Publications by authors named "Christoffer Tobias Witt"
Background: The Danish National Patient Registry (DNPR) is a valuable resource for population-based research, but the validity of routine registration of advanced heart failure (HF) treatments within the registry is unknown. We, therefore, investigated the validity of HF, advanced HF treatments, and HF readmissions in the DNPR.
Methods: We randomly sampled patients registered at a Danish University Hospital during 2017-2021 from the DNPR.
Article Synopsis
- Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) are uncommon but can occur after electrical cardioversion (ECV) for atrial fibrillation (AF), with an incidence of about 0.2% based on a study of nearly 12,000 ECV procedures.
- The study involved 23 patients who experienced VAs within 10 days of ECV, with most cases developing 28.5 hours after the procedure, and a significant number had underlying health issues like congestive heart failure.
- The findings suggest that while VAs post-ECV are rare, they can be life-threatening, especially in patients with certain risk factors, indicating that careful monitoring is essential for these individuals.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to explore labor market participation in working-age heart failure patients before and after receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), noting its potential benefits for recovery and quality of life.
- Researchers analyzed data from 546 patients who underwent CRT in Central Denmark from 2000 to 2017, focusing on their employment status from one year before to five years after the procedure.
- Results showed that while active employment dropped significantly before CRT, it increased to 31% one year post-implantation, with labor market participation influenced by factors like age, education level, and the presence of other health conditions.
Aims: We aimed to investigate the influence of socioeconomic position (SEP) and multimorbidity on cross-sectional healthcare utilization and prognosis in patients after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) implantation.
Methods And Results: We included first-time CRT recipients with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% implanted between 2000 and 2017. Data on chronic conditions, use of healthcare services, and demographics were obtained from Danish national administrative and health registries.
Aims: Pharmacological therapy remains a cornerstone in heart failure (HF) treatment despite the implantation of a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between (i) drug discontinuation and (ii) long-term adherence to HF pharmacotherapy after CRT implantation and socioeconomic position and multimorbidity.
Methods And Results: We conducted a registry-based cohort study including all patients who underwent a first-time CRT implantation at Aarhus University Hospital from 2000 to 2017.
Article Synopsis
- This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of using MRI in patients with temporary external pacemakers, focusing on whether artifacts affect the quality of cardiac MRI images.
- The review analyzed data from 827 patients treated with temporary external pacemakers between 2016 and 2020, finding that only 44 patients (5%) underwent MRI, and there were no device-related issues or artifacts affecting image quality.
- The conclusion is that MRI is both safe and effective for patients with temporary external pacing, providing critical information for their clinical management without compromising diagnostic image quality.
Purpose: Left ventricular (LV) lead complications in cardiac resynchronization therapy are challenging and poorly reported. We aimed to establish prevalence, causes and outcomes of LV lead complications requiring re-intervention.
Methods: We analysed the rate of complications in 2551 consecutive patients who received a transvenous de novo LV lead as part of a cardiac resynchronization therapy device between 2000 and 2018.
Objective: The objective of this study was to examine whether left atrial (LA) volumes and function were associated with atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).
Methods: Ninety-two consecutive patients without prior atrial fibrillation underwent clinical evaluation, echocardiograms, and cardiac computed tomography (CT) before CRT implantation and after 6 months. Left atrial volumes and LA emptying fraction (LAEF) were derived by CT images reconstructed at 5% phase increments of the cardiac cycle.
Background: QRS narrowing after CRT is a predictor of patient outcome. Further narrowing can be obtained by interventricular pacing delay (VVd) optimization, raising interest to inter and intraobserver variation in manual measurements of QRS duration.
Methods: (a) Variation in intrinsic rhythm QRS duration in CRT patients with LBBB: In 40 intrinsic 12-lead ECGs, six observers measured QRS duration defined as widest QRS in any lead.
Background: Remote monitoring (RM) is an established technology integrated into routine follow-up of patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). Current RM systems differ according to transmission frequency and alert definition.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the time difference between detection and acknowledgment of clinically relevant events between 4 RM systems.
Article Synopsis
- Evidence-based heart failure (HF) medications are underused, but their optimization after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) can improve patient outcomes.
- In a study of 826 patients who received CRT, medication doses increased significantly after 6 months, with high long-term adherence rates of 95% for beta-blockers and 94% for ACE inhibitors/ARBs.
- Higher doses of these medications were linked to better survival rates, showing that effective management of HF is feasible following CRT implantation.
Purpose: To assess the acute effect of triggered left ventricular pacing (tLVp) on left ventricular performance and contraction pattern in patients with heart failure, left bundle branch block (LBBB), and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).
Methods: Twenty-three patients with pre-implant QRS complex >150 ms, QRS complex narrowing under CRT, and sinus rhythm were included ≥3 months after CRT implantation. Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), global peak systolic longitudinal strain (GLS), and contraction pattern by 2D strain was performed during intrinsic conduction, tLVp, and BiV pacing and compared as paired data.
Adding the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator to cardiac resynchronization therapy is associated with improved long-term survival in ischaemic, but not in non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy.
Europace
March 2016
Article Synopsis
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) helps improve heart failure symptoms and survival, and the study investigates the additional benefits of adding an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) for patients with heart failure.
- The study included 917 patients with heart failure from Aarhus University Hospital between 2000 and 2010, analyzing mortality data and the impact of ICD on survival.
- Results showed that patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) had improved survival with ICD backup, while those with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) did not show significant survival benefits.
Article Synopsis
- Patients without a history of atrial fibrillation (AF) who underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) were studied to find the impact of early detected atrial high rate episodes (AHRE) on their health outcomes.
- The study found that 20% of the 394 patients had early AHREs, which significantly increased the risk of developing clinical AF and thromboembolic events during a follow-up period of about 4.6 years.
- However, the presence of early AHREs did not increase mortality risk, and only a minority of patients who experienced thromboembolic events had AHREs detected shortly before those events.
Aims: Paced electrocardiogram characteristics to confirm left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) pacing sites in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) have not been validated with accurate knowledge of pacing lead positions. We aimed to evaluate the ability of the paced QRS morphology to differentiate between various LV and RV lead positions using cardiac computed tomography (CT) as the reference for LV and RV pacing site.
Methods And Results: Ninety-seven CRT patients were included.