Umair Malik

Hospital Readmissions Following Endovascular Therapy for Critical Limb Ischemia: Associations With Wound Healing, Major Adverse Limb Events, and Mortality

Background The significance of hospital readmission after endovascular therapy for critical limb ischemia (CLI) is not well established. We sought to investigate the incidence, timing, and causes of readmissions after endovascular therapy for CLI and whether readmission is associated with major adverse limb events (MALE) or mortality. Methods and Results This was a retrospective study of 252 patients treated with endovascular therapy for CLI. During median follow‐up of 381 days (interquartile range [IQR], 115–718), 140 (56%) were readmitted, with median time to readmission of 83 days (IQR, 33–190). Readmission within 30 days occurred in 14% of patients (n=35; 25% of readmissions). Most readmissions occurred between 30 and 180 days (n=67; 48% of readmissions). The most frequent reason for readmission was unhealed wounds (n=63; 45% of readmissions). Independent predictors of readmission by Cox proportional hazards analysis were unhealed wounds, presence of multiple wounds, age ≥70, female sex, hemodialysis, and history of heart failure (P<0.05 for each). By Kaplan–Meier analysis, readmission was greatest in patients with unhealed wounds, followed by patients who never had a wound, and lowest in patients whose wounds completely healed (P<0.0001 overall, and P<0.01 between groups). After multivariable adjustment, readmission remained an independent predictor of composite MALE (major amputation, bypass, or endarterectomy) or mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.5–6.5; P=0.002). Conclusions Most readmissions occur 30 and 180 days after endovascular therapy for nonprocedural reasons. Unhealed wounds are an independent risk factor for readmission. Readmission is associated with increased MALE and mortality after endovascular therapy for CLI.

Associations Between Cardiac Troponin, Mechanism of Myocardial Injury, and Long‐Term Mortality After Noncardiac Vascular Surgery

Background The time‐sensitive hazard of perioperative cardiac troponin T (cTnT) elevation and whether long‐term mortality differs by mechanism of myocardial injury are poorly understood. Methods and Results In this observational study of 12 882 patients who underwent noncardiac vascular surgery, patients were assessed for cTnT sampling within 96 hours postoperatively. Mortality out to 5‐years was stratified by cTnT level and mechanism of myocardial injury. During a median follow‐up of 26.9 months, there were 2149 (16.7%) deaths. By multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis, there was a graded increase in mortality with any detectable cTnT compared to <0.01 ng/mL; cTnT 0.01 to 0.029 ng/mL hazard ratio (HR) 1.54 (95% CI 1.18–2.00, P=0.002), 0.03 to 0.099 ng/mL HR 1.86 (95% CI 1.49–2.31, P<0.001), 0.10 to 0.399 ng/mL HR 1.83 (95% CI 1.46–2.31, P<0.001), ≥0.40 ng/mL HR 2.62 (95% CI 2.06–3.32, P<0.001). Mortality for each mechanism of injury was greater than for patients with normal cTnT; baseline cTnT elevation HR 1.71 (95% CI 1.31–2.24; P<0.001), Type 2 myocardial infarction HR 1.88 (95% CI 1.57–2.24; P<0.001), Type 1 MI HR 2.56 (95% CI 2.56, 1.82–3.60; P<0.001). On Kaplan–Meier analysis, long‐term survival did not differ between mechanisms. The hazard of mortality was greatest within the first 10 months postsurgery. Consistent results were obtained in confirmatory propensity‐score matched analyses. Conclusions Any detectable cTnT ≥0.01 ng/mL is associated with increased long‐term mortality after vascular surgery. This risk is greatest within the first 10 months postoperatively. While short‐term mortality is greatest with Type 1 myocardial infarction, long‐term mortality appears independent of the mechanism of injury.

LONG-TERM MORTALITY FOLLOWING PERIOPERATIVE MYOCARDIAL INJURY IS INDEPENDENT OF MECHANISM OF TROPONIN ELEVATION

Perioperative myocardial injury detected by cardiac troponin T (cTnT) is associated with increased mortality. The mechanisms underlying perioperative cTnT elevation have however not been well described. Whether long-term mortality differs by mechanism is unknown. All patients who underwent

Presenting features, treatment patterns and outcomes of patients with breast cancer in Pakistan: Experience at a university hospital

BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Pakistani women. We report the presenting features, treatment patterns and survival of breast cancer from a University Hospital in Southern Pakistan and compare the data with international population based studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS Medical records of patients diagnosed to have breast cancer between January 1999 and November 2008 were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS A total of 845 patients were identified. Median age of diagnosis was 48 years (range 18-92). Clinical stage was as follows: Stage I 9.9%; Stage II 48.5%; Stage III 26.2%; Stage IV 13.8%; data not available 1.5%. Approximately, half (51.6%) were estrogen receptor (ER) positive and 17.5% over-expressed Her2/neu. Nearly 23% patients received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy while 68.9% received adjuvant chemotherapy. Anthracycline based treatment was the most common treatment until 2003 while later on, patients also received taxanes and trastuzumab based therapy. Age, stage, tumor size, lymph node status, tumor grade, ER status, treatment with hormonal therapy and radiation were the major predictive factors for overall survival (OS). We report an impressive 5 year OS of 75%, stage specific survival was 100%, 88% and 58% for Stages I, II and III respectively. CONCLUSION The majority of patients present at a younger age and with locally advanced disease. However, short term follow-up reveals that the outcomes are comparable with the published literature from developed countries. Long-term follow-up and inclusion of data from population-based registries are required for accurate comparison.