The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database: 2023 Update on Outcomes and Research.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Congenital Heart Surgery Database (CHSD) continues to be the most comprehensive database of congenital and pediatric cardiothoracic surgical procedures in the world and contains information on 664,210 operations as of June 30, 2023. The 35th harvest of the STS CHSD data was undertaken in Spring 2023, spanning the 4-year period January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2022, and included 144,919 operations performed at 114 participating sites in North America. The harvest analysis was successfully executed by the STS Research and Analytic Center.

A multidimensional approach to identifying high-performing trauma centers across the United States.

Introduction: The differentiators of centers performing at the highest level of quality and patient safety are likely both structural and cultural. We aimed to combine five indicators representing established domains of trauma quality and to identify and describe the structural characteristics of consistently performing centers.

Methods: Using American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program data from 2017 to 2020, we evaluated five quality measures across several care domains for adult patients in levels I and II trauma centers: (1) time to operating room for patients with abdominal gunshot wounds and shock, (2) proportion of patients receiving timely venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, (3) failure to rescue (death following a complication), (4) major hospital complications, and (5) mortality.

Benchmarking Pediatric Trauma Care in Mixed Trauma Centers: Adult Risk-Adjusted Mortality Is Not a Reliable Indicator of Pediatric Outcomes.

Background: Trauma center benchmarking has become standard practice for assessing quality. The American College of Surgeons adult trauma center verification standards do not specifically require participation in a pediatric-specific benchmarking program. Centers that treat adults and children may therefore rely solely on adult benchmarking metrics as a surrogate for pediatric quality.

Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Benefit of β-Blocker Therapy After Myocardial Infarction.

Beta blockers are uniformly recommended for all patients after myocardial infarction (MI), including those with diabetes mellitus (DM). This study assesses the impact of β-blocker type and dosing on survival in patients with DM after MI. A cohort of 6,682 patients in the Outcomes of Beta-blocker Therapy After Myocardial INfarction registry were discharged after MI.

Determinants of Early and Late In-Hospital Mortality After Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Subanalysis of the OBTAIN Registry.

Background: Predictors of in-hospital mortality after myocardial infarction (MI) have been reported dichotomously: survival vs death. Predictors of time from admission to death have not been reported.

Methods: A total of 7335 patients were enrolled in a prospective multicentre registry of acute MI.

National evaluation of the association between stay-at-home orders on mechanism of injury and trauma admission volume.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had numerous negative effects on the US healthcare system. Many states implemented stay-at-home (SAH) orders to slow COVID-19 virus transmission. We measured the association between SAH orders on the injury mechanism type and volume of trauma center admissions during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The association between gun shows and firearm injuries: An analysis of 259 gun shows across 23 US cities.

Guns shows are estimated to account for 4-9% of firearm sales in the US. Increased regulation of firearm sales at gun shows has been proposed as one approach to reducing firearm injury rates. This study evaluated the association between gun shows and local firearm injury rates.

Time to OR for patients with abdominal gunshot wounds: A potential process measure to assess the quality of trauma care?

Background: Abdominal gunshot wounds (GSWs) require rapid assessment and operative intervention to reduce the risk of death and complications. We sought to determine if time to the operating room (OR) might be a useful process measure for the assessment of trauma care quality. We evaluated the facility benchmark time to OR for patients with serious injury and whether this was associated with lower rates of complications and mortality.

One-Year Landmark Analysis of the Effect of Beta-Blocker Dose on Survival After Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background Although beta-blockers are recommended following myocardial infarction (MI), the benefits of long-term treatment have not been established. The study's aim was to evaluate beta-blocker efficacy by dose in 1-year post-MI survivors. Methods and Results The OBTAIN (Outcomes of Beta-Blocker Therapy After Myocardial Infarction) registry included 7057 patients with acute MI, with 6077 one-year survivors.

Comparison of Metoprolol Versus Carvedilol After Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Beta-blockers are typically prescribed following myocardial infarction (MI), but no specific beta-blocker is recommended. Of 7,057 patients enrolled in the OBTAIN multi-center registry of patients with acute MI, 4142 were discharged on metoprolol and 1487 on carvedilol. Beta-blocker dose was indexed to the target daily dose used in randomized clinical trials (metoprolol-200 mg; carvedilol-50 mg), reported as %.

Exercise based assessment of cardiac autonomic function in type 1 versus type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) that is associated with increased mortality. Exercise-based assessment of autonomic function has identified diminished parasympathetic reactivation after exercise in type 2 DM. It is postulated herein, that this would be more prominent among those with type 1 DM.

Simulation-based training is associated with lower risk-adjusted mortality in ACS pediatric TQIP centers.

Background: Although use of simulation-based team training for pediatric trauma resuscitation has increased, its impact on patient outcomes has not yet been shown. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between simulation use and patient outcomes.

Methods: Trauma centers that participate in the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Pediatric Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) were surveyed to determine frequency of simulation use in 2014 and 2015.

Sudden Death After Hospitalization for Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction (from the EVEREST Trial).

Patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) benefit from medical and device therapies targeting sudden cardiac death (SCD). Contemporary estimates of SCD risk after hospitalization for heart failure are limited. We describe the incidence, timing, and clinical predictors of SCD after hospitalization for HFrEF (≤40%) in the EVEREST (Efficacy of Vasopressin Antagonism in Heart Failure Outcome Study with Tolvaptan) trial.

Plasma renin activity, response to aliskiren, and clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized for heart failure: the ASTRONAUT trial.

Aims: The direct renin inhibitor, aliskiren, is known to reduce plasma renin activity (PRA), but whether the efficacy of aliskiren varies based on an individual's baseline PRA in patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) is presently unknown. We characterized the prognostic value of PRA and determined if this risk is modifiable with use of aliskiren.

Methods And Results: This pre-specified neurohormonal substudy of ASTRONAUT analysed all patients hospitalized for HF with ejection fraction (EF) ≤40% with available baseline PRA data (n = 1306, 80.

Pre-discharge and early post-discharge troponin elevation among patients hospitalized for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: findings from the ASTRONAUT trial.

Aims: Troponin levels are commonly elevated among patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF), but the prevalence and prognostic significance of early post-discharge troponin elevation are unclear. This study sought to describe the frequency and prognostic value of pre-discharge and post-discharge troponin elevation, including persistent troponin elevation from the inpatient to outpatient settings.

Methods And Results: The ASTRONAUT trial (NCT00894387; http://www.

T-Wave Alternans, Heart Rate Turbulence, and Ventricular Ectopy in Standard versus Daily Hemodialysis: Results from the FHN Daily Trial.

Background: Hemodialysis (HD) patients are at high risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). HD 6-times/week (6x/wk) may reduce SCD risk compared to usual 3-times/week HD (3x/wk) by mechanisms unknown. T-wave alternans (TWA), heart rate turbulence (HRT), and ventricular ectopy (VE) are elevated in HD patients, but their response to 6x/wk HD has not been assessed.

Influence of atrial fibrillation on post-discharge natriuretic peptide trajectory and clinical outcomes among patients hospitalized for heart failure: insights from the ASTRONAUT trial.

Aims: Change in NT-proBNP level is a common surrogate endpoint in early phase heart failure (HF) trials, but whether this endpoint is influenced by atrial fibrillation/flutter (AFF) is unclear.

Methods And Results: This analysis included 1358 patients from the ASTRONAUT trial, which randomized patients hospitalized for HF with EF ≤40% to aliskiren or placebo in addition to standard care. Patients were stratified by presence of AFF on baseline ECG.

Timing of Pharmacologic Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Propensity-Matched Cohort Study.

Background: Patients with severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) are at high risk for developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). Nonetheless, pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis is often delayed out of concern for precipitating extension of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of early vs late VTE prophylaxis in patients with sTBI, and to characterize the risk of subsequent ICH-related complication.

Combining Diuretic Response and Hemoconcentration to Predict Rehospitalization After Admission for Acute Heart Failure.

Background: Both diuretic response and hemoconcentration are indicators of decongestion and have individually been found to predict rehospitalization after admission for acute heart failure (HF). This study examines the value of combining diuretic response and hemoconcentration to better predict patients at low risk for rehospitalization after admission for acute HF.

Methods And Results: Diuretic response (defined as weight change per 40 mg of furosemide on day 4 after admission) and hemoconcentration (change in hemoglobin at discharge or day 7) were tested both individually and combined to predict the risk of HF and cardiovascular rehospitalization 60 days after hospitalization for acute HF.

In-Hospital Diuretic Agent Use and Post-Discharge Clinical Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized for Worsening Heart Failure: Insights From the EVEREST Trial.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize the association between decongestion therapy and 30-day outcomes in patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF).

Background: Loop diuretic agents are commonly prescribed for the treatment of symptomatic congestion in patients hospitalized for HF, but the association between loop diuretic agent dose response and post-discharge outcomes has not been well characterized.

Methods: Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the association among average loop diuretic agent dose, congestion status at discharge, and 30-day post-discharge all-cause mortality and HF rehospitalization in 3,037 subjects hospitalized with worsening HF enrolled in the EVEREST (Efficacy of Vasopressin Antagonism in Heart Failure: Outcome Study With Tolvaptan) study.

Serum Osmolality and Postdischarge Outcomes After Hospitalization for Heart Failure.

Serum osmolality may fluctuate with neurohormonal activation and in response to certain therapeutics in patients with heart failure (HF). The clinical relevance of osmolality in patients with HF has not been defined. In this post hoc analysis of the Efficacy of Vasopressin Antagonism in Heart Failure: Outcome Study with Tolvaptan trial, we analyzed serum osmolality measured at discharge in 3,744 patients hospitalized for HF and reduced ejection fraction (EF ≤40%).

Effect of Beta-Blocker Dose on Survival After Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Beta-blocker therapy after acute myocardial infarction (MI) improves survival. Beta-blocker doses used in clinical practice are often substantially lower than those used in the randomized trials establishing their efficacy.

Objectives: This study evaluated the association of beta-blocker dose with survival after acute MI, hypothesizing that higher dose beta-blocker therapy will be associated with increased survival.