Predictors of Long-Term Infections After Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Surgery　- Utility of Novel PADIT and PACE DRAP Scores.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac implantable electronic device-related infections (CDI) are of increasing importance and involve substantial healthcare resources. This study aimed to evaluate potential CDI risk factors and the utility of the novel PADIT and PACE DRAP scores to predict CDI.Methods and Results:The study group included 1,000 consecutive patients undergoing implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) surgery. Patients' and procedural characteristics were collected. CDI occurrence was assessed during 1-year follow-up. Moreover, if periprocedural significant pocket hematoma (SPH) occurred, the maximal volume was calculated based on ultrasonographic measurements and ABC/2 formula. The overall incidence of CDI was 1.8%. In the multivariable regression analysis independent CDI risk factors were: age >75 years (odds ratio [OR]: 5.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.77-19.84), system upgrade procedure (OR: 6.46; CI: 1.94-21.44), procedure duration >1 h (OR: 13.96; CI: 4.40-44.25), presence of SPH (OR: 4.95; CI: 1.62-15.13) and reintervention within 1 month (OR: 16.29; CI: 3.14-84.50). The PACE DRAP score had higher discrimination of CDI incidence (area under curve [AUC] 0.72) as compared with the PADIT score (AUC 0.63). CONCLUSIONS: We identified 5 independent risk factors of CDI development. Our study also showed that the PACE DRAP score was better able to identify patients at high risk of CDI than the PADIT score.

PACE DRAP: a simple score for predicting significant bleeding complications after cardiac implantable electronic device surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Currently, no risk score for predicting significant bleeding complications (SBCs) after cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) surgery is available. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to develop a new scoring system for predicting SBCs aft er CIED surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The incidence of SBCs was 4.5%. Based on multivariable analyses, the following predictors of SBCs were identified: age ≥75 years (odds ratio [OR], 8.10; 95% CI, 3.54-18.54); cardiac resynchronization therapy or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator surgery (OR, 5.96; 95% CI, 2.48-14.32); upgrade procedure (OR, 10.22; 95% CI, 4.05-25.78); uncontrolled arterial hypertension (OR, 4.82; 95% CI, 1.78-13.06); presence of valvular prosthesis (OR, 7.85; 95% CI, 3.15-19.58); current malignancy (OR, 6.11; 95% CI, 1.81-20.66); renal failure (OR, 4.28; 95% CI, 1.86-9.87); and the use of antiplatelet drugs (clopidogrel [OR, 6.69; 95% CI, 2.48-18.04] or ticagrelor [OR, 22.25; 95% CI, 4.56-108.46]). The score was created using the weighted points proportional to the ß regression coefficient of each predictor rounded to the nearest integer, and the acronym PACE DRAP corresponds to the predictor's first letter. The cutoff point for the high risk of SBCs was 6 points with a sensitivity of 88.24% and a specificity of 87.23%. The PACE DRAP showed good predictive ability (area under the curve, 0.95 ; P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The PACE DRAP score is useful in identifying patients at high risk for SBCs after CIED surgery.

Double atrial potentials in left-sided accessory pathways are associated with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

INTRODUCTION: Muscular connections between the coronary sinus (CS) and left atrium probably impact distribution of electrical activity. Double atrial potentials (DP) may be their presentation. The aim was to investigate the presence of DP in CS recordings during atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT) and its contribution to the occurrence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS: A group of 247 patients with accessory pathways (AP) were screened for DP. The patients with DP during AVRT were compared to those without DP. RESULTS: DP during AVRT were found only among the left-sided AP (AP-L). Patients with AP-L were divided into Group 1 (n  =  17) with DP during AVRT and Group 2 (n  =  108) without DP. Patients in Group 1 had higher incidence of AF in history (47.1% vs. 23.1%; P  =  0.0376), AF induced during electrophysiological (EP) study (70.6% vs. 25%; P  =  0.0002). Group 1 had higher heart rate (HR) during AVRT in the EP study (197.2 ± 27 vs. 175.1 ± 26.3 bpm; P  =  0.0019), but HR of clinical AVRT (208.5 ± 30.8 vs. 191.6 ± 27.8 bpm) was not significant different (P  =  ns). Additionally, electrical alternans of QRS amplitude during AVRT in the EP study was more frequent in Group 1 (52.9 vs. 20.4 %; P  =  0.0048). CONCLUSION: Patients with DP and AP-L were more prone to develop AF. The presence of DP was associated with faster AVRT rate. The direction of atrium depolarization during AVRT may be different in the presence of DP and probably plays a role in development of AF in this group of patients.

Safety, feasibility and effectiveness of first in-human administration of muscle-derived stem/progenitor cells modified with connexin-43 gene for treatment of advanced chronic heart failure.

AIMS: To assess the safety and efficacy of transendocardial delivery of muscle-derived stem/progenitor cells with connexin-43 overexpression (Cx-43-MDS/PC) in advanced heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirteen subjects with advanced HF, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II-III were enrolled and treated with targeted injection of Cx-43-MDS/PCs and then monitored for at least 6 months. Overexpression of Cx43 (Cx43+) was significantly higher in all but one subject (Cx43-). Injection of MDS/PCs was associated with significant improvement of exercise capacity: NYHA (3 ± 0 vs. 1.8 ± 0.7, P = 0.003), exercise duration (388.69 ± 141.83 s vs. 462.08 ± 176.69 s, P = 0.025), peak oxygen consumption (14.38 ± 3.97 vs. 15.83 ± 3.74 ml/kg.min, P = 0.022) and oxygen pulse (10.58 ± 2.89 vs. 18.88 ± 22.63 mLO2 /heart rate, P = 0.012). Levels of BNP, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction and LV end-diastolic volumes tended to improve. There was a significant improvement of the mean unipolar voltage amplitudes measured for the injected segments and the entire left ventricle (9.62 ± 2.64 vs. 11.62 ± 3.50 mV, P = 0.014 and 8.83 ± 2.80 vs. 10.22 ± 3.41 mV, P = 0.041, respectively). No deaths were documented, Cx43+ (n = 12) subjects presented no significant ventricular arrhythmia; one Cx43- subject suffered from ventricular tachycardia (successfully treated with amiodarone). CONCLUSIONS: Injection of Cx-43-MDS/PCs in patients with severe HF led to significant improvement in exercise capacity and myocardial viability of the injected segments while inducing no significant ventricular arrhythmia. This may arise from improved electrical coupling of the injected cells and injured myocardium and thus better in-situ mechanical cooperation of both cell types. Therefore, further clinical studies with Cx43+ MDS/PCs are warranted.

Asymmetry of the variability of heart rate and conduction time between atria and ventricles.

BACKGROUND: Heart rate asymmetry is caused by an unequal contribution of heart rate decelerations and accelerations to heart rate variability. This study evaluates the asymmetric properties of the variability of the AA, HH, VV, AH and HV intervals. METHODS AND RESULTS: We recorded 50 1-min intracardiac ECG tracings from 10 patients (18-66 years old; 8 females) during a routine electrophysiological study. Standard descriptors of variance asymmetry were calculated for all intervals. Nonparametric tests were used for statistical comparisons. The prolongations of VV (P=0.0297), AH (P=0.0133) and HV (P=0.0004) intervals contributed significantly more than their shortenings to their short-term variance. The proportion of recordings with a larger contribution of prolongations than shortenings was significantly different from random for VV (0.66, P=0.0328), AH (0.68, P=0.0154) HV (0.74, P=0.0009). CONCLUSIONS: In addition to heart rate asymmetry (VV interval), the conduction from the atria, through the atrioventricular node, His-Purkinje system to ventricles shows asymmetric properties in 1-min tracings.

[Severe mitral regurgitation as the first symptom of systemic lupus erythematosus in a young women required mitral valve replacement]. / Ciezka niedomykalnosc mitralna w przebiegu tocznia ukladowego u 24-letniej chorej leczonej operacja wszczepienia mechanicznej protezy zastawkowej.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder resulting in multiorgan inflammatory damage. The heart is frequently involved in SLE. The best known cardiac manifestations are pericarditis and Libman-Saks endocarditis. Severe valvular impairment is rather rare and occurs in few years and in advanced stage of the disease. In this study we report a case of a young women with SLE and heart failure due to mitral regurgitation as the first manifestation of the disease.

Impact of atrial remodeling on heart rhythm after radiofrequency ablation and mitral valve operations.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to determine the effect of left atrial structural remodeling on heart rhythm after radiofrequency ablation concomitant to mitral valve operation. METHODS: Sixty-six consecutive patients with of atrial fibrillation (AF) and mitral valve disease underwent radiofrequency ablation and mitral valve operation. Heart rhythm was evaluated before and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Biopsy specimens of the posterior wall of the left atrium were evaluated for the extent of fibrosis, myocyte diameter, intensity of inflammatory infiltrates, degree of myocytolysis, and capillary density. RESULTS: Ten patients died and 1 patient was lost to follow-up. Heart rhythm at 12 months was used to divide the remaining 55 patients into two groups: group I, 34 with sinus rhythm; group II, 21 with AF. Paroxysmal AF preoperatively was more frequent among group I patients, and persistent/long-standing persistent AF in group II (p=0.0006). Groups I and II differed significantly in myocyte diameter (17.9±3.5 vs 20.3±4.6 µm, p=0.04), fibrosis percentage (38.7%±11.2% vs 47.6%±12.3%, p=0.009), inflammatory infiltrates (p=0.02), and preoperative left atrial diameter (5.03±0.7 vs 5.5±0.8 cm, p=0.04). No differences were found in capillary density (797.9±500.6 vs 946.0±373.7/mm2, p=0.3) and myocytolysis (p=0.4). Multivariate analysis showed myocyte diameter (p=0.047) and fibrosis (p=0.014) were independent predictors for an AF persistence at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Left atrial structural remodeling strongly affects heart rhythm after concomitant radiofrequency ablation and mitral valve operation.

Indications, results of therapy and factors which influence survival in patients treated with intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: During nearly 40 years of intraaortic balloon counterpulsation (IABP) application in advanced medical therapy more and more indications for this treatment have been proposed. Despite increasing experience with IABP, the clinical effects of IABP use are still unclear. The aim of this study was to determine results of IABP use and factors which influence survival in cardiogenic shock (CS) caused by different clinical disorders when treated with IABP. METHODS: 73 patients (mean age 58.3+/-12.6 years, 54 males) undergoing IABP were included in the study. Data were collected retrospectively. After analysis of the whole population a subgroup of patients admitted due to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was evaluated. The in-hospital and overall mortality rates were assessed. RESULTS: In-hospital death occurred in 31 (42.5%) patients. Over half of these patients (n=17; 54.8%) died during first 7 days from admission. The main reason for IABP introduction was CS due to acute coronary syndrome (ACS) at admission in 62 (84.9%) patients. The in-hospital mortality in patients with AMI complicated by CS was 40.7%. The features which significantly influenced survival in patients with AMI were age--patients who died were older (64+/-8.9 vs. 58.6+/-9,1; p=0.0285), and ST segment changes--there was lower mortality rate in a subgroup with ST elevation AMI (18 vs. 6 patients, p=0.003). We also observed slightly higher incidence of anterior wall AMI in survivors than in non-survivors (p=0.06). CONCLUSION: Our study presents several disorders which may be treated with IABP. Acute MI still remains the most frequent indication for IABP insertion. In the present study, AMI survivors and non-survivors, differed mainly in age, ST segment changes and infarction site. Non ST segment elevation AMI was associated with worse prognosis.

First heart sound and opening snap in patients with mitral valve disease. Phonocardiographic and pathomorphologic study.

We investigated correlation between mitral valve morphology and first heart sound (S(1)) and opening snap (OS) amplitude. The analysis revealed negative correlation between the OS amplitude and the area of calcification and the mitral orifice area. We also found negative correlation between the S(1) intensity and the area of calcification.