Prehabilitation Using a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program for a Patient With a Total Artificial Heart Prior to Heart Transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: The last few decades have been marked by significant advances in mechanical cardiocirculatory support. A total artificial heart (TAH) became a viable therapeutic option for numerous patients as a bridge to heart transplantation, particularly for those in end-stage heart failure. This technology aims to address the various subsequent shortfalls of organs. This report reviews the impact of a prehabilitation on a patient with an Aeson TAH (Carmat). DISCUSSION: We assessed improvements in functional capacity and quality of life (QoL) in a newly implanted patient following standard cardiac rehabilitation as a prehabilitation program, using 6-min walk test and the Short Form-12 (SF-12) health survey, respectively. Similar functional improvements were observed over a short period of 2 wk compared with a longer protocol for patients with a heart transplant, and superior effects on QoL. The patient was successfully transplanted 5 mo after the TAH implantation. SUMMARY: Prehabilitation of a patient with a TAH increased both their physical capacity and QoL.

Is hybrid cardiac rehabilitation superior to traditional cardiac rehabilitation?

BACKGROUND: The current COVID-19 pandemic imposes changes in the management of cardiac pathologies. Cardiac rehabilitation needs to define new protocols to welcome patients back. In connection with the observations of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology, the choice of cardiac tele-rehabilitation appeared to be unavoidable. AIM: This retrospective research based on data from the Program for the Medicalisation of Information Systems (PMSI) and the electronic medical record analyzes the effect of Hybrid Cardiac Rehabilitation. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-two patients (29 females and 163 males) with an average of 56.9 years old (±10.3) were able to benefit from a Hybrid Cardiac Rehabilitation program. The data concerning the Stress Test and the Wall Squat Test were collected. RESULTS: We have noticed that patients had improved their cardiorespiratory capacity on the initial and final Stress Test 6.6 (±1.8) MET to 8.2 (±1.9) MET (p < 0.0001). We also found that patients improved lower limb muscle strength 75.1 (±44.8) seconds to 105.7 (±49.7) seconds (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid Cardiac Rehabilitation protocols can be set up in this pandemic situation. The programme effectiveness appears to be comparable to the traditional model. However, additional studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of this programme in the long term.

[Care and follow-up of cardiovascular disease in women]. / Prise en charge et suivi de la pathologie cardio-vasculaire chez la femme.

The condition of women has vastly improved over recent decades: respect of equality, better salary conditions and health status. Although women, like men, are living longer, certain differences in care are emerging. This survey studies the characteristics of women's cardiovascular health, especially in terms of treatment and follow-up.

[Utility of the 6-minute walk test in assessing maintenance of physical activity after cardiac rehabilitation]. / Utilité du test de marche de 6 minutes comme outil d'évaluation de la poursuite de l'activité physique après une rééducation réadaptation cardiovasculaire.

Evaluation of therapeutic patient education (TPE) is an integral part of cardiac rehabilitation programs. An important component of this involves assessing continued physical activity (PA) after rehabilitation. Few tools are available to assess the maintenance of physical activity, and we argue that use of a field test like the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) can provide some useful indicators. Objective: to study the utility of the 6MWT as a tool for assessing maintenance of PA in post-rehabilitation follow-up. Methods: we conducted a retrospective study of 168 patients (133 men and 35 women) with a mean age of 60.65 years (+/-9.7). First, we analyzed the data from a stress test (ST) and a 6MWT at the beginning and end of rehabilitation. We then analyzed the data from a 6MWT and an International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) performed six months after the end of rehabilitation. Results: there was a significant correlation between the 6MWT and the initial and final ST (r=0.5456, p<0.001 for the initial ST, r= 0.604, p<0.001 for the final ST), confirming the validity of using this test in cardiac rehabilitation. We observed a slight correlation between the 6MWT and the IPAQ (r=0.3923, p<0.001) six months post-rehabilitation. The IPAQ results show that patients with a significant level of physical activity during the week maintain their 6MWT distance. Conclusion: the 6MWT is a reliable test in cardiac rehabilitation. It can be used in conjunction with the IPAQ to assess patient adherence to physical activity guidelines in post-rehabilitation follow-up.

[A therapeutic patient education health network for cardiovascular disease]. / Un réseau de santé pour l'éducation thérapeutique en cas de pathologies cardiovasculaires.

Therapeutic patient education (TPE) for those suffering from cardiovascular disease forms an important part of the management of risk factors. It must be continued throughout the course of the disease. The creation of a health network focused on TPE facilitates the emergence of healthier lifestyle habits and improves the care management of these patients.