Pacemaker Patients Research Articles

Relationship between right ventricular pacing and non-sustained ventricular arrhythmias in patients with dual-chamber pacemaker and normal range left ventricular ejection fraction

BackgroundRight ventricular pacing (RVP) increases heart failure, AF, and death rates in pacemaker patients and ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) in defibrillator patients. However, the impact of RVP on VAs burden and its clinical significance in pacemaker patients with normal range LVEF of > 50–55% remains unknown. We sought to evaluate the relationship of RVP and VAs and its clinical impact in a pacemaker patient population.MethodsRecords of 105 patients who underwent denovo dual-chamber pacemaker implant or a generator change (Medtronic™ or Boston Scientific™) for AV block and sinus node disease at a tertiary care center between September 1, 2015, and September 1, 2016, were retrospectively reviewed.ResultsData from 105 patients (51% females, mean age 76 ± 1 years, mean LVEF 61 ± 0.7%) without history of VAs (98.2%) were reviewed over 1044 ± 23 days. Dependent patients (100% RVP) exhibited the lowest VAs burden when compared to < 100% RVP (isolated PVCs, PVC runs of < 4 beats, and NSVT; p ≤ 0.001). Patients with < 1% RVP also exhibited low VA burden with intermediate RVP (1–99.9%) being most arrhythmogenic for PVC runs (p = 0.04) and for isolated PVCs (p = 0.006). Antiarrhythmics/beta and calcium channel blockers use and stress tests performed to evaluate VAs which were positive requiring intervention did not differ significantly. Burden of > 1/h of PVC runs and increasing PVC runs/h were significantly associated with hospitalization (p = 0.04) and all-cause mortality (p = 0.03), respectively.ConclusionsIn pacemaker patients with normal range LVEF (> 50–55%), 100% RVP is associated with the lowest burden of NSVT. Furthermore, patients with < 1% RVP also exhibit low VA burden; however, intermittent RVP seems to significantly correlate with non-sustained VAs.

An innovative hybrid approach for detection of pacemaker pulses at low sampling frequency.

Accurate assessment of pacemaker function or malfunction is essential to make clinical interpretations on pacemaker therapy and patient symptoms. This article presents an innovative approach for detecting pacemaker pulses at sampling frequency as low as 125Hz. The proposed method is validated in wide range of simulated clinical ECG conditions such as arrhythmia (sinus rhythms, supraventricular rhythms, and AV blocks), pulse amplitudes (~100µV to ~3mV), pulse durations (~100µs to ~2ms), pacemaker modes and types (fixed-rate or on-demand single chamber, dual chamber, and bi-ventricular pacing), and physiological noise (tremor). The proposed algorithm demonstrates clinically acceptable detection accuracies with sensitivity and PPV of 98.1 ± 4.4 % and 100 %, respectively. In conclusion, the approach is well suited for integration in long-term wearable ECG sensor devices operating at a low sample frequency to monitor pacemaker function.Clinical Relevance- The proposed system enables real-time long-term continuous assessment of the proper functioning of implanted pacemaker and progression of treatment for cardiac conditions using battery-powered wearable ECG monitors.

Compressive Sampling Based Multi-Spectrum Deep Learning for Sub-Nyquist Pacemaker ECG Analysis.

Automatic electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis for pacemaker patients is crucial for monitoring cardiac conditions and the effectiveness of cardiac resynchronization treatment. However, under the condition of energy-saving remote monitoring, the low-sampling-rate issue of an ECG device can lead to the miss detection of pacemaker spikes as well as incorrect analysis on paced rhythm and non-paced arrhythmias. To solve the issue, this paper proposed a novel system that applies the compressive sampling (CS) framework to sub-Nyquist acquire and reconstruct ECG, and then uses multi-dimensional feature-based deep learning to identify paced rhythm and non-paced arrhythmias. Simulation testing results on ECG databases and comparison with existing approaches demonstrate its effectiveness and outstanding performance for pacemaker ECG analysis.

1255Comprehensive analysis of pacemaker patients with and without abandoned leads undergoing transvenous lead extraction: A GALLERY subgroup analysis

Abstract OnBehalf GALLERY investigators Background The number of cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED)-associated complications such as infection, lead dysfunction or thrombotic events is continuously rising and thus making transvenous lead extraction (TLE) an ever more needed procedure in clinical practice today. Patients with abandoned leads represent a special cohort with a potentially higher susceptibility to CIED-related infections and vascular complications. Moreover, according to literature abandoned leads seem to be associated with more procedural complications and mortality during TLE. Aim The aim of this study was to provide an insight on safety, procedural outcome and risk prediction on pacemaker patients with abandoned leads undergoing TLE from the largest national laser-sheath registry to date. Methods + Results: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the GALLERY database, which collected 2533 patients undergoing TLE in Germany between 2013 and 2017. Out of 903 pacemaker patients, who underwent TLE, 226 patients (25.0%) with abandoned leads were identified. Those patients had a higher number of leads per patient (3.2 ± 0.8 vs. 1.9 ± 0.3; ns) and longer lead dwell-times (168.0 ± 89.7 vs. 123.0 ± 69.2 months; p &amp;lt; 0.0001) compared to pacemaker patients without abandoned leads. There were no differences in age (71.5 vs. 72.3 years; ns), body mass index (26.5 ± 4.5 vs. 26.78 ± 4.8 kg/m2; ns) or gender distribution (69.0 vs. 66.5% male; ns). Leading indication for TLE was device infection with no difference between groups (79.7 vs 77.8 %; ns). There were no differences in terms of pacemaker dependency, length of hospitalization or comorbidities. Patients with abandoned leads had longer procedure times (112.0 ± 69.0 vs. 86.4 ± 53.0 minutes; p &amp;lt; 0.0001) and a higher incidence of procedural complications (6.6 vs. 3.1%; p = 0.03), but there were no differences in neither procedural and clinical success rates (96.5 vs. 97.3%; ns), nor all-cause mortality (1.33 vs. 2.66%; ns). Multivariate logistic regression revealed abandoned leads (OR 2.1, CI 1.0-4.4, p = 0.04) and female gender (OR 2.4, CI 1.2-4.9, p = 0.02) as independent predictors for procedural complications. Systemic infection (OR 5.4, CI 2.0-14.8, p = 0.001) and chronic kidney disease (OR 4.0, CI 1.5-10.7, p = 0.007) were strong predictors for all-cause mortality in patients with indwelling pacemaker. Patient age &amp;gt; 75 years (OR 3.9, CI 2.7-5.6, p &amp;lt; 0.0001) and a lead dwell-time &amp;gt; 10 years (OR 1.6, CI 1.1-2.2, p = 0.01) were identified as risk factors for an infectious cause for TLE. Conclusion Abandoned leads are frequently encountered in pacemaker patients undergoing TLE and pose an important risk factor for procedural complications. Systemic CIED-related infections are the strongest driver of mortality in this patient cohort and urgently call for further improvements in early diagnosis and prevention.

Levels of Physical Activity and Physical Fitness in Pediatric Pacemaker Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Children with heart diseases have reduced physical activity (PA) levels relative to their peers, which in turn increases cardiovascular risk. To the best of our knowledge, physical fitness and objectively measured PA levels have not been previously studied in children with pacemakers. We evaluated PA levels and physical fitness in pediatric pacemaker patients compared to their healthy peers. Twenty-eight pediatric patients with pacemakers (15 female, 13 male; mean age 13.43 ± 3.68years) and 24 healthy subjects (14 female, 10 male; mean age 13.08 ± 3.67years) were included. Physical fitness was assessed using the Munich Fitness Test (MFT). SenseWear Armband metabolic Holter device was used to record the PA for 7 consecutive days. MFT total and sub-parameter scores were significantly lower in the patient group (p < 0.05). Patients' total and active energy expenditure, PA level, total distance, number of steps, and vigorous PA were significantly lower than those of healthy children (p < 0.05). Sedentary activity and light, moderate, and very vigorous PA durations were similar in both groups (p > 0.05). Duration of mean moderate to vigorous PA was higher than 60min/day recommended in PA guidelines in both patients and healthy subjects. These results provide initial data on PA and fitness in children with pacemakers and suggest that physical fitness and activity levels in children with pacemakers are lower than in healthy peers. Appropriate exercise programs may improve PA levels in pediatric pacemaker patients. Awareness of the importance of PA should be raised among the parents and families of these children.

ASSESSING PACEMAKER PATIENTS' PERCEPTION OF LIFESTYLE: AFTER AN EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION

Objectives: Misconceptions regarding various physical activities after pacemaker implantation can severely limit a patient's lifestyle and very little in terms of patient education has been done to correct it. This study; by means of both verbal, and provision of brochure for education of patients; at the time of discharge and then reinforcing by questioning again at subsequent visit, aims to correct it. Methodology: A Quasi- experimental design of study carried out on consecutive patients implanted permanent pacemaker at electrophysiology department NICVD Karachi. Patients were discharged with an educational brochure and practical application of various daily life activities after assessment of related knowledge at baseline with reassessment at 1st visit. A questionnaire of 25 daily activities was developed and tested. Patients perception of safety of various daily activities both at baseline and at 1 week follow up were noted along with socio- demographic data of the patient. Results: A total of128 patients were interviewed at baseline, out of which 115 showed up for follow-up after one week. Male patients were 59.4% (76) of the sample and 47.7% were illiterate. Mean age of the patient was 60.31 ± 12.81 years. Only 11/128 at baseline, and 59/115 after intervention, answered all questions correctly. The percentages at baseline and 1 week follow up for: driving (82% vs. 99.1%; p=0.005), climbing stairs (75% vs. 97.4%; p&lt;0.001), sleeping on the side of pacemaker (60.2% vs. 91.3%; p=0.001), usage of mobile phone (28.1% vs. 96.5%; p&lt;0.001), for electric iron (54.7% vs. 94.8%; p&lt;0.001), electrical switches (16.4% vs. 96.5%; p&lt;0.001), microwave ovens (54.7% vs. 84.3%; p&lt;0.001), electrical sewing machines (58.6% vs. 93.0%; p=0.106), UPS and electricity generators (52.3% vs. 87.8%; p=0.003), electric motors (63.3% vs. 91.3%; p&lt;0.001), undergoing X-Ray irradiation (68% vs. 96.5%; p&lt;0.001), and ultrasound imaging (65.6% vs. 93.9%; p=0.005). Conclusion: Many pacemaker patients' misperception leading to unnecessarily restricted lifestyle can be corrected by simple measures such as distribution of brochures and in hospital implementation of those activities which can be resumed with in hospital stay thereby benefitting the patient more than just with implantation. Distribution of these brochures and counseling with practical application should therefore be standardized and made as part of routine for all pacemaker patients. Keywords: mobile phone usage 1, MRI scanning 2, patient education 3, permanent pacemaker 4.

Abstract 286: Clinic Time Required To Manage Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Patients: A Time And Motion Workflow Evaluation

Background: The number of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is growing, creating workload for device clinics to manage this population. Remote monitoring of CIED patients is a guidelines-recommended method for optimizing treatment in CIED patients in combination with in-person follow-up. However, the specific steps involved in CIED management, as well as the HCP time required for these activities, are not well understood. The aim of this study was to quantify the clinic staff time requirements associated with the remote and in-person management of CIED patients. Methods: A time and motion workflow evaluation was performed in 6 U.S. CIED clinics. Participating clinics manage an average of 4,217 (range: 870-10,336) CIED patients. The duration of each task involved in CIED management was repeatedly timed, for all device models/manufacturers, during one business week (5 days) of observation at each clinic. Mean time for review of a remote transmission and for an in-person clinic visit were calculated, including all clinical and administrative (e.g., scheduling, documentation) activities related to the encounter. Annual staff time (inclusive of all clinical and administrative staff) for follow-up of 1 CIED patient was modeled using device transmission data for the 6 clinics, clinical guidelines for CIED follow-up, and published literature (Table 1). Results: During 6 total weeks of data collection, 124 in-person clinic visits and 1,374 remote transmission review activities were observed and measured. On average, the total staff time required per remote transmission ranged from 11.9-13.5 minutes (depending on the CIED type), and time per in-person visit ranged from 43.4-51.0 minutes. Including all remote and in-person follow-ups, the estimated total staff time per year to manage one Pacemaker, ICD, CRT, and ICM patient was 2.3, 2.4, 2.4, and 9.3 hours, respectively. Conclusion: CIED patient management workflow is complex and requires significant staff time in cardiac device clinics. Remote monitoring is an efficient complement for in-office visits, allowing for continuous follow-up of patients with reduced staff time required per device check. Future research should examine heterogeneity in patient management processes to identify the most efficient workflow.

Smart monitor of pacemaker patient by using IoT cloud in real time

People severing from heart diseases are increasing day after day, now it's more important to focus on this destructive problem and provide a good health care and remote patient monitoring .An effective monitoring system has been discovered to monitor patients who are implanting a pacemaker and need long-term follow-up. So extensive research has been done to monitor ECG and analyze it by using the free open source website and linking it with portable ECG system that are responsible for the presentation and storage of data to the doctor and patient. In this research we will develop a new method of ECG monitoring for patients who are implanting pacemakers and help them to transfer their ECG signal for long distances depending on the Internet things (IOT). Once the device is worn, it will start collecting ECG information and sent it directly via Wi-Fi to the IOT cloud. Reviewing ECG data through the web has led to the alleviation of the problem of the inability of the doctor to monitor the patient from the home as well as in the event that the doctor is being in another country ,the device also helps to discover the magnetic field that confuses the pacemaker by giving the patient a warning. The results of the test are able to detect that the system would be reliable for displaying real-time ECG data, which could help facilitate patient follow-up after implantation of the pacemaker at home with ease of use and cheaper price.

Cardiac implantable electrical devices in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: single center implant data extracted from the Swedish pacemaker and ICD registry

Objectives: To investigate cardiac implantable electrical device (CIED) first implants in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in a Swedish tertiary university hospital. Design: Clinical and technical data on pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) first implants performed in HCM patients at the Karolinska University Hospital from 2005 to 2016 were extracted from the Swedish Pacemaker and ICD Registry. Echocardiographic data were obtained by review of hospital recordings. Results: The number of first pacemaker implants in HCM patients was 70 (1.5% of total pacemaker implants). The mean age of HCM pacemaker patients was 71 ± 10 years. Pacemaker implants were almost uniformly distributed between genders. Dual-chamber pacemakers with or without CRT properties were prevalent (6 and 93%, respectively). The number of first ICD implants in HCM patients was 99 (5.1% of total ICD implants). HCM patients receiving an ICD were 53 ± 15 years and prevalently men (70%). Sixty-five (66%) patients were implanted for primary prevention. Dual-chamber ICDs with or without CRT were 21 and 65%, respectively. Obstructive HCM was present in 47% pacemaker patients and 25% ICD patients with available pre-implant echo. Conclusions: This retrospective registry-based study provides a picture of CIED first implants in HCM patients in a Swedish tertiary university hospital. ICDs were the most commonly implanted devices, covering 59% of CIED implants. HCM patients receiving a pacemaker or an ICD had different epidemiological and clinical profiles.

Using Medicare Claims to Identify Acute Clinical Events Following Implantation of Leadless Pacemakers.

BackgroundThere is heightened interest in how real-world data (RWD) can be used to supplement or replace traditional mechanisms for collecting clinical information. A critical component in evaluating utility of RWD is assessing the validity and reliability of event measurement. Only two studies have validated Medicare claims with physician-adjudicated data collected in a clinical study and none in the pacemaker patient population. This study compares events identified in physician-adjudicated clinical registry data collected in the Micra Post-Approval Registry (PAR) with events identified via Medicare administrative claims in the Micra Coverage with Evidence (CED) Study.MethodsPatients who were dually enrolled in the Micra CED and the Micra PAR between March 9, 2017 and December 1, 2017 were included in the validation analysis. All patients intended to be implanted with a Micra device were eligible for participation in the Micra PAR. All Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries implanted with a Micra device who met the 12-month continuous enrollment criteria were included in the Micra CED. We compared the count of acute (30-day) complications identified in the Medicare claims and the physician-adjudicated PAR data to assess agreement between data sources.ResultsThere were 230 patients dually enrolled in the Micra CED and Micra PAR studies during the study period. Overall, there were 17 acute events reported in either the Micra CED or the Micra PAR, with 95% agreement in the identification of events and absence of events between studies. Study disagreement between events reported in either study varied: arteriovenous fistula (50%), pulmonary embolism (67%), hemorrhage/hematoma (75%), and deep vein thrombosis (100%). Among physician-adjudicated events, there was no disagreement between the Micra CED and Micra PAR studies in any event type.ConclusionFindings from this study demonstrate high agreement in event identification between Medicare claims data and registries for patients implanted with Micra leadless pacemakers.

CRT-600.26 Vascular Outcomes in Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Previously Placed Permanent Pacemaker Patients

There is an increased incidence of pacemaker placement after TAVR when compared to SAVR. Most of the complications after pacemaker placement are acute, but late complications have also been reported. No studies to date have reported vascular outcomes after TAVR or SAVR in previously placed permanent

Association of selected factors with long-term prognosis and mortality after dual-chamber pacemaker implant.

Dual-chamber (DDD) pacing is the most widely utilised pacing modality in many parts of the world. The present study aimed to evaluate life expectancy of DDD pacemaker patients in comparison to the age- and sex-matched general population, assess changes in baseline characteristics over three decades of the inclusion period and determine the association between selected variables and patient survival. This longitudinal study of consecutive de novo DDD pacemaker implantations performed between 1984 and 2014, with all-cause mortality until 2016 as the endpoint, was conducted at a singlecenter university hospital. Under assessment were 3928 patients with a total of 30,087 patient-years of survival time. Compared to the general population, the observed survival was significantly inferior until 12 years post DDD pacemaker implant (HR = 1.499, p < 0.001), whereas after 12 years of follow-up the observed survival was significantly superior (HR = 0.555, p < 0.001). A comparison of patient baseline characteristics over three decades revealed the following significant changes: more elderly patients, more female patients, less patients with atrioventricular block, more patients with atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter (AF/AFL) and fewer patients with an apical right ventricular (RV) lead position in the later decades. In multivariate analysis male sex and higher age were the only variables significantly associated with shorter survival time. Indication for pacing, history of pre-implant AF/AFL, RV lead position and device infection were not associated with survival. In the very-long-term follow-up of DDD pacemaker patients, the parameters associated with survival were sex and baseline age at first implantation.

Aortic Valve Calcification as a Predictor of Post-Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Pacemaker Dependence.

BackgroundAtrioventricular block requiring permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation is a common complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The mechanism of atrioventricular (AV) block during TAVR is not fully understood, but it may be due to the mechanical stress of TAVR deployment, resulting in possible injury to the nearby compact AV node. Aortic valve calcification (AVC) may worsen this condition and has been associated with an increased risk for post-TAVR PPM implantation. We performed a retrospective analysis to determine if AVC is predictive for long-term right ventricular (RV) pacing in post-TAVR pacemaker patients at 30 days.MethodsA total of 262 consecutive patients who underwent TAVR with a balloon-expandable valve were analyzed. AVC data were derived from contrast-enhanced computed tomography and characterized by leaflet sector and region.ResultsA total of 25 patients (11.1%) required post-TAVR PPM implantation. Seventeen patients did not require RV pacing at 30 days. Nine of these 17 patients had no RV pacing requirement within 10 days. The presence of intra-procedural heart block (P = 0.004) was the only significant difference between patients who did not require PPM and those who required PPM but they were not RV pacing-dependent at 30 days. Non-coronary cusp (NCC) calcium volume was significantly higher in patients who were pacemaker-dependent at 30 days (P = 0.01) and a calcium volume of > 239.2 mm3 in the NCC was strongly predictive of pacemaker dependence at 30 days (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.813). Pre-existing right bundle branch block (RBBB) (odds ratio (OR) 105.4, P = 0.004), bifascicular block (OR 12.5, P = 0.02), QRS duration (OR 70.43, P = 0.007) and intra-procedural complete heart block (OR 12.83, P = 0.03) were also predictive of pacemaker dependence at 30 days.ConclusionsIn patients who required PPM after TAVR, quantification of AVC by non-coronary leaflet calcium volume was found to be a novel predictor for RV pacing dependence at 30 days. The association of NCC calcification and PPM dependence may be related to the proximity of the conduction bundle to the non-coronary leaflet. Further studies are necessary to improve risk prediction for long-term RV pacing requirements following TAVR.

Difference in Cardiac Electrical Vulnerability Between Passive Silicone Steroid Eluting Lead vs. Active Screw-in Lead

Patients with total atrioventricular block are of particular interest and prone to severe prognosis unless treated with emergency cardiac pacing. We evaluated different types of leads and their impact on the myocardium, according to the fixation type and pacing method.. A pacemaker patient has a different depolarization pattern and a single chamber pacemaker, has by definition, an intracardiac desynchronization and a different electro-mechanical coupling activity. The presence of late potentials is an independent prognosis factor for cardiac death and electrical vulnerability, especially after myocardial infarction(MI). Late potentials recorded as magnitude vector are the expresion of late depolarization of the surrounding tissue and represent the morfological substrate for reentry. Thus, the incidence of late potentials after pacemaker implant, represents the expresion of electrical vulnerability of the stimulated right ventricular myocardium. In order to deeply study the parameters of magnitude vectors, we noticed the appearance of late potentials during the transitory stimulation in acute atrioventricular block and a restoration of vector normal parameters, after conduction recovery and sinus rhythm conversion.

Personalized monitoring of electrical remodelling during atrial fibrillation progression via remote transmissions from implantable devices

AimsAtrial electrical remodelling (AER) is a transitional period associated with the progression and long-term maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to study the progression of AER in individual patients with implantable devices and AF episodes.Methods and resultsObservational multicentre study (51 centres) including 4618 patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator +/−resynchronization therapy (ICD/CRT-D) and 352 patients (2 centres) with pacemakers (median follow-up: 3.4 years). Atrial activation rate (AAR) was quantified as the frequency of the dominant peak in the signal spectrum of AF episodes with atrial bipolar electrograms. Patients with complete progression of AER, from paroxysmal AF episodes to electrically remodelled persistent AF, were used to depict patient-specific AER slopes. A total of 34 712 AF tracings from 830 patients (87 with pacemakers) were suitable for the study. Complete progression of AER was documented in 216 patients (16 with pacemakers). Patients with persistent AF after completion of AER showed ∼30% faster AAR than patients with paroxysmal AF. The slope of AAR changes during AF progression revealed patient-specific patterns that correlated with the time-to-completion of AER (R2 = 0.85). Pacemaker patients were older than patients with ICD/CRT-Ds (78.3 vs. 67.2 year olds, respectively, P < 0.001) and had a shorter median time-to-completion of AER (24.9 vs. 93.5 days, respectively, P = 0.016). Remote transmissions in patients with ICD/CRT-D devices enabled the estimation of the time-to-completion of AER using the predicted slope of AAR changes from initiation to completion of electrical remodelling (R2 = 0.45).ConclusionThe AF progression shows patient-specific patterns of AER, which can be estimated using available remote-monitoring technology.

Assessment of Nurses' knowledge And Practices Regarding Temporary Pacemaker patient`s care

A temporary pacemaker is an electronic device which provides electrical stimuli to the heart, when the sinoatrial node fails to conduct regularly to the ventricles. Aim of the study: This study aimed to assess nurse`s knowledge and practices regarding temporary pacemaker patient`s care. Research design: A descriptive research design was utilized in the study. Sitting: This study was conducted in Coronary Care Unit at Assuit University Hospital. Subject and Method: The study was carried out on a convenience 40 nurses who are working in coronary care unit. Tools: Tool 1: Nurses` knowledge assessment tool regarding temporary pacing. Tool 2: Observational checklist regarding care for patient with temporary pacemaker. Results: The results showed that (77.5%) of nurses had unsatisfactory level of knowledge regarding care for patient with temporary pacemaker and (92.5%) of nurses had unsatisfactory level of practices regarding care for patient with temporary pacemaker. Conclusion: Nurses showed inadequacy of their knowledge and practices regarding temporary pacemaker patient's care. Recommendation: The study recommends that there is a need for an education program regarding care for patients with temporary pacemaker.

Assessment of Nurses' knowledge And Practices Regarding Temporary Pacemaker patient`s care

Assessment of Nurses' knowledge And Practices Regarding Temporary Pacemaker patient`s care

Predictors of patient satisfaction after cardiac pacemaker implantation or ICD implantation.

The study aimed to identify predictors of satisfaction of patients receiving a cardiac pacemaker or an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). This was a cross-sectional study measuring patient satisfaction postdischarge by using a mailed questionnaire. Study participants included a random sample of hospitalized patients who had undergone implantation of a pacemaker or ICD in 30 hospitals in Germany. Data from 548 respondents (response rate 17.3%) were available for analyses. Logistic regression analysis revealed the following factors associated with satisfaction of inpatients (P < .05): outcome of treatment (odds ratio [OR] = 11.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.62-28.64), individualized medical care by physicians (OR = 5.04, 95% CI = 2.13-11.92), kindness of nurses (OR = 4.83, 95% CI = 1.52-15.42), and physicians (OR = 3.46, 95% CI = 1.03-11.65), organization of procedures and operations, respectively (OR = 4.45, 95% CI = 1.85-10.75) and thoroughness of the discharge instructions (OR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.17-6.20). This study identified six predictors of satisfaction among pacemaker and ICD patients that can be addressed by healthcare providers to increase patients' evaluation of the hospitalization. Identified predictors of satisfaction are alterable by health care professionals and, thus, should be focused on to increase satisfaction ratings of patients who have undergone implantation of a pacemaker or ICD.

Pacemaker Implantation and Dependency After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in the REPRISE III Trial

BackgroundAs transcatheter aortic valve replacement expands to younger and/or lower risk patients, the long‐term consequences of permanent pacemaker implantation are a concern. Pacemaker dependency and impact have not been methodically assessed in transcatheter aortic valve replacement trials. We report the incidence and predictors of pacemaker implantation and pacemaker dependency after transcatheter aortic valve replacement with the Lotus valve.Methods and ResultsA total of 912 patients with high/extreme surgical risk and symptomatic aortic stenosis were randomized 2:1 (Lotus:CoreValve) in REPRISE III (The Repositionable Percutaneous Replacement of Stenotic Aortic Valve through Implantation of Lotus Valve System—Randomized Clinical Evaluation) trial. Systematic assessment of pacemaker dependency was pre‐specified in the trial design. Pacemaker implantation within 30 days was more frequent with Lotus than CoreValve. By multivariable analysis, predictors of pacemaker implantation included baseline right bundle branch block and depth of implantation; diabetes mellitus was also a predictor with Lotus. No association between new pacemaker implantation and clinical outcomes was found. Pacemaker dependency was dynamic (30 days: 43%; 1 year: 50%) and not consistent for individual patients over time. Predictors of pacemaker dependency at 30 days included baseline right bundle branch block, female sex, and depth of implantation. No differences in mortality or stroke were found between patients who were pacemaker dependent or not at 30 days. Rehospitalization was higher in patients who were not pacemaker dependent versus patients without a pacemaker or those who were dependent.ConclusionsPacemaker implantation was not associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Most patients with a new pacemaker at 30 days were not dependent at 1 year. Mortality and stroke were similar between patients with or without pacemaker dependency and patients without a pacemaker.Clinical Trial Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/. Unique identifier NCT02202434.

Health-related quality of life outcomes in pediatric patients with cardiac rhythm devices: a cross-sectional study with case-control comparison

BackgroundLittle is known about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in pediatric patients with cardiac rhythm devices. This study aims to compare self- and proxy-reported HRQoL in patients with pacemaker (PM) and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) to that in sex- and age-matched healthy controls and to examine predictors for generic and disease-specific HRQoL.MethodsThe study included 72 PM and ICD patients (39% females) and 72 sex- and age-matched healthy controls from 3 to 18 years of age. HRQoL data was obtained by the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales and Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory. Medical data was collected retrospectively from medical records.ResultsPatients had significantly lower self- and proxy-reported generic overall HRQoL and lower physical health than healthy controls, and ICD patients also had lower psychosocial health. On multivariate analyses, generic overall HRQoL and physical health was significantly predicted by current cardiac medication (β = −.39, p = .02 for overall HRQoL, respectively β = −.44, p = .006 for physical health). Disease-specific overall HRQoL was only marginally predicted by child age, device type, and the presence of a structural congenital heart disease (p < .10).ConclusionsThis study shows that PM and ICD patients have lower HRQoL than healthy controls and that patients who need cardiac medication are seen by their parents at great risk for lower generic overall HRQoL. Our study also indicates a trend towards higher risk for low disease-specific HRQoL in younger patients, ICD patients, and patients with a structural congenital heart disease. Special attention should be given to these patients as they may benefit from a timely clinical evaluation in order to provide supportive interventions.