Search

Manreet Kanwar, Claire Walter, Megan Clarke, Maria Patarroyo-Aponte Department of Cardiology, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, USA Abstract: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) portrays a significant burden in terms of prevalence, morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. There is a lack of consensus on the basic pathophysiology, definition, and therapeutic targets for therapy for this syndrome. To date, there are no approved therapies available for reducing mortality or hospitalization for these patients. Several clinical trials have recently started to try and bridge this major gap. There is an urgent need to focus on drug and device development for HFpEF as well as to understand HFpEF pathophysiology. Keywords: HFpEF therapies, diastolic dysfunction

Physical therapy (PT) benefits for critically ill patients are well recognized; however, little data exist on PT in patients receiving temporary mechanical circulatory support. In this single-center retrospective study (February 2017-January 2022), we analyzed 37 patients who received an axillary Impella device (Abiomed, Danvers, MA) and PT to "prehabilitate" them before durable left ventricular assist device (dLVAD) implantation. The Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) Basic Mobility tool assessed the functional status at different points during admission. Immediately after Impella placement, the median AM-PAC score was 12.7 (interquartile range [IQR], 9-15), and the scores continued to significantly increase to 18.4 (IQR, 16-23) before dLVAD and up to 20.7 (IQR, 19-24) at discharge, indicating improved independence. No PT-related complications were reported. Thus, we hypothesize that critically ill patients initially deemed equivocal candidates may safely participate in PT while maximizing functional activities before dLVAD placement., Competing Interests: Disclosure: I.A.S. has received consultant fees from Abiomed. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to report., (Copyright © ASAIO 2024.)

Background: An inter-institutional collaboration between a quaternary hospital (QH) with a high volume of cardiac surgery and a community-based, tertiary hospital (TH) with a newly established cardiac surgery program was established., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data of patients admitted to the TH between September 2015 and June 2017 for cardiac surgery. The decision to transfer a patient to the QH was based on a Society of Thoracic Surgeon-Predicted Risk of Mortality (STS-PROM) score of ≥ 3%, the potential need for hemodialysis, and other risk factors. The same team of surgeons performed operations at both hospitals. We analyzed the perioperative outcomes of the patients and the referral pattern., Results: A total of 116 patients met eligibility criteria; 105 underwent surgery at the TH, while 11 were transferred to the QH. Among the 11 patients transferred to the QH, eight had a score of  3% (median = 8.2 [IQR 5.7-25.0]). The patients transferred to the QH prior to surgery had a significantly higher STS-PROM score (P = ≤ .001). Overall, the mortality of patients who underwent surgery at the TH was 0.9% (1/105); while surgeries at the QH had a mortality rate of 0% (0/11)., Conclusion: The collaborative effort between high-volume cardiac surgery programs and emerging community-based hospitals showed acceptable outcomes in perioperative cardiac surgical mortality. Elevated STS-PROM scores (>3%), previous sternotomy and anticipation of coagulopathy, and low left ventricular ejection fraction or dilated ventricles are factors that influenced the need to transfer from a TH to QH.

Pulmonary hypertension is characterized by elevated pulmonary artery pressure caused by several clinical conditions that affect pulmonary vasculature. Morbidity and death in this condition are related to the development of right ventricular failure. Normal physiologic changes that occur in pregnancy to support the growing fetus can pose hemodynamic challenges to the pregnant patient with pulmonary hypertension that results in increased morbidity and mortality rates. Current guidelines recommend that patients with known pulmonary hypertension be counseled against pregnancy. This review aims to provide clinicians with guidelines for preconception counseling, medication management, and delivery planning., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are increasingly used for the treatment of end-stage heart failure. Right ventricular (RV) failure after LVAD implantation is an increasingly common clinical problem, occurring in patients early after continuous flow LVAD implant. RV failure is associated with a substantial increase in post-LVAD morbidity and mortality. RV failure can be predicted using preoperative hemodynamic, clinical, and echocardiographic variables and a variety of risk prediction algorithms. However, RV failure may also develop due to unanticipated intraoperative or perioperative factors. Early recognition and treatment are critical in terms of mitigating the impact of RV failure on post-LVAD outcomes., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The pathophysiology of orthostatic hypotension (OH) is multifactorial, with the most frequent causes being adverse effects of cardioactive drugs. In 20%-40% of cases, the etiology is unknown. In recent reports, altered levels of endogenous neuropeptides have been observed in noncardiac syncope, but B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and its amino-terminal cleavage fragment (NT-proBNP) have not been studied., Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the possibility that BNP with its diuretic and vasorelaxant properties could contribute to OH., Methods: This prospective observational study comprised 85 consecutive OH subjects (58 women, age 49 ± 23 years) referred to a tertiary-care syncope clinic. All patients had normal left ventricular systolic and diastolic function, and clinical and laboratory findings consistent with euvolemia or modest hypovolemia. In 45 of 85 individuals (53%), an OH cause was determined., Results: Among the remaining 40 patients (21 women, age 57 ± 16 years) with OH of unknown cause, 6 of 40 (15%) exhibited unexpectedly elevated plasma NT-proBNP levels (14000, 5210, 2570, 7990, 3480, and 6680 pg/mL). In contrast, NT-proBNP values were normal (ie, <300 pg/mL) in the remaining 34 patients with OH of unknown cause and 45 patients with OH of known etiology. At 8 to 12 months of follow-up, volume repletion therapy requirements in patients with initial increased NT-proBNP diminished in conjunction with gradual fall of NT-proBNP concentrations., Conclusion: In select patients, markedly elevated levels of BNP or NT-proBNP may be associated with and possibly contribute to symptomatic OH., (Copyright © 2015 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Heart failure is one of the most prevalent cardiovascular diseases in the United States, and is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and costs. Prompt diagnosis may help decrease mortality, hospital stay, and costs related to treatment. A complete heart failure evaluation comprises a comprehensive history and physical examination, echocardiogram, and diagnostic tools that provide information regarding the etiology of heart failure, related complications, and prognosis in order to prescribe appropriate therapy, monitor response to therapy, and transition expeditiously to advanced therapies when needed. Emerging technologies and biomarkers may provide better risk stratification and more accurate determination of cause and progression., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)