Joint Position Paper of the Working Group of Pacing and Electrophysiology of the French Society of Cardiology (SFC) and the Société française d'imagerie cardiaque et vasculaire diagnostique et interventionnelle (SFICV) on magnetic resonance imaging in patients with cardiac electronic implantable devices.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become the reference imaging for the management of a large number of diseases. The number of MR examinations increases every year, simultaneously with the number of patients receiving a cardiac electronic implantable device (CEID). A CEID was considered an absolute contraindication for MRI for years. The progressive replacement of conventional pacemakers and defibrillators by MR-conditional CEIDs and recent data on the safety of MRI in patients with "MR-nonconditional" CEIDs have progressively increased the demand for MRI in patients with a CEID. However, some risks are associated with MRI in CEID carriers, even with "MR-conditional" devices because these devices are not "MR-safe". A specific programing of the device in "MR-mode" and monitoring patients during MRI remain mandatory for all patients with a CEID. A standardized patient workflow based on an institutional protocol should be established in each institution performing such examinations. This joint position paper of the Working Group of Pacing and Electrophysiology of the French Society of Cardiology and the Société française d'imagerie cardiaque et vasculaire diagnostique et interventionnelle (SFICV) describes the effect and risks associated with MRI in CEID carriers. We propose recommendations for patient workflow and monitoring and CEID programming in MR-conditional, "MR-conditional nonguaranteed" and MR-nonconditional devices.

Incidence and outcomes of infective endocarditis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation versus surgical aortic valve replacement.

OBJECTIVES: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) in aortic stenosis (AS). Infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with prosthetic heart valves is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Data on the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of IE after TAVI are conflicting. We evaluated these issues in patients with percutaneous TAVI vs. isolated surgical AVR (SAVR) at a nationwide level. METHODS: Based on the administrative hospital discharge database, the study collected information for all patients with aortic stenosis treated with AVR in France between 2010 and 2018. RESULTS: A total of 47 553 patients undergoing TAVI and 60 253 patients undergoing isolated SAVR were identified. During a mean follow-up of 2.0 years (median (25th to 75th percentile) 1.2 (0.1-3.4) years), the incidence rates of IE were 1.89 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.78-2.00) and 1.40 (95% CI 1.34-1.46) events per 100 person-years in unmatched TAVI and SAVR patients, respectively. In 32 582 propensity-matched patients (16 291 with TAVI and 16 291 with SAVR), risk of IE was not different in patients treated with TAVI vs. SAVR (incidence rates of IE 1.86 (95% CI 1.70-2.04) %/year vs 1.71 (95% CI 1.58-1.85) %/year respectively, relative risk (RR) 1.09, 95% CI 0.96-1.23). In these matched patients, total mortality was higher in TAVI patients with IE (43.0% 95% CI 37.3-49.3) than in SAVR patients with IE (32.8% 95% CI 28.6-37.3; RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.08-1.60). DISCUSSION: In a nationwide cohort of patients with AS, treatment with TAVI was associated with a risk of IE similar to that following SAVR. Mortality was higher for patients with IE following TAVI than for those with IE following SAVR.

Incidence, characteristics, and mortality of infective endocarditis in France in 2011.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the determinants of mortality in infective endocarditis (IE), using the national hospital discharge databases (HDD) in 2011. METHODS: IE stays were extracted from the national HDD, with a definition based on IE-related diagnosis codes. This definition has been assessed according to Duke criteria by checking a sample of medical charts of IE giving a predictive positive value of 86.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 82.7% - 89.5%). The impact of heart valve surgery on survival has been studied if performed during the initial stay, and over the year of follow-up. Risk factors of in-hospital mortality were identified using logistic regression model for the initial stay and Cox Time-dependent model for the 1-year mortality. RESULTS: The analysis included 6,235 patients. The annual incidence of definite IEs was 63 cases/million residents. Staphylococci and Streptococci were the most common bacteria (44% and 45%, respectively). A valvular surgery was performed in 20% of cases, but substantial variations existed between hospitals. The in-hospital mortality was 21% (ranging 12% to 27% according to the region of patients), associated with age>70, chronic liver disease, renal failure, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa or candida infection and strokes whereas valvular surgery, a native valve IE or intraveinous drug use (right heart IE) were significantly protective for an initial death. The same factors were associated with the one-year mortality, except for valvular surgery which was associated with a 1.4-fold higher risk of death during the year post IE. CONCLUSION: We reported a high IE incidence rate. Valvular surgery was considerably less frequent in this study than in the previous published data (near 50%) whereas mortality was similar. Surgery was associated with higher survival if undergone within the initial stay. There were significant regional differences in frequency of surgery but it did not impact mortality.

[Screening and clinical implications of silent atrial fibrillation]. / Dépistage et implications cliniques de la fibrillation atriale silencieuse.

Each year, 5 million new cases of atrial fibrillation (AF) are diagnosed, and the data for the last 20 years show that its incidence has continued to grow. The aging of the population is considered a major explanation for this pandemic phenomenon. The complications associated with atrial arrhythmia are numerous and frequent, with in the first place thromboembolic events. In addition to symptomatic atrial fibrillation, AF may be diagnosed by chance during a systematic ECG, an external Holter or a continuous ECG monitor, or in the memories of implanted cardiac devices. This is called silent AF. Despite numerous studies, silent AF is still largely under-diagnosed and unrecognized in everyday clinical practice, although it is a frequent condition with potentially serious consequences (especially thromboembolic events). Thanks to the development of new diagnostic tools, which are scientifically validated and readily available, the detection of AF has improved significantly, leading to better therapeutic management, in particular anticoagulant therapy. From this perspective, mass screening for silent AF using these new technologies is a major step forward in e-health development. The cost of screening and the heterogeneity of populations affected by silent AF, however, remain major obstacles.

Composite risk scores and composite endpoints in the risk prediction of outcomes in anticoagulated patients with atrial fibrillation. The Loire Valley Atrial Fibrillation Project.

Several validated risk stratification schemes for prediction of ischaemic stroke (IS)/thromboembolism (TE) and major bleeding are available for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). On the basis for multiple common risk factors for IS/TE and bleeding, it has been suggested that composite risk prediction scores may be more practical and user-friendly than separate scores for bleeding and IS/TE. In a long-term prospective hospital registry of anticoagulated patients with newly diagnosed AF, we compared the predictive value of existing risk prediction scores as well as composite risk scores, and also compared these risk scoring systems using composite endpoints. Endpoint 1 was the simple composite of IS and major bleeds. Endpoint 2 was based on a composite of IS plus intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). Endpoint 3 was based on weighted coefficients for IS/TE and ICH. Endpoint 4 was a composite of stroke, cardiovascular death, TE and major bleeding. The incremental predictive value of these scores over CHADS2 (as reference) for composite endpoints was assessed using c-statistic, net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). Of 8,962 eligible individuals, 3,607 (40.2%) had NVAF and were on OAC at baseline. There were no statistically significant differences between the c-statistics of the various risk scores, compared with the CHADS2 score, regardless of the endpoint. For the various risk scores and various endpoints, NRI and IDI did not show significant improvement (≥1%), compared with the CHADS2 score. In conclusion, composite risk scores did not significantly improve risk prediction of endpoints in patients with NVAF, regardless of how endpoints were defined. This would support individualised prediction of IS/TE and bleeding separately using different separate risk prediction tools, and not the use of composite scores or endpoints for everyday 'real world' clinical practice, to guide decisions on thromboprophylaxis.

Anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing coronary stent implantation.

In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing coronary stent implantation, the optimal antithrombotic strategy is unclear. We evaluated whether use of oral anticoagulation (OAC) was associated with any benefit in morbidity or mortality in patients with AF, high risk of thromboembolism (TE) (CHA2DS2-VASC score ≥ 2) and coronary stent implantation. Among 8,962 unselected patients with AF seen between 2000 and 2010, a total of 2,709 (30%) had coronary artery disease and 417/2,709 (15%) underwent stent implantation while having CHA2DS2-VASC score ≥ 2. During follow-up (median=650 days), all TE, bleeding episodes, and major adverse cardiac events (i.e. death, acute myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularisation) were recorded. At discharge, 97/417 patients (23%) received OAC, which was more likely to be prescribed in patients with permanent AF and in those treated for elective stent implantation. The incidence of outcome event rates was not significantly different in patients treated and those not treated with OAC. However, in multivariate analysis, the lack of OAC at discharge was independently associated with increased risk of death/stroke/systemic TE (relative risk [RR] =2.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-4.67, p=0.04), with older age (RR =1.12, 1.04-1.20, p=0.003), heart failure (RR =3.26, 1.18-9.01, p=0.02), and history of stroke (RR =18.87, 3.11-111.11, p=0.001). In conclusion, in patients with AF and high thromboembolic risk after stent implantation, use of OAC was independently associated with decreased risk of subsequent death/stroke/systemic TE, suggesting that OAC should be systematically used in this patient population.

[Non-antiarrhythmic drug therapy for the prevention of atrial fibrillation?]. / Des médicaments non anti-arythmiques peuvent-ils avoir un effet préventif sur la fibrillation auriculaire?

In atrial fibrillation (AF), the absence of a clear benefit of a rhythm-control strategy over a rate-control strategy seen in recent trials may be due to the fact that many of the usual antiarrhythmic strategy have significant weaknesses. Besides research efforts to improve the efficacy and safety of conventional antiarrhythmic agents, therapies directed 'upstream'of the electrical aspects of AF, towards the underlying anatomical substrate and atrial remodelling, have been proposed as new pharmacological therapeutic approaches. Potential upstream therapies for AF comprise a variety of agents such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), statins, N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and steroids. On the basis of experimental data, clinical studies have provided information on the potential of upstream therapy for the prevention of AF across a broad spectrum of cardiovascular patient groups. In patients with heart failure or hypertension, data are sufficient to support the use of ACEI or ARB as treatment that may decrease the risk of AF beyond their other beneficial effects. Similarly, it is highly possible that the use of statin in patients with a recognized indication may be associated with a benefit against AF. However, in most clinical settings, the evidence appears to be insufficient to drive changes in therapy management per se, and large-scale, randomized controlled trials with adequately defined endpoints are still needed. The results from these trials may help to understand the complex mechanisms that lead to AF, and may clarify the benefit-to-risk ratio of these new therapeutic approaches.

Implantable loop recorder for recurrent syncopes.

Syncope is a common disorder which may recur and impair the survival and the quality of life of the patients. The objective of the investigation of syncope is to diagnose the cardiac etiology, as mortality rate is high. Implantable loop recorder or insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) is a useful tool to establish a correlation between syncope and heart rhythm. About half of implanted patients complain of a new syncope and about 50% of these patients had cardiac rhythm disturbances on ICM. The most frequent is a sinus bradycardia or sinus arrest, but these results depend on the age of patients, resting electrocardiography (ECG) abnormalities and structural cardiac disease. A classification of the mechanisms of recurrent syncopes has been defined with the results of the ISSUE study, separating the syncope due to primary cardiac arrhythmia from neurally-mediated syncope and from unknown syncope. The analysis of the presyncopal phase on the ICM restored ECG allows physicians to adapt the treatment (antiarrhytmic agents or pacemaker) and optimize the programming of the pacemaker when necessary. It is early recommended to implant the ICM in patients affected with syncope with normal physical examination, normal ECG and without structural heart disease and negative tilt testing. In the presence of cardiac disease, it is recommended to implant ICM after performing an electrophysiological study and tilt testing. In syncope patients with depressed left ventricular ejection fraction, the implantation of an automatic implantable cardiac defibrillator is preferable. The indications of the ICM tend to be extended to new syncope populations such as pediatric patients and epileptic population. Early application of ICM reduces the cost of the investigation of the patients suffering from syncope, especially when the electrophysiological study is avoided. In the future the implantation of the ICM should be early discussed in the Syncope Unit to shorten the duration and the cost of the hospitalizations of the patients with recurrent syncopes.

[Thromboembolism risks in atrial fibrillation]. / Enjeux cliniques morbi-mortalité, risques thromboemboliques.

The atrial fibrillation is linked to an overmortality (x2), except in patients with lone atrial fibrillation. The severity of atrial fibrillation is due to the risk of thromboembolism event, especially stroke. This risk is very high in presence of rhumatismal mitral valve pathology or prosthetic valve. The annual risk of thromboembolism has been evaluated and the CHADS2 score defined from 0 to 6 In function of the CHADS2 score the risk of thromboembolism event is 1.9 to 18.2%/year. Other factors of thromboembolism accident are actually evaluated such as renal insufficiency, proteinuria. The main objective of atrial fibrillation treatment is the prevention of thromboembolism event. The antivitamin K agents proved their efficiency in term of mortality and morbidity justifying to identify the patients at risk of thromboembolism event.

Effect of time to treatment and age on one year mortality in acute STEMI: difference between thrombolysis and primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

CONTEXT: Although thrombolysis (THL) and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) are two validated options in reperfusion algorithms for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), recent papers seems to show that PPCI could be the best therapeutic option irrespective of the time to treatment (TT) and of the cardiovascular risk profile of the patient. The impact of TT and age on reperfusion strategies requires elucidation. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of time to treatment and age on the 1-year mortality of patients presenting with STEMI, for each reperfusion strategy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consisted in 794 patients directly admitted to the cardiological intensive care unit for STEMI < or =12 hours. The relationship between TT and 1-year mortality was studied using logistic regression models. The models were implemented on the overall population and on 3 different age groups: [<65 years]; [> or =65 and <75 years]; [> or =75 years] for patients undergoing THL (n=299) and for patients undergoing PPCI (n=495). There was no significant between-group difference in all-cause 1-year mortality for the patients [<65 years] and those [> or =65 and <75 years]. In contrast, the 1-year mortality was significantly higher in the patients [> or =75 years] undergoing THL (51.4 vs. 15.3%; p<0.001). The analysis of the curves of mortality suggests that 1- year mortality of patients with STEMI depend not only on reperfusion strategy but so on the time to treatment and on the age of the patients. CONCLUSION: In STEMI, on a 1-year mortality criteria, PPCI is not always upper than THL, particularly for patients<65 years treated within the first two hours after symptoms onset. TT and age affects the results of the reperfusion strategies and must be still incorporated in the reperfusion algorithms of STEMI.

[Evaluation of the cost of complications of automatic implantable defibrillators]. / Evaluation du coût des complications des défibrillateurs cardiaques automatiques implantables.

The automatic implantable defibrillator (AID) has been shown to prevent sudden death but it frequently gives rise to complications. These complications seem to be costly but they do not figure in the economic assessments of AID. From 1989 to 2003, 202 patients (173 men, age 58 +/- 14 years) received consecutively 264 AID in the same centre of implantation. The authors studied the complications of these implantations. The medical indication was secondary (documented spontaneous ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation) in 145 patients (71.8%) and prophylactic in the remaining 57 patients (28.2%). During the 36 month (+/- 35) follow-up, 40.6% patients had an appropriate treatment: 50.3% in the secondary prevention group versus 15.8% in the prophylactic implantation group. The one year, 5 and 15 year survival rates were 99, 88 and 85% respectively. Eighty seven complications were observed resulting in a long term complication in 36.7% of patients. These complications were: inappropriate electric shock, n=24 (27.6%), fractured catheters, n=12 (13.6%), haematomas, n=12 (13.6%), loss of function of the AID, n=10 (11.4%), infection, n=6 (6.8%), pneumothorax, n=7 (8.0%), and others n=16 (18.4%). The cost of these complications was assessed in terms of hospital stay in intensive care (1010.40 euros per day) or in the general cardiology wards (546.70 euros per day). The complications resulted in 502 days of additional hospital stay (5.77 days per complication) with a total cost of 285 655.20 euros (3283.40 euros per complication). The most expensive complications in terms of hospital stay were: infections (24.5 days), fractured catheter (5.75 days), and postoperative haematoma (5.5 days). These results indicate a significant cost of complications which should be indicated in the economic evaluation of AID.

Heart rate variability in rats with chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.

The precise role of pulmonary hypertension as a possible factor inducing a decrease in heart rate variability is poorly known. Spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) was carried out in 21 Wistar rats before and after exposure to normoxia (N = 10) or to 3 weeks of hypobaric hypoxia inducing chronic pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy (N= 11). Continuous ECG was recorded in conscious animal at rest. Compared to the control group, rats exposed to hypoxia had a similar heart rate but a lower overall HRV (total power, 27.9 +/- 15.2 vs. 57.6 +/- 24.7 ms2, P < 0.01). Low frequency power (0.25-0.8 Hz) and high frequency power (0.8-3 Hz) were similar in both groups suggesting that HRV was decreased in the very low frequency power (0-0.25 Hz). The effects of atropine and propranolol on heart rate and HRV were similar in rats exposed or not to hypoxia. HRV is decreased in rats with hypoxic induced pulmonary hypertension, mainly in the very low frequency band, suggesting an increase in sympathetic activity. However, this decrease is moderate and the modulation of HRV with pharmacologic autonomic blockade remains similar to that of normal rats.

Postcardiac injury syndrome complicating radiofrequency ablation of the atrioventricular node.

Radiofrequency ablation, which is increasingly used in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia, can be complicated with pericardial effusion and one case of Dressler's syndrome has already been reported after an atrioventricular pathway ablation. This case reports a second case complicating an atrioventricular node radiofrequency ablation procedure.

[Risk stratification in atrial and ventricular arrhythmias]. / Stratification du risque dans les troubles du rythme auriculaire et ventriculaire.

Atrial fibrillation, the most frequent arrhythmia, has a growing incidence with increasing age and the most important complication of the disease is thromboembolic events that may be prevented by antivitamin K. They are the most efficient therapeutic class for the prevention of these events but they are associated with an increased haemorrhagic risk leading to a reduced prescription in general practice. Optimisation of the management should be based on an individual evaluation of the thromboembolic and haemorrhagic risks, taking into account age, the presence of an associated heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, history of cerebrovascular event, history of previous haemorrhagic event and the ability to achieve a stable target INR. The challenge in ventricular arrhythmias lies in identifying a high risk of sudden death, mainly related to ventricular fibrillation. In patients with structural heart disease, left ventricular dysfunction is the strongest predictor of sudden death. Non invasive markers such as non sustained ventricular tachycardia, late ventricular potentials, decreased heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity, and repolarization altemans are further elements to assess risk. However, most of these markers have a poor positive predictive value and a low specificity. In patients with normal hearts, genetic predisposition may in the future identify high risk patients. The electrophysiologic study with programmed ventricular stimulation remains a costly and invasive method and only has a strong positive predictive value in ischemic cardiomyopathy. More precise algorithms for risk stratification are thus needed that may help the strategy of therapy with prophylactic implantable cardioverter defibrillator in the future.

[Effects of delay in onset of revascularisation strategies in the acute phase of myocardial infarction]. / Place du délai de prise en charge dans la stratégie de revascularisation à la phase aiguë de l'infarctus du myocarde. Données issues de la vie réelle.

BACKGROUND: thrombolysis (THL) and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are therapeutic options in acute myocardial infarction (MI). These strategies have similar efficiency, particularly in the early phase. However, in these randomized studies, different times to treatment (TT) threshold are recognized as discriminant. OBJECTIVES: to validate, on a one year mortality criteria the best TT threshold in the real life. METHODS: 794 patients, admitted directly in our institution with a Ml< or =12 hours; 299 were treated by THL and 495 by PCI. The primary end-point was 1-year mortality according to TT and strategy of revascularization. Three TT thresholds were tested (120, 150 and 180 min) to define the best strategy of revascularisation. RESULTS: only the 150 min TT threshold showed a significant difference between the two strategies. If TT was less than 150 min, relative risk of 1-year mortality was 1.36 (p=0.62) for patients treated by THL compared to those treated with PCI. By contrast, the relative risk of one year mortality was 1.95 if Tr was greater than 150 min (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: TT is a key factor to define the best strategy of reperfusion. The critical threshold seems to be at 150 min. THL should be considered as a therapeutic choice only if administered within the first 150 min. After this delay, primary PCI should be preferred.

[Evaluation after 20 years of a case of Takayasu's disease that presented with aortic regurgitation]. / Evolution après 20 ans d'une maladie de Takayasu Révélée par une insuffisance aortique.

Takayasu's disease is a segmental multifocal affection of medium and large arteries. The diagnosis is based on the association of stenotic and aneurismal lesions of the aorta and its branches secondary to an inflammatory infiltration of the media and adventitia. Cases of aortic regurgitation associated with aneurismal dilatation of the ascending aorta as the presenting features of Takayasu's disease, as in this case, are rare. Histological examination of the aortic wall may help establish the diagnosis by showing signs of aortitis. The other usual arterial lesions are sometimes missing at the initial phase of the disease. A late histological diagnosis may be difficult as the inflammatory lesions tend to be progressively replaced by fibrotic lesions or a banal atheroma.