Early Transmitral Flow Velocity Research Articles

Risk factors of postoperative major adverse cardiac events after radical cystectomy: implication of diastolic dysfunction

Radical cystectomy, which is a standard treatment of muscle invasive and high-grade non-invasive bladder tumour, is accompanied with high rates of postoperative complications including major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Diastolic dysfunction is associated with postoperative complications. We evaluated perioperative risk factors including diastolic dysfunction related with MACE within 6 months after radical cystectomy. The 546 patients who underwent elective radical cystectomy were included. Diastolic dysfunction was defined as early transmitral flow velocity (E)/early diastolic mitral annulus velocity (e′) > 15. Logistic regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank test were performed. MACE within 6 months after radical cystectomy developed in 43 (7.9%) patients. MACE was related with female (odds ratio 2.546, 95% confidence interval 1.166–5.557, P = 0.019) and diastolic dysfunction (odds ratio 3.077, 95% confidence interval 1.147–8.252, P = 0.026). The 6-month mortality were significantly higher in the MACE group, and hospital stay and intensive care unit stay were significantly longer in the MACE group compared to the non-MACE group. Accordingly, preoperative diastolic dysfunction (E/e′ > 15) was related with postoperative MACE and MACE was related with 6-month survival after radical cystectomy. These results suggest that preoperative diastolic dysfunction can provide useful information on postoperative complications.

Can brain natriuretic peptide predict cardiovascular complications in severe preeclampsia? A case-control study.

BackgroundPreeclampsia is one of the most common pregnancy complications, which is one of the major causes of fetal and maternal mortality.ObjectiveTo compare the serum Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) level in patients with severe preeclampsia and normal pregnancy and investigate associated cardiovascular complications.Materials and MethodsThis case-control study was performed on 94 women with a singleton pregnancy (severe preeclampsia and normal pregnancy) at Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, Iran. The venous blood samples were collected to evaluate the serum BNP level. All patients were subjected to echocardiography performed by a single cardiologist.ResultsThe mean pro-BNP levels were 480.36 754.52 and 67.46 106.24 pg/dL in the severe preeclampsia and normal pregnancy patients, respectively (p 0.001). However, adjusted BNP for maternal and gestational age was not different in the two groups (ANCOVA, p = 0.69). Furthermore, the two study groups showed no significant difference in terms of the cardiac parameters, including ejection fraction (EF), left ventricle end-diastolic and -systolic diameters (LVEDD and LVESD, respectively), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), and ratio of the early transmitral flow velocity to the early diastolic tissue velocity (E/Em). However, the serum BNP level showed a significant correlation with EF (r = -0.39, p = 0.008), TAPSE (r = -0.47, p = 0.001), and E/Em ratio (r = 0.48, p = 0.001) in patients with severe preeclampsia.ConclusionIt seems that BNP can be used as a predictor for some of the main cardiac functional indices (i.e., E/Em, EF, and TAPSE) in severe preeclampsia patients.

427-P: The Prevalence of Asymptomatic Cardiac Dysfunction Diagnosed by Tissue Doppler Echocardiography in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes

Background: The sodium-glucose transporter 2 inhibitors have been found to reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure (HF). However, in the majority of clinical studies of diabetes, HF is usually defined as administration to hospital with typical symptoms without measurements of cardiac-function using tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE). Therefore, the incidence of cardiac-dysfunction in diabetic subjects would be underestimated, leading to a delay in the initiation of treatment. Thus, we analyzed the prevalence of asymptomatic cardiac-dysfunction (ACD) diagnosed by TDE in subjects with diabetes. Methods: We recruited inpatients or outpatients with type 2 diabetes at university hospital. Subjects with symptomatic HF, atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, valvular disease, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were excluded from this study. Finally, 343 diabetic subjects were enrolled. Cardiac-dysfunction was defined as left ventricular ejection fraction <50% (systolic dysfunction) and/or the ratio of early transmitral flow velocity to TDE diastolic mitral annular velocity>15 (diastolic dysfunction). To determine optimum cut-off values for BNP and eGFR associated with ACD, we performed ROC curve analyses. Results: Twenty-four % of subjects had ACD. Seventy-eight % of these subjects had diastolic dysfunction. Age, the proportion of females, pulse wave velocity and BNP were higher, and eGFR was lower in subjects with cardiac-dysfunction than those without cardiac-dysfunction. ROC curve analyses revealed that AUCROC for BNP was 0.66 with a sensitivity of 57% and a specificity of 70% at a cut-off value of 32 mg/gCr, and eGFR was 0.53 with a sensitivity of 74% and a specificity of 70% at a cut-off value of 62 mL/min/1.73m2 (both p<0.001). Conclusions: About a quarter of diabetic subjects had ACD, and the majority of them were diastolic dysfunction. Therefore, TDE would be needed to accurately assess ACD in subjects with diabetes. Disclosure Y. Takata: None. M. Takakado: None. T. Hadate: None. R. Kawamura: None. H. Osawa: None.

Circulating Long Noncoding RNA LIPCAR Predicts Heart Failure Outcomes in Patients Without Chronic Kidney Disease.

The plasma levels of long noncoding RNA LIPCAR are elevated in heart failure (HF) patients with reduced ejection fraction and associated with left ventricular remodeling and poor outcomes. We studied whether the presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), as defined by an estimated glomerular filtration rate value <60mL/(min·1.73m2) modified the associations of plasma LIPCAR with left ventricular remodeling and outcomes in HF patients. Two hundred and thirty-four patients (mean age 74 [9.14] years, 50% male) were enrolled and followed for 4.73 (0.24-7.25) years. Plasma LIPCAR was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. LIPCAR was increased ( P=0.005) in patients compared with 17 age- and sex-matched controls, directly correlated with age ( P=0.001) and with the maximal early transmitral flow velocity to the mean peak early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus displacement ratio ( P=0.001) and inversely correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate ( P<0.001). LIPCAR was associated with hospitalization for HF, cardiovascular death, and a composite of hospitalization for HF or cardiovascular death ( P≤0.010), these associations being dependent of estimated glomerular filtration rate. The interactions between estimated glomerular filtration rate and LIPCAR with respect to these outcomes were statistically significant or of borderline significance ( P≤0.060). LIPCAR was increased in CKD patients compared with non-CKD patients ( P=0.021). LIPCAR was independently associated with hospitalization for HF ( P≤0.039) only in non-CKD patients, but its addition to traditional risk factors did not improve risk prediction in these patients. In conclusion, plasma LIPCAR prognosticates outcomes in elderly HF patients without CKD. Thus, there is an effect modification of CKD on the association of circulating LIPCAR with outcomes in HF patients.

3384 Serum Metabolites from the Trimethylamine Pathway Associate with Left Ventricular Diastolic Function: The Bogalusa Heart Study

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: This population-based study aims to assess the individual and collective relationship between TMA-associated metabolites and echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular diastolic function. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The study cohort consisted of 1,039 adult participants of the Bogalusa Heart Study (35.13% black, 57.94% female, aged 33.60 to 57.47 years). Left ventricular diastolic function was assessed via two dimensional and tissue Doppler echocardiography. Echocardiographic parameters of diastolic function included peak early (E, cm/s) and late transmitral flow velocities (A, cm/s), septal mitral annular velocity (e’, cm/s), left ventricular isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT, ms), and peak early diastolic transmitral flow velocity deceleration time (DT, ms). Metabolomic analysis of fasting serum samples was conducted via ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy. Six metabolites in the TMA pathway, carnitine, choline, TMAO, betaine, ergothioneine, dimethylglycine, and two composite variables, the betaine/choline ratio as well as the weighted sum of the six TMA-associated metabolites (TMA score), were selected a priori and tested for association with echocardiographic parameters of diastolic function. Raw metabolite values were divided by their respective standard deviation to create an exposure variable for each individual metabolite. The betaine/choline ratio was calculated utilizing the raw value of each metabolite. The z-score method was used to transform the six metabolites to the same scale and these values were used to calculate the TMA score. Multivariable-adjusted linear regression models were employed to assess the relationship of TMA-associated metabolites with echocardiographic measures of diastolic function. Covariates adjusted for included sex, age, race, education, alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, glomerular filtrate rate, body mass index, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c, serum triglycerides, as well as blood pressure-, lipid-, and glucose-lowering medications. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: After stringent Bonferroni correction for multiple testing, four TMA-associated metabolites as well the TMA score were significantly associated with diastolic function. TMAO was inversely associated with IVRT (ß = −0.002 (0.00); p-value = 2.00E-03). Betaine (ß = 0.40 (0.08); p-value = 2.10E-07), carnitine (ß = 0.30 (0.07); p-value = 7.80E-05), dimethylglycine (ß = 0.27 (0.07); p-value = 3.00E-04), and the TMA score (ß = 0.10 (0.02); p-value = 3.40E-05), were positively associated with the septal E/e’ ratio. No significant associations were observed between metabolites or metabolite composite scores from the TMA pathway and the E/A ratio or DT. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This is the first population-based study to assess the role of TMA-associated metabolites in left ventricular diastolic function. Betaine, carnitine, dimethylglycine, and a metabolite score combining serum metabolites from the TMA pathway were positively associated with the septal E/e’ ratio, suggesting that a higher concentration of TMA-associated metabolites correlates with impaired diastolic function. These results suggest that both individual and grouped metabolites from the TMA pathway may serve as early biomarkers for pre-clinical diastolic dysfunction, an important causal factor for HFpEF. Future longitudinal, multi-omic studies incorporating microbiome, metabolomic and dietary analyses are needed to characterize the risk of ventricular diastolic function and HFpEF in the setting of exposure to TMA-associated metabolites.

Clinical Usefulness of an Echo-Doppler Model in Predicting Elevated Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure in Patients With Heart Failure

Although several tissue-Doppler imaging (TDI) models for pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) estimation have been reported, their reliability remains uncertain. Our previous theoretical and experimental analyses suggest that right atrial pressure (RAP) corrected by tissue-Doppler imaging tricuspid/mitral annular peak systolic velocities (ST/SM) (RAP × ST/SM) reliably predicts elevated PCWP. We sought to investigate its clinical usefulness for predicting elevated PCWP in heart failure (HF) patients. Ninety-eight patients admitted with HF who underwent right heart catheterization were prospectively studied. RAP and PCWP were measured by right heart catheterization. Simultaneously, ST/SM, early diastolic transmitral flow velocity to mitral annular velocity ratio (E/Ea), and diameter of inferior vena cava at inspiration (IVCDi), a noninvasive surrogate for RAP, were measured by echocardiography. RAP correlated with IVCDi (R2 = 0.57). A significantly stronger correlation was observed between IVCDi corrected by ST/SM (IVCDi × ST/SM) and PCWP than between E/Ea and PCWP (R2 = 0.47 vs 0.18). Receiver-operating characteristic analyses indicated that IVCDi × ST/SM >16 mm predicted PCWP >18 mm Hg with 90% sensitivity and 77% specificity, and the area under the curve was 0.86, which was significantly larger than that of E/Ea (area under the curve=0.72). In conclusions, IVCDi × ST/SM is a new useful noninvasive model to predict elevated PCWP in HF patients.

The association of anthropometric indices and cardiac function in healthy adults.

BACKGROUNDObesity is a major risk factor for many diseases including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Recently, it has been shown that upper body obesity can predict CVDs per se. In this study, we aimed to determine the association between indicators of upper body obesity and echocardiographic indices.METHODSIn this cross-sectional study conducted in Hajar Hospital in Shahrekord, Iran, from March to August 2014, 80 healthy adults were included. Participants’ neck circumference (NC), waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure were measured. Echocardiography was performed for all participants, and echocardiographic indices such as early (E’) and late (A') diastolic tissue velocity, early (E) and late (A) transmitral flow velocity, E/E’ ratio, pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), and left atrial volume (LAV) were recorded. The association between these indices were investigated using bivariate Pearson correlation coefficient.RESULTSFor men, NC had a significant correlation with LAV, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), PAP, and A', and a negative correlation with E′. WC had a significant correlation with LAV, SBP, and PAP, and a negative correlation with E′, while BMI had a significant correlation with LAV, PAP, SBP, A, and A’. For women, NC had a significant positive correlation with LAV, A, ejection fraction (EF), SBP, PAP, and A’, and a negative correlation with E′ and E/E′. WC had a significant positive correlation with LAV, DBP, PAP, A, A’, and a negative correlation with E′, while BMI had a significant correlation with LAV, EF, SBP, PAP, E’, A, and A’.CONCLUSIONThe positive correlation of NC with SBP, A, and A', as well as NC, WC, and BMI with LAV and PAP in both sexes, and the negative correlation of NC with E′ show the importance of these measures in estimation of metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors.

The Impact of Perioperative Factors on Changes in Diastolic Function after Kidney Transplantation: A Retrospective Analysis

PurposeCardiac changes in end-stage renal disease are the most common causes of death after kidney transplantation (KT). Chronic kidney disease presents a major risk factor for the development and progression of diastolic dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to identify the association between changes in left ventricular (LV) diastolic function and perioperative clinical factors in patients with preserved ejection fraction following KT.Materials and MethodsWe reviewed 115 patients who underwent KT between January 2011 and December 2015 with both preand post-transplant echocardiograms; patients with LV systolic dysfunction were excluded. LV diastolic function was measured using the ratio of early transmitral flow velocity to early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (E/e′).ResultsPatients with normal pre-operative LV systolic function (n=97) showed improvement in E/e′ after KT (11.9±4.4 to 10.5±3.8, p=0.023). Additionally, post-KT estimated glomerular filtration ratio was associated with changes in E/e′ (odds ratio, −0.056; 95% confidence interval, −0.014 to −0.007; p=0.026). Among patients with preexisting diastolic dysfunction (20/97 patients), the amount of intraoperative fluid administration was related to E/e′ changes (odds ratio, 0.003; 95% confidence interval, 0.000 to 0.005; p=0.029).ConclusionKT is associated with improved diastolic function. Post-KT renal function was significantly related to changes in LV diastolic function. The amount of intraoperative fluid was a risk factor for worsening diastolic function after KT in patients with preexisting diastolic dysfunction.

Renin-angiotensin system inhibition is associated with reduced risk of left atrial appendage thrombosis formation in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin axis can reduce the likelihood of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the effects of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) on thrombogenicity in AF remain incompletely elucidated. Thisretrospective case-control study was conducted to evaluate whether the use of ACEI or ARB could reduce the incidence of left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT) and spontaneous echocardiographic contrast (SEC) in patients with AF. A total of 199 AF patients who received both transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) and transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) successively on the same day from 2012 to 2016 were enrolled. Left atrial dimension, maximal left atrial volume (LAVmax), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, left ventricular ejection fraction, and the ratio of the early transmitral flow velocity and the early mitral annular velocity (E/e') were determined. Longitudinal LA strain was evaluated using two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging at each LA segment. Peak systolic strain was calculated by averaging total segments. LAAT, LAA emptying flow velocity (LAAeV) and SEC were evaluated by TEE. Risk factors for LAAT and usage of ACEIs or ARBs were recorded. The incidence of LAAT was 27.6%. Among the patients with renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors, 20.5% were demonstrated to have LAAT, compared with 33.3% in the nonuser group (p = 0.044). LA peak systolic strain and LAAeV were significantly increased in patients with RAS inhibitors compared to the nonuser group (p = 0.002, p = 0.047, respectively). Patients with LAAT had higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores and evident SEC compared with those without LAAT (p = 0.000, p = 0.000, respectively). Usage of ACEIs/ARBs and antiplatelet drugs were frequent in patients with LAAT than in those without LAAT (p = 0.044, p = 0.000, respectively). Even after controlling for LAAT-related risk factors (age, body mass index, AF type, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, prior stroke or transient ischemic attack, drinking history and usage of antiplatelet drugs and LAVmax), use of RAS inhibitors remained significantly associated with a lower risk of LAAT (OR = 0.222; 95% CI 0.084-0.585, p = 0.002). This study shows that RAS inhibitors may be effective in reducing the risk of LAAT in patients with AF through atrial reverse remodeling.

Lack of Cardiac Improvement After Cardiosphere-Derived Cell Transplantation in Aging Mouse Hearts.

Aging is one of the most significant risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, and the incidence of myocardial ischemia increases dramatically with age. Some studies have reported that cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) could benefit the injured heart. Nevertheless, the convincing evidence on CDC-induced improvement of aging heart is still limited. In this study, we tested whether the CDCs isolated from neonatal mice could benefit cardiac function in aging mice. We evaluated cardiac function of PBS- (n=15) and CDC-injected (n=19) aging mice. Echocardiography indicated that left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (57.46%±3.57% versus 57.86%±2.44%) and LV fraction shortening (30.67%±2.41% versus 30.51%±1.78%) showed similar values in PBS- and CDC-injected mice. The diastolic wall thickness of LV was significantly increased after CDC injection, resulting in reduced diastolic LV volume. The pulse-wave Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging indicated that aging mice receiving PBS or CDC injection presented similar values of the peak early transmitral flow velocity, the peak late transmitral flow velocity, the ratio of the peak early transmitral flow velocity to the peak late transmitral flow velocity, and the ratio of the peak early transmitral flow velocity to the peak early diastolic mitral annular velocity, respectively. Pressure-volume loop experiment indicated that the LV end-diastolic pressure-volume relationship and end-systolic pressure-volume relationship were comparable in both PBS- and CDC-injected mice. Postmortem analysis of aging mouse hearts showed similar fibrotic degree in the 2 groups. In addition, the aging markers showed comparable expression levels in both PBS- and CDC-injected mice. The systemic aging performance measures, including exercise capacity, hair regrowth capacity, and inflammation, showed no significant improvement in CDC-injected mice. Finally, the telomere length was comparable between PBS- and CDC-injected mice. Together, these results indicate that CDCs do not improve heart function and systemic performances in aging mice.

Systolic and diastolic dysfunction affects kidney outcomes in hospitalized patients

BackgroundsKnowledge on cross-talk between the heart and kidney has been established by basic and clinical research. Nevertheless, the effects of systolic and diastolic heart dysfunctions on the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) remain unresolved in hospitalized patients.MethodsA total of 1327 hospitalized patients who had baseline transthoracic echocardiography performed were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were categorized by the quartiles of ejection fraction (EF) and the ratio of the early transmitral blood flow velocity to early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (E/e’). The odds ratios (ORs) for AKI and the hazard ratios (HRs) for ESRD were calculated after adjustment of multiple covariates.ResultsDuring hospital admission, AKI occurred in 210 (15.8%) patients. The lowest quartile of EF was associated with a risk of AKI (OR, 1.60 [1.07–2.41]) and the highest quartile of E/e’ was associated with a risk of AKI (OR, 1.90 [1.26–2.41]). When two echocardiographic parameters were combined, patients with a low EF (first to second quartiles) and high E/e’ (fourth quartile) showed the highest OR for AKI (OR, 2.27 [1.49–3.45]) compared with the counterpart patients. When the risk of ESRD was evaluated, E/e’, but not EF, was a significant parameter of high risk (fourth vs. first quartiles: HR, 4.13 [1.17–14.64]).ConclusionsBaseline systolic and diastolic dysfunction is related to subsequent risks of AKI and ESRD in hospitalized patients. Monitoring of these parameters may be a useful strategy to predict the risk of these adverse events in the kidney.

Perioperative Echocardiographic Index of Left Ventricular Filling Pressure in Cardiac Surgery

The elevated preoperative ratio of early transmitral flow velocity to early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (E/e') as an echocardiographic index of left ventricular filling pressure is known to be associated with poor postoperative outcomes. We investigated the association between preoperative and postoperative E/e' elevation and clinical outcomes after cardiac operations. The study divided 1,353 patients who underwent cardiac operations into four groups: preoperative and postoperative E/e' ≤15 (low-low), preoperative E/e' ≤15 but postoperative E/e' >15 (low-high), preoperative E/e' >15 but postoperative E/e' ≤15 (high-low), and preoperative and postoperative E/e' >15 (high-high). Cox proportional hazard analysis was performed. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis was performed before and after propensity score matching. The four perioperative E/e' categories were independently associated with 5-year mortality (hazard ratio, high-high vs low-low: 3.58; low-high vs low-low: 3.75; high-low vs low-low: 1.18). Kaplan-Meier curves showed that mortality was significantly different between the groups (log-rank test: high-high vs. low-low, p< 0.001; low-high vs low-low, p < 0.001). Postoperative intensive care unit and hospital lengths of stay, incidence of acute kidney injury, and 1-year mortality were significantly different. However, after propensity score matching, mortality and the incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury were significantly different only between postoperative E/e' ≤15 and E/e' >15, but not between preoperative E/e' ≤15 and E/e' >15. Postoperative E/e' >15 was more strongly associated with mortality and acute kidney injury thanpreoperative E/e' >15. Measurement of the postoperative E/e' ratio may help in assessing the risk of these patients.

Research of Dual-pulse wave Doppler for left ventricular diastolic function in atrial fibrillation and predicting recurrence after radiofrequency catheter ablation

Objective To explore the value of parameters obtained by dual-pulse wave Doppler to predict the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after radiofrequency catheter ablation(RFCA) and the value of the technology to evaluate the left ventricular diastolic function of the AF. Methods Sixty-seven AF patients who were subjected to ablation were selected as the case group, and 47 patients with sinus rhythm were matched as control group. The general clinical data of the case group and the control group was collected, routine ultrasound examination and dual-pulse wave Doppler examination were performed to all of them. A 24-hour Holter examination was performed at 3, 6 and 12 months after radiofrequency catheter ablation in the case group, the patients were divided into two groups with and without recurrence according to the results. Dual-pulse wave Doppler parameters included: ①the time interval between the onset of early transmitral flow velocity (E) and that of early diastolic mitral annular velocity (e′) (TE-e′); ②peak early diastolic transmitral flow velocity (E) and tissue Doppler septal (S) mitral annular early diastolic velocity (e′), peak early diastolic transmitral flow velocity (E) and tissue Doppler lateral (L) mitral annular early diastolic velocity (e′), E/e′(S) and E/e′(L). The differences between the case group and the control group, and between the recurrent and the non-recurrent group were compared. The factors influencing the recurrence of AF after RFCA were analyzed with univariate and multivariate Logistic regression. Results ①The parameters E/e′(S), E/e′(L) and TE-e′ of case group were higher than those of control group (all P 0.05); ③Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression suggested that TE-e′ was an independent predictor for the recurrence of AF patients after the ablation(P=0.001). Conclusions Dual-pulse wave Doppler can evaluate left ventricular diastolic function of atrial fibrillation, TE-e′ is an independent predictor for the recurrence of AF patients after radiofrequency catheter ablation. Key words: Echocardiography; Atrial fibrillation; Radiofrequency catheter ablation; Dual-pulse wave Doppler; Recurrence

The impact of heart, lung and diaphragmatic ultrasound on prediction of failed extubation from mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients: a prospective observational pilot study

BackgroundFailed extubation from mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients is multifactorial, complex and not well understood. We aimed to identify whether combined transthoracic echocardiography, lung and diaphragmatic ultrasound can predict extubation failure in critically ill patients.ResultsFifty-three participants who were intubated > 48 h and deemed by the treating intensivist ready for extubation underwent a 60-min pre-extubation weaning trial (pressure support ≤ 10 cmH2O and positive end expiratory pressure 5 cmH2O). Prior to extubation, data collected included ultrasound assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction, left atrial area, early diastolic trans-mitral flow velocity wave (E), early diastolic trans-mitral flow velocity wave/late diastolic trans-mitral flow velocity wave (E/A), early diastolic trans-mitral flow velocity wave/early diastolic mitral annulus velocity (E/E′), interatrial septal motion, lung loss of aeration score and diaphragm movement. At the end of the weaning trial, the rapid shallow breathing index and serum B-type natriuretic peptide concentration were measured. Success and failure of weaning was assessed by defined criteria. Decision to extubate was at the discretion of the treating intensivist. Failure of extubation was defined as re-intubation, non-invasive ventilation or death within 48 h after extubation. Of 53 extubated participants, 11 failed extubation. Failed extubation was associated with diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, higher E/E′ (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.05–1.54), left atrial area (OR 1.14, CI 1.02–1.28), fixed rightward curvature of the interatrial septum (OR 12.95, CI 2.73–61.41), and higher loss of aeration score of anterior and lateral regions of the lungs (OR 1.41, CI 1.01–1.82).ConclusionsFailed extubation in mechanically ventilated patients is more prevalent if markers of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and loss of lung aeration are present.

A novel predictor of clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure with preserved left-ventricular ejection fraction: a pilot study.

Predictors of outcomes in patients with heart failure with preserved left-ventricular ejection fraction (HFpEF) remain unclear. The ratio of early diastolic transmitral flow velocity to early diastolic myocardial velocity (E/e') has been proposed, but the predictive accuracy remains unsatisfactory. We hypothesized that E/e' normalized by the stroke volume (SV), E/e'/SV, could be a good predictor of outcome in HFpEF patients by reflecting the terminal slope of the end-diastolic pressure-volume relation, i.e., stiffness of the left ventricle. This pilot study was conducted to propose a novel echocardiographic index for predicting the outcomes of patients with HFpEF. Echocardiography including E/e'/SV measurement was performed in consecutive 80 HFpEF patients at discharge in index hospitalization due to HF. The end points included the readmission for heart failure and cardiovascular death at 1 year after discharge. 19 patients (24%) met the end points. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis showed that E/e''/SV was a strong predictive factor (AUC = 0.78) compared to E/e' (AUC = 0.74). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with E/e'/SV > 0.40 had a poorer prognosis than those with E/e'/SV < 0.40 (p < 0.01). By Cox regression multi-variate analysis, a high E/e'/SV was an independent predictor of event-free survival [adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI) 14.26 (3.18, 63.93) (p = 0.01)]. E/e'/SV has potential to predict clinical outcomes in patients with HFpEF.

PULSE PRESSURE AMPLIFICATION AND AUGMENTATION INDEX IN ASSOCIATION WITH CARDIAC STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL DAMAGE

Objective: To investigate and compare the associations of pulse pressure amplification (PPA) and augmentation index (Aix) with asymptomatic cardiac structural and functional damage in an elderly Chinese population.Design and method: 1940 participants (mean age of 71.6 years) were included in the present study. Central blood pressure (BP) parameters were measured by SphygmoCor device. PPA and Aix were calculated as the ratio of central and brachial pulse pressures and the ratio of augmentation pressure and aortic pulse pressure, respectively. Cardiac structural and functional parameters including left ventricular mass index (LVMI), the ratio of peak early diastolic transmitral flow velocity and early diastolic lateral mitral annular velocity (E/Ea), were evaluated using standardized methods. Results: In correlation analysis, both PPA and Aix significantly correlated with LVMI and E/Ea ratio. When PPA and Aix separately put into same multivariate full-mode linear regression models, both PPA and Aix significantly associated with LVMI (regression coefficient [β] = 4.664, per 10% increase of PPA, P < 0.001; β = 1.998, per 10% increase of Aix, P = 0.02) and E/Ea ratio (β = 0.499, per 10% increase of PPA, P < 0.01; β = 0.152, per 10% increase of Aix, P = 0.18). When PPA and Aix both put into same multivariate stepwise linear regression models, only PPA were stayed in the model. When PPA and Aix separately put into same multivariate full-mode logistic regression models, only PPA was significantly associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (Odds ratio[OR]:1.242, 95% confidence interval[CI]:1.026–1.505, per 10% increase of PPA) and dysfunction (OR: 1.407, 95%CI: 1.087–1.820, per 10% increase of PPA). When PPA and Aix both put into same multivariate stepwise logistic regression models, only PPA were stayed in the model. In all multivariate models, brachial systolic BP was included and significantly associated with cardiac damage. Conclusions: PPA showed stronger BP-independent association with cardiac structural and functional damage than Aix.

The Sum of Early Diastolic Annulus Velocities in the Mitral and Tricuspid Valve Can Predict Adverse Events After Cardiac Surgery

To assess whether a tissue Doppler imaging (TDI)-based parameter consisting of the sum of early diastolic velocities of the mitral annulus (Me') and tricuspid annulus (Te') can serve as a predictor of adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery. Prospective, observational study. University hospital. The study comprised 100 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. None. After anesthetic induction, transesophageal echocardiography was performed to obtain the values of the early transmitral flow velocity (E), Me', and Te'. The primary endpoint was the incidence of postoperative major organ morbidity and mortality (MOMM) events, including death, redo surgery, prolonged ventilation, stroke, sternal infection, and dialysis. Receiver operating characteristic and multivariate logistic analyses were used to examine the prognostic performance of TDI-based parameters for predicting MOMM incidence. The secondary endpoint was the incidence of death or rehospitalization for cardiovascular disease within 1 year post-discharge. TDI-based parameters were measured in 87 of the 100 patients enrolled. Me' plus Te' had better prognostic ability (area under the curve 0.771; threshold 13cm/s; sensitivity 86.7%; specificity 64.9%) than that of Me' or E to Me' (E/Me')% and was an independent predictor of MOMM (odds ratio 0.45; 95% confidence interval 0.28-0.74, p = 0.001), whereas Me' was not. Lower Me' plus Te' (≤13 cm/s) was associated with a significantly higher incidence and earlier onset of cardiovascular events within 1 year post-discharge (p = 0.012). Compared with Me' and E/Me', which traditionally are used for assessing diastolic function, Me' plus Te' showed better prognostic ability for both short- and long-term outcomes of cardiac surgery.

Improved heart hemodynamics after draining large-volume pleural effusion: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundPleural effusion (PE) drainage can relieve the symptoms of dyspnea; however, details of the resulting hemodynamic changes remain undefined.MethodsSubjects older than 12 years with massive PE requiring pleural drainage were included in this study. Hemodynamic parameters were collected using transthoracic echocardiography at pre-drainage, immediately post-drainage, and 24 h after drainage.ResultsWe enrolled 47subjects in this prospective study from June 9, 2015 to September 18, 2016 in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital and 28 subjects were analyzed finally. Draining large-volume PE led to a progressive increase in left ventricular end-diastolic volume index, left atrial volume index, right ventricular area, right atrial area, left ventricular ejection fraction, stroke volume, and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, both immediately (P < 0.05) and 24 h after drainage (P < 0.05). The cardiac diastolic measurement ratios of early-transmitral flow velocity to diastolic mitral annular velocity and myocardial performance index decreased significantly following drainage (P < 0.05). More parameters were influenced by left-sided PE drainage. The correlation between effusion volume and changes in echocardiographic measurements was not statistically significant.ConclusionsImproved preload, and systolic and diastolic function is pivotal for hemodynamic change after draining large PE volumes. Subjects experienced improved cardiac hemodynamics following PE drainage, underlining the beneficial therapeutic and subjective effects.

Impaired left ventricular diastolic function in T2DM patients is closely related to glycemic control.

SummaryBackgroundLeft ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction commonly is observed in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We employed transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) to investigate the hypothesis that LV diastolic dysfunction in T2DM is associated with poor glycemic control.MethodsForty subjects, 21 with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and 19 with T2DM, were studied with CMRI and TTE to assess LV function. Early‐to‐late transmitral flow ratio (E/A) and deceleration time (DecT) were assessed with both modalities. Normalized (to body surface area) end‐diastolic volume (EDV/BSA) and normalized peak LV filling rate (pLVFR/BSA) were assessed with CMRI. Early transmitral flow velocity to septal velocity (E/e’) and isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT) were measured using TTE. Dimensional parameters were normalized to body surface area (BSA).Results CMRI measurements demonstrated impaired E/A (1.13 ± 0.34 vs 1.62 ± 0.42, P < .001), increased DecT (174 ± 46 ms vs 146 ± 15, P = .005), as well as lower EDV/BSA (63 ± 10 vs 72 ± 9 mL/m2, P < .01) and pLVFR/BSA (189 ± 46 vs 221 ± 48 mL s−1 m−2, P < .05) in T2DM subjects. TTE measurements revealed lower E/A (1.1 ± 0.4 vs 1.4 ± 0.2, P < .001) and E/e’ (6.8 ± 1.5 vs 8.7 ± 2.0, P < .0001) with higher DecT (203 ± 22 ms vs 179 ± 18, P < .001) and IVRT (106 ± 14 ms vs 92 ± 10, P < .001) in T2DM. Multiple parameters of LV function: E/ACMRI (r = −.50, P = .001), E/ATTE (r = −.46, P < .005), pLVFR/BSA (r = −.35, P < .05), E/e’ (r = −.46, P < .005), EDV/BSACMRI (r = −.51, P < .0001), EDV/BSATTE (r = −.42, P < .01) were negatively correlated with HbA1c. All but E/e’ also were inversely correlated with fasting plasma glucose (FPG).ConclusionsImpaired LV diastolic function (DF) was found in T2DM subjects with both CMRI and TTE, and multiple LVDF parameters correlated negatively with HbA1c and FPG. These results indicate that impaired LVDF is inversely linked to glycemic control in T2DM patients.

Evaluating the changes of intra- and interatrial synchronization with age in normal adults by dual gate Doppler

Objective To evaluate the changes of intra- and interatrial synchronization with age in normal adults by dual gate Doppler and discuss the feasibility of dual gate Doppler in assessing atrial synchronization. Methods Fifty-seven healthy volunteers were divided into three groups according to age: group A (20-39 years old, n=20), group B (40-59 years old, n=21), group C (60-79 years old, n=16). The time interval of the onset of a′ wave between mitral annular septal and lateral site was T1 by dual gate Doppler, which was used to evaluate left atrial synchronization. The time intervals from the onset of a′ wave at tricuspid annular right ventricular free wall site to a′ wave at tricuspid annular septal site and mitral annular lateral site were T2 and T3, which were respectively used to evaluate right atrial and interatrial synchronization. With traditional Doppler technique, the time intervals from the onset of P wave to the onset of a′ wave at the mitral annular lateral site (P-L), the mitral annular septal site (P-S), and the tricuspid annular right ventricular free wall site (P-RVFW) were measured. The time differences between P-L and P-S, between P-S and P-RVFW, and between P-L and P-RVFW were t1 (left atrial synchronization), t2 (right atrial synchronization), t3 (interatrial synchronization). The greater time interval predicted the worse synchronization. Results ①Systolic and diastolic blood pressure elevated with age among three groups (P<0.05). Compared with group A, the ratio (E/e′) of early diastolic transmitral flow velocity (E) and mitral annular velocity of septal site (e′), and late diastolic transmitral flow velocity increased in group B and C. In contrast with group A and B, left atrial volume (LAV) increased, and E decreased in group C (all P<0.05). ②Compared with group A, T1, T2, T3 and t1, t2, t3 increased in group B and C (all P<0.05). ③T1, T2 and T3 were positively correlated with age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, left atrial systolic antero-posterior diameter and E/e′ (all P<0.05). Besides, T1 was positively correlated with LAV (P<0.05). T3 was positively correlated with LAV and right atrial upper-inferior diameter. ④The parameters of atrial synchronization in dual gate Doppler were concordant with that in traditional Doppler technique.And the measurements of two methods were correlated (r=0.78, P<0.01). For inter- and intraobservers, the interclass correlation coefficient with dual gate Doppler was higher and 95% confidence interval range was smaller. Conclusions The intra- and interatrial synchronization reduces with age in normal adults. Dual gate Doppler is feasible in evaluating atrial synchronization, which can provide more repeatable measurements and can be a new prospective method to assess atrial synchronization. Key words: Echocardiography; Atrial function; Dual gate Doppler