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Objectives. Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia in patients with ischemic heart disease. This study aimed to determine the cumulative incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation after percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting surgery during 30 days of follow-up. Design. This was a prospective multi-center cohort study on atrial fibrillation incidence following percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting for stable angina or non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome. Heart rhythm was monitored for 30 days postoperatively by in-hospital telemetry and handheld thumb ECG recordings after discharge were performed. The primary endpoint was the cumulative incidence of atrial fibrillation 30 days after the index procedure. Results. In-hospital atrial fibrillation occurred in 60/123 (49%) coronary artery bypass graft and 0/123 percutaneous coronary intervention patients (p < .001). The cumulative incidence of atrial fibrillation after 30 days was 56% (69/123) of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting and 2% (3/123) of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (p < .001). CABG was a strong predictor for atrial fibrillation compared to PCI (OR 80.2, 95% CI 18.1-354.9, p < .001). Thromboembolic stroke occurred in-hospital in one coronary artery bypass graft patient unrelated to atrial fibrillation, and at 30 days in two additional patients, one in each group. There was no mortality. Conclusion. New-onset atrial fibrillation during 30 days of follow-up was rare after percutaneous coronary intervention but common after coronary artery bypass grafting. A prolonged uninterrupted heart rhythm monitoring strategy identified additional patients in both groups with new-onset atrial fibrillation after discharge., Funding Agencies|Research Committee of rebro University Hospital

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a rapidly increasing global public health concern entailing a high risk for ischemic stroke that can largely be avoided with anticoagulation therapy. AF is often underdiagnosed and there is a need for a reliable method of detection in individuals with additional risk factors for stroke such as coronary artery disease. We aimed to validate an automatic rhythm interpretation algorithm in thumb ECG in subjects with recent coronary revascularization. METHODS: Thumb ECG, a patient-operated handheld single-lead ECG recording device with an automatic interpretation algorithm, was performed three times daily for a month after coronary revascularization and 2-week periods 3, 12, and 24 months post-procedure. The detection of AF by the automatic algorithm on subject and single-strip ECG level was compared to manual interpretation. RESULTS: 48,308 of 30 s thumb ECG recordings from 255 subjects (mean 212 ± 3.5 recordings per subject) were retrieved from a database (AF 47 subjects/655 recordings; non-AF 208 subjects/47,653 recordings). The algorithm sensitivity at subject level was 100%, specificity 11.2%, positive predictive value (PPV) 20.2%, and negative predictive value (NPV) 100%. At the single-strip ECG level, sensitivity was 87.6%, specificity 94.0%, PPV 16.8%, and NPV 99.8%. The most common reasons for false positive results were technical disturbance and frequent ectopic beats. CONCLUSIONS: The automatic interpretation algorithm in a handheld thumb ECG device can rule out AF in patients recently undergoing coronary revascularization with high accuracy, but manual confirmation is needed to confirm the diagnose of AF because of high false positive rates., Funding agency:Centre for Clinical Research and Education, Region Värmland

Background: Emergency surgery for acute type A aortic dissection in patients with previous cardiac surgery is controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the association between previous cardiac surgery and outcomes after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection, to appreciate whether emergency surgery can be offered with acceptable risks. Methods: All patients operated on for acute type A aortic dissection between 2005 and 2014 from the Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection database were eligible. Patients with previous cardiac surgery were compared with patients without previous cardiac surgery. Univariable and multivariable statistical analyses were performed to identify predictors of 30-day mortality and early major adverse events (a secondary composite endpoint comprising 30-day mortality, perioperative stroke, postoperative cardiac arrest, or de novo dialysis). Results: In all, 1159 patients were included, 40 (3.5%) with previous cardiac surgery. Patients with previous cardiac surgery had higher 30-day mortality (30% vs 17.8%, P = .049), worse medium-term survival (51.7% vs 71.2% at 5 years, log rank P = .020), and higher unadjusted prevalence of major adverse events (52.5% vs 35.7%, P = .030). In multivariable analysis, previous cardiac surgery was not associated with 30-day mortality (odds ratio 0.78; 95% CI, 0.30-2.07; P = .624) or major adverse events (odds ratio 1.07; 95% CI, 0.45-2.55, P = .879). Conclusions: Major adverse events after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection were more frequent in patients with previous cardiac surgery. Previous cardiac surgery itself was not an independent predictor for adverse events, although the small sample size precludes definite conclusions. Previous cardiac surgery should not deter from emergency surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a rare but severe condition, routinely treated with emergent cardiac surgery. Many surgeons have the notion that patients with ATAAD tend to come in clusters, but no studies have examined these observations. This investigation was undertaken to study the potential association between the lunar cycle and the incidence of ATAAD. METHODS: We collected information on 2995 patients who underwent ATAAD surgery at centres from the Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection collaboration. We cross-referenced the time of surgery with lunar phase using a case-crossover design with 2 different definitions of full moon (>99% illumination and the 7-day full moon period). RESULTS: The period when the moon was illuminated the most (99% definition) did not show any significant increase in incidence for ATAAD surgery. However, when the full moon period was compared with all other moon phases, it yielded a relative risk of 1.08 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.17, P = 0.057] and, compared to waxing moon, only the relative risk was 1.11 (95% CI 1.01-1.23, P = 0.027). The peak incidence came 4-6 days after the moon was fully illuminated. CONCLUSIONS: This study found an overrepresentation of surgery for ATAAD during the full moon phase. The explanation for this is not known, but we speculate that sleep deprivation during full moon leads to a temporary increase in blood pressure, which in turn could trigger rupture of the aortic wall. While this finding is interesting, it needs to be corroborated and the clinical implications are debateable.

We aimed to investigate a hypothesised association between daily mean temperature and the risk of surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). For the period of 1 January 2005 until 31 December 2019, we collected daily data on mean temperatures and date of 2995 operations for ATAAD at 10 Nordic cities included in the Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection (NORCAAD) collaboration. Using a two-stage time-series approach, we investigated the association between hot and cold temperatures relative to the optimal temperature and the rate of ATAAD repair in the selected cities. The relative risks (RRs) of cold temperatures (≤−5°C) and hot temperatures (≥21°C) compared to optimal temperature were 1.47 (95% CI: 0.72–2.99) and 1.43 (95% CI: 0.67–3.08), respectively. In line with previous studies, we observed increased risk at cold and hot temperatures. However, the observed associations were not statistically significant, thus only providing weak evidence of an association.

OBJECTIVES: Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a rare but severe condition, routinely treated with emergent cardiac surgery. Many surgeons have the notion that patients with ATAAD tend to come in clusters, but no studies have examined these observations. This investigation was undertaken to study the potential association between the lunar cycle and the incidence of ATAAD. METHODS: We collected information on 2995 patients who underwent ATAAD surgery at centres from the Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection collaboration. We cross-referenced the time of surgery with lunar phase using a case-crossover design with 2 different definitions of full moon (>99% illumination and the 7-day full moon period). RESULTS: The period when the moon was illuminated the most (99% definition) did not show any significant increase in incidence for ATAAD surgery. However, when the full moon period was compared with all other moon phases, it yielded a relative risk of 1.08 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.17, P = 0.057] and, compared to waxing moon, only the relative risk was 1.11 (95% CI 1.01-1.23, P = 0.027). The peak incidence came 4-6 days after the moon was fully illuminated. CONCLUSIONS: This study found an overrepresentation of surgery for ATAAD during the full moon phase. The explanation for this is not known, but we speculate that sleep deprivation during full moon leads to a temporary increase in blood pressure, which in turn could trigger rupture of the aortic wall. While this finding is interesting, it needs to be corroborated and the clinical implications are debateable.

We aimed to investigate a hypothesised association between daily mean temperature and the risk of surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). For the period of 1 January 2005 until 31 December 2019, we collected daily data on mean temperatures and date of 2995 operations for ATAAD at 10 Nordic cities included in the Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection (NORCAAD) collaboration. Using a two-stage time-series approach, we investigated the association between hot and cold temperatures relative to the optimal temperature and the rate of ATAAD repair in the selected cities. The relative risks (RRs) of cold temperatures (<=-5 degrees C) and hot temperatures (>= 21 degrees C) compared to optimal temperature were 1.47 (95% CI: 0.72-2.99) and 1.43 (95% CI: 0.67-3.08), respectively. In line with previous studies, we observed increased risk at cold and hot temperatures. However, the observed associations were not statistically significant, thus only providing weak evidence of an association., Funding agency:Agreement for Medical Education and Research, Sweden

BACKGROUND: The outcome in patients after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection without replacement of the part of the aorta containing the primary tear is undefined. METHODS: Data of 1122 patients who underwent surgery for acute type A aortic dissection in 8 Nordic centers from January 2005 to December 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients with primary tear location unfound, un-known, not confirmed, or not recorded (n = 243, 21.7%) were excluded from the analysis. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to whether the aortic reconstruction encompassed the portion of the primary tear (tear resected [TR] group, n = 730) or not (tear not resected [TNR] group, n = 149). The restricted mean survival time ratios adjusted for patient characteristics and surgical details between the groups were calculated for all-cause mortality and aortic reoperation-free survival. The median follow-up time was 2.57 (interquartile range, 0.53-5.30) years. RESULTS: For the majority of the patients in the TR group, the primary tear was located in the ascending aorta (83.6%). The reconstruction encompassed both the aortic root and the aortic arch in 7.4% in the TR group as compared with 0.7% in the TNR patients (P < .001). There were no significant differences in all-cause mortality (adjusted restricted mean survival time ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.92-1.12; P = .799) or reoperation-free survival (adjusted restricted mean survival time ratio, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.95-1.02; P = .436) between the TR and TNR groups. CONCLUSIONS: Primary tear resection alone does not determine the midterm outcome after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection. (Ann Thorac Surg 2022;114:492-501) (c) 2022 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons., Funding agencies:Competitive State Research Financing of the Expert Responsibility area of Tampere University HospitalFinnish Cultural Foundation from Pirkanmaa Regional FundThe Mats Kleberg Foundation, Stockholm, SwedenUniversity of Iceland Research FundLanspitali Research Fund

INTRODUCTION: Finding ways of identifying patients with low levels of physical activity after lung cancer surgery would be beneficial when planning and providing interventions aimed at increasing physical activity. PURPOSE: To validate two self-reported physical activity instruments against accelerometer data. METHODS: Self-reported physical activity was assessed with the four category One Month Physical Activity Question (OMPAQ) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire modified for the elderly (IPAQ-E). Objective measurement of physical activity was performed with the Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer. All measurements were performed three months after lung cancer surgery. RESULTS: Three months after surgery, 83 patients provided complete physical activity measurements. There were statistically significant correlations between both of the self-reported physical activity assessed by OMPAQ (r = 0.54, p < .01) as well as IPAQ-E (r = 0.50, p < .01) and objectively measured physical activity (steps/day). The correlations were consistently stronger for the higher intensities of physical activity. Both instruments could identify patients not reaching the recommended levels of physical activity. CONCLUSION: Both OMPAQ and IPAQ-E give valid information on physical activity after lung cancer surgery, and might be used for screening patients in clinical settings. The OMPAQ provided stronger correlation and specificity than the IPAQ-E, and might be the preferred clinical choice.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) using the Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection registry. METHODS: Patients who underwent ATAAD surgery at 8 Nordic centers from 2005 to 2014 were analyzed for AKI according to the RIFLE criteria. Patients who died intraoperatively, those who had missing baseline or postoperative serum creatinine, and patients on preoperative renal replacement therapy were excluded. RESULTS: AKI occurred in 382 of 941 patients (40.6%), and postoperative dialysis was required for 105 patients (11.0%). Renal malperfusion was present preoperatively in 42 patients (5.1%), of whom 69.0% developed postoperative AKI. In multivariable analysis patient-related predictors of AKI included age (per 10 years; odds ratio [OR], 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.48), body mass index >30 kg/m2 (OR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.51-3.09), renal malperfusion (OR, 4.39; 95% CI, 2.23-9.07), and other malperfusion (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.55-2.86). Perioperative predictors were cardiopulmonary bypass time (per 10 minutes; OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.07) and red blood cell transfusion (OR per transfused unit, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.06-1.10). Rates of 30-day mortality were 17.0% in the AKI group compared with 6.6% in the non-AKI group (P < .001). In 30-day survivors AKI was an independent predictor of long-term mortality (hazard ratio, 1.86; 95% CI; 1.24-2.79). CONCLUSIONS: AKI is a common complication after surgery for ATAAD and independently predicts adverse long-term outcome. Of note one-third of patients presenting with renal malperfusion did not develop postoperative AKI, possibly because of restoration of renal blood flow with surgical repair. Mortality risk persists beyond the perioperative period, indicating that close clinical follow-up of these patients is required.

OBJECTIVES: Stroke is a serious complication in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). Previous studies investigating stroke in ATAAD patients have been limited by small cohorts and have shown diverging results. We sought to identify risk factors for stroke and to evaluate the effect of stroke on outcomes in surgical ATAAD patients. METHODS: The Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection database included patients operated for ATAAD at 8 Scandinavian Hospitals between 2005 and 2014. RESULTS: Stroke occurred in 177 (15.7%) out of 1128 patients. Patients with stroke presented more frequently with cerebral malperfusion (20.6% vs 6.3%, P < 0.001), syncope (30.6% vs 17.6%, P < 0.001), cardiogenic shock (33.1% vs 20.7%, P < 0.001) and pericardial tamponade (25.9% vs 14.7%, P < 0.001) and more often underwent total aortic arch replacement (10.7% vs 4.7%, P = 0.016), compared to patients without stroke. In the 86 patients presenting with cerebral malperfusion, 38.4% developed stroke. Thirty-day and 5-year mortality in patients with and without stroke were 27.1% vs 13.6% and 42.9% vs 25.6%, respectively. Stroke was an independent predictor of early- [odds ratio 2.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34-3.05; P < 0.001] and midterm mortality (hazard ratio 1.68, 95% CI 1.27-2.23; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Stroke in ATAAD patients is associated with increased early- and midterm mortality. Preoperative cerebral malperfusion and impaired haemodynamics, as well as total aortic arch replacement, were more frequent among patients who developed stroke. Importantly, a large proportion of patients presenting with cerebral malperfusion did not develop a permanent stroke, indicating that signs of cerebral malperfusion should not be considered a contraindication for surgery.

Background: The aim was to determine the association between atrial fibrillation (AF) and outcome in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods: All patients undergoing CABG between January 2010 and June 2013 were identified in the Swedish Heart Surgery Registry. Outcomes studied were all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, ischemic stroke, and recurrent AF. Patients with history of AF prior to surgery (preoperative AF) and patients without history of AF but with AF episodes post-surgery (postoperative AF) were compared to patients with no AF using adjusted Cox regression models. Results: Among 9,107 identified patients, 8.1% (n = 737) had preoperative AF, and 25.1% (n = 2,290) had postoperative AF. Median follow-up was 2.2 years. Compared to no AF, preoperative AF was associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality, adjusted hazard ratio with 95% confidence interval (HR) 1.76 (1.33-2.33); cardiovascular mortality, HR 2.43 (1.68-3.50); and congestive heart failure, HR 2.21 (1.72-2.84). Postoperative AF was associated with risk of all-cause mortality, HR 1.27 (1.01-1.60); cardiovascular mortality, HR 1.52 (1.10-2.11); congestive heart failure, HR 1.47 (1.18-1.83); and recurrent AF, HR 4.38 (2.46-7.78). No significant association was observed between pre- or postoperative AF and risk for myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. Conclusions: Approximately 1 in 3 patients undergoing CABG had pre- or postoperative AF. Patients with pre- or postoperative AF were at higher risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and congestive heart failure, but not of myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke. Postoperative AF was associated with higher risk of recurrent AF.

OBJECTIVES: Acute aortic dissection type A is a life-threatening condition, warranting immediate surgery. Presentation with sudden chest pain confers a risk of misdiagnosis as acute coronary syndrome resulting in subsequent potent antiplatelet treatment. We investigated the impact of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) on bleeding and mortality using the Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection (NORCAAD) database.METHODS: The NORCAAD database is a retrospective multicentre database where 119 of 1141 patients (10.4%) had DAPT with ASA + clopidogrel (n = 108) or ASA + ticagrelor (n = 11) before surgery. The incidence of major bleeding and 30-day mortality was compared between DAPT and non-DAPT patients with logistic regression models before and after propensity score matching.RESULTS: Before matching, 51.3% of DAPT patients had major bleeding when compared to 37.7% of non-DAPT patients (P = 0.0049). DAPT patients received more transfusions of red blood cells [median 8 U (Q1-Q3 4-15) vs 5.5 U (2-11), P < 0.0001] and platelets [4 U (2-8) vs 2 U (1-4), P = 0.0001]. Crude 30-day mortality was 19.3% vs 17.0% (P = 0.60). After matching, major bleeding remained significantly more common in DAPT patients, 51.3% vs 39.3% [odds ratio (OR) 1.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-2.51; P = 0.028], but mortality did not significantly differ (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.51-1.50; P = 0.63). Major bleeding was associated with increased 30-day mortality (adjusted OR 2.44, 95% CI 1.72-3.46; P < 0.0001).CONCLUSIONS: DAPT prior to acute aortic dissection repair was associated with increased bleeding and transfusions but not with mortality. Major bleeding per se was associated with a significantly increased mortality. Correct diagnosis is important to avoid DAPT and thereby reduce bleeding risk, but ongoing DAPT should not delay surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of preoperative malperfusion on 30-day and late mortality and postoperative complications using data from the Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection (ATAAD) registry.METHODS: We studied 1159 patients who underwent ATAAD surgery between January 2005 and December 2014 at 8 Nordic centers. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of 30-day and late mortality.RESULTS: Preoperative malperfusion was identified in 381 of 1159 patients (33%) who underwent ATAAD surgery. Thirty-day mortality was 28.9% in patients with preoperative malperfusion and 12.1% in those without. Independent predictors of 30-day mortality included any malperfusion (odds ratio, 2.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.94-3.93), cardiac malperfusion (odds ratio, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.34-4.17), renal malperfusion (odds ratio, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.23-4.61) and peripheral malperfusion (odds ratio, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.26-3.01). Any malperfusion (hazard ratio, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.21-2.43), cardiac malperfusion (hazard ratio, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.24-2.87) and gastrointestinal malperfusion (hazard ratio, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.18-4.26) were predictors of late mortality. Malperfusion was associated with significantly poorer survival at 1, 3, and 5 years (95.0% ± 0.9% vs 88.7% ± 1.9%, 90.1% ± 1.3% vs 84.0% ± 2.4%, and 85.4% ± 1.7% vs 80.8% ± 2.7%; log rank P = .009).CONCLUSIONS: Malperfusion has a significant influence on early and late outcomes in ATAAD surgery. Management of preoperative malperfusion remains a major challenge in reducing mortality associated with surgical treatment of ATAAD.