Depression predicts delayed return to daily activities in patients post-cardiac surgery: a prospective observational study.

Background: Depression significantly impacts recovery and return to daily activities in cardiac surgery patients. Assessing and managing depressive symptoms before and after surgery are crucial for improving surgical outcomes and timely return to daily activities, including work. The objectives of this study were to examine differences in patients' depression levels in relation to their return to daily activities in the early post-cardiac surgery period, and to assess predictors of delayed return to daily activities.

National Trends for Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support Utilization in Patients With Cardiogenic Shock From Decompensated Chronic Heart Failure: Incidence, Predictors, Outcomes, and Cost.

Background: Trends in temporary mechanical circulatory support (tMCS) use with associated outcomes and cost in cardiogenic shock secondary to decompensated chronic heart failure (HF-CS) remains poorly understood. We describe trends in tMCS use, associated outcomes, and cost in HF-CS.

Methods: We included adults enrolled in a national insurance claims dataset with HF-CS who received intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), Impella, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) without acute coronary syndrome, or postcardiotomy shock.

The Effect of Iodinated Contrast Media Sensitivity on the Prognosis of Patients with STEMI.

: Iodinated Contrast Media (ICM) is used daily in many imaging departments worldwide. The main risk associated with ICM is hypersensitivity. When a severe hypersensitivity reaction is not properly managed and treated swiftly, it may be fatal.

Outcomes of Transvenous Lead Extraction in a Referral Center in Northern Israel.

Background: Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) are increasingly being used; thus, there is an increasing need for transvenous lead extraction (TLE).

Objectives: To summarize our experience with TLE at single referral center in northern Israel.

Methods: The study included all patients who underwent TLE at our center between 2019 and 2022, regardless of the indication.

Left Ventricular Unloading With Impella Versus IABP in Patients With VA-ECMO: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) use for circulatory support in cardiogenic shock results in increased left ventricular (LV) afterload. The use of concomitant Impella or intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) have been proposed as adjunct devices for LV unloading. The authors sought to compare head-to-head efficacy and safety outcomes between the 2 LV unloading strategies.

Clinical outcomes of intravenous iron therapy in patients with heart failure and iron deficiency: Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Background: Iron deficiency in patients with heart failure (HF) is underdiagnosed and undertreated. The role of intravenous (IV) iron is well-established to improve quality of life measures. Emerging evidence also supports its role in preventing cardiovascular events in patients with HF.

Chronotropic Incompetence after Heart Transplantation Is Associated with Increased Mortality and Decreased Functional Capacity.

Introduction: The contribution of chronotropic incompetence to reduced exercise tolerance after a heart transplant is well known, but its role as a prognostic marker of post-transplant mortality is unclear. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between post-transplant heart rate response (HRR) and survival.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all adult heart transplant recipients at the University of Pennsylvania between the years 2000 and 2011 who underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) within a year of transplant.

Durable Left Ventricular Assist Device Outflow Graft Obstructions: Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes.

Purpose: We report on the clinical course and management of patients supported with durable implantable LVADs who developed outflow graft obstructions at a large academic center.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients receiving LVAD support from 2012 through 2020. Patients who developed an outflow graft obstruction diagnosed by computed tomography angiography (CTA) or angiogram were identified, and patient characteristics and outcomes were reported.

Ascites in Animals With Right Heart Failure: Correlation With Lymphatic Dysfunction.

Background Congestive heart failure is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. One of the signs of congestive heart failure is fluid overload including pulmonary edema, peripheral edema, and ascites. The cause of fluid overload remains incompletely understood, and management of these patients continues to be a challenge.

Early Cardiopulmonary Fitness after Heart Transplantation as a Determinant of Post-Transplant Survival.

Background: Decreased peak oxygen consumption during exercise (peak Vo) is a well-established prognostic marker for mortality in ambulatory heart failure. After heart transplantation, the utility of peak Vo as a marker of post-transplant survival is not well established.

Methods And Results: We performed a retrospective analysis of adult heart transplant recipients at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing within a year of transplant between the years 2000 to 2011.

Effects of Body Mass Index on Presentation and Outcomes of COVID-19 among Heart Transplant and Left Ventricular Assist Device Patients: A Multi-Institutional Study.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to pose a significant threat to patients receiving advanced heart failure therapies. The current study was undertaken to better understand the relationship between obesity and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or heart transplant. We performed a retrospective review of patients with a heart transplant or LVAD who presented to one of the participating 11 institutions between April 1 and November 30, 2020.

Left Ventricular Assist Devices: A Primer For the General Cardiologist.

Durable implantable left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have been shown to improve survival and quality of life for patients with stage D heart failure. Even though LVADs remain underused overall, the number of patients with heart failure supported with LVADs is steadily increasing. Therefore, general cardiologists will increasingly encounter these patients.

Proposal for a trial of early left ventricular venting during venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for cardiogenic shock.

Objective: Patients with profound cardiogenic shock may require venoarterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for circulatory support most commonly via the femoral vessels. The rate of cardiac recovery in this population remains low, possibly because peripheral VA-ECMO increases ventricular afterload. Whether direct ventricular unloading in peripheral VA-ECMO enhances cardiac recovery is unknown, but is being more frequently utilized.

Use and Out-of-Pocket Cost of Sacubitril-Valsartan in Patients With Heart Failure.

Background Current guidelines recommend use of sacubitril-valsartan in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Early data suggested low uptake of sacubitril-valsartan, but contemporary data on real-world use and their associated cost are limited. Methods and Results This was a retrospective study of individuals enrolled in Optum Clinformatics, a national insurance claims data set from 2016 to 2018.

Meta-Analysis Comparing Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation With or Without Impella in Patients With Cardiogenic Shock.

Cardiogenic shock is associated with high short-term mortality. Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is increasingly used as a mechanical circulatory support strategy for patients with refractory cardiogenic shock. A drawback of this hemodynamic support strategy is increased left ventricular (LV) afterload, which is mitigated by concomitant use of Impella (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with Impella [ECPELLA]).

The Anemia Stress Index-Anemia, Transfusions, and Mortality in Patients with Continuous Flow Ventricular Assist Devices.

We aimed to identify a simple metric accounting for peri-procedural hemoglobin changes, independent of blood product transfusion strategies, and assess its correlation with outcomes in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation We included consecutive patients undergoing LVAD implantation at a single center between 10/1/2008 and 6/1/2014. The anemia stress index (ASI), defined as the sum of number of packed red blood cells transfused and the hemoglobin changes after LVAD implantation, was calculated for each patient at 24 h, discharge, and 3 months after LVAD implantation. Our cohort included 166 patients (80.

Hemodynamic reserve predicts early right heart failure after LVAD implantation.

Background: Early right heart failure (RHF) remains a major source of morbidity and mortality after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, yet efforts to predict early RHF have proven only modestly successful. Pharmacologic unloading of the left ventricle may be a risk stratification approach allowing for assessment of right ventricular and hemodynamic reserve.

Methods: We performed a multicenter, retrospective analysis of patients who had undergone continuous-flow LVAD implantation from October 2011 to April 2020.