Major In-hospital Complications Research Articles

Occurrence of Transient Myocardial Ischemic Events among Non-ST Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients Before or After Invasive Coronary Angiography.

The occurrence of transient myocardial ischemia (TMI) is an important pathology in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS), yet studies are scarce regarding when TMI occurs during hospitalization, particularly in relation to invasive coronary angiography (ICA). This study examined: (1) TMI before or after ICA; (2) patient characteristics and ischemic burden by TMI group (before or after ICA); and (3) major in-hospital complications (transfer to critical care, death) and length of stay (LOS) by TMI group (before or after ICA). Secondary data analysis in hospitalized NSTE-ACS patients with TMI event(s) identified from 12-lead electrocardiographic (ECG) Holter. Patient records were reviewed to assess ischemic burden (TMI time [minutes] ÷ hours recording duration), outcomes and TMI timing, before or after ICA. In 38 patients, 3 (8%) had TMI before and after ICA. Of the remaining 35 patients (92%), TMI occurred before ICA (16; 46%), and after ICA (9; 26%), and 10 (28%) did not have ICA. Patient characteristics, untoward outcomes, and TMI duration (minutes) did not differ by group. Ischemic burden was higher in patients with TMI after ICA (7.29±8.82 min/hr) compared to before ICA (2.54±2.11 min/hr), p=0.039. Hospital LOS by TMI group was 113±113 (before), 226±244 (after), and 85±65 hr (no ICA); p=0.172. Almost half of the sample had TMI before ICA; one-third had TMI but did not have ICA. Patients with TMI after an ICA had higher ischemic burden. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed to investigate further the short- and long-term clinical significance of TMI among NSTE-ACS patients.

A Comparison of Prognostic Factors in a Large Cohort of In-Hospital and Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients.

We investigated independent factors predicting neurological outcome and death, comparing in-hospital (IHCA) and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. The study was conducted in the mixed 34-bed Intensive Care Department at the Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Belgium. All adult consecutive cardiac arrest (CA) survivors were included between 2004 and 2022. For all patients, demographic data, medical comorbidities, CA baseline characteristics, treatments received during Intensive Care Unit stay, in-hospital major complications, and neurological outcome at three months after CA, using the Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) scale, were collected. In the multivariable analysis, in the IHCA group (n = 540), time to return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), older age, unwitnessed CA, higher lactate on admission, asystole as initial rhythm, a non-cardiac cause of CA, the occurrence of shock, the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI), and the presence of previous neurological disease and of liver cirrhosis were independent predictors of an unfavorable neurological outcome. Among patients with OHCA (n = 567), time to ROSC, older age, higher lactate level on admission, unwitnessed CA, asystole or pulseless electrical activity (PEA) as initial rhythm, the occurrence of shock, a non-cardiac cause of CA, and a previous neurological disease were independent predictors of an unfavorable neurological outcome. To conclude, in our large cohort of mixed IHCA and OHCA patients, we observed numerous factors independently associated with a poor neurological outcome, with minimal differences between the two groups, reflecting the greater vulnerability of hospitalized patients.

Contemporary Assessment of Adhesiolysis and Resection for Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction in the State of New York.

Adhesive small bowel obstruction (aSBO) is a common surgical problem, with some advocating for a more aggressive operative approach to avoid recurrence. Contemporary outcomes in a real-world setting were examined. A retrospective cohort study was performed using the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative database to identify adults admitted with aSBO, 2016-2020. Patients were stratified by the presence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and cancer history. Diagnoses usually requiring resection were excluded. Patients were categorized into four groups: non-operative, adhesiolysis, resection, and 'other' procedures. In-hospital mortality, major complications, and odds of undergoing resection were compared. 58,976 patients were included. 50,000 (84.8%) underwent non-operative management. Adhesiolysis was the most common procedure performed (n = 4,990, 8.46%), followed by resection (n = 3,078, 5.22%). In-hospital mortality in the lysis and resection groups was 2.2% and 5.9% respectively. Non-IBD patients undergoing operation on the day of admission required intestinal resection 29.9% of the time. Adjusted odds of resection were highest for those with a prior aSBO episode (OR 1.29 95%CI 1.11-1.49), delay to operation ≥3 days (OR1.78 95%CI 1.58-1.99), and non-New York City (NYC) residents being treated at NYC hospitals (OR1.57 95%CI 1.19-2.07). Adhesiolysis is currently the most common surgery for aSBO, however nearly one-third of patients will undergo a more extensive procedure, with an increased risk of mortality. Innovative therapies are needed to reduce the risk of resection.

Quantifying the Association Between Surgical Spine Approach and Tracheostomy Timing After Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.

Recent evidence suggests earlier tracheostomy is associated with fewer complications in patients with complete cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). This study aims to evaluate the influence of spine surgical approach on the association between tracheostomy timing and in-hospital adverse events treating patients with complete cervical SCI. This retrospective cohort study was performed using Trauma Quality Improvement Program data from 2017 to 2020. All patients with acute complete (American Spinal Injury Association-A) cervical SCI who underwent tracheostomy and spine surgery were included. Tracheostomy timing was dichotomized to early (within 1 week after surgery) and delayed (more than 1 week after surgery). Primary outcome was the occurrence of major in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes included occurrences of immobility-related complications, surgical-site infection, hospital and intensive care unit length of stay, and time on mechanical ventilation. The study included 1592 patients across 358 trauma centers. Mean time to tracheostomy from surgery was 8.6 days. A total of 495 patients underwent anterior approach, 670 underwent posterior approach, and 427 underwent combined anterior and posterior approach. Patients who underwent anterior approach were significantly more likely to have delayed tracheostomy compared with posterior approach (53% vs 40%, P < .001). Early tracheotomy significantly reduced major in-hospital complications (odds ratio 0.67, 95% CI 0.53-0.84) and immobility complications (odds ratio = 0.78, 95% CI 0.6-1.0). Those undergoing early tracheostomy spent 6.0 (95% CI -8.47 to -3.43) fewer days in hospital, 5.7 (95% CI -7.8 to -3.7) fewer days in the intensive care unit, and 5.9 (95% CI -8.2 to -3.7) fewer days ventilated. Surgical approach had no significant negative effect on the association between tracheostomy timing and the outcomes of interest. Earlier tracheostomy for patients with cervical SCI is associated with reduced complications, length of stay, and ventilation time. This relationship appears independent of the surgical approach. These findings emphasize that tracheostomy need not be delayed because of the SCI treatment approach.

Variations in surgical practice and short-term outcomes for degenerative lumbar scoliosis and spondylolisthesis: do surgeon training and experience matter?

For diverse procedures, sizable geographic variation exists in rates and outcomes of surgery, including for degenerative lumbar spine conditions. Little is known about how surgeon training and experience are associated with surgeon-level variations in spine surgery practice and short-term outcomes. This retrospective observational analysis characterized variations in surgical operations for degenerative lumbar scoliosis or spondylolisthesis, two common age-related conditions. The study setting was two large spine surgery centers in one region during 2017-19. Using data (International Classification of Diseases-10th edition and current procedural terminology codes) extracted from electronic health record systems, we characterized surgeon-level variations in practice (use of instrumented fusion - a more extensive procedure that involves device-related risks) and short-term postoperative outcomes (major in-hospital complications and readmissions). Next, we tested for associations between surgeon training (specialty and spine fellowship) and experience (career stage and operative volume) and use of instrumented fusion as well as outcomes. Eighty-nine surgeons performed 2481 eligible operations. For the study diagnoses, spine surgeons exhibited substantial variation in operative volume, use of instrumented fusion, and postoperative outcomes. Among surgeons above the median operative volume, use of instrumented fusion ranged from 0% to >90% for scoliosis and 9% to 100% for spondylolisthesis, while rates of major in-hospital complications ranged from 0% to 25% for scoliosis and from 0% to 14% for spondylolisthesis. For scoliosis, orthopedic surgeons were more likely than neurosurgeons to perform instrumented fusion for scoliosis [49% vs. 33%, odds ratio (OR) = 2.3, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.3-4.2, P-value = .006] as were fellowship-trained surgeons (49% vs. 25%, OR = 3.0, 95% CI 1.6-5.8; P = .001). Fellowship-trained surgeons had lower readmission rates. Surgeons with higher operative volumes used instrumented fusion more often (OR = 1.1, 95% CI 1.0-1.2, P < .05 for both diagnoses) and had lower rates of major in-hospital complications (OR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.85-0.97; P = .006). Surgical practice can vary greatly for degenerative spine conditions, even within the same region and among colleagues at the same institution. Surgical specialty and subspecialty, in addition to recent operative volume, can be linked to variations in spine surgeons' practice patterns and outcomes. These findings reinforce the notion that residency and fellowship training may contribute to variation and present important opportunities to optimize surgical practice over the course of surgeons' careers. Future efforts to reduce unexplained variation in surgical practice could test interventions focused on graduate medical education. Graphical Abstract.

Minimally Invasive Trans-Axillary versus Full Sternotomy Mitral Valve Repair: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis on Mid-Term Outcomes.

Background and Objectives: Minimally invasive cardiac surgery is an established approach for the treatment of heart valve pathologies and is associated with excellent technical and early postoperative outcomes. Data from medium- and long-term longitudinal evaluation of patients who underwent mitral valve repair (MVr) through transaxillary approach (TAxA) are still lacking. The aim of this study is to investigate mid-term results in patients who underwent TAxA MVr. Materials and Methods: Prospectively collected data of patients who underwent first-time MVr for MV regurgitation between 2017 and 2022, were reviewed. A total of 308 patients received TAxA, while in 220 cases, traditional full sternotomy (FS) was performed. Concomitant aortic and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures, infective endocarditis or urgent operations were excluded. A propensity match (PS) analysis was used to overcome preoperative differences between the populations. Follow-up data were retrieved from outpatients' clinic, telephone calls and municipal administration records. Results: After PS-matching, two well-balanced cohorts of 171 patients were analysed. The overall 30-day mortality rate was 0.6% in both cohorts. No statistical difference in postoperative complications was reported. TAxA cohort experienced earlier postoperative extubation (p < 0.001) with a higher rate of extubation performed in the operating theatre (p < 0.001), shorter intensive care unit (ICU) stay (p < 0.001), and reduced hospitalization with 51% of patients discharged home (p < 0.001). Estimated survival at 5 years was 98.8% in TAxA vs. 93.6% in FS cohort (Log rank p = 0.15). The cumulative incidence of reoperation was 2.6% and 4.4% at 5 years, respectively, in TAxA and FS cohorts (Gray test p = 0.49). Conclusions: TAxA approach for MVr was associated with low rates of in-hospital mortality and major postoperative complications being furthermore associated with shorter mechanical ventilation time, shorter ICU stay and reduced hospitalization with a higher rate of patients able to be discharged home. At mid-term, TAxA was associated with excellent survival and low rate of MV reoperation.

Major in-hospital complications after catheter ablation of cardiac arrhythmias: individual case analysis of 43 031 procedures.

In-hospital complications of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter (AFL), and ventricular tachycardia (VT) may be overestimated by analyses of administrative data. We determined the incidences of in-hospital mortality, major bleeding, and stroke around AF, AFL, and VT ablations in four German tertiary centres between 2005 and 2020. All cases were coded by the G-DRG- and OPS-systems. Uniform code search terms were applied defining both the types of ablations for AF, AFL, and VT and the occurrence of major adverse events including femoral vascular complications, iatrogenic tamponade, stroke, and in-hospital death. Importantly, all complications were individually reviewed based on patient-level source records. Overall, 43 031 ablations were analysed (30 361 AF; 9364 AFL; 3306 VT). The number of ablations/year more than doubled from 2005 (n = 1569) to 2020 (n = 3317) with 3 times and 2.5 times more AF and VT ablations in 2020 (n = 2404 and n = 301, respectively) as compared to 2005 (n = 817 and n = 120, respectively), but a rather stable number of AFL ablations (n = 554 vs. n = 612). Major peri-procedural complications occurred in 594 (1.4%) patients. Complication rates were 1.1% (n = 325) for AF, 1.0% (n = 95) for AFL, and 5.3% (n = 175) for VT. With an increase in complex AF/VT procedures, the overall complication rate significantly increased (0.76% in 2005 vs. 1.81% in 2020; P = 0.004); but remained low over time. Following patient-adjudication, all in-hospital cardiac tamponades (0.7%) and strokes (0.2%) were related to ablation. Major femoral vascular complications requiring surgical intervention occurred in 0.4% of all patients. The in-hospital mortality rate adjudicated to be ablation-related was lower than the coded mortality rate: AF: 0.03% vs. 0.04%; AFL: 0.04% vs. 0.14%; VT: 0.42% vs. 1.48%. Major adverse events are low and comparable after catheter ablation for AFL and AF (∼1.0%), whereas they are five times higher for VT ablations. In the presence of an increase in complex ablation procedures, a moderate but significant increase in overall complications from 2005-20 was observed. Individual case analysis demonstrated a lower than coded ablation-related in-hospital mortality. This highlights the importance of individual case adjudication when analysing administrative data.

Abstract 15646: Outcomes of Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Interventions in Patients With Prior Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Background: The long-term outcomes of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in patients with prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) have received limited study. Methods: We examined the baseline characteristics and outcomes of CTO PCIs performed at 47 US and non-US centers between 2012 and 2023. Results: Of the 12,164 patients who underwent CTO PCI during the study period, 3,475 (29%) had prior CABG. Prior CABG patients were older, more likely to be men, with higher incidence of comorbidities and lower left ventricular ejection fraction and eGFR. Their CTOs were more likely to have moderate/severe calcification and proximal tortuosity, proximal cap ambiguity, longer lesion length and higher J-CTO scores. The first and final successful crossing strategy was more likely to be the retrograde approach. They had lower technical (82.1% vs 88.2%, p&lt;0.001) and procedural (80.8% vs 86.8%, p&lt;0.001) success, but similar incidence of in-hospital major complications. The incidence of in-hospital death (0.8% vs 0.3%, p&lt;0.001), acute myocardial infarction (0.9% vs 0.5%, p=0.007) and perforation (7.0% vs 4.2%, p&lt;0.001) was higher in prior CABG patients, while pericardial tamponade was less common (0.1% vs 1.3%, p&lt;0.001). At 2-year follow-up, the incidence of major adverse cardiac events, repeat PCI and acute coronary syndromes was significantly higher in prior CABG patients, while all-cause mortality was similar. Conclusions: Prior CABG patients undergoing CTO PCI have more complex clinical and angiographic characteristics and lower success rate, but similar incidence of in-hospital major complications, and had higher incidence of MACE but similar all-cause mortality during long-term follow-up. Abbreviations: eGFR= estimated glomerular filtration rate

Postoperative outcomes, predictors and trends of mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery with underlying aortic stenosis: a nationwide inpatient sample analysis

BackgroundHip fractures frequently necessitate hospitalization, especially among patients aged 75 and above who might concurrently suffer from aortic stenosis (AS). This study focuses on postoperative outcomes, potential determinants of morbidity and mortality, as well as evolving trends in patients with AS undergoing surgical repair of hip fractures.MethodsA retrospective analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2008 to 2019 was conducted. Hip fracture cases were identified, and a subgroup with AS was isolated using the ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnostic codes. We compared baseline characteristics, postoperative in-hospital outcomes and trends in mortality and morbidity between patients with and without AS.ResultsFrom the dataset, 2,834,919 patients with hip fracture were identified on weighted analysis. Of these, 94,270 (3.3%) were found to have concurrent AS. The AS cohort was characterized by higher mean age and elevated burden of cardiovascular comorbidities, such as coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, pulmonary hypertension, congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias. Postoperative mortality following hip fracture surgery was greater in the AS groups compared to non-AS group (3.3% vs 1.57%, p < 0.001). Risk factors such as congestive heart failure (OR, 2.3[CI, 2.1–2.6]), age above 85 years (OR, 3.2[CI, 2.2–4.7]), cardiac arrhythmias (OR, 2.4[CI, 2.2–2.6]), end-stage renal disease (OR, 3.4[CI, 2.7–4.1]), malnutrition (OR, 2.3[CI, 2.1–2.7]) and AS (OR, 1.2[CI, 1.08–1.5] were associated with increased adjusted odds of postoperative mortality. AS was linked to higher adjusted odds of postoperative mortality (OR, 1.2 [CI, 1.1–1.5]) and complications such as acute myocardial infarction (OR, 1.2 [CI, 1.01–1.4]), cardiogenic shock (OR, 2.0[CI, 1.4–2.9]) and acute renal failure (OR, 1.1[CI, 1.02–1.2]). While hospital stay duration was comparable in both groups (average 5 days), the AS group incurred higher costs (mean $50,673 vs $44,607). The presence of acute heart failure in patients with AS and hip fracture significantly increased mortality, hospital stay, and cost. A notable decline in postoperative in-hospital mortality was observed in both groups from 2008–2019 though the rate of major in-hospital complications rose.ConclusionAS significantly influences postoperative in-hospital mortality and complication rates in hip fracture patients. While a reduction in postoperative mortality was observed in both AS and non-AS cohorts, the incidence of major in-hospital complications increased across both groups.

Frailty and associated outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion: findings from the NCDR LAAO registry.

Frailty is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and may have clinical implications in an advanced age population with atrial fibrillation undergoing left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO). We sought to develop a novel frailty scale to predict worse outcomes in patients undergoing LAAO. Patients in the NCDR LAAO Registry between 2016 and 2021 receiving percutaneous LAAO devices were categorized as non-frail (0 points), pre-frail (1-3 points), or frail (4-5 points) based on a 5-point scale representing multiple domains of frailty: hemoglobin <13.0 g/dL in male, <12.0 g/dL in female; creatinine ≥1.2 mg/dL; albumin <3.5 g/dL; body mass index <20 kg/m2; and increased risk of falls. Of 57,728 patients, 44,360 (76.8%) were pre-frail and 7693 (13.3%) were frail. Compared to non-frail, pre-frail and frail patients were older, had a higher burden of co-morbidities, and more disability based on the Modified Rankin Scale. Compared to non-frail patients after adjustment, frail patients were at higher risk of in-hospital major complication (OR 1.29, 95% 1.02-1.62, p = 0.01), any complication (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.09-1.52, p = 0.0005), and death (OR 5.79, 95% CI 1.75-19.17, p = 0.001), while no difference was observed in pre-frail patients. At 45-day follow-up, there was no difference in the risk of complications in frail patients as compared to non-frail, although mortality was significantly higher (OR 3.01, 95% CI 1.97-4.85, p < 0.0001). A simple and practical frailty scale accurately predicts adverse events in patients undergoing LAAO. The 13% of patients considered frail were at significantly higher risk of in-hospital adverse events and 45-day mortality.

Perioperative Use of Intravenous Levodopa as an Anti-Parkinsonian Drug: A Propensity Score Analysis.

Perioperative discontinuation of oral anti-parkinsonian medication can negatively impact the prognosis of abdominal surgery in patients with Parkinson's disease. Although intravenous levodopa may be an alternative, its efficacy has not yet been investigated. To determine the efficacy of intravenous levodopa as an alternative to oral anti-Parkinsonian drugs during gastric or colorectal cancer surgery. We identified patients with Parkinson's disease who underwent surgery for gastric or colorectal cancer between April 2010 and March 2020, using the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, a nationwide inpatient database in Japan. Patients were divided into two groups: those who received intravenous levodopa during the perioperative period and those who did not. We compared in-hospital mortalities, major complications, and postoperative length of stay between the groups after adjusting for background characteristics with overlap weights based on propensity scores. We identified 648 patients who received intravenous levodopa and 1207 who did not receive levodopa during the perioperative period. In the adjusted cohort, the mean postoperative length of stay was 24.7 and 29.0 days (percent difference, -7.7%; 95% confidence interval, -13.1 to -1.5); in-hospital death was 3.2% and 3.3% (adjusted odds ratio, 0.95; 95% CI: 0.54-1.67); and incidence of major complications were 21.4% and 19.3% (adjusted odds ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.70-1.13) in those with and without intravenous levodopa, respectively. Intravenous levodopa was associated with a shorter postoperative length of stay, but not with mortality or morbidity. Intravenous levodopa may improve perioperative care in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Stroke Unit as an alternative to Intensive Care Unit for initial hospital admission of low-grade non-aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: A safety and cost-minimisation analysis.

Stroke Units (SU) have been suggested as an alternative to Intensive Care units (ICU) for initial admission of low-grade non-aneurysmal spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage (naSAH). We hypothesised that the incidence of in-hospital complications and long-term clinical outcomes in low-grade naSAH patients would be comparable in both settings, and that a cost-minimisation analysis would favour the use of SU. Retrospective, single-centre study at a third-level stroke-referral hospital, including low-grade spontaneous naSAH patients with WFNS 1-2. Primary outcomes were death and functional status at 3 months. Secondary outcomes were incidence of in-hospital major neurological and systemic complications. Additionally, a cost-minimisation analysis was conducted to estimate the average cost savings that could be achieved with the most efficient approach. Out of 96 naSAH patients, 30 (31%) were initially admitted to ICU and 66 (69%) to SU. Both groups had similar demographic and radiological features except for a higher proportion of WFNS 2 in ICU subgroup. There were no statistically significant differences between ICU and SU-managed subgroups in death rate (2 (7%) and 1 (2%), respectively), functional outcome at 90 days (28 (93%) and 61 (92%) modified Rankin Scale 0-2) or neurological and systemic in-hospital complications. Cost-minimisation analysis demonstrated significant monetary savings favouring the SU strategy. Initial admission to the SU appears to be a safe and cost-effective alternative to the ICU for low-grade naSAH patients, with comparable clinical outcomes and a reduction of hospitalisation-related costs. Prospective multicenter randomised studies are encouraged to further evaluate this approach.

Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia Is Associated With Higher Mortality and Limb Revascularization After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is common in patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis. PAD exists as a spectrum, and patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI), the most severe form of PAD, are at high risk for limb loss and death. We seek to determine patient characteristics and clinical outcomes among patients who underwent TAVR with or without CLTI. We identified all hospitalizations for TAVR from October 2015 to December 2018 using the National Inpatient Sample database. Patients with any diagnosis of CLTI were identified using the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision codes. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and secondary outcomes were major complications, open revascularization, and endovascular revascularization after TAVR. During the study period, a total of 31,335 hospitalizations for TAVR procedures were included, including 7,048 (22.5%) in patients with CLTI. CLTI was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13 to 1.74, p=0.002) and major complications (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.25, p <0.001). CLTI was also associated with a significantly higher rate of open limb revascularization (OR 5.1, 95% CI 3.94 to 6.48, p <0.001) and endovascular revascularization (OR 4.0, 95% CI 3.54 to 4.59, p <0.001). CLTI among patients who underwent TAVR is associated with higher in-hospital mortality, major complications, and longer lengths of stay compared with patients without CLTI. However, the overall rates of adverse events remain low. Further studies are needed to optimize the multidisciplinary care of these patients before TAVR with a focus on shared decision-making.

The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) as an Independent Prognostic Factor for Patients ≥80 Years with Small Bowel Obstruction (SBO)

BackgroundSBO is a potentially life-threatening condition that often affects older patients. Frailty, more than age, is expected to play a crucial role in predicting SBO prognosis in this population. This study aims to define the influence of Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) on mortality and major complications in patients ≥80 years with diagnosis of SBO at the emergency department (ED). MethodsAll patients aged ≥80 years admitted to our ED for SBO from January 2015 to September 2020 were enrolled. Frailty was assessed through the CFS, and then analyzed both as a continuous and a dichotomous variable. The endpoints were in-hospital mortality and major complications. ResultsA total of 424 patients were enrolled. Higher mortality (20.8% vs 8.6%, p<0.001), longer hospital stay (9 [range 5–14] days vs 7 [range 4–12] days, p=0.014), and higher rate of major complications (29.9% vs 17.9%, p=0.004) were associated with CFS ≥7. CFS score and bloodstream infection were the only independent prognostic factors for mortality (OR 1.72 [CI: 1.29–2.29], p<0.001; OR 4.69 [CI: 1.74–12.6], p=0.002, respectively). Furthermore, CFS score, male sex and surgery were predictive factors for major complications (OR 1.41 [CI: 1.13–1.75], p=0.002; OR 1.67 [CI: 1.03–2.71], p=0.038); OR 1.91 [CI: 1.17–3.12], p=0.01; respectively). At multivariate analysis, for every 1-point increase in CFS score, the odds of mortality and the odds of major complications increased 1.72-fold and 1.41-fold, respectively. ConclusionThe increase in CFS is directly associated with an increased risk of mortality and major complications. The presence of severe frailty could effectively predict an increased risk of in-hospital death regardless of the treatment administered. The employment of CFS in elderly patients could help the identification of the need for closer monitoring and proper goals of care.

Complications and Outcomes of Impella Treatment in Cardiogenic Shock Patients With and Without Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background In patients with cardiogenic shock (CS), acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the most common cause, and a percutaneous microaxial ventricular assist device (Impella, Abiomed, Danvers, MA) is a choice for temporary mechanical circulatory support. However, data are limited on complications and outcomes of Impella treatment in patients with CS with and without AMI. Methods and Results Using nationwide prospective registry data in Japan, we included a total of 2047 patients with CS in whom the Impella devices were successfully placed between February 2020 and December 2021. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the primary indication for the Impella use: AMI versus non-AMI. The primary end point was a composite of in-hospital all-cause death and major complications. Of the 2047 patients, the Impella was indicated for AMI in 1337 (65.3%). In the group without AMI, myocarditis was the leading cause of CS. Patients with AMI-CS were older and more likely to have cardiovascular risk factors than those with non-AMI-CS. The rates of in-hospital mortality (46.0% versus 43.9%, P=0.38) and major complications (35.2% versus 34.7%, P=0.85) were similar between the 2 groups. Overall, multivariable analysis identified older age, higher body mass index, previous transient ischemic attack or stroke, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and the Impella 5.0 as factors significantly associated with the primary end point. Conclusions The use of Impella in patients with and without AMI was related to similar clinical outcomes with high mortality and complication rates. Further studies are needed to identify patients who may benefit from the Impella devices in CS. Registration URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/english. Identifier: UMIN000033603.

Precision medicine for traumatic cervical spinal cord injuries: accessible and interpretable machine learning models to predict individualized in-hospital outcomes

BACKGROUND CONTEXTA traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause temporary or permanent motor and sensory impairment, leading to serious short and long-term consequences that can result in significant morbidity and mortality. The cervical spine is the most commonly affected area, accounting for about 60% of all traumatic SCI cases. PURPOSEThis study aims to employ machine learning (ML) algorithms to predict various outcomes, such as in-hospital mortality, nonhome discharges, extended length of stay (LOS), extended length of intensive care unit stay (ICU-LOS), and major complications in patients diagnosed with cervical SCI (cSCI). STUDY DESIGNOur study was a retrospective machine learning classification study aiming to predict the outcomes of interest, which were binary categorical variables, in patients diagnosed with cSCI. PATIENT SAMPLEThe data for this study were obtained from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Trauma Quality Program (TQP) database, which was queried to identify patients who suffered from cSCI between 2019 and 2021. OUTCOME MEASURESThe outcomes of interest of our study were in-hospital mortality, nonhome discharges, prolonged LOS, prolonged ICU-LOS, and major complications. The study evaluated the models' performance using both graphical and numerical methods. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and precision-recall curves (PRC) were used to assess model performance graphically. Numerical evaluation metrics included AUROC, balanced accuracy, weighted area under PRC (AUPRC), weighted precision, and weighted recall. METHODSThe study employed data from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Trauma Quality Program (TQP) database to identify patients with cSCI. Four ML algorithms, namely XGBoost, LightGBM, CatBoost, and Random Forest, were utilized to develop predictive models. The most effective models were then incorporated into a publicly available web application designed to forecast the outcomes of interest. RESULTSThere were 71,661 patients included in the analysis for the outcome mortality, 67,331 for the outcome nonhome discharges, 76,782 for the outcome prolonged LOS, 26,615 for the outcome prolonged ICU-LOS, and 72,132 for the outcome major complications. The algorithms exhibited an AUROC value range of 0.78 to 0.839 for in-hospital mortality, 0.806 to 0.815 for nonhome discharges, 0.679 to 0.742 for prolonged LOS, 0.666 to 0.682 for prolonged ICU-LOS, and 0.637 to 0.704 for major complications. An open access web application was developed as part of the study, which can generate predictions for individual patients based on their characteristics. CONCLUSIONSOur study suggests that ML models can be valuable in assessing risk for patients with cervical cSCI and may have considerable potential for predicting outcomes during hospitalization. ML models demonstrated good predictive ability for in-hospital mortality and nonhome discharges, fair predictive ability for prolonged LOS, but poor predictive ability for prolonged ICU-LOS and major complications. Along with these promising results, the development of a user-friendly web application that facilitates the integration of these models into clinical practice is a significant contribution of this study. The product of this study may have significant implications in clinical settings to personalize care, anticipate outcomes, facilitate shared decision making and informed consent processes for cSCI patients.

Short-Term Prognostic Value of the Culprit-SYNTAX Score in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction.

The SYNergy between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with TAXus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score is a scoring system that helps to decide on surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), and studies are showing the prognostic value of this scoring system in both AMI and coronary artery disease patients undergoing PCI. In acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients, the infarct-related artery and the complexity of the lesions are also important in terms of mortality and morbidity. Our study aimed to determine the prognostic value of the culprit vessel's SYNTAX score (cul-SS) in patients presenting with MI. In our study, 1284 patients presenting with MI were analyzed retrospectively. The SYNTAX scores and cul-SS of the patients were calculated. In-hospital and 30-day deaths and major complications were accepted as primary outcomes. The SYNTAX scores and cul-SS were compared in terms of predicting primary outcomes. Major complications were observed in 36 (2.8%) patients, death in 42 (3.3%) patients, and stent thrombosis in 24 (1.9%) patients. The area under the curves for SYNTAX and cul-SS for predicting primary outcomes is 0.64 and 0.68 (p = 0.026), respectively. Cul-SS was as successful as the SYNTAX score in predicting stent thrombosis and was superior in predicting short-term death and major complications.

Outcomes and Institutional Variation in Arterial Access Among Patients With AMI and Cardiogenic Shock Undergoing PCI

BackgroundContemporary data comparing the outcomes of transradial access (TRA) vs transfemoral access (TFA) among patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are limited. ObjectivesThis study examines in-hospital outcomes and institutional variation among patients with AMI-CS undergoing TRA-PCI vs TFA-PCI. MethodsPatients admitted with AMI-CS from the NCDR CathPCI registry between April 2018 and June 2021 were included. Multivariable logistic regression and inverse probability weighting models were used to assess the association between access site and in-hospital outcomes. A falsification analysis using non-access site–related bleeding was performed. ResultsAmong 35,944 patients with AMI-CS undergoing PCI, 25.6% were performed with TRA. The proportion of TRA-PCI increased over the study period (22.0% in the second quarter of 2018 vs 29.1% in the second quarter of 2021; P-trend <0.001). Significant institutional-level variability in the use of TRA-PCI was also observed: 20.9% of all sites using TRA in <2% of PCIs (low utilization) vs 1.9% of all sites using TRA in >80% of PCIs (high utilization). Patients undergoing TRA-PCI had a significantly lower adjusted incidence of major bleeding (odds ratio [OR]: 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.67-0.76), mortality (OR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.69-0.78), vascular complications (OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.54-0.84), and new dialysis (OR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.77-0.97). There was no difference in non-access site related bleeding (OR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.84-1.03). Sensitivity analyses revealed similar benefit with TRA-PCI among patients without arterial cross-over. There were no significant interactions observed between TRA-PCI with mechanical circulatory support and in-hospital outcomes. ConclusionsIn this large nationwide contemporary analysis of patients with AMI-CS, about quarter of PCIs were performed via TRA with wide variability across US institutions. TRA-PCI was associated with significantly lower incidence of in-hospital major bleeding, mortality, vascular complications, and new dialysis. This benefit was observed irrespective of mechanical circulatory support use.

Impact of gender on the utilization of cardiac implantable devices and outcome: results from the German DEVICE registry

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) are widely used in patients with life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias or systolic heart failure. Real world data regarding gender impact on ICD and CRT implantation and outcome is scarce. Purpose To investigate the impact of gender-specific differences on cardiac devices implantation and outcomes. Methods The German DEVICE registry is a nationwide prospective multicentre database of ICD and CRT devices implantation. A total of 5451 patients were prospectively enrolled in 44 centres between March 2007 and February 2014 and were monitored for a median of 17 months. Results A minority of patients in this registry was female 1050 (19.3%; mean age 64.4 ± 14.6 years; median BMI 27.2) while men represented 80.7% (mean age 65.5 ± 12.4 years; median BMI 26.8). Female patients were less likely to have a LVEF &amp;lt;35% (70.6% vs. 77.7%; p&amp;lt;0.0001) and more likely to have a LVEF &amp;gt;55% (13.3% vs. 6.6%; p&amp;lt;0.0001). Moreover, women were less likely to have coronary artery disease (42.3% vs. 64.7%; p&amp;lt;0.0001), history of myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, and coronary artery bypass graft (p&amp;lt;0.0001 for all). The rate of CRTs was significantly higher in women than in men (33.4% vs. 28.7%; p=0.0036). In terms of secondary prevention implantations, women were more likely to have history of ventricular fibrillation (VF; 50.7% vs. 37.2%; p&amp;lt;0.0001) but less likely to have history of ventricular tachycardia (VT; 34.5% vs. 47.5%; p&amp;lt;0.0001). The rates of major periprocedural complications and in-hospital complications were higher in women (3.3% vs. 1.7%; p=0.002 and 5.6% vs. 3.7%; p=0.0208). The Kaplan-Meier estimated 1-year all-cause mortality was 5.4% for women and 7.4% for men, while the overall mortality during follow-up was 10% for women and 14% for men (p=0.0004), with no gender differences in terms of death cause. Significantly less women received device shocks (14.2% vs. 17.5%; p=0.0260), while more women needed device revision during follow-up (10.9 % vs. 8.2%; p=0.0246). Similar rates of primary and secondary prevention indication were noted for female and male patients (p=0.9717). There was no difference between the groups regarding the need of postprocedural system revision (p=0.7884), as well as in-hospital death, cardiac death, or sudden cardiac death. The non-fatal complications during follow-up were comparable for men and women. Moreover, similar rates and durations of all cause and cardiac rehospitalizations were found (p=0.1644 and p= 0.1816). Conclusion In this real-life patient cohort only a minority of female patients were enrolled. Female patients were more likely to undergo CRT implantation and had a higher risk for acute major periprocedural complications and in-hospital complications but a lower overall mortality in 1-year follow-up. However, the differences in baseline characteristics should be considered as potential confounders.

Reduced-Dose Systemic Fibrinolysis in Massive Pulmonary Embolism: A Pilot Study.

Severe pulmonary embolism (PE) has a high mortality rate, which can be lowered by thrombolytic therapy (TT). However, full-dose TT is associated with major complications, including life-threatening bleeding. The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy and safety of extended, low-dose administration of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) on in-hospital mortality and outcomes in massive PE. This was a single-center, prospective cohort trial at a tertiary university hospital. A total of 37 consecutive patients with massive PE were included. A peripheral intravenous infusion was used to administer 25 mg of tPA over 6 hours. The primary endpoints were in-hospital mortality, major complications, pulmonary hypertension, and right ventricular dysfunction. The secondary endpoints were 6-month mortality and pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular dysfunction 6 months after the PE. The mean age of the patients was 68.76±14.54 years. The mean pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP; 56.51±7.34 mmHg vs. 34.16±2.81 mmHg, P<0.001) and right/left ventricle diameter (1.37±0.12 vs. 0.99±0.12, P<0.001) decreased significantly after TT. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (1.43±0.33 cm vs. 2.07±0.27 cm, P<0.001), myocardial performance index (0.47±0.08 vs. 0.55±0.07, P<0.001), and systolic wave prime (9.6±2.8 vs. 15.3±2.6) increased significantly after TT. No major bleeding or stroke was observed. There was one in-hospital death and two additional deaths within 6 months. No cases of pulmonary hypertension were identified during follow-up. The results of this pilot study suggest that an extended infusion of low-dose tPA is a safe and effective therapy in patients with massive PE. This protocol was also effective in decreasing PASP and restoring right ventricular function.