A Descriptive Analysis of Factors Leading to a 1-Year Remission in Bipolar Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Bipolar spectrum disorders are associated with symptomatic and functional disability in many patients. Other studies have examined predictors of outcome with variable results. The goal of this retrospective study was to identify medications associated with a minimum of 12 consecutive months of symptomatic, functional, and syndromal remission. METHODS: The charts of 121 patients with confirmed bipolar disorder were reviewed. Data on medical regimen and demographic and adherence factors were gathered using standardized data collection sheets approved by the University of Toledo Institutional Review Board. The criterion for improvement was set at 12 consecutive months of Clinical Global Impressions Improvement ratings of ≤2, which is a far higher standard of syndromal and functional remissions than the usual 8 consecutive weeks used by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision. RESULTS: In this sample of 121 patients, 43.8% achieved a minimum of 12 consecutive months of remission, whereas 56.2% did not. When bipolar disorder was divided into its subtypes, 45.5% of our cohort were diagnosed with bipolar I disorder, 27.3% were diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, and 27.3% were diagnosed with bipolar disorder, not otherwise specified. Of the 55 patients with bipolar I disorder, 27 remitted and 28 did not. Of the 33 patients with bipolar II disorder, 12 remitted and 21 did not. Of the 33 patients with bipolar disorder, not otherwise specified, 14 remitted and 19 did not. The treatment regimen that was most closely associated with remission was a combination of atypical antipsychotics (primarily aripiprazole), mood stabilizers (primarily lamotrigine), and an antidepressant. In addition, the patients who achieved remission were more likely to be adherent to medication and with appointments. CONCLUSIONS: The chart review showed that 12 consecutive months of symptomatic remission was achieved in our clinic in 43.8% of patients with bipolar disorder when they were treated with tailored medication regimens. The remainder (56.2%) failed to achieve 12 consecutive months of remission based on real-time Clinical Global Impressions Improvement ratings. The combination of an atypical antipsychotic, a mood stabilizer, and an antidepressant was highly correlated with 1-year remission.

Comparing treatment outcomes of bipolar patients between psychiatry residents and attending physicians.

OBJECTIVE: The authors sought to compare the outcomes of patients treated by psychiatric residents and attending psychiatrists. METHOD: Charts of 121 outpatients meeting criteria for bipolar spectrum disorder were analyzed. Residents treated 41, and attending physicians 80, of 121 patients. Improvement was defined as at least 12 consecutive months of the following: Remission--euthymic mood; Response--much improved mood, not meeting DSM-IV criteria for mild illness; Relapse--remission or response followed by recurrence. The Active Illness group contained patients who did not have 12 months of Remission or Response. RESULTS: The percentage of improved patients was similar between residents (46.3%; 19/41) and attending physicians (42.5%; 34/80). There was a significant difference in the number of patients in the Remission or Response categories between attending physicians: (26.5%; 21/80) and residents (12.2%; 5/41). CONCLUSION: Similar numbers of residents' and attending physicians' patients achieved improvement for 12 months, but twice the number of attending physicians' patients achieved and maintained euthymia.

A novel clinical prediction rule for 30-day mortality following balloon aortic valuloplasty: the CRRAC the AV score.

OBJECTIVES: We seek to identify predictors of 30-day mortality after balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV). BACKGROUND: To date, there is no validated method of predicting patient outcomes after percutaneous aortic valve interventions. METHODS: Data for consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent BAV at the Mount Sinai Medical Center from January 2001 to July 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. Cox-proportional hazards regression was used to identify significant predictors of 30-day mortality, and the resultant model was compared to the EuroSCORE using Akaike's Information Criterion and area under the receiver-operating curve (AUC). RESULTS: The analysis included 281 patients (age 83 ± 9 years, 61% women, aortic valve area: 0.64 ± 0.2 cm(2)) and 36 (12.8%) of whom died within 30 days of BAV. With identified risk factors for 30-day mortality, critical status, renal dysfunction, right atrial pressure, and cardiac output, we constructed the CRRAC the AV risk score. Thirty-day survival was 72% in the highest tertile versus 94% in the lower two tertiles of the score. Compared to the additive and logistic EuroSCORE, the risk score demonstrated superior discrimination (AUC = 0.75 vs. 0.60 and 0.63, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We derived a risk score, the CRRAC the AV score that identifies patients at high-risk of 30-day mortality after BAV. Validation of the developed risk prediction score, the CRRAC the AV score, is needed in other cohorts of post-BAV patients and potentially in patients undergoing other catheter-based valve interventions.

Safety and efficacy of alcohol septal ablation in patients with symptomatic concentric left ventricular hypertrophy and outflow tract obstruction.

BACKGROUND: Transcoronary septal ablation is efficacious for patients with symptomatic hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) and outflow-tract gradient (OTG). However, while patients with symptomatic concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (CLVH) may develop OTG, the safety and efficacy of septal ablation in these patients is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To determine the potential safety and efficacy of transcoronary alcohol septal ablation in refractory, symptomatic patients with CLVH and significant OTG. METHODS: We identified 9 patients (all female; age, 67.6 ± 8.7 years) with CLVH and OTG who underwent septal ablation on a compassionate basis and for symptomatic relief, with CLVH defined as left ventricular wall thickness > 15 mm in the absence of asymmetric septal hypertrophy. CLVH patients were compared with age-, sex- and OTGmatched HOCM patients (resting OTG, 56.7 ± 22.4 versus 58.3 ± 33.5 mmHg, respectively; p = 0.91). RESULTS: In CLVH patients, mean resting OTG decreased to 22.8 ± 12.5 mmHg (p < 0.0005 versus baseline), which was comparable to the change in HOCM patients (p = 0.45 CLVH versus HOCM). Peak inducible OTG in CLVH patients also decreased following septal ablation (142.2 ± 36.3 to 36.1 ± 16.2 mmHg; p < 0.0001). Baseline left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was similar between CLVH (17.7 ± 3.7 mmHg) versus HOCM (16.3 ± 4.0 mmHg; p = 0.50). Following ablation, LVEDP decreased by 3.4 ± 1.9 mmHg in CLVH (p < 0.001 versus baseline) and 3.0 ± 2.2 mmHg in HOCM patients (p = 0.67 CLVH versus HOCM). Complication rates were similar between groups. Baseline New York Heart Association class was 3.6 ± 0.5 for CLVH versus 3.3 ± 0.5 for HOCM (p = 0.51). Both groups experienced symptomatic improvement following ablation (p < 0.0005), and at long-term follow up (34.9 ± 23.9 months), these changes were similar and sustained. CONCLUSION: Septal ablation holds promise for the management of symptomatic CLVH with OTG.

Outcomes of patients discharged the same day following percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the outcomes of patients discharged the day of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) by analyzing the data from a single-center, large, multioperator registry of interventions. BACKGROUND: Although same-day discharge is likely safe after interventions on low-risk stable patients, there is limited data to guide selection of a broader population of patients. Due to numerous patient variables and physician preferences, standardization of the length of stay after PCI has been a challenge. Most of the reported studies on same-day discharge have strict inclusion criteria and hence do not truly reflect a real-world population. METHODS: We analyzed the outcomes of consecutive same-day discharge in 2,400 of 16,585 patients who underwent elective PCI without any procedural or hospital complication. Composite end point included 30-day major adverse cardiac cerebral events and bleeding/vascular complications. RESULTS: The mean age of the study population was 57.0 +/- 23.7 years with 12% aged over 65 years. Twenty-eight percent received glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor with closure devices in 90.5%. Clinical and angiographic success was noted in 97% of all PCIs. The average length-of-stay following PCI was 8.2 +/- 2.5 h. The composite end point was reached in 23 patients (0.96%). Major adverse cardiac cerebral events occurred in 8 patients (0.33%) and vascular/bleeding complications in the form of Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction minor bleeding in 14 patients (0.58%) and pseudoaneurysm in 1 patient (0.04%). CONCLUSIONS: When appropriately selected, with strict adherence to the set protocol, same-day discharge after uncomplicated elective PCI is safe despite using femoral access in a wide spectrum of patients.

Changing outcomes and treatment strategies for wire induced coronary perforations in the era of bivalirudin use.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to analyze the clinical outcomes and treatment strategies of coronary wire perforations (WPs) in the era of heparin use compared to the era of bivalirudin use. BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) advances have led to progressive decrease in complications. Therefore, complex coronary lesions such as chronic total occlusions and calcified lesions are being attempted with stiff/hydrophilic wires with resultant higher incidence of coronary WP. METHODS: A single-center retrospective data analysis of coronary perforation (CP) for the last 4 years with review of coronary angiograms was done and WPs were identified. A simple classification scheme based on angiographic appearance of CP was made: Type I ("myocardial stain," with no frank dye extravasation) and type II ("myocardial fan," with dye extravasation to pericardial cavity or cardiac chambers). RESULTS: Overall incidence of CP was 0.49% (82/16,859). Of these 50 (61%) were caused by WP; 30 occurred with heparin use (Group A) and 20 with bivalirudin use (Group B). WPs always occurred in type B2/C lesions (100%) and commonly with use of hydrophilic guidewires (70%). Major adverse cardiac events and cardiac tamponade were frequent in group A (50%) and none in group B (0%); P < 0.01. All WP in group B responded to stopping anticoagulation and prolonged balloon inflation, while group A type II perforations frequently required additional interventions (pericardiocentesis, coil embolization). CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac tamponade and major adverse cardiac events from WPs were less frequent with bivalirudin use compared to heparin use. This beneficial effect of bivalirudin may be explained on the basis of its short half-life and reversible thrombin inhibition property. Therefore, bivalirudin may offer a safer alternative for anticoagulation in complex PCI.

Serum creatinine ratio: a novel predictor of mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with normal and abnormal renal function.

UNLABELLED: The occurrence of contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) is associated with increased mortality after percutaneous revascularization procedures. However, the exact correlation between various levels of creatinine elevation relative to the baseline and subsequent mortality in patients with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) is not well established. In addition, the relationship between elevated postprocedural creatinine and ensuing mortality in patients with normal baseline renal function needs to be investigated. METHODS: All percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients (n = 12,997) were analyzed for any rise in serum creatinine (SCr): CRI group (BSC > or = 1.5 mg/dl) (n = 1,853) and normal baseline renal function (NBR BSC < 1.5 mg/dl) group (n = 11,144). Patients in each group were analyzed for any elevation in SCr postprocedure and subdivided based on the SCr ratio [peak SCr/Baseline creatinine (BSC)] of <1.25, 1.25-1.5, and >1.5. The overall incidence of CIN (defined as an increment of 25% over baseline creatinine) was 5.9%: 11.3% in the CRI group versus 5.1% in normal BSC group (P < 0.01). Recursive partitioning and Cox hazard modeling were used to assess significant variables associated with mortality within 1 year. Only serum creatinine ratio (SCrR) > 1.5 correlated with increased mortality in both CRI group as well as normal BSC group. CONCLUSIONS: SCrR > 1.5 predicts mortality at 1 year after PCI. The association between SCrR > 1.5 and increased mortality at follow-up is observed in patients with CRI as well as normal baseline renal function. SCrR may thus serve as a useful clinical tool for risk stratification and prognostication of patients after PCI.