Post-discharge and long-term follow-up after an acute coronary syndrome: International Collaborative Group of CNCF position paper.

Introduction: Long-term follow-up after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) presents a crucial challenge due to the high residual cardiovascular risk and the potential for major bleeding events. Although several treatment strategies are available, this article focuses on patients who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ACS, which is a frequent clinical situation. This position paper aims to support physicians in daily practice to improve the management of ACS patients. Material and methods: A group of recognized international and French experts in the field provides an overview of current evidence-based recommendations - supplemented by expert opinion where such evidence is lacking - and a practical guide for the management of patients with ACS after hospital discharge. Results: The International Collaborative Group underlines the need of a shared collaborative approach, and a care plan individualized to the patient's risk profile for both ischaemia and bleeding. Each follow-up appointment should be viewed as an opportunity to optimize the personalized approach, to reduce adverse clinical outcomes and improve quality of life. As risks - both ischaemic and haemorrhagic - evolve over time, the risk-benefit balance should be assessed in an ongoing dynamic process to ensure that patients are given the most suitable treatment at each time point. Conclusions: This Expert Opinion aims to help clinicians with a practical guide underlying the proven strategies and the remaining gaps of evidence to optimize the management of coronary patients.

Role of Direct Oral Anticoagulants for Post-operative Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is one of the leading causes of post-operative morbidity and mortality. Over previous decades, heparin and warfarin were the predominant therapeutic options for post-operative thromboprophylaxis. However, their use is limited by drawbacks including a narrow therapeutic range, numerous food and drug interactions, and the need for regular monitoring for dose adjustments. Recently, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), such as dabigatran etexilate (a direct thrombin inhibitor) and apixaban, rivaroxaban and edoxaban (direct factor Xa inhibitors), have been developed to overcome these issues. DOACs have shown promising results in Phase III clinical trials for post-operative VTE prophylaxis. This review summarises the pharmacological profile of DOACs and highlights the use of DOACs in post-operative VTE prophylaxis based on the available clinical trial data.

An early analysis of cost-utility of baroreflex activation therapy in advanced chronic heart failure in Germany.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate cost-utility of baroreflex activation therapy (BAT) using the Barostim neo™ device (CVRx Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) compared with optimized medical management in patients with advanced chronic heart failure (NYHA class III) who were not eligible for treatment with cardiac resynchronization therapy, from a statutory health insurance perspective in Germany over a lifetime horizon. METHODS: A decision analytic model was developed using the combination of a decision tree and the Markov process. The model included transitions between New York Heart Association (NYHA) health states, each of which is associated with a risk of mortality, hospitalization, cost, and quality of life. The effectiveness of BAT was projected through relative risks for mortality (obtained by application of patient-level data to the Meta-analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure risk prediction model) and hospitalization owing to worsening of heart failure (obtained from BAT Randomized Clinical Trial). All patients were in NYHA class III at baseline. RESULTS: BAT led to an incremental cost of €33,185 (95% credible interval [CI] €24,561-38,637) and incremental benefits of 1.78 [95% CI 0.45-2.71] life-years and 1.19 [95% CI 0.30-1.81] quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). This resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €27,951/QALY (95% CI €21,357-82,970). BAT had a 59% probability of being cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of €35,000/QALY (but 84% at a threshold of €52,000/QALY). CONCLUSIONS: BAT can be cost-effective in European settings in those not eligible for cardiac resynchronization therapy among patients with advanced heart failure.

Individually optimized hemodynamic therapy reduces complications and length of stay in the intensive care unit: a prospective, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The authors hypothesized that goal-directed hemodynamic therapy, based on the combination of functional and volumetric hemodynamic parameters, improves outcome in patients with cardiac surgery. Therefore, a therapy guided by stroke volume variation, individually optimized global end-diastolic volume index, cardiac index, and mean arterial pressure was compared with an algorithm based on mean arterial pressure and central venous pressure. METHODS: This prospective, controlled, parallel-arm, open-label trial randomized 100 coronary artery bypass grafting and/or aortic valve replacement patients to a study group (SG; n = 50) or a control group (CG; n = 50). In the SG, hemodynamic therapy was guided by stroke volume variation, optimized global end-diastolic volume index, mean arterial pressure, and cardiac index. Optimized global end-diastolic volume index was defined before and after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass and at intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Mean arterial pressure and central venous pressure served as hemodynamic goals in the CG. Therapy was started immediately after induction of anesthesia and continued until ICU discharge criteria, serving as primary outcome parameter, were fulfilled. RESULTS: Intraoperative need for norepinephrine was decreased in the SG with a mean (±SD) of 9.0 ± 7.6 versus 14.9 ± 11.1 µg/kg (P = 0.002). Postoperative complications (SG, 40 vs. CG, 63; P = 0.004), time to reach ICU discharge criteria (SG, 15 ± 6 h; CG, 24 ± 29 h; P < 0.001), and length of ICU stay (SG, 42 ± 19 h; CG, 62 ± 58 h; P = 0.018) were reduced in the SG. CONCLUSION: Early goal-directed hemodynamic therapy based on cardiac index, stroke volume variation, and optimized global end-diastolic volume index reduces complications and length of ICU stay after cardiac surgery.