCIs at both the operator and hospital level, which raises concerns regarding minimal procedural volumes required to maintain necessary skills and favorable clinical outcomes. The 2011 ACC/AHA/SCAI competency statement required PCI be performed by operators with a minimal procedural volume of >75 PCIs annually at high-volume centers with >400 PCIs per year, a number which was relaxed in the 2013 ACC/AHA/SCAI update to >50 PCIs/operator/year in hospitals with >200 PCIs annually to coincide with reduction in national PCI volume. Recent data suggests that many hospitals do not meet these thresholds. We review data on the importance of volume as a vital quality metric at both an operator and hospital level in determining procedural outcomes following PCI.     

Relationship Between Epicardial Adipose Tissue,Inflammation and Volume Markers in Hemodialysis and Transplant Patients

Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are still the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in both patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) treatment and individuals with renal transplantation (Rtx). Measurement of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness is an easily applied, cheap, and useful recent method predicting increased CV risk. We aimed to compare EAT changes in HD and Rtx patients and the association between EAT and inflammatory and CV volume markers in both groups. A total of 124 patients: 45 Rtx, 43 HD patients and 36 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Laboratory parameters and inflammatory markers (interleukin‐6 [IL‐6] and high sensitive C‐reactive protein [Hs‐CRP]) were evaluated from venous blood samples after an overnight fast. EAT thickness was measured with transthoracic echocardiography. The levels of Hs‐CRP, IL‐6, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, left atrial (LA) diameter, left atrial index (LAI), left ventricular mass (LVM) and LVM index (LVMI) were significantly higher in the HD patients than in the other groups. EAT was positively correlated with age, body mass index (BMI), time on dialysis, serum creatinine, total cholesterol, Low density lipoprotein‐cholesterol, and LVM in Rtx group and positively correlated with age, BMI, duration of dialysis, Hs‐CRP, IL‐6, LAI and LVMI and inversely correlated with inferior vena cava collapse index (IVC‐CI) in HD group. EAT thickness of RTx patients (whose previous HD duration was similar to those in HD group) are similar to the healthy population and significantly thinner than patients on HD.     

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Hospital Volume and the Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Previous reviews have suggested that hospital volume is inversely related to in-hospital mortality. However, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) practices have changed substantially in recent years, and whether this relationship persists remains controversial.A systematic search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to identify studies that describe the effect of hospital volume on the outcomes of PCI. Critical appraisals of the methodological quality and the risk of bias were conducted independently by 2 authors. Fourteen of 96 potentiality relevant articles were included in the analysis. Twelve of the articles described the relationship between hospital volume and mortality and included data regarding odds ratios (ORs); 3 studies described the relationship between hospital volume and long-term survival, and only 1 study included data regarding hazard ratios (HRs). A meta-analysis of postoperative mortality was performed using a random effects model, and the pooled effect estimate was significantly in favor of high volume providers (OR: 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72–0.86; P < 0.001). A systematic review of long-term survival was performed, and a trend toward better long-term survival in high volume hospitals was observed.This meta-analysis only included studies published after 2006 and revealed that postoperative mortality following PCI correlates significantly and inversely with hospital volume. However, the magnitude of the effect of volume on long-term survival is difficult to assess. Additional research is necessary to confirm our findings and to elucidate the mechanism underlying the volume–outcome relationship.     

Distinct Associations Between Postdischarge Cognitive Change Patterns and 1-year Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure

BackgroundThe patterns of patients’ cognitive function after hospital discharge for heart failure (HF), their prognostic implication and the predictors for new-onset cognitive impairment remain unknown.Methods and ResultsWe included 2307 patients (64 ± 14 years, 36.4% female sex) hospitalized for HF from a cohort who completed cognitive testing before discharge and after 1 month. Among 1658 patients with normal cognition before discharge, 229 (13.8%) and 1429 (86.2%) had new-onset cognitive impairment and normal cognition at 1 month, respectively. Of the 649 with cognitive impairment, 315 (48.5%) and 334 (51.5%) had transient and persistent cognitive impairment, respectively. Multivariable analyses showed that, compared with normal cognition, patients with new-onset cognitive impairment had an increased risk of cardiovascular death or HF rehospitalization (hazard ratio 1.35, 95% confidence interval 1.07–1.70); patients with persistent cognitive impairment showed an increased risk, but it was not statistically significant (hazard ratio 1.17, 95% confidence interval 0.95–1.44); patients with transient cognitive impairment had a similar risk (hazard ratio 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.73–1.13). Older age, females, lower education level, prior atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, lower health status, and lower Mini-Cog score before discharge predicted new-onset cognitive impairment.ConclusionsAcute HF substantially affects short-term cognition. Patients who have developed new-onset cognitive impairment have an increased risk of adverse outcomes. Monitoring cognition is necessary, particularly in high-risk patients.     

Relationship Between Hospital Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement Volume and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Outcomes

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine whether hospital surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) volume was associated with corresponding transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) outcomes.BackgroundRecent studies have demonstrated a volume-outcome relationship for TAVR.MethodsIn total, 208,400 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries were analyzed for all aortic valve replacement procedures from 2012 to 2015. Claims for patients <65 years of age, concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, other heart valve procedures, or other major open heart procedures were excluded, as were secondary admissions for aortic valve replacement. Hospital SAVR volumes were stratified on the basis of mean annual SAVR procedures during the study period. The primary outcomes were 30-day and 1-year post-operative TAVR survival. Adjusted survival following TAVR was assessed using multivariate Cox regression.ResultsA total of 65,757 SAVR and 42,967 TAVR admissions were evaluated. Among TAVR procedures, 21.7% (n = 9,324) were performed at hospitals with <100 (group 1), 35.6% (n = 15,298) at centers with 100 to 199 (group 2), 22.9% (n = 9,828) at centers with 200 to 299 (group 3), and 19.8% (n = 8,517) at hospitals with ≥300 SAVR cases/year (group 4). Compared with group 4, 30-day TAVR mortality risk-adjusted odds ratios were 1.32 (95% confidence interval: 1.18 to 1.47) for group 1, 1.25 (95% confidence interval: 1.12 to 1.39) for group 2, and 1.08 (95% confidence interval: 0.82 to 1.25) for group 3. These adjusted survival differences in TAVR outcomes persisted at 1 year post-procedure.ConclusionsTotal hospital SAVR volume appears to be correlated with TAVR outcomes, with higher 30-day and 1-year mortality observed at low-volume centers. These data support the importance of a viable surgical program within the heart team, and the use of minimum SAVR hospital thresholds may be considered as an additional metric for TAVR performance.     

Heart Transplant Indications,Considerations, and Outcomes in Fontan Patients: Age-Related Nuances,Transplant Listing,and Disease-Specific Indications

In the current era, 5%-10% of Fontan patients die or need a transplant in childhood, and approximately 50% will experience the same fate by age 40 years. Heart transplant (HTx) can be successful for selected children and adults with Fontan circulatory failure of any mechanism, with a 1-year post-transplant survival rate approaching 90% in children and 80% in the largest single-centre adult Fontan HTx experience. Protein-losing enteropathy and plastic bronchitis can be expected to resolve post-transplant, and limited data suggest patients with Fontan-associated liver disease who survive HTx can expect improvement in liver health. Early Fontan failure, within 12 months of Fontan completion, is not easily rescued by HTx, and late referrals and failure to refer adult patients remain problematic. Very little is known about the numbers of patients who are not referred, are turned down following assessment for HTx, or die on the waiting list—numbers that are needed to understand the complete picture of HTx in the Fontan population and to identify where best to focus quality-improvement efforts. Recent revisions to listing prioritization in Canada with considerations specific to the Fontan population aim to mitigate the fact that the status-listing criteria are not tailored to the congenital heart population. Transplanting high-risk children prior to Fontan completion, developing adult congenital heart disease transplant centres with expertise that can also offer combined heart-liver transplant when appropriate, and improving single-ventricle mechanical support options and criteria for both adults and children may help mitigate the early post-listing mortality.     

Right Heart Catheterization Timing and Outcomes of Cardiogenic Shock: Analysis from the National Readmission Database

Recent studies showed significant mortality benefit with right heart catheterization (RHC) use in cardiogenic (CS). The optimal timing of RHC in those patients is unknown owing to the lack of available data. The Nationwide Readmission Database 2016-2018 was queried for hospitalizations with CS. We excluded patients presented with cardiac arrest or with a history of ventricular assist devices or heart transplantation. Complex samples multivariable logistic, cox, and linear regression models were used to determine the association between RHC timing in the index admission (<2 days [early RHC] vs ≥ 2 days [late RHC]) and in-hospital outcomes (mortality, acute kidney injury [AKI], mechanical circulatory device use [MCD], index length of stay [LOS], hospital charges), and all-cause 30-day readmissions. A total of 46,963 hospitalizations [18,632 in the early group and 28,332 in the late group] were included in this analysis. RHC was more likely to happen in large teaching hospitals. Although there was no difference in mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.05; Confidence interval [CI] 0.97-1.14; P= 0.233). Patients in the early RHC group had a lower incidence of AKI (aOR: 0.69; CI: 0.64-0.74; P < 0.01), higher rate of MCS use (aOR:1.67; CI:1.54-1.81; P < 0.001), shorter LOS (aβ :-6.2; CI -6.62 to -5.77; P <.001), lower hospital charges, and lower readmission rates (adjusted hazards ratio [aHR]: 0.91; CI: 0.84- 0.98; P = 0.01) compared to the late RHC group. Early RHC was associated with decreased incidence of AKI, decreased LOS, total charges, and readmission rates with no difference in survival. Subgroup analysis of patients who did not receive MCS during the index admission showed similar outcomes albeit with increased mortality. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to validate these results.     

心力衰竭患儿心率变异与心功能关系的探讨（附30例报告）

对３０例心力衰竭（下称心衰）患儿和３０例健康儿童的心率变异（ＨＲＶ）进行了检测。结果显示：心衰患儿心率变异性小,体位变化对心率变异性影响小,心衰表现重者的ＨＲＶ小于心衰轻者,射血分数（ＥＦ）和ＨＲＶ系数呈直线正相关（Ｐ〈０．００１）,与高频成分呈直线正相关（Ｐ〈０．００１）,ＥＦ与低频成分呈直线正相关（Ｐ〈０．０１）,认为ＨＲＶ可反映心衰时自主神经功能情况,并与心功能密切相关。     

Palliative Inotropes in Advanced Heart Failure: Comparing Outcomes Between Milrinone and Dobutamine

BackgroundWe sought to describe and compare outcomes among advanced patients with heart failure (not candidates for orthotopic heart transplant/left ventricular assist device) on long-term milrinone or dobutamine, which are not well-studied in the contemporary era.Methods and ResultsWe included adults with refractory stage D heart failure who were not candidates for orthotopic heart transplant or left ventricular assist device and discharged on palliative dobutamine or milrinone. The primary outcome was 1-year survival. A 6-month predictor of survival analysis was conducted. A total of 248 patients (133 on milrinone, 115 on dobutamine) were included. There were no differences in baseline comorbidities between milrinone and dobutamine cohorts, except for the prevalence of chronic kidney disease, which was higher in the dobutamine group. On discharge, the proportion of patients on beta-blockers and mineralocorticoid antagonists was higher in milrinone group. Overall, the 1-year mortality rate was 70%. The dobutamine cohort had a significantly higher 1-year mortality rate (84% vs 58%, P <0.001). The type of inotrope did not predict survival at 6 months when adjusted for discharge medications and comorbidities. Beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme/angiotensin receptor blocker/angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor continued at discharge predicted survival at 6 months.ConclusionsThe 1-year mortality from palliative inotropes remains high. Compared with dobutamine, use of milrinone was associated with improved survival owing to better optimization of guideline-directed medical therapy, primarily beta-blocker therapy.     

Acute Coronary Syndromes and Heart Failure Critical Care Units Utilization and Outcomes in Teaching and Community Hospitals: A National Population-Based Analysis

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and heart failure (HF) are the leading diagnoses in patients admitted to critical care units (CCUs). Little is known about the differences between CCU resource use and outcomes across hospital types. The Canadian Institute for Health Information was used to identify patients hospitalized with primary diagnoses of ACS or HF. CCUs were categorized as teaching, large community, medium community, and small community hospitals. Outcomes included CCU rates of admission, use of critical care therapy/procedures, and in-hospital mortality. Among 204,900 patients hospitalized with ACS or HF, 73,338 (35.8%, hospital range 0% to 81.4%) were admitted to CCUs, and it varied across hospital types: 41.0% in teaching, 30.0% in large, 45.4% in medium, and 30.9% in small community hospitals (P < 0.001). The percentage of patients admitted to CCUs who received critical care therapies in teaching, large, medium, and small hospitals were as follows: 73.6%, 50.9%, 24.6%, and 8.8% (P < 0.0001). Compared with the in-hospital mortality rate for patients admitted to CCUs in teaching hospitals (8.2%), outcomes were worse for CCU patients in large (11.0%, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.50; 95% CI, 1.19-1.90), medium (10.5%, aOR 1.56; 95% CI, 1.27-1.92), and small community hospitals (9.2%, aOR 1.59; 95% CI, 1.20-2.10). Patients admitted with ACS or HF to teaching hospital CCUs had a higher observed use of critical care therapies and lower mortality compared with community hospitals. These differences highlight the need to examine differences in CCU admission thresholds, resource utilization, and outcomes across hospitals types.     

运动高血压与心脏损害的相关性研究

目的研究运动高血压与心肌缺血、左室肥厚的相关性.方法选择运动性高血压病人23例为观察组,同时设对照组23例.观察两组活动平板、超声心动图指标.结果观察组活动平板阳性率及超声心动图舒张期室间隔厚度、左心室后壁厚度和左心室重量指数,均明显高于对照组.结论运动性高血压对心肌缺血及左室肥厚具有诊断及预测价值.     

冠心病与同型半胱氨酸的相关性

近年来发现约 5 0 %的冠心病患者缺乏高血压、糖尿病、高脂血症及吸烟等传统的危险因素 ,而部分患者伴同型半胱氨酸的增高 ,同型半胱氨酸与冠心病发病之间的相关性正日益受到人们的关注。本文就同型半胱氨酸的代谢及其影响因素、与冠心病的关系、致动脉粥样硬化的机制及其防治等方面对其作一综述。     

Relationship Between Heart Failure and Overactive Bladder

The prevalence of heart failure and overactive bladder, both of which are already quite common, will continue to increase as the population ages. Both create caregiver and self-management burdens, but additional research is needed to understand the burden overactive bladder creates for heart failure patients and their caregivers. Emerging evidence suggests a relationship between heart failure and overactive bladder in which they share a common pathophysiologic pathway via the parasympathetic system. The authors conducted a systematic literature review of overactive bladder in heart failure patients from 2007 to the present. Conflicting evidence exists for the role diuretics play in the prevalence of overactive bladder. Further research is needed to better understand the role of heart failure disease trajectory and its medical management in the natural history of overactive bladder.