Martin van der Ent

Percutaneous left ventricular assist devices vs. intra-aortic balloon pump counterpulsation for treatment of cardiogenic shock: a meta-analysis of controlled trials

AIMS Studies have compared safety and efficacy of percutaneous left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) with intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) counterpulsation in patients with cardiogenic shock. We performed a meta-analysis of controlled trials to evaluate potential benefits of percutaneous LVAD on haemodynamics and 30-day survival. METHODS AND RESULTS Two independent investigators searched Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for all controlled trials using percutaneous LVAD in patients with cardiogenic shock, where after data were extracted using standardized forms. Weighted mean differences (MDs) were calculated for cardiac index (CI), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP). Relative risks (RRs) were calculated for 30-day mortality, leg ischaemia, bleeding, and sepsis. In main analysis, trials were combined using inverse-variance random effects approach. Two trials evaluated the TandemHeart and a recent trial used the Impella device. After device implantation, percutaneous LVAD patients had higher CI (MD 0.35 L/min/m(2), 95% CI 0.09-0.61), higher MAP (MD 12.8 mmHg, 95% CI 3.6-22.0), and lower PCWP (MD -5.3 mm Hg, 95% CI -9.4 to -1.2) compared with IABP patients. Similar 30-day mortality (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.68-1.66) was observed using percutaneous LVAD compared with IABP. No significant difference was observed in incidence of leg ischaemia (RR 2.59, 95% CI 0.75-8.97) in percutaneous LVAD patients compared with IABP patients. Bleeding (RR 2.35, 95% CI 1.40-3.93) was significantly more observed in TandemHeart patients compared with patients treated with IABP. CONCLUSION Although percutaneous LVAD provides superior haemodynamic support in patients with cardiogenic shock compared with IABP, the use of these more powerful devices did not improve early survival. These results do not yet support percutaneous LVAD as first-choice approach in the mechanical management of cardiogenic shock.

Impaired microcirculation predicts poor outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock

AIMS we investigated the relationship between sublingual perfused capillary density (PCD) as a measure of tissue perfusion and outcome (i.e. occurrence of organ failure and mortality) in patients with cardiogenic shock from acute myocardial infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS we performed a prospective study in 68 patients. Using Sidestream Dark Field imaging, PCD was measured after hospital admission (T0, baseline) and 24 h later (T1). We compared patients with baseline PCD ≤ median to patients with baseline PCD > median. Sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores were calculated at both time points. The Kaplan-Meier 30-day survival analyses were performed and predictors of 30-day mortality were identified. The baseline PCD was a predictor of the change in the SOFA score between T0 and T1 (ΔSOFA; ρ = -0.25, P = 0.04). Organ failure recovered more frequently in patients with PCD > median (>10.3 mm mm(-2); n = 33) than in patients with PCD ≤ median (n = 35; 52 vs. 29%, P < 0.05). Twenty-two patients (32%) died: 17 patients (49%) with PCD ≤ median vs. 5 patients (15%) with PCD > median (P = 0.004). After adjustment, the cardiac power index [odds ratio (OR): 0.48, 95% CI: 0.24-0.94) and PCD (OR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.45-0.92) remained significant predictors of 30-day outcome. Patients with baseline sublingual PCD ≤ median that improved at T1 had a considerable better prognosis relative to patients who had a persistently low PCD. CONCLUSION diminished sublingual PCD, at baseline or following treatment, is associated with development of multi-organ failure and is a predictor of poor outcome in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock.

Randomized study to assess the effect of thrombus aspiration on flow area in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: an optical frequency domain imaging study—TROFI trial

AIMS Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) with thrombectomy (TB) seems to reduce the thrombus burden, resulting in a larger flow area as measured with optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI). METHODS AND RESULTS In a multi-centre study, 141 patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction <12 h from onset were randomized to either PPCI with TB using an Eliminate catheter (TB: n = 71) or without TB (non-TB: n = 70), having operators blinded for the OFDI results. The primary endpoint was minimum flow area (MinFA) post-procedure assessed by OFDI, defined as: [stent area + incomplete stent apposition (ISA) area] - (intraluminal defect + tissue prolapse area). Sample size was based on the expected difference of 0.72 mm(2) in MinFA. Baseline demographics, pre-procedural quantitative coronary angiography (QCA), and procedural characteristics were well matched between the two groups. On OFDI, the stent area (TB: 7.62 ± 2.23 mm(2), non-TB: 7.05 ± 2.12 mm(2), P = 0.14) and MinFA (TB: 7.08 ± 2.14 mm(2) vs. non-TB: 6.51 ± 1.99 mm(2), Δ0.57 mm(2), P = 0.12) were not different. In addition, the amount of protrusion, intraluminal defect, and ISA area were similar in the both groups. CONCLUSION PPCI with TB was associated with a similar flow area as well as stent area to PPCI without TB.

Impaired sublingual microvascular perfusion during surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE Complications after cardiac surgery may involve multiple organ failure, which carries a high mortality. Development of multiple organ failure may be related to impaired microcirculatory perfusion as a result of systemic inflammation. Microcirculatory blood flow alterations have been associated with impaired outcome. We investigated whether these alterations occurred before, during, and after coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS We observed 25 consecutive patients who underwent elective coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass. The sublingual microcirculation was investigated using side-stream dark-field imaging. Side-stream dark-field imaging was performed before (baseline), during, and after surgery. Microvascular blood flow was estimated with a semiquantitative microvascular flow index in small, medium, and large microvessels. Changes in microvascular flow were tested with Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS Median microvascular flow index of medium blood vessels decreased after starting cardiopulmonary bypass relative to that after anesthetic induction (2.6, interquartile range 1.6-3.0, vs 3.0, interquartile range 2.8-3.0, P = .02). There was a trend toward decreased microvascular flow index of small and large vessels relative to baseline (P = .08 and P = .05, respectively). Decreases in microvascular flow index occurred irrespective of changes in systemic blood pressure. After each patients return to the intensive care unit, microvascular flow index increased and normalized in all microvessels. CONCLUSION For the first time, sublingual microvascular blood flow alterations have been observed during cardiopulmonary bypass-assisted coronary artery bypass grafting.

Low-dose nitroglycerin improves microcirculation in hospitalized patients with acute heart failure

Impaired tissue perfusion is often observed in patients with acute heart failure. We tested whether low‐dose nitroglycerin (NTG) improves microcirculatory perfusion in patients admitted for acute heart failure.

Second-generation optical coherence tomography in clinical practice. High-speed data acquisition is highly reproducible in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The development of second-generation optical coherence tomography (i.e. Fourier domain optical coherence tomography, FD-OCT) has made it possible to perform high speed pullbacks during image acquisition without the need for transient occlusion of the coronary artery. The objective of this study was to assess the reproducibility of FD-OCT systems for characterizing plaque and evaluating stent implantation in patients undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODS The study included 45 patients scheduled for percutaneous coronary intervention who were enrolled between May and December 2008. Image acquisition was performed by FD-OCT using a non-occlusive technique and employing pullback speeds ranging from 5 to 20 mm/s. Interstudy, interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility of plaque characterization and stent analysis were assessed. RESULTS Fourier domain imaging was successfully performed in all patients (n=45). The average flush rate was 3+/-0.4 mL/s and the contrast volume per pullback was 16.1+/-3.5 mL. The mean pullback duration and length were 3.2+/-1.2 s and 53.3+/-12.4 mm, respectively. The interstudy reproducibility for visualizing edge dissection, tissue prolapse, intrastent dissection and malapposition was excellent (k=1). The kappa values for interstudy, interobserver and intraobserver agreement on plaque characterization were 0.92, 0.82 and 0.95, respectively. CONCLUSIONS A second-generation OCT system (i.e. FD-OCT) involving high-speed data acquisition demonstrated good interstudy, interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility for characterizing plaque and evaluating stent implantation in patients undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention.

Five-year clinical outcomes after coronary stenting of chronic total occlusion using sirolimus-eluting stents: Insights from the rapamycin-eluting stent evaluated at Rotterdam Cardiology Hospital—(Research) Registry†

Background: The use of drug eluting stents (DES) in patients with a successfully recanalized chronic total occlusion (CTO) has been associated with a significant decrease in the need for repeat revascularization, and a favorable short‐term clinical outcome when compared with the use of bare metal stents (BMS). Our group, however, has previously reported similar rates of target lesion revascularisation (TLR) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) at 3 years follow‐up in patients with a successfully opened CTO who were treated with either a sirolimus eluting stent (SES) or a BMS. The objective of this report was to evaluate the outcomes of these patients at 5‐years clinical follow‐up. Methods and Results: A total of 140 (BMS 64, SES 76) patients with successfully opened CTOs were included. Seven patients died in the BMS group whilst nine patients died in the SES group (P = 0.90). Noncardiac death was the major component of all‐cause mortality (11 noncardiac deaths vs. 5 cardiac). There were two and three myocardial infarctions (MI) in the BMS and SES group, respectively (P = 1.0). The composite of death and MI occurred in seven (10.9%) and eleven (14.5%) patients in the BMS and SES group, respectively (P = 0.53). Clinically driven TLR was performed in eight patients (12.5%) in the BMS group, and five (6.6%) in the SES group (P = 0.26). Non‐TLR target vessel revascularization was performed in one patient in the BMS group, and four in the SES group (P = 0.37). The 5‐year device‐oriented cumulative MACE rate was 15.6% and 11.8% in the BMS and SES group, respectively (P = 0.56). Conclusion: In patients with a successfully treated CTO, clinical outcome after 5 years was similar between SES and BMS, however, clinically driven TLR was slightly higher in the BMS group.

First-in-Man Clinical Use of Combined Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Intravascular Ultrasound: A Potential Key to Predict Distal Embolization and No-Reflow?

![Figure][1] A 57-year-old male with a previous myocardial infarction and primary stenting of the right coronary artery was admitted for treatment of a type A lesion in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (E) . Fractional flow reserve was 0.68, and complex partly calcific

First use in patients of a combined near infra-red spectroscopy and intra-vascular ultrasound catheter to identify composition and structure of coronary plaque

A 70 year-old diabetic female with a history of hyperlipidaemia treated with statin therapy underwent coronary angioplasty of her right coronary artery (RCA, Figure 1). Post-procedure the RCA was assessed using, for the first time, a combination intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) catheter, which indicated that the proximal end of the stent was located in an area of lipid core plaque (Figure 2 and Video 1); a potential risk factor for stent thrombosis.1 Prospective studies are needed to assess the risk of ending a stent in a fibroatheroma, and to investigate the use of NIRS-IVUS to determine the optimal landing zone for a stent. In this manner, the co-localization of lipid core with structure may provide useful information that will enhance the safety of stenting and, with prospective studies, increase the ability to correctly identify plaque at risk of rupture.

Usefulness of Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump Counterpulsation in Patients With Cardiogenic Shock from Acute Myocardial Infarction

Although intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) counterpulsation is increasingly being used for the treatment of patients with cardiogenic shock from acute myocardial infarction, data on the long-term outcomes are lacking. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the 30-day and long-term mortality and to identify predictors for 30-day and long-term all-cause mortality of patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock who were treated with IABP. From January 1990 to June 2004, 300 consecutive patients treated with IABP were included. The mean age of the study population was 61 +/- 11 years, and 79% of the patients were men. The survival rate until IABP removal after successful hemodynamic stabilization was 70% (n = 211). The overall cumulative 30-day survival rate was 58%. The 30-day mortality rate decreased over time from 52% in 1990 to 1994 to 36% in 2000 to 2004 (p for trend <0.05). Follow-up ranged from 0 to 15 years. In patients who survived until IABP removal, the cumulative 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival rate was 69%, 58%, and 36%, respectively. The adjusted predictors of long-term mortality were arrhythmias during the intensive cardiac care unit stay (hazard ratio [HR] 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2 to 2.9) and renal failure during the intensive cardiac care unit stay (HR 2.5, 95% CI 1.3 to 5.1). After adjustment, treatment with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (HR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.9) and coronary artery bypass grafting (HR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.8) were associated with lower long-term mortality. In conclusion, in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock treated with IABP, the 30-day survival improved with time and an encouraging number of patients survived in the long term.