The i-gel® supraglottic airway device compared to endotracheal intubation as the initial prehospital advanced airway device: A natural experiment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: Unlike randomized controlled trials, practical real-world studies can offer important information about implementation of prehospital interventions, particularly in community settings where there may be reluctance to adopt new practices. We present the results of a natural experiment that was driven by mandated COVID-19 pandemic-driven shift from endotracheal intubation (ETI) to the i-gel® supraglottic airway (SGA) as a primary advanced airway management device in the prehospital setting to reduce emergency medical services (EMS) personnel exposure to potentially infectious secretions. The objective was to compare first-pass success and timing to successful airway placement between ETI and the i-gel® SGA under extenuating circumstances. Methods: This pre/post study compared airway placement metrics in prehospital patients requiring advance airway management for non-trauma-related conditions. Data from EMS records were extracted over 2 years, 12 months pre-pandemic, and 12 months post-pandemic. During the pre-COVID-19 year, the EMS protocols utilized ETI as the primary advanced airway device (ETI group). Post-pandemic paramedics were mandated to utilize i-gel® SGA as the primary advanced airway device to reduce exposure to secretions (SGA group). Results: There were 199 adult patients, 83 (42%) in the ETI group and 116 (58%) in the SGA group. First-pass success was significantly higher with SGA 96% (92%-99%) than ETI 68% (57%-78%) with paramedics citing the inability to visualize the airway in 52% of ETI cases. Time to first-pass success was significantly shorter in the SGA group (5.9 min [5.1-6.7 min]) than in the ETI group (8.3 min [6.9-9.6 min]), as was time to overall successful placement at 6.0 min (5.1-6.8 min) versus 9.6 min (8.2-11.1 min), respectively. Multiple placement attempts were required in 26% of ETI cases and 1% of the SGA cases. There were no statistically significant differences in the number and types of complications between the cohorts. Return of spontaneous circulation (on/before emergency department [ED] arrival), mortality at 28 days, intensive care unit length of stay, or ventilator-free days between the groups were not statistically different between the groups. Conclusion: In this natural experiment, the SGA performed significantly better than ETI in first-pass airway device placement success and was significantly faster in achieving first-pass success, and overall airway placement, thus potentially reducing exposure to respiratory pathogens. Practical real-world studies can offer important information about implementation of prehospital interventions, particularly in community settings and in systems with a low frequency of tracheal intubations.

Early Outcomes From a Multicenter Transcatheter Self-Expanding Pulmonary Valve Replacement Registry.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) with the self-expanding Harmony valve (Medtronic) is an emerging treatment for patients with native or surgically repaired right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) pulmonary regurgitation (PR). Limited data are available since U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in 2021. OBJECTIVES: In this study, the authors sought to evaluate the safety and short-term effectiveness of self-expanding TPVR in a real-world experience. METHODS: This was a multicenter registry study of consecutive patients with native RVOT PR who underwent TPVR through April 30, 2022, at 11 U.S. CENTERS: The primary outcome was a composite of hemodynamic dysfunction (PR greater than mild and RVOT mean gradient >30 mm Hg) and RVOT reintervention. RESULTS: A total of 243 patients underwent TPVR at a median age of 31 years (Q1-Q3: 19-45 years). Cardiac diagnoses were tetralogy of Fallot (71%), valvular pulmonary stenosis (21%), and other (8%). Acute technical success was achieved in all but 1 case. Procedural serious adverse events occurred in 4% of cases, with no device embolization or death. Hospital length of stay was 1 day in 86% of patients. Ventricular arrhythmia prompting treatment occurred in 19% of cases. At a median follow-up of 13 months (Q1-Q3: 8-19 months), 98% of patients had acceptable hemodynamic function. Estimated freedom from the composite clinical outcome was 99% at 1 year and 96% at 2 years. Freedom from TPVR-related endocarditis was 98% at 1 year. Five patients died from COVID-19 (n = 1), unknown causes (n = 2), and bloodstream infection (n = 2). CONCLUSIONS: In this large multicenter real-world experience, short-term clinical and hemodynamic outcomes of self-expanding TPVR therapy were excellent. Ongoing follow-up of this cohort will provide important insights into long-term outcomes.

Articular arthrodesis with the facet wedge technique for the treatment of unstable lumbar degenerative disease and associated conditions: A retrospective study of 96 patients.

Background: Lumbar articular fusion with the facet wedge (FW) technique is gaining increasing interest among surgeons for the treatment of vertebral instability due to its limited invasiveness and ease of use. Studies on cadavers have reported biomechanical properties similar to pedicle screws. Yet, the evidence supporting their use is still limited and moreover focused only on spinal degenerative disease. Methods: 96 cases of lumbar articular fusion with the FW techniques performed at 3 different centers between 2014 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed based on the specific surgical indications: 1) degenerative spondylolisthesis/unstable lumbar stenosis; 2) synovial cysts; 3) adjacent segment disease (ASD). Medical records were reviewed to identify rates of complications and measures of functional outcome (ODI, low back pain VAS and modified Macnab scale) were collected both at baseline and at the follow-up visits. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was adopted to test for significant functional improvements. Results: Significative clinical improvements were observed from baseline to follow-up regarding ODI and VAS scores. Overall rate of moderate and severe complications (according to Landriel-Ibañez scale) was 7.9%. Only 3.4% of patients with degenerative disease developed ASD requiring reoperations. Only one case of radicular deficit and one of device mobilization were reported. 2/4 cases of synovial cysts treated with unilateral fusions developed contralateral complications. 9 out of 16 (56.25%) patients who underwent long-term postoperative CT scans presented adequate degree of articular fusion. Conclusion: FW technique is easy, safe, and effective. Its low rate of complications justifies its use for cases of mild lumbar instability.

Determining Quasi-Equilibrium Electron and Hole Distributions of Plasmonic Photocatalysts Using Photomodulated X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy.

Most photocatalytic and photovoltaic devices operate under broadband, constant illumination. Electron and hole dynamics in these devices, however, are usually measured by using ultrafast pulsed lasers in a narrow wavelength range. In this work, we use excited-state X-ray theory originally developed for transient X-ray experiments to study steady-state photomodulated X-ray spectra. We use this method to attempt to extract electron and hole distributions from spectra collected at a nontime-resolved synchrotron beamline. A set of plasmonic metal core-shell nanoparticles is designed as the control experiment because they can systematically isolate photothermal, hot electron, and thermalized electron-hole pairs in a TiO2 shell. Steady-state changes in the Ti L2,3 edge are measured with and without continuous-wave illumination of the nanoparticle's localized surface plasmon resonance. The results suggest that within error the quasi-equilibrium carrier distribution can be determined even from relatively noisy data with mixed excited-state phenomena. Just as importantly, the theoretical analysis of noisy data is used to provide guidelines for the beamline development of photomodulated steady-state spectroscopy.

Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Replacement With Balloon-Expandable Valves: Utilization and Procedural Outcomes From the IMPACT Registry.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) has expanded and evolved since its initial commercial approval in the United States in 2010. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to characterize real-world practice, including patient selection, procedural outcomes, complications, and off-label usage. METHODS: Characteristics and outcomes for patients undergoing balloon-expandable TPVR were collected from the American College of Cardiology National Cardiovascular Data Registry IMPACT (Improving Pediatric and Adult Congenital Treatment) Registry. RESULTS: Between April 2016 and March 2021, 4,513 TPVR procedures were performed in patients with a median age of 19 years, 57% with a Melody (Medtronic Inc) and 43% with a SAPIEN (Edwards Lifesciences) valve. Most implanting centers performed <10 cases annually. One-third of transcatheter pulmonary valve implants were into homograft conduits, one-third were into bioprosthetic valves (BPVs), 25% were in native or patched right ventricular outflow tracts (RVOTs), and 6% were into Contegra (Medtronic Inc) conduits. Over the course of the study period, SAPIEN valve use grew from ∼25% to 60%, in large part because of implants in patients with a native/patched RVOT. Acute success was achieved in 95% of patients (95.7% in homografts, 96.2% in BPVs, 94.2% in native RVOTs, and 95.4% in Contegra conduits). Major adverse events occurred in 2.4% of procedures, more commonly in patients with a homograft (2.9%) or native RVOT (3.4%) than a prior BPV (1.4%; P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: This study describes novel population data on the use and procedural outcomes of TPVR with balloon-expandable valves. Over time, there has been increasing use of TPVR to treat regurgitant native RVOT anatomy, with the SAPIEN valve more commonly used for this application.

Retrieval of Large Balloon Fragments During Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Implantation Using a Novel Retrieval System.

The removal of balloon fragments from the pulmonary artery without damaging the pulmonary and tricuspid valves can be difficult. Four cases during transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement are described in which a novel retrieval system was used to facilitate safe removal. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Rationale and Design of the Multicenter Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia Before Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Replacement in Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot Study.

Patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot are at elevated risk for ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Over the past decade, the pathogenesis and natural history of ventricular tachycardia has become increasingly understood, and catheter ablation has emerged as an effective treatment modality. Concurrently, there has been great progress in the development of a versatile array of transcatheter valves that can be placed in the native right ventricular outflow tract for the treatment of long-standing pulmonary regurgitation. Although such valve platforms may eliminate the need for repeat cardiac operations, they may also impede catheter access to the myocardial substrates responsible for sustained macro-reentrant ventricular tachycardia. This manuscript provides the rationale and design of a recently devised multicenter study that will examine the clinical outcomes of a uniform, preemptive strategy to eliminate ventricular tachycardia substrates before transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation in patients with tetralogy of Fallot.

Clinical and invasively-measured predictors of high exercise capacity in Fontan patients.

INTRODUCTION: Fontan patients have variable exercise capacity. Contemporary understanding as to which factors predict high tolerance is limited. METHODS: Records from the Ahmanson/University of California, Los Angeles Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center were reviewed for adult Fontan patients who underwent CPET. Patients were considered "high performers" if their maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max/kg)-predicted was greater than 80%. Cross-sectional clinical, hemodynamic, and liver biopsy data was gathered. High-performers were compared to control patients across these parameters via associations and regression. RESULTS: A total of 195 adult patients were included; 27 patients were considered "high performers". They had lower body mass indices (BMI, p < 0.001), mean Fontan pressures (p = 0.026), and cardiac outputs (p = 0.013). High performers also had higher activity levels (p < 0.001), serum albumin levels (p = 0.003), non-invasive and invasive systemic arterial oxygen saturations (p < 0.001 and p = 0.004), lower New York Heart Association (NYHA) heart failure class (p = 0.002), and were younger at Fontan completion (p = 0.011). High performers had less severe liver fibrosis (p = 0.015). Simple regression found Fontan pressure, non-invasive O2 saturation, albumin level, activity level, age at Fontan surgery, NYHA class, and BMI to predict significant changes in VO2 max/kg %-predicted. These associations persisted in multiple regression for non-invasive O2 saturation, NYHA class II, activity level, and BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Thin Fontan patients who exercise more had better exercise capacity, Fontan hemodynamic profiles, and less liver fibrosis.

1-Year Outcomes in a Pooled Cohort of Harmony Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Clinical Trial Participants.

BACKGROUND: The Harmony transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPV) is the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved device for severe pulmonary regurgitation (PR) in the native or surgically repaired right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). OBJECTIVES: One-year safety and effectiveness of the Harmony TPV were evaluated in patients from the Harmony Native Outflow Tract Early Feasibility Study, Harmony TPV Pivotal Study, and Continued Access Study, representing the largest cohort to date of Harmony TPV recipients. METHODS: Eligible patients had severe PR by echocardiography or PR fraction ≥ 30% by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and clinical indications for pulmonary valve replacement. The primary analysis included 87 patients who received a commercially available TPV22 (n = 42) or TPV25 (n = 45) device; 19 patients who received an early device iteration prior to its discontinuation were evaluated separately. RESULTS: In the primary analysis, median patient age at treatment was 26 years (IQR: 18-37 years) in the TPV22 group and 29 years (IQR: 19-42 years) in the TPV25 group. At 1 year, there were no deaths; 98% of TPV22 and 91% of TPV25 patients were free from the composite of PR, stenosis, and reintervention (moderate or worse PR, mean RVOT gradient >40 mmHg, device-related RVOT reoperation, and catheter reintervention). Nonsustained ventricular tachycardia occurred in 16% of patients. Most patients had none/trace or mild PR (98% of TPV22 patients, 97% of TPV25 patients). Outcomes with the discontinued device are reported separately. CONCLUSIONS: The Harmony TPV device demonstrated favorable clinical and hemodynamic outcomes across studies and valve types through 1 year. Further follow-up will continue to assess long-term valve performance and durability.

Congenital Pulmonic Valve Dysfunction Treated With SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve (from the COMPASSION S3 Trial).

Significant pulmonary regurgitation (PR) and pulmonary stenosis are common after surgical repair of some congenital heart defects. This prospective, single-arm, multicenter trial enrolled patients who underwent transcatheter heart valve (THV) implantation with a SAPIEN 3 valve to treat dysfunctional right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) conduits or pulmonic surgical valves (≥ moderate PR and/or mean RVOT gradient ≥35 mm Hg). The primary end point was a nonhierarchical composite of THV dysfunction at 1 year comprising RVOT reintervention, ≥ moderate total PR, and mean RVOT gradient >40 mm Hg. A performance goal of <25% of upper confidence interval (CI) was prespecified for the primary end point, using a 95% exact binomial CI. Patients (n = 58) were enrolled between July 5, 2016 and July 17, 2018, with mean age of 32 years. Prestenting was performed in 53.4%. At discharge, the device success was 98.1% (single valve without explant, < moderate PR, gradient <35 mm Hg). At 30 days, there were no major adjudicated adverse clinical events. At 1 year, the primary end point composite was 4.3% (95% CI 0.5 to 14.5). The composite components were 0% (0 of 56) RVOT reintervention, 2.1% (1 of 47) ≥ moderate PR, and 2.1% (1 of 48) mean RVOT gradient >40 mm Hg. No mortality, endocarditis, thrombosis, or stent fracture were reported at 1 year. In conclusion, the SAPIEN 3 THV was safe and effective in patients with dysfunctional RVOT conduits or previously implanted valves in the pulmonic position to 1 year. Clinical trial registration: NCT02744677; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02744677.

Hybrid approach for harmony transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement.

The Harmony™ Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve (Medtronic) was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement in native right ventricular outflow tracts. Despite this milestone, some patients have main pulmonary arteries that are severely dilated and continue to require surgical pulmonary valve replacement. The hybrid approach combines surgical creation of a landing zone, transcatheter valve deployment, and suture stabilization of the implanted valve. In this case series, we report the first use of a hybrid approach for Harmony™ transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement. Two cases are reported with varying approaches for surgical creation of a landing zone followed by successful placement of a Harmony™ valve.

Suture connection of overlapping covered CP stents for transcatheter treatment of sinus venosus atrial septal defect with anomalous pulmonary venous connection.

Transcatheter correction of a superior sinus venosus defect and partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection with covered stents is a feasible alternative to surgical repair in select patients. Commercially available balloon-expandable covered stents may be of inadequate length to treat some patients. This may require multiple stents to be placed, which increases the risk of stent migration or embolization. A modification of this technique utilizing two interdigitating covered stents secured together with sutures is described, allowing for increased stability of a long stent complex. One failed case and a second successful case are presented.

Tailored repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression and addictions.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been widely applied for evaluation of the cortical eloquence through creation of the temporary "virtual lesion" allowing assessment of the evaluated function within the targeted region, which may be also employed for management of mental symptoms or modification of the abnormal behavior. It is believed that this non-invasive neuromodulation modality has a double impact on neurons-primary modulation of electrical activity and stimulation of neuroplasticity; the latter can be facilitated by repeated administration of TMS during multiple sessions over sufficiently long periods of time to induce consolidation of treatment effects through their recall at psychological, physiological, and cellular levels. These principles were employed in our data-driven, tailored strategy based on the modifications of TMS protocol and its adaptation to newly appearing changes of the clinical situation along with administration of prolonged and/or repeated courses of therapeutic stimulation, which showed high efficacy resulting in complete relief of depressive symptoms or substance use in 75% of treated patients at 1-year follow-up. Such results justify application of repetitive TMS for management of psychiatric disorders and warrant additional evaluation of its efficacy in further clinical studies.

The incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury resulting in vocal cord paralysis following interventional congenital catheterisation procedures.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury leading to vocal cord paralysis is a known complication of cardiothoracic surgery. Its occurrence during interventional catheterisation procedures has been documented in case reports, but there have been no studies to determine an incidence. OBJECTIVE: To establish the incidence of left recurrent laryngeal nerve injury leading to vocal cord paralysis after left pulmonary artery stenting, patent ductus arteriosus device closure and the combination of the procedures either consecutively or simultaneously. METHODS: Members of the Congenital Cardiovascular Interventional Study Consortium were asked to perform a retrospective analysis to identify cases of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury after the aforementioned procedures. Twelve institutions participated in the analysis. They also contributed the total number of each procedure performed at their respective institutions for statistical purposes. RESULTS: Of the 1337 patients who underwent left pulmonary artery stent placement, six patients (0.45%) had confirmed vocal cord paralysis. 4001 patients underwent patent ductus arteriosus device closure, and two patients (0.05%) developed left vocal cord paralysis. Patients who underwent both left pulmonary artery stent placement and patent ductus arteriosus device closure had the highest incidence of vocal cord paralysis which occurred in 4 of the 26 patients (15.4%). Overall, 92% of affected patients in our study population had resolution of symptoms. CONCLUSION: Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury is a rare complication of left pulmonary artery stent placement or patent ductus arteriosus device closure. However, the incidence is highest in patients undergoing both procedures either consecutively or simultaneously. Additional research is necessary to determine contributing factors that might reduce the risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury.

Reintervention and Survival After Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPV) replacement (TPVR) has become the standard therapy for postoperative pulmonary outflow tract dysfunction in patients with a prosthetic conduit/valve, but there is limited information about risk factors for death or reintervention after this procedure. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate mid- and long-term outcomes after TPVR in a large multicenter cohort. METHODS: International registry focused on time-related outcomes after TPVR. RESULTS: Investigators submitted data for 2,476 patients who underwent TPVR and were followed up for 8,475 patient-years. A total of 95 patients died after TPVR, most commonly from heart failure (n = 24). The cumulative incidence of death was 8.9% (95% CI: 6.9%-11.5%) 8 years after TPVR. On multivariable analysis, age at TPVR (HR: 1.04 per year; 95% CI: 1.03-1.06 per year; P < 0.001), a prosthetic valve in other positions (HR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.2-3.7; P = 0.014), and an existing transvenous pacemaker/implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (HR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.3-3.4; P = 0.004) were associated with death. A total of 258 patients underwent TPV reintervention. At 8 years, the cumulative incidence of any TPV reintervention was 25.1% (95% CI: 21.8%-28.5%) and of surgical TPV reintervention was 14.4% (95% CI: 11.9%-17.2%). Risk factors for surgical reintervention included age (0.95 per year [95% CI: 0.93-0.97 per year]; P < 0.001), prior endocarditis (2.5 [95% CI: 1.4-4.3]; P = 0.001), TPVR into a stented bioprosthetic valve (1.7 [95% CI: 1.2-2.5]; P = 0.007), and postimplant gradient (1.4 per 10 mm Hg [95% CI: 1.2-1.7 per 10 mm Hg]: P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the conclusion that survival and freedom from reintervention or surgery after TPVR are generally comparable to outcomes of surgical conduit/valve replacement across a wide age range.

Selective Valve Removal for Melody Valve Endocarditis: Practice Variations in a Multicenter Experience.

Guidelines for management of Melody transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPV) infective endocarditis (IE) are lacking. We aimed to identify factors associated with surgical valve removal versus antimicrobial therapy in Melody TPV IE. Multicenter retrospective analysis of all patients receiving Melody TPV from 10/2010 to 3/2019 was performed to identify cases of IE. Surgical explants versus non-surgical cases were compared. Of the 663 Melody TPV implants, there were 66 cases of IE in 59 patients (59/663, 8.8%). 39/66 (59%) were treated with IV antimicrobials and 27/66(41%) underwent valve explantation. 26/59 patients (44%) were treated medically without explantation or recurrence with average follow-up time of 3.5 years (range:1-9). 32% of Streptococcus cases, 53% of MSSA, and all MRSA cases were explanted. 2 of the 4 deaths had MSSA. CART analysis demonstrated two important parameters associated with explantation: a peak echo gradient ≥ 47 mmHg at IE diagnosis(OR 10.6, p < 0.001) and a peak echo gradient increase of > 24 mmHg compared to baseline (OR 6.7, p = 0.01). Rates of explantation varied by institution (27 to 64%). In our multicenter experience, 44% of patients with Melody IE were successfully medically treated without valve explantation or recurrence. The degree of valve stenosis at time of IE diagnosis was strongly associated with explantation. Rates of explantation varied significantly among the institutions.

Zn-Mg-WC Nanocomposites for Bioresorbable Cardiovascular Stents: Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, Fatigue, Shelf Life, and Corrosion.

Zinc (Zn) and Zn alloys have been studied as potential materials for bioresorbable stents (BRSs) in the last decade due to their favorable biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, most Zn alloys lack the necessary combination of strength, ductility, fatigue resistance, corrosion rate (CR), and thermal stability needed for such applications. In this study, nanoparticles made of tungsten carbide (WC) were successfully incorporated into Zn alloyed with 0.5 wt % magnesium (Mg) and evaluated for their suitability for BRS applications. Specifically, the resulting Zn-0.5Mg-WC nanocomposite's microstructure, mechanical properties, in vitro CR, and thermal stability were evaluated. The Zn-0.5Mg-WC nanocomposite had excellent mechanical strength [ultimate tensile strength (UTS) > 250 MPa], elongation to failure (>30%), and a suitable in vitro CR (∼0.02 mm/y) for this clinical application. Moreover, the Zn-0.5Mg-WC nanocomposite survived 10 million cycles of tensile loading (stress ratio, R = 0.053) when the maximum stress was 80% of the yield stress. Its ductility was also retained during a 90-day thermal stability study, indicating an excellent shelf life. Stent prototypes were fabricated using this composition and were successfully deployed during bench testing without fracture. These results show that the Zn-0.5Mg-WC nanocomposite is a promising material for BRS applications. In vivo studies are underway to validate both biocompatibility, stent function, and degradation.