Snoring Survivors: the impact of obstructive sleep apnoea and continuous positive airway pressure use on in-hospital mortality, length of stay and costs among patients hospitalised with acute cardiovascular disease - A retrospective analysis of 2016-2019 National Inpatient Sample Data.

BACKGROUND: The routine administration of supplemental oxygen to non-hypoxic patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been abandoned for lack of mortality benefit. However, the benefits of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) use in patients hospitalised with acute cardiovascular disease and concomitant obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) remain to be elucidated. METHODS: In this retrospective case-control analysis, using 10th International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification (ICD-10) codes, we searched the 2016-2019 Nationwide Inpatient Sample for patients diagnosed with unstable angina (UA), AMI, acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) and atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response (AFRVR), who also carried a diagnosis of OSA. We identified in-hospital CPAP use with ICD-10-Procedure Coding System codes. In-hospital death, length of stay (LOS) and hospital charges were compared between patients with and without OSA, and between OSA patients with and without CPAP use. RESULTS: Our sample included 2 959 991 patients, of which 1.5% were diagnosed with UA, 30.3% with AMI, 37.5% with ADHF and 45.8% with AFRVR. OSA was present in 12.3%. Patients with OSA were more likely to be younger, male, smokers, obese and have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal failure and heart failure (p<0.001 for all). Patients with OSA had significantly lower in-hospital mortality (aOR 0.71, 95% CI (0.7 to 0.73)). Among patients with OSA, CPAP use significantly increased the odds of in-hospital death (aOR 1.51, 95% CI (1.44 to 1.60)), LOS (adjusted mean difference of 1.49 days, 95% CI (1.43 to 1.55)) and hospital charges (adjusted mean difference of US$1168, 95% CI (273 to 2062)). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that patients with recognised OSA hospitalised for AMI, ADHF and AFRVR had significantly lower mortality regardless of CPAP use, while CPAP treatment among these patients was associated with significantly higher in-hospital mortality and resource utilisation. The routine use of CPAP during acute cardiovascular encounters could neutralise the impact of chronic intermittent ischaemic preconditioning.

Annular Rupture Due to Calcified Nodule Located in Left Ventricular Outflow Tract (LVOT) During Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) Managed by Protamine Sulfate.

Annular rupture is a rare yet fatal complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The likelihood of annular rupture is increased by the presence of extensive subannular calcification, excessive balloon dilatation for valve expansion or aggressive valve oversizing to prevent paravalvular leakage during TAVR. Although extensive annular or aortic root calcification increases the likelihood of annular rupture, rupture due to the presence of a calcified nodule in the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) is not commonly reported. We present the case of an 84-year-old man who developed an annular rupture during TAVR, likely due to the presence of a calcified nodule located in LVOT, which was noted on a pre-procedural computed tomography (CT) scan. The rupture was identified early and was successfully reversed with the administration of protamine sulfate during the procedure.

Non-surgical extirpation of a non-infectious expanding tricuspid valve mass by percutaneous aspiration thrombectomy.

Marantic endocarditis refers to a noninfectious lesion, usually in the aortic and mitral valves, that is most commonly seen in advanced malignancy and systemic lupus erythematosus. Inflammatory conditions, including antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), are a rare etiology making up less than 20% of reported cases. The condition is thought to be due to a hypercoagulable state and found postmortem with rates in autopsy series ranging from 0.9% to 1.6%. In comparison to infective endocarditis, marantic endocarditis has a greater tendency for valve vegetations to embolize. Common treatment modalities include anticoagulation or valve replacement. Although percutaneous aspiration thrombectomy of right-sided heart chamber thrombi exists, there are limited reports demonstrating its use with regards to treatment of right-sided endocarditis. We present the case of an older male with a history of Factor V Leiden and APS who was admitted due to a rapidly expanding mass on the tricuspid valve (TV). Despite serial blood cultures being negative, the patient received adequate antibiotic therapy for more than 4 weeks. Transthoracic echocardiogram showed an enlarged TV vegetation with an increased diameter from 10 to 30 mm over 6 weeks. Due to the patient's high operative risk and concern for embolization complications, a multidisciplinary decision was made to perform percutaneous aspiration thrombectomy of the TV vegetation. Subsequent biopsy of the lesion confirmed it was noninfectious and nonmalignant. Thus, the patient was started on systemic anticoagulation for prevention of thromboembolic events.

Improving the positive predictive value of exercise testing in women for coronary artery disease.

The exercise treadmill test (ETT) in women has been limited by a low positive predictive value (PPV) for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the reliability of previous studies was unsatisfactory because of the inclusion of younger women with a low prevalence of CAD. To further evaluate the diagnostic properties of the ETT in women, we evaluated a group of women with chest pain who had a positive ETT result and subsequent coronary angiography. Of the 111 women, 56 had significant CAD on angiogram, yielding a PPV of 51% for the group. However, inclusion in the analysis of several pretest attributes and specific exercise test responses improved the PPV of the ETT. Age had a major effect, with the youngest group (35 to 50 years old) having a PPV of 36% compared to 68% in the oldest group (>65 years old). Several specific exercise responses (ST-segment depression >2 mm and delayed ST-segment recovery >3.0 minutes) further separated true from false positives across all age groups, increasing the PPV to approximately 80%. Onset of ischemia at a relatively low cardiac workload of <80% maximum predicted heart rate was not a significant predictor. In conclusion, the standard ETT should remain the test of choice in ambulatory women with chest pain and no significant abnormalities on baseline electrocardiogram especially in those >65 years of age.

A tale of two balloons: assessment of hemodynamics with atrial septal defect temporary balloon occlusion.

We describe two cases in which temporary balloon occlusion (TBO) was used to determine the suitability of atrial septal defect (ASD) closure. These cases underscore the utility of TBO in select patients undergoing percutaneous closure of ASDs.

Coronary CTA assessment of coronary anomalies.

Coronary anomalies occur in <1% of the general population and can range from a benign incidental finding to the cause of sudden cardiac death. The coronary anomalies are classified here according to the traditional grouping into those of origin and course, intrinsic arterial anatomy, and termination. Classic coronary anomalies of origin and course include those in which a coronary artery originates from the contralateral aortic sinus or the pulmonary artery with anomalous course. Single coronary artery anomalies, in which single coronary artery branches to supply the entire coronary tree, are also included in this category. Anomalies of intrinsic arterial anatomy are a broad class that includes myocardial bridges, coronary ectasia and aneurysms, subendocardial coursing arteries, and coronary artery duplication. Coronary anomalies of termination are those in which a coronary artery terminates in a fistulous connection to a great vessel or cardiac chamber. In the case of those anomalies associated with a risk of sudden cardiac death, the relevant imaging features on CT angiography (CTA) associated with poorer prognosis are reviewed. Recent guidelines and appropriateness criteria favor the use of coronary CTA for the evaluation of coronary anomalies. Although invasive angiography has historically been used to diagnose coronary anomalies, multidetector CT imaging techniques have now become an accurate noninvasive alternative. Cardiac CTA provides excellent spatial and temporal resolution, allowing accurate anatomical assessment of these anomalies.

Long-term coronary artery graft patency as evaluated by 64-slice coronary computed tomographic angiography.

OBJECTIVE: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been a mainstream surgical procedure for coronary artery disease for the past three decades. 64-Slice coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) has been established as an accurate alternative to invasive coronary artery angiography for postoperative evaluation of bypass grafts. The goal for this study was to utilize CCTA to evaluate long-term graft patency for various graft types as well as their targets. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed all consecutive patients with a history of coronary artery bypass graft undergoing CCTA over a 3-year period. A total of 827 grafts in 269 patients were included in the study. RESULTS: Mean survival of the grafts was 21 years (95% confidence interval 20.6, 22.3). The mean survival of grafts to the left anterior descending coronary artery, the left circumflex coronary artery, and the right coronary artery were 22.9, 20.6, and 20.1 years, respectively (P=0.05). Evaluation of graft types demonstrated internal thoracic artery grafts, saphenous venous grafts, and radial artery grafts (RA) had a mean survival of 20.5 years, 21.6 years, and 12.6 years, respectively (P=0.05). Factors significantly affecting the time to closure (P≤0.01) were age [odds ratio (OR) 1.03], male sex (OR 2.39), smoking (OR 2.07), left anterior descending coronary artery graft territory (OR 0.55 compared with right coronary artery), and RA (OR 3.65 compared with thoracic artery grafts, 3.79 compared with saphenous venous grafts). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this study confirms the practicality of using CCTA in a community setting to study bypass graft patency. The choice of graft is significant for long-term patency. This study raises doubt on the long-term fate of RA and further studies should be conducted to better evaluate their outcomes.

Congenital atresia of the left main coronary artery: cardiac CT.

Congenital coronary artery disease is a rare occurrence, and atresia of the left main is one of the least frequently observed variations. In a recent review of 1,950 angiograms, 110 congenital coronary anomalies were seen, and of those, only 13 cases represented an absent left main coronary artery (LMCA). This case is of a 53-year-old male who initially presented 2 years prior for atypical chest pain. The anatomy described in this case is typical for LMCA atresia. Cardiac CT was used to demonstrate the anomaly.