Critical limb ischemia (CLI) continues to be a major cause of vascular-related morbidity and mortality in the United States.
The study sought to characterize the trends in hospitalization of U.S. ...patients with CLI from 2003 to 2011, using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. We compared the cost utilization and in-hospital outcomes of endovascular and surgical revascularization procedures for CLI.
CLI and revascularization procedures were identified using International Classification of Diseases-Ninth Edition-Clinical Modification codes. In-hospital mortality and amputation were coprimary outcomes. Length of stay (LOS) and cost of hospitalization were secondary outcomes.
We included a total of 642,433 admissions with CLI across 2003 to 2011. The annual rate of CLI admissions has been relatively constant across 2003 to 2011 (∼150 per 100,000 people in the United States). There has been a significant reduction in the proportion of patients undergoing surgical revascularization from 13.9% in 2003 to 8.8% in 2011, while endovascular revascularization has increased from 5.1% to 11.0% during the same time period. This was accompanied by a steady reduction in the incidence of in-hospital mortality and major amputation. Compared to surgical revascularization, endovascular revascularization was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality (2.34% vs. 2.73%, p < 0.001), mean LOS (8.7 days vs. 10.7 days, p < 0.001), and mean cost of hospitalization ($31,679 vs. $32,485, p < 0.001) despite similar rates of major amputation (6.5% vs. 5.7%, p = 0.75).
While CLI admission rates have remained constant from 2003 to 2011, rates of surgical revascularization have significantly declined and endovascular revascularization procedures have increased. This has been associated with decreasing rates of in-hospital death and major amputation rates in the United States. Despite multiple adjustments, endovascular revascularization was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality compared to surgical revascularization during 2003 to 2011.
Nature utilizes the available resources to construct lightweight, strong and tough materials under constrained environmental conditions. The impact surface of the fast-striking dactyl club from the ...mantis shrimp is an example of one such composite material; the shrimp has evolved the capability to localize damage and avoid catastrophic failure from high-speed collisions during its feeding activities. Here we report that the dactyl club of mantis shrimps contains an impact-resistant coating composed of densely packed (about 88 per cent by volume) ~65-nm bicontinuous nanoparticles of hydroxyapatite integrated within an organic matrix. These mesocrystalline hydroxyapatite nanoparticles are assembled from small, highly aligned nanocrystals. Under impacts of high strain rates (around 10
s
), particles rotate and translate, whereas the nanocrystalline networks fracture at low-angle grain boundaries, form dislocations and undergo amorphization. The interpenetrating organic network provides additional toughening, as well as substantial damping, with a loss coefficient of around 0.02. An unusual combination of stiffness and damping is therefore achieved, outperforming many engineered materials.
Five years of prospective clinical trials confirm that the paclitaxel drug-coated balloon (DCB) (IN.PACT Admiral, Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland) is safe and effective to treat femoropopliteal artery ...disease. A recent meta-analysis of heterogeneous trials of paclitaxel-based balloons and stents reported that they are associated with increased mortality and that higher doses are linked to higher mortality from 2 to 5 years.
The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a correlation between paclitaxel exposure and mortality by conducting an independent patient-level meta-analysis of 1,980 patients with up to 5-year follow-up.
Data from 2 single-arm and 2 randomized independently adjudicated prospective studies of a paclitaxel DCB (n = 1,837) and uncoated percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) (n = 143) were included. Analyses of baseline, procedure, and follow-up data of individual patients were performed to explore correlations of paclitaxel dose with long-term mortality. Survival time by paclitaxel dose tercile was analyzed with adjustment of inverse probability weighting to correct baseline imbalances and study as random effect. A standard cohort was defined to compare DCB- and PTA-treated patients with similar characteristics by applying criteria from pivotal studies (n = 712 DCB, n = 143 PTA).
A survival analysis stratified nominal paclitaxel dose by low, mid, and upper terciles; mean doses were 5,019.0, 10,007.5, and 19,978.2 μg, respectively. Rates of freedom from all-cause mortality between the 3 groups through 5 years were 85.8%, 84.2%, and 88.2%, respectively (p = 0.731). There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality between DCB and PTA through 5 years comparing all patients (unadjusted p = 0.092) or patients with similar characteristics (adjusted p = 0.188).
This independent patient-level meta-analysis demonstrates that this paclitaxel DCB is safe. Within DCB patients, there was no correlation between level of paclitaxel exposure and mortality. (Randomized Trial of IN.PACT Admiral® Drug Coated Balloon vs Standard PTA for the Treatment of SFA and Proximal Popliteal Arterial Disease INPACT SFA I, NCT01175850; IN.PACT Admiral Drug-Coated Balloon vs. Standard Balloon Angioplasty for the Treatment of Superficial Femoral Artery SFA and Proximal Popliteal Artery PPA INPACT SFA II, NCT01566461; MDT-2113 Drug-Eluting Balloon vs. Standard PTA for the Treatment of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Superficial Femoral Artery and/or Proximal Popliteal Artery MDT-2113 SFA, NCT01947478; The IN.PACT SFA Clinical Study for the Treatment of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Superficial Femoral Artery and/or Proximal Popliteal Artery Using the IN.PACT Admiral™ Drug-Eluting Balloon in a Chinese Patient Population, NCT02118532; and IN.PACT Global Clinical Study, NCT01609296).
Percutaneous therapies for peripheral artery disease continue to evolve with new techniques and devices. Although guidelines-recommended therapies have impacted cardiovascular morbidity and ...mortality, endovascular interventions have been shown to reduce limb pain, improve quality of life, and prolong walking distance for those with claudication and to reduce amputation rates among those with critical limb ischemia. Novel devices such as drug-eluting stents and drug-coated balloons have improved patency for moderate-length lesions, whereas others allow treatment of heavily calcified and tortuous segments. New adjunctive devices to cross lesions and reduce or modify associated plaque have also been developed, although level 1 data regarding their efficacy are sparse. There has also been a better mechanistic understanding of lower extremity endovascular treatment using tools such as intravascular ultrasound. This information has highlighted the need for better stent size selection for the femoropopliteal arterial segments and larger balloon diameters for the tibial arteries. Moreover, a wound perfusion approach with direct in-line flow, the so-called angiosome approach, and reconstruction of the pedal loop have been advocated for improved wound healing. Technical advances such as the tibiopedal access and reentry methods have allowed crossing of lesions that were considered no option for the endovascular approach in the past. Collectively, there has been increased awareness, interest, and commitment by various specialty societies and organizations to advance the treatment of peripheral artery disease and critical limb ischemia. This is also evident by the recent coalition of 7 professional societies and organizations that represented >150 000 allied health professionals and millions of patients with peripheral artery disease at the 2015 Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Analysis Committee meeting. The percutaneous therapies for peripheral artery disease continue to evolve with longer follow-up with randomized data and larger prospective registries. In the future, it is hopeful that we will treat the lower extremity arteries according to segments, taking into account plaque morphology, luminal versus subintimal crossing, location, and stenotic versus occlusive disease. Until then, we must identify the most cost-effective, efficacious, and safe treatment for each patient. The goal of this article is to aid the practicing vascular specialist consider the optimal choices for the management of patients with vascular disease.
Data are mixed concerning the safety and effectiveness of drug-coated balloons (DCBs) for treating below-the-knee (BTK) lesions.
The aim of this study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of ...the IN.PACT 014 paclitaxel-coated balloon catheter versus conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for infrapopliteal chronic total occlusions (CTOs) in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI).
The IN.PACT BTK randomised study is a prospective, multicentre, randomised pilot study. Fifty CLTI participants (Rutherford clinical category 4-5) with BTK CTOs were randomised 1:1 to DCB (N=23) or PTA (N=27). The primary effectiveness endpoint was late lumen loss (LLL) at 9 months post procedure. Safety outcomes up to 9 months included all-cause mortality, major target limb amputation, and clinically driven target lesion revascularisation (CD-TLR).
Mean lesion length was 215.41±83.81 mm in the DCB group and 218.19±80.43 mm for PTA (p=0.806). The 9-month angiographic LLL was 0.892±0.774 mm for the DCB group and 1.312±0.720 mm for the PTA group (p=0.070) in a classic analysis, and 0.592±0.944 mm for DCB and 1.260±0.810 mm for PTA (p=0.017) in a subsegmental analysis. The Kaplan-Meier estimated freedom from CD-TLR up to 9 months was 91.1% for DCB and 91.8% for PTA (log-rank p=0.942). At 9 months, 1 patient died in the DCB group and 2 in the PTA group (p=1.000); there were no major target limb amputations in either arm.
The 9-month subsegmental LLL was lower after treatment with the IN.PACT 014 DCB compared with PTA with no differences in safety or revascularisation events in a small complex population of patients with BTK CTOs.
gov: NCT02963649.
Objectives
We sought to study the impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on the presentation delay, severity, patterns of care, and reasons for delay among patients with ST‐elevation myocardial infarction ...(STEMI) in a non‐hot‐spot region.
Background
COVID‐19 pandemic has significantly reduced the activations for STEMI in epicenters like Spain.
Methods
From January 1, 2020, to April 15, 2020, 143 STEMIs were identified across our integrated 18‐hospital system. Pre‐ and post‐COVID‐19 cohorts were based on March 23rd, 2020, whenstay‐at‐home orders were initiated in Ohio. We used presenting heart rate, blood pressure, troponin, new Q‐wave, and left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) to assess severity. Duration of intensive care unit stay, total length of stay, door‐to‐balloon (D2B) time, and radial versus femoral access were used to assess patterns of care.
Results
Post‐COVID‐19 presentation was associated with a lower admission LVEF (45 vs. 50%, p = .015), new Q‐wave, and higher initial troponin; however, these did not reach statistical significance. Among post‐COVID‐19 patients, those with >12‐hr delay in presentation 31(%) had a longer average D2B time (88 vs. 53 min, p = .033) and higher peak troponin (58 vs. 8.5 ng/ml, p = .03). Of these, 27% avoided the hospital due to fear of COVID‐19, 18% believed symptoms were COVID‐19 related, and 9% did not want to burden the hospital during the pandemic.
Conclusions
COVID‐19 has remarkably affected STEMI presentation and care. Patients' fear and confusion about symptoms are integral parts of this emerging public health crisis.
The Task Force zealously avoids actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that might arise through relationships with industry or other entities (RWI).\n Jaff Content Reviewer ...Newton-Wellesley Hospital; Harvard Medical School--Professor of Medicine AOPA Cardinal Health Covidiendagger Micell Vascular Therapies None MC10dagger Janacaredagger Northwind PQ Bypass Primacea SanoV Valiant Medical Abbottdagger Boston Scientificdagger Cordisdagger IC Sciences Medtronicdagger Novello CBSET Intersocietal Accreditation Commission SCAIdagger VIVA Physicians Grouplow * None José A. Joglar Content Reviewer--ACC/AHA Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines UT Southwestern Medical Center--Professor of Internal Medicine; Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology--Fellowship Program Director None None None None None None Glenn N. Levine Content Reviewer--ACC/AHA Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines Baylor College of Medicine--Professor of Medicine; Director, Cardiac Care Unit None None None None None None Khusrow Niazi Content Reviewer--ACC Peripheral Vascular Disease Member Section Emory University Department of Medicine--Associate Professor of Medicine None Medtroniclow * None Bard Impeto Terumo None Plaintiff, MI resulting in death, 2015low * Paul D. Varosy Content Reviewer--Task Force on Performance Measures VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System--Associate Professor None None None VA Health Services Research and Development (PI)low * AHA (Guest Editor)dagger None Christopher J. White Content Reviewer Ochsner Clinical School, University of Queensland--Chairman, Department of Cardiology Neovasc None None AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals NIH Neovasc Surmodics ACE (Board of Directors)dagger None black square This table represents all relationships of reviewers with industry and other entities that were reported by authors, including those not deemed to be relevant to this document, at the time this document was under development. Please refer to http://www.acc.org/guidelines/about-guidelines-and-clinical-documents/relationships-with-industry-policy for definitions of disclosure categories or additional information about the ACC/AHA Disclosure Policy for Writing Committees.AACVPR indicates American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation; ACC, American College of Cardiology; ACE, Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence; AHA, American Heart Association; AMA, American Medical Association; DSMB, data and safety monitoring board; EUCLID, Effects of Ticagrelor and Clopidogrel in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease; FDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; HRS, Heart Rhythm Society; MI, myocardial infarction; NCDR, National Cardiovascular Data Registry; NIH, National Institutes of Health; NHLBI, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; PCORI, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute; PI, primary investigator; PLX-PAD, placental-derived adherent stromal cell; SCAI, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions; SCVS, Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery; SIR, Society of Interventional Radiology; SVM, Society for Vascular Medicine; SVN, Society for Vascular Nursing; SVS, Society for Vascular Surgery; TASC, Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus for the Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease; VA, Veterans Affairs; VESS, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society; and VIVA, Vascular Intervention Advances.