Publications by authors named "R J Enders"
Background: Left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion (LAAO) is performed to prevent LAA thrombus in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The risk of device-related thrombus (DRT) on the atrial side of the LAAO device is approximately 4%. Identifying patients at high risk of DRT would enable closer surveillance and more-aggressive anticoagulation to prevent post-LAAO DRT-related stroke.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Atrial fibrillation (AF) can weaken the left atrial appendage, increasing the risk of stroke, which can be measured through left atrial appendage emptying velocity (LAAev) via transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE).
- A study evaluated factors that lead to reduced LAAev (<30 cm/s) in patients with AF, using logistic regression to create a risk prediction model called the CHIRPM score based on various clinical and echocardiographic traits.
- The model was validated against a dataset, showing that both low and high CHIRPM scores significantly correlated with LAAev levels, offering a new way to assess stroke risk among individuals with AF.
Article Synopsis
- Beta-blockers have been shown to improve outcomes in patients with heart failure, particularly those with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), but their effectiveness in older nursing home residents remains less clear.
- A study analyzed data from nearly 6,500 hospitalized patients aged 65 and over with HFrEF to assess the impact of beta-blockers on mortality and heart failure readmissions, specifically comparing outcomes between nursing home residents and other patients.
- The findings indicated that beta-blocker use was linked to reduced all-cause mortality in older adults, but there was no significant difference in heart failure readmissions, regardless of whether patients were admitted from nursing homes or not.