Percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with stable coronary artery disease and left ventricular systolic dysfunction: insights from the VA CART program.

Background: Revascularization of ischemic cardiomyopathy by coronary artery bypass grafting has been shown to improve survival among patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35%, but the role of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in this context is incompletely described. This study sought to evaluate the effect of PCI on mortality and hospitalization among patients with stable coronary artery disease and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis comparing PCI with medical therapy among patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy in the Veterans Affairs Health Administration.

Trends in Treatment for Patients Hospitalized with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Before and After Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure With an Aldosterone Antagonist (TOPCAT).

The TOPCAT trial investigated spironolactone vs placebo in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Although the primary endpoint was not statistically significant, treatment with spironolactone did reduce heart failure hospitalizations compared with placebo. TOPCAT's impact on prescribing patterns in the United States is not well-characterized.

Testing for Coronary Artery Disease in Older Patients With New-Onset Heart Failure: Findings From Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure.

Background: Current guidelines recommend evaluation for underlying heart disease and reversible conditions for patients with new-onset heart failure (HF). There are limited data on contemporary testing for coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with new-onset HF.

Methods: We performed an observational cohort study using the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure registry linked to Medicare claims.

Out-of-hospital medication errors among young children in the United States, 2002-2012.

Objective: To investigate out-of-hospital medication errors among young children in the United States.

Methods: Using data from the National Poison Database System, a retrospective analysis of out-of-hospital medication errors among children <6 years old from 2002 through 2012 was conducted.

Results: During 2002-2012, 696,937 children <6 years experienced out-of-hospital medication errors, averaging 63,358 episodes per year, or 1 child every 8 minutes.