Noncardiac Causes Of Death Research Articles

An In-depth Single-center Retrospective Assessment of In-hospital Outcomes in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients with and without Diabetes.

Objective This study examined variations in in-hospital mortality causes and identified independent mortality predictors among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods We examined factors influencing in-hospital mortality in a single-center retrospective observational study. Separate multivariate analyses were conducted for both groups to identify independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. Patients This study included consecutive patients admitted to Iwate Medical University Hospital between January 2012 and December 2017 with a diagnosis of AMI. Results Of 1,140 patients meeting the AMI criteria (average age: 68.2±12.8 years old, 75% men), 408 (35.8%) had diabetes. The DM group had a 1.87-times higher 30-day mortality rate, a lower prevalence of ST-elevated MI (56.6% vs. 65.3% in non-DM, p=0.004), and more frequent non-cardiac causes of death (32% vs. 14% in non-DM, p=0.046) than the non-DM group. Independent predictors of in-hospital mortality in both groups were cardiogenic shock (CS) [DM: hazard ratio (HR) 6.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.90-14.95; non-DM: HR 4.42, 95% CI 1.99-9.77] and renal dysfunction (DM: HR 5.64, 95% CI 1.59-20.04; non-DM: HR 5.92, 95% CI 1.79-19.53). Among patients with DM, a history of stroke was an additional independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (HR 2.59, 95% CI 1.07-6.31). Conclusion Notable disparities were identified in the causes of death and predictive factors of mortality between these two groups of patients with AMI. To further improve AMI outcomes, individualized management and prioritizing non-cardiac comorbidities during hospitalization may be crucial, particularly in patients with DM.

The challenge of risk stratification in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: clinical, genetic and imaging insights from a quaternary referral centre

Abstract Background Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the commonest genetic cardiomyopathy and may result in sudden cardiac death (SCD). Clinical risk stratification scores are utilised to estimate SCD risk and determine potential utility of a primary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Methods Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of HCM from a quaternary HCM service were defined according to clinical characteristics, genetic profiles and cardiac imaging results. European Risk-SCD score and American Heart Association / American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) Score were calculated. The primary outcome was cardiac arrest. Results 380 patients with HCM were followed up for a median of 6.4 years. 18 patients (4.7%) experienced cardiac arrest, with predictive factors being younger age (37.2 vs 54.4 years, p=0.0041), unexplained syncope (33.3% vs 9.4%, p=0.007), non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (50.0% vs 12.7%, p<0.0001), increased septal thickness (21.5 vs 17.5mm, p=0.0003), and presence of a sarcomeric gene mutation (100.0% vs 65.8%, p=0.038). The Risk-SCD and AHA/ACC scores had poor agreement (kappa coefficient 0.38). Risk-SCD score had poor sensitivity (44.4%), classifying 55.6% of patients with cardiac arrest as low-risk but was highly specific (93.7%). AHA/ACC risk score did not discriminate between groups significantly. 20 patients (5.3%) died, with most >60-year-olds having a non-cardiac cause of death (p=0.0223). Conclusion This study highlights limited (38%) agreement between the Risk-SCD and AHA/ACC scores. Most cardiac arrests occurred in ostensibly low or medium-risk patients under both scores. Appropriate ICD selection remains challenging. Utilising newer markers such as cardiac MRI and genetic findings may assist future risk refinement.

Abstract 12267: Timing and Mode of Death Following Treatment of Neonatal Symptomatic Tetralogy of Fallot

Introduction: Neonates with tetralogy of Fallot and symptomatic cyanosis (sTOF) require early intervention, using a staged (SR) or primary repair (PR) strategy. Independent of management, the risk of post-procedural mortality is considerable. Although risk factors for late mortality after TOF repair have been established, the modes of death and associated factors have not been defined in early childhood following treatment of sTOF. Methods: Neonates with sTOF who had an initial intervention from 2005-2017 at 9 centers of the Congenital Cardiac Research Collaborative were reviewed. Among the patients who died, additional details related to timing and cause of death, and last clinical follow-up, were obtained and described. Comparisons of patient characteristics between survivors and non-survivors were performed. Results: Of 572 sTOF patients (230 PR, 342 SR), there were 52 (9%) deaths at a median age of 82 (25 th - 75 th %ile: 28, 246) days . Timing of mortality included: inpatient post-palliation (n=9), interstage in SR pathway (n=11), inpatient post complete repair (CR) (SR, n=5; PR, n=11) and post-CR following hospital discharge (n=16). Death occurred within 30 days of palliation or repair in 52% of cases. Most deaths were due to cardiac etiologies, with only 6 including ≥1 non-cardiac cause of death (NEC (n=2), sepsis (n=1), CNS bleed (n=2), trauma (n=1)). Risk factors for mortality included presence of genetic syndrome, non-cardiac anomaly, prematurity, low birth weight, and need for ventilation prior to initial intervention (p<0.05 for all). Modes and timing of death in the 16 patients who died after CR discharge are shown (Figure). In these, RV dysfunction at last echo was present in 50%. Conclusions: When death occurs after interventions for sTOF, it frequently occurs early, and relates to traditional risk factors. Amongst patients with childhood mortality following discharge from CR, sudden death and reintervention-related events predominate known causes.

Abstract 19166: Activity Level and Causes of Sudden Death: From the San Francisco Postmortem Systematic Investigation of Sudden Cardiac Death (POST SCD) Study

Introduction: Level of activity has a reported association with sudden death, but cardiac causes are presumed by convention. We investigated association between activity level and causes of presumed SCD (pSCD) in the San Francisco POstmortem Systematic InvesTigation of Sudden Cardiac Death (POST SCD) Study. Methods: POST SCD is a prospective cohort study using autopsy, clinical records, and toxicology to adjudicate arrhythmic (potentially rescuable with implantable defibrillator) or non-arrhythmic (e.g., tamponade, overdose) causes among pSCDs (WHO defined) 18-90 years in San Francisco. We included all incident cases from 2/1/11-3/1/14 (n=525) and incident cases approximately every 3rd day from 3/1/14-12/31/21 (n=358). Activity level at time of pSCD was determined by forensic investigator reports. For unwitnessed deaths, activity level was inferred based on time of arrest and location found. Activity level was classified as: sleep, recently awoke (&lt10 min before death), awake with no activity (e.g., sitting), mild/moderate (e.g., bathing, feeding, walking), and rigorous (e.g., strenuous activity, sexual activity). Results: Of the total 883 pSCDs (mean 60 years, 73% male), 247 (28%) were sleeping, and 516 (58%) were awake at time of event. Cases with unclear circumstances (n=120, 14%) were excluded from analysis. Sleep was associated with non-cardiac cause of death (p=.01), specifically SUDEP (p=.02) and occult overdose (p&lt.001). Wakefulness was associated with SAD (p=0.005), pulmonary embolism (p=.007), and vascular damage (p=.004) (Table). Nearly all cases engaging in rigorous activity at time of death (n=32) were SADs (31/32, 97%) and male (29/32, 91%). Conclusions: Most sudden deaths in this 11-year countywide postmortem study occurred during wakefulness. Sleep was associated with non-arrhythmic cause (specifically SUDEP and occult overdose), while wakefulness and rigorous activity were associated with arrhythmic cause of sudden death.

The challenge of risk stratification in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Clinical, genetic and imaging insights from a quaternary referral centre

BackgroundHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the commonest genetic cardiomyopathy and may result in sudden cardiac death (SCD). Clinical risk stratification scores are utilised to estimate SCD risk and determine potential utility of a primary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). MethodsPatients with a confirmed diagnosis of HCM from a quaternary HCM service were defined according to clinical characteristics, genetic profiles and cardiac imaging results. European Risk-SCD score and American Heart Association / American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) Score were calculated. The primary outcome was cardiac arrest. Results380 patients with HCM were followed up for a median of 6.4 years. 18 patients (4.7%) experienced cardiac arrest, with predictive factors being younger age (37.2 vs 54.4 years, p = 0.0041), unexplained syncope (33.3% vs 9.4%, p = 0.007), non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (50.0% vs 12.7%, p < 0.0001), increased septal thickness (21.5 vs 17.5 mm, p = 0.0003), and presence of a sarcomeric gene mutation (100.0% vs 65.8%, p = 0.038). The Risk-SCD and AHA/ACC scores had poor agreement (kappa coefficient 0.38). Risk-SCD score had poor sensitivity (44.4%), classifying 55.6% of patients with cardiac arrest as low-risk but was highly specific (93.7%). AHA/ACC risk score did not discriminate between groups significantly. 20 patients (5.3%) died, with most >60-year-olds having a non-cardiac cause of death (p = 0.0223). ConclusionThis study highlights limited (38%) agreement between the Risk-SCD and AHA/ACC scores. Most cardiac arrests occurred in ostensibly low or medium-risk patients under both scores. Appropriate ICD selection remains challenging. Incorporating newer risk markers such as HCM genotyping and myocardial fibrosis quantification by cardiac MRI may assist future risk refinement.

#2649 INFECTIOUS COMPLICATIONS AFTER KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION IN RELATION TO INDUCTION IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE THERAPY

Abstract Background and Aims Infections are the most common non-cardiac cause of death after kidney transplantation (KT). The main goal of immunosuppressive therapy is to find a balance between the low incidence of acute rejection and infectious complications. Method We conducted a retrospective, monocentric analysis of transplant patients at the Transplant Center University Hospital Martin from 2011 to 2020 with various induction immunosuppressive therapies. We monitored the incidence of infections in terms of etiology, localization and severity at different intervals after KT. Results Our study included 39 patients on induction therapy with basiliximab to whom we paired 39 patients with induction therapy with thymoglobulin based on gender and age, in total our population consisted of 78 patients (56 men, 22 women), the mean age was 45 years. In the group of patients with induction therapy with thymoglobulin, we noted a higher proportion of fungal (P=0.0409), urogenital infections (P=0.0384), sepsis (P=0.0497) and leukopenia (0.0384) from 1st to 6th month after KTx, higher incidence of skin infections (P= 0.0218) and serious infections requiring hospitalization (P = 0.0269) from 6th-12th months to TO. On the other hand, in the basiliximab patient group, we identified a higher incidence of acute humoral and cellular rejection (P=0.0218) after 6 months of TO. From the perspective of recurrent infections, in the Thymoglobulin induction group, we noted a higher incidence of infections by localization, etiology and severity. Risk factors for recurrent bacterial infections from 1st to 6th month after KT are: history of respiratory diseases (P = 0.0108), thrombocytopenia (P = 0.0104) and infections caused by multi-resistant bacteria (P = 0.0003). Conclusion Patients on inductive immunosuppressive therapy with thymoglobulin are at a higher risk of recurrent, multidrug-resistant and severe infections after KT compared to induction with basiliximab with identical maintenance immunosuppressive therapy. On the other hand, patients on induction therapy with basiliximab have a higher risk of developing acute rejection. Therefore, it is essential to identify risk groups of patients benefiting from milder or more intensive inductive immunosuppressive therapy without a concomitant increased risk of infectious complications or acute graft rejection

Periprocedural Mortality in Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights From the PROGRESS-CTO Registry.

Death is a rare but devastating complication of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention. We examined the clinical characteristics and procedural outcomes of patients who died periprocedurally in the Prospective Global Registry for the Study of CTO Interventions (PROGRESS-CTO). Of the 12 928 patients who underwent CTO percutaneous coronary intervention between 2012 and 2022, 52 (0.4%) died during the index hospitalization. Patients who died were more likely to have a history of heart failure (43% versus 28%; P=0.023). The J-CTO ([Multicenter CTO Registry of Japan]; 2.8±1.1 versus 2.4±1.3; P=0.019), PROGRESS-CTO mortality (2.6±0.9 versus 1.6±1.1; P<0.001), and PROGRESS-CTO pericardiocentesis (2.9±1.1 versus 1.9±1.3; P<0.001) scores were higher in patients who died. In these patients, the use of left ventricular assist devices was also higher (41% versus 3.5%; P<0.001), and retrograde crossing was more often the first crossing strategy (33% versus 13%; P<0.001). The cause of death was cardiac in 43 patients (83%) and noncardiac in 9 patients (17%). Complications leading to cardiac death were: tamponade in 30 patients (58%), acute myocardial infarction in 9 (17.3%), and cardiac arrest/shock in 4 (7.7%). Noncardiac causes of death were: stroke in 3 (5.8%), renal failure in 2 (3.8%), respiratory distress in 2 (3.8%), and hemorrhagic shock in 2 (3.8%). Approximately 0.4% of patients who underwent CTO percutaneous coronary intervention died during the index hospitalization. The main cause of death was tamponade in 58%. PROGRESS-CTO complication scores might help in risk stratification and procedural planning in patients undergoing CTO percutaneous coronary intervention. URL: https://www. gov; Unique Identifier: NCT02061436.

B-24 | Periprocedural Mortality in Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights from the PROGRESS-CTO Registry

Death is a rare but devastating complication of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We examined the clinical characteristics and procedural outcomes of patients who died periprocedurally in the Prospective Global Registry for the Study of CTO Intervention (PROGRESS-CTO, NCT02061436). Of the 12,928 patients who underwent CTO PCI between 2012 and 2022, 52 (0.4%) died during the index hospitalization. Patients who died were more likely to have a history of heart failure (43% vs. 28%, p=0.023). The J-CTO (2.8 ± 1.1 vs 2.4 ± 1.3, p=0.019), PROGRESS-CTO mortality (2.6 ± 0.9 vs. 1.6 ± 1.1, p<0.001), and PROGRESS-CTO pericardiocentesis (2.9 ± 1.1 vs. 1.9 ± 1.3, p<0.001) scores were higher in patients who died. In these patients, the use of left ventricular assist devices was higher (41% vs 3.5%, p<0.00), and retrograde crossing was more often the first crossing strategy (33% vs 13%, p<0.001). The cause of death was cardiac in 43 patients (83%) and non-cardiac in 9 patients (17%). Complications leading to cardiac death were: tamponade in 30 patients (58%), acute myocardial infarction in 9 (17.3%), and cardiac arrest/shock in 4 (7.7%). Non-cardiac causes of death were: stroke 3 (5.8%), renal failure 2 (3.8%), respiratory distress 2 (3.8%), and hemorrhagic shock 2 (3.8%) (Figure). Approximately 0.4% of patients who underwent CTO PCI died during the index hospitalization. The main cause of death was tamponade in 58%. The PROGRESS-CTO complication scores might help in risk stratification and procedural planning in patients undergoing CTO PCI.

Direct oral anticoagulant versus antiplatelet therapy following transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients without prior or concurrent indication for anticoagulation: A meta-analysis of randomized studies.

The antithrombotic management following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients who do not have a concurrent indication for long-term anticoagulation therapy is an ongoing source of debate. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus antiplatelet therapy after TAVR in patients without a concomitant indication for chronic oral anticoagulation. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched. Only randomized controlled trialswere included. Risk ratios (RR) with p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Three studies were included, with 2922 patients who underwent TAVR, of whom 1463 (50.1%) received DOACs. Patients who received DOACs therapy had significantly higher all-cause mortality (RR: 1.68; 95% confidence intervals[CI]: 1.22-2.30; p = 0.001) and non-cardiovascular mortality (RR: 2.33; 95% CI: 1.13-4.80; p = 0.02). The incidence of major bleeding was not significantly different between the groups (5.3% vs. 3.8%; RR: 1.44; 95% CI: 0.90-2.32; p = 0.13). There was no difference between DOACs and antiplatelet therapy in terms of: ischemic stroke (RR: 1.28; 95% CI: 0.76-2.15; p = 0.35) and cardiovascular mortality (RR: 1.36; 95% CI: 0.92-2.03; p = 0.13). Lastly, the DOACs group had a significantly lower risk of valve thrombosis than the antiplatelet group (0.8% vs. 3.2%; RR: 0.27; 95% CI: 0.14-0.51; p < 0.0001). In this meta-analysis of randomized studies comparing DOACs to antiplatelet therapy after TAVR in patients without a concomitant indication for anticoagulation, DOACs were associated with a lower incidence of valve thrombosis and a higher rate of all-cause mortality, driven by an increase in noncardiac causes of death.

MO976GENDER AND AGE DISPARITY IN INFECTIOUS COMPLICATIONS AFTER KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION

Abstract Background and Aims Number of older patients with end stage kidney disease has been increasing, therefore there are increased number of older kidney transplant recipients. Potent immunosuppression (IS) used in patients after kidney transplantation (KTx) lowered the incidence of acute kidney rejection but increased the risk of post-transplant infection and sepsis as the most common non-cardiac cause of death. Older adults are at high risk of infections due to functional impairment and multiple comorbidities leading to poor outcome after KTx. Nowadays, no change in IS or prophylactic therapy is recommended based on the age of an adult KTx recipient. Female gender may be risk factor for infection after KTx due immunomodulatory effect of sex hormones such as estradiol. Methods The aim of our analysis was to find whether there are sex differences in the incidence of single and repeat infection and whether there is increased incidence of single and recurrent infectious complications in older kidney transplant recipients. Results Our analysis consisted of 100 patients after KTx (66 males, 34 females), average age 47,5 ± 12,6 years, treated with anti-thymocyte globulin as an induction IS. Male gender was a protective factor for the incidence of following infections in the 1st month after KTx: infection in general (P = 0.0054), recurrent infection (P = 0.0239), bacterial (P = 0.0125) and mycotic infection (P = 0.0103), recurrent bacterial infection (P = 0.0258). From the 1st to 6th month after KTx, female gender was identified as a risk factor for the incidence of infection in general (P = 0.0218), bacterial (P = 0.0186) and mycotic infection (P = 0.0318), repeat infection (P = 0.0216), recurrent bacterial infection (P = 0.0368). From 6th to 12th month after KTx, female gender was found as a risk factor for the incidence of bacterial infection (P = 0.0144), single infection (P = 0.0355), recurrent infection (P = 0.0007), single bacterial infection (P = 0.0309). Age &amp;gt; 60 years was not found as a risk factor for the incidence of single, repeat infection regarding its etiology. In our analysis we did not found correlation between gender and the incidence of single or recurrent infection of any etiology, we did not find significant differences in the severity of infections reflected by need for hospitalization, intensive care unit or use of vasopressors neither in gender, nor in older patients. In our study we did not confirm gender or age as a risk factor for the acute kidney rejection. Conclusion In our analysis, we found significant sex differences in the incidence of bacterial, viral, mycotic, single and repeat infection in different time intervals after kidney transplantation, while we did not confirmed age &amp;gt; 60 years is a risk factor for the infectious complications after KTx.

Non-cardiac Cause of Death And Organ Dysfunction Common Among Patients Admitted To The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

Introduction Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the proportion of patients admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) with non-cardiac comorbidities and admission diagnoses. However, organ system dysfunction and causes of death in CICU patients remains poorly characterized. Given the increasing proportion of admissions to the CICU for non-cardiac diagnoses, we hypothesized that there would be a substantial proportion of non-cardiac organ dysfunction and death due to non-cardiac causes. Methods We identified adult patients admitted to a CICU at a large tertiary care center (2015-2019) who died during the hospitalization. Principal hospitalization diagnosis, demographics, organ system dysfunctions, cause of death, and withdrawal of life support were abstracted via a standardized tool used in prior studies. The primary cause of death was defined as the organ system that most directly contributed to death or withdrawal of life support. Results We identified 258 decedents admitted to the CICU. Most patients (76%) had cardiac dysfunction, defined as cardiogenic shock or sustained ventricular arrhythmia. However, only 11% of patients had cardiac dysfunction alone, 89% experienced non-cardiac organ dysfunction, and 24% died without cardiac dysfunction. Multi-organ failure and sepsis were present in 70% and 54% of patients, respectively. The most common primary causes of death were cardiac (58%), pulmonary (15%), and neurologic dysfunction (11%). The majority of patients (76%) died after withdrawal of life-sustaining interventions. Conclusions In this contemporary cohort of CICU decedents, 3 of 4 patients had cardiogenic shock or sustained ventricular arrhythmias. However, non-cardiac organ dysfunction occurred in the vast majority, and nearly half had a non-cardiac primary cause of death. The high frequency of multi-organ failure and non-cardiac causes of death underscores the importance of broad cardiac and non-cardiac critical care training among physicians practicing in the CICU.

DMD & BMD – CLINICAL: P.52 The natural history of the cardiomyopathy of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy

Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD) is a progressive skeletal myopathy as well as a cardiomyopathy. Historically, it is reported that patients with DMD/BMD experience significant morbidity/mortality as a result of rhythm abnormalities. However, natural history data is limited regarding the specific mode of death, e.g. heart failure vs. sudden cardiac death vs. non-cardiac death. We identified 82 patients at our institution to analyze retrospectively (67 DMD/15 BMD). Average age was 21 (range 10-38) years. We obtained demographics, Holter monitors, electrocardiograms, and mortality on all patients. We classified cardiac function based on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), defined as normal (>/= 55%), mild-to-moderately depressed (35-54%), or severely depressed (<35%). Cardiac arrhythmias occurred in 22 patients (27%), with rates of 19%, 18%, and 59% in patients with normal, mild-to-moderately depressed, and severely depressed LV EF, respectively. Abnormalities included non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (10 patients, 12%), ventricular fibrillation (10 patients, 12%), and supraventricular tachycardia (5 patients, 6%). There were 5 patients (6%) with multiple arrhythmia types. The mortality rate was 10% with only 2 of the 8 deaths being cardiogenic (1 cardiac arrest, 1 heart failure). The majority of patients had a non-cardiac cause of death, including sepsis, renal failure, and respiratory failure. Both patients with cardiac deaths had severely depressed LVEF and 1 had a history of arrhythmia. Consistent with previous studies, cardiac arrhythmias occurred more frequently in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction. However, mortality was rarely due to a cardiac etiology, with sudden death representing only a subset of these. This data informs us that surveillance for cardiac rhythm abnormalities and treatment of arrhythmias should be targeted to individuals with severely depressed ventricular function.

47CRT-D versus CRT-P: are we on the right track?

Abstract Introduction Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) and cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) have both proven to reduce mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). However, randomised trials comparing CRT-pacemaker (CRT-P) vs CRT-defibrillator (CRT-D) are lacking. Understanding a patient’s primary mode of death is therefore important as this may guide the proper use of CRT systems and avoid risks that are associated with under -or overtreatment with an ICD. Purpose This study aims to analyse the mode of death and the occurrence of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) in patients who received a CRT-P or CRT-D. This may help in the future selection for an appropriate cardiac device in patients with HF. Methods Patients with HF undergoing CRT-P or CRT-D implantation in a tertiary hospital between January 2008 and December 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. CRT indications were in compliance with the ESC guidelines. The decision to implant CRT-D or CRT-P in primary prevention was left at the discretion of the treating physician but was based on ESC clinical guidance. Life threatening VAs (sustained ventricular tachycardia &amp;gt; 30s not requiring therapy or appropriate therapy for VAs) and mode of death were analysed. Results 511 patients were implanted with a CRT (CRT-D/CRT-P; n = 311/200) of which 410 (CRT-D/CRT-P; n= 245/165) were followed in our centre for 63,5 ± 38,1 months. Patients with CRT-P were older (77,6 ± 8,1 vs 66,8 ± 9,5 years; p &amp;lt;0,001), more often female (39,4 vs 26,9%; p 0,006), had more a non-ischaemic cause (61,2 vs 44,9%; p 0,001) and a significant higher comorbidity burden. They also received less treatment with neurohumoral blockers. Baseline LVEF was higher in the CRT-P group (33,1 ± 8,9 vs 28,0 ± 7,6%, p &amp;lt;0,001). 6 months follow-up showed a similar increase in LVEF in the CRT-P vs CRT-D group (+10,3 ± 9,6 vs +11,4 ± 10,8%, p 0,38). Main reasons to choose for CRT-P were RV-pacing induced cardiomyopathy (CMP) (26,1%), multiple comorbidities (18,8%), HF complicated by high degree AV block or AV junction ablation (18,2%), non-ischaemic CMP with suspected good CRT response (10,3%), age (7,3%), other (19,3%). 6/165 patients with CRT-P (3,6%), of which 5 were detected by remoted telemonitoring, vs 51/245 with CRT-D (20,8%) experienced episodes of life-threatening arrhythmias (p &amp;lt;0,001). All-cause mortality was higher in the CRT-P vs CRT-D group (36,4 vs 25,3%, p 0,005). However, the CRT-P group had a predominant non-cardiac mode of death (70,9 vs 43,3%, p &amp;lt;0,001). Death secondary to a tachyarrhythmic event was present in only 1 patient (1,7%) in the CRT-P group. Conclusions Guided by clinical parameters and presence of competitive non-cardiac causes of death, adequate decision between CRT-P or CRT-D implantation can be made. In our cohort, sudden cardiac death in the CRT-P group occurred only once. Remote monitoring is able to identify a subgroup of patients potentially benefiting from an upgrade from CRT-P to CRT-D.

Risk Factors for Cardiac and Non-cardiac Causes of Death in Males with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

As survival and neuromuscular function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) have improved with glucocorticoid (GC) therapy and ventilatory support, cardiac deaths are increasing. Little is known about risk factors for cardiac and non-cardiac causes of death in DMD. A multi-center retrospective cohort study of 408 males with DMD, followed from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2015, was conducted to identify risk factors for death. Those dying of cardiac causes were compared to those dying of non-cardiac causes and to those alive at study end. There were 29 (7.1%) deaths at a median age of 19.5 (IQR: 16.9-24.6) years; 8 (27.6%) cardiac, and 21 non-cardiac. Those living were younger [14.9 (IQR: 11.0-19.1) years] than those dying of cardiac [18 (IQR 15.5-24)years, p = 0.03] and non-cardiac [19 (IQR: 16.5-23)years, p = 0.002] causes. GC use was lower for those dying of cardiac causes compared to those living [2/8 (25%) vs. 304/378 (80.4%), p = 0.001]. Last ejection fraction prior to death/study end was lower for those dying of cardiac causes compared to those living (37.5% ± 12.8 vs. 54.5% ± 10.8, p = 0.01) but not compared to those dying of non-cardiac causes (37.5% ± 12.8 vs. 41.2% ± 19.3, p = 0.58). In a large DMD cohort, approximately 30% of deaths were cardiac. Lack of GC use was associated with cardiac causes of death, while systolic dysfunction was associated with death from any cause. Further work is needed to ensure guideline adherence and to define optimal management of systolic dysfunction in males with DMD with hopes of extending survival.

Seasonality in Mortality in a Cardiology Department: A Five-Year Analysis in 500 Patients

Background: Previous studies have indicated that cardiovascular mortality follows a seasonal trend. The aim of this work was to determine the evolution of mortality throughout the year in a cardiology department. Methods: All admissions and deaths occurring in our Cardiology Department over a 5-year period (2013–2017) were recorded retrospectively. Results: From a total of 17,829 hospital admissions, 500 patients died (2.8%, 0.3 patients/day). The mean age of deceased patients was 74.2 ± 13.1 years, and 186 (37.2%) were women. Mortality ranged from 0.17 deaths/day in August to 0.40 deaths/day in February (p = 0.03), and from 0.20 deaths/day in summer to 0.36 deaths/day in winter (p = 0.001). There was also a trend towards a variation in hospitalizations, with a peak in January (10.5 admissions/day) and the lowest figure in August (7.0 admissions/day), p = 0.047. We found no significant seasonal trend regarding mortality rate with respect to the number of hospital admissions (p = 0.89). The most common cause of death was refractory heart failure (267 patients [65.8%]). A noncardiac cause of death was observed in 134 patients (26.8%). Conclusions: In a cardiology department, there are twice as many deaths in winter as in summer. Hospitalizations also tend to be more frequent in winter than in summer.

Clinical characteristics of hospitalized heart failure patients with preserved, mid-range, and reduced ejection fractions in Japan.

AimsThere are regional differences in the patient characteristics, management, and outcomes of hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of Japanese patients who are hospitalized with HF on the basis of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) stratum.Methods and resultsWe retrospectively conducted a multicentre cohort study of 1245 hospitalized patients with decompensated HF between 2013 and 2014. Of these patients, 36% had an LVEF < 40% [HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), median age 72 years, 71% male], 21% had an LVEF 40–49% [HF with mid‐range EF (HFmrEF), 77 years, 56% male], and 43% had an LVEF ≥ 50% [HF with preserved EF (HFpEF), 81 years, 44% male]. The primary outcome was death from any cause, and the secondary outcomes were cardiac death and re‐hospitalization due to worsened HF after hospital discharge. There were high proportions of non‐ischaemic cardiomyopathy (32%) in HFrEF patients, coronary artery disease (44%) in HFmrEF patients, and valvular disease (39%) in HFpEF patients. The frequencies of intravenous diuretic and natriuretic peptide administration during hospitalization were 66% and 30%, respectively. The median hospital stay for the overall population was 19 days, and the length of stay was >7 days for >90% of patients. In‐hospital mortality was 7%, but was not different among the LVEF groups (HFrEF 7%, HFmrEF 6%, and HFpEF 8%). After a median follow‐up of 19 months (range, 3–26 months), 192 (17%) of the 1156 patients who were discharged alive died, and 534 (46%) were re‐hospitalized after hospital discharge. There were no significant differences in mortality after hospital discharge among the three LVEF groups (HFrEF 18%, HFmrEF 16%, and HFpEF 16%). There were no differences in cardiac death or re‐hospitalization due to worsened HF after hospital discharge among the LVEF groups (cardiac death: HFrEF 8%, HFmrEF 7%, and HFpEF 7%; re‐hospitalization due to worsened HF: HFrEF 19%, HFmrEF 16%, and HFpEF 17%). Multivariable‐adjusted analyses showed that the HFmrEF and HFrEF groups, compared with the HFpEF group, were not associated with an increased risk for in‐hospital death or death after hospital discharge. Non‐cardiac causes of death and re‐hospitalization after hospital discharge accounted for 35% and 38%, respectively.ConclusionsOur results revealed different clinical characteristics but similar mortality rates in the HFrEF, HFmrEF, and HFpEF groups. The most common cause of death and re‐hospitalization after hospital discharge was HF, but non‐cardiac causes also contributed to their prognosis. Integrated management approaches will be required for HF patients.

Medicolegal Use of Troponin C Expression to Identify Different Causes of Cardiac Deaths at Different Postmortem Intervals

Identification of the exact cause and time of death are important questions that have to be answered by the forensic pathologist. Traumatic cardiac injuries is a leading cause of death. This work aimed at using cardiac troponin C (cTnC) expression to differentiate between different types of cardiac injuries at different postmortem intervals (PMI). This study was performed on 90 forensic autopsies selected in the Medicolegal Department of Ministry of Justice. The cases were divided equally into 5 groups of different causes of death i.e. non-cardiac causes of death (control group), blunt cardiac injury (BCI), civilian cardiac firearm injury, civilian stab injury and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Brown Immunohistochemical expression of TnC was observed in all groups, where the non-cardiac death, blunt injury and firearm injury groups showed less immunohistochemical staining than stab injury and SCD. The density of the cTnC immunohistochemical staining increased by the increase in the PMI. Quantitative morphometric measurement of cTnC immunohistochemical expression was measured. Significant increases in the mean surface area of cTnC immunohistochemical expression were detected in the groups of only stab injury and SCD compared to the other studied groups (p<0.001), while non-significant differences were detected between non-cardiac, BCI and civilian cardiac firearm injury groups. Besides, the mean surface area of cTnC immunohistochemical expression increased significantly by the increase in the postmortem interval. These findings suggest that the mean surface area of cTnC immunohistochemical expression can differentiate between cardiac and non-cardiac deaths, and between the different types of cardiac deaths.

Concordance between administrative data and clinical review for mortality in the randomized on/off bypass follow-up study (ROOBY-FS)

The optimal methodology to identify cardiac versus non-cardiac cause of death following cardiac surgery has not been determined. The Randomized On/Off Bypass Trial was a multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial of 2203 patients (February 2002-May 2008) comparing 1-year cardiac outcomes between off-pump and on-pump bypass surgery. In 2013, the Veterans Affairs (VA) Cooperative Studies Program funded a follow-up study to assess 5-year outcomes including mortality. Deaths were identified and confirmed using the National Death Index (NDI), VA Vital Status file, and medical records. An Endpoints Committee (EC) reviewed patient medical records and classified each cause of death as cardiac, non-cardiac, or unknown. Using pre-determined ICD-10 codes, NDI death certificates were independently used to classify deaths as cardiac or non-cardiac. Cause of death was compared between the NDI and EC classifications and concordance measured, using Kappa statistics. Of the 297 5-year deaths identified by the NDI and/or VA vital status file and confirmed by the EC, 219 had adequate patient records for EC cause of death determination. The EC adjudicated 141 of these deaths as non-cardiac and 78 as cardiac, while the NDI classified 150 as non-cardiac and 69 as cardiac; agreement was 77.6% (kappa 0.500; P < 0.001). Since concordance between EC and NDI cause of death classifications was only moderate, caution should be exercised in relying exclusively on NDI data to determine cause of death. A hybrid approach, integrating multiple information sources, may provide the most accurate approach to classifying cause of death.

Mortality in adults with congenital heart disease

AimRetrospective ascertainment of the causes of mortality in the adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) cohort of the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH). MethodsDeceased patients (n=73) of the 2519 ACHD patients in the Royal Melbourne Hospital registry (commenced in 1991) were identified. Retrospective analysis was undertaken. Age, gender of deceased individuals, and frequency and cause of death in different congenital diagnosis groups was explored. ResultsBetween 1991 and 2015, death occurred in 3.3% of the ACHD cohort. Median age at death was 32years (IQR 26–41.5) and 51% were male. The most frequent underlying cardiac conditions were Eisenmenger's syndrome (22%), pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect+/−major aorto-pulmonary collateral arteries (12%), Tetralogy of Fallot (10%), transposition of great arteries (TGA) with intact ventricular septum (8%), single ventricle (8%) and congenitally corrected TGA (5%). The cause of death was available from medical records in 60 (82%) of the 73 patients. The majority of deaths were due to cardiac causes (67%) including sudden death (40%), heart failure (13%), and documented ventricular arrhythmias (8%). The most common non-cardiac cause of death was sepsis (10%). ConclusionThe majority of deaths in this group were due to cardiac causes with sudden death and heart failure being the most common. Identification of risk factors for sudden death might assist identification of patients who may benefit from preventative therapies including implantable cardiac defibrillator.

Relation of Prolonged P-Wave Duration to Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death in the General Population (from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study)

Prolonged P-wave duration, a marker of left atrial abnormality, is associated with myocardial fibrosis, atrial fibrillation, and all-cause death. It is not known if prolonged P-wave duration is associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the general population. We aimed to evaluate whether prolonged P-wave duration is independently associated with SCD risk in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, a community-based prospective cohort study. We included 15,321 participants in our analysis (age 54.2 ± 5.7 years, 55.2% women, 26.4% black). Prolonged P-wave duration was defined as maximum P-wave duration >120ms and was determined from 12-lead electrocardiograms obtained during 4 exams (1987 to 1999). SCD was physician adjudicated and defined as a sudden, pulseless condition in a previously stable patient without evidence for noncardiac cause of death. We used Cox proportional hazard models to assess the association between prolonged P-wave duration and SCD, adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors and conditions including atrial fibrillation. During a mean follow-up of 12.5years (1987 to 2001), 268 SCDs were identified. The multivariable hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of prolonged P-wave duration for SCD was 1.70 (1.31 to 2.20). This association was attenuated but remained significant after updating covariates to the end of follow-up with a hazard ratio of 1.35 (1.04 to 1.76). In conclusion, prolonged P-wave duration is independently associated with an increased risk of SCD in the general population. This association is independent of atrial fibrillation and is only partially mediated by shared cardiovascular risk factors.