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RESUMEN Introducción y objetivos: Los pacientes receptores de un trasplante cardiaco necesitan someterse a biopsias endomiocárdicas (BEM) para descartar el rechazo, procedimiento que habitualmente se realiza por acceso venoso yugular o femoral. En los últimos años hemos desarrollado una técnica de biopsia por vía braquial, que hemos implementado como acceso preferente. En este artículo describimos la técnica y la experiencia clínica inicial de 2 centros empleando el acceso braquial. Métodos: Entre 2004 y 2016 desarrollamos e implementamos la técnica de biopsia por vía venosa braquial. Se registraron las principales variables clínicas y del procedimiento de todas las BEM realizadas por vía braquial en ambos centros, y se compararon las características con los procedimientos realizados por vía femoral y yugular. Resultados: Se realizó la BEM por vía braquial en 544 casos, sin complicaciones mayores. El número de procedimientos braquiales por paciente varió entre 1 y 14. En el mismo periodo se realizaron 1.054 BEM femorales y 686 yugulares. La duración total del procedimiento fue similar por los distintos accesos (mediana braquial/femoral/yugular: 28/26/29 min; p = 0,31), con un menor tiempo de escopia por vía yugular (mediana 5/5/3 min, respectivamente; p < 0,001). Los procedimientos realizados por vía braquial se valoraron como menos dolorosos que los realizados por vía yugular o femoral (2/8/9 en la escala de dolor EVA de 1-10, respectivamente; p = 0,001), y fue la vía de elección por parte de los pacientes. Conclusiones: La BEM por vía venosa braquial es una buena alternativa a la punción venosa central y la vía de elección en nuestros centros, con altas factibilidad y seguridad, y mayor comodidad para el paciente.

ABSTRACT Introduction and objectives: Recipients of a heart transplant need to receive serial endomyocardial biopsies (EMB) to discard rejection, a procedure that is usually performed through the femoral or jugular vein. Over the last few years, we have developed a technique to perform EMBs using the brachial venous access that we have implemented as the preferential access route. In this article, we describe the technique and the initial clinical experience of 2 different centers. Methods: Between 2004 and 2016, we developed and implemented a brachial venous access technique. We registered the main clinical and procedural variables of all the brachial biopsies performed in both centers and compared them with a retrospective series of femoral and jugular procedures. Results: Brachial EMBs were successfully performed 544 of the time with no major complications. The number of brachial procedures per patient rose from 1 to 14. Over the same period of time 1054 femoral and 686 jugular procedures were performed. The total procedural time was similar with different access routes (mean for brachial/femoral/jugular access: 28/26/29 min., P = .31) while fluoroscopy time was shorter in jugular procedures (mean 5/5/3 min. respectively; P < .001). The brachial procedure was recalled as the least painful procedure of all compared to the jugular or femoral ones (2/8/9 score on a scale from 1 to 10; P = .001) with an overall patient preference towards the brachial access. Conclusions: The venous brachial access route is a good alternative to the central venous one to perform EMBs and is the route of choice in our centers. Also, it has high feasibility and safety and brings additional comfort to patients.

ObjectiveThe management of cardiotoxicity concerning the use of oral antineoplastic agents (OAAs) is a challenge for healthcare professionals. Our objective was to create a comprehensive medication management guide with dose adjustment recommendations on OAAs concerning cardiotoxic and lipid metabolic adverse events (AEs) to assist healthcare professionals when prescribing OAAs.Materials and methodsA review of the available information on all dose adjustments necessary to safely prescribe and dispense OAAs concerning cardiotoxicity was conducted. In January 2023, we identified all OAAs authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). For each drug, the latest summary of product characteristics (SPC) approved by the EMA and the tertiary data source Lexicomp® were reviewed. Cardiotoxic AEs were recorded, namely, QT interval prolongation, decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), imbalances in blood pressure (hypertension and hypotension), alterations in heart rate (tachycardia and bradycardia), and thrombosis. Any available dose adjustment recommendations in case of an occurrence of these adverse events were collected.ResultsIn all, 93 different OAAs had been approved by the EMA and were reviewed. Among them, 51.6% have recognized cardiotoxic AEs and 10.8% can cause alterations in lipid metabolism. A total of 27 (29.0%) OAAs had specific recommendations regarding QT prolongation; 88.9% were listed in the SPC and 59.3% in Lexicomp®. Eight OAAs (9.68%) have reported a decrease in LVEF, and four of these drugs, namely, encorafenib, lorlatinib, ripretinib, and sunitinib, have specific management recommendations. Almost half (49.5%) of currently approved OAAs can potentially alter blood pressure; 34 (36.6%) of them have been reported to cause hypertension and 12 (12.9%) are related to hypotension. Tachycardia and/or bradycardia are associated with 22.6% and 8.6% of the evaluated drugs, respectively. Regarding thrombosis, 30 (32.3%) of the drugs analyzed included the appearance of a thrombus as a possible AE.ConclusionsMore than half of the OAAs can produce cardiotoxic effects, with the most frequent being blood pressure alteration and QT interval prolongation with a non-depreciable incidence of LV dysfunction or thrombosis. Before starting the treatment, it is necessary to stratify baseline cardiovascular risk, plan a surveillance schedule, and consider referral to cardio-oncology units.

Abstract Aim Due to improved therapy in childhood, many patients with congenital heart disease reach adulthood and are termed adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD). ACHD often develop heart failure (HF) as a consequence of initial palliative surgery or complex anatomy and subsequently require advanced HF therapy. ACHD are usually excluded from trials evaluating heart failure therapies, and in this context, more data about heart failure trajectories in ACHD are needed to guide the management of ACHD suffering from HF. Methods and results The pAtients pResenTing with cOngenital heaRt dIseAse Register (ARTORIA‐R) will collect data from ACHD evaluated or listed for heart or heart‐combined organ transplantation from 16 countries in Europe and the Asia/Pacific region. We plan retrospective collection of data from 1989–2020 and will include patients prospectively. Additional organizations and hospitals in charge of transplantation of ACHD will be asked in the future to contribute data to the register. The primary outcome is the combined endpoint of delisting due to clinical worsening or death on the waiting list. The secondary outcome is delisting due to clinical improvement while on the waiting list. All‐cause mortality following transplantation will also be assessed. The data will be entered into an electronic database with access to the investigators participating in the register. All variables of the register reflect key components important for listing of the patients or assessing current HF treatment. Conclusion The ARTORIA‐R will provide robust information on current management and outcomes of adults with congenital heart disease suffering from advanced heart failure.

Background Myocarditis is a highly morbid complication of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) use that remains inadequately characterized. The QRS duration and the QTc interval are standardized electrocardiographic measures that are prolonged in other cardiac conditions; however, there are no data on their utility in ICI myocarditis.Methods From an international registry, ECG parameters were compared between 140 myocarditis cases and 179 controls across multiple time points (pre-ICI, on ICI prior to myocarditis, and at the time of myocarditis). The association between ECG values and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) was also tested.Results Both the QRS duration and QTc interval were similar between cases and controls prior to myocarditis. When compared with controls on an ICI (93±19 ms) or to baseline prior to myocarditis (97±19 ms), the QRS duration prolonged with myocarditis (110±22 ms, p

Valganciclovir (VGCV) and ganciclovir (GCV) doses must be adjusted according to indication, renal function and weight. No specific therapeutic exposure values have been established. We aimed to evaluate the adequacy of VGCV/GCV doses, to assess the interpatient variability in GCV serum levels, to identify predictive factors for this variability and to assess the clinical impact. This is a prospective study at a tertiary institution including hospitalized patients receiving VGCV/GCV prophylaxis or treatment. Adequacy of the antiviral dose was defined according to cytomegalovirus guidelines. Serum levels were determined using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. Blood samples were drawn at least 3 days after antiviral initiation. Outcome was considered favorable if there was no evidence of cytomegalovirus infection during prophylaxis or when a clinical and microbiological resolution was attained within 21 days of treatment and no need for drug discontinuation due to toxicity. Seventy consecutive patients [74.3% male/median age: 59.2 years] were included. VGCV was used in 25 patients (35.7%) and GCV in 45 (64.3%). VGCV/GCV initial dosage was deemed adequate in 47/70 cases (67.1%), lower than recommended in 7/70 (10%) and higher in 16/70 (22.9%). Large inter-individual variability of serum levels was observed, with median trough levels of 2.3 mg/L and median peak levels of 7.8 mg/L. Inadequate dosing of VGCV/GCV and peak levels lower than 8.37 or greater than 11.86 mg/L were related to poor outcome. Further studies must be performed to confirm these results and to conclusively establish if VGCV/GCV therapeutic drug monitoring could be useful to improve outcomes in specific clinical situations.