Prophylactic catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia in ischemic cardiomyopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Catheter ablation is proven to be an effective strategy for drug refractory ventricular tachycardia (VT) in ischemic cardiomyopathy. However, the appropriate timing of VT ablation and identifying the group of patients that may receive the greatest benefit remains uncertain. There is limited data on the effect on prophylactic catheter ablation (PCA) in the prevention of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy, electrical storm, and mortality. METHODS: We performed a comprehensive literature search through November 1, 2017, for all eligible studies comparing PCA + ICD versus ICD only in eligible patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Clinical outcomes included all ICD therapies including ICD shocks and electrical storm. Additional outcomes included all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and complications. RESULTS: Three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (N = 346) met inclusion criteria. PCA was associated with a significantly lower ICD therapies (OR 0.49; CI 0.28 to 0.87; p = 0.01) including ICD shocks [OR 0.38; CI 0.22 to 0.64; p = 0.0003) and electrical storm (OR 0.55; CI 0.30 to 1.01; p = 0.05) when compared with ICD only. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (OR 0.77; CI 0.41 to 1.46; p = 0.42), cardiovascular mortality (OR 0.49; CI 0.16 to 1.50; p = 0.21), and major adverse events (OR 1.45; CI 0.52 to 4.01; p = 0.47) between two groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest prophylactic catheter ablation decreases ICD therapies, including shocks and electrical storm with no improvement in overall mortality. There is a need for future carefully designed randomized clinical trials.

High risk for obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome predicts new onset atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery: a retrospective analysis.

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is highly prevalent in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). OSAHS is a risk factor for the development of atrial fibrillation (AF), but the risk of AF in patients who are high risk for OSAHS is unclear. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on consecutive patients undergoing CABG from 2013 to 2015 without AF pre-operatively. Patients were categorized as low risk for OSAHS, high risk for OSAHS, or diagnosed OSAHS based on medical records review. All diagnosed OSAHS patients were on active treatment with positive airway pressure. Outcomes assessed were postoperative AF (POAF), postoperative length of stay, re-intubation, in-hospital mortality, and cost of hospitalization. RESULTS: Out of 209 eligible patients, 66.5% were low-risk for OSAHS, 18.7% high-risk for OSAHS, and 14.8% diagnosed/treated for OSAHS. POAF developed in 96 patients (45.9%) with greater frequency in high-risk OSAHS patients (69.2% high risk, 41.9% low risk, 40.3% diagnosed/treated, p = 0.01). In analyses adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity and comorbidities, high risk for OSAHS was associated with 2.9 greater odds (95% CI [1.2, 7.3], p = 0.02) for POAF while diagnosed/treated OSAHS was not associated with elevated risk (OR = 1.4, 95% CI [0.6, 3.6], p = 0.50) compared to patients at low risk for OSAHS. CONCLUSIONS: High risk for OSAHS is an independent predictor for POAF in patients undergoing CABG. In contrast, patients diagnosed and treated for their OSAHS are not at elevated risk of POAF. These findings support evaluation of a standardized OSAHS screening and treatment program as part of the pre-operative evaluation for elective CABG.