Biomarcadores de Lesão Miocárdica e Complicações Cardíacas Associadas à Mortalidade em Pacientes com COVID-19

BackgroundSARS-CoV-2 is an emerging RNA virus associated with a severe acute respiratory disease known as COVID-19. Although COVID-19 is predominantly a pulmonary disease, some patients have severe cardiovascular damage. We performed a quantitative evidence synthesis of clinical data, myocardial injury biomarkers, and cardiac complications associated with in-hospital death in patients with COVID-19.MethodsWe searched the databases PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar to identify studies comparing clinical data, myocardial injury biomarkers, and cardiac complications between non-survivors and survivors of COVID-19. Effect sizes were reported as mean difference or standardized mean difference for continuous variables and risk ratio for dichotomous variables with 95% confidence intervals. A random effects model was used to pool the results.ResultsSix retrospective studies reporting data from 1,141 patients (832 survivors and 309 non-survivors) were included. We found that underlying cardiovascular conditions; elevation of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, and creatine kinase-MB; and cardiac complications were associated with increased risk of death for patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.ConclusionsThe confirmation that underlying cardiovascular conditions, elevation of myocardial injury biomarkers during COVID-19 infection, and acute cardiovascular decompensation are predictors for mortality in SARS-CoV-2 infection must encourage new research to clarify potential mechanisms and test appropriate treatments. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020; 115(2):273-277)     

Preferências dos Pacientes após Estreitamento Coronário Recorrente: Experimentos de Escolha Discreta

Background:Selecting the optimal treatment strategy for coronary revascularization is challenging. A crucial endpoint to be considered when making this choice is the necessity to repeat revascularization since it is much more frequent after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) than after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).Objective:This study intends to provide insights on patients'' preferences for revascularization, strategies in the perspective of patients who had to repeat revascularization.Methods:We selected a sample of patients who had undergone PCI and were hospitalized to repeat coronary revascularization and elicited their preferences for a new PCI or CABG. Perioperative death, long-term death, myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization were used to design scenarios describing hypothetical treatments that were labeled as PCI or CABG. PCI was always presented as the option with lower perioperative death risk and a higher necessity to repeat procedure. A conditional logit model was used to analyze patients'' choices using R software. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:A total of 144 patients participated, most of them (73.7%) preferred CABG over PCI (p < 0.001). The regression coefficients were statistically significant for PCI label, PCI long-term death, CABG perioperative death, CABG long-term death and repeat CABG. The PCI label was the most important parameter (p < 0.05).Conclusion:Most patients who face the necessity to repeat coronary revascularization reject a new PCI, considering realistic levels of risks and benefits. Incorporating patients'' preferences into benefit-risk calculation and treatment recommendations could enhance patient-centered care.     

Sinais de Injúria Cardíaca em Pacientes Pediátricos com COVID-19 Gravemente Enfermos: Uma Experiência de Centro Único no Brasil

BackgroundSome patients with COVID-19 present myocardial injury.ObjectiveTo detect myocardial injury in critically ill paediatric patients, and to compare cardiac involvement between children with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and children with multisystemic inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C).MethodsAll COVID-19 children admitted to a referral intensive care unit were prospectively enrolled and had a two-dimensional echocardiogram (2D-TTE) and a cardiac troponin I (cTnI) assay within the first 72 hours. For statistical analysis, two-sided p < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsThirty-three patients were included, of which 51.5% presented elevated cTnI and/or abnormal 2D-TTE and 36.4% needed cardiovascular support, which was more frequent in patients with both raised cTnI and 2D-TTE abnormalities than in patients with normal exams (83.3% and 33.3%, respectively; p 0.006, 95% CI = 0.15-0.73). The most common 2D-TTE findings were pericardial effusion (15.2%) and mitral/tricuspid regurgitation (15.2%). Signs of cardiac involvement were more common in MIS-C than in SARS. MIS-C patients also presented a higher rate of the need for cardiovascular support (66.7% vs 25%, p 0.03, 95% CI = -0.7 to -0.04) and a more frequent rate of raised cTnI (77.8% vs 20.8%; p 0.002, 95% CI = 0.19 to 0.79). The negative predictive values of cTnI for the detection of 2D-TTE abnormalities were 100% for MIS-C patients and 73.7% for SARS patients.Conclusionsigns of cardiac injury were common, mainly in MIS-C patients. 2D-TTE abnormalities were subtle. To perform a cTnI assay upon admission might help providers to discriminate those patients with a more urgent need for a 2D-TTE.     

O Impacto da COVID-19 no Diagnóstico de Doenças Cardíacas na América Latina Uma Subanálise do INCAPS COVID

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the delivery of care for cardiovascular diseases in Latin America. However, the effect of the pandemic on the cardiac diagnostic procedure volumes has not been quantified.ObjectiveTo assess (1) the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac diagnostic volumes in Latin America and (2) determine its relationship with COVID-19 case incidence and social distancing measures.MethodsThe International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a worldwide survey assessing changes in cardiac diagnostic volumes resulting from COVID-19. Cardiac diagnostic volumes were obtained from participating sites for March and April 2020 and compared to March 2019. Social distancing data were collected from Google COVID-19 community mobility reports and COVID-19 incidence per country from the Our World in Data.ResultsSurveys were conducted in 194 centers performing cardiac diagnostic procedures, in 19 countries in Latin America. Procedure volumes decreased 36% from March 2019 to March 2020, and 82% from March 2019 to April 2020. The greatest decreases occurred in echocardiogram stress tests (91%), exercise treadmill tests (88%), and computed tomography calcium scores (87%), with slight variations between sub-regions of Latin America. Changes in social distancing patterns (p < 0.001) were more strongly associated with volume reduction than COVID-19 incidence (p = 0.003).ConclusionsCOVID-19 was associated with a significant reduction in cardiac diagnostic procedures in Latin America, which was more related to social distancing than to the COVID-19 incidence. Better balance and timing of social distancing measures and planning to maintain access to medical care is warranted during a pandemic surge, especially in regions with high cardiovascular mortality.     

Tópicos Emergentes em Insuficiência Cardíaca: Novos Paradigmas na Amiloidose Cardíaca

Recent evidence suggests cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is a mostly underdiagnosed condition, particularly in the transthyretin-mediated form, and is a frequent cause of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in the elderly. New paradigms about CA also involve the development of disease-modifying specific therapies. This article summarizes these new concepts.     

A Gravidade da Doença Afeta os Parâmetros de Repolarização Ventricular em Pacientes com COVID-19

Background:There is no study evaluating the T_peak-T_end (Tpe) interval, Tpe/QT ratio, and Tpe/QTc ratio to assess cardiac arrhythmias in patients with COVID-19.Objective:We aimed to examine whether there is a change in QT, QTc, Tpe interval, Tpe/QT ratio, and Tpe/QTc ratio in patients with COVID-19.Methods:The study included 90 patients with COVID-19 infection and 30 age-and-sex-matched healthy controls. QT, QTc, Tpe interval, Tpe/QT ratio, and Tpe/QTc ratio were measured. The participants included in the study were divided into the following 4 groups: healthy controls (group I), patients with COVID-19 without pneumonia (group II), patients with COVID-19 and mild pneumonia (group III), and patients with COVID-19 and severe pneumonia (group IV). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.Results:It was found that baseline heart rate, presence of hypertension and diabetes, white blood cell count, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, potassium, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, NT-proBNP, high sensitive C reactive protein, D-dimer, hs-cTnI, Tpe, Tpe/QT, and Tpe/QTc increased from group I to group IV, and they were significantly higher in all patients in group IV (p < 0.05). Systolic-diastolic blood pressure, hemoglobin, and calcium levels were found to be lowest in group IV and significantly lower than in other groups (< 0.05). QT and QTc intervals were similar between groups. It was determined that increased heart rate, calcium, D-dimer, NT-proBNP and hs-CRP levels were significantly related to Tpe, Tpe/QT, and Tpe/QTc.Conclusions:In patients with COVID-19 and severe pneumonia, Tpe, Tpe/QT ratio, and Tpe/QTc ratio, which are among ventricular repolarization parameters, were found to be increased, without prolonged QT and QTc intervals. In this study, we cannot definitively conclude that the ECG changes observed are directly related to COVID-19 infection or inflammation, but rather associated with severe COVID-19 scenarios, which might involve other causes of inflammation and comorbidities. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020; 115(5):907-913)     

Avaliação Ecocardiográfica com Strain do Envolvimento Miocárdico em Pacientes com Dor Torácica Contínua após Infecção por COVID-19

BackgroundA new clinical manifestation called post or long coronavirus disease (p/l COVID) has walked into our lives after the acute COVID-19 phase. P/l COVID may lead to myocardial injury with subsequent cardiac problems. Diagnosing these patients quickly and simply has become more important due to the increasing number of patients with p/l COVID.ObjectivesWe compared strain echocardiography (SE) parameters of patients who suffered from atypical chest pain and had sequel myocarditis findings on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). We aimed to investigate the value of SE for detection of myocardial involvement in patients with p/l COVID.MethodsA total of 42 patients were enrolled. Our population was separated into two groups. The CMR(-) group (n = 21) had no myocardial sequelae on CMR, whereas the CMR(+) group had myocardial sequelae on CMR (n = 21). The predictive value of SE for myocarditis was also evaluated by age-adjusted multivariate analysis. P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.ResultsWhen compared with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), global longitudinal strain (GLS) and global circumferential strain (GCS) had a stronger relationship (LVEF, p = 0.05; GLS, p < 0.001; GCS, p < 0.001) with p/l COVID associated myocardial involvement. GLS < 20.35 had 85.7% sensitivity and 81% specificity; GCS < 21.35 had 81% sensitivity and 81% specificity as diagnostic values for myocardial sequelae detected with CMR. While there was no difference between the groups in terms of inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, p = 0.31), a difference was observed between biochemical markers, which are indicators of cardiac involvement (brain natriuretic peptide, p < 0.001).ConclusionSE is more useful than traditional echocardiography for making diagnosis quickly and accurately in order not to delay treatment in the presence of myocardial involvement.     

Doença de Kawasaki: Preditores de Resistência à Imunoglobulina Intravenosa e Complicações Cardíacas

Background:Kawasaki disease (KD) is the leading cause of acquired cardiac disease in children, in developed countries.Objectives:To identify predictive factors for resistance to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), calculate the effectiveness of Japanese predictive models and characterize cardiac complications.Methods:Retrospective analysis of KD cases admitted in a Portuguese paediatric hospital between january 2006 and july 2018. ROC curves were used to determine predictive factors for resistance and the multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop the predictive model. A significance level of 5% was used.Results:48 patients with a median age of 36 months were included. The IVIG resistance was 21%. Echocardiographic anomalies were noted in 46%, with coronary involvement in 25% of the sample population. As predictive variable of resistance, the C-reactive protein (CRP) presented an AUC ROC = 0.789, optimal cut-off value 15.1 mg/dL, sensitivity (Sn) 77.8% and specificity (Sp) 78.9%. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) presented an AUC ROC = 0.781, optimal cut-off value 90.5 mm/h, Sn 66.7% and Sp 85.7%. The model with the two variables showed p = 0.042 and AUC ROC = 0.790. Predictive strength of Japanese models were: Kobayashi (Sn 63.6%, Sp 77.3%), Egami (Sn 66.7%, Sp 73.1%), Sano (Sn 28.6%, Sp 94.1%).Conclusion:CRP and ESR are independent variables that were related to IVIG resistance, with optimal cut-off points of 15.1 mg/dL and 90.5 mm/h, respectively. About half of the patients had some form of cardiac involvement. The Japanese models appeared to be inadequate in our population. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2021; 116(3):485-491)     

Dezesseis Anos de Transplante Cardíaco em Coorte Aberta no Brasil: Análise de Sobrevivência de Pacientes em Uso de Imunossupressores

Background:Heart transplant is the main therapeutic alternative for advanced heart failure patients. Several risk factors affect these patients'' survival; however, few studies about the topic are available in Brazil.Objectives:To review the survival rates of heart transplant patients in the Brazilian Public Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS) between 2000 and 2015.Methods:This is a non-concurrent, open cohort study, involving cardiac transplant patients in Brazil. The cumulative survival probability was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier curve, and the curve comparison was done using the Log-Rank test. The Cox model was used to calculate the Hazard-Ratio (HR). Analyses were conducted at the 95% confidence level.Results:The heart transplant survival rate median in Brazil, during the period, was 8.3 years. Each additional year in the recipient''s age, the occurrence of infections, and the performance of the surgical procedure in the South Region were associated with a higher risk of graft loss. A higher use ratio of immunosuppressants mycophenolate and azathioprine acted as a protection factor.Conclusions:The analyses conducted provide the first information about the median survival time in heart transplant patients in Brazil. The difference noticed among the geographical regions may be related to the different treatment protocols adopted in the country, especially in the early 2000s. The rate of mycophenolate and azathioprine use as a protection factor suggests that, despite the absence of differences among therapeutic strategies, use of these drugs may favor survival of certain patients. The study provides robust epidemiological data, which are relevant for public health.