Aortic dissection type A is a disease with high mortality. Iatrogenic aortic dissection after interventional procedures is infrequent, and prognostic data are scarce. Our objective was to analyze its ...incidence, patient profile, and long-term prognosis.
Between 2000 and 2014, we retrospectively analyzed 74 patients with dissection of the ascending aorta. Clinical and procedural data were reviewed, and later, we performed a prospective clinical follow-up by telephone or in the office. The incidence of aortic dissection was 0.06%. Our patients, predominantly male (67.6%), had a mean age of 66.9±10.8 years. With multiple cardiovascular risk factors, the main reason for cardiac catheterization was an acute coronary syndrome (n=54). The complication was detected acutely in all, trying to engage the right coronary artery in 47 and the left main artery in 30 and after other maneuvers in 2, mostly complex therapeutic procedures (78.4%). A coronary artery was involved in 45 patients (60.8%). Thirty-five patients underwent an angioplasty and stent implantation; 3 had cardiac surgery; and 36 were managed conservatively. Two patients died of cardiogenic shock after the dissection. After a median follow-up of 51.2 months (range, 16.4-104.8 months), none of the remaining patients developed complications as a result of the dissection, progression, ischemia, pain, or dissection recurrence.
Iatrogenic catheter dissection of the aorta is a rare complication that carries an excellent short- and long-term prognosis with the adoption of a conservative approach. When a coronary artery is involved as an entry point, it usually can be safely sealed with a stent with good long-term outcomes.
Background
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) shows high morbidity and mortality, particularly in patients with concomitant cardiovascular diseases. Some of these patients are under oral ...anticoagulation (OAC) at admission, but to date, there are no data on the clinical profile, prognosis and risk factors of such patients during hospitalization for COVID‐19.
Design
Subanalysis of the international ‘real‐world’ HOPE COVID‐19 registry. All patients with prior OAC at hospital admission for COVID‐19 were suitable for the study. All‐cause mortality was the primary endpoint.
Results
From 1002 patients included, 110 (60.9% male, median age of 81.5 IQR 75‐87 years, median Short‐Form Charlson Comorbidity Index CCI of 1 IQR 1‐3) were on OAC at admission, mainly for atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism. After propensity score matching, 67.9% of these patients died during hospitalization, which translated into a significantly higher mortality risk compared to patients without prior OAC (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.08‐2.16). After multivariate Cox regression analysis, respiratory insufficiency during hospitalization (HR 6.02, 95% CI 2.18‐16.62), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) during hospitalization (HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.34‐3.91) and the Short‐Form CCI (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.03‐1.49) were the main risk factors for mortality in patients on prior OAC.
Conclusions
Compared to patients without prior OAC, COVID‐19 patients on OAC therapy at hospital admission showed lower survival and higher mortality risk. In these patients on OAC therapy, the prevalence of several comorbidities is high. Respiratory insufficiency and SIRS during hospitalization, as well as higher comorbidity, pointed out those anticoagulated patients with increased mortality risk.
Background COVID‐19 is an infectious illness, featured by an increased risk of thromboembolism. However, no standard antithrombotic therapy is currently recommended for patients hospitalized with ...COVID‐19. The aim of this study was to evaluate safety and efficacy of additional therapy with aspirin over prophylactic anticoagulation (PAC) in patients hospitalized with COVID‐19 and its impact on survival. Methods and Results A total of 8168 patients hospitalized for COVID‐19 were enrolled in a multicenter‐international prospective registry (HOPE COVID‐19). Clinical data and in‐hospital complications, including mortality, were recorded. Study population included patients treated with PAC or with PAC and aspirin. A comparison of clinical outcomes between patients treated with PAC versus PAC and aspirin was performed using an adjusted analysis with propensity score matching. Of 7824 patients with complete data, 360 (4.6%) received PAC and aspirin and 2949 (37.6%) PAC. Propensity‐score matching yielded 298 patients from each group. In the propensity score‐matched population, cumulative incidence of in‐hospital mortality was lower in patients treated with PAC and aspirin versus PAC (15% versus 21%, Log Rank P =0.01). At multivariable analysis in propensity matched population of patients with COVID‐19, including age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, kidney failure, and invasive ventilation, aspirin treatment was associated with lower risk of in‐hospital mortality (hazard ratio HR, 0.62; 95% CI 0.42–0.92, P =0.018). Conclusions Combination PAC and aspirin was associated with lower mortality risk among patients hospitalized with COVID‐19 in a propensity score matched population compared to PAC alone.
Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions (OGD) are a frequent symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It has been proposed that the neuroinvasive potential of the novel SARS-CoV-2 could be due to ...olfactory bulb invasion, conversely studies suggest it could be a good prognostic factor. The aim of the current study was to investigate the prognosis value of OGD in COVID-19. These symptoms were recorded on admission from a cohort study of 5868 patients with confirmed or highly suspected COVID-19 infection included in the multicenter international HOPE Registry (NCT04334291). There was statistical relation in multivariate analysis for OGD in gender, more frequent in female 12.41% vs 8.67% in male, related to age, more frequent under 65 years, presence of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, smoke, renal insufficiency, lung, heart, cancer and neurological disease. We did not find statistical differences in pregnant (
p
= 0.505), patient suffering cognitive (
p
= 0.484), liver (
p
= 0.1) or immune disease (
p
= 0.32). There was inverse relation (protective) between OGD and prone positioning (0.005) and death (< 0.0001), but no with ICU (0.165) or mechanical ventilation (0.292). On univariable logistic regression, OGD was found to be inversely related to death in COVID-19 patients. The odds ratio was 0.26 (0.15–0.44) (
p
< 0.001) and
Z
was − 5.05. The presence of anosmia is fundamental in the diagnosis of SARS.CoV-2 infection, but also could be important in classifying patients and in therapeutic decisions. Even more knowing that it is an early symptom of the disease. Knowing that other situations as being Afro-American or Latino-American, hypertension, renal insufficiency, or increase of C-reactive protein (CRP) imply a worse prognosis we can make a clinical score to estimate the vital prognosis of the patient. The exact pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 that causes olfactory and gustative disorders remains unknown but seems related to the prognosis. This point is fundamental, insomuch as could be a plausible way to find a treatment.
There is limited information on the presenting characteristics, prognosis, and therapeutic approaches of young patients hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We sought to investigate ...the baseline characteristics, in-hospital treatment, and outcomes of a wide cohort < 65 years admitted for COVID-19. Using the international multicenter HOPE-COVID-19 registry, we evaluated the baseline characteristics, clinical presentation, therapeutic approach, and prognosis of patients < 65 years discharged (deceased or alive) after hospital admission for COVID-19, also compared with the elderly counterpart. Of the included 5746 patients, 2676 were < 65 and 3070 ≥ 65 years. All risk factors and several parameters suggestive of worse clinical presentation augmented through increasing age classes. In-hospital mortality rates were 6.8% and 32.1% in the younger and older cohort, respectively (p < 0.001). Among young patients, mortality, access to ICU and treatment with IMVwere positively correlated with age. Contrariwise, over 65 years of age this trend was broken so that only the association between age and mortality was persistent, while the rates of access to ICU and IMV started to decline. Younger patients also recognized specific predictors of case fatality, such as obesity and gender. Age negatively impacts on mortality, access to ICU and treatment with IMV in patients < 65 years. In elderly patients only case fatality rate keeps augmenting in a stepwise manner through increasing age categories, while therapeutic approaches become more conservative. Besides age, obesity, gender, history of cancer, and severe dyspnea, tachypnea, chest X-ray bilateral abnormalities, abnormal level of creatinine and leucocyte among admission parameters seem to play a central role in the outcome of patients younger than 65 years.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most frequent comorbidities in patients suffering from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with a higher rate of severe course of ...coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, data about post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) in patients with DM are limited.
This multicenter, propensity score-matched study compared long-term follow-up data about cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and other symptoms in 8,719 patients with DM to those without DM. The 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) according to age and sex resulted in 1,548 matched pairs.
Diabetics and nondiabetics had a mean age of 72.6 ± 12.7 years old. At follow-up, cardiovascular symptoms such as dyspnea and increased resting heart rate occurred less in patients with DM (13.2% vs. 16.4%;
= 0.01) than those without DM (2.8% vs. 5.6%;
= 0.05), respectively. The incidence of newly diagnosed arterial hypertension was slightly lower in DM patients as compared to non-DM patients (0.5% vs. 1.6%;
= 0.18). Abnormal spirometry was observed more in patients with DM than those without DM (18.8% vs. 13;
= 0.24). Paranoia was diagnosed more frequently in patients with DM than in non-DM patients at follow-up time (4% vs. 1.2%;
= 0.009). The incidence of newly diagnosed renal insufficiency was higher in patients suffering from DM as compared to patients without DM (4.8% vs. 2.6%;
= 0.09). The rate of readmission was comparable in patients with and without DM (19.7% vs. 18.3%;
= 0.61). The reinfection rate with COVID-19 was comparable in both groups (2.9% in diabetics vs. 2.3% in nondiabetics;
= 0.55). Long-term mortality was higher in DM patients than in non-DM patients (33.9% vs. 29.1%;
= 0.005).
The mortality rate was higher in patients with DM type II as compared to those without DM. Readmission and reinfection rates with COVID-19 were comparable in both groups. The incidence of cardiovascular symptoms was higher in patients without DM.
Paravalvular aortic regurgitation (AR) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is common, but the evaluation of its severity by two-dimensional (2D) transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) ...presents several constrains. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of a new methodology, using three-dimensional (3D) TTE, for better assessment of paravalvular AR after TAVI.
Two-dimensional and 3D TTE was performed in 72 patients, 5 months after TAVI, using the X5-1 PureWave microbeamforming xMATRIX probe. The position and severity of the paravalvular AR jets were described using 2D and 3D TTE, and a model was designed for paravalvular AR systematic location description. Vena contracta width was measured using 2D transthoracic echocardiographic views, and the planimetry of the vena contracta was assessed after the perfect alignment plane was obtained using the multiplanar 3D transthoracic echocardiographic reconstruction tool. AR volume was calculated as the difference between 3D TTE-derived total left ventricular stroke volume and right ventricular stroke volume estimated using 2D TTE. Diagnostic efficiency for moderate AR was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.
Forty-three patients (57.4%) presented with AR; 10 (13.3%) had central AR, and 33 (44.0%) had paravalvular AR jets. Vena contracta widths were similar between patients with moderate and mild AR (2.1 ± 0.53 vs 1.9 ± 0.16 mm, P = .16), but vena contracta planimetry was larger in patients with moderate AR than in those with mild AR (0.30 ± 0.12 vs 0.09 ± 0.07 cm(2), P = .001). Vena contracta planimetry on 3D TTE was better correlated with AR volume than vena contracta width on 2D TTE (Kendall's τ = 0.82 P < .001 vs 0.66 P < .001). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.96 for vena contracta planimetry and 0.35 for vena contracta width.
This study proposes an alternative methodology for paravalvular AR assessment after TAVI. Using vena contracta planimetry on 3D TTE, an accurate methodology for paravalvular AR jet evaluation and moderate AR classification is described.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a serious, clinical, long-term condition with an unclear etiology and a difficult diagnosis. Our aim is to propose an objective physiological parameter (Functional ...Limitation Index, FLI) that describes the degree of functional impairment to support clinical suspicion. Materials and Methods: We consecutively included all CFS patients who consulted in the Exercise Physiology Department at our hospital, a dedicated referral unit for CFS, from 2009 to 2022. For comparison purposes, we included two control groups. Thus, three cohorts were included: the CFS group (patients with a previous definitive diagnosis), healthy voluntaries and a sportspeople/trained cohort (amateur athletes). All patients underwent a body composition test, spirometry, basal ECG in supine and standing positions and double peak effort ergospirometry with criteria of maximality. Results: The CFS+ group comprised 183 patients (85% female, mean age 46.2 years) and the CFS− included 161 cases (25.5% female, mean age 41.2 years); there were 93 patients in the healthy and 68 in the trained cohort. The CFS+ presented a lower functional class and scored worse in all of the performance parameters. The FLI was significantly higher in CFS+ (2.7 vs. 1.2; p < 0.001). The FLI displayed a good discrimination power (AUC = 0.94, p < 0.001), with a higher AUC than all of the other spirometric variables recorded. The best dichotomic overall FLI cutoff would be 1.66 with good specificity and sensitivity (S = 0.874, E = 0.864, Youden Index = 0.738). Conclusions: The Functional Limitation Index (FLI) could provide an easy and accurate diagnosis of this condition in both genders in a one-day assessment.
BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has seriously challenged worldwide healthcare systems and limited intensive care facilities, leading to physicians considering the use of non-invasive ventilation ...(NIV) for managing SARS-CoV-2-related acute respiratory failure (ARF).MethodsWe conducted an interim analysis of the international, multicentre HOPE COVID-19 registry including patients admitted for a confirmed or highly suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection until 18 April 2020. Those treated with NIV were considered. The primary endpoint was a composite of death or need for intubation. The components of the composite endpoint were the secondary outcomes. Unadjusted and adjusted predictors of the primary endpoint within those initially treated with NIV were investigated.Results1933 patients who were included in the registry during the study period had data on oxygen support type. Among them, 390 patients (20%) were treated with NIV. Compared with those receiving other non-invasive oxygen strategy, patients receiving NIV showed significantly worse clinical and laboratory signs of ARF at presentation. Of the 390 patients treated with NIV, 173 patients (44.4%) met the composite endpoint. In-hospital death was the main determinant (147, 37.7%), while 62 patients (15.9%) needed invasive ventilation. Those requiring invasive ventilation had the lowest survival rate (41.9%). After adjustment, age (adjusted OR (adj(OR)) for 5-year increase: 1.37, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.63, p<0.001), hypertension (adj(OR) 2.95, 95% CI 1.14 to 7.61, p=0.03), room air O2 saturation <92% at presentation (adj(OR) 3.05, 95% CI 1.28 to 7.28, p=0.01), lymphocytopenia (adj(OR) 3.55, 95% CI 1.16 to 10.85, p=0.03) and in-hospital use of antibiotic therapy (adj(OR) 4.91, 95% CI 1.69 to 14.26, p=0.003) were independently associated with the composite endpoint.ConclusionNIV was used in a significant proportion of patients within our cohort, and more than half of these patients survived without the need for intubation. NIV may represent a viable strategy particularly in case of overcrowded and limited intensive care resources, but prompt identification of failure is mandatory to avoid harm. Further studies are required to better clarify our hypothesis.Trial registration numbers NCT04334291/EUPAS34399.
No evidence-based therapy has yet been established for Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). Given the putative harmful effects of catecholamines in patients with TTS, beta-blockers may potentially decrease the ...intensity of the detrimental cardiac effects in those patients.
The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of beta-blocker therapy on long-term mortality and TTS recurrence.
The cohort study used the national Spanish Registry on TakoTsubo Syndrome (RETAKO). A total of 970 TTS post-discharge survivors, without pheochromocytoma, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, sustained ventricular arrhythmias, and significant bradyarrhythmias, between January 1, 2003, and July 31, 2018, were assessed. Cox regression analysis and inverse probability weighting (IPW) propensity score analysis were used to evaluate the association between beta-blocker therapy and survival free of TTS recurrence.
From 970 TTS patients, 582 (60.0%) received beta-blockers. During a mean follow-up of 2.5±3.3 years, there were 87 deaths (3.6 per 100 patients/year) and 29 TTS recurrences (1.2 per 100 patient/year). There was no significant difference in follow-up mortality or TTS recurrence in unadjusted and adjusted Cox analysis (hazard ratio HR 0.86, 95% confidence interval CI 0.59–1.27, and 0.95, 95% CI 0.57–1.13, respectively). After weighting and adjusting by IPW, differences in one-year survival free of TTS recurrence between patients treated and untreated with beta-blockers were not found (average treatment effect −0.01, 95% CI −0.07 to 0.04; p=0.621).
In this observational nationwide study from Spain, there was no significant association between beta-blocker therapy and follow-up survival free of TTS recurrence.
Ainda não foi estabelecido um tratamento baseado na evidência para a síndrome de Takotsubo (STT). Dados os efeitos supostamente nocivos das catecolaminas em doentes com STT, os betabloqueantes podem potencialmente diminuir a intensidade dos seus efeitos prejudiciais nesses doentes.
Avaliar o impacto da terapêutica com betabloqueantes na mortalidade a longo prazo e na recidiva da STT.
O estudo coorte utilizou o registo nacional espanhol da síndrome de Takotsubo (RETAKO). Foram avaliados 970 sobreviventes de STT após a alta, sem feocromocitoma, sem obstrução do trato de saída do ventrículo esquerdo, sem arritmias ventriculares mantidas e sem bradiarritmias significativas, entre 1 de janeiro de 2003 e 31 de julho de 2018. A análise de regressão de Cox e a análise da ponderação de probabilidade inversa (PPI) foram utilizadas para avaliar a associação entre a terapia com betabloqueantes e a sobrevivência sem recidiva de STT.
Dos 970 doentes com STT, 582 (60,0%) foram tratados com betabloqueantes. Durante um seguimento médio de 2,5±3,3 anos, houve 87 mortes (3,6 por 100 doentes/ano) e 29 recidivas de STT (1,2 por 100 doentes/ano). Não se verificaram diferenças significativas na mortalidade durante o seguimento, nem na recidiva de STT na análise Cox não ajustada e ajustada (Hazard Ratio HR 0,86, Intervalo de Confiança IC 95%, 0,59-1,27 e IC 95%−0,57-1,13, respetivamente). Após ponderação e ajuste por PPI, não foram também encontradas diferenças na sobrevivência a um ano e na recidiva de STT entre doentes tratados e não tratados com betabloqueantes (efeito médio do tratamento −0,01, IC 95% −0,07 a 0,04; p=0,621).
Neste estudo observacional de âmbito nacional em Espanha, não houve associação significativa entre a terapêutica com betabloqueantes e a sobrevivência ou recidivas de STT.
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