Clinical efficacy and safety of thrombolytic treatment with reteplase in patients with intermediate-risk acute pulmonary embolism / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective@#To assess the efficacy and safety of thrombolytic treatment with reteplase in patients with intermediate-risk acute pulmonary embolism.@*Methods@#Ten consecutive patients with intermediate-risk acute pulmonary embolism who received thrombolytic treatment with reteplase at Thrombosis and Vascular Medicine Center, Fuwai Hospital from March to November in 2016 were included.Vital signs, right ventricular diameter, systolic pulmonary artery pressure, and biochemical markers were assessed before and after thrombolytic therapy with reteplase, and bleeding complications were also observed during 3 months follow up.@*Results@#(1) For the efficacy outcomes: at 48 hours after thrombolytic treatment with reteplase, echocardiography-derived diameter of right ventricular was significant reduced from (27.9±3.8) mm to (24.8±2.6) mm (P=0.03), systolic pulmonary artery pressure decreased from (63.9±21.6) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) to (34.4±19.8) mmHg (P=0.02). Heart rate and breathing rate were also decreased significantly (both P<0.05), blood pressure remained unchanged post therapy.Hypoxemia was quickly corrected with an significant elevation of PaO2 and SaO2 ((65.2±14.3) mmHg vs. (80.0±9.6) mmHg, P=0.006; (90.8±3.5)% vs. (95.2 ±1.6)%, P=0.002 respectively). PaCO2 was also increased significantly (P<0.05). Serum NT-proBNP and cTnI were decreased significantly (both P<0.05). There was no recurrent pulmonary embolism or deep-vein thrombosis during the 3 months follow-up. (2) For the safety outcomes: a thrombolytic relevant hemoptysis (about 70 ml) occurred in 1 patient, and was controlled by PCC therapy.No other clinically relevant events were observed during thrombolytic treatment. Eight patients were followed more than 3 months, there was no major bleeding complication or death during the follow up period.@*Conclusion@#Treatment of intermediate-risk acute pulmonary embolism with reteplase is effective and safe and there are no obvious side effects.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension after operation for congenital heart disease: analysis of baseline clinical characteristics of 122 Chinese patients / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the baseline clinical characteristics of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension after operation for congenital heart disease (AO-CHD-PAH) in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 122 consecutive patients diagnosed as AO-CHD-PAH in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from September 1, 2006 to August 31, 2011 were retrospective analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Sixty-seven percent patients were female. The median age at procedure and diagnosis were 14.8 and 24.8 years old, respectively. The median duration from procedure of CHD to diagnosis of PAH was 7.3 years. The most frequent initial symptom (109/122, 89.3%) attributed to PAH was dyspnea on exertion. The frequent sign was accentuation of second heart sound on pulmonary valve area (113/122, 92.6%).Incidence of WHO functional PAH classes I/II was 53.3% (65/122) and mean 6 minutes walk distance was limited to (408.4 ± 103.3) m. Borg dyspnea score was 2.0 (1.0, 3.0).Right heart catheterization demonstrated severe elevated mean pulmonary arterial pressure [(71.6 ± 24.2) mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa] and pulmonary vascular resistance index [(29.1 ± 16.0) Wood U·m(2)] in this patient cohort. Cardiac index was (2.7 ± 0.9) L·min(-1)·m(-2), 90.2% (110/122) patients received PAH-specific therapy. The majority of PAH-specific therapy was phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, which is somehow different from PAH-specific therapy regimen of American-European developed countries.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>PAH-specific therapy rate is satisfactory for pulmonary arterial hypertension after operation for congenital heart disease in China and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors are predominant PAH-specific medication in China.</p>

Comparison of clinical characteristics and survival on patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and familial pulmonary arterial hypertension during conventional therapy era and targeted therapy era / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the clinical characteristics and survival on Chinese patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and familiar pulmonary arterial hypertension (FPAH) during conventional therapy era and targeted therapy era.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>IPAH and FPAH patients who were referred between Jan 1999 and Oct 2004 in Fuwai Hospital were defined as conventional therapy era group (before 2005 no PAH-specific drug was available in China). All patients in this group were followed up till Jun 2005. IPAH and FPAH patients who were referred between Sep 2006 and Aug 2011 were defined as targeted therapy era group (new PAH-specific drugs were available in China since 2006) were analyzed. All patients in this group were followed up till Dec 2013. The primary endpoints were death and therapy medicine.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Seventy-two patients were enrolled in conventional therapy era group, 375 were enrolled in targeted therapy era group. The mean age was (35.9 ± 12.2) years and (34.5 ± 17.4) years respectively (P = 0.67), and women was predominant in both groups. There was no difference in WHO functional class and hemodynamic data between the two groups. About 90.3% patients were treated by calcium-channel blockers (CCB) in conventional therapy era group. In targeted therapy era group, almost all patients were treated by at least one PAH-specific drug, only 3.2% patients who had a positive response to acute pulmonary vasodilator testing were treated by CCB. The median survival time was 30.4 months in conventional therapy era group and 66.2 months in targeted therapy era group. The 1-, 2-, 3- and 5- year survival rates of IPAH and FPAH patients were 68.0%, 56.9%, 38.9% and 20.8% in conventional therapy era group, and 89.3%, 78.1%, 68.2% and 53.7% in targeted therapy era group respectively (P < 0.000 1).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compared with conventional therapy era, the survival rate of Chinese IPAH and FPAH patients is significantly improved in targeted therapy era.</p>

Long-term effects with ambrisentan monotherapy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate long-term efficacy and safety of ambrisentan monotherapy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Patients with PAH who received 2.5 mg or 5 mg of ambrisentan once daily between July 10, 2011 and August 30, 2012 for at least 6 months were enrolled. The efficacy endpoints were change in exercise capacity, World Health Organization (WHO) functional class and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level, echocardiographic parameters. The safety endpoint was the safety of long-term ambrisentan administration, as defined by the incidence and severity of adverse events.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 18 patients with PAH were enrolled. Mean age was (39 ± 17) years, 8 (55.6%) were female, and 11 (61.1%) patients were in WHO functional class III. The median duration of treatment was 17 months (range: 6-26 months). After treatment, the 6MWD was significantly increased[ (495 ± 97) m vs. (400 ± 91) m, P < 0.001], NT-proBNP was significantly reduced [308 (53-1 645) ng/L vs. 80(22-454) ng/L, P = 0.005], the systolic pulmonary artery was significantly decreased [(62 ± 30) mmHg vs. (82 ± 41) mmHg, P = 0.001] and left ventricular end diastolic diameter was significantly increased [(44 ± 6) mm vs. (40 ± 6) mm, P < 0.004] compared to pre-treatment. WHO functional class was improved compared with baseline in 11(61.1%) patients, stable in 7(38.9%) patients. No patient died during the treatment period. No patient was withdrawn from this study for safety reasons.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Long-term treatment of ambrisentan can effectively improve the exercise capacity, reduce systolic pulmonary artery pressure and NT-proBNP in PAH patients. Ambrisentan is safe and well tolerated in Chinese PAH patients.</p>

Safety management of 15 patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension treated by aerosolized iloprost / 中华护理杂志

This paper summarizes the key points of safety management for 15 patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension treated by aerosolized iloprost. All patients achieved significant improvements and none of them suffered any severe side effect. Complete safety management during the therapeutic procedure improved the patients' treatment confidence and compliance,and thereafter strengthened the efficacy of treatment.